Including prior information in the estimation of effective soil parameters in unsaturated zone modelling

In this paper we propose a methodology to include prior information in the estimation of effective soil parameters for modelling the soil moisture content in the unsaturated zone. Laboratory measurements on undisturbed soil cores were used to estimate the moisture retention curve and hydraulic conductivity curve parameters. The soil moisture content was measured at 25 locations along three transects and at three different depths (surface, 30 and 60 cm) on an 80×20 m hillslope for the year 2001. Soil cores were collected in 84 locations situated in three profile pits along the hillslope. For the estimation of the effective soil hydraulic parameters the joint probability distribution of measured parameter values was used as prior information. A two-horizon single column 1D MIKE SHE model based on Richards' equation was set-up for nine soil moisture measurement locations along the middle transect of the hillslope. The goal of the model is to simulate the soil moisture profile at each location. The shuffled complex evolution (SCE) algorithm has been applied to estimate effective model parameters using either wide parameter ranges, referred to as the ‘no-prior’ case, or the joint probability distribution of measured parameter values as prior information (‘prior’ case). When the prior information is incorporated in the SCE optimisation the goodness-of-fit of the model predictions is only slightly worse compared to when no-prior information is incorporated. However, the effective parameter estimates are more realistic when the prior information is incorporated. For both the no-prior and prior case the generalised likelihood uncertainty estimation procedure (GLUE) was subsequently used to estimate the uncertainty bounds (UB) on the model predictions. When incorporating the prior information more parameter sets were accepted for the estimation of the predictive uncertainty and the parameter values were more realistic. Moreover, UB better enclosed the observations. Thus, incorporating prior information in GLUE reduces the amount of model evaluations needed to obtain sufficient behavioural parameter sets. The results indicate the importance of prior information in the SCE and GLUE parameter estimation strategies.     

Calibration framework for a Kalman filter applied to a groundwater model

The paper presents a novel approach to the setup of a Kalman filter by using an automatic calibration framework for estimation of the covariance matrices. The calibration consists of two sequential steps: (1) Automatic calibration of a set of covariance parameters to optimize the performance of the system and (2) adjustment of the model and observation variance to provide an uncertainty analysis relying on the data instead of ad-hoc covariance values. The method is applied to a twin-test experiment with a groundwater model and a colored noise Kalman filter. The filter is implemented in an ensemble framework. It is demonstrated that lattice sampling is preferable to the usual Monte Carlo simulation because its ability to preserve the theoretical mean reduces the size of the ensemble needed. The resulting Kalman filter proves to be efficient in correcting dynamic error and bias over the whole domain studied. The uncertainty analysis provides a reliable estimate of the error in the neighborhood of assimilation points but the simplicity of the covariance models leads to underestimation of the errors far from assimilation points.     

Magnetic properties of feroxyhyte (δ-FeOOH)

Magnetization curves and high-field Mössbauer spectra are used to deduce a model for the magnetic order in synthetic samples of δ-FeOOH (feroxyhyte), which takes account of the changes in magnetization when the samples are heated at 105 °C. Feroxyhyte is essentially a planar antiferromagnet with the net sublattice moments aligned parallel or antiparallel to c. Each particle acquires a net moment due to the very small number of layers along the c-direction, and the presence of surface steps causing the formation of ferrimagnetic domains with an odd number of layers. There is some spin canting which is related to the crystallinity of the sample. The decrease in magnetization following heating is mainly due to an increase in the extent of antiferromagnetic coupling between the closely packed ferrimagnetic particles, but changes in the spin canting within the bulk may also contribute. A typical, rather well crystallized specimen has magnetization σ=14 JT^?1 kg^?1 and Curie temperature T _c=455 K.     

河套地区新生代湖泊演化与“吉兰泰-河套”古大湖形成机制的初步研究

研究发现,河套地区在距今5～6万年前存在一个统一的"吉兰泰-河套"古大湖,覆盖吉兰泰和河套盆地的大部分地区。本研究试图依据钻孔资料和湖泊沉积物的测年结果,讨论新生代以来河套盆地的湖泊演化和古大湖的形成机制。结果表明,新生代以来,特别是早更新世以来吉兰泰盆地和河套平原的3个坳陷盆地就已经处于湖泊环境,但没有证据显示存在统一的湖泊。湖泊沉积及其OSL测年显示,"吉兰泰-河套"古大湖大约在距今10万年前后开始发育,至距今5～6万年之前湖面达到海拔1080m上下,随后湖泊衰退。我们认为,鄂尔多斯高原东北边缘距今12万年前后开始的快速构造隆升,可能导致了晋陕峡谷黄河外流受阻,最终在河套盆地积水形成统一湖泊,末次冰期中期(深海氧同位素3阶段)相对湿润的气候环境进一步促进了"吉兰泰-河套"古大湖的发育。     

Instrument Calibration of the <Emphasis Type="Italic">Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph</Emphasis> (IRIS) Mission

The Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) is a NASA small explorer mission that provides high-resolution spectra and images of the Sun in the 133?–?141 nm and 278?–?283 nm wavelength bands. The IRIS data are archived in calibrated form and made available to the public within seven days of observing. The calibrations applied to the data include dark correction, scattered light and background correction, flat fielding, geometric distortion correction, and wavelength calibration. In addition, the IRIS team has calibrated the IRIS absolute throughput as a function of wavelength and has been tracking throughput changes over the course of the mission. As a resource for the IRIS data user, this article describes the details of these calibrations as they have evolved over the first few years of the mission. References to online documentation provide access to additional information and future updates.     

Development of the HEFT and NuSTAR focusing telescopes

Hard X-ray/soft gamma-ray astrophysics is on the verge of a major advance with the practical realization of technologies capable of efficiently focusing X-rays above 10 keV. Hard X-ray focusing telescopes can achieve orders of magnitude improvements in sensitivity compared to the instruments based on coded apertures and collimated detectors that have traditionally been employed in this energy band. Compact focal planes enable high-performance detectors with good spectral resolution to be employed in efficient, low-background configurations. We have developed multilayer coated grazing incidence optics and solid state Cadmium Zinc Telluride focal plane systems for the High Energy Focusing Telescope (HEFT) balloon-borne experiment, and for the Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR) Small Explorer satellite. In this paper we describe the technologies, telescope designs, and performance of both experiments.     

Holocene lake level variations on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

Paleoshorelines indicative of multiple high lake stages can be found around many lakes on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP). Conspicuous paleoshorelines associated with the most recent highstands can be readily observed on satellite images and during field investigations. However, earlier paleoshorelines have been identified at only a few sites around these lakes due to a lack of clear shoreline features and limited spatial extension of those that can be identified. We investigated past lake highstands using published chronologies, Aster-DEM, Google Earth, and ArcGIS 9.2 software. These data suggest that (1) paleoshorelines of the most recent lake highstand were formed during the Holocene; (2) during this highstand, lake levels reached more than 90, 60–90, and 30–60 m higher than present in the central Gangdise and western Qiangtang areas, while in the eastern Qiangtang, Holxil-Yushu, and northeastern QTP areas highstands did not exceed 30 m above modern; (3) during the early Holocene, some lakes on the southwestern QTP combined to form large lakes, while lakes in the inland areas of the QTP were only a little larger during the Holocene high lake level stages.     

Fast Magnetoacoustic Waves in a Fan Structure Above a Coronal Magnetic Null Point

We analyze the 26 November 2005 solar radio event observed interferometrically at frequencies of 244 and 611 MHz by the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT) in Pune, India. These observations are used to make interferometric maps of the event at both frequencies with the time cadence of 1 s from 06:50 to 07:12 UT. These maps reveal several radio sources. The light curves of these sources show that only two sources at 244 MHz and 611 MHz are well correlated in time. The EUV flare is more localized with flare loops located rather away from the radio sources. Using SoHO/MDI observations and potential magnetic field extrapolation we demonstrate that both the correlated sources are located in the fan structure of magnetic field lines starting from a coronal magnetic null point. Wavelet analysis of the light curves of the radio sources detects tadpoles with periods in the range P=10?–?83 s. These wavelet tadpoles indicate the presence of fast magnetoacoustic waves that propagate in the fan structure of the coronal magnetic null point. We estimate the plasma parameters in the studied radio sources and find them consistent with the presented scenario involving the coronal magnetic null point.