An assessment of boundary-layer air mass characteristics associated with topographically-induced local wind systems

Measured and derived meteorological parameters are used to examine the changes in air mass associated with local winds of differing origin. Research conducted explores the usefulness of wet bulb potential temperature, equivalent potential temperature, virtual potential temperature and relative humidity as indicators of air mass change during sea breeze, foehn wind and nocturnal drainage flow events. The complex interactions between these different topographically-induced wind systems in South Canterbury, New Zealand, provide an environment in which marked changes in air mass characteristics are common. Results demonstrate that under a considerable range of boundary-layer conditions, measured wet bulb potential temperature when used in conjunction with windspeed and direction enables quick and accurate determination of air mass origin. Relative humidity was also found to respond closely to changes in local air mass type, but its dependence on air temperature makes it a less reliable indicator.     

Climate stability as deduced from an idealized coupled atmosphere-ocean model

The stability of an idealized climate system is investigated using a simple coupled atmosphere-ocean box model. Motivated by the results from general circulation models, the main physical constraint imposed on the system is that the net radiation at the top of the atmosphere is fixed. The specification of an invariant equatorial atmospheric temperature, consistent with paleoclimatic data, allows the hydrological cycle to be internally determined from the poleward heat transport budget, resulting in a model that has a plausible representation of the hydrological cycle-thermohaline circulation interaction. The model suggests that the stability and variability of the climate system depends fundamentally on the mean climatic state (total heat content of the system). When the total heat content of the climate system is low, a stable present-day equilibrum exists with high-latitude sinking. Conversely, when the total heat content is high, a stable equatorial sinking equilibrium exists. For a range of intermediate values of the total heat content, internal climatic oscillations can occur through a hydrological cycle-thermohaline circulation feedback process. Experiments conducted with the model reveal that under a 100-year 2 × CO₂ warming, the thermohaline circulation first collapses but then recovers. Under a 100-year 4 × CO₂ warming, the thermohaline circulation collapses and remains collapsed. Recent paleoclimatic data suggest that the climate system may behave very differently for a warmer climate. Our results suggest that this may be attributed to the enhanced poleward freshwater transport, which causes increased instability of the presentday thermohaline circulation.     

Carbon-14 production compared to oxygen isotope records from Camp Century,Greenland and Devon Island,Canada

Carbon-14 production rate variations that are not explainable by geomagnetic changes are thought to be in antiphase with solar activity and as such should be in antiphase with paleotemperature records or proxy temperature histories such as those obtainable from oxygen isotope analyses of ice cores. Oxygen isotope records from Camp Century, Greenland and Devon Island Ice Cap are in phase with each other over thousands of years and in antiphase to the ¹⁴C production rate residuals.     

An analysis of mesh sizes required for screening fishes at water intakes

Twenty-four species of marine and freshwater fish were examined to determine mesh size requirements for fish screens placed at water intakes. Curves relating fish length to the mesh size requirements are given for these species and a model for predicting mesh size requirements as a function of fish shape and size is presented. This is of superior accuracy in general application to a previous model given by Bell (1973) and appears to hold good for a wide range of fish species. Its practical application is discussed.     

The use of chi-square maps in the analysis of census data

This paper addresses itself to one of the problems inherent in any spatial analysis of census data, namely the variable size of the enumeration units. This variation renders some proportions unstable, due to the small numbers involved. Attempts to overcome this, using visual methods, can be unsatisfactory, whilst doing nothing to aid statistical analysis. Chi-square maps are suggested as a satisfactory alternative in both contexts, and data for Reading, Berkshire are displayed to illustrate this. These maps suggest that some inferences, based upon indicators derived from proportions, may be unsound.