Microphysics of clouds at Kleiner Feldberg

During a field measuring campaign at Kleiner Feldberg (Taunus) in 1990, microphysical characteristics of clouds have been measured by Forward Scattering Spectrometer Probes (FSSP). The aim was to study the influence of aerosol and meteorological factors on droplet size and number. The results are: More mass in the accumulation size range of the aerosol leads to more droplets in stratocumulus clouds and to higher soluble masses in droplets of stratus clouds. However, the aerosol distribution was coarser in the stratus clouds compared to the stratocumulus clouds. Within the first 200 m from cloud base, the droplets grow while their number decreases. The growth results in a stable size of about 14 µm diameter over a large distance from cloud base in many stratocumulus clouds. Two types of mixing processes were observed: processes with reductions in the number of droplets (inhomogeneous mixing) and with reductions in the size of the droplets (homogeneous mixing).     

Surface ozone over the Atlantic ocean

During the past decade (1977–1986) ozone has been measured on board various research vessels between 83° N and 76° S. The latitudinal distribution shows nearly twice as high an ozone concentration in the Northern Hemisphere (30 ppb) as compared to the Southern Hemisphere (15 ppb). North of 70° N the concentration rapidly drops to low values (17 ppb). In the ITCZ we frequently observed a pronounced secondary maximum which indicates that tropospheric-stratospheric exchange may be induced by deep convection. During other occasions, ozone concentrations below 10 ppb were observed in the ITCZ. Secondary maxima are also found in each hemisphere, indicating the latitudes in which stratospheric-tropospheric exchange occurs. One such pronounced maximum is found between 60 and 65° N. A comparable counterpart does not, however, occur in the respective southern latitudes.The observations, although incomplete, allow for conclusions with respect to seasonal cycles, at least in some of the latitudes or for some part of the year. In the tropics differences between continental and maritime yearly cycles are found. In mid to high northern latitudes, a sharp maximum is found which extends to the summer months over continental European sites. In the respective southern latitudes, such a spring maximum is only indicated.Comparison with occasionally concurrent Kr 85 measurements by other groups allows for the conclusion that in some cases photochemically produced ozone in polluted air masses is seen over the Atlantic ocean.     

The influence of pressure on the OH valence vibration of zoisite

The influence of pressure on the OH-stretching vibration of zoiste has been studied by single crystal high pressure infrared spectroscopy. A band related to the OH-stretching vibration displayed a linear shift from 3170 cm^?1 at 1 bar to 2795 cm^?1 at 116 kbar. The half-band width increased linearly with respect to pressure from 60 cm^?1 at 1 bar to 500 cm^?1 at 116 kbar. The strength of the absorption of this band is strongly frequency dependent. The high-energy shift of a band at around 2200 cm^?1 on pressure increase indicates that this band is not due to a second OH-stretching vibration as previously suggested by Langer and Lattard (1980).     

四川北部米仓山地区下三叠统内部不整合面的发现及其意义

前人认为四川北部米仓山地区下三叠统内部各组地层之间是整合接触,然而通过构造和沉积学的研究发现下三叠统内部(奥伦尼阶)存在一个区域不整合面。在沉积上表现为环米仓山地区广泛发育的陆相和海相碎屑岩,与下伏地层呈不整合接触。地震剖面上表现为不整合面上下的变形特征不一致、不整合面下部地层被削截、古构造的存在等等,通过对古褶皱和古断裂的平面投影,发现古构造走向为东-西向,与勉略构造带走向一致。综合区域大地构造历史,笔者认为在早三叠世奥伦尼期(约249.7～245.0Ma)南秦岭造山带和上扬子地块就已经发生碰撞,碰撞引起了米仓山地区强烈的构造变形,形成这一区域不整合面。该碰撞时间不一定是南秦岭造山带和上扬子地块在此处的初始碰撞时间。     

Reconstruction of erythemal UV irradiance and dose at Hohenpeissenberg (1968–2001) considering trends of total ozone, cloudiness and turbidity

Summary Erythemal ultraviolet (UV) doses reaching the earths surface depend in a complex manner on the amount of total ozone, cloud cover, cloud type and the structure of the cloud field. A statistical model was developed allowing the reconstruction of UV from measured total ozone and a cloud modification factor (CMF) for the GAW site Hohenpeissenberg, Germany (48°N, 11°E). CMF is derived from solar global radiation G, normalized against a Rayleigh scattering atmosphere. By this way the complex influence of the cloud field is accounted for by introduction of a measured parameter, exposed also to this complex field. The statistical relations are derived from the period 1990–1998 where UV measurements and relevant meteorological parameters are available. With these relations daily UV doses could be reconstructed back to 1968. Tests show that the model works remarkably well even for time scales of a minute except for situations with high albedo. The comparison of measured and calculated UV irradiances shows that the model explains 97% of the variance for solar elevations above 18° on average over the period 1968–2001. The reconstruction back to 1968 indicates that maximum UV irradiances (clear days) have increased due to long-term ozone decline. Clouds show seasonally depending long-term changes, especially an increase of cirrus. Consequently the UV doses have increased less or even decreased in some months in comparison to the changes expected from the ozone decline alone. In May to August total cloud frequency and cloud cover have decreased. Therefore, the average UV doses have increased much more than can be explained by the ozone decline alone. It is also shown that the optical thickness of cirrus clouds has increased since 1953. The higher frequency of cirrus is caused in part by more frequent contrails. Besides that an observed long-term rise and cooling of the tropopause favors an easier cirrus formation. However, whether climate change and an intensification of the water cycle is responsible for the cirrus trends has not been investigated in detail.     

Roles of forest disturbance and climate variability on streamflow components in snow-dominated paired watersheds at multiple temporal scales

The paired watershed experimental (PWE) approach has long been used as an effective means to assess the impacts of forest change on hydrology in small watersheds (<100 km²). Yet, the effects of climate variability on streamflow are not often assessed in PWE design. In this study, two sets of paired watersheds, (1) Camp and Greata Creeks and (2) 240 and 241 Creeks located in the Southern Interior of British Columbia, Canada, were selected to explore relative roles of forest disturbance and climate variability on streamflow components (i.e., baseflow and surface runoff) at different time scales. Our analyses showed that forest disturbance is positively related to annual streamflow components. However, this relationship is statistically insignificant since forest disturbance can either increase or decrease seasonal streamflow components, which eventually limited the positive effect on streamflow at the annual scale. Interestingly, we found that forest disturbance consistently decreased summer streamflow components in the two PWEs as forest disturbance can augment earlier and quicker snow-melt processes and hence reduce soil moisture to maintain summer streamflow components. More importantly, this study revealed that climate variability played a more significant role than forest disturbance in both annual and seasonal streamflow components, for instance, climate variability can account for as much as 90% of summer streamflow components variation in Camp, suggesting the role of climate variability on streamflow should be highlighted in the traditional PWE approach to truly advance our understanding of the interactions of forest change, climate variability and water for sustainable water resource management.     

The early interaction between the Caribbean Plateau and the NW South American Plate

The determination of accurate and precise ages for the timing of collision between oceanic plateaus and continental crust requires an understanding of how the indenting and buttressing plates respond to the collision. We present geochronological, thermochronological, geochemical and isotopic analyses of magmatic rocks from the Ecuadorian Andes, which relate to the collision of the Late Cretaceous Caribbean Plateau and Great Arc sequence with NW South America. The cessation of subduction magmatism during 65–64 Ma beneath the eastern edge of Caribbean Plateau was synchronous with accelerated surface uplift and exhumation within the buttressing continental margin during 75–65 Ma. We interpret this as the collision of the leading edge of the Caribbean Plateau and arc sequence with the South American Plate at 75–65 Ma. A U/Pb (zircon) SHRIMP age of 87.10 ± 1.66 (2σ) Ma, yielded by an accreted fragment of the plateau, precludes previous estimates of collision at 85–80 Ma if the plateau erupted above the Galápagos hotspot. Terra Nova, 18, 264–269, 2006