Fire Danger Monitoring Using ERS-1 SAR Images in the Case of Northern Boreal Forests

Research was carried out to assess the potential of imaging radar systems formonitoring forest fire danger. In Canada, daily forest fire danger ratings are generated by the Canadian ForestFire Danger Rating System (CFFDRS), based on estimates of fire weather indices (FWI) and measured foliar moisturecontent (FMC). To evaluate the potential of imaging radar, an experiment was conducted using test sitesconsisting of jack pine, black spruce and white spruce stands located in the MacKenzie river basin, NorthwestTerritories, Canada. Radar image intensity values from ERS-1 SAR imagery collected over these stands in 1994 werecompared to FWI indices and FMC data. FWI indices were calculated using data from local weather stations.Seasonal trends in radar backscatter (⁰) were shown to correlate with temperature and precipitation. Significant relationships were found between ⁰ and FWI codes and indices, particularly in thecase of the black spruce stands, with slow-drying fuels, like duff moisture code (DMC), drought code (DC), and build-upindex (BUI). Rates of changes in ⁰were related to rates of changes in FMC, particularly in the case ofthe jack pine stands for old FMC and in the case of white spruce stands for composite FMC.     

Mineral/melt partitioning of trace elements during hydrous peridotite partial melting

This experimental study examines the mineral/melt partitioning of incompatible trace elements among high-Ca clinopyroxene, garnet, and hydrous silicate melt at upper mantle pressure and temperature conditions. Experiments were performed at pressures of 1.2 and 1.6 GPa and temperatures of 1,185 to 1,370 °C. Experimentally produced silicate melts contain up to 6.3 wt% dissolved H ₂O, and are saturated with an upper mantle peridotite mineral assemblage of olivine+orthopyroxene+clinopyroxene+spinel or garnet. Clinopyroxene/melt and garnet/melt partition coefficients were measured for Li, B, K, Sr, Y, Zr, Nb, and select rare earth elements by secondary ion mass spectrometry. A comparison of our experimental results for trivalent cations (REEs and Y) with the results from calculations carried out using the Wood-Blundy partitioning model indicates that H ₂O dissolved in the silicate melt has a discernible effect on trace element partitioning. Experiments carried out at 1.2 GPa, 1,315 °C and 1.6 GPa, 1,370 °C produced clinopyroxene containing 15.0 and 13.9 wt% CaO, respectively, coexisting with silicate melts containing ~1–2 wt% H ₂O. Partition coefficients measured in these experiments are consistent with the Wood-Blundy model. However, partition coefficients determined in an experiment carried out at 1.2 GPa and 1,185 °C, which produced clinopyroxene containing 19.3 wt% CaO coexisting with a high-H ₂O (6.26±0.10 wt%) silicate melt, are significantly smaller than predicted by the Wood-Blundy model. Accounting for the depolymerized structure of the H ₂O-rich melt eliminates the mismatch between experimental result and model prediction. Therefore, the increased Ca ²⁺ content of clinopyroxene at low-temperature, hydrous conditions does not enhance compatibility to the extent indicated by results from anhydrous experiments, and models used to predict mineral/melt partition coefficients during hydrous peridotite partial melting in the sub-arc mantle must take into account the effects of H ₂O on the structure of silicate melts.     

Estimates of future impacts of degrading streams in the deep loess soil region of western Iowa on private and public infrastructure costs

In the beginning of the 20th century, many streams in western Iowa were channelized to reduce flooding and to open swamp land to cultivation. Channel straightening accomplished its goal. However, it resulted in greater streamflow velocities, causing stream channels to degrade. This degradation has resulted in significant loss of land and damage to transportation and communications infrastructure in western Iowa and in several states in the United States. Baumel et al. (1994; Impact of Degrading Western Iowa Streams on Private and Public Infrastructure Costs. Final Report Iowa DOT HR-352, Stream Stabilization in Western Iowa) estimated the historical cost of this degradation on land loss and damage to transportation and communications infrastructure in western Iowa. The purpose of this paper is to extend the Baumel et al. analysis to estimate future degradation costs on 141 streams in western Iowa. It also presents two types of degradation cost estimates. One is a time neutral cost that does not consider the dates on which the degradation costs are incurred. The second is a time value cost which considers the dates on which the costs are incurred and then discounts these costs back to 1992 dollars. The time value costs are the more accurate estimates of the cost of future degradation in 1992 dollars and should be used to evaluate stream stabilization project proposals.     

The influence of water on melting of mantle peridotite

This experimental study examines the effects of variable concentrations of dissolved H₂O on the compositions of silicate melts and their coexisting mineral assemblage of olivine + orthopyroxene ± clinopyroxene ± spinel ± garnet. Experiments were performed at pressures of 1.2 to 2.0 GPa and temperatures of 1100 to 1345 °C, with up to ∼12 wt% H₂O dissolved in the liquid. The effects of increasing the concentration of dissolved H₂O on the major element compositions of melts in equilibrium with a spinel lherzolite mineral assemblage are to decrease the concentrations of SiO₂, FeO, MgO, and CaO. The concentration of Al₂O₃ is unaffected. The lower SiO₂ contents of the hydrous melts result from an increase in the activity coefficient for SiO₂ with increasing dissolved H₂O. The lower concentrations of FeO and MgO result from the lower temperatures at which H₂O-bearing melts coexist with mantle minerals as compared to anhydrous melts. These compositional changes produce an elevated SiO₂/(MgO + FeO) ratio in hydrous peridotite partial melts, making them relatively SiO₂ rich when compared to anhydrous melts on a volatile-free basis. Hydrous peridotite melting reactions are affected primarily by the lowered mantle solidus. Temperature-induced compositional variations in coexisting pyroxenes lower the proportion of clinopyroxene entering the melt relative to orthopyroxene. Isobaric batch melting calculations indicate that fluid-undersaturated peridotite melting is characterized by significantly lower melt productivity than anhydrous peridotite melting, and that the peridotite melting process in subduction zones is strongly influenced by the composition of the H₂O-rich component introduced into the mantle wedge from the subducted slab. Received: 7 April 1997 / Accepted: 9 January 1998     

On the use of loss‐on‐ignition techniques to quantify fluvial particulate organic carbon

The fluvial flux of carbon (C) from terrestrial to marine environments represents an important component of the global C‐cycle, which can transfer C from the atmosphere to sedimentary storage. Fluvial fluxes of C are also an essential resource for freshwater ecosystems, critical for habitat heterogeneity and function. As such it is crucial that we are able to quantify this flux accurately. However, at present there are a number of different techniques used to quantify concentrations of fluvial C, and these techniques vary in their accuracy. In this article, we compare particulate organic carbon (POC) measurements derived from two commonly‐used techniques; a simple combustion and loss‐on‐ignition (LOI) technique, and an oxidative–combustion and carbon dioxide (CO₂) detection technique. The techniques were applied to water samples collected from 10 contrasting reference‐condition, temperate river ecosystems. The POC measurements derived from the LOI technique were up to 16 times higher (average four times higher), than those derived from the oxidative–combustion and CO₂ detection technique. This difference was highly variable both across the different river ecosystems and within each river ecosystem over time, suggesting that there is no simple way of converting the mass measured by LOI to estimates of fluvial POC. It is suggested that the difference in POC measured by these two techniques is a consequence of: (1) the loss of inorganic carbon at LOI combustion temperatures of > 425 °C, (2) the potential during the LOI combustion stage to lose hygroscopic and intercrystalline water, not completely driven off by the drying stage at temperatures of < 150 °C, and (3) the variable C content of fluvial organic matter, meaning that the simple application of a fixed correction factor to values obtained from the LOI technique may not be appropriate. These findings suggest that oxidative–combustion and CO₂ detection techniques are preferential for quantifying fluvial POC. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Hydrogeology of desert springs in the Panamint Range,California, USA: Identifying the sources and amount of recharge that support spring flow

Despite its location in the rain shadow of the southern Sierra Nevada, the Panamint Range hosts a complex mountain groundwater system supporting numerous springs which have cultural, historical, and ecological importance. The sources of recharge that support these quintessential desert springs remain poorly quantified since very little hydrogeological research has been completed in the Panamint Range. Here we address the following questions: (i) what is the primary source of recharge that supports springs in the Panamint Range (snowmelt or rainfall), (ii) where is the recharge occurring (mountain-block, mountain-front, or mountain-system) and (iii) how much recharge occurs in the Panamint Range? We answer questions (i) and (ii) using stable isotopes measured in spring waters and precipitation, and question (iii) using a chloride mass-balance approach which is compared to a derivation of the Maxey–Eakin equation. Our dataset of the stable isotopic composition (δ¹⁸O and δ²H) of precipitation is short (1.5 years), but analyses on spring water samples indicate that high-elevation snowmelt is the dominant source of recharge for these springs, accounting for 57 (±9) to 79 (±12) percent of recharge. Recharge from rainfall is small but not insignificant. Mountain-block recharge is the dominant recharge mechanism. However, two basin springs emerging along the western mountain-front of the Panamint Range in Panamint Valley appear to be supported by mountain-front and mountain-system recharge, while Tule Spring (a basin spring emerging at the terminus of the bajada on the eastern side of the Panamint Range) appears to be supported by mountain-front recharge. Calculated recharge rates range from 19 mm year⁻¹ (elevations < 1000 mrsl) to 388 mm year⁻¹ (elevations > 1000 mrsl). The average annual recharge is approximately 91 mm year⁻¹ (equivalent to 19.4 percent of total annual precipitation). We infer that the springs in the Panamint Range (and their associated ecosystems) are extremely vulnerable to changes in snow cover associated with climate change. They are heavily dependent on snowmelt recharge from a relatively thin annual snowpack. These findings have important implications for the vulnerability of desert springs worldwide.     

Nitrogen solubility in basaltic melt. Part I. Effect of oxygen fugacity

The role of the oxygen fugacity on the incorporation of nitrogen in basaltic magmas has been investigated using one atmosphere high temperature equilibration of tholeiitic-like compositions under controlled nitrogen and oxygen partial pressures in the [C-N-O] system. Nitrogen was extracted with a CO₂ laser under high vacuum and analyzed by static mass spectrometry. Over a redox range of 18 oxygen fugacity log units, this study shows that the incorporation of nitrogen in silicate melts follows two different behaviors. For log fO₂ values between −0.7 and −10.7 (the latter corresponding to IW − 1.3), nitrogen dissolves as a N₂ molecule into cavities of the silicate network (physical solubility). Nitrogen presents a constant solubility (Henry’s) coefficient of 2.21 ± 0.53 × 10⁻⁹ mol g⁻¹ atm⁻¹ at 1425°C, identical within uncertainties to the solubility of argon. Further decrease in the oxygen fugacity (log fO₂ between −10.7 and −18 corresponding to the range from IW − 1.3 to IW − 8.3) results in a drastic increase of the solubility of nitrogen by up to 5 orders of magnitude as nitrogen becomes chemically bounded with atoms of the silicate melt network (chemical solubility). The present results strongly suggest that under reducing conditions nitrogen dissolves in silicate melts as N³⁻ species rather than as CN⁻ cyanide radicals. The nitrogen content of a tholeiitic magma equilibrated with N₂ is computed from thermochemical processing of our data set as

     

THERMAP: a mid-infrared spectro-imager for space missions to small bodies in the inner solar system

We present THERMAP, a mid-infrared spectro-imager for space missions to small bodies in the inner solar system, developed in the framework of the MarcoPolo-R asteroid sample return mission. THERMAP is very well suited to characterize the surface thermal environment of a NEO and to map its surface composition. The instrument has two channels, one for imaging and one for spectroscopy: it is both a thermal camera with full 2D imaging capabilities and a slit spectrometer. THERMAP takes advantage of the recent technological developments of uncooled microbolometer arrays, sensitive in the mid-infrared spectral range. THERMAP can acquire thermal images (8–18 μm) of the surface and perform absolute temperature measurements with a precision better than 3.5 K above 200 K. THERMAP can acquire mid-infrared spectra (8–16 μm) of the surface with a spectral resolution Δλ of 0.3 μm. For surface temperatures above 350 K, spectra have a signal-to-noise ratio >60 in the spectral range 9–13 μm where most emission features occur.     

MarcoPolo-R near earth asteroid sample return mission

MarcoPolo-R is a sample return mission to a primitive Near-Earth Asteroid (NEA) proposed in collaboration with NASA. It will rendezvous with a primitive NEA, scientifically characterize it at multiple scales, and return a unique sample to Earth unaltered by the atmospheric entry process or terrestrial weathering. MarcoPolo-R will return bulk samples (up to 2?kg) from an organic-rich binary asteroid to Earth for laboratory analyses, allowing us to: explore the origin of planetary materials and initial stages of habitable planet formation; identify and characterize the organics and volatiles in a primitive asteroid; understand the unique geomorphology, dynamics and evolution of a binary NEA. This project is based on the previous Marco Polo mission study, which was selected for the Assessment Phase of the first round of Cosmic Vision. Its scientific rationale was highly ranked by ESA committees and it was not selected only because the estimated cost was higher than the allotted amount for an M class mission. The cost of MarcoPolo-R will be reduced to within the ESA medium mission budget by collaboration with APL (John Hopkins University) and JPL in the NASA program for coordination with ESA’s Cosmic Vision Call. The baseline target is a binary asteroid (175706) 1996 FG3, which offers a very efficient operational and technical mission profile. A binary target also provides enhanced science return. The choice of this target will allow new investigations to be performed more easily than at a single object, and also enables investigations of the fascinating geology and geophysics of asteroids that are impossible at a single object. Several launch windows have been identified in the time-span 2020–2024. A number of other possible primitive single targets of high scientific interest have been identified covering a wide range of possible launch dates. The baseline mission scenario of MarcoPolo-R to 1996 FG3 is as follows: a single primary spacecraft provided by ESA, carrying the Earth Re-entry Capsule, sample acquisition and transfer system provided by NASA, will be launched by a Soyuz-Fregat rocket from Kourou into GTO and using two space segment stages. Two similar missions with two launch windows, in 2021 and 2022 and for both sample return in 2029 (with mission duration of 7 and 8?years), have been defined. Earlier or later launches, in 2020 or 2024, also offer good opportunities. All manoeuvres are carried out by a chemical propulsion system. MarcoPolo-R takes advantage of three industrial studies completed as part of the previous Marco Polo mission (see ESA/SRE (2009)3, Marco Polo Yellow Book) and of the expertise of the consortium led by Dr. A.F. Cheng (PI of the NASA NEAR Shoemaker mission) of the JHU-APL, including JPL, NASA ARC, NASA LaRC, and MIT.     

The 2010 European Venus Explorer (EVE) mission proposal

The European Venus Explorer (EVE) mission described in this paper was proposed in December 2010 to ESA as an ‘M-class’ mission under the Cosmic Vision programme. It consists of a single balloon platform floating in the middle of the main convective cloud layer of Venus at an altitude of 55?km, where temperatures and pressures are benign (～25°C and ～0.5 bar). The balloon float lifetime would be at least 10 Earth days, long enough to guarantee at least one full circumnavigation of the planet. This offers an ideal platform for the two main science goals of the mission: study of the current climate through detailed characterization of cloud-level atmosphere, and investigation of the formation and evolution of Venus, through careful measurement of noble gas isotopic abundances. These investigations would provide key data for comparative planetology of terrestrial planets in our solar system and beyond.