Spherical gauges for improving the accuracy of rainfall measurements

Rain‐gauge catch efficiencies are affected by wind. Wind makes raindrops fall at an angle of inclination and the effective diameter of the rain gauge orifice smaller than if raindrops fall into the gauge vertically. Two spherical and two semi‐spherical orifices were designed to modify standard gauges and others in use today. The two spherical orifices catch rain with an effective diameter always equal to the actual diameter regardless of wind speed and direction. The semi‐spherical orifices, used side‐by‐side with a standard gauge, correct 50% of catch deficiencies made by the standard gauge. Tests based on 115 storms show that the four new gauges caught more rainfall than the standard gauge, with an average catch increase ranging from 8% to 16%. Compared with the pit gauge, average deficiency in catch ranged from ?1% (spherical rain gauge orifice with cylinders) to 4%, whereas the deficiency for the standard gauge was ?10%. Percentage deficiencies of the new gauges were positively affected by wind speed, raindrop inclination and rainfall intensity. Although the new gauges tended to underestimate the standard gauge in small storms (<0·25 cm) and overestimated the pit gauge under strong winds, their deviations are small. Underestimates for small storms could be improved by using gauge materials that reduce surface temperature, evaporation and water retention. The gauges are simple in design, easy to operate and inexpensive. In order to maintain a historically consistent set of rainfall data, a dual‐gauge (standard gauge + spherical gauge) is recommended for existing rainfall stations. The new rain gauge orifices are suitable for large‐scale applications. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Paleoenvironmental implications of magnetic measurements on sediment core from Kunming Basin,Southwest China

Mineral magnetic measurements have been made on a long sediment core from Dianchi Lake, Southwest China. They have been used for sediment stratigraphy, for bulk lithological classification and for detailed particle-size-based characterisation. These results are set alongside those derived from geochemical, granulometric and pollen analysis to reconstruct the environmental processes recorded in the radiocarbon dated sediment column. It is suggested that the variations of magnetic properties in this sediment core are mainly the result of changes in particle size constitution or organic content, implying shifts in the sedimentary environment. Three distinctive stratigraphic horizons, with several subdivisions, have been identified on the basis of the magnetic measurements. They are coincident with the pollen assemblage zones, indicating the different climatic periods in the Kunming Basin since late Pleistocene times. This paper proposes that a major shift in sedimentation, from lake to reedswamp, occurred in approximately 10 000–12 000 BP, in response to climatic change.     

Interpretation of the Gravity and Magnetic Anomalies of the Cappadocia Region,Central Turkey

The Cappadocia region, located in Central Turkey, is characterized by widespread lava flows and volcanoclastic deposits dating from Miocene to Quaternary. Gravity and aeromagnetic anomalies of the region appear to present similar high and low amplitude regions, although the aeromagnetic anomalies exhibit a rather complex pattern which is thought to be caused by remanent magnetization. The low-pass filtered aeromagnetic map shows a deep-seated magnetic anomaly which may be linked to the widespread volcanic activity at the surface. The pseudogravity transformation of the upward continued anomaly has been constructed. The pseudogravity anomaly demonstrates some form of clockwise rotation. This anomaly was modelled by means of a three-dimensional method. The top and bottom of the body are at 6.3km and 11km (including the flight height) from the ground surface, respectively. This deep body is ellipsoidal and extends along an E-W direction, which is in line with the regional stress direction deduced from GPS measurements. A new mobilistic dynamo-tectonic system appears to explain the body’s E-W elongation. The modelled body may be the source for the inferred geothermal energy of the region. Magnetic measurements were carried out on oriented rock samples collected from outcrops of ignimbrites and basalts, providing directions and intensities of remanent magnetization, susceptibilities and Koeningsberger (Q) ratios. Standard deviations of remanent directions of the Natural Remanent Magnetization (NRM) display a wide scatter implying unreliability of the surface data. Reduction to pole (RTP) transformation of magnetic anomalies was successful with the induced magnetization angle despite the complex pattern of magnetic anomalies.     

Sur la mesure de l'intensité du champ magnétique terrestre et la distribution du magnétisme dans les aimants

The measurement of the horizontal component, H, of the geomagnetic field represents an important part of geomagneticians work from 1830 to the end of the 19th century. This measurement remained difficult at the required accuracy of ${10}^{\mathrm{?9}}\text{T}$ (1 nT or $1\gamma$), till the advent of proton and optical pumping magnetometers in geomagnetic observatories, around 1955. The measurement of H consisted in determining the mutual torque between two cylindrical magnets, by measuring either oscillation periods or angular deviations. Poisson was the first, indisputably, to propose the general principle of the measurement, in 1825. But Gauss, some years later (1832), successfully operated his famous oscillation–deviation method, described since then in all the elementary manuals of physics. The computation of the mutual torque depends on the tri-dimensional distribution of the magnetization in each one of the magnets. In the absence of an accurate-enough knowledge of these distributions, Poisson, Gauss, and their successors showed how to make the computations with a minimum number of hypotheses on them. Nevertheless physicists, in particular French ones, worked on the ‘distribution of magnetism’ in magnets; the first of them was Coulomb. We come back to this question through experiments conducted in the magnetic observatory of Chambon-la-Forêt, France. To cite this article: B. Leprêtre, J.-L. Le Mouël, C. R. Geoscience 337 (2005).     

A Raman spectroscopic study of Fe–Mg olivines

End-member synthetic fayalite and forsterite and a natural solid-solution crystal of composition (Mg_1.80,Fe_0.20)SiO₄ were investigated using Raman spectroscopy. Polarized single-crystal spectra were measured as a function of temperature. In addition, polycrystalline forsterite and fayalite, isotopically enriched in ²⁶Mg and ⁵⁷Fe, respectively, were synthesized and their powder spectra measured. The high-wavenumber modes in olivine consist of internal SiO₄ vibrations that show little variation upon isotopic substitution. This confirms conclusions from previous spectroscopic studies that showed that the internal SiO₄ vibrations have minimal coupling with the lower-wavenumber lattice modes. The lowest wavenumber modes in both forsterite and fayalite shift in energy following isotopic substitution, but with energies less than that which would be associated with pure Mg and Fe translations. The low-wavenumber Raman modes in olivine are best described as lattice modes consisting to a large degree of mixed vibrations of M(2) cation translations and external vibrations of the SiO₄ tetrahedra. The single-crystal spectra of forsterite and Fo₉₀Fa₁₀ were recorded at a number of temperatures from room temperature to about 1200 °C. From these data the microscopic Grüneisen parameters for three different A_g modes for both compositions were calculated, and also the structural state of the solid solution crystal was investigated. Small discontinuities observed in the wavenumber behavior of a low-energy mixed Mg/T(SiO₄) mode between 700 and 1000 °C may be related to minor variations in the Fe–Mg intracrystalline partitioning state in the Fo₉₀Fa₁₀ crystal, but further spectroscopic work is needed to clarify and quantify this issue. The mode wavenumber and intensity behavior of internal SiO₄ vibrations as a function of temperature are discussed in terms of crystal field and dynamic splitting and also ₁ and ₃ coupling. Crystal-field splitting increases only very slightly with temperature, whereas dynamical-field splitting is temperature dependent. The degree of ₁–₃ coupling decreases with increasing temperature.     

Automated system for measuring snow surface energy balance components in mountainous terrain

The ability to continually monitor several meteorological parameters is needed to estimate snow surface energy balance components in mountainous terrain. In remote mountainous locations, limited accessibility and extreme weather conditions limit the use of delicate meteorological instrumentation. Robust instrumentation and radio telemetry are often needed to measure snow surface energy exchanges. This study examined the practicality and effectiveness of robust instrumentation in estimating radiative and turbulent exchanges in the forested Bear River Mountains of northern Utah. Measurement of reflected shortwave radiation was problematic due to possible selective absorption in the infra-red range. This resulted in overestimates of reflected shortwave radiation and decreased estimates of now surface albedo. During high snowfall, the pyranometer and net radiometer were occasionally covered with snow, resulting in inaccurate radiation measurements. Snow typically melted from instrument surfaces in less than one day under full sun. A relative humidity measurement accuracy of ± 4% may have resulted in a possible error of 20% in the calculation of vapour pressure. Snow depth measurement with an acoustical sensor was affected by new or blowing snow, which resulted in inaccurate snow depth measurement 16.2% of the time. The longest period without a valid snow depth measurement was 19.5 hours. A new snow temperature thermocouple ladder was designed and constructed and provided accurate within-pack temperature measurements throughout the pre-melt and melt season.     

3D configuration of Mygdonian basin and preliminary estimate of its site response

Euroseistest is currently the longest running test site in the world. It was originally defined as the 2D cross-section of the Mygdonian basin going from Profitis to Stivos villages. In this paper, we present the first results of the effort to extend the idea of test site to a larger portion of the whole sedimentary structure, i.e. the extension of the idea of Euroseistest from a 2D to a 3D structure. To this end we have compiled available geological and geotechnical information. We have analyzed microtremor and earthquake data recorded seven years ago, that had not been thoroughly exploited. We present the results of the analysis of H/V spectral ratios from microtremors recorded at 195 sites, and from earthquake records at 14 stations. The results are validated through comparison with the well studied 2D cross-section. In addition to this, the geometry of the edges of the basin has been deduced from electrical tomographies. The synthesis of all these data allowed us to propose reliable map of dominant frequencies throughout the basin, a good constrain on the geometry of the basin at the edges, and shear-wave velocity profiles at some points. Our results indicate that average shear-wave velocity is not constant throughout, and thus the dominant frequency map is not a faithful image of the geometry of the basin. We have also obtained a reliable estimate of the site response throughout the basin. The results have been used to plan an additional measurement campaign, and are currently used to compute site response using a 3D seismic modelling code. We expect that the usefulness of Euroseistest to understand site effects in 3D geological structures will be as large as it has been in its 2D phase.     

Diagnosis and prediction of vibration from railway trains

In the North West of France, more particularly in the region of the Somme Bay, where the ground is constituted mainly of peat, observation of the surface of the soil near railway tracks has revealed high levels of displacement. This paper, contains a prediction model and diagnosis of vibration near the track. A model of a railway track on layered ground subjected to a moving train has been built and the calculation method uses Fourier transform formalism for a semi-analytical solution in the wave number domain. It includes all elements of the track and allows a parametric analysis of its different elements and evaluation of vertical displacement according to the speed, weight and composition of each train. The diagnosis has been performed with in situ measurements and with the aim of the validation of the model. A parameter study of the ground undertaken by seismic measurements shows a critical speed close to 100 m/s while the studied trains are moving with sub-Rayleigh speeds. Measurements give us a lot of information about lateral and vertical acceleration on the soil's surface and parts of the track. For high speeds and freight trains, displacement reaches more than 10 mm.     

由野外实测数据直接生成MAPGIS地质基础图件方法

传统纸介质手工制图存在信息实时再现滞后、共享交换不便等弊端,即便目前普遍使用计算机制图,也只是对纸介质底图进行二次描绘,不是真正意义上的计算机数字化制图和专业应用.因此,由野外实测数据直接进机处理生成地质基础图件,已成为专业人员在实际工作中急需解决的实际问题.笔者尝试以中国地质大学开发的MAPGIS6.6为主,辅以常用图表处理软件等,将原始数据转换成MAPGIS明码格式文件,导入成图系统,经系统处理直接成图,基本解决了野外实测数据直接进机处理生成地质基础图件的问题,其成图精度高,基本图形、数据共享,成果信息实时再现,能够进行基本的空间分析,可实现信息全息化,成图质量可通过源数据检查等.     

Identification of coccolithophore blooms in the SE Atlantic Ocean off Namibia by satellites and in-situ methods

Sporadic occurrences of milky turquoise waters visible in true colour satellite imagery in the Benguela upwelling system off Namibia are characterized by high reflectances due to enhanced scattering properties. Previous opinion was that the features are due to increased reflectances by elemental sulphur (S⁰) resulting from upwelling or eruptions of hydrogen sulphide-enriched waters.