Crustal evolution of the early earth: The role of major impacts

Impact cratering was an important — even dominant — process affecting the crustal evolution of the small terrestrial planets. The fundamental highlands/maria dichotomy of the Moon's surface can be traced to a late heavy bombardment by basin-forming, asteroid-sized bodies which produced not only a topographic division in the lunar crust but also localized the later eruptions of mare basalts. Major impact basins with diameters in excess of 200 km are recognized throughout the inner solar system from Mars to Mercury. Similar craters must have formed on the Earth prior to 4 Ga ago, and the minimum number of such basin-forming impacts can be calculated by scaling from the observed (minimum) number preserved on the Moon. When allowance is made for differences in impact velocity, gravitational cross-section and the effects of gravity on crater diameter, it is found that at least 50% of a presumed global sialic crust would have been converted into impact basins by 4 Ga ago. Among the effects resulting from the impact of an asteroidal object on the early crust were: (a) establishment of a topographic dichotmy of 3–4 km (after isostatic adjustment), (b) pressure-release partial melting of the upper mantle and rapid flooding of the basin floor by basalt, and (c) enhancement of thermal gradients in the sub-basin lithosphere and upper asthenosphere. Comparative planetary data such as impact scaling can be used as important constraints on models of the early terrestrial crust. For example, the topography resulting from impact bombardment produced discrete oceans and dry land by 4 Ga ago, making unreasonable models of a globe-encircling ocean on the Earth after that time.     

Radium isotopes in sub-Arctic waters

Measurements of the²²⁸Ra/²²⁶Ra activity ratio in the waters of the Greenland, Norwegian and Labrador Seas and Baffin Bay reveal strong horizontal gradients in the surface waters. The coastal waters are dominated by²²⁸Ra injection from nearshore sediments. There is an inverse correlation between the²²⁸Ra/²²⁶Ra activity ratio and salinity in the 30–36‰ salinity range. Vertical profiles indicate that the²²⁸Ra/²²⁶Ra activity ratio is also strongly coupled toσ_θ except for some regions where²²⁸Ra is being injected into higher density water as these isopycnals intersect coastal areas. We use these measurements in the area of formation of North Atlantic Deep Water to estimate that this water mass forms with a²²⁸Ra/²²⁶Ra activity ratio of 0.10.     

Some aspects of the advance in the knowledge of hurricanes

Several topics discussed byBergeron (1954) are reviewed and compared with present-day positions. They are: conditions for formation; maintenance of the hurricane circulation; modification; and cyclones with hurricane winds outside the tropics.On some of these subjects, notably hurricane formation, Bergeron's views in many respects approach those of the present day. A rarely-occurring event is needed in the tropics besides the climatically favorable circumstances for formation. He postulated baroclinity in the form of a surface tropical front. If the baroclinity is shifted from the low to the upper troposphere, his and present-day viewpoints agree that release of baroclinic instability is the main mechanism of initial kinetic energy generation, in contrast to the CISK theory.Major additions can be made especially on the subject of the role of air-sea interaction in hurricane maintenance through downward momentum transport and establishment thereby of a thermal cyclostrophic wind which keeps the warm core in place. Furthermore, many new data exist on extratropical hurricanes; here, a serious research effort has still to be carried out in the future.     

A) A. I. H. S. / A) I. A. S. H.

Abstract

In the Southwestern intermountain and high plains areas, precipitation is seasonal, with the major part of the rainfall occurring in the summer. Most winter precipitation occurs as low-intensity rain or snow along slow-moving cold fronts. Most summer precipitation occurs as short-duration, high-intensity thunderstorms from purely convective buildup or from convective cells developing along a weak fast-moving cold front. Almost all runoff occurs from the summer convective storms.

Since runoff-producing precipitation is of primary interest at the Southwest Watershed Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, Tucson, Arizona, the convective storms have been most thoroughly analyzed. Duration, intensity, areal extent, movement, character, and return frequencies for varying volumes and intensities of these convective storms are analyzed from records from dense networks of recording rain gages in four study areas in Arizona and New Mexico. The primary study areas are the 58-square-mile Walnut Gulch Experimental Watershed at Tombstone, Arizona, and the 67-squaremile Alamogordo Creek Watershed near Santa Rosa, New Mexico. Three “record” storms of differing character occurring in 1960 and 1961 on Alamogordo Creek Watershed and one “record” storm in 1961 on the Wlanut Gulch Watershed are analyzed and compared in detail.     

Meteorology and haze structure during AGASP-II,Part 1: Alaskan Arctic flights, 2–10 April 1986

The second Arctic Gas and Aerosol Sampling Program (AGASP-II) was conducted across the Alaskan and Canadian Arctic in April 1986, to study the in situ aerosol, and the chemical and optical properties of Arctic haze. The NOAA WP-3D aircraft, with special instrumentation added, made six flights during AGASP-II. Measurements of wind, pressure, temperature, ozone, water vapor, condensation nuclei (CN) concentration, and aerosol scattering extinction (b_sp) were used to determine the location of significant haze layers. The measurements made on the first three flights, over the Arctic Ocean north of Barrow and over the Beaufort Sea north of Barter Island, Alaska are discussed in detail in this report of the first phase of AGASP II. In the Alaskan Arctic the WP-3D detected a large and persistent region of haze between 960 and 750 mb, in a thermally stable layer, on 2, 8, and 9 April 1986. At its most dense, the haze contained CN concentrations >10,000 cm^–3 and b_sp of 80×10^–6 m^–1 suggesting active SO₂ to H₂SO₄ gas-to-particle conversion. Calculations based upon observed SO₂ concentrations and ambient relative humidities suggest that 10⁴–10⁵ small H₂SO₄ droplets could have been produced in the haze layers. High concentrations of sub-micron H₂SO₄ droplets were collected in haze. Ozone concentrations were 5–10 ppb higher in the haze layers than in the surrounding troposphere. Outside the regions of haze, CN concentrations ranged from 100 to 400 cm^–3 and b_sp values were about (20–40)×10^–6 m^–1. Air mass trajectories were computed to depict the air flow upwind of regions in which haze was observed. In two cases the back trajectories and ground measurements suggested the source to be in central Europe.     

Fossil Rotifers and the Early Colonization of an Antarctic Lake

Early Holocene sediments from a continental Antarctic lake (Ace Lake, Vestfold Hills, East Antarctica) contained abundant fossil rotifers of the genus Notholca. The fossil is similar to specimens of Notholca sp. present in modern-day Ace Lake and other fresh and brackish lakes of the Vestfold Hills. Cyanobacteria and protists (chrysophyte cysts, dinoflagellate cysts, and rhizopod tests) were also recovered from the core samples. These sediments were deposited early in the freshwater phase of Ace Lake, soon after deglaciation of the area. The occurrence of this trophically diverse assemblage of organisms at an early stage in the evolution of the lake suggests either that they were part of an endemic Antarctic flora and fauna which pre-dated the last glacial maximum and survived in glacial refugia or that efficient intercontinental dispersal had occurred.     

Hydrometeorologische Ergebnisse aus Abflußmessungen im Bereich des Hintereisferners (Ötztaler Alpen) in den Jahren 1957 bis 1959

Zusammenfassung Während der Internationalen Geophysikalischen Jahre 1957 bis 1959 wurde an einer Pegelmeßstelle bei 2287 m Höhe der Abfluß vom Hintereis- und Kesselwandferner registriert. Im vorliegenden Arbeitsbericht sollen spezifischen Merkmale des Abflusses aus dem zu 58% vergleitscherten Einzugsgebiet 26,6 km²) im Zusammenhang mit den meteorologischen Beidingungen dargestellt werden.Der Jahresabfluß betrug im Haushaltsjahr 1957/58 1848 mm und im Haushaltsjahr 1958/59 1770 mm; bedingt durch den stark negative massenhaushat der Gletscher was die Gletscherspende mit 24% bzw. 20% des Jahresabflusses außergewöhnlich hoch. Der winterabfluß (Oktober bis März) betrug nur 5% bzw. 10% des Jahresabflusses; die drei Sommermonate Juli bis September Lieferten dagegen 76% bzw. 72%. Der größte Monatsabfluß wurde im August 1958 mit 575 mm, im Juli 1959 mit 559 mm registriert.Die Häufigkeitsverteilung der Tagesabflußmengen für das Jahr 1957/58 ließ eine Andauer des Niedrigwassers mit Tages-Mittelwerten kleiner als 18,8 l/s km² (0,5 m³/s) von 217 Tagen (Oktober bis Mai, 59% des Jahres) erkennen. Größere Tagesabflüsse als 225 l/s km² (6,0 m³/s) kamen nur im Juli und August vor. Als Maximum wurden Abflußwerte bis zu 640 l/s km² Gletscherfläche im Tagesmittel erreicht, entsprechen 55m Abflußhöhe von den Schnee- und Eisflächen. Der exponentielle Abfall der Abflußganglinie vom Herbst zum Minimum im Frühjahr deutet an, daß es sich bei Winterwasser vorwiegend um das verzögerte Abfließen von in den Gletschern zurückgehaltenem Schmelzwasser aus der vorangegangenen Ablationsperiode handelt. Das Ansteigen der Wasserführung nach dem Beiginn der Schneeschmelze im Frühjahr erfolgt wegen des Wiedergefrierens von Schmelzwasser und wegen des Retentionsvermögens der Schneedecke mit einiger Verzörgerung.Die unperiodischen Schwankungen im Abflußgang stehen in engem Zusammenhang mit Wettervorgängen, wobei Schneeniederschlägen die Größte Bedeutung zukommt, weil die hohe Albedo einer Neuschneedecke die Ablation auf den Gletschern tagelang fast völlig unterbrechen kann. Aus zweistündigen Mittelwerten wurde für die Monate Juni bis September der mittlere Tagesgang der Wasserführung ermittelt. Die Ursache für das frühere Eintreten des taglichen Abflußmaximums im Spätsommer durfte verminderte Abflußverzögerung sein. Die Beziehung zwischen den Abflußwerten der Pegel Steg-Hospiz und Vent läßt einen Jahresgang erkennen.

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Summary During the International Geophysical Years 1957–1959 the run-off from Hintereisferner and Kesselwandferner was recorded by a stream gauge installed at an altitude of 2287 m. a. s. 1. The annual run-off in relation to mass budget and precipitation has already been reported in [10, 11]. In the present report characteristic features of run-off from a catchment area (26.6 km²) glaciated to 58 per cent shall be discussed with regard to the meteorological conditions.In the budget years 1957/58 and 1958/59 the yearly run-off was 1848 mm and 1770 mm, respectively. Owing to the strongly negative mass budget of the glaciers the glacier quota of 24 per cent and of 20 per cent, respectively, of the annual run-off was exceptionally high. Winter run-off (October to March) amounting to 5 per cent and to 10 per cent, respectively, of the yearly run-off was only small while July to September supplied 76 per cent and 72 per cent, respectively. The maximum monthly run-off was recorded in August 1958 with 575 mm, and in July 1959 with 559 mm.The frequency distribution of the daily run-off in 1957/58 showed a period of low run-off during 217 days (October to May, 59 per cent of the year) with daily means below 18.8 l/s km² (0.5 m³/s). Daily run-off exceeding 225 l/s km² (6.0 m³/s) occurred only in July and August. Daily means exceeding 338 l/s km² (9.0 m³/s) were recorded only three times in July. The maximum daily means of run-off were up to 640 l/s km² of glacier surface which corresponds to 55 mm of run-off from the snow and ice surfaces. The highest two hourly mean value was 950 l/s km² of the glacier surface. The exponential decrease of the run-off curve from fall to the minimum in spring indicates that winter water consists mainly of the delayed run-off of melt water stored in the glaciers during the preceding ablation period. Owing to the refreezing of the melt water and to the storage capacity of the snow cover run-off is somewhat delayed after the snow melt has set in.The aperiodic variations in the run-off are closely related to weather conditions. Snow falls are of primary importance as the high albedo of a fresh snow cover may interrupt ablation on glaciers almost completely for days. The mean daily variation of run-off was determined from two-hourly mean values for the period June to September. The early occurrence of the daily run-off. The relation between the run-off values recorded at the water gauges Steg-Hospiz and Vent indicates and annual variation.

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Résumé Pendant les Années Géophysiques Internationales de 1957 à 1959 l'écoulement du Hintereisferner et du Kesselwandferner a été enregistré par un limnigraphe installé à une altitude 2287 m. Un rapport a déjà été présenté dans [10, 11] sur l'écoulement annuel en rapport avec le bilan hydrologique du bassin. Dans le présent rapoort il sera traité des caractères spécifiques de l'écoulement d'un bassin dont 58% sont recouverts par le glacier, les quels seront mis en rapport avec les conditions météorologiques.L'écoulement annuel au cours de l'année hydrologique 1957/58 a été de 1848 mm et dans l'année hydrologique 1958/59 de 1770 mm. L'eau libérée par la perte de substance glacière représente 24% pour 1957/58 et 20% pour 1958/59 de l'écoulement annuel. Les pourcentages extrêmement élevés doivent être attribués au bilan fortement négatif des glaciers. L'écoulement d'hiver (Octobre à Mars) représentant 5% pour l'année 1957/58 et 10% pour 1958/59 de l'écoulement annuel a été petit tandis que les trois mois d'été (Juillet–Septembre) fournissaient 76% (1957/58) et 72% (1958/59). L'écoulement mensuel le plus élevé a été enregistré en Aôut 1958 avec 575 mm, et, en Juillet 1959 avec 559 mm.La répartition des fréquences des écoulements journaliers pour l'année 1957/58 indique une période d'étiage de 217 jours (Octobre à Mai, 59% de l'année) avec valeurs journalières en dessous de 18.8 l/s km² (0.5 m³/s). Des écoulements dépassant 225 l/s km² (6.0 m³/s) n'ont été enregistrés qu'en Juillet et Aôut. Les moyennes journalières n'ont dépassé les 338 l/s km² (9.0 m³/s) que trois fois en Juillet. Les valeurs maximums des moyennes journalières d'écoulement se sont élevées à 640 l/s km² de la surface des glaciers, correspondant à 55 mm d'écoulement des surfaces de neige et de glace. La valeur maximum d'une moyenne de deux heures a été de 950 l/s km² de la surface des glaciers. La chute exponentielle de la courbe d'écoulement allant de l'automne au minimum enregistré au printemps indique que dans les cas d'étiage il s'agit de l'écoulement retardé des aux de fonte refenues dans les glaciers pendant la période d'ablation précédente. L'accroissement de l'écoulement après le comencement de la fonte de neige au printemps est retardé dans une certaine mesure par le regel des aux de fonte et la capacité de rétention de la couche de neige. Les variations apériodiques dans l'écoulement sont en relations étroites avec les conditions atmospheriques dont les chutes de neige sont de la plus grade importance car l'albédo élevé d'une couche de neige fraîche interrompt parfois et presque complétement l'ablation sur les glaciers pour des jours entiers.L'amplitude moyenne de la variation journalière de l'écoulement a été, pour les mois de Juin à Septembre, détérminée à la base des valeurs moyennes de deux heures. L'apparition précoce du maximum d'écoulement journalier en fin d'été est probablement due à la diminution du retardement de l'écoulement en cette période. La relation entre le valeurs d'écoulement des limnigraphes de Steg-Hospiz et de Vent met en évidence une variation annuelle.

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Die für diesen Bericht erforderliche weitere Bearbeitung der Abflußdaten und die Fertigstellung des Manuskriptes wurde dem Verfasser im Rahmen seiner Tätigkeit bei der Kommission für Glaziologie an der Bayerischen Akademie der Wissenschaften ermöglicht, wofür an dieser Stelle gedankt sei.     

Preliminary Interlaboratory Trial for ISO/DIS 12010: Determination of Short Chain Polychlorinated Alkanes (SCCP) in Water

A first preliminary interlaboratory trial was planned to prepare ISO/DIS 12010: Water quality – determination of short chain polychlorinated alkanes (SCCP) in water – method using GC/MS and electron capture negative ionisation (ECNI). The task was to determine the sum of short chain polychlorinated n‐alkanes with carbon chain lengths of C₁₀–C₁₃ and a chlorine content between 49 and 67% in water by GC‐ECNI‐MS and quantification by multiple linear regression described in ISO/DIS 12010 as the compulsory method. Distributed samples were obtained from a real water extract spiked with a target concentration of 0.4 µg/mL sum of SCCP, i.e. the environmental quality target level according to the Water Framework Directive. The interlaboratory trial included the calibration, a column chromatographic clean up, a concentration step and an integration of chromatographic unresolved humps as well as the quantification with multiple linear regression. Reproducibility standard deviations between 21.5 and 22.9% were achieved by 17 participating laboratories from four countries. The method outlined no significant difference of the results between the standard solution and a real water matrix extract. On the basis of this succeeded preliminary interlaboratory trial the final interlaboratory trial for validation of ISO 12010 was prepared in autumn 2010.