Determination of interstellar pickup ion distributions in the solar wind with SOHO and Cluster

Over the last 10 years, the experimental basis for the study of the local interstellar medium has been substantially enhanced by the direct detection of interstellar pickup ions and of interstellar neutral helium within the heliosphere. Pickup ions can be studied for a wide range of interstellar species. However, currently the accuracy of the method to determine the parameters of the interstellar medium, namely neutral density, temperature and relative velocity, is hampered by two problems: (1) In most cases the crucial ionization rates are not available from simultaneous measurements and (2) the transport of the pickup ions in the interplanetary medium substantially modifies the measured spatial distribution of the ions. In this study we will discuss how the enhanced capabilities of the instrumentation on SOHO and Cluster in combination with ongoing efforts to model the pickup ion distributions will lead to a significant improvement over the coming years.     

The solar wind and the Sun–Earth link

Plasma streams out from the Sun in the form of the solar wind. Shadia Rifai Habbal and Richard Woo examine the workings of this enigmatic link between the Earth and the Sun.     

Modelling the influence of thermal discharge under wind on algae

Wind-driven processes exert an important impact on aquatic ecosystems, especially on shallow reservoirs. Flow and heat transport under wind in the Douhe reservoir in China were simulated by a two-dimensional mathematical model. Areas corresponding to different temperature rises were calculated for different wind speed conditions with high frequency. It is shown that high temperature rise areas increase for maximum wind speed conditions while low temperature rise areas keep constant for various wind speed conditions. The concentration of Chl.a decreases with the increase of wind speed, indicating that low wind speed is suitable for algae blooming in the Douhe reservoir. The effects of wind on Bacillariophyta biomass growth become more obvious with the increase of temperature rise areas. The influenced areas of lower temperature rise (0.2–1.49 °C) and higher temperature rise (1.5–2 °C) zone are 8.57 × 10⁶ m² and 5.18 × 10⁶ m², respectively, and corresponding total variation amounts of Bacillariophyta biomass are 2.24 × 10⁵/m² and 0.42 × 10⁵/m², respectively. Results show that wind has a significant impact on ecological effects due to thermal discharge from thermal power plant into shallow reservoirs.     

Quasi-periodic patterns coupling the Sun,solar wind and the Earth

The spectrum of velocity and magnetic fields in the solar wind is self-similar (power-law type) in the frequency range greater than >1/day indicating well-mixed turbulence. But it loses self-similarity for lower frequencies indicating the presence of large-scale patterns, which are intermittently generated inside the Sun and propagate from the Sun to the Earth.Here we discuss the spatia–temporal characteristics and origin of the 1.3-year quasi-periodic pattern found inside the Sun by helioseismic methods and detected in the solar wind. To identify and characterize this pattern on the Sun we use time series of solar magnetic Carrington maps generated at the Wilcox Solar Observatory and independent component data analysis. This analysis shows the latitudinal distribution of the pattern, its variable frequency and intermittent appearance.     

Experimental study on interaction between membrane structures and wind environment

The interaction between membrane structures and their environment can be either static or dynamic. Static interaction refers to interaction with static air, while dynamic interaction refers to wind and its effects. They can be evaluated by two parameters, added mass and radiation /aerodynamic damping, which are experimentally investigated in this study. The study includes the effects of both the static and dynamic interaction on structural dynamic characteristics, and the relationship between the interaction parameters and the covered area of a membrane structure for the static interaction and the relationship between the interaction parameters and wind direction and speed for the dynamic interaction. Experimental data show that the dynamic interaction is strongly correlated with the structural modes, i.e., the interaction of the symmetric modes is much larger than the anti-symmetric modes; and the influence of the dynamic interaction is significant in wind-induced response analysis and cannot be ignored. In addition, it is concluded that the structural natural frequency is remarkably decreased by this interaction, and the frequency band is significantly broadened.     

The influence of wind forcing on across-shelf transport in the Florida Keys

Acoustic Doppler current profiles and current meter data are combined with wind observations to describe the transport of water leaving Florida Bay and moving onto the inner shelf on the Atlantic side of the Florida Keys. A 275-day study in the Long Key Channel reveals strong tidal exchanges, but the average ebb tide volume leaving Florida Bay is 19% greater than the average flood tide volume entering the bay. The long-term net outflow averages 472 m³ s⁻¹. Two studies in shelf waters describe the response to wind forcing during spring and summer months in 2004 and during fall and winter months in 2004–2005. During the spring–summer study, southeasterly winds have a distinct shoreward component, and a two-layer pattern appears. Surface layers move shoreward while near-bottom layers move seaward. During the winter study, the resultant wind direction is parallel to the Keys and to the local isobaths. The entire water column moves in a nearly downwind direction, and across-shelf transport is relatively small. During the summer wet season, Florida Bay water should be warmer, fresher, and thus less dense than Atlantic shelf waters. Ebbing bay water should move onto the shelf as a buoyant plume and be held close to the Keys by southeasterly winds. During the winter dry season, colder and saltier Florida Bay water should leave the tidal channels with relatively high density and be concentrated in the near-bottom layers. But little across-shelf flow occurs with northeasterly winds. The study suggests that seasonally changing wind forcing and hydrographic conditions serve to insulate the reef tract from the impact of low-quality bay water.     

The influence of the interplanetary medium on SuperDARN radar scattering occurrence

The effects of the characteristics of the interplanetary medium on the radar scattering occurrence, related to the whole array of SuperDARN radars installed in the Northern Hemisphere, have been studied over a two-year period. Statistically significant correlations of the variation of the scattering occurrence are found with the merging electric field and with the negative B_z component of the interplanetary magnetic field, independent of the seasonal period considered. This result demonstrates that the merging rate (and in particular the reconnection process) between the interplanetary magnetic field and the magnetosphere is a relevant factor affecting the occurrence of scattering. For comparison, we note that no statistically significant correlations are obtained when the interplanetary ion density or the solar wind speed are considered, although also these variables affect to a small degree the scattering occurrence variation. The study of the latitudinal and magnetic local time dependence of the observations shows an association between the considered correlation and the location of the auroral oval and the cusp/cleft region.     

Internal tide modelling and the influence of wind effects

Initially the development of shallow sea three-dimensional barotropic tidal models is briefly reviewed with a view to determining what were the key measurements that allowed progress in this field and rigorous model validation. Subsequently this is extended to a brief review of baroclinic tidal models to try to determine a “way forward” for baroclinic model development. The difficulty of high spatial variability, and wind influence are identified as possibly important issues that must be considered in validating baroclinic tidal models. These are examined using a three-dimensional unstructured grid model of the M₂ internal tide on the shelf edge region off the west coast of Scotland. The model is used to investigate the spatial variability of the M₂ internal tide, and associated turbulence energy and mixing in the region. Initial calculations are performed with tidal forcing only, with subsequent calculations briefly examining how the tidal distribution is modified by down-welling and up-welling favourable winds. Calculations with tidal forcing only, show that there is significant spatial variability in the internal tide and associated mixing in the region. In addition, these are influenced by wind effects which may have to be taken into account in any model validation exercise. The paper ends by discussing the comprehensive nature of data sets that need to be collected to validate internal tidal models to the same level currently attained with three dimensional barotropic tidal models.     

The influence of time-dependent wind on gravity-wave propagation in the middle atmosphere

Ray-tracing techniques are used to computationally investigate the propagation of gravity waves through the middle atmosphere, as characterized by the vertically varying CIRA-86 wind and temperature models, plus a tidal wind model that varies temporally as well as vertically. For the wave parameters studied here, the background wind variation has a much stronger influence on the ray path and changes in wave characteristics than does the temperature variation. The temporal variation of the tidal component of the wind changes the observed frequency, sometimes substantially, while leaving the intrinsic frequency unaltered. It also renders temporary any critical levels that occur in the tidal region. Different starting times for the rays relative to the tidal phase provide different propagation environments, so that the temporary critical levels appear at different heights. The lateral component of the tidal wind is shown to advect propagating wave packets; the maximum lateral displacement of a packet varies inversely with its vertical group velocity. Time-dependent effects are more pronounced in local winter than in summer.     

Studies on wind environment around high buildings in urban areas

High buildings or architectural complex in urban areas remarkably distort the urban surface wind fields. As the air flow approaches,local strong wind may appear around the buildings. The strong wind makes the pedestrians on sidewalks, entrances and terrace very uncomfortable and causes the pedestrian level wind environment problem. In this studies, hot-wire wind measurement, wind scouring in wind tunnel and numerical computation were carried out to evaluate the wind environment of tall buildings in the prevailing flow conditions in Beijing areas. The results obtained by three techniques were compared and mutually verified. The conclusions drawn from three approaches agree with each other. Also the advantages and limitations of each method were analyzed. It is suggested that the combination of different techniques may produce better assessment of wind environment around high buildings.     

Solar wind influence on atmospheric processes in winter Antarctica

Galactic cosmic rays (GCRs) altered by solar wind are traditionally regarded as the most plausible agent of solar activity influence on the Earth's atmosphere. However, it is well known that severe reductions in the GCRs flux, known as Forbush decreases (FDs), are caused by solar wind of high speed and density, which sweeps away the GCRs on its way. Since the FD beginnings are registered at the Earth's orbit simultaneously with dramatic disturbances in the solar wind, the atmospheric effects, assigned to FDs, can be, in reality, the results of the solar wind influence on the atmospheric processes. This paper presents a summary of the experimental results demonstrating the strong influence of the interplanetary electric field on atmospheric processes in central Antarctica, where the large-scale system of vertical circulation is formed during winter seasons. The influence is realized through acceleration of the air masses, descending into the lower atmosphere from the troposphere, and the formation of cloudiness above the Antarctic Ridge, where the descending air masses enter the surface layer. The acceleration is followed by a sharp increase of the atmospheric pressure near-pole region, which gives rise to the katabatic wind strengthening above the entire Antarctica. The cloudiness formation results in the sudden warmings in the surface atmosphere, since the cloud layer efficiently backscatters the long wavelength radiation from the ice sheet, but does not affect the adiabatic warming process of the descending tropospheric air masses. When the drainage flow strengthening the circumpolar vortex around the periphery of the Antarctic continent decays, the surface easterlies typical of the coast stations during the winter season are replaced by southerlies and the cold Antarctic air masses flow out to the Southern ocean.     

北京城市化进程对边界层风场结构影响的研究

随着近10年来北京城市化步伐的加快,城市规模迅速扩大,北京三环以外的地区已由20世纪七、八十年代的城郊非均匀下垫面发展成现在粗糙复杂的城区下垫面,市区建筑物相应增多、增密和增高,导致城区地面动力学粗糙度明显增大.本文统计分析了北京325 m气象塔1994年和1997～2003年夏季平均场观测资料,结果表明:(1)在受下垫面影响最为剧烈的近地层,风向逐年趋于紊乱,现在气象塔周围近地面的流场已经具备了典型城市粗糙下垫面的流场特征;(2)近地面夏季平均风速呈现非常明显的逐年递减的趋势,而且距离地表越近,平均风速逐年递减的趋势也越为显著,这种风速逐年递减的趋势直到63 m左右才不明显,说明现在气象塔47 m以下的观测资料反映的是城市冠层的流场特征,城市冠层厚度约在47～63 m之间;(3)随着北京城市化的发展,城区近地面的平均风速存在逐年递减的趋势,但阵风并不存在相似的递减趋势,表明城市冠层的抬升对阵风的影响并不显著.     

Observation and analysis of the influence of wind waves on air-sea momentum fluxes

Due to the long-standing lack of understanding the role of wind waves on wind stress at moderate to high wind speeds,a high-frequency turbulence observation system is used in this study to obtain air-sea momentum flux data under pure wind wave conditions based on the tower-based marine meteorological observation platform in the southern Bohai Sea.Moreover,the modulation of wind waves on wind stress under wind speeds greater than 10 m s^–1is analyzed.The results indicated that the wind ...     

Response of large-scale coastal basins to wind forcing: influence of topography

Because wind is one of the main forcings in storm surge, we present an idealised process-based model to study the influence of topographic variations on the frequency response of large-scale coastal basins subject to time-periodic wind forcing. Coastal basins are represented by a semi-enclosed rectangular inner region forced by wind. It is connected to an outer region (represented as an infinitely long channel) without wind forcing, which allows waves to freely propagate outward. The model solves the three-dimensional linearised shallow water equations on the f plane, forced by a spatially uniform wind field that has an arbitrary angle with respect to the along-basin direction. Turbulence is represented using a spatially uniform vertical eddy viscosity, combined with a partial slip condition at the bed. The surface elevation amplitudes, and hence the vertical profiles of the velocity, are obtained using the finite element method (FEM), extended to account for the connection to the outer region. The results are then evaluated in terms of the elevation amplitude averaged over the basin’s landward end, as a function of the wind forcing frequency. In general, the results point out that adding topographic elements in the inner region (such as a topographic step, a linearly sloping bed or a parabolic cross-basin profile), causes the resonance peaks to shift in the frequency domain, through their effect on local wave speed. The Coriolis effect causes the resonance peaks associated with cross-basin modes (which without rotation only appear in the response to cross-basin wind) to emerge also in the response to along-basin wind and vice versa.     

The influence of Tethyan evolution on changes of the Earth's past environment

Understanding changes in Earth’s past can provide valuable insights into prediction of its future. An example is the interactions between the internal and external spheres of Earth. The cyclical northward breakup-drift of Gondwana, driven by the opening and closure of Proto-, Paleo-, and Neo-Tethyan oceans, facilitated the transfer of landmasses from the southern to the northern hemisphere, traversing the tropic region. We have observed a compelling correlation between episodic increases in land...     

Modeling the Earth's magnetosphere under the influence of solar wind with due northward IMF by the AMR-CESE-MHD model

We present a newly developed global magnetohydrodynamic(MHD) model to study the responses of the Earth's magnetosphere to the solar wind. The model is established by using the space-time conservation element and solution element(CESE) method in general curvilinear coordinates on a six-component grid system. As a preliminary study, this paper is to present the model's numerical results of the quasi-steady state and the dynamics of the Earth's magnetosphere under steady solar wind flow with due northward interplanetary magnetic field(IMF). The model results are found to be in good agreement with those published by other numerical magnetospheric models.     

固体潮地震预测与固体潮地球动力学研究的分析比较

固体潮研究是研究地震成因、地震前兆与地震预测的重要内容.在开展固体潮地震预测研究之前,固体潮主要用于地球动力学研究.然而固体潮地震预测研究与固体潮地球动力学研究的目标截然不同.地球动力学从大的时间尺度和地球整体运动(包括地球内部及表面的构造运动)来探讨其动力演化过程,进而寻求其驱动机制.固体潮地震预测研究则是研究小时间尺度、区域性地壳构造运动中与地震有关的固体潮异常现象.二者相差甚远.在现行地震预测体系中,固体潮研究也远不能与测震学研究的重要性相比.为什么会出现这种情况?固体潮地震预测研究有什么特点?这些问题的讨论,有助于帮助我们强化地震预测的目标和概念、改进固体潮地震监测技术系统、探索新的数字信号处理方法.     

等效介质理论中裂缝密度的适用性研究

为了比较裂缝等效介质理论的预测精度,本文利用物理模拟的方法制作了一组9个裂隙密度模型,其中裂隙密度从0增大到12%,裂隙厚度和直径保持不变,分别为0.12 mm和3 mm.使用0.5 MHz的纵横波换能器,采用脉冲透射法得到纵横波的速度和各向异性.然后,将基质的模量、裂缝填充物模量和裂缝参数代入等效介质理论中,计算出纵横波速度和各向异性随着裂隙密度的变化情况.通过纵横波速度的实测值与等效介质理论的定量对比,发现当裂隙密度小于12%时,Hudson理论和线性滑动理论对纵波速度的预测与实测值非常吻合.当裂隙密度小于8%时,Hudson理论和线性滑动理论对快横波速度的预测与实测值非常吻合.当裂隙密度小于9%时,各向异性自洽理论和NIA（非相互作用近似）理论对慢横波速度的预测与实测值非常吻合.通过纵横波速度各向异性实测值与理论计算值定量对比,发现当裂隙密度小于12%时,Hudson理论和线性滑动理论对纵波速度各向异性的预测与实测值更吻合;当裂隙密度小于6%时,各向异性自洽理论和NIA理论对横波速度各向异性的预测与实测值更吻合.

     

The influence of global warming in Earth rotation speed

The tendency of the atmospheric angular momentum (AAM) is investigated using a 49-year set of monthly AAM data for the period January 1949–December 1997. This data set is constructed with zonal wind values from the reanalyses of NCEP/NCAR, used in conjunction with a variety of operationally produced AAM time series with different independent sources and lengths over 1976–1997. In all the analyzed AAM series the linear trend is found to be positive. Since the angular momentum of the atmosphere–earth system is conserved this corresponds to a net loss of angular momentum by the solid earth, therefore decreasing the Earth rotation speed and increasing the length of day (LOD). The AAM rise is significant to the budget of angular momentum of the global atmosphere–earth system; its value in milliseconds/century (ms/cy) is +0.56 ms/cy, corresponding to one-third of the estimated increase in LOD (+1.7 ms/cy). The major contribution to this secular trend in AAM comes from the equatorial Tropopause. This is consistent with results from a previous study using a simplified aqua-planet model to investigate the AAM variations due to near equatorial warming conditions. During the same time interval, 1949–1997, the global marine + land-surface tempera- ture increases by about 0.79 °C/cy, showing a linear correspondence between surface temperature increase and global AAM of about 0.07 ms per 0.1 °C. These results imply that atmospheric angular momentum may be used as an independent index of the global atmosphere’s dynamical response to the greenhouse forcing, and as such, the length of day may be used as an indirect indicator of global warming.