Determination of vertical temperature profiles for the atmospheric boundary layer by ground-based microwave radiometry

A useful method for remote sensing of vertical temperature profiles in the atmospheric boundary layer is described. From angular measurements of brightness temperature at 58 GHz, profiles have been inferred up to an altitude of 700 m. Calculations were done with an iterative inversion procedure (Smith et al., 1972) using Twomey-type smoothing (Twomey, 1963). It is shown how an initial-guess profile can be directly derived from the radiation measurements using, a nomogram.     

Experimental investigations into variations of ground-based inversions and comparisons with results of simple boundary-layer models

Meteorological data obtained from sensors mounted on a 300-m antenna mast, including wind components and temperature fluctuations together with high resolution profile measurements, were used to calculate quantities which describe the most important processes during the development and decay of ground-based inversions. The vertical distribution of air temperature during the developing phase of radiation inversions has been measured continuously and compared with an existing simple prognostic model. Free and forced convection conditions have been investigated for the inversion lifting phase by measuring the heat fluxes at the surface (H _s) and at the inversion base (H _i), the heating rate of the mixed layer (/z) _m , the friction velocity (u _*) and the entrainment rate (dh/dt). Comparisons between the directly measured entrainment rates and those calculated by models show good agreement. For nearly free convection conditions, the entrainment parameter (k = -H _i/H_s) has been determined to be about 0.25.     

Direct gravity formula for the Geodetic Reference System 1967

A Direct Gravity Formula, polynomial in latitude, has been obtained from the series expansion of the closed gravity formula of Somigliana by a telescoping procedure. The use of the 7 coefficient formula gives a result as accurate as the closed expression. With 6 coefficients it gives an order of magnitude better accuracy than that of the widely used Chebyshev approximation and with 5 coefficients a result that is accurate to better than that of the conventional form of computing theoretical gravity. The derived approximation is not only simpler than other forms, but also at least 11 and 17 times faster on the CDC CYBER 74 computer than the Chebyshev approximation and the closed gravity formula respectively. Contribution from the Earth Physics Branch N^o 720.     

Geological development of Jabal al Akhdar,Libya

The northern Cyrenaic headland situated north of 32 degrees latitude between Benghází and Tubruq was subject of a geological mapping. This paper draws attention to the results of this geological survey concerning Upper Cretaceous and Tertiary facies development, paleogeography, tectonic and geomorphologic evolution.The essential part of the investigated area corresponds to Jabal al Akhdar (Green Mountains), a gently uparched plateau built of Upper Cretaceous and Tertiary sediments (mostly limestones, subordinate dolomites and marls). These sediments were deposited at the southern margin of the Tethys sea and were moderately folded, mainly during the intra-Senonian (pre-Campanian) and early Ypresian intervals.From Middle Eocene till Middle Miocene, the area was subject to a slight warping followed by oscillating transgressions of a shallow sea.The youngest tectonic movements resulted in a gentle doming of the area associated with downfaulting of certain zones. Some prominent faults revealed rejuvenated activity, partly with movement inversion. Deep faulting probably controlled the paleogeographic and tectonic development of certain zones.The present gross geomorphology of Jabal al Akhdar roughly corresponds to its final uparching dated after the Middle Miocene. Topographic evolution of the northern slope of the mountains has been importantly influenced by marine erosion. Two broad littoral terraces bordered by cliffs were formed successively.

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Zusammenfassung Die nördliche Cyrenaica nördlich des 32. Breitengrades, zwischen Benghazi und Tobruk, wurde geologisch kartiert. Ergebnisse dieser Aufnahmen sind unten wiedergegeben und umfassen die fazielle Entwicklung der Oberkreide und des Tertiär sowie die paläogeographische, tektonische und geomorphologische Entwicklung.Der wesentliche Teil des untersuchten Gebietes liegt im Djebel el Akhdar. Er repräsentiert ein herausgehobenes Plateau, das sich aus Oberkreide und Tertiärsedimenten (meistens Kalke, untergeordnet Dolomite und Mergel) zusammensetzt. Diese Sedimente wurden am Südrand der Tethys abgelagert und sind vorwiegend während des Senon (Prä-Campan) und frühen Ypresien schwach verfaltet worden.Vom mittleren Eozän bis ins mittlere Miozän wurde das Gebiet teilweise gehoben und von oszillierenden Transgressionen einer Flachsee erfaßt.Die jüngsten tektonischen Bewegungen führten zu einer domartigen Aufwölbung und zu Bruchtektonik entlang bestimmter Zonen. Dabei wurden markante Störungen mehrfach regeneriert, wobei auch inverse Bewegungen nachgewiesen werden konnten. Tiefgreifende Lineamente kontrollierten wahrscheinlich die paläogeographische Situation wie auch die tektonische Entwicklung entlang bestimmter Zonen.Die augenblickliche geomorphologische Ausgestaltung des Djebel el Akhdar korrespondiert mit der zuletzt stattgefundenen Aufwölbung nach dem mittleren Miozän. Die topographische Entwicklung seines nördlichen Randes ist weitgehend beeinflußt durch marine Erosionen. Zwei breite Küstenterrassen — durch Steilküsten begrenzt — haben sich dabei sukzessive herausgebildet.

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Résumé La Cyrénaique septentrionale au Nord du 32ème parallèle, entre Benghazi et Tobrouk, a été l'objet d'un lever géologique. Les résultats donnés ici concernent le développement des facies au Crétacé supérieur et au Tertiaire, ainsi que l'évolution paléogéographique, tectonique et géomorphologique.La plus grande partie du territoire se trouve dans le Djebel el Akhdar, plateau soulevé composé de sédiments du Crétacé supérieur et du Tertiaire (la plupart des calcaires, plus rarement des dolomites et des marnes). Ces sédiments se sont déposés dans la bordure meridionale de la Téthys et furent faiblement plissés principalement au cours du Sénonien (Précampanien) et au début de l'Yprésien.De l'Eocène moyen au Miocène moyen, cette région fut en partie soulevée et soumise à des transgressions oscillatives de mer peu profonde.Les mouvements tectoniques les plus récents ont eu pour conséquence un faible bombement de la région accompagné d'affaissements de certaines zones le long de failles. Certaines failles importantes ont rejoué plusieurs fois, partiellement avec inversion de mouvement. Des failles profondes ont influencé l'évolution paléogéographique et tectonique de certaines zones.La géomorphologie générale actuelle du Djebel el Akhdar correspond grosso-modo a son bombement final d'après le Miocène moyen. L'évolution topographique du versant septentrional de la chaîne a été influencée d'une façon importante par des érosions marines. Il s'est formé successivement deux terraces littorales bordées de falaises.

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Isotopic U-Pb ages of monazites and zircons from the crust-mantle transition and adjacent units of the ivrea and ceneri zones (Southern Alps,Italy)

The Ivrea zone forms a part of the Southern Alps and is composed of basic rocks interfingered with granulite facies acidic rocks. According to geophysical evidence, this zone represents the transition between crust and uplifted and overthrusted mantle. Towards the Ceneri zone the metamorphic grade changes to amphibolite facies. Paragneisses, migmatites and anatectic gneisses dominate, within which postmetamorphic granites occur. Concordant monazite U-Pb ages of 275+2 m.y. were obtained from paragneisses of the Ivrea zone. The apparent zircon ages are discordant indicating a minimum age of 1900 m.y. for the oldest population and an apparent lead loss of 99 to 85 % about 285–300 m.y. ago. The zircons show features such as rounded habitus, low trace element contents and well ordered crystal lattices characteristic for detrital, recrystallised populations. Monazite from the neighbouring Ceneri zone migmatite yielded concordant U-Pb ages at 295±5 m.y. The discordant zircon age pattern indicates a time of formation of 450 m.y., similar to other newly formed zircons in anatectic rocks of the Ceneri zone, and an episodic or continuous lead loss at, or until 300 m.y. ago. The majority of the zircons are euhedral and have elevated trace element contents, features typical for zircons formed in the present-day host rocks. Concordant, 295±5 m.y. old monazite dates the formation of the postmetamorphic Mont' Orfano granite. Again zircon fractions yielded discordant ages, pointing in contrast to the above discordancies to a recent or continuous lead loss. The concordant ages of the monazites demonstrate the usefulness of this mineral for dating purposes in metamorphic and granitic rocks and contrast with the discordant age patterns of all zircon suites. From the general agreement between the monazite ages and the time of lead loss inferred from the zircon age patterns as well as from the geological relationships of the rocks and their metamorphic grade it is concluded that 295±5 m.y. is the minimum age for the regional granulite to upper amphibolite facies metamorphism of the Ivrea zone and that the uplift and overthrust of the upper mantle started prior to 295 m.y. ago, and that the basic rocks of the Ivrea zone are synmetamorphic intrusions. The decrease from 310–320 m.y. to 170–200 m.y. of the K-Ar and Rb-Sr mineral ages from the Ceneri towards the Ivrea zone is accompanied by decreases from 450 m.y. to 295 m.y. and on to 275 m.y. in the U-Pb ages of monazites. The zircon age pattern also shows a decrease from 450 m.y. to approximately 300 m.y. The main lowering of the ages occurs approximately at the petrographic boundary between the two zones and is related to the Hercynian uplift and overthrust of the mantle which may have started as early as 450 m.y. ago. The Insubric line which terminates the Ivrea zone towards the North must therefore be of pre-Alpine age, or a precursor of the Insubric line must have existed at the time of the mantle uplift.     

Noble gas investigations of lunar rocks 10017 and 10071

The noble gases He, Ne, Ar, Kr and Xe and also K and Ba were measured in the Apollo 11 igneous rocks 10017 and 10071, and in an ilmenite and two feldspar concentrates separated from rock 10071. Whole rock K/Ar ages of rocks 10017 and 10071 are (2350 ± 60) × 10⁶ yr and (2880 ± 60) × 10⁶ yr, respectively. The two feldspar concentrates of rock 10071 have distinctly higher ages: (3260 ± 60) × 10⁶ yr and (3350 ± 70) × 10⁶ yr. These ages are still 10 per cent lower than the Rb/Sr age obtained by Papanastassiouet al. (1970) and some Ar⁴⁰ diffusion loss must have occurred even in the relatively coarse-grained feldspar.The relative abundance patterns of spallation Ne, Ar, Kr and Xe are in agreement with the ratios predicted from meteoritic production rates. However, diffusion loss of spallation He³ is evident in the whole rock samples, and even more in the feldspar concentrates. The ilmenite shows little or no diffusion loss. The isotopic composition of spallation Kr and Xe is similar to the one observed in meteorites. Small, systematic differences in the spallation Kr spectra of rocks 10017 and 10071 are due to variations in the irradiation hardness (shielding). The Kr spallation spectra in the mineral concentrates are different from the whole rock spectra and also show individual variations, reflecting the differences in target element composition. The relative abundance of cosmic ray produced Xe¹³¹ differs by nearly 50 per cent in the two rocks. The other Xe isotopes show no variations of similar magnitude. The origin of the Xe¹³¹ yield variability is discussed.Kr⁸¹ was measured in all the samples investigated. The Kr⁸¹/Kr exposure ages of rocks 10017 and 10071 are (480 ± 25) × 10⁶ yr and (350 ± 15) × 10⁶ yr, respectively. Exposure ages derived from spallation Ne²¹, Ar³⁸, Kr⁸³ and Xe¹²⁶ are essentially in agreement with the Kr⁸¹/Kr ages. The age of rock 10071 might be somewhat low because of a possible recent exposure of our sample to solar flare particles.     

The journal Communications in Numerical Methods in Engineering with Biomedical Applications becomes the International Journal for Numerical Methods in Biomedical Engineering (IJNMBE) from 1st January 2010

Communications in Numerical Methods in Engineering, founded by Roland W. Lewis in 1985, will change its title to the ‘International Journal for Numerical Methods in Biomedical Engineering’ and has a revised Aims and Scope. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.