Determination of volatile concentrations in fluorapatite of Martian shergottite NWA 2975 by combining synchrotron FTIR,Raman spectroscopy,EMPA, and TEM,and inferences on the volatile budget of the apatite host‐magma

We combined the focused ion beam sample preparation technique with polarized synchrotron‐based FTIR (Fourier transform infrared) spectroscopy, laser‐Raman spectroscopy, electron microprobe analysis (EMPA), and transmission electron microscope (TEM) analysis to identify and quantify structurally bound OH, F, Cl, and CO₃ groups in fluorapatite from the Northwest Africa 2975 (NWA 2975) shergottite. In this study, the first FTIR spectra of the OH‐stretching region from a Martian apatite are presented that show characteristic OH‐bands of a F‐rich, hydroxyl‐bearing apatite. Depending on the method of apatite‐formula calculation and whether charge balance is assumed or not, the FTIR‐based quantification of the incorporated OH, expressed as wt% H₂O, is in variably good agreement with the H₂O concentration calculated from electron microprobe data. EMP analyses yielded between 0.35 and 0.54 wt% H₂O, and IR data yielded an average H₂O content of 0.31 ± 0.03 wt%, consistent with the lower range determined from EMP analyses. The TEM observations implied that the volatiles budget of fluorapatite is magmatic. The water content and the relative volatile ratios calculated for the NWA 2975 magma are similar to those established for other enriched or intermediate shergottites. It is difficult to define the source of enrichment: either Martian wet mantle or crustal assimilation. Comparing the environment of parental magma generation for NWA 2975 with the terrestrial mantle in terms of water content, it displays a composition intermediate between enriched and depleted MORB.     

Tidal gravity variations revisited at Vostok Station, Antarctica

In 1969, prior to the discovery of the subglacial Lake Vostok, an Askania Gs-11 gravimeter was operated at Vostok Station (78.466°S, 106.832°E; 3478 m asl) to observe tidal gravity variations. To gain a better understanding of the lake's tidal dynamics, we reanalyzed these data using a Bayesian Tidal Analysis Program Grouping method (BAYTAP-G and -L programs). The obtained phase leads for the semidiurnal waves M2 (6.6 ± 2.1°) and S2 (10.1 ± 4.2°) are more pronounced than those of the diurnal waves, among which the largest phase lead (for K1) was 5.0 ± 0.5°. The obtained δ factor for M2 was 0.890 ± 0.032, significantly less than the theoretical value of 1.16. For three global ocean tide models (NAO99b, FES2004, and TPXO6.2), the estimated load tides on waves Q1, O1, P1, K1, M2, and S2 range from 0.1–0.2 μGal (Q1 and S2) to 0.6–0.7 μGal (K1). The difference in amplitude among the three models is less than 0.14 μGal (M2), and the difference in phase is generally less than 10°. In calculating the residual tide vectors using the ocean models, the TPXO6.2 model generally gave the smallest residual amplitudes. Our result for the K1 wave was anomalously large (1.36 ± 0.25 μGal), while that for the M2 wave was sufficiently small (0.37 ± 0.17 μGal). The associated uncertainty is half that reported in previous studies. It is interesting that the residual K1 tide is approximately 90° phase-leaded, while the M2 tide is approximately 180° phase-leaded (delayed). Importantly, a similar reanalysis of data collected at Asuka Station (71.5°S, 24.1°E) gave residual tides within 0.2–0.3 μGal for all major diurnal and semidiurnal waves, including the K1 wave. Therefore, the anomalous K1 residual tide observed at Vostok Station must be linked to the existence of the subglacial lake and the nature of solid–ice–water dynamics in the region.     

Valuing multi-attribute marine water quality

The marine environment provides many goods and services that depend on the quality of coastal waters. In this paper, we represent water quality by three different attributes, coastal cod stock level, bathing water quality, and biodiversity level, and carry out a choice experiment among residents on the Swedish west coast to estimate the economic benefits of improved coastal water quality. We find that respondents have high levels of environmental concern and that substantial values are at stake. The highest values were placed on preventing further depletion of marine biodiversity and to improve Swedish cod stocks.     

Crater morphology in sandstone targets: The MEMIN impact parameter study

Abstract– Hypervelocity (2.5–7.8 km s^?1) impact experiments into sandstone were carried out to investigate the influence of projectile velocity and mass, target pore space saturation, target‐projectile density contrast, and target layer orientation on crater size and shape. Crater size increases with increasing projectile velocity and mass as well as with increasing target pore space saturation. Craters in water‐saturated porous targets are generally shallower and larger in volume and in diameter than craters from equivalent impacts into dry porous sandstone. Morphometric analyses of the resultant craters, 5–40 cm in diameter, reveal features that are characteristic of all of our experimental craters regardless of impact conditions (I) a large central depression within a fragile, light‐colored central part, and (II) an outer spallation zone with areas of incipient spallation. Two different mechanical processes, grain fragmentation and intergranular tensile fracturing, are recorded within these crater morphologies. Zone (I) approximates the shape of the transient crater formed by material compression, displacement, comminution, and excavation flow, whereas (II) is the result of intergranular tensile fracturing and spallation. The transient crater dimensions are reconstructed by fitting quadric parabolas to crater profiles from digital elevation models. The dimensions of this transient and of the final crater show the same trends: both increase in volume with increasing impact energy, and with increasing water saturation of the target pore space. The relative size of the transient crater (in percent of the final crater volume) decreases with increasing projectile mass and velocity, signifying a greater contribution of spallation on the final crater size when projectile mass and velocity are increased.     

SBAS orbit and satellite clock corrections for precise point positioning

The quality of real-time GPS positions based on the method of precise point positioning (PPP) heavily depends on the availability and accuracy of GPS satellite orbits and satellite clock corrections. Satellite-based augmentation systems (SBAS) provide such corrections but they are actually intended to be used for wide area differential GPS with positioning results on the 1-m accuracy level. Nevertheless, carrier phase-based PPP is able to achieve much more accurate results with the same correction values. We applied SBAS corrections for dual-frequency PPP and compared the results with PPP obtained using other real-time correction data streams, for example, the GPS broadcast message and precise corrections from the French Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales and the German Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt. Among the three existing SBAS, the best results were achieved for the North American wide area augmentation system (WAAS): horizontal and vertical position accuracies were considerably smaller than 10 cm for static 24-h observation data sets and smaller than 30 cm for epoch-by-epoch solutions with 2 h of continuous observations. The European geostationary navigation overlay service and the Japanese multi-functional satellite augmentation system yield positioning results with biases of several tens of centimeters and variations larger by factors of 2–4 as compared to WAAS.     

The UV-optical colours of brightest cluster galaxies in optically and X-ray selected clusters

Many brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs) at the centres of X-ray selected clusters exhibit clear evidence for recent star formation. However, studies of BCGs in optically selected clusters show that star formation is not enhanced when compared to control samples of non-BCGs of similar stellar mass. Here, we analyse a sample of 113 BCGs in low-redshift  ( z < 0.1)  , optically selected clusters, a matched control sample of non-BCGs, and a smaller sample of BCGs in X-ray selected clusters. We convolve the Sloan Digital Sky Survey images of the BCGs to match the resolution of the Galaxy Evolution Explorer ( GALEX ) data and we measure UV-optical colours in their inner and outer regions. We find that optically selected BCGs exhibit smaller scatter in optical colours and redder inner  NUV − r   colours than the control galaxies, indicating that they are a homogenous population with very little ongoing star formation. The BCGs in the X-ray selected cluster sample span a similar range in optical colours, but have bluer  NUV − r   colours. Among X-ray selected BCGs, those located in clusters with central cooling times of less than 1 Gyr are significantly bluer than those located in clusters where the central gas cooling times are long. Our main conclusion is that the location of a galaxy at the centre of its halo is not sufficient to determine whether or not it is currently forming stars. One must also have information about the thermodynamic state of the gas in the core of the halo.     

Bank filtration in the sandy littoral zone of Lake Tegel (Berlin): Structure and dynamics of the biological active filter zone and clogging processes

This study focused on clogging processes and on the benthic microalgal and meiofaunal assemblage in the sandy littoral zone of Lake Tegel, which are significantly involved in bank filtration, in a long-term. Our approach combined field studies and “in situ” experiments to highlight the structure of the biological active filter zone as well as the mechanisms and effects of clogging in the interstices that influence the infiltration process.Campaigns to measure “in situ” infiltration rates and hydraulic potential were conducted monthly from March 2004 to April 2005. Meiofaunal abundances and fine particulate organic matter (FPOM) were determined every 6 weeks in freeze cores down to depths of 50 cm. In parallel, concentrations of carbon, nitrogen and chlorophyll a were measured in samples of unfrozen sediment cores, that were divided in 1-cm steps down to depths of ≥10 cm. Similar sediment profiles were generated for analysis of colloidal carbohydrates, extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) and proteins between December 2005 and June 2006. Electron microscopy was used to visualize biofilm structure. Long-term experiments with natural FPOM and melamine resin particles as fluorescent tracers were performed to study “in situ” particle retention and transport, respectively. Additionally seston input was quantified during a 1-week period in April 2005.Infiltration rates showed a high temporal and spatial variability, but were not correlated with hydraulic conductivities as hydraulic gradients changed a lot. Likewise a correlation between infiltration rates and hydraulic potentials was not observed, indicating clogging processes. These are triggered to a high extend by biological compounds. In addition, seston input and intermittent gas intrusion are considered to reduce the hydraulic conductivity considerably. No significant “in situ” transport of inert natural fluorescent tracers was observed. However, a complete and permanent clogging of the sandy sediment does not occur, and daily infiltration rates of 0.7-27 L m⁻² h⁻¹ (mean 9 L m⁻² h⁻¹) guarantee a sufficient water supply by bank filtration for decades.     

A comparison of solar radiative flux above clouds from MODIS with BALTIMOS regional climate model simulations

A comparison study for the solar radiative flux above clouds is presented between the regional climate model system BALTEX integrated model system (BALTIMOS) and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) satellite observations. For MODIS, an algorithm has been developed to retrieve reflected shortwave fluxes over clouds. The study area is the Baltic Sea catchment area during an 11-month period from February to December 2002. The intercomparison focuses on the variations of the daily and seasonal cycle and the spatial distributions. We found good agreement between the observed and the simulated data with a bias of the temporal mean of 13.6 W/m² and a bias of the spatial mean of 35.5 W/m². For summer months, BALTIMOS overestimates the solar flux with up to 90 W/m² (20%). This might be explained by the insufficient representation of cirrus clouds in the regional climate model.     

The capabilities of the EISCAT Svalbard Radar for inter-hemispheric coordinated studies

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Simulating hydrologic and hydraulic processes throughout the Amazon River Basin

Presented here is a model framework based on a land surface topography that can be represented with various degrees of resolution and capable of providing representative channel/floodplain hydraulic characteristics on a daily to hourly scale. The framework integrates two models: (1) a water balance model (WBM) for the vertical fluxes and stores of water in and through the canopy and soil layers based on the conservation of mass and energy, and (2) a routing model for the horizontal routing of surface and subsurface runoff and channel and floodplain waters based on kinematic and diffusion wave methodologies. The WBM is driven by satellite‐derived precipitation (TRMM_3B42) and air temperature (MOD08_M3). The model's use of an irregular computational grid is intended to facilitate parallel processing for applications to continental and global scales. Results are presented for the Amazon Basin over the period Jan 2001 through Dec 2005. The model is shown to capture annual runoff totals, annual peaks, seasonal patterns, and daily fluctuations over a range of spatial scales (>1, 000 to < 4·7M km²). For the period of study, results suggest basin‐wide total water storage changes in the Amazon vary by approximately + /? 5 to 10 cm, and the fractional components accounting for these changes are: root zone soil moisture (20%), subsurface water being routed laterally to channels (40%) and channel/floodplain discharge (40%). Annual variability in monthly water storage changes by + /? 2·5 cm is likely due to 0·5 to 1 month variability in the arrival of significant rainfall periods throughout the basin. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.