Statistical-climatological investigations concerning the heat content of air (enthalpy)

Summary The aim of this paper is to investigate the heat content of air (enthalpy) in a statistical-climatological manner. The knowledge of the heat content of air is useful especially for technical meteorology and air conditioning techniques.Enthalpy depends linearely on air temperature and water vapor pressure. Assuming that these factors are independent of each other and that the temperature follows a Gaussian distribution and the vapor pressure a Gamma distribution, it is possible to derive a theoretical distribution function. A critical examination of this independence for two observation stations (Hohe Warte, Vienna; 48° N, 16° E and Sonnblick; 47° N, 12° E) showed that there exists a linear relationship between temperature and vapor pressure at the selected 5%-level.Furthermore it was established that a Gaussian distribution or the sum of up to a maximum of three Gaussian distributions may be fitted to the empirical distribution of temperature. Contrary to the general assumption, it was not always possible to fit a Gamma distribution to the empirical distribution of vapor pressure.Taking into consideration the above-mentioned dependence, the enthalpy was interpreted as a linear transformation of temperature. Consequently, a Gaussian distribution or a sum of up to a maximum of three Gaussian distributions has been fitted to the empirical distribution of enthalpy. By this method, bimodal distributions may also be fitted. The Fisher-Test showed that this type of fitting may be considered significant at the 5%-level for all observation times except one at the investigated observation stations.

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Zusammenfassung Das Ziel der vorliegenden Arbeit ist es, den Wärmeinhalt der Luft (Enthalpie) statistisch-klimatologisch zu untersuchen. Die Kenntnis des Wärmeinhalts der Luft ist besonders für die technische Meteorologie und die Klimatechnik von Bedeutung.Die Enthalpie setzt sich linear aus Temperatur und Dampfdruck zusammen. Nimmt man an, daß diese beiden Größen voneinander unabhängig sind und die Temperatur normalverteilt und der Dampfdruck gammaverteilt ist, so läßt sich eine theoretische Verteilungsfunktion ableiten. Die Überprüfung der Unabhängigkeit an zwei Beobachtungsstationen (Wien-Hohe Warte; 48° N, 16° E und Sonnblick; 47° N, 12° E) ergab einen linearen Zusammenhang zwischen den Ausgangsgrößen Temperatur und Dampfdruck auf dem gewählten 5%-Niveau. Außerdem wurde festgestellt, daß an die empirische Verteilung der Temperatur eine Normalverteilung oder die Summe von höchstens drei Normalverteilungen angepaßt werden kann. An die empirische Verteilung des Dampdruckes konnte nicht immer, wie üblicherweise angenommen wird, eine Gamma-Verteilung angepaßt werden.Unter Berücksichtigung der genannten Abhängigkeit wurde die Enthalpie als lineare Transformation der Temperatur aufgefaßt. Damit wurde an die empirische Verteilung der Enthalpie eine Normalverteilung oder die Summe von höchstens drei Normalverteilungen angepaßt. Mit dieser Methode lassen sich auch auftretende bimodale Verteilungen nachbilden. Der Test von Fisher ergab, daß diese Art der Anpassung für alle Termine an den untersuchten Beobachtungsstationen mit einer Ausnahme auf dem 5%-Niveau als insgesamt signifikant angesehen werden kann.

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Simultaneous acoustic sounder measurements at two locations

The application of air quality models requires a knowledge of the meteorological structure of the lower atmosphere. This information can be obtained by the use of acoustic sounders, or airborne sondes. Such studies were carried out at the Athabasca Oil Sands area, Alberta, Canada, during summer and winter seasons. Two acoustic sounders were operated simultaneously at two topographically different locations 4 km apart. The sounding data were supplemented by meteorological observations from minisondes and a tethersonde at one location. The majority of the sounder data from both locations showed turbulent, thin layers often associated with the presence of inversion layers, particularly in the winter season. The data exhibited a number of features common to this type of topography. Both sounder echoes were characterized by a wavy structure indicating a vertical oscillation in the height of the echoes. Although agreeing in general, the data had a few differences especially close to the ground. To determine whether the return of the sounder signal was related to the actual atmospheric structure, the sounder records were compared with local temperature measurements. The result shows good agreement between the different systems.     

On the definition of the flux of sensible heat

The definition of the sensible heat flux is examined in the light of a paper published by Brook (1978). We show that the convergence of the flux defined in this paper and that of the standard definition are related to different quantities and that care must be taken to ensure that compatible definitions are used.     

Concentration,vertical flux,and remineralization of particulate uranium in seawater

Concentrations and fluxes of particulate U were measured throughout the water column at several locations in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans with in situ filtration systems and sediment traps. The results indicate that dissolved U is fixed to particles in surface seawater. Organic matter appears to be the carrier phase. Formation of particulate authigenic U below the surface waters could not be detected. Authigenic U is remineralized within the bathypelagic layers at the open ocean sites studied. In the Panama Basin, an upwelling area with high biological productivity, remineralization of authigenic U in the deep water column was not observed. The rate of remineralization of authigenic U in the deep sea is insufficient to produce a measurable concentration gradient between surface and deep waters within the mixing time of the oceans. Formation of authigenic U in the water column in areas such as the Panama Basin is not a significant sink for U on an ocean wide basis.