Effect of remote forcings on the winter precipitation of central southwest Asia part 1: observations

Summary We investigate the effects of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and the El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) on winter precipitation in Central Southwest Asia (CSWA) using an analysis of available observed climate data. The analysis is based on correlations, composites and Singular Value Decomposition (SVD) performed using the gridded dataset of the Climatic Research Unit (CRU) and station data for the region. We find that both the NAO and ENSO affect climate over the region. In particular a positive precipitation anomaly is typically found in correspondence of the positive NAO phase and warm ENSO phase over a sub-region encompassing northern Pakistan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and southern Uzbekistan. This conclusion is supported by a consistency across the different analysis methods and observation datasets employed in our study. A physical mechanism for such effect is proposed, by which western disturbances are intensified over the region as they encounter a low pressure trough, which is a dominant feature during positive NAO and warm ENSO conditions. Our results give encouraging indications towards the development of statistically-based prediction tools for winter precipitation over the CSWA region.     

Factors Influencing the Atmospheric Depositional Fluxes of Stable Pb, 210Pb, and 7Be into Chesapeake Bay

Atmospheric depositional fluxes of ⁷Be and²¹⁰Pb (bulk) and stable Pb (wet) were measuredsimultaneously for one year (from September 1995–August 1996) atStillpond, Maryland on the uppereastern shore of the Chesapeake Bay. The annual total(bulk) depositional fluxes of ²¹⁰Pb and ⁷Bewere 0.78 and 13 dpm cm^-2, respectively, andagree well with other previously reported results atnearby locations such as Norfolk, VA and Lewes, DE. The wet depositional flux of stable Pb (58 ng cm^-2 yr^-1)was also similar to thatmeasured at other Chesapeake sites during 1990–1991(55 ng cm^-2 yr^-1, for both Wye and Elms,Maryland). This suggests that a constant Pb flux hasbeen reached since the mandatory use of unleadedgasoline was instituted. The concentrations of⁷Be, ²¹⁰Pb, and to a lesser extent stable Pbwere diluted exponentially by precipitation, based onconcentrations versus precipitation plots. Due tohigher enrichment of ²¹⁰Pb in the lowertroposphere, the dilution effect was largest on²¹⁰Pb (i.e., controlled mainly by below-cloudscavenging processes), and thus its depositional fluxincrease is negligible as precipitation amountincreases. A good correlation between the amount ofprecipitation and total depositional flux of ⁷Beand stable Pb, which are more enriched in the uppertroposphere, suggests that precipitation amount isimportant in controlling their fluxes (i.e.,controlled by both below-cloud scavenging and in-cloudcondensation processes). Based on ⁷Be versus²¹⁰Pb plots, it appears that ⁷Be, relativeto ²¹⁰Pb, is less efficiently scavenged bysnowfall. Our results suggest that in addition toprecipitation amounts, marine air-mass transport orsnowfall may be important factors in controlling theseasonal variability of the fallout fluxes of tracemetals in coastal areas.     

Uncertainties in the regional climate models simulations of South-Asian summer monsoon and climate change

The uncertainties in the regional climate models (RCMs) are evaluated by analyzing the driving global data of ERA40 reanalysis and ECHAM5 general circulation models, and the downscaled data of two RCMs (RegCM4 and PRECIS) over South-Asia for the present day simulation (1971–2000) of South-Asian summer monsoon. The differences between the observational datasets over South-Asia are also analyzed. The spatial and the quantitative analysis over the selected climatic regions of South-Asia for the mean climate and the inter-annual variability of temperature, precipitation and circulation show that the RCMs have systematic biases which are independent from different driving datasets and seems to come from the physics parameterization of the RCMs. The spatial gradients and topographically-induced structure of climate are generally captured and simulated values are within a few degrees of the observed values. The biases in the RCMs are not consistent with the biases in the driving fields and the models show similar spatial patterns after downscaling different global datasets. The annual cycle of temperature and rainfall is well simulated by the RCMs, however the RCMs are not able to capture the inter-annual variability. ECHAM5 is also downscaled for the future (2071–2100) climate under A1B emission scenario. The climate change signal is consistent between ECHAM5 and RCMs. There is warming over all the regions of South-Asia associated with increasing greenhouse gas concentrations and the increase in summer mean surface air temperature by the end of the century ranges from 2.5 to 5 °C, with maximum warming over north western parts of the domain and 30 % increase in rainfall over north eastern India, Bangladesh and Myanmar.     

Method Development and Optimisation of Sodium Peroxide Sintering for Geological Samples

This work provides a measurement procedure for the complete digestion of rock samples containing refractory minerals such as zircon and chromite. Their dissolution by wet acid digestion is often incomplete but, although providing complete digestions, alkali fusion techniques can result in solutions with a high blank and total dissolved solid content. It was established by the systematic study with reference material trachyandesite MTA‐1 that a 1:6 sample to sodium peroxide (Na₂O₂) ratio is conservative for the complete digestion and recovery of all the analytes especially those contained in zircon. The sample decomposition time was 120 min for the zircon‐bearing rhyolite reference material MRH‐1. Complete digestion of chromite was obtained in the harzburgite RM MUH‐1. The sample solutions were stable for at least 1 year. Accurate measurements of SiO₂, Al₂O₃, TiO₂, P₂O₅ and K₂O could be made with ICP‐MS by not discarding the supernatant of the sinter solution and by using geological reference materials for external calibration. HF digestions are slow, not universal, and may form new mineral/phases that are insoluble under high temperature conditions. The validated sample decomposition procedure combined with ICP‐MS presents an alternative to the use of HF in routine analysis of difficult to digest geological materials.     

Iron and chromium doped titanium dioxide nanotubes for the degradation of environmental and industrial pollutants

Pure titanate nanotubes and titanate nanotubes doped with iron (III) and chromium (III) were fabricated by the hydrothermal treatment in methanol and sodium hydroxide mixture. The fabricated nano tubes have high surface area, high aspect ratio, consisted of very good surface morphology and high metals dispersion. The morphology, crysralline phase, composition were characterized by powdered X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, Barrett-Joyner-Halenda methods and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The results showed that nanotubes possess anatase phase and are composed up of 8–12 nm in diameter and 360–400 nm in length. The band gap of the titanium dioxide nanotubes was determined using transformed diffuse reflectance spectroscopy according to the Kubelka-Munk theory, showed pronounced band gap decrease on doped titanium dioxide nanotubes. The photocatalytic activity of doped nanotubes were evaluated in terms of degradation of phenol and photoreduction of carbon dioxide into methanol and ethanol under Ultra violet and Infra red irradiation. It was found that with iron (III) and chromium (III) doped titanium dioxide nanotubes exhibited much higher photocatalytic activity than undoped titanate nanotubes.     

Mineralogy,geochemistry and genesis of the massive base metal sulfide deposits of Chitradurga (Ingaldhal), Karnataka,India

The Chitradurga base metal sulfide deposit is associated with eugeosynclinal metabasalts (～ 2.5 b.y.) and banded pyritiferous cherts. The pre-tectonic character of the deposit and meta-volcanics is indicated by their deformational textures, structures and radioactive age data. The mineral assemblages of these ores are similar to the Zn-Cu type of massive sulfide deposits associated with Archean—Early Precambrian eugeosynclinal metavolcanics in other shield areas. The deposit has a rather high concentration of Co; microprobe data indicate that most of it is found as cobaltite and linnaeite and that it is inhomogenously distributed in these minerals. Very strong sympathetic correlation between Co and Cu, and the simultaneous increase of both of these elements with depth has been found. The geochemistry of the Chitradurga ores and metabasalts, especially their Zn:Cu:Pb and Pb:Zn ratios, suggests that the base metal sulfide content is probably genetically related to the basaltic flows. It appears that the Chitradurga deposit belongs to the ‘massive volcanogenic’ Cu-rich class of sulfide deposits. The metal content of the ores appears to have been supplied by rapidly degassing highly undifferentiated protomantle along with the basaltic magma.     

洋中脊扩张速率对洋壳速度结构的约束

洋中脊速度结构是揭示大洋岩石圈演化过程的重要约束.为探讨不同扩张速率下洋中脊的洋壳速度结构特征,挑选了全球152处快速(全扩张速率> 90mm·a-1)、慢速(全扩张速率20～50mm·a^-1)和超慢速(全扩张速率<20mm·a^-1)扩张洋中脊和非洋中脊的洋壳1-D地震波速度结构剖面,通过筛选统计、求取平均值等方法对分类的洋壳1-D速度结构进行对比研究,获得了不同扩张速率下洋中脊洋壳速度结构差异以及洋中脊与非洋中脊洋壳速度结构差异的新认识:(1)快速、慢速和超慢速扩张洋中脊的平均正常洋壳厚度分别为6.4km、7.2km和5.3km,其中洋壳层2的厚度基本相似,洋壳厚度差异主要源自洋壳层3;其洋壳厚度变化范围分别为4.9～8.1km、4.6～8.7km和4.2～10.2km,随着洋中脊扩张速率减小,洋壳厚度的变化范围逐渐增大;(2)快速扩张洋中脊的洋壳速度大于慢速和超慢速,可能与快速扩张脊洋壳生成过程中深部高密度岩浆上涌比较充足有关;(3)非洋中脊(>10Ma)的洋壳比洋中脊(<10Ma)的洋壳厚～0.3km,表明洋壳厚...     

Remote sensing-based geostatistical hot spot analysis of Urban Heat Islands in Dhaka,Bangladesh

Urban Heat Island (UHI) refers to a phenomenon whereby urban areas experience higher temperatures compared to the surrounding areas. Remote sensing-based Land Surface Temperature (LST) measurements can be utilized to measure UHI. This study emphasized on geostatistical remote sensing-based hot spot analysis ($G_i^{*}$) of UHI in Dhaka, Bangladesh as a way of examining the influences of Land Use Land Cover (LULC) on UHI from 1991 to 2015. Landsat 5 and 7 satellite-based remote sensing indices were used to explore LULC, UHI and environmental footprints during the study period. The Urban Compactness Ratio (C_oR) was used to calculate the urban form and augmented characteristics. The Surface Urban Heat Island (SUHI) intensity (ΔT) was also used to explore the effects of UHI on the surrounding marginal area. Based on our investigations into LULC, we discovered that around 71.34 per cent of water bodies and 71.82 percent of vegetation cover decreased from 1991 to 2015 in Dhaka city. Contrastingly, according to C_oR readings, 174.13 km² of urban areas expanded by 249.77 per cent. Our hot spot analysis also revealed that there was a 93.73 per cent increase in hot concentration zones. Furthermore, the average temperature of the study area had increased by 3.26°C. We hope that the methods and results of this study can contribute to further research on urban climate.     

Full-scale experimental investigations on the response of a flooded passenger vehicle under subcritical conditions

Natural Hazards - Vehicles can be easily swept away by floodwaters once the flow velocity and depth reach certain critical limits, with probabilities toward fatality reported to be nearly 50%....