An Historical Overview

Studies in extragalactic astronomy, galactic structure and the late stages of stellar evolution provide ample motivation for surveys of fields in the Galactic Halo. Apart from white dwarfs, blue stars had been regarded as luminous objects confined to star-forming regions in the Galactic Plane; finding them at high galactic latitudes attracted immediate interest, because their luminosities were intermediate between those of white dwarfs and blue Main Sequence stars. The study of blue stars away from the Galactic Plane was initiated by Greenstein; in due course effective temperatures (T _e ff), surface gravities (log g) and abundances showed these stars form what appeared to be a blue extension of the known Horizontal Branch (HB) in the Hertzsprung–Russell Diagram. Extended Horizontal Branch (EHB) stars were identified with Extreme Horizontal Branch stars in globular clusters. It was realised that HB and EHB stars must have formed as a consequence of mass-loss on the Giant Branch, either at or before the helium flash. Mass-loss on the Giant Branch leading to the formation of EHB stars was considered more likely for stars in binary systems. The scene was then set for three decades of EHB star research.     

Depositional and post‐depositional history of warm stage deposits at Knocknacran,Co. Monaghan,Ireland: implications for preservation of Irish last interglacial deposits

Organic‐rich deposits, uncovered during overburden removal from mantled gypsum karst at Knocknacran opencast gypsum mine, Co. Monaghan, are the best candidate to date for a last interglacial record in Ireland. The two till and organic‐rich deposits (preserved at different quarry elevations) were emplaced on to a Tertiary dolerite surface during high‐energy flood events and subsequently folded and faulted by movement towards sinkholes in underlying gypsum. Uranium–thorium disequilibrium dating suggests that the organic‐rich deposits in the upper section were hydrologically isolated at ca. 41 ka and those in the lower section at ca. 86 ka. Interpretation of the pollen content, although tentative because of the depositional and post‐depositional history of the material, suggests that the organic material originated in a warm stage possibly warmer than the post‐Eemian interstadials. The unusual setting of preservation may indicate that in situ, last interglacial deposits have generally been removed by erosion in Ireland. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Is the Kolmogoroff model applicable to large-scale turbulence?

We discuss the difficulties encountered when the Heisenberg-Kolmogoroff model for turbulence is applied to the large-scale turbulence in: (A) molecular clouds (specifically the velocity vs size relationship) and (B) stars (specifically, the estimate of convective fluxes).A new model for large-scale turbulence is, therefore, needed.     

A comparative study of the zooplankton in two adjacent embayments,Port Phillip and Westernport Bays,Australia

We report on a year's study of spatial and seasonal patterns of zooplankton abundance in Port Phillip and Westernport Bays, July 1982 to August 1983. These two bays, closely adjacent on the southern coast of Victoria, Australia, differ in several respects: Port Phillip is a nearly landlocked bay with a broad basin, while Westernport is an open tidal embayment with extensive mud and seagrass banks. Both bays have a resident zooplankton fauna distinct from that of Bass Strait. Although these resident communities have many species in common, patterns of abundance and dominance are quite different. We found that the holoplankton of Port Phillip was about half copepods, mostly Paracalanus indicus, with 23% Caldocera and 21% larvaceans. Westernport Bay zooplankton was dominated by Acartia tranteri, with no resident cladoceran fauna. Bass Strait species were more often found in Westernport than in Port Phillip Bay, but the resident community of Port Phillip Bay was more similar to that of Bass Strait than to that of Westernport.Although this study was undertaken in an exceptionally dry year, the available historical data show that the overall patterns found in 1982–1983 are typical for these bays. The differences in community composition probably relate to differences in depth profile, predator abundance, and suspended matter between the bays.     

An analytical model for the HF backscattered Doppler spectrum for the ocean surface

An analysis previously developed for rough surface scattering with narrow-beam reception is extended to wide-beam or omnidirectional reception. The source is considered to be a pulsed electric dipole. The analysis includes multipathing effects on the received signal. The results are used to develop a model for the backscattered radar cross section of the ocean surface, up to a second-order approximation.     

Energy dissipation in oscillatory flow over rippled beds

Measurements of energy dissipation have been made with an oscillating tray apparatus similar to that of Bagnold (1946). Two different bed profiles were examined: one was sinusoidal and the other consisted of fins projecting perpendicularly fromthe plate in a regular two-dimensional pattern. The tests with the sinusoidal profile showed that significant variation in energy dissipation coefficient with Reynolds number occurs near the point at which vortex formation first starts to take place. It is suggested that Bagnold did not observe this effect because of the particular profile used in his tests. The tests with the finned beds showed that even when vortex formation is fully developed there is still some variation in energy dissipation coefficient with Reynolds number, at constant a/k_s, at high Reynolds numbers.     

REMOTE SENSING FOREST BIOMASS: AN EVALUATION USING HIGH RESOLUTION REMOTE SENSOR DATA AND LOBLOLLY PINE PLOTS

Eight-year-old Loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) plots located in South Carolina were evaluated using high resolution aircraft multispectral scanner data to determine if biomass could be accurately measured. Sixteen pine plots located on both sandy and clay soils were treated with 0, 180, or 360 kg. (approximately 0, 400, or 800 lb.) of nitrogen per plot. Indices of biomass from remote sensing data were significantly correlated with in situ biomass measurements made in each plot. A ratio of infrared (.9–1.1 μm) and red (.65–.70 μm) channels yielded the best correlation. The indices were not sensitive to differences in soil type (sandy or clay).