A TEST OF THE RADIATIVE ENERGY BALANCE OF THE SHAW MODEL FOR SNOWCOVER

Snow and ice present interesting challenges to hydrologists. Simulating the radiative balance over snow, which is an important part of surface–atmosphere interactions, is particularly challenging because of the decay in albedo over time and the difficulty in estimating surface temperature and incoming long-wave radiation fluxes. Few models are available that include a comprehensive energy and water balance for cold season conditions. The simultaneous heat and water model (SHAW) is a detailed, physical process model of a vertical, one-dimensional canopy–snow–residue–soil system which integrates the detailed physics of heat and water transfer through a plant canopy, snow, residue and soil into one simultaneous solution. Detailed provisions for metamorphosis of the snowpack are included. The SHAW model was applied to data for one winter/spring season (November to May) on a ploughed field in Minnesota without prior calibration to test the performance of the radiation components. Maximum snow depth during this period was 30 cm. For the nearly 100 days of snowcover, the model accounted for 69% of the variation in net solar radiation, 66% of the variation in incoming long-wave radiation, 87% of the variation in emitted long-wave radiation, 26% of the variation in net long-wave radiation and 55% of the variation in net radiation balance. Mean absolute error in simulated values ranged from 10 W m⁻² for emitted long-wave radiation to 27 W m⁻² for the entire net radiation balance. Mean bias error ranged from 8 W m⁻² for emitted long-wave radiation to −16 W m⁻² for the entire net radiation balance. When the entire 170 days of simulation, which included periods without snowcover, were included in the analysis, the variation in observed values increased greatly. As a result, the variation in observed values accounted for by the model increased to 97, 71, 93, 56 and 94%, respectively, while the mean absolute and mean bias errors in simulated values remained nearly the same. Model modifications and parameter adjustments necessary to improve winter-time simulation were investigated. Simulation results suggest that the SHAW model may be a useful tool in simulating the interactive influences of radiative transfer at the surface–atmosphere interface.     

The impact of changing subcanopy radiation on snowmelt in a disturbed coniferous forest

Understanding the role of forests on snowmelt processes enables better estimates of snow storages at a catchment scale and contributes to a higher accuracy of spring flood forecasting. A coniferous forest modifies the snowpack energy balance by reducing the total amount of solar shortwave radiation (SWR) and enhancing the role of longwave radiation (LWR) emitted by trees. This study focuses on changes in SWR and LWR at three sites with different canopy structure (Bohemian Forest, Czechia), including one site affected by the bark beetle (Ips typographus). Measurements of incoming and outgoing SWR and LWR were performed at all sites equipped with CNR4 Net Radiometers for three cold seasons. In addition to SWR and LWR, sensible and latent heat, and ground heat and energy supplied by liquid precipitation were calculated. The results showed that net SWR at the healthy forest site represented only 7% of the amount at the open site due to the shading effect of trees. In contrast, net LWR represented a positive component of the snowpack energy balance at the healthy forest site and thus contributed the most to snowmelt. However, the modelled snowmelt rates were significantly lower in the forest than in the open area since the higher LWR in the forest did not compensated for the lower SWR. The progressive decay of disturbed forest caused the decrease in mean net LWR from −3.1 W/m² to −12.9 W/m² and the increase in mean net SWR from 31.6 W/m² to 96.2 W/m² during the study period. These changes caused an increase in modelled snowmelt rates by 50% in the disturbed forest, compared to the healthy forest site, during the study period. Our findings have important implications for runoff from areas affected by land cover changes due to either human activity or climate change.     

Data‐driven modelling of shortwave radiation transfer to snow through boreal birch and conifer canopies

Hydrological and land surface models require simple but accurate methods to predict the solar radiation transmitted through vegetation to snow, backed up by direct comparisons to data. Twenty shortwave pyranometers were deployed in forest plots of varying canopy structures and densities in sparse birch forest near Abisko, Sweden, in spring 2011 and mixed conifer forest near Sodankylä, Finland, in spring 2012. Above‐canopy global and diffuse shortwave irradiances were also measured. These data were used to test a model that uses hemispherical photographs to explicitly estimate both diffuse radiation and direct beam transmission, as well as two models that apply bulk canopy parameters and versions of Beers Law. All three models predict canopy shortwave transmission similarly well for leafless birch forest, but for conifers, the bulk methods perform poorly. In addition, an existing model of multiple reflections between canopy and snow was found to be suitable for birch, but not conifers. A new bulk approach based on empirical relationships with hemisphere‐averaged sky view fraction showed improved performance for both sites; this suggests benefits of avoiding the use of plant area index calculated from optical methods, which can introduce errors. Furthermore, tests using common empirical diffuse radiation models were shown to underestimate shortwave transmission by up to 7% relative to using the data, suggesting that new diffuse models are required for high latitudes. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

WINTER RADIATION EXTINCTION AND REFLECTION IN A BOREAL PINE CANOPY: MEASUREMENTS AND MODELLING

Predicting the rate of snowmelt and intercepted snow sublimation in boreal forests requires an understanding of the effects of snow-covered conifers on the exchange of radiant energy. This study examined the amount of intercepted snow on a jack pine canopy in the boreal forest of central Saskatchewan and the shortwave and net radiation exchange with this canopy, to determine the effect of intercepted snow and canopy structure on shortwave radiation reflection and extinction and net radiation attenuation in a boreal forest. The study focused on clear sky conditions, which are common during winter in the continental boreal forest. Intercepted snow was found to have no influence on the clear-sky albedo of the canopy, the extinction of short wave radiation by the canopy or ratio of net radiation at the canopy top to that at the surface snow cover. Because of the low albedo of the snow-covered canopy, net radiation at the canopy top remains positive and a large potential source of energy for sublimation. The canopy albedo declines somewhat as the extinction efficiency of the underlying canopy increases. The extinction efficiency of short wave radiation in the canopy depends on solar angle because of the approximately horizontal orientation of pine branches. For low solar angles above the horizon, the extinction efficiency is quite low and short wave transmissivity through the canopy is relatively high. As the solar angle increases, extinction increases up to angles of about 50°, and then declines. Extinction of short wave radiation in the canopy strongly influences the attenuation of net radiation by the canopy. Short wave radiation that is extinguished by branches is radiated as long wave, partly downwards to the snow cover. The ratio of net radiation at the canopy top to that at the snow cover surface increases with the extinction of short wave radiation and is negative for low extinction efficiencies. For the pine canopy examined, the daily mean net radiation at the snow cover surface became positive when daily mean solar angles exceeded 22° in late March. Hence, canopy structure and solar angle control the net radiation at the snow cover surface during clear sky conditions and will govern the timing and rate of snowmelt. Models of intercepted snow sublimation and forest snowmelt could beneficially incorporate the canopy radiation balance, which can be extrapolated to stands of various canopy densities, coverage and heights in a physically based manner. Such models could hence avoid ‘empirical’ temperature index measures that cannot be extrapolated with confidence.     

The impact of cloud inhomogeneities on the Earth radiation budget: the 14 October 1989 I.C.E. convective cloud case study

Through their multiple interactions with radiation, clouds have an important impact on the climate. Nonetheless, the simulation of clouds in climate models is still coarse. The present evolution of modeling tends to a more realistic representation of the liquid water content; thus the problem of its subgrid scale distribution is crucial. For a convective cloud field observed during ICE 89, Landsat TM data (resolution: 30m) have been analyzed in order to quantify the respective influences of both the horizontal distribution of liquid water content and cloud shape on the Earth radiation budget. The cloud field was found to be rather well-represented by a stochastic distribution of hemi-ellipsoidal clouds whose horizontal aspect ratio is close to 2 and whose vertical aspect ratio decreases as the cloud cell area increases. For that particular cloud field, neglecting the influence of the cloud shape leads to an over-estimate of the outgoing longwave flux; in the shortwave, it leads to an over-estimate of the reflected flux for high solar elevations but strongly depends on cloud cell orientations for low elevations. On the other hand, neglecting the influence of cloud size distribution leads to systematic over-estimate of their impact on the shortwave radiation whereas the effect is close to zero in the thermal range. The overall effect of the heterogeneities is estimated to be of the order of 10 W m⁻² for the conditions of that Landsat picture (solar zenith angle 65○, cloud cover 70%); it might reach 40 W m⁻² for an overhead sun and overcast cloud conditions.     

A possible mechanism of stimulation of seismic activity by ionizing radiation of solar flares

A possible mechanism of earthquake triggering by ionizing radiation of solar flares is considered. A theoretical model and results of numerical calculations of disturbance of electric field, electric current, and heat release in lithosphere associated with variation of ionosphere conductivity caused by absorption of ionizing radiation of solar flares are presented. A generation of geomagnetic field disturbances in a range of seconds/tens of seconds is possible as a result of large-scale perturbation of a conductivity of the bottom part of ionosphere in horizontal direction in the presence of external electric field. Amplitude-time characteristics of the geomagnetic disturbance depend upon a perturbation of integral conductivity of ionosphere. Depending on relation between integral Hall and Pedersen conductivities of disturbed ionosphere the oscillating and aperiodic modes of magnetic disturbances may be observed. For strong perturbations of the ionosphere conductivities amplitude of pulsations may obtain ~10² nT. In this case the amplitude of horizontal component of electric field on the Earth surface obtains 0.01 mV/m, electric current density in lithosphere –10^–6 A/m², and the power density of heat release produced by the generated current is 10^–7 W/m³. It is shown that the absorption of ionizing radiation of solar flares can result in variations of a density of telluric currents in seismogenic faults comparable with a current density generated in the Earth crust by artificial pulsed power systems (geophysical MHD generator " Pamir-2” and electric pulsed facility " ERGU-600”), which provide regional earthquake triggering and spatiotemporal variation of seismic activity. Therefore, triggering of seismic events is possible not only by man-made pulsed power sources but also by the solar flares. The obtained results may be a physical basis for a novel approach to solve the problem of short-term earthquake prediction based on electromagnetic triggering phenomena.     

A detailed energy budget analysis of river supercooling and the importance of accurately quantifying net radiation to predict ice formation

River supercooling and ice formation is a regular occurrence throughout the winter in northern countries. The resulting frazil ice production can obstruct the flow through intakes along the river, causing major problems for hydropower and water treatment facilities, among others. Therefore, river ice modellers attempt to calculate the river energy budget and predict when supercooling will occur in order to anticipate and mitigate the effects of potential intake blockages. Despite this, very few energy budget studies have taken place during freeze-up, and none have specifically analysed individual supercooling events. To improve our understanding of the freeze-up energy budget detailed measurements of air temperature, relative humidity, barometric pressure, wind speed and direction, short- and longwave radiation, and water temperature were made on the Dauphin River in Manitoba. During the river freeze-up period of late October to early November 2019, a total of six supercooling events were recorded. Analysis of the energy budget throughout the supercooling period revealed that the most significant heat source was net shortwave radiation, reaching up to 298 W/m², while the most significant heat loss was net longwave radiation, accounting for losses of up to 135 W/m². Longwave radiation was also the most significant heat flux overall during the individual supercooling events, accounting for up to 84% of the total heat flux irrespective of flux direction, highlighting the importance of properly quantifying this flux during energy budget calculations. Five different sensible (Q_h) and latent (Q_e) heat flux calculations were also compared, using the bulk aerodynamic method as the baseline. It was found that the Priestley and Taylor method most-closely matched the bulk aerodynamic method on a daily timescale with an average offset of 8.5 W/m² for Q_h and 10.1 W/m² for Q_e, while a Dalton-type equation provided by Webb and Zhang was the most similar on a sub-daily timescale with average offsets of 20.0 and 14.7 W/m² for Q_h and Q_e, respectively.     

Uncertainty Estimate of Surface Irradiances Computed with MODIS-, CALIPSO-, and CloudSat-Derived Cloud and Aerosol Properties

Differences of modeled surface upward and downward longwave and shortwave irradiances are calculated using modeled irradiance computed with active sensor-derived and passive sensor-derived cloud and aerosol properties. The irradiance differences are calculated for various temporal and spatial scales, monthly gridded, monthly zonal, monthly global, and annual global. Using the irradiance differences, the uncertainty of surface irradiances is estimated. The uncertainty (1σ) of the annual global surface downward longwave and shortwave is, respectively, 7?W?m^?2 (out of 345?W?m^?2) and 4?W?m^?2 (out of 192?W?m^?2), after known bias errors are removed. Similarly, the uncertainty of the annual global surface upward longwave and shortwave is, respectively, 3?W?m^?2 (out of 398?W?m^?2) and 3?W?m^?2 (out of 23?W?m^?2). The uncertainty is for modeled irradiances computed using cloud properties derived from imagers on a sun-synchronous orbit that covers the globe every day (e.g., moderate-resolution imaging spectrometer) or modeled irradiances computed for nadir view only active sensors on a sun-synchronous orbit such as Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation and CloudSat. If we assume that longwave and shortwave uncertainties are independent of each other, but up- and downward components are correlated with each other, the uncertainty in global annual mean net surface irradiance is 12?W?m^?2. One-sigma uncertainty bounds of the satellite-based net surface irradiance are 106?W?m^?2 and 130?W?m^?2.     

Measurements of solar ultra violet radiation on the Tibetan Plateau and comparisons with discrete ordinate method simulations

Measurements of both broadband and spectral UV radiation have been carried out at Lhasa (29°40′N, 91°08′E, 3648 m above sea level) on the Tibetan Plateau, using a moderate bandwidth filter instrument (NILUV) and a Fixed Imaging Compact Spectrometer (FICS). In this paper, the erythemal UV dose rates deduced from broadband measurements during the period from 1 July 1996 to 10 December 1997 are presented. The observed highest erythemal UV dose rate is 500 (or 458) mW/m² in July 1996 (or 1997), and the corresponding daily erythemal UV dose can reach up to 7.60 (or 7.00) kJ/m² and 9.18 (or 8.96) kJ/m², respectively, for the monthly mean and the monthly maximum. Comparisons with the UV levels at other locations at similar latitudes show that both the monthly mean and monthly maximum erythemal UV doses at Lhasa can be higher by a factor of 1.3–1.5 than those at San Diego (32°05′N, 117°1′W) in summer (from May to August), and exceed the corresponding values at Perth (32°0′S, 115°8′E) in the southern hemisphere summer (from November to February) by a factor of 1.2–1.4. Comparisons of both the broadband measurements and spectral measurements with the outputs of a discrete ordinate method (DOM) radiative transfer model have also been conducted. The results from the comparisons of broadband measurements with model outputs show that a 15, 11 and 10% agreement may be achieved around solar noon (with solar zenith angle smaller than 60°), respectively, for global irradiances in the 305, 320 and 340 mm channels, whilst the corresponding agreements are about 8 and 4% for the erythemal UV dose rate and the 340–305 nm ratio, respectively. The comparisons of the measured spectral irradiance with model calculations indicate that large discrepancies may appear at wavelengths shorter than 310 nm and longer than 380 nm. However, a 10% agreement may be generally achieved in UVA for solar zenith angle lower than 55°C. The corresponding agreement is about 20 and 5%, respectively, for UVB and the erythemal UV dose rate.     

The effects of forest litter on snow energy budget in the Tianshan Mountains,China

Forest litter exerts an impact on the energy budget of snow surfaces, which lie beneath forest canopies. In this study, we measured shortwave and longwave radiation levels, as well as quantities of Asian spruce (Picea schrenkinan ) forest litter, over 3 snow study plots that representing an open environment, 20% forest canopy openness (20% FCO), and 80% forest canopy openness (80% FCO). The fractional litter coverage (lc ) was obtained through the binarization of digital photographs of forest litter. The effects of forest litter on snow surface albedo (α ), snow surface temperature (T _s ), upward shortwave and longwave radiation (K _↑ and L _↑), and sensible heat flux (H ) were then analyzed. According to our results, the energy budget over snow surface influenced by forest litter principally due to forest litter forcing α decrease and T _s increase. The effects of forest litter on the energy budget increased with time and lc . We found that forest litter exerted the most significant impact on K _↑ and L _↑ at daytime during the latter stages of the snowmelt period. The influence of forest litter on H was more apparent on windy days. The presence of forest litter increased gains in shortwave radiation and losses in longwave radiation and decreased gains in H . Compared to the simulated energy (K _↑ + L _↑ + H ) over a snow surface without litter, the calculated energy decreased by ?13.4 W/m² and increased by 9.0 W/m², respectively, at the 20% FCO and 80% FCO sites during the latter stages of the snowmelt period. Overall, forest litter facilitated snow surface energy gains at the 80% FCO site and impeded them at the 20% FCO site during the latter stages of the snowmelt period.     

Seasonal plankton variability in Chilean Patagonia fjords: Carbon flow through the pelagic food web of Aysen Fjord and plankton dynamics in the Moraleda Channel basin

Two research cruises (CIMAR 13 Fiordos) were conducted in the N–S oriented macrobasin of the Moraleda Channel (42–47°S), which includes the E–W oriented Puyuhuapi Channel and Aysen Fjord, during two contrasting productive seasons: austral winter (27 July–7 August 2007) and spring (2–12 November 2007). These campaigns set out to assess the spatio-temporal variability, defined by the local topography along Moraleda Channel, in the biological, physical, and chemical oceanographic characteristics of different microbasins and to quantify the carbon budget of the pelagic trophic webs of Aysen Fjord.Seasonal carbon fluxes and fjord-system functioning vary widely in our study area. In terms of spatial topography, two constriction sills (Meninea and Elefantes) define three microbasins along Moraleda Channel, herein the (1) north (Guafo-Meninea), (2) central (Meninea-Elefantes), and (3) south (Elefantes-San Rafael Lagoon) microbasins. In winter, nutrient concentrations were high (i.e. nitrate range: 21–14 μM) and primary production was low (153–310 mgC m^?2 d^?1), suggesting that reduced light radiation depressed the plankton dynamics throughout Moraleda Channel. In spring, primary production followed a conspicuous N–S gradient, which was the highest (5167 mgC m^?2 d^?1) in the north microbasin and the lowest (742 mgC m^?2 d^?1) in the south microbasin. The seasonal pattern of the semi-enclosed Puyuhuapi Channel and Aysen Fjord, however, revealed no significant differences in primary production (～800 mgC m^?2 d^?1), and vertical fluxes of particulate organic carbon were nearly twice as high in spring as in winter (266 vs. 168 mgC m^?2 d^?1).At the time-series station (St. 79), the lithogenic fraction dominated the total sedimented matter (seston). The role of euphausiids in the biological carbon pump of the Patagonian fjords was evident, given the predominance of zooplankton fecal material, mostly euphausiid fecal strings (46% of all fecal material), among the recognizable particles contributing to the particulate organic carbon flux.The topographic constriction sills partially modulated the exchange of oceanic waters (Subantarctic Surface Water) with freshwater river discharges along the Moraleda Channel. This exchange affects salinity and nutrient availability and, thus, the plankton structure. The north microbasin was dominated by a seasonal alternation of the classical (spring) and microbial (winter) food webs. However, in the south microbasin, productivity was low and the system was dominated year-round by large inputs of glacier-derived, silt-rich freshwater carrying predominantly small-sized diatoms (Skeletonema spp) and bacteria. When superimposed upon this scenario, highly variable (seasonal) solar radiation and photoperiods could exacerbate north–south differences along Moraleda Channel.     

Solar radiation,longwave radiation and emergent wetland evapotranspiration estimates from satellite data in Florida,USA / Estimations à partir de données satellitales du rayonnement solaire,du rayonnement de grande longueur d’onde et de l’évapotranspiration d’une zone humide de Floride (EUA)

Abstract

Abstract Routine estimates of daily incoming solar radiation from the GOES-8 satellite were compared to locally measured values in Florida. Longwave radiation estimates corrected using GOES-derived cloud amount and cloud top temperature products improved net radiation estimates as compared to a clear sky longwave approach. The Penman-Monteith, Turc, Hargreaves and Makkink models were applied using GOES-derived estimates of solar radiation and net radiation to predict daily evapotranspiration and were compared to evapotranspiration measured with an eddy-correlation system in an emergent wetland experimental site in north-central Florida under unstressed conditions. While the Penman-Monteith model provided the best estimates of evapotranspiration (R ² = 0.92), the empirical Makkink method demonstrated nearly comparable agreement (R ² = 0.90) using only the GOES solar radiation and measured temperature. The results show that it is possible to generate spatially distributed daily potential evapotranspiration estimates using GOES-derived solar radiation and net radiation with limited additional surface measurements.     

Near‐surface temperatures and heat balance of bare outcrops exposed to solar radiation

Subsurface temperatures in rocks naturally fluctuate under the influence of local meteorological conditions. These fluctuations play a role in mechanical weathering, thus creating the environmental conditions conducive to natural hazards such as rockfalls and providing important sediment source terms for landscape evolution. However, the physics that control heat penetration into rocks are not fully understood, which makes the underground thermal state difficult to interpret when temperature measurements are available and even more difficult to estimate for unmonitored sites. This is an important lacuna given possible impacts of future climate change on mechanical weathering processes. The natural daily variations of subsurface temperatures were investigated on a bare gneiss outcrop exposed to solar radiation, where temperatures at various depths (up to 50 cm), as well as the solar radiation reaching a pyranometer, were monitored hourly for several months. This detailed times series of thermal data was used to gain insight into the heat balance at the inclined free surface of the rock mass. Attention was focused on two major contributors to the heat balance; the heat flux entering the rock mass through conduction and the incoming shortwave (solar) radiation. A Fourier decomposition of the temperature measurements provided an estimate of the in situ thermal conductivity of the rock and was used to calculate the conductive term. The shortwave radiation term was determined on the basis of the pyranometer measurements adjusted to account for the angle of incidence of the sun. It is shown that, throughout clear‐sky periods, heat exchanges at the surface are mainly controlled by direct solar radiation during the day, and by a roughly constant outgoing heat flux during the night. Subsurface temperatures can be reliably estimated with a semi‐infinite medium model whose boundary condition is derived from an analytical insolation model that takes atmospheric attenuation into account. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Above‐stream microclimate and stream surface energy exchanges in a wildfire‐disturbed riparian zone

Stream temperature and riparian microclimate were characterized for a 1·5 km wildfire‐disturbed reach of Fishtrap Creek, located north of Kamloops, British Columbia. A deterministic net radiation model was developed using hemispherical canopy images coupled with on‐site microclimate measurements. Modelled net radiation agreed reasonably with measured net radiation. Air temperature and humidity measured at two locations above the stream, separated by 900 m, were generally similar, whereas wind speed was poorly correlated between the two sites. Modelled net radiation varied considerably along the reach, and measurements at a single location did not provide a reliable estimate of the modelled reach average. During summer, net radiation dominated the surface heat exchanges, particularly because the sensible and latent heat fluxes were normally of opposite sign and thus tended to cancel each other. All surface heat fluxes shifted to negative values in autumn and were of similar magnitude through winter. In March, net radiation became positive, but heat gains were cancelled by sensible and latent heat fluxes, which remained negative. A modelling exercise using three canopy cover scenarios (current, simulated pre‐wildfire and simulated complete vegetation removal) showed that net radiation under the standing dead trees was double that modelled for the pre‐fire canopy cover. However, post‐disturbance standing dead trees reduce daytime net radiation reaching the stream surface by one‐third compared with complete vegetation removal. The results of this study have highlighted the need to account for reach‐scale spatial variability of energy exchange processes, especially net radiation, when modelling stream energy budgets. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Wood distribution in neotropical forested headwater streams of La Selva,Costa Rica

Surveys of wood along 30 forested headwater stream reaches in La Selva Biological Station in north‐eastern Costa Rica represent the first systematic data reported on wood loads in neotropical streams. For streams with drainage areas of 0·1–8·5 km² and gradients of 0·2–8%, wood load ranged from 3 to 34·7 m³ wood/100 m channel and 41–612 m³ wood/ha channel. These values are within the range reported for temperate streams. The variables wood diameter/flow depth, stream power, the presence of backflooding, and channel width/depth are consistently selected as significant predictors by statistical models for wood load. These variables explain half to two‐thirds of the variability in wood load. These results, along with the spatial distribution of wood with respect to the thalweg, suggest that transport processes exert a greater influence on wood loads than recruitment processes. Wood appears to be more geomorphically effective in altering bed elevations in gravel‐bed reaches than in reaches with coarser or finer substrate. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Ionospheric measurements of relative coronal brightness during the total solar eclipses of 11 August, 1999 and 9 July, 1945

Swept-frequency (1/10 MHz) ionosonde measurements were made at Helston, Cornwall (50°06N, 5°18W) during the total solar eclipse on August 11, 1999. Soundings were made every three minutes. We present a method for estimating the percentage of the ionising solar radiation which remains unobscured at any time during the eclipse by comparing the variation of the ionospheric E-layer with the behaviour of the layer during a control day. Application to the ionosonde date for 11 August, 1999, shows that the flux of solar ionising radiation fell to a minimum of 25±2% of the value before and after the eclipse. For comparison, the same technique was also applied to measurements made during the total solar eclipse of 9 July, 1945, at Sörmjöle (63°68N, 20°20E) and yielded a corresponding minimum of 16 ± 2%. Therefore the method can detect variations in the fraction of solar emissions that originate from the unobscured corona and chromosphere. We discuss the differences between these two eclipses in terms of the nature of the eclipse, short-term fluctuations, the sunspot cycle and the recently-discovered long-term change in the coronal magnetic field.     

Sources of stream sulphate in headwater catchments in Otter Creek Wilderness,West Virginia,USA

Upland forested catchments in the Appalachian Plateau region receive among the greatest rates of atmospheric sulphur (S) deposition in the eastern USA, although coal mines and S‐bearing minerals in bedrock may also contribute to stream acidity in this region. Watershed mass balance and stable S isotopic values (δ³⁴S) of sulphate (SO₄^2?) were used to assess the contributions to stream SO₄^2? from atmospheric and lithogenic sources at Yellow Creek (YC), a headwater catchment on the Appalachian Plateau in West Virginia. Oxygen isotopic values (δ¹⁸O) of water were used to study catchment hydrology. Stream output of SO₄^2? was c. 60% of atmospheric S deposition during a relatively dry year, whereas atmospheric S input was nearly balanced by stream output during a year with above normal amounts of precipitation. The temporal patterns and values of δ³⁴S were similar between bulk precipitation and stream water at two upper elevation sites. At the lowest elevation site, stream δ³⁴S values were similar to bulk precipitation values during the dormant season but were slightly lower than precipitation during the low‐flow summer, probably as the result of a greater proportion of stream water being derived from deep hydrological flowpaths that have contacted S‐bearing minerals with low δ³⁴S values in coal seams. Stream δ³⁴S values at YC were significantly higher than at Coal Run, a catchment containing abandoned coal prospects and having a greater amount of S‐bearing minerals than YC. Results suggested that lithogenic S is a relatively minor source and that atmospheric deposition is the principal source of stream SO₄^2?, and thus stream acidity, at YC. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Evaluating nitrate uptake in a Rocky Mountain stream using labelled 15N and ambient nitrate chemistry

Background aqueous chemistry and ¹⁵N_nitrate tracer injection methods were used to calculate in‐stream nitrate uptake metrics at Red Canyon Creek, a third‐order stream in the Rocky Mountains in the state of Wyoming, United States. ‘Net’ nitrate uptake lengths, which reflect both nitrate uptake and regeneration, and ‘gross’ nitrate uptake lengths, which exclude re‐mineralization, were quantified separately from background nitrate chemistry and ¹⁵N labelling tracer data, respectively. Gross nitrate uptake lengths, from tracer injections of ¹⁵N labelled nitrate, ranged from 502 to 3140 m. Net nitrate uptake lengths, from background nitrate chemistry downstream of a point source, ranged from 1170 to 4330 m. Diurnal changes in uptake lengths suggest the importance of nitrate utilization by autotrophs in the stream and benthic zone. The differences between net and gross nitrate uptake lengths along lower reaches of Red Canyon Creek allowed us to estimate the nitrate regeneration rate, which was 0·056–0·080 µmol m^?2 s^?1 during the day and 0·0062–0·0083 µmol m^?2 s^?1 at night. Spatial patterns of streambed pore water chemistry indicate those areas of the hyporheic zone where denitrification was likely occurring. Permanent log dams generated stronger redox gradients in the hyporheic zone than areas with transient beaver dams. By combining isotopically labelled nitrate additions, estimates of uptake from background aqueous nitrate chemistry and characterization of redox conditions in the hyporheic zone, we were able to determine the nitrate regeneration rate and the redox processes responsible for nitrogen cycling in the hyporheic zone. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Variations of solar EUV,UV and ionospheric foF2 related to the solar rotation period

Spectral analysis of daily values of various solar indices viz. sunspot number, 10.7-cm flux, H Lyman-<alpha> and -<beta>, specific He, Fe and Mg lines and solar X-rays was carried out for two selected intervals. During interval A (May-August 1978, 123 days) the solar indices showed a prominent periodicity near 27 days, while during interval B (January-May 1979, 151 days) the solar indices showed a prominent periodicity near 13 days. For the same intervals, foF2 (max) and foF2 (average) during 1000–1500 LT were similarly analysed for the locations Cachoeira Paulista, SP, Brazil (23○S, 45○W), and Okinawa (26○N, 128○E) and Kokubunji (36○N, 139○E) in Japan. The 27-day and 13-day periodicities in solar indices were reflected in the foF2 series, but in different relative proportions at the three locations, probably due to the interference of local aerodynamical effects. Some other periodicities were common to solar indices and foF2, while some others were present in the solar indices but not in foF2, or vice versa.