Electrification of volcanic plumes

Volcanic lightning, perhaps the most spectacular consequence of the electrification of volcanic plumes, has been implicated in the origin of life on Earth, and may also exist in other planetary atmospheres. Recent years have seen volcanic lightning detection used as part of a portfolio of developing techniques to monitor volcanic eruptions. Remote sensing measurement techniques have been used to monitor volcanic lightning, but surface observations of the atmospheric electric Potential Gradient (PG) and the charge carried on volcanic ash also show that many volcanic plumes, whilst not sufficiently electrified to produce lightning, have detectable electrification exceeding that of their surrounding environment. Electrification has only been observed associated with ash-rich explosive plumes, but there is little evidence that the composition of the ash is critical to its occurrence. Different conceptual theories for charge generation and separation in volcanic plumes have been developed to explain the disparate observations obtained, but the ash fragmentation mechanism appears to be a key parameter. It is unclear which mechanisms or combinations of electrification mechanisms dominate in different circumstances. Electrostatic forces play an important role in modulating the dry fall-out of ash from a volcanic plume. Beyond the local electrification of plumes, the higher stratospheric particle concentrations following a large explosive eruption may affect the global atmospheric electrical circuit. It is possible that this might present another, if minor, way by which large volcanic eruptions affect global climate. The direct hazard of volcanic lightning to communities is generally low compared to other aspects of volcanic activity.     

Euv Spectroscopy of the Sunspot Region Noaa 7981 Using Soho – II. Velocities and Line Profiles

We have studied the dynamics in the sunspot transition region between the chromosphere and the corona and investigated the extension of the flow field into the corona. Based on EUV spectra of a medium size sunspot and its surroundings, NOAA 7981, observed with CDS and SUMER on SOHO, we derive line-of-sight velocities and study the line profiles for a series of emission lines.The flow field in the low corona is found to differ markedly from that in the transition region. In the transition region the relative line-of-sight velocity shows an upflow in the umbra and relatively large areas with downflow that cover part of the penumbra. The spatial extent of these areas with upflow and downflow increases with increasing temperature in the transition region, but the whole flow field changes character as the temperature increases from the upper transition region to the low corona. Based on a calibration of the SUMER wavelength scale we find that the entire sunspot transition zone appears to be moving downwards towards the chromosphere. The relation between this finding and the general tendency for transition-region lines to show a net red shift is discussed.Several of the transition-region spectral line profiles are observed to show two line components with Gaussian shape and line-of-sight velocities that differ markedly. Several of the line profiles that are composed of two spectral line components occur close to the dividing line between up- and downflow. A discussion of this observation is presented. In small regions with spatial extent of a few arc sec we detect enhanced continuum emission underlying explosive events. The similarities between explosive events with continuum emission and the moustaches observed in H close to sunspots are so striking that we are tempted to introduce the notation transition-region moustaches.     

The ortho- to para- ratio of H2 in the starburst of NGC 253

We present measurements of several near-infrared emission lines from the nearby galaxy NGC 253. We have been able to measure four H₂ lines across the circumnuclear starburst, from which we estimate the ortho- to para- ratio of excited H₂ to be ∼2. This indicates that the bulk of the H₂ emission arises from photodissociation regions (PDRs), rather than from shocks. This is the case across the entire region of active star formation.
As the H₂ emission arises from PDRs, it is likely that the ratio of H₂ to Brγ (the bright hydrogen recombination line) is a measure of the relative geometry of O and B stars and PDRs. Towards the nucleus of NGC 253 the geometry is deduced to be tightly clustered O and B stars in a few giant H  II regions that are encompassed by PDRs. Away from the nuclear region, the geometry becomes that of PDRs bathed in a relatively diffuse ultraviolet radiation field.
The rotation curves of 1–0 S(1) and Brγ suggest that the ionized gas is tracing a kinetic system different from that of the molecular gas in NGC 253, particularly away from the nucleus.     

Heavy metal residues in Laysan Duck feathers

The heavy metal data presented herein indicate that the wild Laysan Duck population may not be contaminated with metal-laden industrial wates. It is therefore possible that the food chain which supports the duck population is uncontaminated, with the possible exception of prey taken from pelagic sea bird carcasses. Such a short, geographically isolated food chain, involving a non-migratory avian carnivore, could be an ideal system for the investigation of bio-concentration, bio-accumulation and bio-magnification of naturally occurring heavy metals.     

Reconstructions of the Campbell Plateau and the Lord Howe Rise

Reconstructions of the southeastern margin of Gondwanaland require either a separation of East and West Antarctica or movement between the Lord Howe Rise and the Campbell Plateau. Previous plate tectonic reconstructions based on sea-floor spreading data eliminated the Lord Howe Rise-Campbell Plateau separation prior to 36 m.y. ago because of overlap. This conclusion is dependent on the reconstruction of Australia and Antarctica, interpretation of magnetic anomalies between Antarctica and the Campbell Plateau and the nature of the plate boundary in New Zealand. Revised reconstructions of the fit between Australia and Antarctica, and a reinterpretation of the magnetic anomalies between the Campbell Plateau and Antarctica suggest that there is no problem of overlap between the Lord Howe Rise and the Campbell Plateau, and that continued motion between these plates prior to 36 m.y. ago is a more plausible alternative to separation between East and West Antarctica.     

Measurements of Reaction Coefficients of NO2 and HONO on Aerosol Particles

The reaction coefficients of nitrogen dioxide and nitrous acid with monodisperse sodium chloride and ammonium sulphate aerosols have been measured in a flow reactor at atmospheric pressure. These experiments were performed at relative humidities above and below the deliquescence points of both aerosols (r.h. 50 and 85%) at 279 K. The results for NO₂ afford a reaction coefficient in the range (2.8–10) × 10^-4 and for HONO, (2.8–4.6) × 10^-3. For both species, there appears to be an enhancement of the reaction coefficient on sodium chloride aerosol at 50% r.h. The results are compared with reaction coefficients determined by other experimental methods. A good agreement is found for both gases between this method and the coated denuder method previously developed in our research laboratories (Msibi et al., 1993) and with the majority of other published data for NO₂. In the case of HONO, our estimate of reaction coefficient is smaller than, or at the lower limits of the ranges reported by other published studies.     

Effect of atmospheric pressure and temperature on entrapped gas content in peat

Entrapped biogenic gas in peat can greatly affect peatland biogeochemical and hydrological processes by altering volumetric water content, peat buoyancy, and ‘saturated’ hydraulic conductivity, and by generating over‐pressure zones. These over‐pressure zones further affect hydraulic gradients which influence water and nutrient flow direction and rate. The dynamics of entrapped gas are of global interest because the loss of this gas to the atmosphere via ebullition (bubbling) is likely the dominant transport mechanism of methane (CH₄) to the atmosphere from peatlands, which are the largest natural terrestrial source per annum of atmospheric CH₄. We investigated the relationship between atmospheric pressure and temperature on volumetric gas content (VGC) and CH₄ ebullition using a laboratory peat core incubation experiment. Peat cores were incubated at three temperatures (one core at 4 °C, three cores at 11 °C, and one core at 20 °C) in sealed PVC cylinders, instrumented to measure VGC, pore‐water CH₄ concentrations, and ebullition (volume and CH₄ concentrations). Ebullition events primarily occurred (71% of the time) during periods of falling atmospheric pressure. The duration of the drop in atmospheric pressure had a larger control on ebullition volume than the magnitude of the drop. VGC in the 20 °C core increased from the onset of the experiment and reached a fluctuating but time‐averaged constant level between experiment day 30 and 115. The change in VGC was low for the 11 °C cores for the initial period of the experiment but showed large increases when the growth chamber temperature increased to 20 °C due to a malfunction. The core maintained at 4 °C showed only a small increase in entrapped gas content throughout the experiment. The 20 °C core showed the largest increase in VGC. The increases in VGC occurred despite pore‐water concentrations of CH₄ being below the equilibrium solubility level. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.