Case study of Pampa,Texas, multicell storms

Analysis of the Pampa, Texas, multicell storms showed prestorm environmental conditions of a strong horizontal convergence of moisture, mixing ratio 12 g/kg at the 850 mb level in the Texas Panhandle areas and strong winds with shear veering with height. Rapid-scan satellite imagery showed that the clouds penetrated above the tropopause and cloud-top temperatures were at least 4 to 9° C colder than the temperature of the tropopause. This formation and collapsing of high-mass-density overshooting cloud tops above the tropopause is characteristic of tornadoes in the middle portion of the United States.     

Cargo spillage at an iron ore unloading terminal

Dust deposition in the sea at an iron ore unloading terminal in the Firth of Clyde, Scotland, was measured by means of sediment collectors placed 10 m above the sea bed on the outer face of the unloading jetty. A ‘background’ sedimentation of up to 64 g m^?2 day^?1 of non-ferrous material was obtained with no ships in port. During unloading dust quantities up to 18 021 g m^?2 day^?1 were obtained, but the quantities depended on the type of ore unloaded, and much smaller quantities of sediment were obtained with ores less prone to fine particle formation. Any ecological effects would involve sea bed benthos, although rates of transportation of the sedimented dust are probably rapid in the immediate vicinity of the ore terminal.     

Combined L1/L2 Kalman filter-based tracking scheme for weak signal environments

A Kalman filter-based method combining the energy of both L1 C/A and L2C GPS signals in a combined tracking loop method to enhance performance under adverse conditions is developed. Standard tracking methods and the ionospheric effect on GPS signals are reviewed and compared to a new Kalman filter that simultaneously estimates delay, phase and total electron content by combining L1 C/A and L2C code and phase discriminator outputs. The new filter is tested and compared to standard methods for tracking L1 C/A and L2C using both simulated and real data. The new method is found to have improved sensitivity of 3 dB compared to standard L1 tracking and 4.5 dB compared to standard L2C tracking while at the same time providing an accurate estimate of the total electron content along the signal path.     

Production of selected cosmogenic radionuclides by muons: 2. Capture of negative muons

We have determined the production yields for radionuclides in Al₂O₃, SiO₂, S, Ar, K₂SO₄, CaCO₃, Fe, Ni and Cu targets, which were irradiated with slow negative muons at the Paul Scherrer Institute in Villigen (Switzerland). The fluences of the stopped negative muons were determined by measuring the muonic X-rays. The concentrations of the long-lived and short-lived radionuclides were measured with accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) and γ-spectroscopy, respectively. Special emphasis was put on the radionuclides ¹⁰Be, ¹⁴C and ²⁶Al produced in quartz targets, ²⁶Al in Al₂O₃ and S targets, ³⁶Cl in K₂SO₄ and CaCO₃ targets, and ⁵³Mn in Fe₂O₃ targets. These targets were selected because they are also the naturally occurring target minerals for cosmic ray interactions in typical rocks. We also present results of calculations for depth-dependent production rates of radionuclides produced after cosmic ray μ⁻ capture, as well as cosmic ray-induced production rates of geologically relevant radionuclides produced by the nucleonic component, by μ⁻ capture, by fast muons and by neutron capture.     

Radiative forcing by contrails

A parametric study of the instantaneous radiative impact of contrails is presented using three different radiative transfer models for a series of model atmospheres and cloud parameters. Contrails are treated as geometrically and optically thin plane parallel homogeneous cirrus layers in a static atmosphere. The ice water content is varied as a function of ambient temperature. The model atmospheres include tropical, mid-latitude, and subarctic summer and winter atmospheres. Optically thin contrails cause a positive net forcing at top of the atmosphere. At the surface the radiative forcing is negative during daytime. The forcing increases with the optical depth and the amount of contrail cover. At the top of the atmosphere, a mean contrail cover of 0.1% with average optical depth of 0.2 to 0.5 causes about 0.01 to 0.03 Wm⁻² daily mean instantaneous radiative forcing. Contrails cool the surface during the day and heat the surface during the night, and hence reduce the daily temperature amplitude. The net effect depends strongly on the daily variation of contrail cloud cover. The indirect radiative forcing due to particle changes in natural cirrus clouds may be of the same magnitude as the direct one due to additional cover.     

Na-rich carbonate inclusions in perovskite and calzirtite from the Guli intrusive Ca-carbonatite,polar Siberia

Carbonate phases, some rich in Na₂O and comparatively rich in SrO and BaO, occur as inclusions in perovskite and calzirtite (Ca₂Zr₅Ti₂O₁₆) in the carbonatite of the Guli complex, Siberia. This is the first record of alkali carbonates, akin to nyerereite [Na₂Ca(CO₃)₂], in plutonic igneous rocks. The inclusion populations suggest that the parental magma of the complex was Ca-rich but developed Na-rich differentiates during the latest stages. This points to the dominant calcic carbonatites of the complex not being derivatives of alkali-rich parental carbonatites. These alkali-rich carbonate inclusions (and rare inclusions of djerfisherite) have been preserved due to the resistance of perovskite and calzirtite to processes of leaching, hydrothermal alteration and weathering.     

The bonding of ferrous iron to sulfur and oxygen in tetrahedral coordination: A comparative study using SCF Xα scattered wave molecular orbital calculations

Molecular quantum mechanical calculations have been performed on high-spin ferrous iron tetrahedrally coordinated to sulfur and oxygen, respectively. The molecular orbital energies obtained from the calculations are compared with experimental optical and X-ray emission spectra. Good agreement was found between calculated and experimental spectral transition energies for the optical absorption spectra of Fe²⁺ in sphalerite, of Fe²⁺ in FeAl₂O₄, staurolite and (Zn, Fe)O, and for the FeKβ X-ray emission spectra of FeCr₂O₄. This both clarified interpretation of the spectra and established the validity of the calculations. Distinct differences occur in the molecular orbital structures of the sulfide and oxide clusters. In the sulfide, the crystal field type (mainly Fe 3d) molecular orbitals lie within the nonbonding (mainly S 3p) orbitais in energy, whereas in the oxide, they lie well above the 02p nonbonding orbitals. This also results in a wider valence band in the oxide than in the sulfide. The crystal field type (Fe 3d) molecular orbitais have more ligand character in the sulfide than the oxide and the chalcophilic properties of iron are partly attributed to this observation.     

Towards a unifying theory for stand-level dieback

Trees may die in forest stands over relatively large areas for obvious reasons, such as fire, flooding, severe drought, strong air pollution, and insect outbreaks. However, in many cases, stand-level dieback occurs without an obvious reason and then its etiology becomes more complicated, involving a combination of factors. The dieback structure, its symptomatology, and its spatial and temporal patterns may be used to identify these factors at least at the generic level. Moreover, observations of the dieback-associated vegetation dynamics can be used to draw inferences about the dieback process. In addition to biotic diseases and environmental changes or short-term recurring stresses, local site characteristics and the life history of the stand must be considered in a more universally applicable theory for stand-level dieback. This is further explained by a simplified model related to the decline disease concept of Houston.     

Microbarograph

The microbarograph of a new design has been offered, and the general principle of its operation is considered. The microbarograph is distinguished from well-known ones; it incorporates a compensatory spring eliminating a zero-point drift of the measuring spring, two additional springs that upgrade the angular displacement sensitivity of the microbarograph, and a control and calibration block that makes it possible to perform the remote calibration of the microbarograph and to control it.