Netplankton Chlorophyll Biomass along 175°E in the Pacific Ocean

An analysis is presented of data on chlorophyll a concentrations of the total and the netplankton (>10 μm), determined either in April to June or in August to September from 48°N to 15°S along 175°E in the Pacific Ocean during 6 years by the NOPACCS (Northwest Pacific Carbon Cycle Study). Particular attention was given to the variability of absolute concentrations of the netplankton chlorophyll a and their percentage shares of the total chlorophyll a concentration. Below 0.2 μg l⁻¹ of surface total chlorophyll a, the netplankton chlorophyll a showed low percentage shares (such as 12.7% on average) with a large variation, but above 0.2 μg l⁻¹ it was 35.9% on average with less variation, showing an accelerated increase at high total chlorophyll a concentrations. High netplankton chlorophyll a concentrations in surface waters were observed at high latitudes, in waters having high chlorophyll a concentrations at sub-surface depth, and in equatorial upwelling. The percentage shares of netplankton in the total chlorophyll a in the euphotic zone were 8.5% and 25.9% above and below 0.2 μg l⁻¹, respectively, although the data points scattered over a wide range (from 7.2% to 53.8%) depending on differences in water masses, depths and seasons. High chlorophyll a concentrations and high percentage shares of netplankton corresponded to high ambient nitrate plus nitrite concentrations. Integrated netplankton chlorophyll a concentrations in the euphotic zone varied from 0.7 to 19.5 mg m⁻² in waters below 0.2 μg l⁻¹ of surface total chlorophyll a, and from 2.0 to 29.5 mg m⁻² above 0.2 μg l⁻¹, and the percentage shares of netplankton for the former were 7.4% on average and 23.7% for the latter. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Hydrodynamical Simulations of Molecular Dynamics in Supersonic Turbulent Flow

Here we present results from simulations of turbulence in star forming environments obtained by coupling three-dimensional hydrodynamical models with appropriate chemical processes. We investigate regimes of decaying high-speed molecular turbulence. Here we analyse PDFs of density for the volume, mass, molecular mass and the energy distribution over the range of scales. We compare our results to those previously obtained for isothermal turbulence and suggest possible explanations.     

Relative effects of local and landscape factors on wetland algal biomass over a salinity gradient

Wetlands in south-eastern Australia and other arid regions of the world are experiencing increases in salinity due to dryland salinization and climate change. We investigated changes in wetland ecological function, measured as phytoplankton and benthic algal Chl a, over a large salinity gradient (0.047–226 mS cm⁻¹) and in relation to several local water chemistry variables that may be important predictors of algal biomass. We investigated the relative importance of landscape variables that may affect input pollution and hydrology of wetlands at four spatial scales (100, 500, 1,000 and 5000 m). We explored the strength and form of the relationships between algal biomass and local and landscape predictors with emphasis on the effects of local and landscape salinity. We found local variables were more important than landscape variables in influencing algal biomass. We also found salinity of wetlands was not a good predictor of phytoplankton biomass but it did predict benthic algal biomass.     

High-resolution calculations of asteroid impacts into the Venusian atmosphere.

We present results from a number of 2D high-resolution hydrodynamical simulations of asteroids striking the atmosphere of Venus. These cover a wide range of impact parameters (velocity, size, and incidence angle), but the focus is on 2-3 km diameter asteroids, as these are responsible for most of the impact craters on Venus. Asteroids in this size range are disintegrated, ablated, and significantly decelerated by the atmosphere, yet they retain enough impetus to make large craters when they meet the surface. We find that smaller impactors (diameter <1-2 km) are better described by a "pancaking" model in which the impactor is compressed and distorted, while for larger impactors (>2-3 km) fragmentation by mechanical ablation is preferred. The pancaking model has been modified to take into account effects of hydrodynamical instabilities. The general observation that most larger impactors disintegrate by shedding fragments generated from hydrodynamic instabilities spurs us to develop a simple heuristic model of the mechanical ablation of fragments based on the growth rates of Rayleigh-Taylor instabilities. Although in principle the model has many free parameters, most of these have little effect provided that they are chosen reasonably. In practice the range of model behavior can be described with one free parameter. The resulting model reproduces the mass and momentum fluxes rather well, doing so with reasonable values of all physical parameters.     

High-Resolution Simulations of the Impacts of Asteroids into the Venusian Atmosphere II: 3D Models

We compare high-resolution 2D and 3D numerical hydrocode simulations of asteroids striking the atmosphere of Venus. Our focus is on aerobraking and its effect on the size of impact craters. We consider impacts both by spheres and by the real asteroid 4769 Castalia, a severely nonspherical body in a Venus-crossing orbit. We compute mass and momentum fluxes as functions of altitude as global measures of the asteroid's progress. We find that, on average, the 2D and 3D simulations are in broad agreement over how quickly an asteroid slows down, but that the scatter about the average is much larger for the 2D models than for the 3D models. The 2D models appear to be rather strongly susceptible to the “butterfly effect,” in which tiny changes in initial conditions (e.g., 0.05% change in the impact velocity) produce quite different chaotic evolutions. By contrast, the global properties of the 3D models appear more reproducible despite seemingly large differences in initial conditions. We argue that this difference between 2D and 3D models has its root in the greater geometrical constraints present in any 2D model, and in particular in the global conservation of enstrophy in 2D that forces energy to pool in large-scale structures. It is the interaction of these artificial large-scale structures that causes slightly different 2D models to diverge so greatly. These constraints do not apply in 3D and large scale structures are not observed to form. A one-parameter modified pancake model reproduces the expected crater diameters of the 3D Castalias reasonably well.     

Hurst scaling with crossover of a drought indicator: a case study in Belem and Manaus,Brazil

Natural Hazards - Some Amazonia regions are vulnerable to natural disasters. Hurst analysis of hydrological events can provide more information than classical statistical methods. The objectives of...     

Wavelet-multivariate relevance vector machine hybrid model for forecasting daily evapotranspiration

Evapotranspiration (ET) is one of the main components of the hydrological cycle. It is a complex process driven mainly by weather parameters, and as such, is characterized by high non-linearity and non-stationarity. This paper introduces a methodology combining wavelet multiresolution analysis with a machine learning algorithm, the multivariate relevance vector machine (MVRVM), in order to predict 16 days of future daily reference evapotranspiration (ETo). This methodology lays the ground for forecasting the spatial distribution of ET using Landsat satellite imagery, hence the choice of 16 days, which corresponds with the Landsat overpass cycle. An accurate prediction of daily ETo is needed to improve the management of irrigation schedules as well as the operations of water supply facilities like canals and reservoirs. In this paper, various wavelet decompositions were performed and combined with MVRVM to develop hybrid models to predict ETo over a 16-days period. These models were compared to a MVRVM model, and models accuracy and robustness were evaluated. The addition of 10 days of forecasted air temperature as additional inputs to the forecasting models was also investigated. The results of the wavelet-MVRVM hybrid modeling methodology showed that a reliable forecast of ETo up to 16 days ahead is possible.     

Comparative study of the kinetics of the thermal decomposition of synthetic and natural siderite samples

The mechanism of the thermal decomposition of two siderites (a pure synthetic and a natural Mg-containing sample) has been determined from comparison of the results obtained from linear heating rate (TG) and constant rate thermal analysis (CRTA) experiments in high vacuum. The thermal decomposition of the synthetic siderite takes place approximately 200 K below the decomposition temperature of the natural sample. The mechanism and the product of the thermal decomposition are different for the siderite samples. In fact, an A₂ kinetic model describes the thermal decomposition of the synthetic siderite, whereas the thermal decomposition of the natural sample obeys an F₁ kinetic law. Decomposition products of the synthetic siderite are iron and magnetite, those of the natural siderite are wüstite and minor magnetite. Received: 22 July 1999 / Accepted: 12 February 2000     

Permian–Carboniferous arc magmatism in southern Mexico: U–Pb dating,trace element and Hf isotopic evidence on zircons of earliest subduction beneath the western margin of Gondwana

Undeformed felsic to mafic igneous rocks, dated by U–Pb zircon geochronology between 311 and 255 Ma, intrude different units of the Oaxacan and Acatlán metamorphic complexes in southwestern Mexico. Rare earth element concentrations on zircons from most of these magmatic rocks have a typical igneous character, with fractionated heavy rare earths and negative Eu anomalies. Only inherited Precambrian zircons are depleted in heavy rare earth elements, which suggest contemporaneous crystallization in equilibrium with metamorphic garnet during granulite facies metamorphism. Hf isotopic signatures are, however, different among these magmatic units. For example, zircons from two of these magmatic units (Cuanana pluton and Honduras batholith) have positive εHf values (+3.8–+8.5) and depleted mantle model ages (using a mean crustal value of ¹⁷⁶Lu/¹⁷⁷Hf = 0.015) (T _DMC) ranging between 756 and 1,057 Ma, whereas zircons from the rest of the magmatic units (Etla granite, Zaniza batholith, Carbonera stock and Sosola rhyolite) have negative εHf values (?1 to ?14) and model ages between 1,330 and 2,160 Ma. This suggests either recycling of different crustal sources or, more likely, different extents of crustal contamination of arc-related mafic magmas in which the Oaxacan Complex acted as the main contaminant. These plutons thus represent the magmatic expression of the initial stages of eastward subduction of the Pacific plate beneath the western margin of Gondwana, and confirm the existence of a Late Carboniferous–Permian magmatic arc that extended from southern North America to Central America.