Impact of the North Atlantic Oscillation on Middle Eastern Climate and Streamflow

Interannual to decadal variations in Middle Eastern temperature, precipitationand streamflow reflect the far-field influence of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), a dominant mode of Atlantic sector climate variability. Using a new sea surface temperature (SST) based index of the NAO and availablestreamflow data from five Middle Eastern rivers, we show that the first principal component of December through March streamflow variability reflects changes in the NAO. However, Middle East rivers have two primary flooding periods.The first is rainfall-driven runoff from December through March, regulated on interannual to decadal timescales by the NAO as reflected in local precipitation and temperature.The second period, from April through June, reflects spring snowmelt and contributes in excess of 50% of annual runoff.This period, known locally as the khamsin, displays no significantNAO connections and a less direct relationship with local climatic factors, suggesting that streamflow variability during this period reflects land-cover change, possibly related to agriculture and hydropower generation, and snowmelt.     

Laboratory Studies Of Wind Stress Over Surface Waves

Simultaneous laboratory observations of wind speed, wind stress, and surfacewind-wave spectra are made under a variety of wind forcing patterns using cleanwater as well as water containing an artificial surfactant. Under typical experimentalconditions, more than half of the total stress is supported by the wave-induced stressrather than by the surface viscous stress. When the surfactant reduces the shortwind-wave spectra, the wind stress also decreases by as much as 20–30% at agiven wind speed. When the wind forcing is modulated in time, the wind stresstends to be higher under decreasing wind than under increasing wind at a givenwind speed, mainly because the response of short wind-wave spectra to varyingwind forcing is delayed in time. These examples clearly demonstrate that therelationship between the wind speed and the wind stress can be significantlymodified if the surface wave field is not in equilibrium with the wind forcing.Next, we examine whether the wind stress is estimated accurately if the wave-inducedstress by all surface wave components is explicitly evaluated by linear superpositionand is added to the surface viscous stress. It is assumed that the surface viscous stressis uniquely related to the wind speed, and that the wind input rate is determined by thelocal, reduced turbulent stress rather than the total stress. Our wind stress estimatesincluding the wave contributions agree well with observed wind stress values, evenif the surface wave field is away from its equilibrium with the wind in the presenceof surface films and/or under time-transient wind forcing. These observations stronglysuggest that the wind stress is accurately evaluated as a sum of the wave-induced stressand the surface viscous stress. At very high winds, our stress estimates tend to be lowerthan the observations. We suspect that this is because of the enhancement of wind stressover very steep (or breaking) short wind-waves.     

Determination of Area-Averaged Water Vapour Fluxes with Large Aperture and Radio Wave Scintillometers over a Heterogeneous Surface – Flevoland Field Experiment

A large aperture scintillometer (LAS) andradio wave scintillometer (RWS)were installed over a heterogeneous areato test the applicability of the scintillation method.The heterogeneity in the area, whichconsisted of many plots, was mainly caused bydifferences in thermal properties ofthe crops; the variations in theaerodynamic roughness lengthwere small. The water vapour fluxesderived from the combined LAS-RWSsystem, also known as the two-wavelengthmethod, agreed fairly well with the aggregatedwater vapour fluxes derived from in-situeddy covariance measurements. The water vapourfluxes derived from a stand-alone LASare also presented. It was found that a single LASand an estimate of the area averagedavailable energy (using a simple parameterisationscheme) can provide also reasonablearea-averaged water vapour fluxes.     

Sensitivity of modeled tropical cyclone track and structure of hurricane Irene (1999) to the convective parameterization scheme

Summary The Betts-Miller and the Kain-Fritsch schemes are two of the many approaches to convective parameterization available to modelers. In the case of hurricane Irene (1999), the choice of parameterization markedly impacted the modeled track and structure of the hurricane and its subsequent extratropical transition. Specifically, in model runs using Betts-Miller, Irene recurved too early, causing the storm to weaken over the cool open ocean, delaying its transition, and changing the character of the storm. The Kain-Fritsch scheme more accurately reproduced the track of Irene and, hence, its interaction with upper-level features that caused extratropical transition and post-transition intensification. The two parameterizations produce different characteristic vertical warming profiles; the differences in warming are related to the structural differences in the simulated storm, affecting the hurricane response to its environment. Received October 13, 2001 Revised December 23, 2001     

Study of a semi‐active stiffness damper under various earthquake inputs

Semi‐active stiffness damper (SASD) is one of many semi‐active control systems with the capability to mitigate the dynamic response using only a small amount of external power. The system consists of a hydraulic damper connected to the bracing frame in a selected story unit. In this paper, study of a SASD in two building models of five‐stories under four benchmark earthquake records is reported. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of the control system against structure type and varying earthquake inputs. Various control laws are chosen to work with SASD, such as: resetting control, switching control, linear quadratic regulator (LQR) and modified LQR, and the results are compared with no control and passive control cases. Numerical results show that the use of a SASD is effective in reducing seismic responses. Control effectiveness is dependent on the type of structure and earthquake excitation. Passive control is less effective than other control cases as expected. Resetting control, switching control and LQR generally perform similarly in response reduction. While modified LQR is more efficient and robust compared with other control algorithms. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Mobility of Phosphorus during the Weathering of Volcanic Ashes

Data are presented on phosphorus mobility during the weathering of rhyolite–dacite tephra of the modern and ancient eruptions. Distal tephra cannot be considered a phosphorus source, since phosphorous has low mobility during weathering both in subaerial and subaqueous sedimentation conditions. However, volcanic ashes exert a fertilization effect, providing the supply of nutrient elements into the ecosystem of internal basins and coastal zones.     

U–Pb ages of the Dalsfjord Complex, SW Norway, and their bearing on the correlation of allochthonous crystalline segments of the Scandinavian Caledonides

The Dalsfjord Complex is an allochthonous crystalline unit in the hanging wall of a major extensional detachment of the Caledonian orogen on the western coast of Norway. U-Pb geochronology has been carried out to test a previously proposed correlation between this unit and the Jotun Nappe Complex, a member of the Middle Allochthon now occupying a foreland position to the east. A monzonite sample of the Dalsfjord suite yields a zircon age of 1,634Dž Ma, whereas a crosscutting gabbro was formed at 1,464Lj Ma. Both rocks were strongly overprinted during the Sveconorwegian orogeny, especially the monzonite whose zircons U-Pb data were strongly pulled towards a lower intercept age of 882ᆱ Ma, and whose titanite indicates a two-stage growth history at >960 Ma and <920 Ma. These relationships support the correlation of these units with the Jotun Complex, and to some degree also with the Lindås Nappe in the Bergen Arcs.     

Isotope Evidences of the Paleozoic Stage of Epigenetic Transformation of Vendian Sediments of the Russian Platform

The Rb–Sr characteristics of whole-rock samples of Upper Vendian clayey rocks recovered by Gavrilov-Yam boreholes are studied. The Rb–Sr age versus sampling depth relationship has been revealed. Three sample assemblages are identified. The errorchron relationship of samples in the first interval (1760–2400 m) fits the age of 390 ± 40 Ma corresponding to the initial Hercynian history characterized by the transformation of platformal sediments. The other two assemblages (2410–2525 and 2528–2560 m) make up isochrons with slopes corresponding to 590 ± 50 and 690 ± 10 Ma, respectively. Their geochronological meaning is unclear.     

The gravity method in groundwater exploration in crystalline rocks: a study in the peninsular granitic region of Hyderabad, India

The application of variations in the earth's gravity in groundwater exploration on a regional scale, especially in sedimentary basins, metamorphic terrains, valley fills, and for buried alluvial channels, is well established. However, its use in hard crystalline rocks is little known. In granite, for example, the upper weathered layer is a potential primary aquifer, and the underlying fractured rock can form a secondary aquifer. Fracturing and weathering increases the porosity of a rock, thereby reducing the bulk density. Changes in gravity anomalies of 0.1–0.7 mGal for granites, due to weathering or variations in lithology, can be detected. To test the use of gravity as a groundwater exploration tool for crystalline rocks, a gravity survey of the peninsular shield granites underlying Osmania University Campus, Hyderabad, India, was undertaken. At the site, gravity anomalies reflect variations in the lithology and in the thickness of weathered zones. These anomalies also define the position of intrusives and lineaments. Areas of more deeply weathered granite that contain wells of higher groundwater yield are represented by negative gravity values. In the weathered zone, well yield has an inverse relation to the magnitudes of residual gravity. The study confirms the feasibility of gravity as a tool for groundwater exploration in crystalline rocks. Electronic Publication