Greenhouse sensitivity experiments with penetrative cumulus convection and tropical cirrus albedo effects

Results are presented from two versions of a global R15 atmospheric general circulation model (GCM) coupled to a nondynamic, 50-m deep, slab ocean. Both versions include a penetrative convection scheme that has the effect of pumping more moisture higher into the troposphere. One also includes a simple prescribed functional dependence of cloud albedo in areas of high sea-surface temperature (SST) and deep convection. Previous analysis of observations has shown that in regions of high SST and deep convection, the upper-level cloud albedos increase as a result of the greater optical depth associated with increased moisture content. Based on these observations, we prescribe increased middle- and upper-level cloud albedos in regions of SST greater than 303 K where deep convection occurs. This crudely accounts for a type of cloud optical property feedback, but is well short of a computed cloud-optical property scheme. Since great uncertainty accompanies the formulation and tuning of such schemes, the prescribed albedo feedback is an intermediate step to examine basic feedbacks and sensitivities. We compare the two model versions (with earlier results from the same model with convective adjustment) to a model from the Canadian Climate Centre (CCC) having convective adjustment and a computed cloud optical properties feedback scheme and to several other GCMs. The addition of penetrative convection increases tropospheric moisture, cloud amount, and planetary albedo and decreases net solar input at the surface. However, the competing effect of increased downward infrared flux (from increased tropospheric moisture) causes a warmer surface and increased latent heat flux. Adding the prescribed cirrus albedo feedback decreases net solar input at the surface in the tropics, since the cloud albedos increase in regions of high SST and deep convection. Downward infrared radiation (from increased moisture) also increases, but this effect is overpowered by the reduced solar input in the tropics. Therefore, the surface is somewhat cooler in the tropics, latent heat flux decreases, and global average sensitivity to a doubling of CO₂ with regard to temperature and precipitation/evaporation feedback is reduced. Similar processes, evident in the CCC model with convective adjustment and a computed cloud optical properties feedback scheme, occur over a somewhat expanded latitudinal range. The addition of penetrative convection produces global effects, as does the prescribed cirrus albedo feedback, although the strongest local effects of the latter occur in the tropics.Portions of this study are supported by the Office of Health and Environmental Research of the U.S. Department of Energy as part of its Carbon Dioxide Research Program, and by the Electric Power Research Institute as part of its Model Evaluation Consortium for Climate Assessment ProjectThe National Center for Atmospheric Research is sponsored by the National Science Foundation     

Benthic nutrient regeneration in South Texas coastal waters

Because of the variable, unpredictable nature of many potential nutrient sources for coastal phytoplankton primary production needs in the north-western Gulf of Mexico, benthic regeneration was investigated as a more constant source of nutrients to this ecosystem. Water column ammonia profiles taken at several locations on the south Texas inner-shelf in the last seven years showed peak concentrations in bottom waters. Benthic chamber measurements verified the presence of ammonia fluxes at the mud-water interface in south Texas coastal waters. These fluxes were related to benthic faunal activity as measured by sediment metabolism. Laboratory experiments, designed to test the effect of benthic faunal removal on nutrient regeneration, suggested that the fauna play a role in regulating this process. How this regulation may occur is discussed. It was estimated that annual benthic regeneration rates can supply 69% of the nitrogen required to support phytoplankton primary production in these coastal waters.     

Hull-mounted sonar/ship design evolution and transition tolow-frequency applications

The author traces the development of hull-mounted sonars over the past 70 years in terms of their impact on the ship design and construction process, with emphasis on the transducer arrays. He then identifies the technology issues involved in making the transition from today's midfrequency sonars to their future low-frequency counterparts     

Diversity of oligotrich ciliates (Ciliophora,Spirotrichea) in the northern coast of South China Sea as revealed in LSU rDNA sequences

Journal of Oceanology and Limnology - Although the taxonomy of oligotrich ciliates has been widely investigated, yet the species diversity remains poorly known. We newly designed a pair of...     

Estimation of vegetation LAI from hyperspectral reflectance data: Effects of soil type and plant architecture

The retrieval of canopy biophysical variables is known to be affected by confounding factors such as plant type and background reflectance. The effects of soil type and plant architecture on the retrieval of vegetation leaf area index (LAI) from hyperspectral data were assessed in this study. In situ measurements of LAI were related to reflectances in the red and near-infrared and also to five widely used spectral vegetation indices (VIs). The study confirmed that the spectral contrast between leaves and soil background determines the strength of the LAI–reflectance relationship. It was shown that within a given vegetation species, the optimum spectral regions for LAI estimation were similar across the investigated VIs, indicating that the various VIs are basically summarizing the same spectral information for a given vegetation species. Cross-validated results revealed that, narrow-band PVI was less influenced by soil background effects (0.15 ≤ RMSE_cv ≤ 0.56). The results suggest that, when using remote sensing VIs for LAI estimation, not only is the choice of VI of importance but also prior knowledge of plant architecture and soil background. Hence, some kind of landscape stratification is required before using hyperspectral imagery for large-scale mapping of vegetation biophysical variables.     

MERIS and the red-edge position

The Medium Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MERIS) is a payload component of Envisat-1. MERIS will be operated over land with a standard 15 band setting acquiring images with a 300 m spatial resolution. The red-edge position (REP) is a promising variable for deriving foliar chlorophyll concentration, which plays an important role in ecosystem processes. The objectives of this paper are: (1) to study which factors effect the REP of vegetation, (2) to study whether this REP can be derived from the MERIS standard band setting and (3) to show what REP represents at the scale of MERIS data. Two different data sets were explored for simulating the REP using MERIS bands: (1) simulated data using reflectance models and (2) airborne reflectance spectra of an agricultural area obtained by the airborne visible-infrared imaging spectrometer (AVIRIS). A “linear method”, assuming a straight slope of the reflectance spectrum around the midpoint of the slope, was a robust method for determining the REP and the MERIS bands at 665, 708.75, 753.75 and 778.75 nm could be used for applying the “linear method” for REP estimation. Results of the translation to the scale of MERIS data were very promising for applying MERIS at, for instance, the ecosystem level.     

The GF algorithm for reservoir storage, yield and spillage distributions for non-seasonal and seasonal independent inflow processes

a well-known generating function formula for the equilibrium storage distribution in a finite Moran reservoir having IID inflows and unit release is extended to apply to a class of nondecreasing staircase-like release policies withm unit increments,m>1, and to seasonal inflows. The analysis is conducted in terms of an alternative to the Moran inflow-outflow sequencing scheme, with the release during a working interval controlled by the water level at the beginning of that interval.In addition to the storage, the equilibrium distributions of yield and spillage are obtained. Illustrative examples are provided.     

Petrology of the Rainy Lake area,Minnesota, USA-implications for petrotectonic setting of the archean southern Wabigoon subprovince of the Canadian Shield

The Rainy Lake area in northern Minnesota and southwestern, Ontario is a Late Archean (2.7 Ga) granite-greenstone belt within the Wabigoon subprovince of the Canadian Shield. In Minnesota the rocks include mafic and felsic volcanic rocks, volcaniclastic, chemical sedimentary rocks, and graywacke that are intrucded by coeval gabbro, tonalite, and granodiorite. New data presented here focus on the geochemistry and petrology of the Minnesota part of the Rainy Lake area. Igneous rocks in the area are bimodal. The mafic rocks are made up of three distinct suites: (1) low-TiO₂ tholeiite and gabbro that have slightly evolved Mg-numbers (63–49) and relatively flat rare-earth element (REE) patterns that range from 20–8 x chondrites (Ce/Yb_N=0.8–1.5); (2) high-TiO₂ tholeiite with evolved Mg-numbers (46–29) and high total REE abundances that range from 70–40 x chondrites (Ce/Yb_N=1.8–3.3), and (3) calc-alkaline basaltic andesite and geochemically similar monzodiorite and lamprophyre with primitive Mg-numbers (79–63), enriched light rare-earth elements (LREE) and depleted heavy rare-earth elements (HREE). These three suites are not related by partial melting of a similar source or by fractional crystallization of a common parental magma; they resulted from melting of heterogeneous Archean mantle. The felsic rocks are made up of two distinct suites: (1)low-Al₂O₃ tholeiitic rhyolite, and (2) high-Al₂O₃ calc-alkaline dacite and rhyolite and consanguineous tonalite. The tholeiitic felsic rocks are high in Y, Zr, Nb, and total REE that are unfractionated and have pronounced negative Eu anomalies. The calcalkaline felsic rocks are depleted in Y, Zr, and Nb, and the REE that are highly fractionated with high LREE and depleted HREE, and display moderate negative Eu anomalies. Both suites of felsic rocks were generated by partial melting of crustal material. The most reasonable modern analog for the paleotectonic setting is an immature island arc. The bimodal volcanic rocks are intercalated with sedimentary rocks and have been intruded by pre- and syntectonic granitoid rocks. However, the geochemistry of the mafic rocks does not correlate fully with that of mafic rocks in modern are evvironments. The low-TiO₂ tholeiite is similar to both N-type mid-ocean-ridge basalt (MORB) and low-K tholeiite from immature marginal basins. The calc-alkaline basaltic andesite is like that of low-K calc-alkaline mafic volcanic rocks from oceanic volcanic arcs; however, the high-TiO₂ tholeiite is most similar to modern E-type MORB, which occurs in oceanic rifts. The conundrum may be explained by: (1) rifting of a pre-existing immature arc system to produce the bimodal volcanic rocks and high-TiO₂ tholeiite; (2) variable enrichment of a previously depleted Archean mantle, to produce both the low- and high-TiO₂ tholeiite and the calc-alkaline basaltic andesite, and/or (3) enrichment of the parental rocks of the high-TiO₂ tholeiite by crustal contamination.     

Restoration of an impounded salt marsh in New England

The restoration of a 20 ha tidal marsh, impounded for 32, yr, in Stonington, Connecticut was studied to document vegetation change 10 yr after the reintroduction of tidal flushing. These data were then compared to a 1976 survey of the same marsh when it was in its freshest state and dominanted byTypha angustifolia. Currently,T. angustifolia remains vigorous only along the upland borders and in the upper reaches of the valley marsh. Live coverage ofT. angustifolia has declined from 74% to 16% and surviving stands are mostly stunted and depauperate. Other brackish species have also been adversely effected, except forPhragmites australis which has increased. In contrast, the salt marsh speciesSpartina alterniflora has dramatically expanded, from <1% to 45% cover over the last decade. Locally, high marsh species have also become established, covering another 20% of the marsh.