Stochastic and dynamic temperature changes in the interplanetary gas

Exact solutions have been found to the Fokker-Planck equations, incorporating stochastic velocity changes and modelling particles moving in an inverse square central force field under an inverse square collision frequency. The solutions for the velocity distribution contain a combination of collisional and dynamical (reversible) heating. At a general position, there are two populations each with three distinct temperatures, one normal to the orbital plane and the others closely parallel and perpendicular to the mean orbit. Collisional heating is strong and most readily detected in the secondary component of gas which reaches upstream directions along indirect orbits (attractive central force). For interplanetary helium gas reaching 1 a.u., the collisional heating ranges from effective transverse increase of 200 K and radial increase of 1500 K in the downstream wake, to several thousand K increase in radial temperature of the secondary component transverse to the initial gas stream. In interpreting 584 Å sky background radiation observations, the dynamical changes in the velocity spread have to be taken into account for helium gas that is initially hot, when Doppler shifts relative to the solar emission line are significant; the present solutions being the thermal approximations to the distribution function reveal the appropriate radial temperature as a function of space.     

A search for millimeter-wave emission from HCN,CO, and CH3CN in Comet Bradfield (1978c)

Millimeter wavelength emission from the “parent” molecules HCN, CO, and CH₃CN, the latter in both its ground and ν₈ = 1 excited vibrational states, was sought from Comet Bradfield (1978c) during March 1978 after comet perihelion, when the heliocentric distance was between 0.45 and 0.55 AU. No lines were detected, and upper limits on the molecular column densities (averaged over the antenna beam) and production rates, Q are estimated. The upper limits on Q for HCN, CH₃CN (ν₈ = 0), and CH₃CN (ν₈ = 1) are less than the production rates inferred from the millimeter-wave detection of these species in Comet Kohoutek (1973f). The CO upper limit on Q is comparable to that inferred from a detection of Comet West (1975n) in the rocket uv. It seems likely that the total gas production rate of Comet Bradfield (1978c) was relatively low.     

A Re–Os isotope and PGE study of kimberlite-derived peridotite xenoliths from Somerset Island and a comparison to the Slave and Kaapvaal cratons

The concentrations of platinum-group elements (PGE; Os, Ir, Ru, Pd and Pt) and Re, and the Os isotopic compositions were determined for 33 lithospheric mantle peridotite xenoliths from the Somerset Island kimberlite field. The Os isotopic compositions are exclusively less radiogenic than estimates of bulk-earth (¹⁸⁷Os/¹⁸⁸Os as low as 0.1084) and require a long-term evolution in a low Re–Os environment. Re depletion model ages (T_RD) indicate that the cratonic lithosphere of Somerset Island stabilised by at least 2.8 Ga, i.e. in the Neoarchean and survived into the Mesozoic to be sampled by Cretaceous kimberlite magmatism. An Archean origin also is supported by thermobarometry (Archean lithospheric keels are characterised by >150 km thick lithosphere), modal mineralogy and mineral chemistry observations. The oldest ages recorded in the lithospheric mantle beneath Somerset Island are younger than the Mesoarchean (>3 Ga) ages recorded in the Slave craton lithospheric mantle to the southwest [Irvine, G.J., et al., 1999. Age of the lithospheric mantle beneath and around the Slave craton: a Rhenium–Osmium isotopic study of peridotite xenoliths from the Jericho and Somerset Island kimberlites. Ninth Annual V.M. Goldschmidt Conf., LPI Cont., 971: 134–135; Irvine, G.J., et al., 2001. The age of two cratons: a PGE and Os-Isotopic study of peridotite xenoliths from the Jericho kimberlite (Slave craton) and the Somerset Island kimberlite field (Churchill Province). The Slave–Kaapvaal Workshop, Merrickville, Ontario, Canada]. Younger, Paleoproterozoic, T_RD model ages for Somerset Island samples are generally interpreted as the result of open system behaviour during metasomatic and/or magmatic processes, with possibly the addition of new lithospheric material during tectono-thermal events related to the Taltson–Thelon orogen. PGE patterns highly depleted in Pt and Pd generally correspond to older Archean T_RD model ages indicating closed system behaviour since the time of initial melt extraction. Younger Proterozoic T_RD model ages generally correspond to more complex PGE patterns, indicating open system behaviour with possible sulfide or melt addition. There is no correlation between the age of the lithosphere and depth, at Somerset Island.     

Using Ontologies for Integrated Geographic Information Systems

Today, there is a huge amount of data gathered about the Earth, not only from new spatial information systems, but also from new and more sophisticated data collection technologies. This scenario leads to a number of interesting research challenges, such as how to integrate geographic information of different kinds. The basic motivation of this paper is to introduce a GIS architecture that can enable geographic information integration in a seamless and flexible way based on its semantic value and regardless of its representation. The proposed solution is an ontology-driven geographic information system that acts as a system integrator. In this system, an ontology is a component, such as the database, cooperating to fulfill the system's objectives. By browsing through ontologies the users can be provided with information about the embedded knowledge of the system. Special emphasis is given to the case of remote sensing systems and geographic information systems. The levels of ontologies can be used to guide processes for the extraction of more general or more detailed information. The use of multiple ontologies allows the extraction of information in different stages of classification. The semantic integration of aerial images and GIS is a crucial step towards better geospatial modeling.     

Snow research in Svalbard–an overview

This paper summarizes the most significant snow-related research that has been conducted in Svalbard. Most of the research has been performed during the 1990s and includes investigations of snow distribution, snow-melt, snow pack characteristics, remote sensing of snow and biological studies where snow conditions play an important role. For example, studies have shown regional trends with about 50% higher amounts of snow accumulation at the east coast of Spitsbergen compared to the west coast. Further, the accumulation rates are about twice as high in the south compared to the north. On average, the increase in accumulation with elevation is 97 mm water equivalents per 100 m increase in elevation. Several researchers reported melt rates, which are primarily driven by incoming short-wave radiation, in the range of 10-20 mm/day during spring. Maximum melt rates close to 70 mm/day have been measured. In addition to presenting an overview of research activities, we discuss new, unpublished results in areas where considerable progress is being made. These are i) modelling of snow distribution, ii) modelling of snowmelt runoff and iii) monitoring of snow coverage by satellite imagery. We also identify some weaknesses in current research activities. They are lacks of i) integration between various studies, ii) comparative studies with other Arctic regions, iii) applying local field studies in models that can be used to study larger areas of Svalbard and, finally, iv) using satellite remote sensing data for operational monitoring purposes.     

Integrated Sensible Heat Flux Measurements of a Two-Surface Composite Landscape using Scintillometry

The potential of the LAS (large aperture scintillometry) method for measuring sensible heat flux (H) directly integrated over a two-field composite surface is evaluated. We describe a field experiment performed within the Alpilles/ReSeDa project in the south-east of France over a composite surface made up of wheat and bare soil (451 and 216 m long respectively) using two 0.15-m diameter scintillometers mounted at heights of 2.05 and 4.54 m. When compared against reference values obtained by the eddy correlation technique, LAS-measured sensible heat flux reveals a systematic overestimation of about 10%. A simple model describing the integration of the scintillometer signal along the beam for a two-field composite surface is described. A simulation of the experiment confirms that the bias observed isrelated to non-linearities in the integration process in relation with thebell-shape sensitivity curve of the instrument to the structure parameter for the refractive index it measures. The model is used to test the sensitivity of the LAS-derived H values to the composition of the pathlength (ratio of both surfaces) and to the contrast in sensible heat flux and roughness length between the two fields. Sensitivity tests to the aggregation scheme for roughness length (two of them are tested) and to the measurement height are also presented. The composition of the surface in combination with the contrast in sensible heat flux (in direct relation with the contrast in latent heat flux) explains most of the bias, with possible deviations ranging from -50 up to 80 W m^-2. A tentative semi-empirical method for correcting the bias is suggested, which only requires a crude estimate of the contrast in component sensible heat fluxes along the pathlength.     

Spatial‐Scene Similarity Queries

Assessing spatial scenes for similarity is difficult from a cognitive and computational perspective. Solutions to spatial‐scene similarity assessments are sensible only if corresponding elements in the compared scenes are identified correctly. This matching process becomes increasingly complex and error‐prone for large spatial scenes as it is questionable how to choose one set of associations over another or how to account quantitatively for unmatched elements. We develop a comprehensive methodology for similarity queries over spatial scenes that incorporates cognitively motivated approaches about scene comparisons, together with explicit domain knowledge about spatial objects and their relations for the relaxation of spatial query constraints. Along with a sound graph‐theoretical methodology, this approach provides the foundation for plausible reasoning about spatial‐scene similarity queries.