Inflight Calibration of the NEAR Multispectral Imager: II. Results from Eros Approach and Orbit

During the Near-Earth Asteroid Rendezvous (NEAR) spacecraft's investigation of asteroid 433 Eros, inflight calibration measurements from the multispectral imager (MSI) have provided refined knowledge of the camera's radiometric performance, pointing, and light-scattering characteristics. Measurements while at Eros corroborate most earlier calibration results, although there appears to be a small, gradual change in instrument dark current and flat field due to effects of aging in the space environment. The most pronounced change in instrument behavior, however, is a dramatic increase in scattered light due to contaminants accumulated on the optics during unscheduled fuel usage in December 1998. Procedures to accurately quantify and to remediate the scattered light are described in a companion paper (Li et al. 2002, Icarus155, 00-00). Acquisition of Eros measurements has clarified the relative, filter-to-filter, radiometric performance of the MSI. Absolute radiometric calibration appears very well constrained from flight measurements, with an accuracy of ∼5%. Pointing relative to the spacecraft coordinate system can be determined from the temperature of the spacecraft deck with an accuracy of ∼1 pixel.     

Chemical Mechanism Development: Laboratory Studies and Model Applications

Within the German Tropospheric Research Programme (TFS) numerous kinetic and mechanistic studies on the tropospheric reaction/degradation of the following reactants were carried out: oxygenated VOC, aromatic VOC, biogenic VOC, short-lived intermediates, such as alkoxy and alkylperoxy radicals.At the conception of the projects these selected groups were classes of VOC or intermediates for which the atmospheric oxidation mechanisms were either poorly characterised or totally unknown. The motivation for these studies was the attainment of significant improvements in our understanding of the atmospheric chemical oxidation processes of these compounds, particularly with respect to their involvement in photooxidant formation in the troposphere. In the present paper the types of experimental investigations performed and the results obtained within the various projects are briefly summarised. The major achievements are highlighted and discussed in terms of their contribution to improving our understanding of the chemical processes controlling photosmog formation in the troposphere.     

Ground water flow analysis of a mid-Atlantic outer coastal plain watershed, Virginia, U.S.A

Models for ground water flow (MODFLOW) and particle tracking (MODPATH) were used to determine ground water flow patterns, principal ground water discharge and recharge zones, and estimates of ground water travel times in an unconfined ground water system of an outer coastal plain watershed on the Delmarva Peninsula, Virginia. By coupling recharge and discharge zones within the watershed, flowpath analysis can provide a method to locate and implement specific management strategies within a watershed to reduce ground water nitrogen loading to surface water. A monitoring well network was installed in Eyreville Creek watershed, a first-order creek, to determine hydraulic conductivities and spatial and temporal variations in hydraulic heads for use in model calibration. Ground water flow patterns indicated the convergence of flow along the four surface water features of the watershed; primary discharge areas were in the nontidal portions of the watershed. Ground water recharge zones corresponded to the surface water features with minimal development of a regional ground water system. Predicted ground water velocities varied between < 0.01 to 0.24 m/day, with elevated values associated with discharge areas and areas of convergence along surface water features. Some ground water residence times exceeded 100 years, although average residence times ranged between 16 and 21 years; approximately 95% of the ground water resource would reflect land use activities within the last 50 years.     

Reliability of dipole-dipole electrical resistivity tomography for defining depth to bedrock in covered karst terranes

 Sinkhole collapse is one of the main limitations on the development of karst areas, especially where bedrock is covered by unconsolidated material. Studies of sinkhole formation have shown that sinkholes are likely to develop in cutter (enlarged joint) zones as a result of subterranean erosion by flowing groundwater. Because of the irregular distribution of pinnacles and cutters on the bedrock surface, uncertainties arise when "hit-or-miss" borehole drilling is used to locate potential collapse sites. A high-resolution geophysical technique capable of depicting the details of the bedrock surface is essential for guiding the drilling program. Dipole-dipole electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) was used to map the bedrock surface at a site in southern Indiana where limestone is covered by about 9 m of clayey soils. Forty-nine transects were conducted over an area of approximately 42,037 m². The electrode spacing was 3 m. The length of the transects varied from 81 to 249 m. The tomographs were interpreted with the aid of soil borings. The repeatability of ERT was evaluated by comparing the rock surface elevations interpreted from pairs of transects where they crossed each other. The average difference was 2.4 m, with a maximum of 10 m. The discrepancy between interpreted bedrock-surface elevations for a transect intersection may be caused by variations in the subsurface geology normal to the transect. Averaging the elevation data interpreted from different transects improved the ERT results. A bedrock surface map was generated using only the averaged elevation data at the transect junctions. The accuracy of the map was further evaluated using data from four exploratory boreholes. The average difference between interpreted and actual bedrock surface-elevations was less than 0.4 m. The map shows two large troughs in the limestone surface: one coinciding with an existing sinkhole basin, while the other is in alignment with a small topographic valley. Because sinkholes were observed at the same elevation interval in similar valleys in the vicinity, the delineated trough may have implications for future land use at the site. Received: 4 January 1999 · Accepted: 8 March 1999     

A Situated Knowledge Representation of Geographical Information

In this paper we present an approach to conceiving of, constructing and comparing the concepts developed and used by geographers, environmental scientists and other earth science researchers to help describe, analyze and ultimately understand their subject of study. Our approach is informed by the situations under which concepts are conceived and applied, captures details of their construction, use and evolution and supports their ultimate sharing along with the means for deep exploration of conceptual similarities and differences that may arise among a distributed network of researchers. The intent here is to support different perspectives onto GIS resources that researchers may legitimately take, and to capture and compute with aspects of epistemology, to complement the ontologies that are currently receiving much attention in the GIScience community.     

Temporal variability in summertime bottom hypoxia in shallow areas of Mobile Bay,Alabama

This paper addresses temporal variability in bottom hypoxia in broad shallow areas of Mobile Bay, Alabama. Time-series data collected in the summer of 2004 from one station (mean depth of 4 m) exhibit bottom dissolved oxygen (DO) variations associated with various time scales of hours to days. Despite a large velocity shear, stratification was strong enough to suppress vertical mixing most of the time. Bottom DO was closely related to the vertical salinity gradient (ΔS). Hypoxia seldom occurred when ΔS (over 2.5 m) was <2 psu and occurred almost all the time when ΔS was >8 psu in the absence of extreme events like hurricanes. Oxygen balance between vertical mixing and total oxygen demand was considered for bottom water from which oxygen demand and diffusive oxygen flux were estimated. The estimated decay rates at 20°C ranging between 0.175–0.322 d⁻¹ and the corresponding oxygen consumption as large as 7.4 g O₂ m⁻² d⁻¹ fall at the upper limit of previously reported ranges. The diffusive oxygen flux and the corresponding vertical diffusivity estimated for well mixed conditions range between 8.6–9.5 g O₂ m⁻² d⁻¹ and 2.6–2.9 m² d⁻¹, respectively. Mobile Bay hypoxia is likely to be associated with a large oxygen demand, supported by both water column and sediment oxygen demands, so that oxygen supply from surface water during destratification events would be quickly exhausted to return to hypoxic conditions within a few hours to days after destratification events are terminated.     

Adakitic Dacites Formed by Intracrustal Crystal Fractionation of Water-rich Parent Magmas at Nevado de Longavi Volcano (36{middle dot}2{degrees}S; Andean Southern Volcanic Zone, Central Chile)

The mid-Holocene eruptive products of Nevado de Longavívolcano (36·2°S, Chile) are the only reported occurrenceof adakitic volcanic rocks in the Quaternary Andean SouthernVolcanic Zone (33–46°S). Dacites of this volcano arechemically distinct from other evolved magmas of the regionin that they have high La/Yb (15–20) and Sr/Y (60–90)ratios and systematically lower incompatible element contents.An origin by partial melting of high-pressure crustal sourcesseems unlikely from isotopic and trace element considerations.Mafic enclaves quenched into one of the dacites, on the otherhand, constitute plausible parental magmas. Dacites and maficenclaves share several characteristics such as mineral chemistry,whole-rock isotope and trace element ratios, highly oxidizingconditions (NNO + 1·5 to >NNO + 2, where NNO is thenickel–nickel oxide buffer), and elevated boron contents.A two-stage mass-balance crystal fractionation model that matchesboth major and trace elements is proposed to explain magmaticevolution from the least evolved mafic enclave to the dacites.Amphibole is the main ferromagnesian phase in both stages ofthis model, in agreement with the mineralogy of the magmas.We also describe cumulate-textured xenoliths that correspondvery closely to the solid assemblages predicted by the model.We conclude that Nevado de Longaví adakitic dacites arethe products of polybaric fractional crystallization from exceptionallywater-rich parent magmas. These basaltic magmas are inferredto be related to an exceptionally high, but transient inputof slab-derived fluids released from serpentinite bodies hostedin the oceanic Mocha Fracture Zone, which projects beneath Nevadode Longaví. Fractional crystallization that is modallydominated by amphibole, with very minor garnet extraction, isa mechanism for generating adakitic magmas in cold subductionzones where a high flux of slab-derived fluids is present. KEY WORDS: adakite; amphibole; Andes; differentiation; Southern Volcanic Zone     

Risk analysis of possible impacts of climate change on South Australian wheat production

This study presents a model-based risk assessment of wheat production under projected climate change by 2080 in eight locations of South Australia. The vulnerability of wheat production under future climate change was quantitatively evaluated via a risk analysis in which the identification of critical yield thresholds applies. Research results show that risk (conditional probability of not exceeding the critical yield thresholds) increased more or less across all locations under the most likely climate change. Wheat production in drier areas such as Minnipa, Orroroo and Wanbi will not be economically viable under the most likely climate change. Intensive studies on adaptation are now required.     

Detection of iodine monoxide radicals in the marine boundary layer using laser induced fluorescence spectroscopy

A Laser Induced Fluorescence (LIF) instrument has been developed to detect iodine monoxide (IO) radicals in the atmosphere. An all solid-state Nd:YAG pumped Ti:Sapphire laser operating at approximately 445 nm was used to excite the (2,0) band of the IO A²Π_3/2 ← X²Π_3/2 electronic transition, with off-resonance fluorescence in the (2,5) band detected at 521 nm. The sensitivity of the instrument was determined by calibration. IO (between 10 and 150 pptV) was generated following the 184.9 nm photolysis of N₂O/CF₃I/N₂ mixtures with O₃ actinometry used to determine the photolysis flux. The detection limit was determined to be 0.3 pptV for a 300 s integration period, with an uncertainty of 23% (1σ). The instrument was deployed in August/September 2006 during the RHaMBLe (Reactive Halogens in the Marine Boundary Layer) campaign in Roscoff, France. Located on a small jetty, a few metres from the water’s edge at high tide, the instrument measured significant levels of IO on 11 days, with a maximum of 27.6 ± 3.2 pptV observed on one day (averaged over 10 s) representing the highest IO mixing ratio recorded in the marine boundary layer to date. IO displayed a clear diurnal profile with a maximum at low tide during the daytime. These results represent the first point measurements of IO in the atmosphere by LIF.