The GalileoJupiter Probe Doppler Wind Experiment

The GalileoJupiter atmospheric entry probe was launched along with the Galileoorbiter spacecraft from Cape Canaveral in Florida, USA, on October 18, 1989. Following a cruise of greater than six years, the probe arrived at Jupiter on December 7, 1995. During its 57-minute descent, instruments on the probe studied the atmospheric composition and structure, the clouds, lightning, and energy structure of the upper Jovian atmosphere. One of the two radio channels over which the experiment data was transmitted to the orbiter was driven by an ultrastable oscillator. All motions of the probe and orbiter, including the speed of probe descent, Jupiter's rotation, and the atmospheric winds, contributed to a Doppler shift of the probe radio frequency. By accurately measuring the frequency of the probe radio signal, an accurate time history of the probe–orbiter relative motions could be reconstructed. Knowledge of the nominal probe and orbiter trajectories allowed the nominal Doppler shift to be removed from the probe radio frequency leaving a measurable frequency residual arising primarily from the zonal winds in Jupiter's atmosphere, and micromotions of the probe arising from probe spin, swing under the parachute, atmospheric turbulence, and aerodynamic effects. Assuming that the zonal horizontal winds dominate the residual probe motion, a profile of frequency residuals was generated. Inversion of the frequency residuals resulted in the first in situ measurements of the vertical profile of Jupiter's deep zonal winds. It is found that beneath 700 mb, the winds are strong and prograde, rising rapidly to 170 m/s between 1 and 4 bars. Beneath 4 bars to 21 bars, the depth at which the link with the probe was lost, the winds remain constant and strong. When corrections for the high temperatures encountered by the probe are considered, there is no evidence of diminishing or strengthening of the zonal winds in the deepest regions explored by the Galileoprobe. Following the wind recovery, the frequency residuals offer tantalizing clues to microstructure in the atmospheric dynamics, including turbulence and wave motion.     

Anmeldelser

Meyer, Marlene: Settlement Patterns and Land-use in Northern Ghana—A Study of the Changes during the period 1963–1991 based on Historical Surveys and recent SPOT-images. Geografisk Tidsskrift 92:101–104. Copenhagen 1992.

A study by Hunter (1966) describes how large areas along the Red Volta River bank, have been abandoned due to river blindness. The mapping of current land-use status and settlements patterns, using multispectral SPOT-satellite images, shows how the border of settlements continue to retreat, whereas new land is being reclaimed for bush fields in the abandoned areas.     

Propagation of vertical and horizontal source data errors into a TIN with linear interpolation

Digital elevation models (DEMs) have been widely used for a range of applications and form the basis of many GIS-related tasks. An essential aspect of a DEM is its accuracy, which depends on a variety of factors, such as source data quality, interpolation methods, data sampling density and the surface topographical characteristics. In recent years, point measurements acquired directly from land surveying such as differential global positioning system and light detection and ranging have become increasingly popular. These topographical data points can be used as the source data for the creation of DEMs at a local or regional scale. The errors in point measurements can be estimated in some cases. The focus of this article is on how the errors in the source data propagate into DEMs. The interpolation method considered is a triangulated irregular network (TIN) with linear interpolation. Both horizontal and vertical errors in source data points are considered in this study. An analytical method is derived for the error propagation into any particular point of interest within a TIN model. The solution is validated using Monte Carlo simulations and survey data obtained from a terrestrial laser scanner.     

Experiments in tracing underground waters in limestones

Two experiments were conducted in the Carboniferous Limestone aquifer of the Mendip Hills, Somerset, to compare the relative merits of differing groundwater tracers. The tracers employed were lithium acetate, polyethylene powder, Lycopodium spores and the fluorescent dye Pyranine Conc.; all were introduced into the aquifer at stream sinks. The first two tracers were totally unsuccessful. In the two experiments the rates of travel of the fluorescent dye and Lycopodium spores were very similar. Only relative concentrations can be measured from the recovery of spores as opposed to absoute concentration for dye which were determined using a field continuous flow fluorometer. The quantitative dye concentration data can be used with simultaneous measurements of discharge at the spring to deduce the flow geometry of the system; the input, tributary, distributary and maximum discharges in the system and the volume of the underground conduits. Data are presented which indicate that exchange takes place between the flooded conduit, and the surrounding fissured bedrock in a manner analogous to bank storage in rivers flowing on alluvium.In conclusion fluoresent tracers are valuable for the detailed investigation of a single sink to rising system; Lycopodium spores, which can be used to trace several sinks simultaneously, are a valuable technique in exploratory tracing.     

Observations of upwelling around the Izu Peninsula,Japan: May 1982

Hydrographic observations between the Izu Peninsula and Oshima Island, Japan, in May 1982, showed upwelling around the tip of the Peninsula and possibly also in the lee of Oshima Island. The upwelling introduced water as cold as 18 C with nitrate concentrations of 3M to the surface. Temperature/salinity analyses indicated that the upwelled water was of Kuroshio characteristics. Slightly fresher water was advected out of Sagami Bay in a coastal counter current.Contribution number 470 from the Shimoda Marine Research Center, University of Tsukuba.     

Information infrastructure for Australia’s Integrated Marine Observing System

Australia’s Integrated Marine Observing System (IMOS, imos.org.au) is research infrastructure to establish an enduring observing program for Australian oceanic waters and shelf seas. The observations cover physical, biological, and chemical variables to address themes of multi-decadal ocean change, climate variability and weather extremes, boundary currents and inter-basin flows, continental shelf processes and ecosystem responses.IMOS observations are collected by national facilities based on various platform types and operated by partner institutions around the country. In this paper we describe the infrastructure and workflows developed to manage and distribute the data to the public. We highlight the existing standards and open-source software we have adopted, and the contributions we have made. To demonstrate the value of this infrastructure we provide some illustrations of use and uptake.All IMOS data are freely and openly available to the public via the Ocean Portal (https://imos.aodn.org.au). All IMOS-developed software is open-source and accessible at https://github.com/aodn.     

Overrunning of shelf water in the southern Mid-Atlantic Bight

Analyses of two years (1992 and 1993) of high-resolution sea surface temperature satellite images of the southern Mid Atlantic Bight (MAB), showed that unusually extensive overhang of shelf water occurs episodically, and coherently over along shelf distances of several 100 km. These episodes are dubbed overrunning of the Slope Sea by shelf water. The overrunning volume has a “face” and a “back” (southern and northern limit). It transports substantial quantities of shelf water southward, and does not retreat onto the shelf, but eventually joins the western edge of the Gulf Stream in the vicinity of Chesapeake Bay. The combined analyses of satellite imagery and various in situ data further demonstrated that the shelf waters overrunning the Slope Sea were not mere surface features but reached depths between 40 and 60 m. Results confirm previous concepts on shelf circulation, shelf–slope exchange and fate of shelf water. They also shed new light on shelf water budget: overrunning of the Slope Sea and southwest transport by upper slope current constitutes an important conduit for shelf water transport. Winter storms move the shelf–slope front, and with it shelf water, offshore to distances 10–40 km. The offshore displacement of shelf water can be related to the onshore veering of the Gulf Stream near Cape Hatteras, producing a blocking effect on the shelf circulation. Such a blocking effect of the southwestward flow of shelf water in the MAB appeared to be the reason for the overrunning of shelf water off New Jersey. In addition, the excess fresh water discharge from the St. Lawerence was also observed to be related to the overflow of shelf water off New Jersey.     

Spatial variability of factors influencing coastal change in the Western Canadian Arctic

Coastal change in the western Canadian Arctic is influenced by coastal morphology, relative sea-level trend and sea-ice and storm climates. The spatial variability of these factors tends to follow general east–west trends suggesting similar trends in coastal erosion hazard, processes and rates of coastal change. The spatial variability in the causes of coastal change is examined in the communities of Tuktoyaktuk, Sachs Harbour, Holman and Kugluktuk.