Adsorption of dissolved phosphate onto loess particles in surface and deep Eastern Mediterranean water

The objective of this study was to examine whether dissolved inorganic phosphate (DIP) is removed from the Eastern Mediterranean Sea by adhering to atmospherically deposited loess particles sinking through the water column. In a series of radiolable experiments, loess from the Negev Desert, treated in various ways, was added to surface (SSW) and deep (DSW) seawater spiked with ³²PO₄⁻³. It was shown that when fresh loess reaches the Mediterranean SSW approximately 1.3 μmol P/g are released (11% of the total P concentration). Biological activity and inorganic particles removed similar amounts of the tracer (30–40%) from SSW. It was estimated that about 0.2 μmol P/g of ‘aged loess' (proxy of particles sinking into DSW), were removed from poisoned SSW and DSW, while there was minor adsorption when either nothing or quartz powder was added. The adsorbed DIP accounts for approximately 15% of the released P and is equivalent to about 2% of the remaining P (11.17 μmol P/g loess). Therefore, the process of DIP removal by atmospherically derived particles exists, but due to the higher release of P, the result is a net addition of dissolved atmospheric phosphorus in seawater. It is postulated that in actual SSW where dust concentrations are much lower, biological uptake out-competes inorganic adsorption, although it was demonstrated that the decrease in loess particle concentrations tends to increase their adsorption capacity. As the loess descends into the DSW it continues to remove DIP and thus transports phosphate from the water column to the sediments. A preliminary quantitative estimate suggests that the process of DIP removal by loess particles cannot explain the phosphate ‘deficit' in the Eastern Mediterranean DSW characterized by unusually high DIN/DIP ratios (27) reported by others.     

Mercury pollution in sediments,benthic organisms and inshore fishes of Haifa Bay,Israel

Total mercury concentrations were determined in surficial sediments, eleven species of benthic organisms and six species of fish from Haifa Bay, Israel. The results show that essentially all of the shallow water zone of the Bay receives anthropogenic mercury. A mercury-cell chlor-alkali plant was identified as the source of pollution. Surficial sediments in the vicinity of the plant, containing up to 0·99 μg Hg/g dry weight, were up to 157 times enriched in mercury relative to an unpolluted area. Mercury levels in the benthic organisms reflected the levels in the sediments. Maximal concentrations reaching 38·7 and 18·2 μg Hg/g dry weight were found in the carnivorous gastropod molluscs Arcularia circumcinta and Arcularia gibbosula, respectively. In all fish species, specimens caught in Haifa Bay had higher mercury concentrations in the muscle tissue than specimens caught south of the Bay. A maximal value of 1·66 μg Hg/g wet weight was recorded in Diplodus sargus.     

New emission features in the 11-13 micron region and their relationship to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

If the "11.3 microns" emission feature seen in the spectra of many planetary nebulae, H II regions, and reflection nebulae is due to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), then additional features should be present between 11.3 and 13.0 microns (885 and 770 cm-1). Moderate-resolution spectra of NGC 7027, HD 44179, IRAS 21282+5050, and BD + 30 degrees 3639 are presented which show that the "11.3 microns" feature actually peaks at 11.22 microns (891 cm-1). The spectra also show evidence of new emission features near 11.9 and 12.7 microns (840 and 787 cm-1). These are consistent with an origin from PAHs and can be used to constrain the molecular structure of the family of PAHs responsible for the infrared features. The observed asymmetry of the "11.3 microns" band is consistent with the slight anharmonicity expected in the C--H out-of-plane bending mode in PAHs. Laboratory experiments show that the intensity of this mode relative to the higher frequency modes depends on the extent of molecular "clustering." The observed strengths of the "11.3 microns" interstellar bands relative to the higher frequency bands are most consistent with the features originating from free molecular PAHs. The intensity and profile of the underlying broad structure, however, may well arise from PAH clusters and amorphous carbon particles. Analysis of the 11-13 microns (910-770 cm-1) emission suggests that the molecular structures of the most intensity emitting free PAHs vary somewhat between the high-excitation environment in NGC 7027 and the low-excitation but high-flux environment close to HD 44179. Finally, a previously undetected series of regularly spaced features between 10 and 11 microns (1000 and 910 cm-1) in the spectrum of HD 44179 suggests that a simple polyatomic hydride is present in the gas phase in this object.     

Doppler boosting, superluminal motion, and the kinematics of AGN jets

We discuss results from a decade long program to study the fine-scale structure and the kinematics of relativistic AGN jets with the aim of better understanding the acceleration and collimation of the relativistic plasma forming AGN jets. From the observed distribution of brightness temperature, apparent velocity, flux density, time variability, and apparent luminosity, the intrinsic properties of the jets including Lorentz factor, luminosity, orientation, and brightness temperature are discussed. Special attention is given to the jet in M87, which has been studied over a wide range of wavelengths and which, due to its proximity, is observed with excellent spatial resolution. Most radio jets appear quite linear, but we also observe curved non-linear jets and non-radial motions. Sometimes, different features in a given jet appear to follow the same curved path but there is evidence for ballistic trajectories as well. The data are best fit with a distribution of Lorentz factors extending up to γ∼30 and intrinsic luminosity up to ∼10²⁶ W Hz⁻¹. In general, gamma-ray quasars may have somewhat larger Lorentz factors than non gamma-ray quasars. Initially the observed brightness temperature near the base of the jet extend up to ∼5×10¹³ K which is well in excess of the inverse Compton limit and corresponds to a large excess of particle energy over magnetic energy. However, more typically, the observed brightness temperatures are ∼2×10¹¹ K, i.e., closer to equipartition.     

Hemispheric-scale climate response to Northern Eurasia land surface characteristics and snow anomalies

This paper presents a synopsis of recently published studies by the co-authors, which show that several land surface characteristics unique to Northern Eurasia are responsible for facilitating a causal relationship between autumn snow anomalies in this region and subsequent hemispheric winter climate patterns. The large size and extratropical location of the contiguous Eurasian land mass results in broad, continental-scale interannual snow cover extent and depth variations throughout autumn and winter, and corresponding diabatic heating anomalies. These surface anomalies occur in the presence of a large region of stationary wave activity, produced in part by the orographic barriers that separate northern/central Eurasia from southern/eastern Eurasia. This co-location of snow-forced anomalies and ambient wave energy is unique to Northern Eurasia, and initiates a teleconnection pathway involving stationary wave–mean flow interaction throughout the troposphere and stratosphere, ultimately resulting in a modulation of the winter Arctic Oscillation (AO). Complementary new results are also presented which show that partial snow cover extent or snow depth only anomalies in Northern Eurasia are insufficient to initiate the teleconnection pathway and produce a winter AO signal. This synopsis provides a useful interpretation of the earlier studies in the specific context of Northern Eurasia regional climate and environmental change.