COSMO-CLM2: a new version of the COSMO-CLM model coupled to the Community Land Model

This study presents an evaluation of a new biosphere-atmosphere Regional Climate Model. COSMO-CLM² results from the coupling between the non-hydrostatic atmospheric model COSMO-CLM version 4.0 and the Community Land Model version 3.5 (CLM3.5). In this coupling, CLM3.5 replaces a simpler land surface parameterization (TERRA_ML) used in the standard COSMO-CLM. Compared to TERRA_ML, CLM3.5 comprises a more complete representation of land surface processes including hydrology, biogeophysics, biogeochemistry and vegetation dynamics. Historical climate simulations over Europe with COSMO-CLM and with the new COSMO-CLM² are evaluated against various data products. The simulated climate is found to be substantially affected by the coupling with CLM3.5, particularly in summer. Radiation fluxes as well as turbulent fluxes at the surface are found to be more realistically represented in COSMO-CLM². This subsequently leads to improvements of several aspects of the simulated climate (cloud cover, surface temperature and precipitation). We show that a better partitioning of turbulent fluxes is the central factor allowing for the better performances of COSMO-CLM² over COSMO-CLM. Despite these improvements, some model deficiencies still remain, most notably a substantial underestimation of surface net shortwave radiation. Overall, these results highlight the importance of land surface processes in shaping the European climate and the benefit of using an advanced land surface model for regional climate simulations.     

DMS and SO2 at Baring Head, New Zealand: Implications for the Yield of SO2 from DMS

Atmospheric dimethyl sulfide (DMS) and sulfur dioxide (SO₂) concentrations were measured at Baring Head, New Zealandduring February and March 2000. Anti-correlated DMS and SO₂ diurnalcycles, consistent with the photochemical production of SO₂ from DMS, were observed in clean southerly air off the ocean. The data is used to infer a yield of SO₂ from DMS oxidation. The estimated yields are highly dependent on assumptions about the DMS oxidation rate. Fitting the measured data in a photochemical box model using model-generated OH levels and the Hynes et al. (1986) DMS + OH rate constant suggests that theSO₂ yield is 50–100%, similar to current estimates for the tropical Pacific.However, the observed amplitude of the DMS diurnal cycle suggests that the oxidation rate is higher than that used by the model, and therefore, that theSO₂ yield is lower in the range of 20–40%.     

Leveraging parallel spatio-temporal computing for crime analysis in large datasets: analyzing trends in near-repeat phenomenon of crime in cities

ABSTRACT

Crime often clusters in space and time. Near-repeat patterns improve understanding of crime communicability and their space–time interactions. Near-repeat analysis requires extensive computing resources for the assessment of statistical significance of space–time interactions. A computationally intensive Monte Carlo simulation-based approach is used to evaluate the statistical significance of the space-time patterns underlying near-repeat events. Currently available software for identifying near-repeat patterns is not scalable for large crime datasets. In this paper, we show how parallel spatial programming can help to leverage spatio-temporal simulation-based analysis in large datasets. A parallel near-repeat calculator was developed and a set of experiments were conducted to compare the newly developed software with an existing implementation, assess the performance gain due to parallel computation, test the scalability of the software to handle large crime datasets and assess the utility of the new software for real-world crime data analysis. Our experimental results suggest that, efficiently designed parallel algorithms that leverage high-performance computing along with performance optimization techniques could be used to develop software that are scalable with large datasets and could provide solutions for computationally intensive statistical simulation-based approaches in crime analysis.     

AN HISTORICAL APPROACH TO MOBILITY RESEARCH *

Most existing work on residential mobility has assumed that the household relocation decision is an intrinsically significant object of inquiry. In contrast, we argue that mobility derives its significance primarily from the particular historical and locational contexts within which it occurs. We suggest, therefore, that future mobility research should be directed away from the development of a theory of mobility per se and toward a more explicit articulation of mobility studies to existing theories of urbanization and social change.     

Crack nucleation in saturated porous media

Crack nucleation has been the subject of important contributions in the last two last decades. However, it seems that few attention has been granted to the case of saturated porous media. This is the question addressed in the present paper which is devoted to nucleation in traction mode. From a physical point of view, nucleation is a sudden phenomenon, so that the material response is both adiabatic and undrained. In the spirit of the variational approach, the nucleated crack is viewed as the final state of a region of space in which the material undergoes a full damage process. In traction mode, the opening of a saturated crack in undrained condition induces a drop of fluid pressure. In case of low fluid compressibility, the presence of the fluid delays the brittle failure usually associated with nucleation, as long as the fluid pressure remains above the saturation vapor pressure. Nucleation is therefore possible only if a partial vaporization of the fluid takes place.     

The lacustrine microbial carbonate factory of the successive Lake Bonneville and Great Salt Lake,Utah, USA

The Bonneville Basin is a continental lacustrine system accommodating extensive microbial carbonate deposits corresponding to two distinct phases: the deep Lake Bonneville (30 000 to 11 500 ¹⁴C bp ) and the shallow Great Salt Lake (since 11 500 ¹⁴C bp ). A characterization of these microbial deposits and their associated sediments provides insights into their spatio‐temporal distribution patterns. The Bonneville phase preferentially displays vertical distribution of the microbial deposits resulting from high‐amplitude lake level variations. Due to the basin physiography, the microbial deposits were restricted to a narrow shoreline belt following Bonneville lake level variations. Carbonate production was more efficient during intervals of relative lake level stability as recorded by the formation of successive terraces. In contrast, the Great Salt Lake microbial deposits showed a great lateral distribution, linked to the modern flat bottom configuration. A low vertical distribution of the microbial deposits was the result of the shallow water depth combined with a low amplitude of lake level fluctuations. These younger microbial deposits display a higher diversity of fabrics and sizes. They are distributed along an extensive ‘shore to lake’ transect on a flat platform in relation to local and progressive accommodation space changes. Microbial deposits are temporally discontinuous throughout the lake history showing longer hiatuses during the Bonneville phase. The main parameters controlling the rate of carbonate production are related to the interaction between physical (kinetics of the mineral precipitation, lake water temperature and runoff), chemical (Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺ and HCO₃^? concentrations, Mg/Ca ratio, dilution and depletion) and/or biological (trophic) factors. The contrast in evolution of Lake Bonneville and Great Salt Lake microbial deposits during their lacustrine history leads to discussions on major chemical and climatic changes during this interval as well as the role of physiography. Furthermore, it provides novel insights into the composition, structure and formation of microbialite‐rich carbonate deposits under freshwater and hypersaline conditions.     

Héritage et sources des métaux d'après la géochimie isotopique du plomb

Résumé Les galènes et sulfoantimoniures de plomb des filons quartzeux, barytiques et fluorés du Haut-Allier (district de Brioude-Massiac) ont fait l'objet d'analyses isotopiques du plomb. Les résultats montrent l'existence de deux populations de plomb appartenant à chacune des deux phases minéralisatrices reconnues dans la région.La première population (18,108<²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb<18,181) est rapportée à la phase mésothermale permienne. Elle comprend les sulfosels précoces des filons antimonifères ainsi que la galène des filons plombo-stannifères. L'homogénéité isotopique confirme la liaison génétique existant entre ces différents types filoniens et leur appartenance à un même processus métallogénique. Le socle métamorphique régional apparaît comme la source possible du plomb.La relative dispersion des valeurs isotopiques de la seconde population (18,215<²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb<18,472), d'âge liasique, est corrélable avec la situation géographique et géologique des filons. Elle est due à deux phénomènes complémentaires: le lessivage d'un segment crustal comprenant le socle métamorphique avec une participation graduée du granite uranifère de la Margeride et la réassimilation partielle du plomb des filons permiens. Ce dernier phénomène d'héritage métallique se traduit au niveau des paragenèses par la formation de filons à sulfosels dominants.

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Lead isotope analyses are reported for galena and lead sulfosalts from quartz, barite and fluorite vein deposits from the Haut-Allier (Brioude-Massiac district). The data define two lead populations reflecting the two mineralization episodes in this region.The first population (18,108<²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb<18,181) is related to the Permian mesothermal episode. It includes early sulfosalts from antimony veins and galena from lead-stanniferous veins. The Pb isotopic homogeneity confirms the relationship between the different vein types and their formation by a single metallogenic process. The metamorphic basement is the potential source of lead.The second population includes quartz-barite and fluorite veins. It shows much more isotopic variation (18,215<²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb<18,472) correlating with the geographical and geological location of the veins. Because the veins have a contemporaneous age, the isotopic dispersion therefore depends on two complementary phenomena: the leaching of a large volume of crust, including metamorphic basement, with a progressive contribution of the uraniferous granite of Margeride; and the partial remobilization of lead from Permian veins. The latter inheritance phenomena result in the genesis of major lead-sulfosalt vein deposits.