Observations of magnetic anomaly signatures in Mars Express ASPERA-3 ELS data

Mars Express (MEX) Analyser of Space Plasmas and Energetic Atoms (ASPERA-3) data is providing insights into atmospheric loss on Mars via the solar wind interaction. This process is influenced by both the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) in the solar wind and by the magnetic ‘anomaly’ regions of the martian crust. We analyse observations from the ASPERA-3 Electron Spectrometer near to such crustal anomalies. We find that the electrons near remanent magnetic fields either increase in flux to form intensified signatures or significantly reduce in flux to form plasma voids. We suggest that cusps intervening neighbouring magnetic anomalies may provide a location for enhanced escape of planetary plasma. Initial statistical analysis shows that intensified signatures are mainly a dayside phenomenon whereas voids are a feature of the night hemisphere.     

Solar wind plasma protrusion into the martian magnetosphere: ASPERA-3 observations

The ASPERA-3 experiment onboard the Mars Express spacecraft revealed, near the wake boundary of Mars, a spatially narrow, strip-like plasma structure composed of magnetosheath-like electrons and planetary ions. The peak electron energy often exceeds the peak energy at the bow shock that indicates a significant heating (acceleration) during the structure formation. It is shown that this structure is formed during efficient plasma penetration into the martian magnetosphere in the region near the terminator. The penetration of sheath electrons and their gradual heating (acceleration) is accompanied by a change of the ion composition from a solar wind plasma to a planetary plasma dominated by oxygen ions. A possible mechanism of plasma inflow to the magnetosphere is discussed.     

Ultra-high-resolution observations of CH in Southern Molecular Cloud envelopes

We present a mini-survey of ultrahigh-resolution spectroscopy (UHRS) of CH towards three southern molecular cloud envelopes. The sightlines are selected to probe physically similar gas in different Galactic environments. With a velocity resolution of ∼0.5 km s⁻¹  ( R =575 000)  these observations resolve most kinematic components of the absorption lines. We do, however, detect one line component in the Lupus region, which is not resolved and for which an upper limit of   b <0.3 km s^-1  is found. We find a correlation between distance of the absorbing gas from the Galactic mid-plane and the fractional abundance of CH. We show that this correlation can be explained as being a result of a fall-off in the ultraviolet radiation field intensity and propose that CH observations in carefully selected sightlines might allow a mapping of the variations in the interstellar radiation field.     

Variations in temperature and extent of Atlantic Water in the northern North Atlantic during the Holocene

We compare six high-resolution Holocene, sediment cores along a S–N transect on the Norwegian–Svalbard continental margin from ca 60°N to 77.4°N, northern North Atlantic. Planktonic foraminifera in the cores were investigated to show the changes in upper surface and subsurface water mass distribution and properties, including summer sea-surface temperatures (SST). The cores are located below the axis of the Norwegian Current and the West Spitsbergen Current, which today transport warm Atlantic Water to the Arctic. Sediment accumulation rates are generally high at all the core sites, allowing for a temporal resolution of 10–10² years. SST is reconstructed using different types of transfer functions, resulting in very similar SST trends, with deviations of no more than ±1.0/1.5 °C. A transfer function based on the maximum likelihood statistical approach is found to be most relevant. The reconstruction documents an abrupt change in planktonic foraminiferal faunal composition and an associated warming at the Younger Dryas–Preboreal transition. The earliest part of the Holocene was characterized by large temperature variability, including the Preboreal Oscillations and the 8.2 k event. In general, the early Holocene was characterized by SSTs similar to those of today in the south and warmer than today in the north, and a smaller S–N temperature gradient (0.23 °C/°N) compared to the present temperature gradient (0.46 °C/°N). The southern proxy records (60–69°N) were more strongly influenced by slightly cooler subsurface water probably due to the seasonality of the orbital forcing and increased stratification due to freshening. The northern records (72–77.4°N) display a millennial-scale change associated with reduced insolation and a gradual weakening of the North Atlantic thermohaline circulation (THC). The observed northwards amplification of the early Holocene warming is comparable to the pattern of recent global warming and future climate modelling, which predicts greater warming at higher latitudes. The overall trend during mid and late Holocene was a cooling in the north, stable or weak warming in the south, and a maximum S–N SST gradient of ca 0.7 °C/°N at 5000 cal. years BP. Superimposed on this trend were several abrupt temperature shifts. Four of these shifts, dated to 9000–8000, 5500–3000 and 1000 and 400 cal. years BP, appear to be global, as they correlate with periods of global climate change. In general, there is a good correlation between the northern North Atlantic temperature records and climate records from Norway and Svalbard.     

Temporal Changes in Seawater Carbonate Chemistry and Carbon Export from a Southern California Estuary

Estuaries are important subcomponents of the coastal ocean, but knowledge about the temporal and spatial variability of their carbonate chemistry, as well as their contribution to coastal and global carbon fluxes, are limited. In the present study, we measured the temporal and spatial variability of biogeochemical parameters in a saltmarsh estuary in Southern California, the San Dieguito Lagoon (SDL). We also estimated the flux of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) and total organic carbon (TOC) to the adjacent coastal ocean over diel and seasonal timescales. The combined net flux of DIC and TOC (F_DIC?+?TOC) to the ocean during outgoing tides ranged from ??1.8±0.5?×?10³ to 9.5±0.7?×?10³?mol C h^?1 during baseline conditions. Based on these fluxes, a rough estimate of the net annual export of DIC and TOC totaled 10±4?×?10⁶?mol C year^?1. Following a major rain event (36 mm rain in 3 days), F_DIC?+?TOC increased and reached values as high as 29.0 ±?0.7?×?10³?mol C h^?1. Assuming a hypothetical scenario of three similar storm events in a year, our annual net flux estimate more than doubled to 25 ±?4?×?10⁶?mol C year^?1. These findings highlight the importance of assessing coastal carbon fluxes on different timescales and incorporating event scale variations in these assessments. Furthermore, for most of the observations elevated levels of total alkalinity (TA) and pH were observed at the estuary mouth relative to the coastal ocean. This suggests that SDL partly buffers against acidification of adjacent coastal surface waters, although the spatial extent of this buffering is likely small.     

Character and origin of variably deformed granitoids in central southern Sweden: implications from geochemistry and Nd isotopes

We present major and trace element data for eighteen 1.71–1.66 Ga granitoid samples, and Sm–Nd whole‐rock isotope data for eleven of these samples, in a transect across the border between the Transscandinavian Igneous Belt (TIB) and the Eastern Segment in central southern Sweden. The geochemistry of the granitoids varies from alkalic to alkali‐calcic and peraluminous in the east to predominantly calc‐alkaline and metaluminous in the west. Rocks in the west also have lower SiO₂ contents. Trace element signatures favour formation in an active continental margin setting. Nd isotope data are completely overlapping along the transect and initial ε_Nd values are mildly depleted in the range +0.3 to +2.6. The combined data suggest that the magmas were derived mainly from juvenile, pre‐existing crust, increasingly mafic and less alkaline towards the west. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Elemental and isotopic carbon and nitrogen records of organic matter accumulation in a Holocene permafrost peat sequence in the East European Russian Arctic

A peat deposit from the East European Russian Arctic, spanning nearly 10 000 years, was investigated to study soil organic matter degradation using analyses of bulk elemental and stable isotopic compositions and plant macrofossil remains. The peat accumulated initially in a wet fen that was transformed into a peat plateau bog following aggradation of permafrost in the late Holocene (～2500 cal a BP). Total organic carbon and total nitrogen (N) concentrations are higher in the fen peat than in the moss‐dominated bog peat layers. Layers in the sequence that have lower concentrations of total hydrogen (H) are associated with degraded vascular plant residues. C/N and H/C atomic ratios indicate better preservation of organic matter in peat material dominated by bryophytes as opposed to vascular plants. The presence of permafrost in the peat plateau stage and water‐saturated conditions at the bottom of the fen stage appear to lead to better preservation of organic plant material. δ¹⁵N values suggest N isotopic fractionation was driven primarily by microbial decomposition whereas differences in δ¹³C values appear to reflect mainly changes in plant assemblages. Positive shifts in both δ¹⁵N and δ¹³C values coincide with a local change to drier conditions as a result of the onset of permafrost and frost heave of the peat surface. This pattern suggests that permafrost aggradation not only resulted in changes in vegetation but also aerated the underlying fen peat, which enhanced microbial denitrification, causing the observed ¹⁵N‐enrichment. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Evolution of In Situ Rock Mass Damage Induced by Mechanical–Thermal Loading

To understand and predict the in situ brittle rock mass damage process induced by a coupled thermo-mechanical loading, the knowledge of rock mass yielding strength, scaling relationship between laboratory and in situ and microstructure characterization is required. Difficulties have been recognized due to the seldom availability of in situ experiment and appropriate numerical methodologies. The Äspö Pillar Stability Experiment was used to monitor the evolution of rock mass damage in a pillar of rock separating two 1.75-m diameter vertical boreholes. The loading of the pillar was controlled using the in situ stresses, excavation geometry, and locally increasing the rock temperature. The induced loading resulted in a complex discontinuum process that involved fracture initiation, propagation, interaction and buckling, all dominated by a tensile mechanism. Tracking this damage process was carried out in two steps. Initially, a three-dimensional numerical model was used to generate the stresses from the excavation geometry and thermal loading. The plane strain stresses, at selected locations where detailed displacement monitoring was available, were then used to track the evolution of damage caused by these induced stresses. The grain-based discrete element modeling approach described in Lan et al. (2010), which captures the grain scale heterogeneity of the rock, was used to establish the extent of damage. Good agreement was found between the predicted and measured temperatures and displacements. The grain-based model provided new insights into the progressive failure process.     

Precipitation and evaporation budgets over the Baltic Proper: observations and modelling

Precipitation and evaporation budgets over the Baltic Sea were studied in a concerted project called PEP in BALTEX (Pilot study of Evaporation and Precipitation in the Baltic Sea), combining extensive field measurements and modelling efforts. Eddy-correlation-measurements of turbulent heat flux were made on a semi-continuous basis for a 12 month period at four well-exposed coastal sites in the Baltic Proper (the main basin of the Baltic Sea). Precipitation was measured at land-based sites with standard gauges and on four merchant ships travelling between Germany and Finland with the aid of specially designed ship rain gauges (SRGs). The evaporation and precipitation regime of the Baltic Sea was modelled for a 12 month period by applying a wide range of numerical models: the operational atmospheric High Resolution Limited Area Model (HIRLAM, Swedish and Finnish versions), the German atmospheric REgional-scale MOdel, REMO, the operational German Europe Model (only precipitation), the oceanographic model PROBE-Baltic, and two models that use interpolation of ground-based data, the Swedish MESAN model of SMHI and a German model of IFM-GEOMAR Kiel. Modelled precipitation was compared with SRG measurements on board the ships. A reasonable correlation was obtained, but the regional-scale models and MESAN gave some 20% higher precipitation over the sea than is measured. Bulk parameterisation schemes for evaporation were evaluated against measurements. A constant value of C_HN and C_EN with wind speed, underestimated large fluxes of both sensible and latent heat flux. The limited area models do not resolve the influence of the height of the marine boundary layer in coastal zones and the entrainment (on the surface fluxes), which may explain the observed low correlations between modelled and measured latent heat fluxes. Estimates of evaporation, E, and precipitation, P, for the entire Baltic Proper were made with several models for a 12 month period. While the annual variation was well represented by all predictions, there are still important differences in the annual means. Evaporation ranges from 509 to 625 mm year^-1 and precipitation between 624 and 805 mm year^-1 for this particular 12 month period. Taking the results of model verification from the present study into account, the best estimate of P-E is about 100 ± 50 mm for this particular 12 month period. But the annual mean of P-E varies considerably from year to year. This is reflected in simulations with the PROBE-Baltic model for an 18 year period, which gave 95 mm year^-1 for the 12 month period studied here and 32 mm year^-1 as an average for 18 years.