Measurements of desert dust optical characteristics at Porte au Sahara during SAMUM

Main optical characteristics of desert dust, such as phase function and single scattering albedo, have been derived from combinations of sun-/sky-radiometer and satellite measurements during the SAMUM experiment (10 May–10 June 2006) at the site Porte au Sahara (30.237°N, 5.607°W) in South Morocco. Scattering phase functions have been retrieved using combined data of spectral aerosol optical thickness (AOT) and spectral sky brightness in the almucantar, considering non-spherical light scattering. Intercomparisons of modelled top-of-atmosphere (TOA) reflectance with satellite observations of the Medium Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MERIS) and Scanning Imaging Absorption Spectrometer for Atmospheric Chartography () instrument have been used for the estimation of spectral single scattering albedo. For the radiative transfer calculations scattering phase functions and AOT from ground-based observations have been used. The spectral single scattering albedo ranges from 0.93 in the blue to 0.98 at 753 nm.     

Wind tunnel and field testing of a simple sand catcher for sampling inhomogeneously saltating sand in desertified environments

Problems of vertical alignment and vibrations of disposable coffee cups used in a modified version of the De Ploey saltating sand catcher were solved. The new version was tested in a sediment wind tunnel. Its catches appeared linearly related to amounts of eroded sand, largely independent of wind speed and wind direction, and depended logarithmically on height. The catch efficiency may therefore be taken to be approximately independent of wind speed and direction. The instrument performed well under conditions of inhomogeneously saltating sand in a strongly desertified environment in Central Sudan. Use and results show the improved simple catcher to be easy to assemble, reproducible and cheap, suitable for multipoint use to cover all inhomogeneities in outdoor saltating sand fields.     

Experimental Constraints on Hercynian Anatexis in the Iberian Massif, Spain

We have studied experimentally the melting relationships ofthe Ollo de Sapo gneiss (OSG), an important crustal protolithfor the Iberian leucogranites, of possible volcanoclastic origin.The results of this study are compared with previously determinedPTt paths, allowing us to interpret the mechanisms of meltingand granitoid production during the Hercynian orogenic cycle.Phase relationships determined in fluid-absent experiments indicatethat the OSG is a fertile source for peraluminous leucogranites.The slope of the fluid-absent solidus is strongly controlledby the breakdown of Ms in the presence of Qtz, Pl and Kfs. Thissolidus curve has a positive slope ranging from dP/dT = 30 bar/°Cat low P (<6 kbar) to dP/dT = 70 bar/°C at higher P (6–15kbar). The relationships between the Ms vapour-absent solidusand the PTt metamorphic paths in different sectors of the Iberianmassif have two important implications: (1) melt productivityis strongly favoured at low P; (2) anatexis in the Iberian massifprobably took place by decompression associated with crustalthinning and extension. These results are in agreement withthe relationships between granite production and tectonic deformationphases observed in the Iberian massif. Our results emphasizethat anatexis is a process that is strongly controlled bothby the phase relationships of the crustal protoliths and bythe thermal structure of the continental crust. Consequently,one must be careful when assigning potential crustal protolithsto particular granite associations exclusively on the basisof geochemical comparisons. KEY WORDS: anatexis; Hercynian orogen; Iberian massif     

Retrieval of aerosol optical thickness for desert conditions using MERIS observations during the SAMUM campaign

Approximately 30% of the land surface is arid, having desert or semi-desert conditions. Aerosol originating from these regions plays a significant role in climate and atmospheric chemistry of the atmosphere. Retrieving aerosol properties from space-borne platforms above desert conditions, where the surface reflectance is usually very bright, is a challenging task. The proportion of the surface to top of atmosphere (TOA) reflectance can reach values over 90%, especially for wavelength above 500 nm. For these reasons detailed knowledge of aerosol and surface optical properties from these regions is required to separate atmosphere from intrinsically bright surfaces.
An approach to retrieve aerosol properties over arid and semi-arid regions based on the Bremen Aerosol Retrieval (BAER) has been developed and validated within the Dust Aerosol Retrievals from Space-Born Instruments (DREAMS) Project, which is part of the Saharan Mineral Dust Experiment ( SAMUM, 2006 ). Combining measurements of the backscattered radiation from the Medium Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MERIS) instrument aboard Environmental Satellite (ENVISAT) and ground-based measurements in Morocco in radiation closure experiments yields the aerosol optical properties of mineral dust at selected locations.     

AN EXAMPLE OF THE APPLICATION OF THE RULES OF COMPOSITION IN RESISTIVITY INTERPRETATION*

The application of approximate rules, whereby apparent resistivity space sections for two dimensional structures can be composited from spaces derived for elementary features is extended to a complex example drawn from a field survey over a fluorite mineral vein. A quantitative solution for the observed resistivity space is presented and the computational sequence involved in matching the observed space is given in detail. The interpreted results are examined in relation to the known geology, supplemented by the results of excavation, and to model tests conducted using a tank analogue. The example also illustrates how successive compositions can be employed in estimating the form of resistivity space in a relatively complex situation.