Spatial Distribution of Solar Energetic Particles in the Inner Heliosphere

We study the spatial distribution of solar energetic particles (SEPs) throughout the inner heliosphere during six large SEP events from the period 1977 through 1979, as deduced from observations on the Helios 1 and 2, IMP 7 and 8, ISEE 3, and Voyager 1 and 2 spacecraft. Evidence of intensity maxima associated with the expanding shock wave is commonly seen along its central and western flanks, although the region of peak acceleration or “nose” of the shock is sometimes highly localized in longitude. In one event (1 January 1978) a sharp peak in 20?–?30 MeV proton intensities is seen more strongly by Voyager at ～?2 AU than it is by spacecraft at nearby longitudes at ～?1 AU. Large spatial regions, or “reservoirs,” often exist behind the shocks with spatially uniform SEP intensities and invariant spectra that decrease adiabatically with time as their containment volume expands. Reservoirs are seen to sweep past 0.3 AU and can extend out many AU. Boundaries of the reservoirs can vary with time and with particle velocity, rather than rigidity. In one case, a second shock wave from the Sun reaccelerates protons that retain the same hard spectrum as protons in the reservoir from the preceding SEP event. Thus reservoirs can provide not only seed particles but also a “seed spectrum” with a spectral shape that is unchanged by a weaker second shock.     

New lunar meteorite Northwest Africa 2996: A window into farside lithologies and petrogenesis

The Northwest Africa (NWA) 2996 meteorite is a lunar regolith breccia with a “mingled” bulk composition and slightly elevated incompatible element content. NWA 2996 is dominated by clasts of coarse‐grained noritic and troctolitic anorthosite containing calcic plagioclase (An#~98) and magnesian mafic minerals (Mg#~75), distinguishing it from Apollo ferroan anorthosites and magnesian‐suite rocks. This meteorite lacks basalt, and owes its mingled composition to a significant proportion of coarse‐grained mafic clasts. One group of mafic clasts has pyroxenes similar to anorthosites, but contains more sodic plagioclase (An#~94) distinguishing it as a separate lithology. Another group contains Mg‐rich, very low‐titanium pyroxenes, and could represent an intrusion parental to regional basalts. Other clasts include granophyric K‐feldspar, disaggregated phosphate‐bearing quartz monzodiorites, and alkali‐suite fragments (An#~65). These evolved lithics are a minor component, but contain minerals rich in incompatible elements. Several anorthosite clasts contain clusters of apatite, suggesting that the anorthosites either assimilated evolved rocks or were metasomatized by a liquid rich in incompatible elements. We used Lunar Prospector gamma‐ray spectrometer remote sensing data to show that NWA 2996 is most similar to regoliths in and around the South Pole Aitken (SPA) basin, peripheral regions of eastern mare, Nectaris, Crisium, and southern areas of Mare Humorum. However, the mineralogy of NWA 2996 is distinctive compared with Apollo and Luna mission samples, and is likely consistent with an origin near the SPA basin: anorthosite clasts could represent local crustal material, mafic clasts could represent intrusions beneath basalt flows, and apatite‐bearing rocks could carry the SPA KREEP signature.     

The importance of ship log data: reconstructing North Atlantic, European and Mediterranean sea level pressure fields back to 1750

Local to regional climate anomalies are to a large extent determined by the state of the atmospheric circulation. The knowledge of large-scale sea level pressure (SLP) variations in former times is therefore crucial when addressing past climate changes across Europe and the Mediterranean. However, currently available SLP reconstructions lack data from the ocean, particularly in the pre-1850 period. Here we present a new statistically-derived 5° × 5° resolved gridded seasonal SLP dataset covering the eastern North Atlantic, Europe and the Mediterranean area (40°W–50°E; 20°N–70°N) back to 1750 using terrestrial instrumental pressure series and marine wind information from ship logbooks. For the period 1750–1850, the new SLP reconstruction provides a more accurate representation of the strength of the winter westerlies as well as the location and variability of the Azores High than currently available multiproxy pressure field reconstructions. These findings strongly support the potential of ship logbooks as an important source to determine past circulation variations especially for the pre-1850 period. This new dataset can be further used for dynamical studies relating large-scale atmospheric circulation to temperature and precipitation variability over the Mediterranean and Eurasia, for the comparison with outputs from GCMs as well as for detection and attribution studies.     

Circulation dynamics and its influence on European and Mediterranean January–April climate over the past half millennium: results and insights from instrumental data, documentary evidence and coupled climate models

We use long instrumental temperature series together with available field reconstructions of sea-level pressure (SLP) and three-dimensional climate model simulations to analyze relations between temperature anomalies and atmospheric circulation patterns over much of Europe and the Mediterranean for the late winter/early spring (January–April, JFMA) season. A Canonical Correlation Analysis (CCA) investigates interannual to interdecadal covariability between a new gridded SLP field reconstruction and seven long instrumental temperature series covering the past 250 years. We then present and discuss prominent atmospheric circulation patterns related to anomalous warm and cold JFMA conditions within different European areas spanning the period 1760–2007. Next, using a data assimilation technique, we link gridded SLP data with a climate model (EC-Bilt-Clio) for a better dynamical understanding of the relationship between large scale circulation and European climate. We thus present an alternative approach to reconstruct climate for the pre-instrumental period based on the assimilated model simulations. Furthermore, we present an independent method to extend the dynamic circulation analysis for anomalously cold European JFMA conditions back to the sixteenth century. To this end, we use documentary records that are spatially representative for the long instrumental records and derive, through modern analogs, large-scale SLP, surface temperature and precipitation fields. The skill of the analog method is tested in the virtual world of two three-dimensional climate simulations (ECHO-G and HadCM3). This endeavor offers new possibilities to both constrain climate model into a reconstruction mode (through the assimilation approach) and to better asses documentary data in a quantitative way.     

Temporal rainfall variability in the Lake Victoria Basin in East Africa during the twentieth century

Water resources systems are designed and operated on assumption of stationary hydrology. Existence of trends and other changes in the data invalidates this assumption, and detection of the changes in hydrological time series should help us revise the approaches used in assessing, designing and operating our systems. In addition, trend and step change studies help us understand the impact of man’s activities (e.g. urbanisation, deforestation, dam construction, agricultural activities, etc.) on the hydrological cycle. Trends and step changes in the seasonal and annual total rainfall for 20 stations in the Lake Victoria basin were analysed. The seasonal rainfall for any station in a given year was defined in two ways: (1) fixed time period where the rainy seasons were taken as occurring from March–May (long rains) and from October–December (short rains); and (2) variable periods where the rainy seasons were taken as the three consecutive months with maximum total rainfall covering the period of January–June (long rains) and July–December (short rains), to take into account the fact that the onset of rainy seasons within the basin varies from year to year and from one station to the next. For each station, sub datasets were derived covering different periods (all available data at the station, 1941–1980, 1961–1990, 1971–end of each station’s time series). The trends were analysed using the Mann-Kendall method, while the step changes were analysed using the Worsley Likelihood method. The results show that positive trends predominate, with most stations showing trend being located in the northern part of the basin, though this pattern is not conclusive. In all, 17% of the cases have trends, of which 67% are positive. The 1960s represent a significant upward jump in the basin rainfall. Seasonal rainfall analysis shows that the short rains tend to have more trends than the long rains. The impact of the varying month of onset of the rainy season is that the results from analyzing the fixed-period and variable-period time series are rarely the same, meaning the two series have different characteristics. It may be argued that the variable-period time series are more reliable as a basis for analysing trends and step changes, since these time series reflect more closely the actual variability in rainy seasons from one year to the next. The fixed-period analysis would, on the other hand, find more practical use in planning.     

The mineralogy of the Yaringie Hill meteorite—A new H5 chondrite from South Australia

Abstract— The Yaringie Hill meteorite is a new H5 ordinary chondrite found in the Gawler Ranges, South Australia. The meteorite, which shows only minor signs of terrestrial weathering, is predominantly composed of olivine (Fa_17.2), orthopyroxene (Fs_15.1Wo_1.1), and three distinct phases of nickeliferous iron metal (kamacite, taenite, tetrataenite). Other minerals include troilite, plagioclase (Ab₈₁An₁₆Or₃), clinopyroxene (En₅₂Wo₄₂Fs₆), chlorapatite, merrillite, ilmenite, and native copper. Three types of spinel with distinctive textures (coarse, skeletal aggregates, rounded aggregates) and with compositions close to the join MgAl₂O₄‐FeCr₂O₄ are also present. Chondrules within the Yaringie Hill meteorite, which often have poorly defined boundaries, are placed in a recrystallized matrix. Shock indicators suggest that the meteorite experienced only weak shock metamorphism (S3).     

Hillslope hydrology and wetland response of two small zero‐order boreal catchments on the Precambrian Shield

Two Precambrian Shield zero‐order catchments were monitored from January 2003 to July 2004 to characterize their hydrological and biogeochemical characteristics prior to a forest management experiment. Hydrometric observations were used to examine temporal trends in hillslope‐wetland connectivity and the hillslope runoff processes that control wetland event response. The hillslope groundwater flux from the longer transect (E1) was continuous throughout the study period. Groundwater fluxes from a shorter and steeper hillslope (E0) were intermittent during the study period. Large depression storage elements (termed micro‐basins) located on the upper hillslope of the E1 catchment appeared to be at least partly responsible for the observed rapid wetland runoff responses. These micro‐basins were hydrologically connected to a downslope wetland by a subsurface channel of glacial cobbles that functioned as a macropore channel during episodic runoff events. The runoff response from the hilltop micro‐basins is controlled by antecedent water table position and water is quickly piped to the wetland fringe through the cobble channel during high water table conditions. During periods of low water table position, seepage along the bedrock–soil interface from the hilltop micro‐basin and other hillslopes maintained hillslope–wetland connectivity. The micro‐basins create a dynamic variable source‐area runoff system where the contributing area expands downslope during episodic runoff events. The micro‐basins occupied 30% of the E1 catchment and are a common feature on the Precambrian Shield. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Phase variation of ULF pulsations along the geomagnetic field-line

Some points are discussed concerning possible sources of confusion in earlier theory on ULF pulsations with finite ionosphere conductances. Behaviour of the time-integrated Poynting vector in this theory is examined in detail. It is shown that, whenever ionosphere conductances are asymmetric, the time-integrated Poynting vector is zero at a point (termed the “null-point”) displaced away from the equatorial plane. The wave phase behaviour along the field-line is consistent with a picture of travelling-wave components originating at the null-point and carrying energy to the ionospheres.Higher harmonics of resonances with asymmetric conductances are discussed from the point of view of comparing electric field phase using measurements from geostationary satellites and STARE-type auroral radars. The null-point behaviour suggests that some surprising phase differences may be obtained in certain cases between equatorial plane and ionosphere.     

Preterrestrial aqueous alteration of the Lafayette (SNC) meteorite

Abstract— The Lafayette meteorite, a nakhlite of the SNC (Martian?) group, contains hydrous alteration materials as intergranular films and as veinlets and patches replacing olivine, pyroxenes, and high-Si glass. The alteration materials (“iddingsite”) consist of ferroan smectite clays, magnetite (or maghemite), and ferrihydrite, as shown by SEM and TEM. Three varieties of veinlets are present and formed in the order: coarse phyllosilicate; fine-grained (phyllosilicate-oxide), and porous oxide. Veinlets of fine-grained material cross-cut coarse phyllosilicate veinlets. The alteration materials are preterrestrial, as they are older than Lafayette's fusion crust, which is glassy and not affected by any alterations. Approaching the crust, the veinlets are progressively modified to the point of melting, and progressively depleted in adsorbed volatile constituents (S, Cl, and P). Bulk compositions of the alteration veinlets (SEM and TEM EDX) are consistent with the observed mineralogy, and suggest: that the smectite contains significant adsorbed S and Cl; that the ferrihydrite contains significant adsorbed S, but not Cl; that rare grains of sulfate (Ca?) and chloride (Na or K?) are present; and that the compositions of the alteration materials are approximated by Lafayette's olivine + high-Si glass + water. We estimate that Lafayette's alteration materials formed at less than 100 °C. The oxidation potential of the water was near or slightly below that of the magnetite-hematite buffer. The presence of sulfate and chloride in discrete phases and as adsorbates on ferrihydrite and smectite suggests that the altering solutions were saline. However, relatively little mass was transferred into or out of Lafayette because the bulk composition of the alteration materials is nearly isochemical with a mixture of magmatic silicate phases and water. Chemical transport within Lafayette was also limited, as alteration materials preserve some chemical signature of their host minerals. Presence of alteration materials along only some grain boundaries and some cracks suggests that Lafayette was not soaked in fluid. These last two inferences suggest that the alteration of Lafayette took place during episodic infiltrations of small volumes of saline water.