Relativistic electron flux enhancement at synchronous orbit during SEP event on July 14, 2000

Relativistic (E >1.6 MeV) electron flux enhancements during Solar Energetic Particle (SEP) events as observed by the synchronous FY-2 satellite at orbit located at 105°E are investigated. Energetic protons during SEP events heavily contaminate relativistic electron flux measurements. The ratio of the contamination in the original measurement of relativistic electron flux was over 30% during most of the SEP event on July 14, 2000. A method has been developed to eliminate the contamination caused by the energetic protons, and a "corrected" relativistic electron flux has been obtained. The "cleaned-up" relativistic electron flux measurement shows that relativistic electron flux enhancement at synchronous orbit is well correlated with SEP events during which the IMF Bz has some southward periods. The enhancement could arise as the transport of relativistic electrons from the upstream solar wind into synchronous orbit via the magnetotail.     

Mie scattering and charge transfer phenomena as causes of the UV edge in the absorption spectra of natural and synthetic almandine garnets

 The UV edge in the electronic absorption spectra of minerals, in many cases influencing their colour, is generally interpreted as the low-energy wing of very strong UV bands caused by ligand–metal charge transfer (CT) transitions (e.g. Burns 1993). However, Mie scattering theory shows that the presence of randomly distributed submicroscopic inclusions with narrow size distribution and a refractive index n _i in a matrix with different refractive index n _m may give rise to a λ-dependent, band-like scattering (e.g. Kortüm 1969). Such scattering bands have so far not been considered as contributing to the UV edge. Single-crystal electronic absorption spectra of eight natural almandine-rich garnets (Alm₆₀–Alm₈₈), two synthetic almandine samples (Alm₁₀₀), all of different colours, and synthetic spessartine were studied by means of a Zeiss microscope-spectrometer in the range 40 000–20 000 cm⁻¹. Special techniques of spectral measurements with crossed analyzer and polarizer, which enable the registration of the scattering effect directly, were used as well. Four of the above garnets were also investigated using transmission electron microscopy. Different types of inclusions, from 10 to several 100 nm in size, were observed in the garnet matrices. They are abundant in cores of synthetic garnets, but very rare in most natural almandines studied. Electronic absorption spectra of the natural almandine garnets show largely varying UV edge position and, hence, intensity at a given wavenumber which correlates with the intensities of spin-forbidden dd bands of Fe³⁺ ions at 27 000 and 28 000 cm⁻¹, superimposed on the long energy slope of the UV absorption. There are also positive correlations between Ti⁴⁺ and Fe³⁺ content, the latter recalculated on the basis of garnet stoichiometry, and UV edge intensity. Thus, the presence of Ti⁴⁺ and Fe³⁺ ions in octahedra, even in very low concentrations (0.0n at. pfu), leads to CT phenomena, that probably involve Fe²⁺ ions in edge-shared dodecahedral position and intensifies ligand- to-metal CT. The different colours of natural almandine garnets with similar Fe²⁺ contents studied here are caused by this effect. Consistent with the absence of inclusions in most natural garnets studied, λ-dependent scattering plays no role in their UV absorption. In contrast, in synthetic almandine and spessartine crystals, a different intensity of UV absorption was observed in inclusion-free rims and inclusion-enriched cores. Some of the latter demonstrate typical scattering patterns when measured at crossed polarizers. Received: 10 April 2001 / Accepted: 27 September 2001     

Simple new methods to estimate global solar radiation based on meteorological data in Egypt

Three simple methods to estimate global solar radiation are proposed in addition to (Solar Energy 63 (1998) 147). All were tested seasonally and at different sky conditions at seven locations in Egypt. The methods use ground-based measurements of maximum and minimum temperature, daily mean of cloud cover and extraterrestrial global radiation. Average of root mean square differences (RMSD) for a comparison between observed and estimated global radiation for all locations tested was around 10% for the new methods and 13% for Supit–Van Kappel method. The coefficient of determination R² is higher for the new methods for all tested locations. Better results were obtained when applying the new methods to different seasons. The differences in root mean square error (RMSE) between the new methods and Ångstrom–Prescott method that is based on sunshine duration data were less than 1.0 MJ m⁻² day⁻¹ at all sites. On the whole, the performance statistics demonstrate that the new methods are better when compared by Ångstrom–Prescott method.     

Simulation of astronomical solar radiation over Yellow River Basin based on DEM

Based on the developed distributed model for calculating astronomical solar radiation (ASR), monthly ASR with a resolution of 1 km×1 km for the rugged terrains of Yellow River Basin was calculated, with DEM data as the general characterization of terrain. This model gives an all-sided consideration on factors that influence the ASR. Results suggest that (1) Annual ASR has a progressive decrease trend from south to north; (2) the magnitude order of seasonal ASR is: summer>spring>autumn>winter; (3) topographical factors have robust effect on the spatial distribution of ASR, particularly in winter when a lower sun elevation angle exists; (4) the ASR of slopes with a sunny exposure is generally 2 or 3 times that of slopes with a shading exposure and the extreme difference of ASR for different terrains is over 10 times in January; (5) the spatial differences of ASR are relatively small in summer when a higher sun elevation angle exists and the extreme difference of ASR for different terrains is only 16% in July; and (6) the sequence of topographical influence strength is: winter>autumn>spring>summer.     

The Global Warming Debate: A Review of the State of Science

A review of the present status of the global warming science is presented in this paper. The term global warming is now popularly used to refer to the recent reported increase in the mean surface temperature of the earth; this increase being attributed to increasing human activity and in particular to the increased concentration of greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide) in the atmosphere. Since the mid to late 1980s there has been an intense and often emotional debate on this topic. The various climate change reports (1996, 2001) prepared by the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change), have provided the scientific framework that ultimately led to the Kyoto protocol on the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions (particularly carbon dioxide) due to the burning of fossil fuels. Numerous peer-reviewed studies reported in recent literature have attempted to verify several of the projections on climate change that have been detailed by the IPCC reports.The global warming debate as presented by the media usually focuses on the increasing mean temperature of the earth, associated extreme weather events and future climate projections of increasing frequency of extreme weather events worldwide. In reality, the climate change issue is considerably more complex than an increase in the earth’s mean temperature and in extreme weather events. Several recent studies have questioned many of the projections of climate change made by the IPCC reports and at present there is an emerging dissenting view of the global warming science which is at odds with the IPCC view of the cause and consequence of global warming. Our review suggests that the dissenting view offered by the skeptics or opponents of global warming appears substantially more credible than the supporting view put forth by the proponents of global warming. Further, the projections of future climate change over the next fifty to one hundred years is based on insufficiently verified climate models and are therefore not considered reliable at this point in time.     

Iron isotope fractionation during planetary differentiation

The Fe isotope composition of samples from the Moon, Mars (SNC meteorites), HED parent body (eucrites), pallasites (metal and silicate) and the Earth's mantle were measured using high mass resolution MC-ICP-MS. These high precision measurements (δ⁵⁶Fe ≈ ± 0.04‰, 2 S.D.) place tight constraints on Fe isotope fractionation during planetary differentiation.Fractionation during planetary core formation is confined to < 0.1‰ for δ⁵⁶Fe by the indistinguishable Fe isotope composition of pallasite bulk metal (including sulfides and phosphides) and olivine separates. However, large isotopic variations (≈ 0.5‰) were observed among pallasite metal separates, varying systematically with the amounts of troilite, schreibersite, kamacite and taenite. Troilite generally has the lightest (δ⁵⁶Fe ≈ − 0.25‰) and schreibersite the heaviest (δ⁵⁶Fe ≈ + 0.2‰) Fe isotope composition. Taenite is heavier then kamacite. Therefore, these variations probably reflect Fe isotope fractionation during the late stage evolution and differentiation of the S- and P-rich metal melts, and during low-temperature kamacite exsolution, rather than fractionation during silicate-metal separation.Differentiation of the silicate portion of planets also seems to fractionate Fe isotopes. Notably, magmatic rocks (partial melts) are systematically isotopically heavier than their mantle protoliths. This is indicated by the mean of 11 terrestrial peridotite samples from different tectonic settings (δ⁵⁶Fe = + 0.015 ± 0.018‰), which is significantly lighter than the mean of terrestrial basalts (δ⁵⁶Fe = + 0.076 ± 0.029‰). We consider the peridotite mean to be the best estimate for the Fe isotope composition of the bulk silicate Earth, and probably also of bulk Earth. The terrestrial basaltic mean is in good agreement with the mean of the lunar samples (δ⁵⁶Fe = + 0.073 ± 0.019‰), excluding the high-Ti basalts. The high-Ti basalts display the heaviest Fe isotope composition of all rocks measured here (δ⁵⁶Fe ≈ + 0.2‰). This is interpreted as a fingerprint of the lunar magma ocean, which produced a very heterogeneous mantle, including the ilmenite-rich source regions of these basalts.Within uncertainties, samples from Mars (SNC meteorites), HED (eucrites) and the pallasites (average olivine + metal) have the same Fe isotope compositions as the Earth's mantle. This indicates that the solar system is very homogeneous in Fe isotopes. Its average δ⁵⁶Fe is very close to that of the IRMM-014 standard.     

DOAS Zenith Sky Observations: 1. BrO Measurements over Bremen (53°N) 1993–1994

Observations of stratospheric BrO over Bremen (53°N) are reported for winter and early spring periods of 1993 and 1993/94. The BrO was observed by ground-based near-UV absorption spectroscopy of sunlight scattered in the zenith. Differential slant column densities for solar zenith angles 90°/80° in the range of9× 10¹³ (detection limit) to 4.5×10¹⁴ molecules/cm² having a high day-to-day variability were found. For the majority of the measurements no significant difference was observed between the morning and evening behaviour of BrO. Exceptions are the morning measurements from the winter of 1992/93 where an accelerated production of BrO was observed. We believe the latter best to be explained by the early morning rapid photolysis of elevated amounts of photo-labile Br-reservoirs formed during the night. The largest differential slant column densities of BrO were measured in December 1993 when the temperatures at 30 hPa dropped below 205 K. This might be an indication of heterogeneous conversion of bromine compounds on sulfate and other aerosols.     

晴天太阳总辐射的参数化及气候计算

在文献［１］基础上，根据北京、拉萨等站１７３５次实测资料，进一步讨论了应用别尔梁德理论式Ｑｏ＝Ｉｏｓｉｎｈ／１＋ｆｍ作晴天总辐射参数化的可能性。提出了ｆ 的新参数化方案。与原方案相比，保持较高拟合精度外，新方案的普适性更好。按本方案计算的各地晴天总辐射廓线形式，与国内外地面和飞艇探测结果一致。对青藏高原６站所作晴天总辐射气候计算也与实例值相符。     

SOLAR ACTIVITY VARIATIONS RECORDED IN VARVED SEDIMENTS FROM THE CRATER LAKE OF HOLZMAAR – A MAAR LAKE IN THE WESTEIFEL VOLCANIC FIELD, GERMANY

Annually laminated sediments from Lake Holzmaar (Germany) provide high resolution sedimentological and palaeoenvironmental data of the last 22,500 years. Weichselian periglacial varves and Holocene organic varves indicate different depositional environments. For the best preserved sections from both parts, spectral analyses were performed in order to detect cyclic fluctuations in varve thickness. Weichselian varves are dominated by an 88 year periodicity. Linear spectral analysis of Holocene varves provides no significant cyclicity. But, supposing nonlinear transformations of the solar signal through the Lake Holzmaar ecosystem during the Holocene, an adequate nonlinear spectral analysis method was able to detect periodicities of 11, 88, and 208 years. The existence of these cyclicities, comparable to the solar activity fluctuations, give further evidence for the existence of a sun-climate relationship, based on a not yet completely understood mechanism.     

地球岩石圈的演化机制─兼论开普勒动力导致岩石圈演化说

本文是将地学与天文学有机结合起来的研究成果。它是通过对地球乃至太阳系起源的研究，发现地球起源时的物质是由灼热的等离子体组成。它起源以后在近似真空的宇宙空间进行旋转运动的过程中，从地球外部向内部由灼热的等离子体向冷的固体岩石演化中，表面逐渐形成岩石圈。大陆壳和大洋壳上产生彼此不尽相同的形态面貌、岩石类型以及演化特点的原因，主要是与地球起源时产生的形态面貌、地球体积发生冷收缩运动、地球内部物质重力分异作用以及地球旋转运动导致地球体积发生有规律伸缩运动等诸因素，导致在地球表面不同部位上产生彼此不尽相同的特点有关。