A topical evaluation and discussion of data movement technologies for data-intensive scientific applications

Transferring large volumes of information from one location to potentially many others that are geographically distributed and across varying networks is still prevalent in modern scientific data systems. This is despite the movement to push computation to the data and to reduce data movement needed to compute answers to challenging scientific problems, to disseminate information to the scientific community, and to acquire data for curation and enrichment. Because of this, it is imperative that decisions made regarding data movement systems and architectures be backed by both analytical rigor, and also by empirical evidence and measurement. The purpose of this study is to expand on the work performed by our research team over the last decade and to take a fresh look at the evaluation of multiple topical data transfer technologies in use cases derived from data-intensive scientific systems and applications in the areas of Earth science. We report on the evaluation of a set of data movement technologies against a set of empirically derived comparison dimensions. Based on this evaluation, we make recommendations towards the selection of appropriate data movement technologies in scientific applications and scenarios.     

Microorganisms and the natural environment

Microorganisms are potentially capable of carrying out chemical transformations of organic and inorganic materials on a large scale. Their activity involves many reactions which may participate in geobiological formations. The microorganisms are affected by the environment and the environment has an influence on the microbial population. The presence or absence of certain compounds is critical for microbiological growth. As no pure strain of organisms exists in nature in complete isolation, it is necessary to consider the effect of individual biological systems on each other. Microorganisms are known for their ability to adjust themself to changes in the environment. This adjustment can demonstrate in reversible non-heriditary adaptive processes or more permanent heriditary forms, mutation.

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Zusammenfassung Mikroorganismen sind in der Lage, organische und anorganische Verbindungen in großem Maßstab umzuformen. Ihre Teilnahme an geologischen Prozessen spielt möglicherweise eine große Rolle. Mikroorganismen werden durch ihre Umwelt beeinflußt und wirken ihrerseits wieder zurück auf diese. Die An- oder Abwesenheit bestimmter Verbindungen wirkt entscheidend auf das mikrobiologische Wachstum. Da einzelne Organismen in der Natur nicht isoliert existieren können, müssen die Wechselwirkungen biologischer Systeme betrachtet werden. Die Fähigkeit sich an Veränderungen der Umwelt anzupassen, ist eine bekannte Fähigkeit der Mikroorganismen. Diese Anpassungsfähigkeit kann in reversiblen oder in nichtreversiblen erblichen Veränderungen (Mutationen) zum Ausdruck kommen.

     

Benthos of a perennially-astatic, saline, soda lake in Mexico

The effects of multiple stressors on the benthic macroinvertebrate community were monitored in Tecuitlapa Norte, a shallow, perennially-astatic, warm, mesosaline, sodaalkaline lake in Mexico. Physico-chemical and biological variables were determined monthly for one year. Tecuitlapa Norte displayed a clear seasonal environmental pattern (dry and rainy seasons). The benthic macroinvertebrate community consisted of five species:Culicoides occidentalis sonorensis Jorgensen,Ephydra hians Say,Stratiomys sp.,Eristalis sp., andLimnophora sp. of which the first two were dominant and the rest scarce.C. occidentalis was the most important species numerically (76 percent of the total), whileE. hians dominated the biomass (73 percent of the total). Primarily salinity and secondarily pH appear to be the most important environmental factors controlling dominance of benthic organisms in Tecuitlapa Norte. Seasonal abundance dynamics of the dominant organisms was associated with phases in their reproductive cycles: environmentally-triggered (i.e., temperature rise, water-level descent) pupation and emergence periods. We concluded that whereas physical and chemical factors (i.e., salinity, pH) exerted the primary control on benthic macroinvertebrate community composition in Tecuitlapa Norte, another assembly of variables (e.g., water-level, temperature) influenced species distribution and abundance.     

The Younger Dryas in the English Lake District: reconciling geomorphological evidence with numerical model outputs

The geomorphology of the south‐western and central Lake District, England is used to reconstruct the mountain palaeoglaciology pertaining to the Lateglacial and Younger Dryas. Limitations to previous ice‐mass reconstructions and consequent palaeoclimatic inferences include: (i) the use of static (steady‐state) glacier reconstructions, (ii) the assumption of a single‐stage Younger Dryas advance, (iii) greatly varying ice‐volume estimates, (iv) inexplicable spatial variations in ELA (Equilibrium Line Altitude), and (v) a lack of robust extent chronology. Here we present geomorphological mapping based on aerial photography and the NextMap Britain Digital Elevation Model, checked by ground survey. Former glacier extents were inferred and ELAs were calculated using the Balance Ratio method of Osmaston. Independently, a time‐dependant 2‐D ice‐flow model was forced by a regional ELA history that was scaled to the GRIP record. This provided a dynamic reconstruction of a mountain ice field that allowed for non‐steady‐state glacier evolution. Fluctuations in climate during the Younger Dryas resulted in multiple glacial advance positions that show agreement with the location of mapped moraines, and may further explain some of the ELA variations found in previous local and static reconstructions. Modelling based on the GRIP record predicts three phases: an initial maximum extent, a middle minor advance or stillstand, and a pronounced but less extensive final advance. The comparisons find that the reconstructions derived from geomorphological evidence are effective representations of steady‐state glacier geometries, but we do propose different extents for some glaciers and, in particular, a large former glacier in Upper Eskdale.     

The Earth’s tungsten budget during mantle melting and crust formation

During silicate melting on Earth, W is one of the most incompatible trace elements, similar to Th, Ba or U. As W is also moderately siderophile during metal segregation, ratios of W and the lithophile Th and U in silicate rocks have therefore been used to constrain the W abundance of the Earth’s mantle and the Hf-W age of core formation. This study presents high-precision W concentration data obtained by isotope dilution for samples covering important silicate reservoirs on Earth. The data reveal significant fractionations of W from other highly incompatible lithophile elements such as Th, U, and Ta. Many arc lavas exhibit a selective enrichment of W relative to Th, U, and Nb-Ta, reflecting W enrichment in the sub-arc mantle via fluid-like components derived from subducting plates. In contrast, during enrichment by melt-like subduction components, W is generally slightly depleted relative to Th and U, but is still enriched relative to Ta. Hence, all arc rocks and the continental crust exhibit uniformly low Ta/W (ca. 1), whereas W/Th and W/U may show opposite fractionation trends, depending on the role of fluid- and melt-like subduction components. Further high-precision W data for OIBs and MORBs reveal a systematic depletion of W in both rock types relative to other HFSE, resulting in high Ta/W that are complementary to the low Ta/W observed in arc rocks and the continental crust. Similar to previous interpretations based on Nb/U and Ce/Pb systematics, our Ta/W data confirm a depletion of the depleted upper mantle (DM) in fluid mobile elements relative to the primitive mantle (PRIMA). The abundance of W in the depleted upper mantle relative to other immobile and highly incompatible elements such as Nb and Ta is therefore not representative of the bulk silicate Earth. Based on mass balance calculations using Ta-W systematics in the major silicate reservoirs, the W abundance of the Earth’s primitive mantle can be constrained to 12 ppb, resulting in revised ratios of W-U and W-Th of 0.53 and 0.14, respectively. The newly constrained Hf-W ratio of the silicate Earth is 25.8, significantly higher than previously estimated (18.7) and overlaps within error the Hf-W ratio proposed for the Moon (ca. 24.9). The ¹⁸²Hf-¹⁸²W model age for the formation of the Earth’s core that is inferred from the ¹⁸²W abundance and the Hf/W of the silicate Earth is therefore younger than previously calculated, by up to 5 Myrs after solar system formation depending on the accretion models used. The similar Hf/W ratios and ¹⁸²W compositions of the Earth and the silicate Moon suggest a strong link between the Moon forming giant impact and final metal-silicate equilibration on the Earth.     

On the interannual variability of arctic sea‐level pressure and sea ice

Abstract

Monthly mean sea‐level pressure (SLP) data from the Northern Hemisphere for the period January 1952‐December 1987 are analysed. Fluctuations in this field over the Arctic on interannual time‐scales and their statistical association with fluctuations farther south are determined. The standard deviation of the interannual variability is largest compared with that of the annual cycle along the seaboards of the major land masses. The SLP anomalies are generally in phase over the entire Arctic Basin and extend south over the northern Russia and Canada, but tend to be out of phase with fluctuations at mid‐latitudes. The anomalies are most closely associated with fluctuations over the North Atlantic and Europe except near the Chukchi Sea to the north of Bering Strait. The associations with the North Pacific fluctuations become increasingly more prominent at most Arctic sites (e.g. the Canadian Arctic Archipelago) as the time‐scale increases.

Associations between the SLP fluctuations and atmospheric indices that represent processes affecting sea‐ice drift (wind stress and wind stress curl) are determined. In every case local associations dominate, but some remote ones are also evident. For example, changes in the magnitude of the wind stress curl over the Beaufort Sea are increased if the atmospheric circulation over the North Pacific is intensified; wind stress over the region where sea ice is exchanged between the Beaufort Gyre and the Transpolar Drift Stream is modulated by both the Southern and North Atlantic Oscillations.

Severe sea‐ice conditions in the Greenland Sea (as measured by the Koch Ice Index) coincide with a weakened atmospheric circulation over the North Atlantic.     

Underwater image enhancement based on the dark channel prior and attenuation compensation

Aimed at the two problems of underwater imaging, fog effect and color cast, an Improved Segmentation Dark Channel Prior (ISDCP) defogging method is proposed to solve the fog effects caused by physical properties of water. Due to mass refraction of light in the process of underwater imaging, fog effects would lead to image blurring. And color cast is closely related to different degree of attenuation while light with different wavelengths is traveling in water. The proposed method here integrates the ISDCP and quantitative histogram stretching techniques into the image enhancement procedure. Firstly, the threshold value is set during the refinement process of the transmission maps to identify the original mismatching, and to conduct the differentiated defogging process further. Secondly, a method of judging the propagating distance of light is adopted to get the attenuation degree of energy during the propagation underwater. Finally, the image histogram is stretched quantitatively in Red-Green-Blue channel respectively according to the degree of attenuation in each color channel. The proposed method ISDCP can reduce the computational complexity and improve the efficiency in terms of defogging effect to meet the real-time requirements. Qualitative and quantitative comparison for several different underwater scenes reveals that the proposed method can significantly improve the visibility compared with previous methods.     

Variability of soil moisture and its relationship with surface albedo and soil thermal parameters over the Loess Plateau

Data from July 2006 to June 2008 observed at SACOL(Semi-Arid Climate and Environment Observatory of Lanzhou University,35.946°N,104.137°E,elev.1961 m),a semi-arid site in Northwest China,are used to study seasonal variability of soil moisture,along with surface albedo and other soil thermal parameters, such as heat capacity,thermal conductivity and thermal diffusivity,and their relationships to soil moisture content.The results indicate that surface albedo decreases with increases in soil moisture content,s...