Influence of species and rain event characteristics on stemflow volume in a temperate mixed oak–beech stand

This study aimed at analysing the effects of biological and meteorological factors on stemflow generation in a temperate mixed oak (Quercus petraea Liebl.) and beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) stand. A statistical model was developed to predict single‐event individual stemflow volume from trunk circumference and rainfall depth allowing mechanistic stemflow parameters to be deduced from the model, namely stemflow rates (SF_rate), storage of water on tree organs (S_t) and rainfall thresholds for stemflow (RF_min). SF_rate and S_t increased with increasing trunk circumference while RF_min was not significantly influenced by tree size. RF_min and, for a given tree size, S_t were higher for oak than for beech, and inversely for SF_rate. For each species, RF_min was higher for the leaved season than for the leafless period, while the opposite was found for SF_rate, and S_t was not significantly affected by the season. Increasing wind speed during rain increased SF_rate, lowered RF_min and did not influence S_t. In contrast, S_t and RF_min tended, respectively, to decrease and to increase with increasing values of the ratio between the cumulated potential evaporation during the dry period preceding the rain event and the volume of the preceding rainfall (Eva p_ADP/R_previous). Stemflow volume, which results from the combined effects of the previous parameters, was higher for beech than for oak and also higher during the leafless period than during the leaved period; these differences were large for the smallest events but decreased rapidly as rainfall depth increased. In addition, an enhancing and a depressing effect on stemflow volume were shown for the average wind speed during rain and for the ratio Eva p_ADP/R_previous, respectively. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Isotopic constraints on the Si-biogeochemical cycle of the Antarctic Zone in the Kerguelen area (KEOPS)

Estimation of the silicon (Si) mass balance in the ocean from direct measurements (Si uptake-dissolution rates …) is plagued by the strong temporal and spatial variability of the surface ocean as well as methodological artifacts. Tracers with different sensitivities toward physical and biological processes would be of great complementary use. Silicon isotopic composition is a promising proxy to improve constraints on the Si-biogeochemical cycle, since it integrates over longer timescales in comparison with direct measurements and since the isotopic balance allows to resolve the processes involved, i.e. uptake, dissolution, mixing. Si-isotopic signatures of seawater Si(OH)₄ and biogenic silica (bSiO₂) were investigated in late summer 2005 during the KEOPS experiment, focusing on two contrasting biogeochemical areas in the Antarctic Zone: a natural iron-fertilized area above the Kerguelen Plateau (< 500 m water depth) and the High Nutrient Low Chlorophyll area (HNLC) east of the plateau (> 1000 m water depth). For the HNLC area the Si-isotopic constraint identified Upper Circumpolar Deep Water as being the ultimate Si-source. The latter supplies summer mixed layer with 4.0 ± 0.7 mol Si m^? 2 yr^? 1. This supply must be equivalent to the net annual bSiO₂ production and exceeds the seasonal depletion as estimated from a simple mixed layer mass balance (2.5 ± 0.2 mol Si m^? 2 yr^? 1). This discrepancy reveals that some 1.5 ± 0.7 mol Si m^? 2 yr^? 1 must be supplied to the mixed layer during the stratification period. For the fertilized plateau bloom area, a low apparent mixed layer isotopic fractionation value (?³⁰Si) probably reflects (1) a significant impact of bSiO₂ dissolution, enriching the bSiO₂ pool in heavy isotope; and/or (2) a high Si uptake over supply ratio in mixed layer at the beginning of the bloom, following an initial closed system operating mode, which, however, becomes supplied toward the end of the bloom (low Si uptake over supply ratio) with isotopically light Si(OH)₄ from below when the surface Si(OH)₄ pool is significantly depleted. We estimated a net integrated bSiO₂ production of 10.5 ± 1.4 mol Si m^? 2 yr^? 1 in the AASW above the plateau, which includes a significant contribution of bSiO₂ production below the euphotic layer. However, advection which could be significant for this area has not been taken into account in the latter estimation based on a 1D approach of the plateau system. Finally, combining the KEOPS Si-isotopic data with those from previous studies, we refined the average Si-isotopic fractionation factor to ? 1.2 ± 0.2‰ for the Antarctic Circumpolar Current.     

CCD BVI Photometry of the Southern Open Clusters Pismis 23 and BH 222

CCD BVI Johnson–Cousins photometry of the open cluster candidates Pismis 23 and BH 222 is presented. Both the analysis of the colour-magnitude diagrams and star counts performed in the regions of these two objects support their physical reality. For Pismis 23 we derive E(B?V) = 2.0 ± 0.1, E(V?I) = 2.6 ± 0.1, a distance from the Sun d= (2.6 ± 0.6) kpc and an age of (300 ± 100) Myr, while for BH 222 we obtain E(V?I) = 2. 4 ± 0.2, d= (6.0 ± 2.7) kpc and (60 ± 30) Myr. Both objects, located beyond the Sagittarius arm, are among the most reddened and distant open clusters known in the direction towards the Galactic centre.     

High Temporal Resolution Spectroscopic Observations of the Flare Star V1054 Oph

We present the results of a high temporal resolution spectroscopic monitoring of the flare (UV Cet type) star V1054 Oph (Wolf 630AB), classified as a dM3.5e visual binary system. Intermediate resolution spectra have been taken during four nights (2–5 April 2001) using the IDS spectrograph of the 2.5 m Isaac Newton Telescope (INT) (La Palma, Canary Islands, Spain). The V1054 Oph spectra show very strong emission lines even in its quiescent state. The analysis of the temporal evolution of the observed emission lines (from H_β to H₁₁ and the Ca II H and K lines) reveals four strong flares and several weak flares. We have studied in detail the behaviour of the chromospheric lines during the different phases (pre-flare, impulsive and gradual decay) of these flares. The observed flares last from ～25 to 95 min. The equivalent width of the H_β line changes by a factor up to ～2.3. Broad wings and asymmetric (red-shifted) lines are observed as well.     

9. Life On Earth... And Elsewhere?

This concluding chapter is divided into two main parts. The first part is a summary of the main facts and events which constitute the present body of knowledge of the chronology of life in the solar system, in the form of “highlights” in astronomy, geology, chemistry and biology. The second part raises the interrogation “Is life universal?”, and tries to provide answers based on these facts and events. These answers turn out to differ widely among the various disciplines, depending on how far they feel able to extrapolate their current knowledge.     

The Ardón L6 ordinary chondrite: A long‐hidden Spanish meteorite fall

We report and describe an L6 ordinary chondrite fall that occurred in Ardón, León province, Spain (longitude 5.5605°W, latitude 42.4364°N) on July 9th, 1931. The 5.5 g single stone was kept hidden for 83 yr by Rosa González Pérez, at the time an 11 yr old who had observed the fall and had recovered the meteorite. According to various newspaper reports, the event was widely observed in Northern Spain. Ardón is a very well‐preserved, fresh, strongly metamorphosed (petrologic type 6), and weakly shocked (S3) ordinary chondrite with well‐equilibrated and recrystallized minerals. The mineral compositions (olivine Fa_23.7±0.3, low‐Ca pyroxene Fs_20.4±0.2Wo_1.5±0.2, plagioclase An_10.3±0.5Ab_84.3±1.2), magnetic susceptibility (log χ = 4.95 ± 0.05 × 10^?9 m³ kg^?1), bulk density (3.49 ± 0.05 g   cm^?3), grain density (3.58 ± 0.05 g   cm^?3), and porosity (2.5 vol%) are typical for L6 chondrites. Short‐lived radionuclides confirm that the meteorite constitutes a recent fall. The ²¹Ne and ³⁸Ar cosmic ray exposure ages are both about 20–30 Ma, similar to values for many other L chondrites. The cosmogenic ²²Ne/²¹Ne ratio indicates that preatmospheric Ardón was a relatively large body. The fact that the meteorite was hidden in private hands for 83 yr makes one wonder if other meteorite falls may have experienced the same fate, thus possibly explaining the anomalously low number of falls reported in continental Spain in the 20th century.     

Une définition plus appropriée de la thermocline lacustre saisonnière

Abstract

An improved definition of the lacustrian thermocline is introduced, allowing a minimization of the random type fluctuations, with the aim of establishing more precise predictive models of the internal energy of lakes. The method consists first of determining the limits of the zone of thermal transition, referred to as the “thermoclinal zone”, and then of defining the plane of the thermocline by calculating its depth, either from the temperatures or from the depths to the limits of this zone. Six new definitions, each borrowing more or less from existing concepts in the literature, are compared with the Brönsted and Wesenburg‐Lund's definition. The best definitions are those for which the plane of the thermocline is defined from the mean temperatures to the limits of the thermoclinal zone. Of these, the most satisfactory is the one obtained from a mean thermal gradient limited to about twice the thermocline depth.     

Problems of determining snow albedo for the high arctic: Research note

Abstract

The measurement of radiation fluxes suffers from inaccuracies at low solar elevations and this poses a problem for determining the snow albedo at high latitudes. From the data of Resolute, NWT, three situations were observed: (1) an often‐reported situation when albedo decreases with increasing solar elevation, (2) an inverse situation when albedo increases with increasing solar elevation and (3) no obvious relationship. There were also cases when albedo exceeded 100%. The possible causes for such anomalous conditions or for erroneous albedos include instrument response deviating from the cosine law, instrument tilt, sensing of the sun by the inverted pyranometer and change in the spectral quality of incoming radiation with changing solar height. However, omission of the radiation values measured during the period of low solar elevation will not seriously affect the prediction of snowmelt. In this note, we have identified the anomalies and suggested possible causes; but further investigations are required to verify the causative mechanisms.     

Evaluation of horizontal gradients in sigma‐coordinate shallow water models

Abstract

Evaluating horizontal gradients in three‐dimensional shallow water models that use bottom‐following sigma coordinates can lead to large errors near steep bathymetry. A technique that has been proposed to minimize this problem involves computing horizontal gradients in cartesian coordinates, while treating all other terms in a sigma coordinate framework. We study this technique through both truncation error analysis and numerical experimentation, and compare it to the direct application of sigma coordinates. While the Cartesian coordinate method has better convergence properties and generally smaller truncation errors when horizontal gradients are zero, the sigma coordinate method can be more accurate in other physically relevant situations. Also, the Cartesian coordinate method introduces significant numerical diffusion of variable sign near the bottom (where physical diffusion is particularly small), thus potentially leading to instabilities. Overall, we consider the sigma coordinates to be the best approach.