Ice-albedo feedback in a CO2-doubling simulation

We estimate the feedback of sea-ice change to the warming from CO₂-doubling according to the simulation of Washington and Meehl (1984). Without ice-snow albedo feedback, their global warming of 3.5 °C would have been 2.2. °C according to our estimate of the ice-snow feedback. About 80% of the albedo change from ice and snow occurred in the Southern Hemisphere. Whether this change was an overestimate will require further study.The National Center for Atmospheric Research is sponsored by the National Science Foundation.     

Climate sensitivity due to increased CO2: experiments with a coupled atmosphere and ocean general circulation model

A version of the National Center for Atmospheric Research community climate model — a global, spectral (R15) general circulation model — is coupled to a coarse-grid (5° latitude-] longitude, four-layer) ocean general circulation model to study the response of the climate system to increases of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO₂). Three simulations are run: one with an instantaneous doubling of atmospheric CO₂ (from 330 to 660 ppm), another with the CO₂ concentration starting at 330 ppm and increasing linearly at a rate of 1% per year, and a third with CO₂ held constant at 330 pm. Results at the end of 30 years of simulation indicate a globally averaged surface air temperature increase of 1.6° C for the instantaneous doubling case and 0.7°C for the transient forcing case. Inherent characteristics of the coarse-grid ocean model flow sea-surface temperatures (SSTs) in the tropics and higher-than-observed SSTs and reduced sea-ice extent at higher latitudes] produce lower sensitivity in this model after 30 years than in earlier simulations with the same atmosphere coupled to a 50-m, slab-ocean mixed layer. Within the limitations of the simulated meridional overturning, the thermohaline circulation weakens in the coupled model with doubled CO₂ as the high-latitude ocean-surface layer warms and freshens and westerly wind stress is decreased. In the transient forcing case with slowly increasing CO₂ (30% increase after 30 years), the zonal mean warming of the ocean is most evident in the surface layer near 30°–50° S. Geographical plots of surface air temperature change in the transient case show patterns of regional climate anomalies that differ from those in the instantaneous CO₂ doubling case, particularly in the North Atlantic and northern European regions. This suggests that differences in CO₂ forcing in the climate system are important in CO₂ response in regard to time-dependent climate anomaly regimes. This confirms earlier studies with simple climate models that instantaneous CO₂ doubling simulations may not be analogous in all respects to simulations with slowly increasing CO₂.A portion of this study is supported by the US Department of Energy as part of its Carbon Dioxide Research Program     

A measurement domain receiver autonomous integrity monitoring algorithm

One of the key approaches to monitor the integrity of Global Satellite Navigation Systems (GNSS) is receiver autonomous integrity monitoring (RAIM). Existing RAIM algorithms utilise two tests in the position domain (for RAIM availability) and measurement domain (for failure detection). This paper proposes an alternative RAIM algorithm, which is based entirely in the measurement domain. This algorithm can be used for sensitivity analyses to support performance specification and system design. It can also be used during actual flight operations where the trigger is the phase of flight and its required navigation performance (RNP) parameters. This is made possible by computationally efficient calculation of the chi-squared parameters. The algorithm reverts to the current approach if the phase of flight is unknown. Simulation results for non-precision approach (NPA) have been used to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.     

Carrier phase-based integrity monitoring for high-accuracy positioning

Pseudorange-based integrity monitoring, for example receiver autonomous integrity monitoring (RAIM), has been investigated for many years and is used in various applications such as non-precision approach phase of flight. However, for high-accuracy applications, carrier phase-based RAIM (CRAIM), an extension of pseudorange-based RAIM (PRAIM) must be used. Existing CRAIM algorithms are a direct extension of PRAIM in which the carrier phase ambiguities are estimated together with the estimation of the position solution. The main issues with the existing algorithms are reliability and robustness, which are dominated by the correctness of the ambiguity resolution, ambiguity validation and error sources such as multipath, cycle slips and noise correlation. This paper proposes a new carrier phase-based integrity monitoring algorithm for high-accuracy positioning, using a Kalman filter. The ambiguities are estimated together with other states in the Kalman filter. The double differenced pseudorange, widelane and carrier phase observations are used as measurements in the Kalman filter. This configuration makes the positioning solution both robust and reliable. The integrity monitoring is based on a number of test statistics and error propagation for the determination of the protection levels. The measurement noise and covariance matrices in the Kalman filter are used to account for the correlation due to differencing of measurements and in the construction of the test statistics. The coefficient used to project the test statistic to the position domain is derived and the synthesis of correlated noise errors is used to determine the protection level. Results from four cases based on limited real data injected with simulated cycle slips show that residual cycle slips have a negative impact on positioning accuracy and that the integrity monitoring algorithm proposed can be effective in detecting and isolating such occurrences if their effects violate the integrity requirements. The CRAIM algorithm proposed is suitable for use within Kalman filter-based integrated navigation systems.

Groundwater N speciation and redox control of organic N mineralization by O2 reduction to H2O2

Excess N from agriculture induces eutrophication in major river systems and hypoxia in coastal waters throughout the world. Much of this N is from headwaters far up the watersheds. In turn, much of the N in these headwaters is from ground-water discharge. Consequently, the concentrations and forms of N in groundwater are important factors affecting major aquatic ecosystems; despite this, few data exist for several species of N in groundwater and controls on speciation are ill-defined. Herein, we report N speciation for a spring and well that were selected to reflect agricultural impacts, and a spring and well that show little to no agricultural-N impact. Samples were characterized for NO₃⁻, NO₂⁻, N₂O, NH₄⁺, urea, particulate organic N(), and dissolved organic N(). These analytes were monitored in the agricultural spring for up to two years along with other analytes that we reported upon previously. For all samples, when oxidized N was present, the dominant species was NO₃⁻ (88-98% of total fixed N pool) followed by (<4-12%) and only trace fractions of the other N analytes. In the non-agriculturally impacted well sample, which had no quantifiable NO₃⁻ or dissolved O₂, comprised the dominant fraction (68%) followed by NH₄⁺ (32%), with only a trace balance comprised of other N analytes. Water drawn from the well, spring and a wetland situated in the agricultural watershed also were analyzed for dissolved N₂ and found to have a fugacity in excess of that of the atmosphere. H₂O₂ was analyzed in the agricultural spring to evaluate the O₂/H₂O₂ redox potential and compare it to other calculated potentials. The potential of the O₂/H₂O₂ couple was close in value to the NO₃⁻/NO₂⁻ couple suggesting the important role of H₂O₂ as an O₂-reduction intermediate product and that O₂ and NO₃⁻ are reduced concomitantly. The O₂/H₂O₂ and NO₃⁻/NO₂⁻ couples also were close in value to a cluster of other inorganic N and Fe couples indicating near partial equilibrium among these species. Urea mineralization to NO₂⁻ was found to approach equilibrium with the reduction of O₂ to H₂O₂. By modeling as amide functional groups, as justified by recent analytical work, similar thermodynamic calculations support that mineralization to NO₂⁻ proceeds nearly to equilibrium with the reduction of O₂ to H₂O₂ as well. This near equilibration of redox couples for urea- and -oxidation with O₂-reduction places these two couples within the oxidized redox cluster that is shared among several other couples we have reported previously. In the monitored agricultural spring, [NO₃⁻] was lower in the summer than at other times, whereas [N₂O] was higher in the summer than at other times, perhaps reflecting a seasonal variation in the degree of denitrification reaction progress. No other N analytes were observed to vary seasonally in our study. In the well having no agricultural-N impact, C_org/N_org = 5.5, close to the typical value for natural aqueous systems of about 6.6. In the agricultural watershed C_org/N_org varied widely, from ∼1.2 to ?9.     

The Rondonian-San Ignacio Province in the SW Amazonian Craton: An overview

The Rondonian-San Ignacio Province (1.56–1.30 Ga) is a composite orogen created through successive accretion of arcs, ocean basin closure and final oblique microcontinent–continent collision. The effects of the collision are well preserved mostly in the Paraguá Terrane (Bolivia and Mato Grosso regions) and in the Alto Guaporé Belt and the Rio Negro-Juruena Province (Rondônia region), considering that the province was affected by later collision-related deformation and metamorphism during the Sunsás Orogeny (1.25–1.00 Ga). The Rondonian-San Ignacio Province comprises: (1) the Jauru Terrane (1.78–1.42 Ga) that hosts Paleoproterozoic basement (1.78–1.72 Ga), and the Cachoeirinha (1.56–1.52 Ga) and the Santa Helena (1.48–1.42 Ga) accretionary orogens, both developed in an Andean-type magmatic arc; (2) the Paraguá Terrane (1.74–1.32 Ga) that hosts pre-San Ignacio units (>1640 Ma: Chiquitania Gneiss Complex, San Ignacio Schist Group and Lomas Manechis Granulitic Complex) and the Pensamiento Granitoid Complex (1.37–1.34 Ga) developed in an Andean-type magmatic arc; (3) the Rio Alegre Terrane (1.51–1.38 Ga) that includes units generated in a mid-ocean ridge and an intra-oceanic magmatic arc environments; and (4) the Alto Guaporé Belt (<1.42–1.34 Ga) that hosts units developed in passive marginal basin and intra-oceanic arc settings. The collisional stage (1.34–1.32 Ga) is characterized by deformation, high-grade metamorphism, and partial melting during the metamorphic peak, which affected primarily the Chiquitania Gneiss Complex and Lomas Manechis Granulitic Complex in the Paraguá Terrane, and the Colorado Complex and the Nova Mamoré Metamorphic Suite in the Alto Guaporé Belt. The Paraguá Block is here considered as a crustal fragment probably displaced from its Rio Negro-Juruena crustal counterpart between 1.50 and 1.40 Ga. This period is characterized by extensive A-type and intra-plate granite magmatism represented by the Rio Crespo Intrusive Suite (ca. 1.50 Ga), Santo Antonio Intrusive Suite (1.40–1.36 Ga), and the Teotônio Intrusive Suite (1.38 Ga). Magmatism of these types also occur at the end of the Rondonian-San Ignacio Orogeny, and are represented by the Alto Candeias Intrusive Suite (1.34–1.36 Ga), and the São Lourenço-Caripunas Intrusive Suite (1.31–1.30 Ga). The cratonization of the province occurred between 1.30 and 1.25 Ga.     

Monte Carlo simulations of radio pulses in atmospheric showers using ZHAireS

We present predictions for the radio pulses emitted by extensive air showers using ZHAireS, an AIRES-based Monte Carlo code that takes into account the full complexity of ultra-high energy cosmic-ray induced shower development in the atmosphere, and allows the calculation of the electric field in both the time and frequency domains. We do not presuppose any emission mechanism and our results are compatible with a superposition of geomagnetic and charge excess radio emission effects. We investigate the polarization of the electric field as well as the effects of the refractive index n and shower geometry on the radio pulses. We show that geometry, coupled to the relativistic effects that appear when using a realistic refractive index n > 1, play a prominent role on the radio emission of air showers.     

A general map matching algorithm for transport telematics applications

This paper describes a map-matching algorithm designed to support the navigational functions of a real-time vehicle performance and emissions monitoring system currently under development, and other transport telematics applications. The algorithm is used together with the outputs of an extended Kalman filter formulation for the integration of GPS and dead reckoning data, and a spatial digital database of the road network, to provide continuous, accurate and reliable vehicle location on a given road segment. This is irrespective of the constraints of the operational environment, thus alleviating outage and accuracy problems associated with the use of stand-alone location sensors. The map-matching algorithm has been tested using real field data and has been found to be superior to existing algorithms, particularly in how it performs at road intersections.     

Sn-polymetallic greisen-type deposits associated with late-stage rapakivi granites, Brazil: fluid inclusion and stable isotope characteristics

Tin-polymetallic greisen-type deposits in the Itu Rapakivi Province and Rondônia Tin Province, Brazil are associated with late-stage rapakivi fluorine-rich peraluminous alkali-feldspar granites. These granites contain topaz and/or muscovite or zinnwaldite and have geochemical characteristics comparable to the low-P sub-type topaz-bearing granites. Stockworks and veins are common in Oriente Novo (Rondônia Tin Province) and Correas (Itu Rapakivi Province) deposits, but in the Santa Bárbara deposit (Rondônia Tin Province) a preserved cupola with associated bed-like greisen is predominant. The contrasting mineralization styles reflect different depths of formation, spatial relationship to tin granites, and different wall rock/fluid proportions. The deposits contain a similar rare-metal suite that includes Sn (±W, ±Ta, ±Nb), and base-metal suite (Zn–Cu–Pb) is present only in Correas deposit. The early fluid inclusions of the Correas and Oriente Novo deposits are (1) low to moderate-salinity (0–19 wt.% NaCl eq.) CO₂-bearing aqueous fluids homogenizing at 245–450 °C, and (2) aqueous solutions with low CO₂, low to moderate salinity (0–14 wt.% NaCl eq.), which homogenize between 100 and 340 °C. In the Santa Bárbara deposit, the early inclusions are represented by (1) low-salinity (5–12 wt.% NaCl eq.) aqueous fluids with variable CO₂ contents, homogenizing at 340 to 390 °C, and (2) low-salinity (0–3 wt.% NaCl eq.) aqueous fluid inclusions, which homogenize at 320–380 °C. Cassiterite, wolframite, columbite–tantalite, scheelite, and sulfide assemblages accompany these fluids. The late fluid in the Oriente Novo and Correas deposit was a low-salinity (0–6 wt.% NaCl eq.) CO₂-free aqueous solution, which homogenizes at (100–260 °C) and characterizes the sulfide–fluorite–sericite association in the Correas deposit. The late fluid in the Santa Bárbara deposit has lower salinity (0–3 wt.% NaCl eq.) and characterizes the late-barren-quartz, muscovite and kaolinite veins. Oxygen isotope thermometry coupled with fluid inclusion data suggest hydrothermal activity at 240–450 °C, and 1.0–2.6 kbar fluid pressure at Correas and Oriente Novo. The hydrogen isotope composition of breccia-greisen, stockwork, and vein fluids (δ¹⁸O_quartz from 9.9‰ to 10.9‰, δD_H2O from 4.13‰ to 6.95‰) is consistent with a fluid that was in equilibrium with granite at temperatures from 450 to 240 °C. In the Santa Bárbara deposit, the inferred temperatures for quartz-pods and bed-like greisens are much higher (570 and 500 °C, respectively), and that for the cassiterite-quartz-veins is 415 °C. The oxygen and hydrogen isotope composition of greisen and quartz-pods fluids (δ¹⁸O_qtz-H2O=5.5–6.1‰) indicate that the fluid equilibrated with the albite granite, consistent with a magmatic origin. The values for mica (δ¹⁸O_mica-H2O=3.3–9.8‰) suggest mixing with meteoric water. Late muscovite veins (δ¹⁸O_qtz-H2O=−6.4‰) and late quartz (δ¹⁸O_mica-H2O=−3.8‰) indicate involvement of a meteoric fluid. Overall, the stable isotope and fluid inclusion data imply three fluid types: (1) an early orthomagmatic fluid, which equilibrated with granite; (2) a mixed orthomagmatic-meteoric fluid; and (3) a late hydrothermal meteoric fluid. The first two were responsible for cassiterite, wolframite, and minor columbite–tantalite precipitation. Change in the redox conditions related to mixing of magmatic and meteoric fluids favored important sulfide mineralization in the Correas deposit.