210Po in savanna burning plumes

During the FOS-DECAFE experiment at Lamto (Ivory Coast) in January 1991 aerosols samples were collected at ground level above fires in order to investigate the possibility of using²¹⁰Po as a tracer of biomass burning. The concentration of this radionuclide in plants is studied as a function of its content in soils and in the atmospheric background. It is shown that it depends strongly on the atmospheric content in²¹⁰Po, due to dry deposition of the aerosols. The mean concentration of plants at Lamto is found to be about 4.4 pCi of²¹⁰Po/gC during the fire season and falls down to less than 1pCi/gC outside this period. The budget of²¹⁰Po is evaluated taking into account its complete volatilization during the flaming phase, the (²¹⁰Po)_ash/(²¹⁰Po)_plants ratio, which is measured to be about 14% and the percentage of submicron particles in the plume, about 91%. The inferred flux of²¹⁰Po is 3850 Ci/yr for the African savanna, and 5800 Ci/yr for the global savanna. From this flux, fluxes of Ct and Cs are estimated to be 8.4 and 1.1 Tg of C/yr for the worldwide savanna.     

Factors Influencing the Atmospheric Depositional Fluxes of Stable Pb, 210Pb, and 7Be into Chesapeake Bay

Atmospheric depositional fluxes of ⁷Be and²¹⁰Pb (bulk) and stable Pb (wet) were measuredsimultaneously for one year (from September 1995–August 1996) atStillpond, Maryland on the uppereastern shore of the Chesapeake Bay. The annual total(bulk) depositional fluxes of ²¹⁰Pb and ⁷Bewere 0.78 and 13 dpm cm^-2, respectively, andagree well with other previously reported results atnearby locations such as Norfolk, VA and Lewes, DE. The wet depositional flux of stable Pb (58 ng cm^-2 yr^-1)was also similar to thatmeasured at other Chesapeake sites during 1990–1991(55 ng cm^-2 yr^-1, for both Wye and Elms,Maryland). This suggests that a constant Pb flux hasbeen reached since the mandatory use of unleadedgasoline was instituted. The concentrations of⁷Be, ²¹⁰Pb, and to a lesser extent stable Pbwere diluted exponentially by precipitation, based onconcentrations versus precipitation plots. Due tohigher enrichment of ²¹⁰Pb in the lowertroposphere, the dilution effect was largest on²¹⁰Pb (i.e., controlled mainly by below-cloudscavenging processes), and thus its depositional fluxincrease is negligible as precipitation amountincreases. A good correlation between the amount ofprecipitation and total depositional flux of ⁷Beand stable Pb, which are more enriched in the uppertroposphere, suggests that precipitation amount isimportant in controlling their fluxes (i.e.,controlled by both below-cloud scavenging and in-cloudcondensation processes). Based on ⁷Be versus²¹⁰Pb plots, it appears that ⁷Be, relativeto ²¹⁰Pb, is less efficiently scavenged bysnowfall. Our results suggest that in addition toprecipitation amounts, marine air-mass transport orsnowfall may be important factors in controlling theseasonal variability of the fallout fluxes of tracemetals in coastal areas.     

Excess 210Po in the coastal atmosphere

Many researchers have reported the widespread occurrence of excess ²¹⁰ Po in the global atmosphere and suggested probable sources such as resuspension of top soils, stratospheric aerosols, sea spray of the surface micro‐layer, volcanic emission, and bio‐volatile ²¹⁰Po species from the productive ocean. We have observed excess ²¹⁰Po on aerosols in the coastal atmosphere of the Chesapeake and Delaware Bays. On‐board measurements in the Chesapeake Bay atmosphere show that the increase of this excess ²¹⁰Po is dependent upon wind speed. Simultaneously measured activity ratios of ⁷Be/²¹⁰Pb and ²¹⁰Pb/²²²Rn argue against either higher altitude air or continental soils as the source of this excess. We hypothesize that the excess ²¹⁰Po originates mainly from surface waters either by the sea‐spray of the surface microlayer, or more likely, by gas exchange. We conclude gas exchange as the mechanism since the polonium excess increases linearly with wind speed over a threshold of 3 m s⁻¹(mean) similar to other gases (i.e., CO₂, SF₆ , and DMS). In addition, higher ²¹⁰Po excess with lower ²²²Rn is observed in on‐shore marine air at Lewes, DE. This suggests sea‐air exchange of volatile Po along with other bio‐volatile species (i.e., DMS, DMSe, and MMHg) in the coastal productive ocean during high wind speeds.     

Measurement and meteorological analysis of 7Be and 210Pb in aerosol at Waliguan Observatory

Beryllium-7(~7Be)and lead-210(~(210)pb)activities were measured from October 2002 to January 2004 at Waliguan Observatory(WO:36.287°N,100.898°E,3816 m a.s.l(above sea level)in northwest China.~7Be and ~(210)Pb activities are high with overall averages of 14.7±3.5 mBq m~(3)and 1.8±0.8 mBq m~(-3)respectively. For both ~7Be and ~(210)Pb,there are significant short-term and seasonal variations with a commonly low value in summer(May September)and a monthly maximum in april(for ~7Be)and in December(for~(210)Pb). The ratio of ~7Be/~(210)pb showed a broad maximum extending from April to July,coinciding with a seasonal peak in surface ozone(O_3).The seasonal cycles of ~7Be and ~(210)Pb activities were greatly influenced by precipitation and thermal dynamical conditions over the boundary layer,especially for ~(210)Pb.The vertical mixing process between the boundary layer and the aloft air modulates the variations of ~7Be and ~(210)pb at WO in summer.It is indicated that air mass had longer residence time and originated from higher altitudes at WO in the spring-summer time and the winter in 2003.During an event with extremely high weekly- averaged ~7Be concentration(24.8 mBq m~(-3))together with high O_3 levels and low water mixing ratio,we found that air masses had been convectively transported a long distance to WO from high latitude source regions in central Asia,where significant subsiding motions were observed.In another case with the extreme ~(210)pb activity of 5.7 mBq m~(-3)high CO_2 level and specific humidity(in winter),air masses had come from south China and north Indian regions where ~(222)Rn activities were high.This study,using ~7Be and ~(210)Pb as atmospheric tracers,has revealed that complex interactions of convective mixing from the upper troposphere and long-range transports exist at WO.     

Seasonal variation of atmospheric 210Pb and Al in the western North Pacific region

The atmospheric concentration of ²¹⁰Pb was determined for two years at six stations in the western North Pacific region. The following results were obtained and discussed by comparing them with those of Al. The atmospheric concentration of ²¹⁰Pb varied widely from week to week, but the degree of variation was about a half that of Al. Contrary to Al, the year-to-year variation of ²¹⁰Pb was not pronounced and its seasonal variation was well expressed by a sine curve. The ²¹⁰Pb concentration did not show a marked latitudinal variation and its base-line concentration was high in the surface air over the North Pacific. These suggest that atmospheric ²¹⁰Pb has a longer residence time, due to its transportation through higher altitudes and deposits much more evenly onto the Earth's surface and the ocean, as compared with Al in mineral dust which is larger in size in the source region.     

An Examination of the Atmospheric Chemistry of Mercury Using 210Pb and 7Be

Measurements of Hg (total gas-phase, precipitation-phase andparticulate-phase), aerosol mass, particulate ²¹⁰Pb and⁷Be and precipitation ²¹⁰Pb were made at an atmosphericcollection station located in a near remote area of northcentral Wisconsin,U.S.A. (46°10N, 89°50W) during the summers of 1993, 1994and 1995. Total Hg and ²¹⁰Pb were observed to correlate strongly(slope = 0.06 ± 0.03 ng mBq^-1; r ² =0.72) in rainwater. Mercury to ²¹⁰Pb ratios in particulate matter(0.03 ± 0.02 ng mBq^-1; r ² = 0.06) wereconsistent with the ratio in rain. Enrichment of the Hg/mass ratio (approx.5–50×) relative to soil and primary pollutant aerosols indicatedthat gas-to-particle conversion had taken place during transport. Comparisonof these results with models for the incorporation of Hg into precipitationindicates that atmospheric particles deliver more Hg to precipitation than canbe explained by the presence of soot. A lack of correlation between totalgas-phase Hg (TGM) and a ⁷Be/²¹⁰Pb function suggests novertical concentration gradient within the troposphere, and allows an estimateof TGM residence time of 1.5 ± 0.6 yr be made based on surface airsamples.     

Sensitivity of stratospheric composition to oxygen absorption of solar radiation (175–210 nm)

We have used a two dimensional radiative-chemical-transport model of the stratosphere to investigate the sensitivity of trace gas distributions to absorption of oxygen in the wavelength region 175–210 nm. Two different formulations for the Herzberg continuum absorption cross sections are used. The calculated transmission of ultra-violet light in the stratosphere is lower and higher than observed, depending on the choice of absorption cross section. For the higher transmission O₃, ClO, and HO₂ are found to be significantly increased in the lower stratosphere. Calculated O₃ in the upper stratosphere, chlorofluorocarbons, N₂O and odd-nitrogen are lower. The photolysis of oxygen is considerably faster at high latitudes implying that the photochemical recovery of depleted polar ozone is faster than currently assumed.     

Nitrogen and sulfur species in Antarctic aerosols at Mawson,Palmer Station,and Marsh (King George Island)

High volume bulk aerosol samples were collected continuously at three Antarctic sites: Mawson (67.60° S, 62.50° E) from 20 February 1987 to 6 January 1992; Palmer Station (64.77° S, 64.06° W) from 3 April 1990 to 15 June 1991; and Marsh (62.18° S, 58.30° W) from 28 March 1990, to 1 May 1991. All samples were analyzed for Na⁺, SO ₄ ^2– , NO ₃ ^– , methanesulfonate (MSA), NH ₄ ⁺ ,²¹⁰Pb, and⁷Be. At Mawson for which we have a multiple year data set, the annual mean concentration of each species sometimes vary significantly from one year to the next: Na⁺, 68–151 ng m^–3; NO ₃ ^– , 25–30 ng m^–3; nss SO ₄ ^2– , 81–97 ng m^–3; MSA, 19–28 ng m^–3; NH ₄ ⁺ , 16–21 ng m^–3;²¹⁰Pb, 0.75–0.86 fCi m^–3. Results from multiple variable regression of non-sea-salt (nss) SO ₄ ^2– with MSA and NO ₃ ^– as the independent variables indicates that, at Mawson, the nss SO ₄ ^2– /MSA ratio resulting from the oxidation of dimethylsulfide (DMS) is 2.80±0.13, about 13% lower than our earlier estimate (3.22) that was based on 2.5 years of data. A similar analysis indicates that the ratio at Palmer is about 40% lower, 1.71±0.10, and more comparable to previous results over the southern oceans. These results when combined with previously published data suggest that the differences in the ratio may reflect a more rapid loss of MSA relative to nss SO ₄ ^2– during transport over Antarctica from the oceanic source region. The mean²¹⁰Pb concentrations at Palmer and Marsh and the mean NO ₃ ^– concentration at Palmer are about a factor of two lower than those at Mawson. The²¹⁰Pb distributions are consistent with a²¹⁰Pb minimum in the marine boundary layer in the region of 40°–60° S. These features and the similar seasonalities of NO ₃ ^– and²¹⁰Pb at Mawson support the conclusion that the primary source regions for NO ₃ ^– are continental. In contrast, the mean concentrations of MSA, nss SO ₄ ^2– , and NH ₄ ⁺ at Palmer are all higher than those at Mawson: MSA by a factor of 2; nss SO ₄ ^2– by 10%; and NH ₄ ⁺ by more than 50%. However, the factor differences exhibit substantial seasonal variability; the largest differences generally occur during the austral summer when the concentrations of most of the species are highest. NH ₄ ⁺ /(nss SO ₄ ^2– +MSA) equivalent ratios indicate that NH₃ neutralizes about 60% of the sulfur acids during December at both Mawson and Palmer, but only about 30% at Mawson during February and March.     

Nitrogen and sulfur species in acrosols at Mawson,Antarctica, and their relationship to natural radionuclides

High volume aerosol samples were collected continuously at Mawson, Antarctica (67°36'S, 62°30'E), from February 1987 through October 1989. All samples were analyzed for Na⁺, Cl^-, SO₄ ⁼, NO₃ ^-, methanesulfonate (MSA), NH₄ ⁺,⁷Be, and²¹⁰Pb. The annual mean concentrations of many of the species are very low, substantially lower than even those over the relatively pristine regions of the tropical and subtropical South Pacific. The concentrations at Mawson are comparable both in magnitude and in seasonality to those which have been measured in long term studies at the South Pole and at the coastal German Antarctic research station, Georg von Neumayer (GvN). This comparability suggests that the aerosol composition may be relatively uniform over a broad sector of the Antarctic. The concentrations of most of the species exhibit very strong and sharply-defined seasonal cycles. MSA, non-sea-salt (nss) SO₄ ⁼ and NH₄ ⁺ all exhibit similar cycles, with maxima during the austral summer (December through February) being more than an order of magnitude higher than the winter minima. The limited⁷Be data appears to exhibit a similar cycle. Although nitrate and²¹⁰Pb also exhibit relatively high concentrations during the austral summer, their cycles are far more complex than those of the previous species with indications of multiple peaks. As expected, the concentration of sea-salt (as indicated by Na⁺ and Cl^-) peaks during the winter. The results from multiple variable regression analyses indicate that the dominant source of nss SO₄ ⁼ is the oxidation of dimethylsulfide (DMS) which produces MSA and nss SO₄ ⁼ in a ratio of about 0.31 (about five times higher than that over the tropical and subtropical oceans). However, a very significant fraction (about 25%) of the nss SO₄ ⁼ is associated with NO₃ ^-, The seasonal cycle of NO₃ ^- is similar to that of²¹⁰Pb and distinctly different from that of⁷Be and MSA. These results indicate that the major source of NO₃ ^- over Antarctica is probably continental as opposed to stratospheric or marine biogenic.     

Ultraviolet absorption spectrum of trifluoro-bromo-methane,difluoro-dibromo-methane and difluoro-bromo-chloro-methane in the vapor phase

Ultraviolet absorption cross-sections of trifluoro-bromo-methane (CF₃Br-Halon 1301), difluoro-dibromo-methane (CF₂Br₂-Halon 1202) and of difluoro-bromo-chloro-methane (CF₂BrCl-Halon 1211) are measured in the wavelength interval 172–304 nm for temperatures ranging from 210 to 295 K with uncertainties of between 2 and 4%. They are compared with previous measurements available at room temperature. Temperature effects are discussed and parametrical formulae are proposed to compute the absorption cross-sections for wavelengths and temperatures useful in atmospheric modelling calculations. Photodissociation coefficients are presented and their temperature dependence is discussed.     

Erratum to: Simulating the impacts of climate change, prices and population on California’s residential electricity consumption

We discovered an error in the computer code generating the simulation results in section 5 of Auffhammer and Aroonruengsawat (Clim Chang 109(Supplement 1):191–210, 2011). While four out of five main findings are unaffected, the simulated impacts of climate change on annual residential electricity consumption are an order of magnitude smaller, which is consistent with findings in the previous literature.     

佛山地区一次局地暴雨过程的重力波特征分析

利用高精度微压计数据,详细分析了2016年11月20–21日佛山地区一次局地暴雨的重力波动态频谱特征,结果表明:重力波激发了此次暴雨,暴雨发生前,重力波呈现出振幅间歇性增大,周期范围不断增宽的过程;其中,暴雨前约4 h出现了重力波最大振幅80–160 Pa,相应的周期范围为140–270min。强雷暴对重力波的作用是积极的,会增大波的振幅,产生中心振幅约80–100 Pa,周期范围210–270 min重力波;尤其是,强雷暴激发了更短周期(≤36 min),振幅约10 Pa的重力波。大振幅重力波提前于暴雨出现,比雷达,卫星识别出强对流早了约4h,这一特征或许对局地强对流预警有指示意义。     

贵阳汛期旱涝演变特征及未来趋势预估

首先对贵阳近500 a（1470—2008年）旱涝等级资料进行增补,利用该资料进行等级序列展开频次和多尺度分析。结果表明：近58 a,贵阳出现极端旱、偏旱的频次明显高于过去近500 a的平均状况;汛期出现偏旱和旱的次数明显增多,旱重于涝的趋势非常明显。从年代际和百年际尺度看,210 a周期是贵阳旱涝振荡的主周期,而50 a周期是次周期,且20世纪80年代的干旱程度高于历史上任何一个年代;从年际和年代际尺度上,24 a周期是贵阳旱涝振荡的主周期,而7 a周期是次周期;汛期降水偏少,一般与旱灾对应一致,但若降水偏多,对应汛期各月降水分布均匀,则不一定对应涝灾。最后,结合诊断结果,借助IPCC AR4最新的模式预估数据集,预估贵阳汛期降水在未来10 a左右将处于旱涝交替频发期,之后至21世纪40年代中期将处于少雨阶段,可能会出现较长时期的干旱。     

Non-Linear, Microscale Modelling of the Flow Over Askervein Hill

The flow solver “3DWind” is used to explore new aspects of the Askervein hill flow case. Previous work has investigated sensitivities to the grid, the inflow boundary profile, the roughness and the turbulence model. Several different linear and non-linear numerical models have also been validated by means of the Askervein hill case. This analysis focuses on the flow sensitivity to the grid spacing, the incident wind direction and the vertical resolution of topographic data. The horizontal resolution is found to be fine enough to cause only minor differences compared to a grid where every second node is removed. The vertical resolution dependence is mainly attributed to the wall functions. Simulations are performed for wind directions 200°, 205°, 210° and 215° at the reference station. The smallest directional biases compared to experimental values along a line through the hilltop are found for the directions 200° and 205°. There are larger wind direction changes along this line through the hilltop in the 200° case than in the 215° case. Still the simulation results give less veering than found in the experimental results, and this is maybe caused by a slightly stable atmosphere. The sensitivity to the vertical resolution of the topographical data is found to be particularly high close to the ground at the top of the hill; this is where the speed-up is most important. Differences decrease with the height from the ground. At higher levels the speed-ups are smaller and caused by terrain formations with larger scales.     

Sensitivity of the LLN climate model to the astronomical and CO2 forcings over the last 200 ky

 The Louvain-la-Neuve climate model (here referred to as the LLN 2-D model has been used extensively to simulate the Northern Hemisphere ice volume under both the insolation and CO₂ forcings. The period analysed here covers the last 200 ky. First, sensitivity analyses to constant CO₂ concentration were performed. The model was accordingly forced by insolation changes only, the CO₂ concentration being kept constant to respectively 210, 250 and 290 ppmv. Results show that the simulated ice volume variations are comparable to the geological reconstructions only when the CO₂ concentration is low (210 ppmv) and that the sensitivity of the simulated Northern Hemisphere ice volume to CO₂ is not constant through time. Second, three CO₂ reconstructions were used to force the LLN 2-D model in addition to insolation. Results show (1) a better agreement with the SPECMAP oxygen isotope time series, in particular as far as the amplitude of the signal is concerned, and (2) that the simulated Northern Hemisphere ice volume is not very sensitive to the slight differences between these three reconstructions.