Impact-generated dust clouds around planetary satellites: model versus Galileo data

This paper focuses on tenuous dust clouds of Jupiter's Galilean moons Europa, Ganymede and Callisto. In a companion paper (Srem?evi? et al., Planet. Space Sci. 51 (2003) 455-471) an analytical model of impact-generated ejecta dust clouds surrounding planetary satellites has been developed. The main aim of the model is to predict the asymmetries in the dust clouds which may arise from the orbital motion of the parent body through a field of impactors. The Galileo dust detector data from flybys at Europa, Ganymede and Callisto are compatible with the model, assuming projectiles to be interplanetary micrometeoroids. The analysis of the data suggests that two interplanetary impactor populations are most likely the source of the measured dust clouds: impactors with isotropically distributed velocities and micrometeoroids in retrograde orbits. Other impactor populations, namely those originating in the Jovian system, or interplanetary projectiles with low orbital eccentricities and inclinations, or interstellar stream particles, can be ruled out by the statistical analysis of the data. The data analysis also suggests that the mean ejecta velocity angle to the normal at the satellite surface is around 30°, which is in agreement with laboratory studies of the hypervelocity impacts.     

Temperature variability and vertical vegetation belt shifts during the last ∼50,000 yr in the Qilian Mountains (NE margin of the Tibetan Plateau, China)

A 13.94-m-long sediment core, collected from a medium-sized lake in the Qilian Mountains (NE Tibetan Plateau, China), was analysed palynologically at 81 horizons. The interpretation of indicator taxa yielded various vertical shifts of the vegetation belts. These palaeovegetation results have been checked with lake surface pollen spectra from 8 lakes representing different altitudinal vegetation belts. Our main findings are the following: A short period of the late Marine Isotope Stage 3 (around ∼46,000 yr ago) was characterized by interglacial temperature conditions with a tree line above its present-day altitude. During the LGM, the vicinity of the lake was not covered by ice but by sparse alpine vegetation and alpine deserts, indicating that the climate was colder by ∼4-7°C than today. Markedly higher temperatures were inferred from higher arboreal pollen frequencies between ∼13,000 and ∼7,000 yr ago with a Holocene temperature optimum and a maximal Picea-Betula mixed-forest expansion between ∼9,000 and ∼7000 yr ago, when temperatures exceeded the present-day conditions by at least 1-2°C. Alpine steppes and meadows and sub-alpine shrub vegetation dominated around the lake since the middle Holocene, suggesting that vegetation and climate conditions were exceptionally stable in comparison to previous periods.     

Effect of different tropospheric mapping functions on the TRF, CRF and position time-series estimated from VLBI

This paper compares estimated terrestrial reference frames (TRF) and celestial reference frames (CRF) as well as position time-series in terms of systematic differences, scale, annual signals and station position repeatabilities using four different tropospheric mapping functions (MF): The NMF (Niell Mapping Function) and the recently developed GMF (Global Mapping Function) consist of easy-to-handle stand-alone formulae, whereas the IMF (Isobaric Mapping Function) and the VMF1 (Vienna Mapping Function 1) are determined from numerical weather models. All computations were performed at the Deutsches Geodätisches Forschungsinstitut (DGFI) using the OCCAM 6.1 and DOGS-CS software packages for Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) data from 1984 until 2005. While it turned out that CRF estimates only slightly depend on the MF used, showing small systematic effects up to 0.025 mas, some station heights of the computed TRF change by up to 13 mm. The best agreement was achieved for the VMF1 and GMF results concerning the TRFs, and for the VMF1 and IMF results concerning scale variations and position time-series. The amplitudes of the annual periodical signals in the time-series of estimated heights differ by up to 5 mm. The best precision in terms of station height repeatability is found for the VMF1, which is 5–7% better than for the other MFs.     

Using VLBI fringe-phase information from geodetic experiments for short-period ionospheric studies

The usage of Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) fringe-phase information in geodetic VLBI is a new field of research, which can be used for the detection of short-period (i.e., several minutes) variations (scintillations) of the ionosphere. This paper presents a method for the extraction of such disturbances and discusses how dispersive influences can be separated from intra-scan delay variations. A proper functional and stochastic model for the separation of the different effects is presented and the algorithms are applied to real measurements. In an example, it is shown that a traveling ionospheric disturbance in Antarctica can be detected very precisely. A possible physical origin and the propagation properties of the disturbance are presented and the results are compared with GPS measurements. The benefit of this method for other applications is also discussed.     

Reconstruction of Late Paleozoic heat flows and burial histories at the Rhenohercynian-Subvariscan boundary, Germany

The thermal and burial history of the Herzkamp syncline, located in the transition zone between the Variscan Rhenish Massif and the Ruhr foreland basin (western Germany), was reconstructed using PDI/PC-1D-basin modelling software (IES). The models were calibrated with new vitrinite reflectance data measured on Palaeozoic outcrop samples. High sample density and quality of the calibration data allowed a 3D reconstruction of the heat flow as well as of burial and erosion history. Vitrinite reflectance values range from 0.8 to 4.9%R_r and generally increase with increasing stratigraphic age. The coalification pattern confirms pre-tectonic maturation, especially in the western part of the study area. A "low-coalification zone" showing stagnating/decreasing coalification with increasing stratigraphic age exists, however, northeast of the Ennepe thrust, indicating synorogenic coalification. This anomaly is explained by early thrusting in the northern Rhenish Massif resulting in restricted burial/early uplift and thus lower thermal maturity. One result of numerical modelling is that palaeo-heat flows during maximum burial (Westphalian or post-Westphalian) decreased southwards from approximately 65 to less than 50 mW/m². Maximum burial depths for the base and top of the Namurian also decrease southwards from 7000 to 3600 m and 4600 to 1800 m, respectively, resulting in southwards-decreasing coalification of the respective stratigraphic horizon. Eroded overburden increases southwards (3100-5700 m), with the exception of the low-coalification zone, which is characterised by lower amounts of eroded overburden (1300-2900 m) and an earlier onset of erosion, i.e. in the Westphalian B rather than Westphalian D or post-Westphalian.     

Modeling an Exhumed Basin: A Method for Estimating Eroded Overburden

The Alberta Deep Basin in western Canada has undergone a large amount of erosion following deep burial in the Eocene. Basin modeling and simulation of burial and temperature history require estimates of maximum overburden for each gridpoint in the basin model. Erosion can be estimated using shale compaction trends. For instance, the widely used Magara method attempts to establish a sonic log gradient for shales and uses the extrapolation to a theoretical uncompacted shale value as a first indication of overcompaction and estimation of the amount of erosion. Because such gradients are difficult to establish in many wells, an extension of this method was devised to help map erosion over a large area. Sonic t values of one suitable shale formation are calibrated with maximum depth of burial estimates from sonic log extrapolation for several wells. This resulting regression equation then can be used to estimate andmap maximum depth of burial or amount of erosion for all wells in which this formation has been logged. The example from the Alberta Deep Basin shows that the magnitude of erosion calculated by this method is conservative and comparable to independent estimates using vitrinite reflectance gradient methods.     

Railway irregularity measuring using Rauch–Tung–Striebel smoothed multi-sensors fusion system: quad-GNSS PPP,IMU, odometer,and track gauge

GPS Solutions - Despite the broad range of navigation, positioning, and timing services offered by the global navigation satellite system (GNSS), its signals are vulnerable to blockage and...     

Ferric/ferrous ratio in silicate melts: a new model for 1 atm data with special emphasis on the effects of melt composition

The effect of MgO and total FeO on ferric/ferrous ratio in model multicomponent silicate melts was investigated experimentally in the temperature range 1300–1500 °C at 1 atm total pressure in air. We demonstrate that the addition of these weak network modifier cations results in an increase of Fe³⁺/Fe²⁺ ratio in both mafic and silicic melts. Based on present and published experimental data, a new empirical equation is proposed to predict the ferric/ferrous ratio as a function of oxygen fugacity, temperature and melt composition. In contrast to previous equations, the compositional effect of melts on the Fe³⁺/Fe²⁺ ratio is not only modeled by the sum of the molar fraction of the individual oxide components. Additional interactions terms have also been incorporated. The main advantage of the proposed model is its applicability for a wide compositional range. However, its application to felsic melts (>?68 wt% SiO₂) is not recommended. Other advantages of this equation and differences when compared with previous models are discussed.     

A new scenario framework for climate change research: the concept of shared climate policy assumptions

The new scenario framework facilitates the coupling of multiple socioeconomic reference pathways with climate model products using the representative concentration pathways. This will allow for improved assessment of climate impacts, adaptation and mitigation. Assumptions about climate policy play a major role in linking socioeconomic futures with forcing and climate outcomes. The paper presents the concept of shared climate policy assumptions as an important element of the new scenario framework. Shared climate policy assumptions capture key policy attributes such as the goals, instruments and obstacles of mitigation and adaptation measures, and introduce an important additional dimension to the scenario matrix architecture. They can be used to improve the comparability of scenarios in the scenario matrix. Shared climate policy assumptions should be designed to be policy relevant, and as a set to be broad enough to allow a comprehensive exploration of the climate change scenario space.