Orbital timing of the Indian,East Asian and African boreal monsoons and the concept of a ‘global monsoon’

Our understanding of monsoon circulation timing’s at the orbital scale is currently a matter of debate. Here, we compare previous and recently published results of Indian, East Asian, West African and East African monsoon variability. We note different timings between the East African, West African, Indian and East-Asian monsoon systems for the most recent 45 ka, where the age models are constrained by AMS dating. On this basis, we construct different orbital forcing “reference curves” and apply them to the 200 ka time period for the different monsoon systems. Our results indicate that the ‘global monsoon’ concept at the orbital scale is a misnomer. We find real regional differences in the timing of the monsoon response to orbital forcing and differences in the weight of precession and obliquity in the monsoon records. This work highlights the necessity of studies aimed at understanding the underlying physics of these regional response patterns. This is crucial to a better understanding of monsoon dynamics and improved climate model simulations and comparisons with proxy data.     

Fully 3-dimensional calculations of dust mantle formation for a model of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko

A fully 3-dimensional implicit numerical model for comet nucleus evolution is presented, emphasizing dust mantle formation. A spherical configuration is considered with an initial composition of amorphous H₂O ice and dust, taking into account a discrete dust-grain size distribution. The model is applied to Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, adopting its orbital elements, rotation period and rotation axis inclination. We find that the dust mantle thickness varies over the surface from 1 cm to about 10 cm (thus lower and higher than the diurnal skin-depth, respectively). The size distribution of ejected grains varies along the orbit and is steeper than the initial one adopted for the nucleus. The crystallization front advances inward in spurts, and its depth varies between 1 and several meters. We test the effect of the thermal conductivity on the surface temperature distribution and depths of the dust mantle and crystallization front.     

Methodology for comparing two carrier phase tracking techniques

The carrier phase tracking loop is the primary focus of the current work. In particular, two carrier phase tracking techniques are compared, the standard phase tracking loop, i.e., the phase lock loop (PLL), and the extended Kalman filter (EKF) tracking loop. In order to compare these two different techniques and taking into consideration the different models adopted in each, it is important to bring them to one common ground. In order to accomplish this, the equivalent PLL for a given EKF has to be determined in terms of steady-state response to both thermal noise and signal dynamics. A novel method for experimentally calculating the equivalent bandwidth of the EKF is presented and used to evaluate the performance of the equivalent PLL. Results are shown for both the L1 and L5 signals. Even though the two loops are designed to track equivalent dynamics and to have equivalent carrier phase standard deviations, the EKF outperforms the equivalent PLL in terms of both the transient response and sensitivity.     

The KS-transformation in hypercomplex form

In this note the KS-transformation introduced by Kustaanheimo and Stiefel into Celestial Mechanics is formulated in terms of hypercomplex numbers as the product of a quaternion and its antiinvolute. Therefore it represents a particular morphism of the real algebra of quaternions-having for image a three-dimensional real linear subspace-and also anatural generalization of the Levi-Civita transformation. The quaternion matrix of the product leads to the KS-matrix; the bilinear relation and the two identities which play a central role in the KS-theory are easily derived. A suitable quaternion gauge-transformation is given which leads to the well-known fibration of the four-dimensional space. In addition several geometrical interpretations are brought out.     

成岩作用对深水致密砂岩储层微观非均质性的影响

鄂尔多斯盆地上三叠统延长组长7深水砂岩储集体发育,但受成岩作用影响导致储层孔渗低、物性差,微观非均质性强。通过铸体薄片、扫描电镜、黏土矿物XRD分析、高压压汞等资料,结合前人研究成果及孔隙演化规律,对盆内合水地区长7深水致密砂岩储层成岩作用进行研究,旨在找出影响储层微观非均质性的主要成岩作用类型,并以此为基础定量表征储层微观非均质性,更好地预测有利储层分布。结果表明:1）胶结作用与溶蚀作用分别控制了储层原生及次生孔隙的大小,是影响储层微观非均质性的两类主要成岩作用,从120 Ma之后,储层开始受其影响,微观非均质性变强;2）胶结—溶蚀指数影响着储层微观孔喉结构,胶结—溶蚀指数越小,储层孔隙含量越高、渗流能力越强。提出以胶结—溶蚀指数为标准,定量表征储层微观非均质性;3）根据胶结—溶蚀指数,将研究区储层分为三类:Ⅰ类为弱胶结—强溶蚀区,胶结—溶蚀指数在小于0.55,微观非均质性最弱,是有利储层分布的主要区域;Ⅱ类为中等胶结—溶蚀区,胶结—溶蚀指数在0.55~0.80之间,微观非均质性中等;Ⅲ类为强胶结—弱溶蚀区,胶结—溶蚀指数大于0.80,微观非均质性最强。平面上,有利储层主要分布在研究区马岭—固城—盘客—九岘一带,以条带状、片状分布。     

Divergent growth trends and climatic response of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Picea obovata</Emphasis> along elevational gradient in Western Sayan mountains,Siberia

In mountain ecosystems, plants are sensitive to climate changes, and an entire range of species distribution can be observed in a small area. Therefore, mountains are of great interest for climate-growth relationship analysis. In this study, the Siberian spruce’s (Picea obovata Ledeb.) radial growth and its climatic response were investigated in the Western Sayan Mountains, near the Sayano-Shushenskoe Reservoir. Sampling was performed at three sites along an elevational gradient: at the lower border of the species range, in the middle, and at the treeline. Divergence of growth trends between individual trees was observed at each site, with microsite landscape-soil conditions as the most probable driver of this phenomenon. Cluster analysis of individual tree-ring width series based on inter-serial correlation was carried out, resulting in two sub-set chronologies being developed for each site. These chronologies appear to have substantial differences in their climatic responses, mainly during the cold season. This response was not constant due to regional climatic change and the local influence of the nearby Sayano-Shushenskoe Reservoir. The main response of spruce to growing season conditions has a typical elevational pattern expected in mountains: impact of temperature shifts with elevation from positive to negative, and impact of precipitation shifts in the opposite direction. Chronologies of trees, growing under more severe micro-conditions, are very sensitive to temperature during September-April and to precipitation during October-December, and they record both inter-annual and long-term climatic variation. Consequently, it would be interesting to test if they indicate the Siberian High anticyclone, which is the main driver of these climatic factors.     

The effect of internal inhomogeneity on the activity of comet nuclei - Application to Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko

We present thermal evolution calculations of inhomogeneous asymmetric initial configurations of a spherical model of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, using a fully 3-dimensional numerical code. The initial composition is amorphous H₂O ice and dust, in a “layered-pile” configuration, where layers differing in ice/dust ratio and thermal properties extend over a fraction of the surface area and about 10 m in depth and may overlap. We analyze the effect of one such layer, as well as the combined effect of many layers, randomly distributed. We find that internal inhomogeneities affect both the surface temperature and the activity pattern of the comet. In particular, they may lead to outbursts at large heliocentric distances and also to activity on the night-side of the nucleus. The rates of ablation and depths of dust mantle and crystalline ice outer layer as functions of longitude and latitude are shown to be affected as well.     

Combined modeling of thermal evolution and accretion of trans-neptunian objects—Occurrence of high temperatures and liquid water

We have calculated the early thermal evolution of trans-neptunian objects by means of a thermal evolution code that takes into account simultaneous accretion. The set of coupled partial differential equations for ²⁶Al radioactive heating, transformation of amorphous to crystalline ice and melting of water ice was solved numerically for small porous icy (cometary-like) bodies growing to final radii between 2 and 32 km and accreting between 20 and 44 AU. Accretion within a swarm of gravitationally interacting small bodies was calculated self-consistently with a simple accretion algorithm and thermal evolution of a typical member of the swarm was tracked in a parameter-space survey. We find that including accretion in numerical modeling of thermal evolution leads to a broad variety of thermally processed icy bodies and that the early occurrence of liquid water and extended crystalline ice interiors may be a very common phenomenon. The pristine nature of small icy bodies becomes thus restricted to a particular set of initial conditions. Generally, long-period comets should be more thermally affected than short-period ones.     

From KBOs to Centaurs: The thermal connection

Abstract— We present results of thermal evolution calculations for objects originating in the Kuiper belt and transferring inwards, to the region of the outer planets. Kuiper belt objects (KBOs) are considered to be part of a reservoir that supplies the flux of small icy bodies, mainly Centaurs and Jupiter‐family comets, to regions interior to the orbit of Neptune. We study the internal thermal evolution, for ?10⁸ yr, of three typical KBOs and use the end state of the simulation as initial conditions for evolutionary calculations of two typical Centaurs. Some evolutionary trends can be identified for the KBOs, depending on key physical parameters, such as size and composition. The subsequent evolution in the Centaur region results in both specific features for each modeled object (mainly surface and sub‐surface composition) and common characteristics of thermally evolved Centaurs.