On the evaluation of planetary albedo of the earth from turbidity measurements in India

Summary The planetary albedo of the earth has been evaluated from the turbidity measurements in India by usingÅngström's empirical relation [1]²) and the same has been presented in this paper. The diurnal and seasonal variations of the planetary albedo have been discussed. It has been found that during the morning hours, albedo is usually more than that during afternoon hours. Further, it shows a minima during winter season and a maxima during hot summer months.     

Calculation of the second vertical derivative of gravity field

Summary Two formulas, using Taylor's series expansion method, have been developed by means of which the second vertical derivative of gravity field may be computed at any point in the horizontal plane of observation. A comparative study of the resolving powers of different approaches by performing numerical and filter response tests suggests that the formulas provide a definite improvement over many existing methods.NGRI Contribution No. 69-130.     

Measurement of nitric oxide and related parameters in the equatorial mesosphere and lower thermosphere

A sounding rocket was launched in March 1982 from Thumba, India, shortly after sunrise. The measurements included the concentration of nitric oxide and ozone, the total ion density and the Lyman-α flux. Hence most parameters important for the formation of the D-region during daytime are available with the exception of solar radiation other than Lyman-α which only becomes important above 95 km. The mutual agreement is satisfactory which adds weight to the measurements.     

Records of cosmogenic radionuclides Be, Al and Cl in corals: First studies on coral erosion rates and potential of dating very old corals

We present results of measurements of cosmogenic ¹⁰Be, ²⁶Al and ³⁶Cl, and the indigenous (intrinsic) concentrations of the stable elements Be, Al and Cl in 120-200 kyr old corals from Barbados and Puerto Rico. The concentration levels of these radionuclides in the corals lie in the range 10⁴ to 10⁸ atoms/g. A comparison of the measured nuclide concentrations with those expected to be produced in the corals by nuclear interactions of energetic cosmic radiation shows that (i) the radionuclides ²⁶Al and ³⁶Cl are derived from in situ cosmic ray interactions in the corals after their formation, but that (ii) the radionuclide ¹⁰Be owes its provenance in the coralline lattice primarily due to incorporation of dissolved beryllium in seawater in the lattice structure of the corals.     

Role of in situ cosmogenic nuclides 10be and 26al in the study of diverse geomorphic processes

The central premises of applications of the in situ cosmogenic dating method for studying specific problems in geomorphology are outlined for simple and complex exposure settings. In the light of these general models, we discuss the information that can be derived about geomorphic processes, utilizing concentrations of in situ produced cosmogenic radionuclides ¹⁰Be (half-life=1·5 ma) and ²⁶A1 (half-life=0·7 ma) in a variety of geomorphic contexts: glacial polish and tills; meteorite impact craters; alluvial fans; paleo-beach ridges; marine terraces; sand dunes; and bedrock slopes. We also compare ¹⁰Be-²⁶Al data with results obtained by other dating methods. We conclude that the technique of measuring in situ cosmic ray produced nuclides holds promise for quantitative studies of processes and time-scales in a wide range of geomorphological problems.     

On the meridional distribution of climate changes due to doubling of CO2 content in the atmosphere

Summary A two-dimensional radiative-convective model has been developed to calculate mean annual zonally-averaged temperature profiles for 18 latitudinal belts each of 10° width. The model includes meridional heat transport and impacts of surface albedo and lapse rate feedback mechanisms. In view of its flexibility and computational efficiency compared to a three-dimensional general circulation model, this model may serve as a useful tool in studying the climate sensitivity to external forcings.The model has been successfully applied to reproduce the meridional variation of climatic elements for the standard atmosphere. Next, the climate sensitivity to a doubling of atmospheric CO₂ has been examined. The surface temperature response ranges from 1.6 °C near the equator to 4 °C in polar regions with a global mean of 2.1 °C. The meridional distribution of surface warming due to doubled CO₂ simulated by our model agrees qualitatively with those obtained by NCAR and GFDL global circulation models in that the largest warmings in all three simulations are found at high latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere. An interesting feature of our findings is that the maximum response due to doubled CO₂ tends to descend from the upper troposphere at low latitudes to the surface at high latitudes. The responses of the transport of sensible and latent heat are in opposite direction thus leading to only slight but positive changes in the total meridional heat flux.

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Zusammenfassung Es wurde ein zweidimensionales Strahlungs-Konvektions-Modell entwickelt, um zonal gemittelte Temperaturprofile für 10° breite Gürtel zu berechnen. Das Modell beinhaltet meridionalen Wärmetransport, Einflüsse der Albedo und des vertikalen Temperaturgradienten. Aufgrund seiner Flexibilität und rechnerischen Effizienz im Vergleich zu dreidimensionalen Modellen der allgemeinen Zirkulation, kann dieses Modell gut zum Studium der Sensitivität des Klimas auf äußere Antriebe verwendet werden.Das Modell wurde zuerst erfolgreich angewandt, um die meridionale Variabilität der Klimaelemente für die Standardatmosphäre zu reproduzieren. Dann wurde die Sensitivität gegenüber einer Verdoppelung des atmosphärischen CO₂ untersucht. Die Veränderungen an der Erdoberfläche reichten von 1.6 °C nahe dem Äquator bis zu 4 °C in Polnähe mit einem globalen Mittel von 2.1 °C. Die meridionale Verteilung stimmt qualitativ mit den Modellergebnissen von NCAR und GFDL überein. Alle prognostizieren die größten Erwärmungen in den hohen Breiten der Nordhemisphäre. Ein interessantes Ergebnis dieser Untersuchung ist, daß die größte Erwärmung von der oberen Troposphäre in niedrigen Breiten in hohen Breiten zur Oberfläche absinkt. Die Prognosen für die Änderung des Transports von fühlbarer und iatenter Wärme zeigen den umgekehrten Effekt. Das führt zu einem geringen Anstieg des meridionalen Wärmeflusses.

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With 9 Figures     

Global temperature changes: relative importance of greenhouse constituents of the atmosphere as calculated with a 1-d radiative-convective model

Most modelling endeavours concerning the CO₂-climate problem address only the question of the climatic response to increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide, while the amounts of other atmospheric gases remain fixed. But associated changes, either climatologically or anthropogenically induced, of minor atmospheric constituents can also be of significance in producing a substantial global warming. We have analysed the climatic response to changes in a number of atmospheric trace gases as they may enhance or counteract CO₂-induced warming if their abundance should change. A comparison of the increase in equilibrium global-mean surface temperature due to plausible changes in the concentration of several trace gases in the atmosphere based on our calculations with a one-dimensional radiative-convective model is presented in this paper. Our results indicate that roughly 35% of global surface warming could be due to changes in trace gases other than CO₂ and water vapour. The possible climatic consequences of the ongoing anthropogenic changes in the minor constituents of the atmosphere are also discussed.     

Quantitative treatment of annealing of charged particle tracks in common minerals

A semi-empirical approach has been used to obtain an analytical expression for the annealing of charged particle tracks in minerals as a function of time and temperature. The new formalism allows quantitative evaluation of the extent of annealing in samples for any specified temperature and track production history. The validity of the present approach depends upon the applicability of the Arrhenius equation to the process of annealing of nuclear tracks in solids. Laboratory track annealing studies confirm the predictive aspects of the present approach and also the applicability of Arrhenius' equation to track annealing over a wide time-temperature range (5 seconds/1200 K to 5 × 10⁶ seconds/500 K). The present quantitative treatment of track annealing in rock minerals should permit an in-depth study of a variety of problems in meteoritics and earth sciences.     

Particle accelerator measurements of10Be in marine accumulations: Intercomparison with beta counting method

Cosmogenic beryllium-10 activities have been measured in marine accumulations of up to ～6 m.y age by conventional beta counting technique and by accelerator mass spectrometry. The two sets of data at¹⁰Be levels of 10⁹–10¹⁰ atoms/g agree within the absolute errors of the two methods. The detection limit for¹⁰Be by the accelerator mass spectrometry is about five orders of magnitude lower than that with the beta counting method.