Re-interpretation of zircon date in a carbonatite dyke at the Bayan Obo giant REE-Fe-Nb deposit,China

Recent ce-valuation of the dating of the carbonatite dykes associated with the REE-Re-Nb giant deposit at Bayan Obo has     

Riverine influence determines nearshore heterogeneity of nutrient (C,N, P) content and stoichiometry in the KwaZulu-Natal Bight,South Africa

Riverine influences on nearshore oceanic habitats often have detrimental consequences leading to algal blooms and hypoxia. In oligo- to mesotrophic systems, however, nutrient delivery via rivers may stimulate production and even be a vital source of nutrients, as may nutrient supplements from upwelling. We investigated the nutrient content (C, N, P) and stoichiometry of sediment, and several pelagic, benthopelagic and benthic species in the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Bight, a narrow shelf area on the south-east coast of South Africa, bordering the Agulhas Current. Three suggested nutrient sources to the bight are the Thukela River in the central region of the bight, upwelling in the northern part and a semi-permanent eddy (Durban Eddy) in the southern part. Elemental content of the various groups studied showed significantly higher values for most groups at the site near the Thukela River. C:P and N:P were highest in the southern part of the bight, and lowest near the Thukela Mouth or at Richards Bay in the north, indicating the latter were the P-richer sites. Sediment organic matter showed lowest elemental content, as expected, and zooplankton stoichiometry was highest compared to all other biotic groups. Environmental heterogeneity played a greater role in organismal C, N and P content and stoichiometry compared to phylogeny, with the exception of the differences in C:P and N:P of zooplankton. From this bight-wide study, the higher elemental content and lower ratios at the Thukela Mouth site supported previous findings of the importance of coastal nutrient sources to the bight ecosystem. Reductions in river flow for water use in the catchment areas may therefore have negative consequences for the productivity of the entire ecosystem.     

Turbulent mixing in a stratified estuarine tidal channel: Hikapu Reach,Pelorus Sound,New Zealand

Channel constrictions within an estuary can influence overall estuary-sea exchange of salt or suspended/dissolved material. The exchange is modulated by turbulent mixing through its effect on density stratification. Here we quantify turbulent mixing in Hikapu Reach, an estuarine channel in the Marlborough Sounds, New Zealand. The focus is on a period of relatively low freshwater input but where density stratification still persists throughout the tidal cycle, although the strength of stratification and its vertical structure vary substantially. The density stratification increases through the ebb tide, and decreases through the flood tide. During the spring tides observed here, ebb tidal flow speeds reached 0.7?m?s^?1 and the buoyancy frequency squared was in the range 10^?5 to 10^?3?s^?2. Turbulence parameters were estimated using both shear microstructure and velocimeter-derived inertial dissipation which compared favourably. The rate of dissipation of turbulent kinetic energy reached 1?×?10^?6?m²?s^?3 late in the ebb tide, and estimates of the gradient Richardson number (the ratio of stability to shear) fell as low as 0.1 (i.e. unstable) although the results show that bottom-boundary driven turbulence can dominate for periods. The implication, based on scaling, is that the mixing within the channel does not homogenise the water column within a tidal cycle. Scaling, developed to characterise the tidal advection relative to the channel length, shows how riverine-driven buoyancy fluxes can pass through the tidal channel section and the stratification can remain partially intact.     

Far-Infrared CO Rotational Lines in the Orion Molecular Cloud

We present a high signal-to-noise grating spectrum between 43-196.9 μm of the Orion molecular cloud towards the massive star-forming region IRc2, obtained with the Long Wavelength Spectrometer (LWS) on board the Infrared Space Observatory (ISO). CO lines up to J=20-19 have been detected around Orion-IRc2, while in the central position higher quantum numbers have been found. Lines of the ¹³CO isotopic species have also been observed in several directions. In addition, high quality LWS-FP observations of some CO lines have been performed towards IRc2. The data analysis suggest that at least two regions of Orion-IRc2 contribute to the observed CO emission: the ridge, responsible of the spatial extension, and the plateau, dominating the line flux observed towards the center of the map. CO emission through the Orion molecular cloud has been studied in terms of temperature, column density and H₂ volume density, using and Large Velocity Gradient (LVG) model. We find that the flux ratio of the several CO lines can not be explained in terms of an homogeneous source, but a gradient in temperature and density must be involved. Besides the CO lines, several molecular and fine-structure atomic lines have been detected in all observed positions. A detailed discussion of other molecular species rather than CO (H2O, OH...) can be found in the contribution by Cernicharo et al (1998). This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Using the DPFT approach to improve flash flood forecasting models

DPFT is a lumped approach for operational flash flood forecasting, based on the unit hydrograph. Using a multi-event alternating iterative algorithm, it identifies a robust and stable average transfer function and a consistent set of effective rainfall series associated with each event at the same time. This key ingredient allows an objective calibration of different loss functions, relating gauged precipitation and effective rainfall. A case study based on an operational French basin (545 km²) is presented. Three lumped production functions have been calibrated and compared. The results show that more elaborate models of loss functions must be proposed, and some possible directions for this are pointed out.     

Seasonal variations of the clear-sky greenhouse effect: the role of changes in atmospheric temperatures and humidities

We present an analysis of the factors which control the seasonal variations of the clear-sky greenhouse effect, based on satellite observations and radiative transfer simulations. The satellite observations include the radiation budget at the top of the atmosphere from the Earth Radiation Budget Experiment and the total column moisture content derived from the Special Sensor Microwave/Imager. The simulations were performed with the SAMSON system described in an earlier paper, using atmospheric temperatures and humidities from operational analyses produced by the European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasts. At low latitudes, the magnitude of the clear-sky greenhouse effect is dominated by the strong thermodynamic link between the total column moisture content of the atmosphere and sea surface temperatures, with minimal seasonal variations. In contrast, at middle to high latitudes there are strong seasonal variations, the clear-sky greenhouse effect being largest in winter and smallest in summer. These variations cannot be explained by the seasonal cycle in the total column moisture content, as this is largest in summer and smallest in winter. The variations are controlled instead by the seasonal changes in atmospheric temperatures. The colder atmosphere in winter enhances the temperature differential between the atmosphere and the sea surface, leading to a larger greenhouse effect despite the lower moisture contents. The magnitude of the clear-sky greenhouse effect is thus controlled by atmospheric humidity at low latitudes, but by atmospheric temperature at middle and high latitudes. These controls are illustrated by results from sensitivity experiments with SAMSON and are interpreted in terms of a simple model.