Some Results from the Hailpad Network in León (Spain): Noteworthy Correlations among Hailfall Parameters

Summary  Since 1990 the Laboratory for Atmospheric Physics at the University of León has made use of a network of 250 hailpads spread over an area of 1000 km² in the province of León (north-western Spain). By the end of 1995, the network had detected 25 hailfalls of more than 15 km² in area, registered on 13 different days during the summer months. The 25 hailfalls were precipitated over more than 300 separate hailpads, leaving nearly 40 000 measurable prints. The size of each hailstone, whose mass and kinetic energy were taken simply as a function of the diameter of the stone was calculated using the hailpad network. In this way, an estimate has been made of the total quantity of ice which fell in each hailfall (circa 19 000 metric tons on average, although a figure ten times this was calculated for one particular hailstorm). The spatial evolution of the physical variables of the hail, determined from each pad, has also been graphically represented. In addition, the distribution of hailstone sizes has been analysed, and the characteristic distribution parameters calculated. Although exponential distribution is often used, the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test of goodness-of-fit shows a better fit for gamma distribution. The information provided by these parameters has been analysed for both distributions, in relation to some specific variables associated with hail. There is a good correlation between total energy and mass precipitated, but the quantity of hail per unit area correlates with the total energy or mass of the precipitation only through the area affected. The size distribution parameters only show good correlations with the maximum hailstone size recorded. Received October 1, 1998 Revised March 8, 1999     

Triple-junction migration during Paleozoic plate convergence: the Aracena metamorphic belt, Hercynian massif, Spain

New data on the petrology and structure of the Aracena metamorphic belt shows that this is a subduction-related, low-pressure/high-temperature complex developed by plate convergence at the north margin of Gondwana during the Paleozoic. The low-pressure, inverted metamorphic gradient in MORB-derived amphibolites resulted from heating from the continental hanging wall during subduction. This implies that the previous heating of the continental rocks was related to subduction of an oceanic ridge and the creation of a slab window beneath the continental margin. This slab window brought the asthenosphere in contact with the continental margin inducing a shallow thermal anomaly and partial melting of the lithospheric mantle resulting in boninite magmatism.     

Introduction to ‘The 1997–8 El Niño Atlas of oceanographic conditions along the west coast of North America (23°N–50°N)’

Hydrographic data collected along the West Coast of North America between January 1997 and January 1999 have been compiled into a web-based Atlas of the 1997–8 El Niño event. This paper discusses the organization of the Atlas, describes the data that were incorporated into the Atlas and explains how vertical and horizontal distributions for the different properties were constructed. Examples of figures from the Atlas are shown.     

Sensitivity of the Iberian Peninsula climate to a land degradation

Two six-year simulations, a land degradation scenario and a control, were performed by applying a regional climate model nested in ECMWF analyzed data to the Iberian Peninsula. The simulated time period (1993-98) includes extremely anomalous dry and rainy years. The land degradation scenario assumed a decrease in vegetation cover and an alteration of the soil properties resulting from future increases of greenhouse gases and human activity. Simulation results show that the impact of land degradation on the climate of the Iberian Peninsula depends on local factors (the intensity of degradation and geographical location) but some noticeable non-local effects are also present. Local factors result in an increase of the surface temperature which is almost linearly related to the degradation intensity. A stronger decrease in precipitation is observed in the less degraded regions, indicating that non-local effects are more relevant to changes in precipitation. The highest sensitivity to land degradation is observed in the summer season, consisting of an increase in 2 m temperature and a reduction in precipitation. In winter, the rainiest season on the Iberian Peninsula, the impact of land degradation on precipitation is almost negligible.     

On the Composition of Airborne Particles Influenced by Emissions of the Volcano Popocatépetl in Mexico

A 17-day field campaign was carried out in April–May 1999 to determine thecontribution that gaseous volcanic emissions make to the compositionof solid particles,particularly to the presence and quantity of sulfates. Theexperimental site was located inTonantzintla (in the State of Puebla), only 30 km E from the volcanoPopocatépetl, whichhas been in an active phase since the end of 1993. An analysis ofthe carbon monoxide(CO) and sulfur dioxide (SO₂) in the ambient air identifiedvolcanic influence in 6 out ofthe 17 days sampled. Particles collected in an 8-stage cascadeimpactor were analyzed for inorganic ions (by liquid chromatography).A non-parametric test indicates asignificant difference on the total particle mass and thesulfate fraction between days withand without volcanic influence. This difference was predominantlyobserved in the stages that collect the smaller particles. Windsat 500 mb (roughly corresponding to thesummit of the volcano) indicate a westerly transport from thevolcano to the experimentalsite, even though surface winds do not show a clear signal ofsuch a transport. Back trajectories from the experimental site werecalculated and clearly indicated that air parcels on the daysindependently identified as with volcanic influence had indeed passed over the volcano.     

Circulation and mixing due to tidal forcing in the Bertioga Channel, São Paulo, Brazil

Bertioga Channel is a partially mixed (type 2) tidal estuary on the coastal plain of São Paulo, Brazil. Hourly current and salinity measurements during neap and spring tides in July 1991 yielded information about the physical structure of the system. Peak along-channel velocities varied from 40 cm s^?1 to 60 cm s^?1 during flood tides and from 70 cm s^?1 to 100 cm s^?1 during ebb tides. Net vertical velocity profiles indicate that the net current reverses directions at a depth of 2.5–3.0 m in the halocline. Due to appreciable fortnightly tidal modulation, the estuary alternates from being highly stratified (type 2b) during neap tides, with advection and diffusion contributing equally to the net upstream salt flux, to being moderately stratified (type 2a) during spring tides, when 90% of the net upstream salt transport is the result of effective tidal diffusion. Decomposition of the salt flux indicates that the relative contribution to the upstream salt transport by gravitational circulation shear is greater than the oscillatory tidal flux by a factor of 2.6 during neap tides. The oscillatory tidal flux is generated by the correlation of the tidal components of the u-velocity and salinity and is responsible for approximately the same amount of upstream salt transport, during neap and spring tides. However, during spring tides, this oscillatory term is greater than the other salt flux terms by a factor of 1.4. The total salt transport, through a unit width of the section perpendicular to the flow, was within 2% of the sum of the seven major decomposed, advective and dispersive terms. On the assumption that the Bertioga Channel is laterally homogeneous, the results also indicate that the estuary is not in steady state with respect to salt flux.