Thermodynamic models in cosmochemical systems

Generalized computer methods are developed for inferring details of the formation of cosmochemical systems. Compositions of ideal gas mixtures existing in equilibrium with multicomponent solid and liquid phases are calculated. A comparison of computed results with experimental data is made for the ternary system MgO-FeO-SiO₂. While the ideal-solution approximation is shown to be inaccurate in dealing with the silicate melts, in a system where there are only solids and gas, the stable phases and compositions can be accurately calculated. A model system containing the elements H, O, Si, Mg, S, C, Cl and F is investigated over a range of compositions involving the gas and ten solid phases, to show the power of the technique in dealing with complex gas-solid equilibria. Systems close to cosmic composition are next considered, both with and without iron. When present, most of the iron is computed to be in the metallic state with little going into pyroxene or olivine solid solutions. At low hydrogen concentration and low temperature, troilite becomes the stable iron-bearing phase. The calculated equilibrium concentrations are very sensitive to the assumed ratio of magnesium to silicon. The computational method described is easily applied to complex systems of solids and gases and represents an important tool with which to investigate cosmochemical systems.     

The stability of buoyancy-driven coastal currents

Buoyancy-driven boundary currents were generated in the laboratory by releasing buoyant fluid from a source adjacent to a vertical boundary in a rotating container. The boundary removed the Coriolis force parallel to it, allowing the buoyant fluid to spread in a current along the boundary. Ise of a cylindrical boundary and a line source that released fluid uniformly around the circumference enabled an axisymmetric (zonal) current to be produced. With the continuous release of fluid from the source, the current grew in width and depth until it became unstable to non-axisymmetric disturbances. The wavelength and phase velocities of the disturbances were consistent with a model of baroclinic instability of two-layer flow when frictional dissipation due to Ekman layers is included. However, when the current only occupied a small fraction of the total depth, barotropic processes were also thought to be important, with the growing waves gaining energy from the horizontal shear.In other experiments, gravity currents were produced by a point source adjacent to either a zonal (circular) or a meridional (radial) vertical boundary. The currents were also observed to become unstable to the same upstream breaking waves as those on the continuous zonal current. Finally, some comparisons are made with oceanic coastal currents.     

Severe thunderstorms in New South Wales: Climatology and means of assessing the impact of climate change

A climatology of severe thunderstorms in the Australian State of New South Wales is described, using the data base of more than 1000 severe thunderstorm events held in the New South Wales Regional Office of the Bureau of Meteorology. Previously only a tornado climatology was described. Severe thunderstorms are the second most costly weather phenomenon in Australia (after tropical cyclones), on the basis of insurance payouts for major events since June 1967. Two thirds of this cost occurs in New South Wales.Severe thunderstorms show marked diurnal and seasonal distributions with maxima in the warmer months and during the late evening. Distributions are similar to those in the United States. The peak months for large and giant hail, tornadoes, strong winds and flash floods differ, being respectively November, December, January and February. While these temporal distributions are reasonably well defined, knowledge of the historical and spatial distributions is limited. A means of deriving a spatial distribution is given, which is based on the frequency near Sydney and the relative frequency at a time when there was a more uniform population distribution over the State.The climatology of severe thunderstorms is not an adequate basis for assessing the impacts of a future climate change. However, there are possible means of doing this utilising numerical climate models, and these are suggested.Author for correspondence.