Atmospheric inputs of trace metals to the northeast Atlantic Ocean: the importance of southeasterly flow

The study of aerosols and rainwater presented here demonstrates that episodic atmospheric deposition events associated with southeasterly flow are quantitatively significant for large areas of the North Atlantic Ocean. This paper considers aluminium and manganese, with predominantly crustal sources, and lead and zinc, which are mobilised into the atmosphere primarily through anthropogenic activity. High levels of all trace metals are associated with southeasterly flow from Europe as the air passes over heavily populated and industrialised regions before reaching the northeast Atlantic Ocean. Fluxes calculated using the 1% HNO₃ acid soluble metal concentration show that, although the climatological norm for this area is westerly flow, short-lived southeasterly transport events dominate the input of trace metals to this ocean region. This material may be toxic to phytoplankton or may be represent a new source of nutrients to the biological community. A significant decrease in atmospheric lead levels in polluted air is seen between June 1996 and May 1997, reflecting the decrease in use of leaded fuels in Europe. Comparing atmospheric flux values to sediment trap metal fluxes shows that the atmosphere represents the dominant source of zinc to the deep ocean, whereas an additional, non-atmospheric, manganese source this required, perhaps from mobilisation of sedimentary material from the continental shelf or long range advection of manganese rich Saharan material.     

中国春季沙尘暴的趋势变化及年代际变化

利用奇异谱分析等方法,对北疆等7个区春季1960—2000年的沙尘暴日数的趋势和周期进行了初步分析,结果表明：除北疆区未表现出明显的趋势外,南疆区等其它6个区春季沙尘暴日数变化总的趋势是减少的,都是在20世纪60年代和70年代偏多,80年代沙尘暴开始减少,90年代最少;其中南疆区、河西区和东北区的年代际变化最为明显,大约是80年代初开始沙尘暴明显减少,其它几个区的年代际变化不是很明显。南疆等大部分地区春季的沙尘暴日数在70年代末和80年代初发生了由多到少的转变,基本上与北半球大气环流的调整同步,这可能是对大气环流调整的响应;除西藏区有7．7年的周期外,其它6个区的周期基本上都集中在准2年和5～6年两个周期段。     

大气折射与路径弯曲延迟

电磁波信号在地球大气中的传播受到折射的影响,传播的方向发生了改变,传播的路径变为曲线,长度大于直线距离,相应的传播时间也被延长了,采用一个简化的球对称大气模型计算了光线在不同天顶距下由于路径弯曲而引起的延迟改正.     

Venus upper atmospheric CO, temperature, and winds across the afternoon/evening terminator from June 2007 JCMT sub-millimeter line observations

The Venus mesosphere constitutes a highly variable transition region between the zonal rotation of the lower atmosphere and the diurnal circulation of the upper atmosphere. It further serves as the primary photochemical region of the Venus atmosphere. We obtained James Clerk Maxwell Telescope (JCMT, Mauna Kea Hawaii) sub-millimeter line observations of mesospheric ¹²CO and ¹³CO during coordinated space (MESSENGER and Venus Express) and ground-based observations of Venus in June of 2007. Such CO spectra line measurements support temperature, CO mixing ratio, and wind retrievals over the 80-110 km altitude range, encompassing the upper mesosphere and lower thermosphere of Venus. Five-point beam integrations were obtained across the observed Venus disk, allowing distinction of afternoon (noon to 6 p.m.) versus evening (6 p.m. to midnight) local times and northern (0-60N) versus southern (0-60S) latitudes. Distinctive diurnal variations (noon to midnight) are retrieved for both temperatures above 95 km and CO mixing ratios above 85 km altitudes. Separate CO line maps obtained on (UT) June 2, 3, 6, and 11 indicate moderate daily variability in afternoon and evening CO mixing ratios (20-50%) and temperatures (5-10 K). Average Venus mesospheric temperatures over this period were 10 K warmer than returned from 1978 to 1979 Pioneer Venus or 2000-01 sub-millimeter measurements, without evidence for the very large temperature inversions indicated by Venus Express SPICAV measurements at 90-100 km altitudes (Bertaux, J.L., Vandaele, A.-C., Korablev, O., Villard, E., Fedorova, A., Fussen, D., Quémerais, E., Belyaev, D., Mahieux, A., Montmessin, F., Muller, C., Neefs, E., Nevejans, D., Wilquet, V., Dubois, J.P. Hauchecorne, A., Stepanov, A., Vinogradov, I., Rodin, A., Bertaux, J.-L., Nevejans, D., Korablev, O., Montmessin, F., Vandaele, A.-C., Fedorova, A., Cabane, M., Chassefière, E., Chaufray, J.Y., Dimarellis, E., Dubois, J.P., Hauchecorne, A., Leblanc, F., Lefèvre, F., Rannou, P., Quémerais, E., Villard, E., Fussen, D., Muller, C., Neefs, E., Van Ransbeeck, E., Wilquet, V., Rodin, A., Stepanov, A., Vinogradov, I., Zasova, L., Forget, F., Lebonnois, S., Titov, D., Rafkin, S., Durry, G., Gérard, J.C., Sandel, B., 2007. A warm layer in Venus’ cryosphere and high-altitude measurements of HF, HCl, H₂O and HDO. Nature 450, 646-649). Measured Doppler shifts associated with June 2 and 11 ¹²CO line center absorptions indicate nearly supersonic (200 m/s, Mach 1) afternoon-to-evening (retrograde) circulation; composed of additive subsolar-to-antisolar (SSAS) and zonal retrograde wind components, which are not separable due to the particular observational geometry.     

Exchange of global mean angular momentum between an atmosphere and its underlying planet

This paper investigates the exchange of global mean angular momentum between an atmosphere and its underlying planet by a simple model. The model parameterizes four processes that are responsible for zonal mean momentum budget in the atmospheric boundary layer for a rotating planet: (i) meridional circulation that redistributes the relative angular momentum, (ii) horizontal diffusion that smoothes the prograde and retrograde winds, (iii) frictional drag that exchanges atmospheric angular momentum with the underlying planet, and (iv) internal redistribution of the zonal mean momentum by wave drag. It is shown that under a steady-state or a long-term average condition, the global relative angular momentum in the boundary layer vanishes unless there exists a preferred frictional drag for either the prograde or the retrograde zonal wind. We further show quantitatively that one cannot have either a predominant steady prograde or retrograde wind in the boundary layer of a planetary atmosphere. The parameter dependencies of the global relative angular momentum and the strength of the atmospheric circulation in the boundary layer are derived explicitly and used to explain the observational differences between the atmospheres of Earth and Venus.     

The High-Resolution Solar Reference Spectrum between 250 and 550 nm and its Application to Measurements with the Ozone Monitoring Instrument

We have constructed a new high resolution solar reference spectrum in the spectral range between 250 and 550 nm. The primary use of this spectrum is for the calibration of the Dutch – Finnish Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI), but other applications are mentioned. The incentive for deriving a new high resolution solar reference spectrum is that available spectra do not meet our requirements on radiometric accuracy or spectral resolution. In this paper we explain the steps involved in constructing the new spectrum, based on available low and high resolution spectra and discuss the main sources of uncertainty. We compare the result with solar measurements obtained with the OMI as well as with other UV-VIS space-borne spectrometers with a similar spectral resolution. We obtain excellent agreement with the OMI measurements, which indicates that both the newly derived solar reference spectrum and our characterization of the OMI instrument are well understood. We also find good agreement with previously published low resolution spectra. The absolute intensity scale, wavelength calibration and representation of the strength of the Fraunhofer lines have been investigated and optimized to obtain the resulting high resolution solar reference spectrum.     

Reanalysis of the Historic AFTAC Bolide Infrasound Database

We have recently digitized and partially reanalyzed the historic bolide infrasonic database. These 10 events were originally detected by the U.S. Air Force Technical Applications Center (AFTAC) from ∼1960 to 1974. In this paper we present the first preliminary reanalysis results for two of the 10 bolide events, namely the Revelstoke bolide of 3/31/1965 as well as the Prince Edward Islands (P.E.I). S. African bolide of 8/03/1963, which were among the largest bolides detected during this time period. These bolides have been investigated initially since they are most likely to have had a significant effect on the computed global influx rate of ReVelle (Global Infrasonic Monitoring of Large Bolides, pp 483–490, 2001) as indicated in Brown et al. (Nature, 420:314–316, 2002). We are in the process of recomputing all relevant infrasonic propagation quantities such as plane wave back azimuth, signal velocities, power spectra, spectrograms, as well as energy estimates using multiple techniques. In a future paper we will present a complete digital reanalysis of the AFTAC bolide infrasonic data and its final resulting global bolide influx implications.     

Acoustic-Gravity Waves from Bolide Sources

We have developed a new approach to modeling the acoustic-gravity wave (AGW) radiation from bolide sources. This first effort involves entry modeling of bolide sources that have available satellite data through procedures developed in ReVelle (Earth Moon Planets 95, 441–476, 2004a; in: A. Milani, G. Valsecchi, D. Vokrouhlicky (eds) NEO Fireball Diversity: Energetics-based Entry Modeling and Analysis Techniques, Near-earth Objects: Our Celestial Neighbors (IAU S236), 2007b). Results from the entry modeling are directly coupled to AGW production through line source blast wave theory for the initial wave amplitude and period at (at 10 blast wave radii and perpendicular to the trajectory). The second effort involves the prediction of the formation and or dominance of the propagation of the atmospheric Lamb, edge-wave composite mode in a viscous fluid (Pierce, J. Acoust. Soc. Amer. 35, 1798–1807, 1963) as a function of the source energy, horizontal range and source altitude using the Lamb wave frequency that was deduced directly during the entry modeling and that is used as a surrogate for the source energy. We have also determined that Lamb wave production by bolides at close range decreases dramatically as either the source energy decreases or the source altitude increases. Finally using procedures in Gill (Atmospheric-Ocean Dynamics, 1982) and in Tolstoy (Wave Propagation, 1973), we have analyzed two simple dispersion relationships and have calculated the expected dispersion for the Lamb edge-wave mode and for the excited, propagating internal acoustic waves. Finally, we have used the above formalism to fully evaluate these techniques for four large bolides, namely: the Tunguska bolide of June 30, 1908; the Revelstoke bolide of March 31, 1965; the Crete bolide of June 6, 2002 and the Antarctic bolide of September 3, 2004. Due to page limitations, we will only present results in detail for the Revelstoke bolide.     

气溶胶吸收及气候效应研究的新进展

最新研究结果表明仅关注气溶胶大气顶辐射强迫是不够的,特别是对于在短波辐射区域存在较强吸收的气溶胶类型,如烟尘、沙尘气溶胶。INDOEX实验表明来自印度次大陆的吸收性气溶胶产生的地表辐射强迫在量值上是大气顶辐射强迫的3倍左右,二者的差额以大气辐射加热的形式出现。气溶胶吸收通过加热气溶胶层所在大气,减少地表太阳辐射,影响地面蒸发,改变大气稳定度,从而影响水分循环。另外气溶胶的吸收对云产生“燃烧效应”,从而可能导致云量下降。鉴于气溶胶吸收的重要性,气溶胶吸收问题是当前气溶胶气候效应研究的一个热点问题。尽管关于气溶胶的吸收问题以及与之有关的气候效应还存在很大不确定性,根据观测事实或模拟结果得出的结论差别明显,但勿庸置疑的是气溶胶吸收是一个急需深入探讨的课题。由于我国北方地区春季沙尘活动十分频繁,而东部地区由于能源结构以及能源利用效率等问题致使气溶胶中吸收性成分（碳黑）含量偏高,一些资料分析以及模式研究结果均表明我国发生了一些有别于全球或其他地区的独特气候变化现象,初步分析表明气溶胶吸收在其中可能发挥了一定作用,因此加强我国气溶胶吸收特性的观测和理论研究,结合全球或区域气候模式,深入认识我国气溶胶辐射强迫、气候效应具有重要的科学意义,另外对于评估我国近年来采取的一些卓有成效的污染控制措施的环境和气候效应也是必不可少的。     

Atmospheric Reactive Nitrogen Cycle and Stable Nitrogen Isotope Processes: Progresses and Perspectives

Oxidized reactive nitrogen in the atmosphere mainly consists of nitrogen oxides (NO _X =NO+NO₂, NO₃) and nitric acid. The atmospheric cycling of NO _X influences the formation of ozone and hydroxyl radicals that are important for atmospheric oxidation capacity. Nitric acid, the final product of NO _X oxidation, not only is an important component of particulate pollutants, but also has a direct impact on the ecosystem through dry and wet deposition. The stable nitrogen isotope (δ¹⁵N) shows the potential to study reactive nitrogen cycle, and to trace the emission, transport and deposition of reactive nitrogen from local to global scales. Here, we reviewed previous studies using δ¹⁵N to investigate NO _X emission and atmospheric reactive nitrogen cycle, and discuss the uncertainties of δ¹⁵N signatures of different NO _X sources from two aspects: NO _X generation mechanism and NO _X collection methods. We also discussed the nitrogen isotope fractionation and the consequences during the conversions of NO _y molecules. We ended up with discussions on the possibility of using δ¹⁵N to trace NO _X emissions. Although there are still large uncertainties in quantifying and tracing NO _X emissions using nitrogen stable isotopes, such isotope tool is efficient enough to trace reactive nitrogen cycles in the atmosphere. On the basis of this, we proposed that we can combine atmospheric chemistry transmission models with isotope tracers to improve our understanding of regional and global atmospheric reactive nitrogen cycle regarding the fluxes of different emission sources, their atmospheric transformation, etc.