Warm frontal structure in association with a rapidly deepening extratropical cyclone

Abstract

The detailed characteristics of a CASPII warm frontal passage are presented in this article. This storm, Intensive Operating Period (IOP) 13 (February 26–27, 1992), was observed in detail with an array of diverse instruments. It has the advantage over earlier freezing precipitation studies of having simultaneous, in situ and remote sensing measurements by aircraft and ground‐based Doppler radar.

The associated precipitation was in the form of banded structures parallel to the front. Within these bands were embedded precipitation cores, some parallel to the band, some perpendicular. The warm front itself was characterized by major perturbations in its kinematic and thermodynamic features. The cores oriented parallel to the front were the result of embedded convection generated, at least in part, by the irregularities in the frontal surface.

The cores oriented perpendicular to the front were closely associated with the 0°C isotherm on the underside of the frontal inversion. Precipitation phase changes played a significant role in the occurrence of wide near 0°C regions, both vertically and horizontally. These regions had a profound influence on the observed precipitation types and led to complex precipitation‐thermodynamic‐dynamic interactions. Instabilities produced by these interactions are seen in wave‐like features observed by the Doppler radar in these regions, both parallel and perpendicular to the frontal zone.     

North Atlantic climate impact on early late‐glacial climate oscillations in the south‐eastern Alps inferred from a multi‐proxy lake sediment record

High‐resolution multi‐proxy analyses of a sediment core section from Lake Jeserzersee (Saissersee) in the piedmont lobe of the Würmian Drau glacier (Carinthia, Austria) reveal pronounced climatic oscillations during the early late glacial (ca. 18.5–16.0k cal a BP). Diatom‐inferred epilimnetic summer water temperatures show a close correspondence with temperature reconstructions from the adjacent Lake Längsee record and, on a hemispheric scale, with fluctuations of ice‐rafted debris in the North Atlantic. This suggests that North Atlantic climate triggered summer climate variability in the Alps during the early late glacial. The expansion of pine (mainly dwarf pine) between ca. 18.5 and 18.1k cal a BP indicates warming during the so‐called ‘Längsee oscillation’. The subsequent stepwise climate deterioration between ca. 18.1 and 17.6k cal a BP culminated in a tripartite cold period between ca. 17.6 and 16.9k cal a BP with diatom‐inferred summer water temperatures 8.5–10 °C below modern values and a shift from wet to dry conditions. This period probably coincides with a major Alpine glacier advance termed the Gschnitz stadial. A warmer interval between ca. 16.9 and 16.4k cal a BP separates this cold phase from a second, shorter and less pronounced cold phase between ca. 16.4 and 16.0k cal a BP, which is thought to correlate with the Clavadel/Senders glacier advance in the Alps. The following temperature increase, coupled with wet (probably snow‐rich) conditions, caused the expansion of birch during the transition period to the late glacial interstadial. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

ESR dating of palaeolithic calcite: A comparison between powder and monocrystal spectra with thermal annealing

Evolution of ESR spectra with thermal annealing at different temperatures is studied for a monocrystal calcite taken in the Orgnac III site. Up to 20 ESR lines are recognized from the angular dependence of these lines. These lines are compared with the ESR lines observed for powder and rotating monocrystal calcites.The h1 line (g = 2.0057) and h3 line (g = 2.0007) are isotropic or nearly isotropic and are due to the electrons trapped in the amorphous region formed by fission tracks or alpha-ray recoil nuclei. The h2 line (g = 2.0021) is a composite of several different lines.     

Inversion for seismic anisotropy using genetic algorithms1

A general inversion scheme based on a genetic algorithm is developed to invert seismic observations for anisotropic parameters. The technique is applied to the inversion of shear-wave observations from two azimuthal VSP data sets from the Conoco test site in Oklahoma. Horizontal polarizations and time-delays are inverted for hexagonal and orthorhombic symmetries. The model solutions are consistent with previous studies using trial and error matching of full waveform synthetics. The shear-wave splitting observations suggest the presence of a shear-wave line singularity and are consistent with a dipping fracture system which is known to exist at the test site. Application of the inversion scheme prior to full waveform modelling demonstrates that a considerable saving in time is possible whilst retaining the same degree of accuracy.     

Electron microscopic examination of hydrothermally treated bentonite clay

Water-saturated Na bentonite clay with a bulk density of 2 g/cm³ was autoclaved at 150 and 200°C for up to 0.5 years and then left to rest under confined conditions at room temperature for several weeks. Transmission electron microscopy with elemental micro-analysis was applied to study hydrothermally induced changes, which were found to have the form of particle reorganization and, at 200°C, release and precipitation of silica. The precipitations are suspected to be hydrated amorphous silica gels. The microstructural alteration, which was more obvious at 200°C than at 150°C, involved regrouping of previously dispersed and expanded stacks of montmorillonite flakes to yield dense branches of interwoven, contracted stacks separated by large voids.     

Remote sensing of substances in water

Remote sensing of water colour and its application to the mapping of pigments, suspended matter and other substances by means of airborne and spaceborne sensors is discussed. After an introduction to the physical process involved, the methods for a quantitative interpretation especially of CZCS data are indicated. Applications towards the monitoring of coastal pollution, of algae blooms and of dynamic processes are shown by means of selected examples. Multispectral scanner and imaging spectrometer technologies are discussed with special reference to NASA's Earth Observation System and ESA's Earth Observation Programme.     

Diatomeen-, pollen- und sedimentmikrostratigraphische Untersuchungen zur anthropogenen Beeinflussung des Höllerer Sees (Oberösterreich)

A profundal sediment core from Höllerer See frozen in situ was studied by means of diatom, microstratigraphical tape peel and pollen analyses. Varved sequences reflect eutrophication during mediaeval settlement and according to varve counts a recent eutrophic phase since the 1970's. Mesotrophication in-between coincides with regrowth of forests near the lake.

     

The physical state of pore water of na smectite used as barrier component

The molecules constituting the first hydrate layers on montmorillonite crystal platelets appear to be characterized by preferred orientation and, depending on the exchangeable cation, by an ice-like configuration. Such organized interlamellar water is concluded to contribute to the high swelling pressure and shear resistance, as well as to the very low hydraulic conductivity at high clay bulk densities. At low densities the parallel arrangement of the lamellae alters to edge-to-face associations and the fraction of free water increases. However, even at very low densities the homogeneity of the clay gel still offers very tortuous passages to flowing water, which is manifested by a very low hydraulic conductivity.     

Creep in rock as a stochastic process

The heterogeneous character of rock suggests the use of statistical mechanics for the formulation of models of plasticity and creep. A stochastic creep model which allows for large variations in strength and size of the involved rock mass is outlined. The model, which is analogous to a previously developed concept for clastic materials, is shown to account rather well for typical creep behaviour of rock at moderate stresses and temperatures. Thus, it yields the often observed linear relation between the creep strain and the logarithm of time.