Interdecadal climate regime dynamics in the North Pacific Ocean: theories, observations and ecosystem impacts

Basin-scale variations in oceanic physical variables are thought to organize patterns of biological response across the Pacific Ocean over decadal time scales. Different physical mechanisms can be responsible for the diverse basin-scale patterns of sea-surface temperature (SST), mixed-layer depth, thermocline depth, and horizontal currents, although they are linked in various ways. In light of various theories and observations, we interpret observed basinwide patterns of decadal-scale variations in upper-ocean temperatures. Evidence so far indicates that large-scale perturbations of the Aleutian Low generate temperature anomalies in the central and eastern North Pacific through the combined action of net surface heat flux, turbulent mixing and Ekman advection. The surface-forced temperature anomalies in the central North Pacific subduct and propagate southwestwards in the ocean thermocline to the subtropics but apparently do not reach the equator. The large-scale Ekman pumping resulting from changes of the Aleutian Low forces western-intensified thermocline depth anomalies that are approximately consistent with Sverdrup theory. These thermocline changes are associated with SST anomalies in the Kuroshio/Oyashio Extension that are of the same sign as those in the central North Pacific, but lagged by several years. The physics of the possible feedback from the SST anomalies to the Aleutian Low, which might close a coupled ocean–atmosphere mode of decadal variability, is poorly understood and is an area of active research. The possible responses of North Pacific Ocean ecosystems to these complicated physical patterns is summarized.     

Writing Geospatial Concepts: Assessing Student Knowledge Accrued Through Both Writing‐Intensive and Methods‐Oriented Coursework

While writing is touted as a way to learn, little has been written about the use of writing in courses focused on the geospatial technologies: geographic information systems (GIS), remote sensing, and the Global Positioning System (GPS). This study, therefore, aimed to assess student knowledge gained through two types of coursework, writing‐intensive and methods‐oriented. The study used a pre‐/post‐test strategy to measure gains in student knowledge. Results illustrate that student learning took place in both types of courses. The results, while encouraging, point to the need for more refined study of the use of writing in courses on geospatial technologies.     

Petrology of some eclogites and metagabbros of the Oetztal Alps,Tirol, Austria

Petrographic, chemical and mineralogical data are presented on the Oetztal eclogites and their co-existing minerals. The available evidence indicates that they constitute the metamorphic derivates of an original gabbroic rock, the plagioclase and clinopyroxene of which reacted to form the garnet, omphacite and kyanite components of the eclogites. According to the available subsolidus experimental data these reactions are believed to have taken place in a 6–10 kb pressure range at about 550°–750° C.     

Water quality in Lemoa, Guatemala

A variety of water supply sources are used in the rural Guatemalan Highlands. Formal municipal systems are rare, but villagers frequently form local water committees that construct spring-based supply systems. Recent work has indicated that groundwater may be a viable water supply source. The water quality from these two sources was characterized as well as water from other common sources including surface water and precipitation collection systems. Typically, all of the water sources contained unacceptable levels of coliform bacteria except for groundwater from a drilled well. Water monitoring indicated that not only did the water contain coliforms at the actual sources, but the infrastructure used to transmit the water to points of use may also be a source of coliforms. A cost comparison indicates that groundwater may be a cost-competitive, higher quality alternative to traditional spring-fed water systems.     

A watershed rainfall data recovery approach with application to distributed hydrological models

Watershed areal rainfall estimation, which is one of the most important and fundamental aspects in hydrological forecasting and various kinds of catchment‐scale hydrological models, is widely used in the analysis of hydrological regime change, and its precision has a direct influence on the accuracy of hydrological forecasting and hydrological simulation. In China, it is difficult to obtain the watershed areal rainfall estimate with reliable precision and avoid the phenomenon of ‘the same effect of different parameters’ because of the low density of the rain gauge network. Therefore, a watershed rainfall data recovery approach of improving the precision of watershed areal rainfall estimation is proposed here. This approach is to build new observatories, establish the time–space relations of rainfall between newly built observatories and previously built observatories in a relatively short interval and then recover the rainfall data of newly built observatories prior to their construction through simulating the relations over a longer time. As a result, watershed rainfall information could be elaborated to improve the precision of watershed areal rainfall estimate and avoid the phenomenon of ‘the same effect of different parameters’ to a certain degree in the process of hydrological simulation. The approach is used in the hydrological simulation of Hali River catchment. In combination with the Soil Water Assessment Tool model, a better result can be obtained in the hydrological simulation. Therefore, the approach can be used in other similar catchments. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Interannual modulation of subtropical Atlantic boreal summer dust variability by ENSO

Dust variability in the climate system has been studied for several decades, yet there remains an incomplete understanding of the dynamical mechanisms controlling interannual and decadal variations in dust transport. The sparseness of multi-year observational datasets has limited our understanding of the relationship between climate variations and atmospheric dust. We use available in situ and satellite observations of dust and a century-length fully coupled Community Earth System Model (CESM) simulation to show that the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) exerts a control on North African dust transport during boreal summer. In CESM, this relationship is stronger over the dusty tropical North Atlantic than near Barbados, one of the few sites having a multi-decadal observed record. During strong La Niña summers in CESM, a statistically significant increase in lower tropospheric easterly wind is associated with an increase in North African dust transport over the Atlantic. Barbados dust and Pacific SST variability are only weakly correlated in both observations and CESM, suggesting that other processes are controlling the cross-basin variability of dust. We also use our CESM simulation to show that the relationship between downstream North African dust transport and ENSO fluctuates on multidecadal timescales and is associated with a phase shift in the North Atlantic Oscillation. Our findings indicate that existing observations of dust over the tropical North Atlantic are not extensive enough to completely describe the variability of dust and dust transport, and demonstrate the importance of global models to supplement and interpret observational records.     

Effect of multilayered groundwater mounds on water dynamics beneath a recharge basin: Numerical simulation and assessment of surface injection

Interactions between groundwater mounds caused by a geologic layer contrast affect the efficiency of managed aquifer recharge in arid areas. However, research has rarely examined the roles of groundwater mounding size variations on soil water dynamics in a stratified vadose zone in response to a sustained infiltration source. Numerical experiments were conducted on a two-dimensional vertical-section domain using HYDRUS software to simulate the behaviours of two adjacent (upper and lower) groundwater mounds underlying an infiltration basin subjected to clay loam and sandy alternately-layered soil profiles. The model successfully predicted the volume and extent of perched water and approximated vertical travel times during events generating downward fluxes from the surface injection. The response time of the mounding width (lateral extension) to the surface injection was delayed as compared to that of the mounding height (vertical extension), especially for the lower water mound. The mounding heights and widths show a strongly positive correlation with the infiltration rates of both high- and low-permeability layers where the injected water mounded, while the water storage amounts in the high- and low-permeability layers were governed by the mounding height and width, respectively. Exploratory simulations were then employed to assess the dependence of groundwater mounding behaviours and recharge performances on surface injection strategies. Results suggest that, by reducing injection rate or shortening injection duration, the near-term fraction of the surface injection converted to deep recharge is likely to be increased due to the narrowed groundwater mounding size, which would be limited by the water-retarding effect of layer contrasts. This study has important implications for predicting and understanding multilayered groundwater mounding behaviours and associated water mass balance under the geologic stratification, and is expected to aid in optimizing the infiltration basin operation for aquifer recharge.     

Changes in water table level influence solute transport in uniform porous media

Changes in the water table level result in variable water saturation and variable hydrological fluxes at the interface between the unsaturated and saturated zone. This may influence the transport and fate of contaminants in the subsurface. The objective of this study was to examine the impact of a decreasing and an increasing water table on solute transport. We conducted tracer experiments at downward flow conditions in laboratory columns filled with two different uniform porous media under static and transient flow conditions either increasing or decreasing the water table. Tracer breakthrough curves were simulated using a mobile–immobile transport model. The resulting transport parameters were compared to identify dominant transport processes. Changes in the water table level affected dispersivities and mobile water fractions depending on the direction of water table movement and the grain size of the porous media. In fine glass beads, the water flow velocity was similar to the decline rate of the water table, and the mobile water fraction was decreased compared with steady‐state saturated conditions. However, immobile water was negligible. In coarse glass beads, water flow was faster because of fingered flow in the unsaturated part, and the mobile water fraction was smaller than in the fine material. Here, a rising water table led to an even smaller mobile water fraction and increased solute spreading because of diffusive interaction with immobile water. We conclude that changes of the water table need to be considered to correctly simulate transport in the subsurface at the transition of the unsaturated–saturated zone. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

General relativistic electromagnetic fields of a slowly rotating magnetized neutron star – I. Formulation of the equations

We present analytic solutions of Maxwell equations in the internal and external background space–time of a slowly rotating magnetized neutron star. The star is considered isolated and in vacuum, with a dipolar magnetic field not aligned with the axis of rotation. With respect to a flat space–time solution, general relativity introduces corrections related both to the monopolar and the dipolar parts of the gravitational field. In particular, we show that in the case of infinite electrical conductivity general relativistic corrections resulting from the dragging of reference frames are present, but only in the expression for the electric field. In the case of finite electrical conductivity, however, corrections resulting from both the space–time curvature and the dragging of reference frames are shown to be present in the induction equation. These corrections could be relevant for the evolution of the magnetic fields of pulsars and magnetars. The solutions found, while obtained through some simplifying assumption, reflect a rather general physical configuration and could therefore be used in a variety of astrophysical situations.