Effects of vapor-phase deposition processes on the optical,chemical, and magnetic properties OE the lunar regolith

The processes of solar wind sputtering and meteoritic impact vaporization have created materials in the lunar regolith which were deposited from a vapor phase. Although the quantity of such exotic condensed substances should theoretically be comparable with that of materials which have been melted by impacts, their existence in the fines has not been generally recognized. We have investigated the physical and chemical properties of materials deposited from vapors generated by hydrogen-ion sputtering and thermal evaporation of lunar and artificial ferrosilicates. Both processes are highly reducing. The deposits are enriched in Fe, have large, nonselective, optical absorptivities, and contain abundant sub-microscopic, superparamagnetic grains of metallic Fe which exhibit the characteristicg=2.1 ESR resonance. The sputter-deposited films are enriched in heavy elements. Thus the hypothesis that the lunar fines contain several percent of materials deposited from the vapor phase accounts in a natural manner for many of the unusual optical, physical and chemical properties of lunar soils. The vapor-deposits are probably concentrated in the agglutinate particles of the regolith.     

Controls on coastal dune morphology, shoreline erosion and barrier island response to extreme storms

The response of a barrier island to an extreme storm depends in part on the surge elevation relative to the height and extent of the foredunes which can exhibit considerable variability alongshore. While it is recognized that alongshore variations in dune height and width direct barrier island response to storm surge, the underlying causes of the alongshore variation remain poorly understood. This study examines the alongshore variation in dune morphology along a 11 km stretch of Santa Rosa Island in northwest Florida and relates the variation in morphology to the response of the island during Hurricane Ivan and historic and storm-related rates of shoreline erosion. The morphology of the foredune and backbarrier dunes was characterized before and after Hurricane Ivan using Empirical Orthogonal Function (EOF) analysis and related through Canonical Correlation Analysis (CCA). The height and extent of the foredune, and the presence and relative location of the backbarrier dunes, varied alongshore at discrete length scales (of ~ 750, 1450 and 4550 m) that are statistically significant at the 95% confidence level. Cospectral analysis suggests that the variation in dune morphology is correlated with transverse ridges on the inner-shelf, the backbarrier cuspate headlands, and the historical and storm-related trends in shoreline change. Sections of the coast with little to no dune development before Hurricane Ivan were observed in the narrowest portions of the island (between headlands), west of the transverse ridges. Overwash penetration tended to be larger in these areas and island breaching was common, leaving the surface close to the watertable and covered by a lag of shell and gravel. In contrast, large foredunes and the backbarrier dunes were observed at the widest sections of the island (the cuspate headlands) and at crest of the transverse ridges. Due to the large dunes and the presence of the backbarrier dunes, these areas experienced less overwash penetration and most of the sediment from the beachface and dunes was deposited within the upper-shoreface. It is argued that this sediment is returned to the beachface through nearshore bar migration following the storm and that the areas with larger foredunes and backbarrier dunes have smaller rates of historical shoreline erosion compared to areas with smaller dunes and greater transfer of sediment to the washover terrace. Since the recovery of the dunes will vary depending on the availability of sediment from the washover and beachface, it is further argued that the alongshore pattern of dune morphology and the response of the island to the next extreme storm is forced by the transverse ridges and island width through alongshore variations in storm surge and overwash gradients respectively. These findings may be particularly important for coastal managers involved in the repair and rebuilding of coastal infrastructure that was damaged or destroyed during Hurricane Ivan.     

Interstitial Sn2+ in synthetic and natural cassiterite crystals

Evidence for the presence of Sn²⁺ in an octahedral interstitial site in synthetic and natural cassiterite (SnO₂) is presented. The absorption and relative absorption spectral peaks measured are similar to ones found in Sn²⁺-doped KI by absorption spectrophotometry and Sn²⁺-doped soda-silica glass by reflection spectroscopy. The estimated quantity of interstitial Sn²⁺ present is found by calculating that needed to balance the uncompensated M³⁺ impurity in substitutional Sn⁴⁺ sites where M³⁺ is mainly Al³⁺ and Fe³⁺. Estimates of the oscillator strengths of three Sn²⁺ bands detected by absorption spectrophotometry in the synthetic crystal are given. The interstitial Sn²⁺ content in synthetic and natural cassiterite is not affected by heating,⁶⁰Co gamma irradiation, or UV light treatment with a high pressure xenon-mercury lamp.     

Light scattering in a spherical,exponential atmosphere,with applications to Venus

The problem of the reflection of light from an optically thick, spherical atmosphere in which the scatterers are distributed exponentially with a scale height small compared to the radius of the planet is discussed. Exact formal solutions are obtained for the single scattered component. Useful approximate analytic solutions, which also include multiply scattered light, are given. The results are applied to the analysis of the Mariner 10 limb and terminator images of Venus. The altitude of the “detached” haze layer discovered by Mariner 10 is at 79–85 km, but in places the haze exists above 100 km. This layer apparently is a stable, planetwide feature which forms at the top of the Pioneer Venus upper haze layer. It was similar in location, scale height, and thickness at the times of the two missions, in contrast to the lower, high-altitude haze which changed dramatically. We discuss two possibilities for the nature of the limb hazes. (1) The lower haze is probably the sulfuric acid cloud and the “detached” layer may be a separate water-ice haze. (2)The “detached” haze layer may not be separate at all, but part of the sulfuric acid haze, and the apparent “gap” at 75–80 km may be the source region of a broadband absorber. The spatial distribution of the strong near-UV absorber, which may be elemental sulfur as first suggested by B. Hapke and R. Nelson (1975, J. Atmos. Sci.32, 1212–1218), is examined in light of our results. Several arguments indicate that there is no nonabsorbing, overlying haze and that the UV absorber extends to the top of the haze 8layer.     

The lunar disturbance effect

Apollo photographs indicate that the lunar disturbance effect is due to changes in the photometric function of the lunar soil caused by rearrangement of the soil particles, rather than to any physical or chemical differences between the uppermost layer and the underlying materials.Paper presented to the NATO Advanced Study Institute on Lunar Studies, Patras, Greece, September 1971.     

Bidirectional reflectance spectroscopy: 3. Correction for macroscopic roughness

A mathematically rigorous formalism is derived by which an arbitrary photometric function for the bidirectional reflectance of a smooth surface may be corrected to include effects of general macroscopic roughness. The correction involves only one arbitrary parameter, the mean slope angle $\text{θ}$, and is applicable to surfaces of any albedo. Using physically reasonable assumptions and mathematical approximations the correction expressions are evaluated analytically to second order in $\text{θ}$. The correction is applied to the bidirectional reflectance function of B. Hapke (1981, J. Geophys. Res.86, 3039–3054). Expressions for both the differential and integral brightnesses are obtained. Photometric profiles on hypothetical smooth and rough planets of low and high albedo are shown to illustrate the effects of macroscopic roughness. The theory is applied to observations of Mercury and predicts the integral phase function, the apparent polar darkening, and the lack of limb brightness surge on the planet. The roughness-corrected bidirectional reflectance function is sufficiently simple that it can be conveniently evaluated on a programmable hand-held calculator.     

Possible correlation of Io's posteclipse brightening with major solar flares

In 6 of the 7 instances where posteclipse brightening of Io has been reported by observers using blue filters, a major solar flare occurred within 10° of the sub-Jovian longitude in the 100-day interval prior to observation. In none of the 18 instances where no posteclipse brightening was observed did such a flare occur. It is proposed that a phenomenon associated with a major solar flare causes an increase in the trapped particle flux at Io's orbit by an order of magnitude. The posteclipse brightening may be caused by thermoluminescence of Io's surface material upon emergence. Alternatively, it is possible that the increase in trapped particle flux would warm the surface, creating a temporary atmosphere which would precipitate during eclipse cooling and vaporize in the period of warming after reemergence.     

Development of the Coastal Storm Modeling System (CoSMoS) for predicting the impact of storms on high-energy,active-margin coasts

The Coastal Storm Modeling System (CoSMoS) applies a predominantly deterministic framework to make detailed predictions (meter scale) of storm-induced coastal flooding, erosion, and cliff failures over large geographic scales (100s of kilometers). CoSMoS was developed for hindcast studies, operational applications (i.e., nowcasts and multiday forecasts), and future climate scenarios (i.e., sea-level rise + storms) to provide emergency responders and coastal planners with critical storm hazards information that may be used to increase public safety, mitigate physical damages, and more effectively manage and allocate resources within complex coastal settings. The prototype system, developed for the California coast, uses the global WAVEWATCH III wave model, the TOPEX/Poseidon satellite altimetry-based global tide model, and atmospheric-forcing data from either the US National Weather Service (operational mode) or Global Climate Models (future climate mode), to determine regional wave and water-level boundary conditions. These physical processes are dynamically downscaled using a series of nested Delft3D-WAVE (SWAN) and Delft3D-FLOW (FLOW) models and linked at the coast to tightly spaced XBeach (eXtreme Beach) cross-shore profile models and a Bayesian probabilistic cliff failure model. Hindcast testing demonstrates that, despite uncertainties in preexisting beach morphology over the ~500 km alongshore extent of the pilot study area, CoSMoS effectively identifies discrete sections of the coast (100s of meters) that are vulnerable to coastal hazards under a range of current and future oceanographic forcing conditions, and is therefore an effective tool for operational and future climate scenario planning.     

A Time-Dependent Model of Radiative and Conductive Thermal Energy Transport in Planetary Regoliths with Applications to the Moon and Mercury

Modeling thermal energy transfer in planetary regoliths involves treating four processes: visible radiative transfer, thermal radiative transfer, conductive transfer, and heat storage. We explicitly treat these processes while considering time-dependent problems, and we apply this model to the regoliths of the Moon and Mercury. Fitting the model to observational data allows us to constrain the radiative resistivity and thermal inertia parameters of these regoliths and hence constrain their conductivities, thermal extinction coefficients, and average grain sizes. It is also found that water ice would be stable in the polar subsurfaces of both bodies, even in areas which receive sunlight during the day.