The absorption spectrum of atmospheric water vapor in the vicinity of the He 10830 Å triplet

Wavelengths of clean atmospheric water lines, and some solar lines, in the wavelength interval 10750 Å to 10900 Å have been measured to an accuracy approaching ± 1 mÅ. Strengths and wavelengths have been measured for all atmospheric water lines with absorption coefficients > 5 × 10^–4 cm^–1 gm^–1 cm^–2 at 280K, that lie within 15 Å of the He I 10830 Å featur of the stronger He component is affected by a weak water line which reduces atmospheric transmission by nearly 1 % with 10 mm precipitable water in the line of sight.Operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc., under contract with the National Science Foundation.     

High-temperature neutron diffraction study of deuterated brucite

To study the structural behavior of brucite at high temperature, we conducted in situ neutron diffraction experiments of a deuterated brucite powder sample, Mg(OD)₂, in the temperature range 313–583 K. The sample was stable up to 553 K, above which it started to decompose into periclase (MgO) and D₂O vapor. Rietveld analyses of the obtained data were performed using both single-site and three-site split-atom hydrogen models. Our results show that with increasing temperature, unit-cell parameter c increases at a rate ~7.7 times more rapidly than a. This large anisotropy of thermal expansion is primarily due to rapid increase in the interlayer thickness along the c-axis on heating. The amplitudes of thermal vibration for Mg, O, and D increase linearly with increasing temperature; however, the rate of the increase for the lighter D is much larger. In addition, D vibrates anisotropically with a higher magnitude within the (001) plane, as confirmed by our first-principles phonon calculations. On heating, the interatomic distances between a given D and its associated O and D from the adjacent [MgO₆] layer increase, whereas the O–D bond length decreases. This behavior suggests weakened D···O and D···D interlayer interactions but strengthened O–D bonding with increasing temperature.     

Regional projections of the likelihood of very large wildland fires under a changing climate in the contiguous Western United States

Seasonal changes in the climatic potential for very large wildfires (VLWF?≥?50,000 ac?~?20,234 ha) across the western contiguous United States are projected over the 21st century using generalized linear models and downscaled climate projections for two representative concentration pathways (RCPs). Significant (p?≤?0.05) increases in VLWF probability for climate of the mid-21st century (2031–2060) relative to contemporary climate are found, for both RCP 4.5 and 8.5. The largest differences are in the Eastern Great Basin, Northern Rockies, Pacific Northwest, Rocky Mountains, and Southwest. Changes in seasonality and frequency of VLWFs d7epend on changes in the future climate space. For example, flammability-limited areas such as the Pacific Northwest show that (with high model agreement) the frequency of weeks with VLWFs in a given year is 2–2.7 more likely. However, frequency of weeks with at least one VLWF in fuel-limited systems like the Western Great Basin is 1.3 times more likely (with low model agreement). Thus, areas where fire is directly associated with hot and dry climate, as opposed to experiencing lagged effects from previous years, experience more change in the likelihood of VLWF in future projections. The results provide a quantitative foundation for management to mitigate the effects of VLWFs.     

Aftershock Statistics of the 1999 Chi–Chi, Taiwan Earthquake and the Concept of Omori Times

In this paper we consider the statistics of the aftershock sequence of the m = 7.65 20 September 1999 Chi–Chi, Taiwan earthquake. We first consider the frequency-magnitude statistics. We find good agreement with Gutenberg–Richter scaling but find that the aftershock level is anomalously high. This level is quantified using the difference in magnitude between the main shock and the largest inferred aftershock $ {{\Updelta}}m^{ *}. $ Typically, $ {{\Updelta}}m^{ *} $ is in the range 0.8–1.5, but for the Chi–Chi earthquake the value is $ {{\Updelta}}m^{ *} $  = 0.03. We suggest that this may be due to an aseismic slow-earthquake component of rupture. We next consider the decay rate of aftershock activity following the earthquake. The rates are well approximated by the modified Omori’s law. We show that the distribution of interoccurrence times between aftershocks follow a nonhomogeneous Poisson process. We introduce the concept of Omori times to study the merging of the aftershock activity with the background seismicity. The Omori time is defined to be the mean interoccurrence time over a fixed number of aftershocks.     

Earth observations during space shuttle mission STS‐34: 18–23 October 1989

Abstract

Although high‐resolution microwave synthetic aperture radar (SAR) sensors possess all‐weather capability for mapping soil moisture from spaceborne platforms, continuous temporal and spatial monitoring of this important hydrological parameter has been relatively limited. However, the recent launch of operational SAR sensors aboard various satellites have made possible synoptic soil moisture monitoring a reality. Such systems operate over a wide range of frequencies, look angles, and polarization combinations, and thus show synergistic advantages when combined for estimating soil moisture patterns. Two soil moisture inversion algorithms have been developed using as inputs radar backscattering data at L, S, and C bands in the microwave frequency range. These models have been tested using radar image simulation with speckle added. It is observed that the neural network algorithm yields superior results in mapping actual soil moisture patterns over the linear statistical inversion technique, although both models show comparable errors in soil moisture estimation. We infer that using statistical estimation errors alone for comparison purposes may lead to erroneous conclusions regarding the advantages of one soil moisture inversion algorithm over another.     

A “classification based method” for color‐composite image generation on an eight‐bit graphics workstation

Given the level of contemporary technological accomplishment in computing, it is now possible to undertake image‐processing tasks on a variety of “smaller” systems. While a typical hardware configuration includes 24 bits of refresh memory for color. 8 bits each for red, green, and blue, it is feasible to construct color‐composite images comprised of three spectral bands of remotely sensed data using workstations configured with only a single eight‐bit graphics plane for color. Such systems are commonly available in colleges and universities, since they are less expensive than fully configured color workstations.     

Blue Earth River quality monitoring using ARCHER hyperspectral data and field measurements

In past decades, remote sensing studies on water quality mapping mainly focused on lakes using medium resolution imagery. Little research utilizes hyperspectral images to assess river water quality. This study aims to assess the capability of using Airborne Real-time Cueing Hyperspectral Enhanced Reconnaissance (ARCHER) for river water quality mapping and to characterize spatial patterns of turbidity and chlorophyll in the Blue Earth River (BER) system of Minnesota. The BER was characterized by both hyperspectral imagery (HSI) and laboratory analysis of synchronously collected water quality data. The optimal bands for water quality mapping were determined using a method based on hyperspectral profiles and derivative analysis. Finally, based on the regression analysis and modelling, we mapped continuous surface water turbidity. The results revealed that the ratio of HSI band 17 to band 9 effectively determined turbidity and chlorophyll concentrations. The study also found that turbidity and chlorophyll in the river generally increases downstream.     

A comparison between above-water surface and subsurface spectral reflectances collected over inland waters

The objective of the research was to undertake a quantitative comparison of spectral-reflectance measurements made slightly above the surface of water bodies with the measurements made slightly below the surface. The study is focused on three rivers; two in Georgia, USA and one in Japan. As expected, the differences in reflectance are not constant and vary with the wavelength. The contribution of surface-reflection effects to the surface reflectance measured slightly above the water is both pronounced and highly variable, but although they do alter the magnitude of the upwelling signal, they do not change the general shape of the spectral profiles. The correction of surface-reflection effects by assuming a proportionality factor (ρ) is not considered to be efficient for inland fresh water bodies. For in situ spectroscopy, the recommended approach is to measure upwelling radiance slightly below the water's surface as a means of minimizing extraneous noise. Researchers should be aware of the potential for diminishing the validity of findings because of measurement errors.     

Reference hydrologic networks II. Using reference hydrologic networks to assess climate-driven changes in streamflow

Abstract

Reference hydrologic networks (RHNs) can play an important role in monitoring for changes in the hydrological regime related to climate variation and change. Currently, the literature concerning hydrological response to climate variations is complex and confounded by the combinations of many methods of analysis, wide variations in hydrology, and the inclusion of data series that include changes in land use, storage regulation and water use in addition to those of climate. Three case studies that illustrate a variety of approaches to the analysis of data from RHNs are presented and used, together with a summary of studies from the literature, to develop approaches for the investigation of changes in the hydrological regime at a continental or global scale, particularly for international comparison. We present recommendations for an analysis framework and the next steps to advance such an initiative. There is a particular focus on the desirability of establishing standardized procedures and methodologies for both the creation of new national RHNs and the systematic analysis of data derived from a collection of RHNs.

Editor Z.W. Kundzewicz; Associate editor K. Hamed

Citation Burn, D. H., et al., 2012 Whitfield, P.H. 2012. Reference hydrologic networks, I. The status of national reference hydrologic networks for detecting trends and future directions. Hydrological Sciences Journal, 57(8) this issue[Taylor & Francis Online] , [Google Scholar]. Reference hydrologic networks II. Using reference hydrologic networks to assess climate-driven changes in streamflow. Hydrological Sciences Journal, 57 (8), 1580–1593.     

The effect of anisotropic heat transport in the earth's core on the geodynamo

Intermediate dynamos are axisymmetric, spherical models that evade Cowling's theorem by invoking an α-effect to create the meridional magnetic field from the zonal. Usually the energy source maintaining the motions is a specified thermal wind, but here the dynamo is driven by the buoyancy created by a uniform distribution of heat sources. It has been argued by Braginsky and Meytlis (this journal, vol. 55, 1990) that, in a rapidly rotating, strongly magnetic system such as the Earth's core, heat is transported principally by a small-scale turbulence that is highly anisotropic. They conclude that the diffusion of heat parallel to the rotation axis is then significantly greater than it is in directions away from that axis. A preliminary study of the consequences of this idea is reported here. Solutions are derived numerically using both isotropic and non-isotropic thermal diffusivity tensors, and the results are compared. It is shown that even a small degree of anisotropy can materially alter the character of the dynamo.