Automated forecasting of volcanic ash dispersion utilizing Virtual Globes

There are over 100 active volcanoes in the North Pacific (NOPAC) region, most of which are located in sparsely populated areas. Dispersion models play an important role in forecasting the movement of volcanic ash clouds by complementing both remote sensing data and visual observations from the ground and aircraft. Puff is a three-dimensional dispersion model, primarily designed for forecasting volcanic ash dispersion, used by the Alaska Volcano Observatory and other agencies. Since early 2007, the model is in an automated mode to predict the movement of airborne volcanic ash at multiple elevated alert status volcanoes worldwide to provide immediate information when an eruption occurs. Twelve of the predictions are within the NOPAC region, nine more within the southern section of the Pacific ring of fire and the others are in Europe and the Caribbean. Model forecasts are made for initial ash plumes ranging from 4 to 20 km altitude above sea level and for a 24-h forecast period. This information is made available via the Puff model website. Model results can be displayed in Virtual Globes for three-dimensional visualization. Here, we show operational Puff predictions in two and three-dimensions in Google Earth^®, both as iso-surfaces and particles, and study past eruptions to illustrate the capabilities that the Virtual Globes can provide. In addition, we show the opportunity that Google Maps^® provides in displaying Puff operational predictions via an application programming web interface and how radiosonde data (vertical soundings) and numerical weather prediction vertical profiles can be displayed in Virtual Globes for assisting in estimating ash cloud heights.     

Spectral development of a solar X-ray burst observed on OSO-7

The UCSD solar X-ray instrument on the OSO-7 satellite observes X-ray bursts in the 2–300 keV range with 10.24 s time resolution. Spectra obtained from the proportional counter and scintillation counter are analyzed for the event of November 16, 1971, at 0519 UT in terms of thermal (exponential spectrum) and non-thermal (power law) components. The energy content of the approximately 20 × 10⁶K thermal plasma increased with the 60 s duration hard X-ray burst which entirely preceded the 5 keV soft X-ray maximum. If the hard X-rays arise by thick target bremsstrahlung, the nonthermal electrons above 10 keV have sufficient energy to heat the thermally emitting plasma. In the thin target case the collisional energy transfer from non-thermal electrons suffices if the power law electron spectrum is extrapolated below 10 keV, or if the ambient plasma density exceeds 4 × 10¹⁰ cm^–3.Formerly at UCSD.     

Searching for hidden Wolf–Rayet stars in the Galactic plane – 15 new Wolf–Rayet stars

We report the discovery of 15 previously unknown Wolf–Rayet (WR) stars found as part of an infrared (IR) broad-band study of candidate WR stars in the Galaxy. We have derived an empirically based selection algorithm which has selected ∼5000 WR candidate stars located within the Galactic plane drawn from the Galactic Legacy Infrared Mid-Plane Survey Extraordinaire (mid-IR) and Two-Micron All-Sky Survey (near-IR) catalogues. Spectroscopic follow-up of 184 of these reveals 11 nitrogen-rich (WN) and four carbon-rich (WC) WR stars. Early WC subtypes are absent from our sample and none shows evidence for circumstellar dust emission. Of the candidates which are not WR stars, ∼120 displayed hydrogen emission-line features in their spectra. Spectral features suggest that the majority of these are in fact B supergiants/hypergiants, ∼40 of these are identified Be/B[e] candidates.
Here, we present the optical spectra for six of the newly detected WR stars, and the near-IR spectra for the remaining nine of our sample. With a WR yield rate of ∼7 per cent and a massive star detection rate of ∼65 per cent, initial results suggest that this method is one of the most successful means for locating evolved, massive stars in the Galaxy.     

Tracing the flow of organic matter from primary producers to filter feeders in Ria Formosa lagoon, Southern Portugal

The flow of organic matter along the main navigation channel of Ria Formosa, Portugal, was assessed using determinations of suspended particulate matter (SPM), particulate organic matter (POM), and chlorophyll a (chla) concentrations in conjunction with stable isotope values of primary producers, particulate matter, and two filter feeders. SPM in the lagoon is dominated by inorganic particles comprising 80% of total weight with organic matter averaging about 20%. The algal component of the POM averaged about 5% with the remainder comprised of detritus. The δ¹³C values of primary producers ranged from ?9.1‰ in the intertidal seagrassZostera noltii to ?30.7‰ in the red seaweedBostrychia scorpioides revealing underlying differences in the mechanisms of carbon uptake. The δ¹³C value ofB. scorpioides, which develops entangled on the salt marsh speciesSpartina maritima, suggests that its main source of inorganic carbon is atmospheric CO₂. The δ¹³C values of the high marsh macrophyteSarcocornia perennis significantly increased with distance from the ocean while δ¹³C values ofZ. noltii decreased, probably because higher decomposition of organic matter at inner stations lowers the δ¹³CO₂ value in the water. The δ¹⁵N values of Ulvales, seagrasses, and marsh plants significantly increased from outer stations to inner stations. This increase may be due either to recycling of nitrogen (N) within the marsh (with loss of light N₂ or NH₄) or to inputs of isotopically heavy N from sewage. The δ¹⁵N values of particulate matter showed an opposite trend, which indicates higher microbial degradation of organic matter at the inner lagoon. The data demonstrate that the seston in the lagoon is a mixture of detritus from lagoon primary producers with a minor contribution of microalgae. The filter feeders are most likely assimilating a mixture of phytoplankton and microphytobenthos. Digestion of lagoon seston is selective. The δ¹⁵N values of both muscle and digestive gland of filter feeders showed the opposite gradient of particulate matter indicating that the depleted δ¹⁵N of SPM at inner stations was not assimilated or even ingested. Stable isotopes values did not differ between the filter-feeders—the musselMytilus galloprovincialis collected on buoys and the clamTapes decussatus collected in the sediment—suggesting a considerable mixture of benthic-pelagic organic matter throughout the water column. Assessment of the changes in isotopic decomposition of detritus as it decays is required to refine our understanding of organic matter transfers in detrital food webs.     

Heat tracing to examine seasonal groundwater flow beneath a low-gradient stream in rural central Illinois,USA

The thermal profile of a streambed is affected by a number of factors including: temperatures of stream water and groundwater, hydraulic conductivity, thermal conductivity, heat capacity of the streambed, and the geometry of hyporheic flow paths. Changes in these parameters over time cause changes in thermal profiles. In this study, temperature data were collected at depths of 30, 60, 90 and 150 cm at six streambed wells 5 m apart along the thalweg of Little Kickapoo Creek, in rural central Illinois, USA. This is a third-order low-gradient baseflow-fed stream. A positive temperature gradient with inflection at 90-cm depth was observed during the summer period. A negative temperature gradient with inflection at 30 cm was observed during the winter period, which suggests greater influence of stream-water temperatures in the substrate during the summer. Thermal models of the streambed were built using VS2DHI to simulate the thermal profiles observed in the field. Comparison of the parameters along with analysis of temperature envelopes and Peclet numbers suggested greater upwelling and stability in temperatures during the winter than during the summer. Upwelling was more pronounced in the downstream reach of the pool in the riffle and pool sequence.     

Stable isotopes and cellulase activity as evidence for detritus as a food source for juvenile Gulf menhaden

Menhaden are one of the most abundant components of fish communities in Gulf and Atlantic estuaries. Juvenile menhaden have been reported to have zooplankton, phytoplankton, andSpartina-derived detritus in their guts. However, there has been disagreement over the importance of the detritus as a food source. We show, using physiological and stable isotope evidence, that detritus can be used by juvenile Gulf menhaden. Their diet is very roughly 30% detritus- and 70% plankton-based.     

Distribution,Abundance, and Habitat Characterization of the Saltmarsh Topminnow, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Fundulus jenkinsi</Emphasis> (Everman 1892)

The saltmarsh topminnow (Fundulus jenkinsi) is federally listed as a Species of Concern due to a its rarity, impacts from human activities, and lack of information on its biology and ecology. From 2007 through 2008, we used Breder traps to fish the marsh edge on a falling tide in four regions from Louisiana through the Florida panhandle during winter, spring, and summer periods. Out of 2,108 Breder traps deployed, 661 F. jenkinsi were collected as far east as Escambia Bay, Florida, with Weeks Bay, National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR), Alabama, yielding the highest F. jenkinsi abundance. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to ordinate physical–chemical data into two meaningful components: a geomorphic axis (water depth, bank slope, and plant stem density) and a seasonal/spatial axis of species occurrence (water temperature, salinity, and turbidity). PCA showed a higher mean catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE) in environments comprised of low to moderate stem density (<25 stems/0.25 m⁻²), depth (<25 cm), bank slope (<15°), turbidity (<30 NTU), and salinity (<16) coupled with spring and early summer water temperatures (>15°C). F. jenkinsi CPUE was significantly higher in Spartina cynosuroides marsh edge compared with five other habitat types, even though it was one of the least sampled habitats. This species appears to be collected more frequently and in higher CPUE in small dendritic creeks off of main channels than suggested by our previous work in main channel edge habitat. This suggests that small creeks are important vectors for marsh access and supports the value of the dendritic nature of salt marshes to marsh residents.     

Using δ15N in Fish Larvae as an Indicator of Watershed Sources of Anthropogenic Nitrogen: Response at Multiple Spatial Scales

There is growing interest in applying ??¹⁵N in biota as an indicator of anthropogenic nutrient inputs to coastal environments because changes in ??¹⁵N correlate to inputs of land-based nutrients. In complex coastal receiving waters, however, land-use effects on biota ??¹⁵N may be masked by local hydrologic processes, especially exchange with coastal waters of different geochemical character. We examined ??¹⁵N differences among larval fish, a novel biotic indicator, in coastal receiving waters at both among and within watershed scales. Our goal was to characterize how hydrologic processes within coastal river mouths and embayments mediate the effect of land-based N sources on larval fish ??¹⁵N. We sampled three Lake Superior river-embayment systems from watersheds that span a large population density gradient. Over all stations, mean fish ??¹⁵N ranged from 2.7??? to 10.8???. Within each system, we found a different pattern in ??¹⁵N across the river?Clake transition zone. Correlations between fish ??¹⁵N and water quality, particularly NH ₄ ⁺ and total nitrogen, were highly significant and corresponded to known differences in sewage waste water inputs. A multivariate model that included both watershed-based population density and NH ₄ ⁺ was found to provide the best fit to the ??¹⁵N data among a series of multi- and univariate candidate models. These results demonstrate that: (1) fish larvae ??¹⁵N responded at within watershed scales, and (2) within coastal receiving waters, fish larvae ??¹⁵N was related to waste water inputs at the watershed scale; however, expression at specific locations within a coastal system was strongly influenced by local hydrologic processes.