Development of a passive transform margin: Côte d’Ivoire–Ghana transform margin – ODP Leg 159 preliminary results

The Côte d’Ivoire–Ghana transform margin is bounded to the south by a prominent marginal ridge. ODP Leg 159 shipboard analyses on sediments from four sites document three distinct transform margin sedimentary and tectonic stages of evolution: (1)?an intracontinental stage of transform faulting recorded in deformed lacustrine to marine siliciclastic sequences; (2)?a marginal ridge uplift stage, recorded by shallow water limestones, appears coeval with the passing of a hot, oceanic spreading center just south of the sediment wedge; and (3)?cool ing subsidence of the transform margin recorded in bathyal to abyssal sediments emphasizes a passive margin stage. These results are consistent with previously published models of evolution.     

Efficient GOCE satellite gravity field recovery based on least-squares using QR decomposition

We develop and apply an efficient strategy for Earth gravity field recovery from satellite gravity gradiometry data. Our approach is based upon the Paige-Saunders iterative least-squares method using QR decomposition (LSQR). We modify the original algorithm for space-geodetic applications: firstly, we investigate how convergence can be accelerated by means of both subspace and block-diagonal preconditioning. The efficiency of the latter dominates if the design matrix exhibits block-dominant structure. Secondly, we address Tikhonov-Phillips regularization in general. Thirdly, we demonstrate an effective implementation of the algorithm in a high-performance computing environment. In this context, an important issue is to avoid the twofold computation of the design matrix in each iteration. The computational platform is a 64-processor shared-memory supercomputer. The runtime results prove the successful parallelization of the LSQR solver. The numerical examples are chosen in view of the forthcoming satellite mission GOCE (Gravity field and steady-state Ocean Circulation Explorer). The closed-loop scenario covers 1 month of simulated data with 5 s sampling. We focus exclusively on the analysis of radial components of satellite accelerations and gravity gradients. Our extensions to the basic algorithm enable the method to be competitive with well-established inversion strategies in satellite geodesy, such as conjugate gradient methods or the brute-force approach. In its current development stage, the LSQR method appears ready to deal with real-data applications.     

Abrupt climate change and transient climates during the Paleogene: a marine perspective

Detailed investigations of high latitude sequences recently collected by the Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) indicate that periods of rapid climate change often culminated in brief transient climates, with more extreme conditions than subsequent long term climates. Two examples of such events have been identified in the Paleogene; the first in latest Paleocene time in the middle of a warming trend that began several million years earlier: the second in earliest Oligocene time near the end of a Middle Eocene to Late Oligocene global cooling trend. Superimposed on the earlier event was a sudden and extreme warming of both high latitude sea surface and deep ocean waters. Imbedded in the latter transition was an abrupt decline in high latitude temperatures and the brief appearance of a full size continental ice-sheet on Antarctica. In both cases the climate extremes were not stable, lasting for less than a few hundred thousand years, indicating a temporary or transient climate state. Geochemical and sedimentological evidence suggest that both Paleogene climate events were accompanied by reorganizations in ocean circulation, and major perturbations in marine productivity and the global carbon cycle. The Paleocene-Eocene thermal maximum was marked by reduced oceanic turnover and decreases in global delta 13C and in marine productivity, while the Early Oligocene glacial maximum was accompanied by intensification of deep ocean circulation and elevated delta 13C and productivity. It has been suggested that sudden changes in climate and/or ocean circulation might occur as a result of gradual forcing as certain physical thresholds are exceeded. We investigate the possibility that sudden reorganizations in ocean and/or atmosphere circulation during these abrupt transitions generated short-term positive feedbacks that briefly sustained these transient climatic states.     

Interstellar neutral hydrogen filaments at high galactic latitudes and the bennett pinch

Observed properties of interstellar neutral hydrogen filaments suggest the presence of the Bennett pinch as described by the Carlqvist relationship with rotation around the filament axes included. A brief summary is first given of three ways in which a filament model for interstellar cloud structure was tested. Preliminary results from highresolution HI mapping of gas and dust in an apparent HI cloud indicate that the neutral gas and dust within and around its boundary is itself highly filamentary. An attempt to detect magnetic fields in this and similar features using the Zeeman effect technique at the 21-cm wavelength of interstellar neutral hydrogen set upper limits of a fewµG. In contrast, the strength of the toroidal magnetic field expected from the examination of the Carlqvist relationship is of order 5µG, which would be produced by a current of 1.4 · 10¹³ A. Zeeman effect technology is at present not able to detect toroidal magnetic fields of this order at the edge of barely resolved HI filaments. Nevertheless, currently available high-resolution HI data suggest that interstellar filament physics should take into account the role of currents and pinches for creating and stabilizing the structures.     

Über Den Aufbau Der Stern- Und Galaxienhaufen

In star clusters and in galaxy clusters the exponentn of the generalized law of Schuster statistically decreases with increasing masses of the clusters or increasing numbersL of their members. In most casesn(gal. cl.) is smaller thann(st. cl.). It is confirmed, that in larger galaxy clusters the brighter members are somewhat more concentrated at the center than the fainter members.

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Mitteilungen Serie A.     

Interpretation of single-well tracer tests using fractional-flow dimensions. Part 1: Theory and mathematical models

Generalized equations using fractional-flow dimensions were derived to estimate the Darcy and seepage velocities obtained from the point-dilution and the single-well injection-withdrawal field tests conducted in fractured-rock aquifers. Seepage velocities can only be estimated from single-well tests if the hydraulic conductivity and the hydraulic gradient are known a priori. However, if a radial-convergent test is also performed between two boreholes, the kinematic porosity can be estimated and be used to estimate the seepage velocity from the single-well test results. To apply the generalized equations, the flow dimension and the extent of the flow region must be known. Therefore, the generalized radial flow (GRF) model of Barker (1988; a generalized radial flow model for hydraulic tests in fractured rock. Water Resour Res 24(10):1796–1804) is used to estimate the flow dimension because of its wide range of applications. A pumping test performed on the boreholes will yield an estimate of the fractional-flow dimension by applying the GRF model. Electronic Publication     

Atmospheric nitrogen inputs into the North Sea: effect on productivity

The ANICE (Atmospheric Nitrogen Inputs into the Coastal Ecosystem) project addressed the atmospheric deposition of nitrogen to the North Sea, with emphasis on coastal effects. ANICE focused on quantifying the deposition of inorganic nitrogen compounds to the North Sea and the governing processes. An overview of the results from modelling and experimental efforts is presented. They serve to identify the role of the atmosphere as a source of biologically essential chemical species to the marine biota. Data from the Weybourne Atmospheric Observatory (UK) are used to evaluate the effect of short episodes with very high atmospheric nitrogen concentrations. One such episode resulted in an average deposition of 0.8 mmol N m⁻² day⁻¹, which has the potential to promote primary productivity of 5.3 mmol C m⁻² day⁻¹. This value is compared to long-term effects determined from model results. The total calculated atmospheric deposition to the North Sea in 1999 is 948 kg N km⁻¹, i.e. 0.19 mmol N m⁻² day⁻¹ which has the potential to promote primary productivity of 1.2 mmol C m⁻² day⁻¹. Detailed results for August 1999 show strong gradients across the North Sea due to adjacent areas where emissions of NO_x and NH₃ are among the highest in Europe. The average atmospheric deposition to the southern part of the North Sea in August 1999 could potentially promote primary production of 2.0 mmol C m⁻² day⁻¹, i.e. 5.5% of the total production at this time of the year in this area of the North Sea. For the entire study area the atmospheric contribution to the primary production per m² is about two-third of this value. Most of the deposition occurs during short periods with high atmospheric concentrations. This atmospheric nitrogen is almost entirely anthropogenic in origin and thus represents a human-induced perturbation of the ecosystem.     

A mathematical programming approach for scheduling equipment in a surface coal mining operation

Summary A mathematical programming model for scheduling open pit mining was developed and validated using data from a surface mining operation. A two-phase solution procedure was used involving repeated evaluations of an integer scheduling model and a simple transportation model.     

Distinct modes of bidecadal and multidecadal variability in a climate reconstruction of the last centuries from a South Pacific coral

The Rarotonga coral Sr/Ca time series (Linsley et al. in Science 290:1145–1148, 2000) provides a near-monthly resolved proxy record of South Pacific climate variability over the last ~300 years. Here we show that two distinct interdecadal, quasi-periodic time components with periods of ~80 and ~25 years can be identified in this time series by Singular Spectrum Analysis. Their associated spatial patterns in the global sea surface temperature (SST) field show notable differences. Whereas the multidecadal component is associated with a global SST pattern that was recently associated with solar forcing on multidecadal timescales, the bidecadal component is associated with a well known pattern of Pacific decadal to interdecadal SST variability.     

Design and performance of a new cloud microphysics scheme developed for the ECHAM general circulation model

A new cloud microphysics scheme including a prognostic treatment of cloud ice (PCI) is developed to yield a more physically based representation of the components of the atmospheric moisture budget in the general circulation model ECHAM. The new approach considers cloud water and cloud ice as separate prognostic variables. The precipitation formation scheme for warm clouds distinguishes between maritime and continental clouds by considering the cloud droplet number concentration, in addition to the liquid water content. Based on several observational data sets, the cloud droplet number concentration is derived from the sulfate aerosol mass concentration as given from the sulfur cycle simulated by ECHAM. Results obtained with the new scheme are compared to satellite observations and in situ measurements of cloud physical and radiative properties. In general, the standard model ECHAM4 and also PCI capture the overall features, and the simulated results usually lie within the range of observed uncertainty. As compared to ECHAM4, only slight improvements are achieved with the new scheme. For example, the overestimated liquid water path and total cloud cover over convectively active regions are reduced in PCI. On the other hand, some shortcomings of the standard model such as underestimated shortwave cloud forcing over the extratropical oceans of the respective summer hemisphere are more pronounced in PCI.This paper was presented at the Third International Conference on Modelling of Global Climate Change and Variability, held in Hamburg 4–9 Sept. 1995 under the auspices of the Max Planck Institute for Meteorology, Hamburg. Editor for these papers is L. Dümenil.