Land surface hydrology in a General Circulation Model N-global and regional fields needed for validation

Treatments of land surface processes in General Circulation Models are presently limited by the realism of the simulations of precipitation and surface radiation. We explore this thesis by examination of some of the climatological fields of a 6-year model simulation, using the Community Climate Model version 1 of the National Center for Atmospheric Research with addition of a diurnal cycle and coupled to a detailed treatment of land surface processes referred to as the Biosphere-Atmosphere Transfer Scheme. We examine July climatological surface fields over North America and note an excess of surface solar radiation over Eastern United States. Comparison with satellite derived cloud forcing suggests that the model underestimates the reduction of solar radiation by clouds over Eastern United States and in high latitudes, and so probably largely explaining the excess surface radiation. We consider the annual cycle of model hydrological fields (soil moisture, runoff, precipitation, evapotranspiration, net radiation) averaged over a box covering the central part of the United States (roughtly the Mississippi basin). The seasonal cycle of evapotranspiration over this box appears to be dominated by the variation of surface solar radiation and less related to that of precipitation.     

Crustal neon: a striking uniformity

By combining data from a diverse suite of crustal fluid samples representing a broad geographical distribution, we have identified a well-defined nucleogenic (crustal) neon component. The neon is produced from (α, n) and (n, α) nuclear interactions involving nuclei of O, Mg, and F [1]. In the limiting case of ²⁰Ne/²²Ne = 0, the composition is: ²¹Ne/²²Ne = 0.47 ± 0.01 and ²¹Ne/⁴He = (0.46 ± 0.08) × 10⁻⁷. A crustal O/F ratio of 110 (atomic) calculated from the ²¹Ne/²²Ne ratio is 4–10 times less than the average crustal O/F ratio. The discrepancy can be accounted for by an enhanced O/F ratio within the 10–40 μm range of the U-Th-generated α-particles.     

Geochemistry of reduced gas related to serpentinization of the Zambales ophiolite, Philippines

Methane-hydrogen gas seeps with mantle-like C and noble gas isotopic characteristics issue from partially serpentinized ultramafic rocks in the Zambales ophiolite, Philippines. New measurements of noble gas and ¹⁴C isotope abundances, rock/mixed-volatile equilibrium calculations, and previous chemical and isotopic data suggest that these reduced gases are products of periodotite hydration. The gas seeps are produced in rock-dominated zones of serpentinization, and similar gases may be ubiquitous in ultramafic terranes undergoing serpentinization.     

Dual multiparameter radar observations of intense convective storms: The 24 June 1992 case study

Summary Data from two multiparameter radars are used to diagnose some microphysical characteristics of intense convective storms, in particular, the 24 June 1992 case near Fort Collins and Greeley, Colorado. Dual-polarization and dual-frequency radar measurements from the CSU-CHILL and NCAR/CP-2 radars provided the basis for microphysical interpretations. Supporting in-situ measurements were provided by several T-28 aircraft penetrations of updraft regions.Limited dual-Doppler synthesis as well as surface mesoscale features showed persistent regions of convergence and advection of moist air along the northeast side of the storm complex. The Fort Collins storm was analyzed in detail over its duration including an intercomparison of rainfall rates from raingage and as deduced from specific differential phase and attenuation measurements. Vertical sections of radar data taken parallel and perpendicular to the surface convergence axis showed interesting features such as positiveZ _dr and attenuation columns with an LDR cap on the inflow side. Such columns provide evidence of the important role of warm cloud processes in this storm. NCAR/CP-2 radar data from a multi-cellular storm in central Florida are also analyzed as a contrast to the 24 June Colorado case.With 23 Figures     

Extreme <Superscript>15</Superscript>N Depletion in Seagrasses

Seagrass beds form an important part of the coastal ecosystem in many parts of the world but are very sensitive to anthropogenic nutrient increases. In the last decades, stable isotopes have been used as tracers of anthropogenic nutrient sources and to distinguish these impacts from natural environmental change, as well as in the identification of food sources in isotopic food web reconstruction. Thus, it is important to establish the extent of natural variations on the stable isotope composition of seagrass, validating their ability to act as both tracers of nutrients and food sources. Around the world, depending on the seagrass species and ecosystem, values of seagrass N normally vary from 0 to 8?‰ δ¹⁵N. In this study, highly unusual seagrass N isotope values were observed on the east coast of Qatar, with significant spatial variation over a scale of a few metres, and with δ¹⁵N values ranging from +2.95 to ?12.39?‰ within a single bay during March 2012. This pattern of variation was consistent over a period of a year although there was a seasonal effect on the seagrass δ¹⁵N values. Seagrass, water column and sediment nutrient profiles were not correlated with seagrass δ¹⁵N values and neither were longer-term indicators of nutrient limitation such as seagrass biomass and height. Sediment δ¹⁵N values were correlated with Halodule uninervis δ¹⁵N values and this, together with the small spatial scale of variation, suggest that localised sediment processes may be responsible for the extreme isotopic values. Consistent differences in sediment to plant ¹⁵N discrimination between seagrass species also suggest that species-specific nutrient uptake mechanisms contribute to the observed δ¹⁵N values. This study reports some of the most extreme, negative δ¹⁵N values ever noted for seagrass (as low as ?12.4?‰) and some of the most highly spatially variable (values varied over 15.4?‰ in a relatively small area of only 655 ha). These results are widely relevant, as they demonstrate the need for adequate spatial and temporal sampling when working with N stable isotopes to identify food sources in food web studies or as tracers of anthropogenic nutrients.     

Post-injection trapping of mobile CO<Subscript><Emphasis Type="Bold">2</Emphasis></Subscript> in deep aquifers: Assessing the importance of model and parameter uncertainties

Predicting the fate of the injected CO₂ is crucial for the safety of carbon storage operations in deep saline aquifers: especially the evolution of the position, the spreading and the quantity of the mobile CO₂ plume during and after the injection has to be understood to prevent any loss of containment. Fluid flow modelling is challenging not only given the uncertainties on subsurface formation intrinsic properties (parameter uncertainty) but also on the modelling choices/assumptions for representing and numerically implementing the processes occurring when CO₂ displaces the native brine (model uncertainty). Sensitivity analysis is needed to identify the group of factors which contributes the most to the uncertainties in the predictions. In this paper, we present an approach for assessing the importance of model and parameter uncertainties regarding post-injection trapping of mobile CO₂. This approach includes the representation of input parameters, the choice of relevant simulation outputs, the assessment of the mobile plume evolution with a flow simulator and the importance ranking for input parameters. A variance-based sensitivity analysis is proposed, associated with the ACOSSO-like meta-modelling technique to tackle the issues linked with the computational burden posed by the use of long-running simulations and with the different types of uncertainties to be accounted for (model and parameter). The approach is tested on a potential site for CO₂ storage in the Paris basin (France) representative of a project in preliminary stage of development. The approach provides physically sound outcomes despite the challenging context of the case study. In addition, these outcomes appear very helpful for prioritizing the future characterisation efforts and monitoring requirements, and for simplifying the modelling exercise.     

Do perceptions of the Red‐tailed Hawk indicate a human‐wildlife conflict on the island of La Gonave,Haiti?

The Caribbean subspecies of the Red‐tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis solitudinus or B.j. jamaicensis) is the largest native carnivore on the island of La Gonave, Haiti, and the island's apex predator. On other Caribbean islands, raptors have been persecuted by local people typically because of their depredation of livestock. In addition to possible persecution from humans, Red‐tailed Hawks on La Gonave face challenges from island‐wide timber overharvest and rapid land‐cover changes. To better understand the human‐apex predator relationship on La Gonave, we surveyed islanders about their perceptions of, and interactions with, the Red‐tailed Hawk. According to 121 respondents from 10 villages, La Gonavans do not hunt, kill, or consume Red‐tailed Hawks. Our study revealed a notable absence of negative perceptions of the hawk by respondents despite intense hawk depredation of domestic chickens. While the chicken depredation may lead outside observers to consider the human‐hawk relationship on La Gonave as representative of a human‐wildlife conflict, our interview data do not support that conception. Our findings reflect an important conversation in related contemporary scientific literature about what constitutes human‐wildlife conflicts across various cultures. Despite tolerance by residents, Red‐tailed Hawks on La Gonave remain threatened by habitat degradation.     

The dust distribution within the inner coma of comet P/Halley 1982i: encounter by Giotto's impact detectors

Analysis of the data from Giotto's Dust Impact Detection System experiment (DIDSY) is presented. These data represent measurement of the size of dust grains incident on the Giotto dust shield along its trajectory through the coma of comet P/Halley on 1986 March 13/14. First detection occurred at some 287000 km distance from the nucleus on the inbound leg; the majority of the DIDSY subsystems remained operational after closest approach (604 km) yielding the last detection at about 202000 km from the nucleus. In order to improve the data coverage (and especially for the smallest grains, to approximately 10(-19) kg particle mass), data from the PIA instrument has been combined with DIDSY data. Flux profiles are presented for the various mass channels showing, to a first approximation, a 1/R2 flux dependence, where R is the distance of the detection point from the cometary nucleus, although significant differences are noted. Deviations from this dependence are observed, particularly close to the nucleus. From the flux profiles, mass and geometrical area distributions for the dust grains are derived for the trajectory through the coma. Groundbased CCD imaging of the dust continuum in the inner coma at the time of encounter is also used to derive the area of grains intercepted by Giotto. The results are consistent with the area functions derived by Giotto data and the low albedo of the grains deduced from infrared emission. For the close encounter period (-5 min to +5 min), the cumulative mass distribution function has been investigated, initially in 20 second periods; there is strong evidence from the data for a steepening of the index of the mass distribution for masses greater than 10(-13) kg during passage through dust jets which is not within the error limits of statistical uncertainty. The fluences for dust grains along the entire trajectory is calculated; it is found that extrapolation of the spectrum determined at intermediate masses (cumulative mass index alpha = 0.85) is not able to account for the spacecraft deceleration as observed by the Giotto Radio Science Experiment and by ESOC tracking operations. Data at large masses (>10(-8) kg) recently analysed from the DIDSY data set show clear evidence of a decrease in the mass distribution index at these masses within the coma, and it is shown that such a value of the mass index can provide sufficient mass for consistency with the observed deceleration. The total particulate mass output from the nucleus of comet P/Halley at the time of encounter would be dependent on the maximum mass emitted if this change in slope observed in the coma were also applicable to the emission from the nucleus; this matter is discussed in the text. The flux time profiles have been converted through a simple approach to modeling of the particle trajectories to yield an indication of nucleus surface activity. There is indication of an enhancement in flux at t approximately -29 s corresponding to crossing of the dawn terminator, but the flux detected prior to crossing of the dawn terminator is shown to be higher than predicted by simple modelling. Further enhancements corresponding to jet activity are detected around +190 s and +270 s.