Improved provenance tracing of Asian dust sources using rare earth elements and selected trace elements for palaeomonsoon studies on the eastern Tibetan Plateau

The Asian Monsoon forms an important part of the earth’s climate system, yet our understanding of the past interactions between its different sub-systems, the East Asian and Indian monsoons, and between monsoonal winds and other prevailing wind currents such as the Westerly jet, is limited, particularly in central Asia. This in turn affects our ability to develop climate models capable of accurately predicting future changes in atmospheric circulation patterns and monsoon intensities in Asia. Provenance studies of mineral dust deposited in terrestrial settings such as peat bogs can address this problem directly, by offering the possibility to examine past deposition rates and wind direction, and hence reconstruct past atmospheric circulation patterns. However, such studies are challenged by several issues, most importantly the identification of proxies that unambiguously distinguish between the different potential dust sources and that are independent of particle size. In addition, a single analytical method that is suitable for sample preparation of both dust source (i.e. desert sand, soil) and receptor (i.e. dust archive such as peat or soil profiles) material is desirable in order to minimize error propagation derived from the experimental and analytical work. Here, an improved geochemical framework of provenance tracers to study atmospheric circulation patterns and palaeomonsoon variability in central Asia is provided, by combining for the first time mineralogical as well as major and trace elemental (Sc, Y, Th and the rare earth elements) information on Chinese (central Chinese loess plateau, northern Qaidam basin and Taklamakan, Badain Juran and Tengger deserts), Indian (Thar desert) and Tibetan (eastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau) dust sources.Quartz, feldspars and clay minerals are the major constituents of all studied sources, with highly variable calcite contents reflected in the CaO concentrations. Chinese and Tibetan dust sources are enriched in middle REE relative to the upper continental crust and average shale but the Thar desert has a REE signature distinctly different from all other dust sources. There are significant differences in major, trace and REE compositions between the coarse and fine fractions of the surface sands, with the finest <4 μm fraction enriched in Al₂O₃, Fe₂O₃, MnO, MgO and K₂O and the <32 μm fractions in Sc, Y, Th and the REE relative to the coarse fractions. The <4 μm fraction best represents the bulk REE geochemistry of the samples. The provenance tracers Y/∑REE, La/Er, La/Gd, Gd/Er, La/Yb, Y/Tb, Y/La, Y/Nd and to a certain extent the europium anomaly Eu/Eu^∗ (all REE normalized to post-Archean Australian shale, PAAS) are particle size-independent tracers, of which combinations of Y/∑REE, La/Yb, Y/Tb, Y/La and Eu/Eu^∗ can be used to distinguish the Thar desert, the Chinese deserts, the Chinese loess plateau and the Tibetan soils. Their independence upon grain size means that these tracers can be applied to the long-range provenance tracing of Asian dust even when only bulk samples are available in the source region. Combinations of La/Th, Y/Tb, Y/∑REE, Sc/La and Y/Er distinguish the Tibetan soils from the Chinese loess plateau and the Chinese deserts. La/Th and notably Th/∑REE isolate the signature of the Badain Juran desert and the combination of Sc/La and Y/Er that of the Taklamakan desert. The similarity in all trace and REE-based provenance tracers between the northern Qaidam basin and Tengger desert suggests that these two deposits may have a common aeolian source.     

APEX-SZ first light and instrument status

The apex-sz instrument is designed for the discovery and study of galaxy clusters at mm-wavelengths using the Sunyaev Zel’dovich effect. The receiver consists of 320 superconducting transition edge sensor (TES) bolometers cooled to 250 mK with the combination of a three stage He sorption fridge and mechanical pulse tube cooler. The detectors are instrumented with a frequency domain multiplexing readout system. The receiver is mounted on the 12 m apex telescope located at 5100 m on the Atacama plateau in Chile. For the first light engineering deployment of December 2005, the receiver was configured with a 55 element wedge of the bolometers and operating in the 150 GHz atmospheric window. During the engineering run we achieved significant milestones in our instrumentation development efforts, including celestial observations with a monolithically fabricated TES bolometer array cooled with a mechanical cooler and successful implementation of a SQUID-based MHz AC-biased readout. These technology demonstrations point the way toward future large TES bolometer array instruments. Here we describe the results of this deployment and future plans for the apex-sz instrument.     

Measurement of the lunar neutron density profile

Anin situ measurement of the lunar neutron density from 20 to 400 g cm^?2 depth below the lunar surface was made by the Apollo 17 Lunar Neutron Probe Experiment (LNPE) using particle tracks produced by the¹⁰B (n,α)⁷Li reaction. Both the absolute magnitude and the depth profile of the neutron density are in good agreement with theoretical calculations by Lingenfelter, Canfield, and Hampel. However, relatively small deviations between experiment and theory in the effect of Cd absorption on the neutron density and in the relative¹⁴⁹Sm to¹⁵⁷Gd capture rates reported previously (Russet al., 1972) imply that the true lunar¹⁵⁷Gd capture rate is about one half of that calculated theoretically.     

Effects of boundary conditions on the onset of convection with tilted magnetic field and rotation vectors

The problem of the onset of thermal convection is considered, firstly when a uniform tilted magnetic field is present, and secondly in a frame rotating about an oblique axis. If up–down symmetry is broken we expect to find only bifurcations that lead to travelling waves. Numerical studies show, however, that in a Boussinesq fluid the spectrum of eigenvalues can be symmetrical about the real axis, even when the boundary conditions are asymmetrical. Here we show analytically that this symmetry property indeed holds for a wide range of boundary conditions and hence that both steady solutions and standing waves are allowed.     

On helioseismic tests of basic physics

An important goal of helioseismology is to provide information about the basic physics and parameters that determine the structure of the solar interior. Here we discuss the procedures applied in such analyses, using as an example attempts to obtain significant constraints on the value of Newton's gravitational constant G from helioseismology. The analysis is based on complete direct and inverse helioseismic analysis of a set of accurate observed acoustic frequencies. We confirm, as found by previous investigations based on different approaches, that the actual level of precision of the helioseismic inferences does not allow us to constrain G with a precision better than that which can be reached with direct experimental measurements. The conclusion emphasizes the importance in helioseismic inferences of considering not only the accuracy with which solar oscillations are measured, but also the effect of uncertainties in other aspects of the model computation and helioseismic analysis.     

Experts talk the future Reflections on the Bonn Seminar of Governmental Experts, 16–17 May 2005: a view from Europe

Abstract

This article provides a first-cut estimate of the potential impacts of the clean development mechanism (CDM) on electricity generation and carbon emissions in the power sector of non-Annex 1 countries. We construct four illustrative CDM regimes that represent a range of approaches under consideration within the climate community. We examine the impact of these CDM regimes on investments in new generation, under illustrative carbon trading prices of US$ 10 and 100/t C. In the cases that are most conducive to CDM activity, roughly 94% of new generation investments remains identical to the without-CDM situation, with only 6% shifting from higher to lower carbon intensity technologies.We estimate that the CDM would bolster renewable energy generation by as little as 15% at US$ 10/t C, or as much as 300% at US$ 100/t C.

A striking finding comes from our examination of the potential magnitude of the “free-rider” problem, i.e. crediting of activities that will occur even in the absence of the CDM. The CDM is intended to be globally carbon-neutral—a project reduces emissions in the host country but generates credits that increase emissions in the investor country. However, to the extent that unwarranted credits are awarded to non-additional projects, the CDM would increase global carbon emissions above the without-CDM emissions level. Under two of the CDM regimes considered, cumulative free-riders credits total 250–600 MtC through the end of the first budget period in 2012. This represents 10–23% of the likely OECD emissions reduction requirement during the first budget period. Since such a magnitude of free-rider credits from non-additional CDM projects could threaten the environmental integrity of the Kyoto protocol, it is imperative that policy makers devise CDM rules that encourage legitimate projects, while effectively screening out non-additional activities.     

A photometric study of the nova‐like variable TT Arietis with the MOST satellite

Variability on all time scales between seconds and decades is typical for cataclysmic variables (CVs). One of the brightest and best studied CVs is TT Ari, a nova‐like variable which belongs to the VY Scl subclass, characterized by occasional low states in their light curves. It is also known as a permanent superhumper at high state, revealing “positive” (P_S > P₀) as well as “negative” (P_S < P₀) superhumps, where PS is the period of the superhump and P₀ the orbital period. TT Ari was observed by the Canadian space telescope MOST for about 230 hours nearly continuously in 2007, with a time resolution of 48 seconds. Here we analyze these data, obtaining a dominant “negative” superhump signal with a period P_S = 0.1331 days and a mean amplitude of 0.09 mag. Strong flickering with amplitudes up to 0.2 mag and peak‐to‐peak time scales of 15–20 minutes is superimposed on the periodic variations. We found no indications for significant quasi‐periodic oscillations with periods around 15 minutes, reported by other authors. We discuss the known superhump behaviour of TTAri during the last five decades and conclude that our period value is at the upper limit of all hitherto determined “negative” superhump periods of TTAri, before and after the MOST run. (© 2013 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

APu heat source in marine coastal sediment: formation of a protective concretion

The effect of the marine environment upon a vented Ir-encapsulated²³⁸Pu heat source was investigated. The heat source was emplaced in coastal submarine feldspathic sediment. In less than a month it became encased in a rock-like concretion. The capsule was cemented initially with a white deposit of anhydrite, a mineral identified with high temperature deep-sea springs. As the concentration increased in thickness sedimentary particles were incorporated by the cementing agent. A non-porous barrier was formed such that decay product He was impeded from escape. This property protected the heat source against intrusion by the corrosive marine waters.As determined by neutron activation, the major and minor elements within the coastal sediment, various fractions of the concretion, and certain discrete entities within or on the surface of the concretion, are included.     

Laboratory experiments of tsunami run-up and withdrawal in patchy coastal forest on a steep beach

Laboratory experiments were carried out to study tsunami flow dynamics in the presence of patchy macro-roughness, representing coastal forest, on a 1:10 steep beach. The experimental setup included four cross-shore rows of roughness patches affixed to the dry beach in a staggered array, such that 12 % of the staggered array region had higher roughness. The flow field during run-up and withdrawal was quantified using point measurements of velocity and flow depth at 20 locations, while high-resolution video was used to track bore position during run-up. Data analysis revealed that while inundated area was marginally impacted when patchy roughness was present, flow depths and flow force were, respectively, increased by more than 40 and 30 % in some areas within the patch array; a decrease in flow force was also observed in some areas. Alongshore variation in flow depth, induced by the roughness patches, was most pronounced during withdrawal. These findings suggest that patchy macro-roughness, like that created by coastal forest, will simultaneously lead to increased protection in some areas and decreased protection in others.