Experimental investigation of atmospheric dispersion over the Swiss Plain — Experiment “SIESTA”

Between November 15 and 30, 1985, an international mesoscale transport experiment was performed on the Swiss Plain. Seven meteorological groups from Denmark, Germany, Italy and Switzerland measured diffusion properties of near neutral planetary boundary layers during six completely overcast days: four Bise (north-east wind) situations, one transitional situation and one west-wind situation. Diffusion was measured using SF₆ as tracer, which was released at the meteotower of the Gösgen nuclear power plant at 6 m above ground level. One hundred automatic samplers plus a mobile gas chromatograph were used to measure the concentration fields at distances up to 90 km downwind. Meteorological parameters were observed using radar-tracked constant-level balloons, tethered balloon soundings, sonic anemometers, an acoustic sounder and several meteorological ground stations, including a 110 m mast. All data were collected on a magnetic tape with free access to interested persons.The aim of the experiments was to obtain knowledge about the general nature of the turbulence, advection and atmospheric dispersion during neutral weak-wind situations over complex terrain. The collected data set will be useful for testing mesoscale transport and diffusion models. The results clearly show the channelling effect of the Jura mountains and the hilly prealpine region. An interesting result is that the SF₆ plumes showed intensive horizontal spread but only limited diffusion in the vertical direction.     

Effective sea ice area based on a thickness threshold

As Arctic sea ice declines in response to climate change, a shift from thick multiyear ice to a thinner ice cover is occurring. With this transition, ice thicknesses approach a threshold below which ice no longer insulates the atmosphere from oceanic surface fluxes. While this is well known, there are no estimates of the magnitude of this threshold, nor of the proportion of sea ice area that is below this threshold as ice thins. We determine this threshold by simulating the atmospheric response to varying thicknesses, ranging from 0.0 to 2.0 m and determine that threshold to be 0.40–0.50 m. The resulting “effective” ice area is 4–14% lower than reported total ice area, as 0.39–0.97 × 10⁶ km² of the total ice area falls below the threshold throughout the twentieth century, including during notable ice minima. The atmosphere above large non-insulating ice-covered regions is susceptible to more than 2 °C of warming despite ice presence. Observed mean Arctic Ocean ice thickness is projected to fall below this threshold as early as the mid-2020s. Studies on ocean–atmosphere interactions in relation to sea ice area should focus on this insulating sea ice area, where ice is at least 0.40–0.50 m thick, and treat ice regions below 0.40–0.50 m thickness with caution.

     

Die Schotteranalyse

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Zur Tektonik des mittleren Südwestafrika

Zusammenfassung Der Gesteinsuntergrund des mittleren Südwestafrika weist eine NO-SW gerichtete Struktur auf. Nahezu sämtliche Bewegungs-Vorgänge vom ältesten Archäikum abwärts sind dieser Grundrichtung gefolgt.Die ältesten Faltungsvorgänge im Präkambrium stehen im Zusammenhang mit gewaltigen Intrusionen vorwiegend granitischer Gesteine. Nachdem der Kontinent durch diese Vorgänge bereits am Ende des Archäikums in NO-SW-Richtung konsolidiert war, erfolgten in postarchäischer Zeit Krustenbewegungen, die sich ebenfalls dieser Richtung anpassen. Auffällig ist die randliche Aufwulstung des Kontinents in diesem Abschnitt und deren NO-SW gerichtete Querverbiegung, die stellenweise von großen Brüchen begleitet wird. Diese Bruchtektonik scheint jedoch wenigstens im mittleren Südwestafrika nicht das vonStahl angenommene Ausmaß erreicht zu haben. Die vonKrenkel angenommene große Überschiebungslinie am Südrande des Khomas-Hochlandes konnte als nicht vorhanden nachgewiesen werden.Das durch die Vergitterung der randlichen Aufwulstung und der NO-SW gerichteten Querverbiegung am höchsten herausgehobene Gebiet ist das Khomas-Hochland, dessen Anlage als Resistenzscholle bis ins älteste Archäikum zurückzuverfolgen ist.     

A CRYSTALLOGRAPHIC STUDY OF TOPAZ,BERYL AND SMOKY QUARTZ FROM FANCHIH DISTRICT,N.SHANSI

After our paper~2 on the Topaz from Mongolia,Shensi and KiangsuI took profit of a travelling in Shansi,in the early summer 1932,to visit thelocalities myself.The chief mineral producing locality is Houkoupei(后备     

A PLIOCENE FLORA FROM SHANSI PROVINCE

A small collection of fossil plants was made in 1930 by Dr.GeorgeB. Barbour,of Yenching University,in the course of his study of the sedimen-tary deposits near Taiku,Shansi Province (See text figure 1).My acknow-ledgement is due to Dr. Barbour,and to Dr.     

THE OCCURRENCE OF CERCIS ASSOCIATED WITH THE REMAINS OF SINANTHROPUS

In a short paper entitled "Evidences of the Use of Fire by Sinanthropus",Dr.Davidson Black has discussed the occurrence of burned bone fragments andcharcoal debris in association with the remains of Sinanthropus at Chou KouTien,and has concluded that Sina     

The Eastern Congo—a beauty spot,rediscovered from a geological point of view

In East Africa, the feedback between tectonic uplift, erosional denudation and associated possible climate changes is being studied by a multidisciplinary research group, ‘Riftlink’. The group's focus is the Albertine Rift, the northern part of the western branch of the East African Rift System, and in particular the rising Rwenzori Mountains that stretch along the border of the D.R. Congo and Uganda. Major questions relate to the timing of the formation of the Rwenzori Mountains, and whether the height of these mountains (> 5000 m) relates to rift movements in Neogene times, or represents an old basement block that formed a topographic high long before. Though, at first, research concentrated on the eastern (Ugandan) part of the Albertine Rift and Rwenzori Mountains, it has now moved further to the west to the D.R. Congo. A first field‐campaign, covering the area from northern Lake Edward along the rift shoulder up to the Blue Mountains at Lake Albert, was conducted in summer 2009, in cooperation with the Ruwenzori State University of Butembo. Here, we present a brief overview of the field‐campaign, with impressions gathered on the morphology and geology of the study area.