Performance of the improved Abel transform to estimate electron density profiles from GPS occultation data

The Abel inversion is a straightforward tool to retrieve high-resolution vertical profiles of electron density from GPS radio occultations gathered by low earth orbiters (LEO). Nevertheless, the classical approach of this technique is limited by the assumption that the electron density in the vicinity of the occultation depends only on height (i.e., spherical symmetry), which is not realistic particularly in low-latitude regions or during ionospheric storms. Moreover, with the advent of recent satellite missions with orbits placed around 400 km (such as CHAMP satellite), an additional issue has to be dealt with: the treatment of the electron content above the satellite orbits. This paper extends the performance study of a method, proposed by the authors in previous works, which tackles both problems using an assumption of electron-density separability between the vertical total electron content and a shape function. This allows introducing horizontal information into the classic Abel inversion. Moreover, using both positive and negative elevation data makes it feasible to take into account the electron content above the LEO as well. Different data sets involving different periods of the solar cycle, periods of the day and satellites are studied in this work, confirming the benefits of this improved Abel transform approach.     

旋转流地转适应过程与能量转换规律

利用一维线性浅水模式从一个比较普遍的角度对地转适应过程中能量转换的特点进行分析。中首先考虑了两类不同的初始不平衡流的适应问题。一个是Gill所采用的质量不平衡模型，即初始场是静止的，只有水面扰动；另一个是Rossby中所考虑的动量不平衡模型，其初始不平衡流中只有风场的扰动，对这两个模型的适应过程而言，一个显的 特点就是能量转换率始终不会大于1／2或小于0，即适应过程中有位（动）能的释放和向动（位）能的转换，但释放出的能量最多只有其中的一半可以保留在最后的平衡场中。另外，本对任意初始不平衡流适应过程中的能量学特征也进行了分析，指出对于偏差场（相对于一定基本态）的动能和位能而言，上述能量转换关系依然成立。     

Are Natural Climate Forcings Able to Counteract the Projected Anthropogenic Global Warming?

A two-dimensional global climate model is used to assessthe climatic changes associated with the new IPCC SRES emissions scenarios and to determine which kind of changes in total solar irradiance and volcanic perturbations could mask the projected anthropogenic global warming associated to the SRES scenarios. Our results suggest that only extremely unlikely changes in total solar irradiance and/or volcanic eruptions would be able to overcome the simulated anthropogenic global warming over the century. Nevertheless, in the critical interval of the next two decades the externally-driven natural climate variability might possibly confuse the debate about temperature trends and impede detection of the anthropogenic climate change signal.     

Daily Meteorological Observations in Cádiz – San Fernando. Analysis of the Documentary Sources and the Instrumental Data Content (1786–1996)

Meteorological observations in the city of Cádiz are acknowledged as having been made from the middle of the 18th century onwards although they were only recorded and preserved in documentary form from 1789 onwards. Data readings were taken at the new Naval Observatory in San Fernando, ten kilometres from Cádiz, from 1797 onwards. Continuous series for temperature and atmospheric pressure at a daily resolution have been compiled and constructed from 1817 until 1996. The data series is composed of thrice daily observations made at Cádiz (1821–1880) by local observers and hourly data from Naval Observatory at San Fernando (1870–1996).     

Groundwater-flow modeling in the Yucatan karstic aquifer, Mexico

The current conceptual model of the unconfined karstic aquifer in the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico, is that a fresh-water lens floats above denser saline water that penetrates more than 40 km inland. The transmissivity of the aquifer is very high so the hydraulic gradient is very low, ranging from 7–10 mm/km through most of the northern part of the peninsula. The computer modeling program AQUIFER was used to investigate the regional groundwater flow in the aquifer. The karstified zone was modeled using the assumption that it acts hydraulically similar to a granular, porous medium. As part of the calibration, the following hypotheses were tested: (1) karstic features play an important role in the groundwater-flow system; (2) a ring or belt of sinkholes in the area is a manifestation of a zone of high transmissivity that facilitates the channeling of groundwater toward the Gulf of Mexico; and (3) the geologic features in the southern part of Yucatan influence the groundwater-flow system. The model shows that the Sierrita de Ticul fault, in the southwestern part of the study area, acts as a flow barrier and head values decline toward the northeast. The modeling also shows that the regional flow-system dynamics have not been altered despite the large number of pumping wells because the volume of water pumped is small compared with the volume of recharge, and the well-developed karst system of the region has a very high hydraulic conductivity. Electronic Publication     

Understanding Perturbation on the Simplex: A Simple Method to Better Visualize and Interpret Compositional Data in Ternary Diagrams

Perturbation is an operation defined on the simplex and can be used for centering compositional data in a ternary diagram, applying objective criteria. Because a straight line in the original diagram is still astraight line in the perturbed diagram, gridlines or compositional fields defined by straight lines can easily be included in the operation. Simultaneous perturbation of data, gridlines, and/or compositional fields is shown to improve both visualization and graphical interpretation of compositions in ternary diagrams. This is illustrated by some examples using simulated as well as real data.     

Simultaneous use of geochemical and geophysical methods to characterise abandoned landfills

. Groundwater sampling and geophysical methods determined a serious contamination problem associated with refilled exploitation sites at the Cal Dimoni area, Llobregat delta, Barcelona, Spain. To characterise this process, hydrogeochemical analyses were performed and showed the following modifications to groundwater chemical composition: increasing pH values, changing redox conditions, significant increases in total organic carbon (TOC) and certain trace elements, and high groundwater conductivity values. Major ion content accumulations were found under the refilled area. In contrast, elements involved in the oxidation–reduction processes, such as iron, manganese and nitrates, clearly diminished. Electromagnetic prospecting methods were also performed and delineated the contamination plume extent. These methods also showed separate sources of contamination, one clearly related to the groundwater–refilled zone leachate interaction, another as a consequence of the manure–accumulation surface site. Geochemical and geophysical methods have shown similar results for locating groundwater contamination sources, and for determining leachate generation mechanisms and flow paths.     

A powder diffraction quantification method (ALJOR) for atmospheric particulate matter

The percentage calculation of crystalline phases in atmospheric particulate matter samples by means of an adiabatic approach of the matrix-flushing method with preferred preparations that avoids preferential orientations, should never be interpreted as absolute values. On the contrary, it should be seen as an indicator of the significant differences between each and every analyzed sample. Factors such as the application of constants, which are only useful for preparations of polycrystalline samples free of preferential orientation, and/or like the deficient resolution shown by the diffraction diagrams for certain phyllosilicate phases, bring a high degree of uncertainty to these percentage calculations. An alternative method of crystalline and amorphous phase quantification is presented below. Once the majority phases in the samples were identified, appropriate pure phases corresponding to each of them were selected. Then, the corresponding calibration curves were built using corundum (number 676 NIST) as a reference pattern phase. After validating the obtained calibration curves, the constants corresponding to each phase and selected spacing were calculated. The ALJOR method has been used for the quantification of five samples.     

U–Pb evidence for a polyorogenic evolution of the HP–HT units of the NW Iberian Massif

. A isotope dilution thermal ionisation mass spectrometry U-Pb geochronological study was carried out on the high-pressure and high-temperature units (HP-HT units) overlying the oceanic suture in the Allochthonous Complexes of the NW Iberian Variscan Belt. The rocks investigated are seven granulite- to eclogite-facies paragneisses and one leucosome within mafic high-pressure granulites in the Ordenes and Cabo Ortegal Complexes of NW Spain. U-Pb dating of zircon, monazite, titanite and rutile reveal the presence of a pervasive Early Ordovician metamorphic event at ca. 500-480 Ma and a later Early Devonian event at ca. 400-380 Ma. The U-Pb ages, in conjunction with petrological and structural data, indicate that the high-pressure event recorded by these rocks is Early Ordovician in age. Monazite ages in the paragneisses suggest that peak metamorphic conditions were reached at ca. 500-485 Ma. Subsequently, the rock ensemble underwent exhumation accompanied by partial melting and zircon growth at ca. 485-470 Ma. Melting of mafic granulites was coeval with this latter episode as indicated by zircon crystallisation age in the leucosomes dated at ca. 486 Ma. Based on these data and on the general features of magmatism and metamorphic evolution, it is proposed that this process took place at a convergent plate boundary within a peri-Gondwanan oceanic domain. Monazite, titanite and rutile data in some of the samples studied show evidence of a second metamorphic episode that took place between ca. 400 and 380 Ma (with a peak at ca. 390-385 Ma). This Early Devonian event, at variance with the previous one, was not pervasive, but, rather, was localised in areas of intense Variscan tectonothermal reworking. It is claimed that this later metamorphic event was recorded by the U-Pb system in areas where monazite and titanite growth was enhanced by fluid circulation in highly strained rocks (Variscan shear zones). According to previous structural studies and Ar-Ar dating of fabrics, this Early Devonian episode took place as the HP-HT units were deformed and thrusted upon the ophiolitic units in the early stages of the Variscan collision.     

Al hematites prepared by homogeneous precipitation of oxinates: material characterization and determination of the Morin transition

A novel method for synthesis of aluminium hematites, based upon the homogeneous precipitation of Fe and Al oxinates in various proportions, is presented. The precursor precipitates are heated in air at 700?°C. X-ray diffraction, thermal analyses, BET, FTIR, optical reflection analysis, TEM and Mössbauer spectroscopy at room temperature and 80?K of the resulting products indicate that single-phase hematites are formed with structural Al substitution of up to 10 at%. Interestingly, the particle size (>100?nm) is not substantially reduced by the Al content. Although it remains difficult to obtain a homogeneously distributed Al substitution in the final hematite, this processing line offers a unique opportunity to separate the effects of grain size and Al substitution on the Morin transition temperature (T _M) of Al hematite. From the comparison between the present hematites and a series of Al-substituted hematites with lepidocrocite as precursor, it could be shown that the effect on T _M, associated with a change of a factor 10 in grain size, is about 1/3 of the effect caused by a change of 10 in the degree of substitution. Finally, it is suggested that proper thermal treatments under different conditions of the same precursors are likely to produce spinel phases.