Persistence of Planetary Waves in the Lower Ionosphere

The transient planetary waves in the atmosphere and ionosphere seem to occur in the form of bursts of a couple of waves with limited persistence. To study persistence of planetary wave events in the lower ionosphere, data from two radio paths from Central Europe are used, Luxembourg – Panská Ves (f = 6.09 MHz, f _eq = 2.1-2.2 MHz) and Deutschlandfunk – Panská Ves (f = 1539 kHz, f _eq = 650-700 kHz). The absorption along the former radio paths is formed very predominantly at altitudes of about 90-100 km, whereas the latter absorption is formed mostly at altitudes of about 85-90 km. The persistence of planetary wave type oscillations is studied in three period bands centred at 5, 10 and 16 days. Waves with period T near 5 days reveal a typical persistence of wave events around 5 cycles. Waves with T = 10 days are less persistent with a typical persistence of 3-4 cycles. The typical persistence of waves T = 16 days is no more than 3 cycles. In terms of number of cycles, the persistence of oscillations evidently decreases with increasing period. On the other hand, in terms of number of days, the persistence seems rather to increase with increasing period.     

Validity of the Relations Between the Synodic and Sidereal Rotation Velocities of the Sun

Existing methods for conversion between synodic and sidereal rotation velocities of the Sun are tested for validity using state-of-the-art ephemeris data. We found that some of them agree well with ephemeris calculations while others show a discrepancy of almost 0.01^° day^?1. This discrepancy is attributed to a missing factor and a new corrected relation is given.     

Downdraft effects in a shallow convection adjustment

Summary The paper deals with the role of penetrative downdrafts in the convective adjustment suggested by Betts[1]. Three different types of downdraft sinking levels are used in the assessment of the reference profiles of temperature and humidity in cumulus cloud layers and these are compared with the profiles with no downdraft. It is shown that the depths of downdraft penetration may significantly influence the reference profiles mainly for clouds of vertical extents larger than one kilometre.     

A spatial fuzzy influence diagram for modelling spatial objects’ dependencies: a case study on tree-related electric outages

Spatial objects can be interconnected and mutually dependent in complex ways. In Geographical Information Science, spatial objects’ topological relationships are not discussed together with their attributes’ dependencies, and the vagueness of spatial objects is often ignored during the spatial modelling process. To address this, a spatial fuzzy influence diagram (SFID) is introduced. Compared to the traditional statistical or fuzzy modelling approach, the influence diagram brings advantages in helping decision-makers structure complex interdependency problems. A questionnaire was developed to evaluate the applicability of using an influence diagram in modelling spatial objects’ dependencies. As a case study, an SFID is applied to tree-related electric outages. The result of the case study is represented as a vulnerability map of electrical networks. The map shows areas at risk due to tree-related electric outages. The results were first validated by using a visual comparison of the vulnerability map and electricity fault data. In the second validation step, the percentage of fault data, which has received values in different vulnerability categories, was calculated. The results of the case study can be used to support the decision-making process of electrical network maintenance and planning.     

Long-term variations in geomagnetic and solar activities and secular variations of the geomagnetic field components

Summary After the removal of the eleven-year periodicity, long-term patterns of the aa indices of geomagnetic activity and of Wolf's sunspot numbers are defined. The positions of maxima and minima exhibit the same regularities as the secular variations of the geomagnetic filed components. This result is associated with the motion of the Sun round the barycentre of the solar system.Presented at symposium Planet 88, Tihany, September 1988.     

Time profiles of solar irradiance dips

ACRIM data have been analyzed to study the time profiles of simple irradiance dips caused by single active regions. Comparison of the average characteristics of the dips appearing in the minimum and maximum of the solar cycle shows that there are no significant differences. In both periods we disclosed the facular irradiance excess in the profile wings having typical duration of two to three days and an amplitude of about 20% of the dip amplitude. The profiles were asymmetric, with a stronger and longer excess in the trailing wing. We determined an average profile which was attributed to an idealized active region, and we calculated the luminosity perturbation caused by it. Excess radiation in the wings of the profile compensates about 1/3 of the deficit in the dip. In the most simple case from our sample we compared the profile based on ACRIM measurements and the proxy profile estimated using sunspot and plage areas published in Solar Geophysical Data catalogues. The comparison indicates that the facular excess was compensating instantaneously about 2/3 of the luminosity deficit caused by sunspots.     

The paleolimnological analysis of sediments from high mountain lake Nižné Terianske pleso in the High Tatras (Slovakia)

Sedimentological climate proxies and a 200-year long climate record, reconstructed using a data-set of European-wide meteorological data, have been compared at the high mountain lake Niné Terianske pleso in the High Tatras, Slovakia. Diatoms, chrysophyte stomatocysts, chironomids, plant pigments and spheroidal carbonaceous particles (SCPs) were analysed as well as sediment lithostratigraphic parameters. Using a radiometric approach the sediment core was dated and a depth of 4.6 cm was found to correspond to 1852 AD. The sediment accumulation rate (0.0034 g·cm^–2·yr^–1) was one of the lowest identified in the European mountain lake project, MOLAR. Despite this slow accumulation rate a remarkably coherent lithological and stratigraphic record has been recovered. The sediments of this remote mountain site, largely free from the effects of direct human impact, have been found to display a wealth of variability over the last 200 years.The record of spheroidal carbonaceous particles, indicators of anthropogenic pollution deposition, begins around 4.5–5.0 cm in depth (1833–1857). Temporal patterns are typical of European lake sites with the concentration peaking in the late 1970's. The SCP/²¹⁰Pb inventory ratio for the site is also in good agreement with the European latitudinal pattern. A strong influence of sample age on the chrysophyte assemblage composition in the upper-most 4–6 cm indicates that the main changes in the cysts have been related to long term environmental changes, probably pH. Analysis of chironomid remains revealed a stable profundal community. Chironomids as a whole showed no correlations to temperature fluctuations in the last 200 years. Relatively abundant remains of Diamesa sp. head capsules and other taxa closely associated with stream conditions in the older layers contrast with the absence of Diamesa sp. in the recent sediments. This change is considered to be evidence for the existence of a stronger, more stable inlet supplied from permanent granular snow fields in the lake basin. The most important changes in diatom assemblages were observed at 3cm. Many species of the genus Achnanthes spp. together with Navicula schmassmannii and Orthoseira roeseana made up the greatest part of the diatom community above 3 cm, being absent or rare lower in the record. A positive correlation between diatoms and mean summer temperature was found.