Absolute gravity values in Norway

Absolute gravity observations yield insight into geophysical phenomena such as postglacial rebound, change in the Earth's hydrological cycle, sea level change, and changes in the Earth's cryosphere. In the article, the first gravity values at 16 Norwegian stations measured by a modern absolute gravimeter of the FG5 type are presented. The gravity observations were corrected for Earth tides, varying atmospheric pressure, polar motion, and ocean tide loading. The ocean tide loading corrections were subject to special attention. A model based on locally observed ocean tides was applied at some of the stations. The authors estimated the total uncertainties of the gravity values to range from 3 to 4 µgal (1 µgal = 10^?8 m s^?2). These errors are of magnitude one order less than previously presented absolute gravity values from Norway. The final gravity values are time tagged and will change due to postglacial rebound. The maximum effect is expected to be approximately ?1 µgal yr^?1.     

Three-dimensional variational data assimilation of WindSat ocean surface winds for the genesis and forecasting of tropical storm Henri

With available high-resolution ocean surface wind vectors retrieved from the U.S. Naval Research Laboratorys WindSat on Coriolis, the impact of these data on genesis and forecasting of tropical storm Henri is examined using the non-hydrostatic, fifth-generation mesoscale model (MM5) of Pennsylvania State University-National Center for Atmospheric Research plus its newly released three-dimensional variational data assimilation (3DVAR) system. It is shown that the assimilation of the WindSat-retrieved ocean surface wind vectors in the 3DVAR system improves the model initialization fields by introducing a stronger vortex in the lower troposphere. As a result, the model reproduces the storm formation and track reasonably close to the observations. Compared to the experiment without the WindSat surface winds, the WindSat assimilation reduced an error between the model simulated track and observations of more than 80 km and also improved the storm intensity by nearly 2 hPa. It suggests that these data could provide early detection and prediction of tropical storms or hurricanes.     

The Moon 35 years after Apollo: What's left to learn?

With the cancellation of the Apollo program after Apollo 17 returned from the Moon in 1972, the focus of NASA switched to other areas of the Solar System. Study of the Moon did continue through analysis of the returned samples and remotely sensed data sets (both orbital and surface), as well as through Earth-based telescopic studies. In the 1990s, new orbital data were obtained from several missions (fly-by and orbital), the first being Galileo that allowed the lunar farside to be mapped, followed by global mapping by the Clementine and Lunar Prospector missions.Interest in the Moon started to increase at the beginning of the 21st century as other nations focused their space exploration programs on the Moon. The speech by President Bush in January 2004 put the Moon back into the critical exploration path for NASA, paving the way for humans to return to the lunar surface by 2020. This return will be critical for developing technologies and protocols for the eventual human exploration of other parts of the solar system. At the time of writing (June 2008), the SELENE/Kaguya mission (Japan and Chang’e-1 (China) are orbiting the Moon, with Chandrayaan-1 (India) and Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (USA) being scheduled to launch later in 2008.The past (and present) exploration of the Moon begs the question “what's left to be done?” With the renewed focus on the Moon, now that it is on the pathway for the exploration of Mars (and beyond) a similar question has been raised - what should the astronauts do on the Moon? The publication of the New Views of the Moon book [Jolliff et al., 2006. New Views of the Moon, Reviews in Mineralogy, vol. 60. American Mineralogical Society, 721pp] highlighted a number of important scientific questions that remain unanswered as well as posing many more on the basis of the currently available data. These questions resonated in three Lunar Exploration Analysis Group (LEAG) reports pertinent to this discussion, which were also published (on line) during 2006 (http://www.lpi.usra.edu/leag), and in the National Research Council of the National Academies [2007. The Scientific Context for Exploration of the Moon. National Academies Press, Washington, DC, 112pp] report entitled “The Scientific Context for Exploration of the Moon”. This paper synthesizes these recent studies, along with those from the 1980s and 1990s, to emphasize the lunar science questions that remain unanswered. In addition, it summarizes the missions already flown to the Moon along with those that are planned in order to give the reader an idea of exactly what lunar science has been and will be conducted in the hope that it will inspire proposals for missions to address the outstanding science questions.     

New data of typomorphic features of diamonds from placers in North Timan

The morphological and spectral-optical properties of diamond crystals from placers in North Timan rivers have been studied with IR-spectroscopy and cathode luminescence methods. As a result, correlation between external characteristics of diamonds (size and degree of mechanical damage) and number of optically active centers has been revealed. The habit and the type of distribution of structural defects in diamond crystals studied are comparable with those in diamonds from the Archangelsk Region and North Timan’s placers. Based on the obtained data, origin issues and possible primary sources of diamonds from North Timan’s placers are discussed.     

Long-range aircraft as an Arctic Oceanographic platform

Synoptic basin-wide measurements of Arctic Ocean temperature and salinity are now possible with the recent development of an expendable conductivity, temperature, and depth probe for deployment from aircraft (AXCTD). Both the P-3 Orion aircraft and the C-130 aircraft are capable of long-range, low-altitude flight and are ideal for Arctic research. Expendable profilers can be quickly deployed over vast regions from aircraft and in locations with limited ship access, but have the disadvantage of measuring only the top 1000 m and of being about an order of magnitude less accurate than a CTD cast, primarily because of noisy salinity measurements and depth-fall rate errors. We explore how to conduct an ACXTD measurement program in ice-covered seas and discuss a test of these methods conducted in the Arctic Ocean's Eurasian Basin. Long-range aircraft can significantly augment the present program of Arctic research by performing large-area surveys, continuing time series with repeat measurements, and by helping target locations for more detailed and accurate shipboard measurement.     

遥感数据空间尺度分级模型与基本比例尺关系

多源遥感数据综合应用是遥感发展的必然趋势,统一的遥感数据空间尺度分级模型是多源数据集成与综合应用的基础。虽然已有多种空间尺度分级模型,但很多主流模型并非出于分尺度综合应用目的,缺乏客观的比较和评价。国家基本比例尺系统作为经过论证、中国应用面最广泛、接受度最高的一种尺度分级系统,是以应用为导向的遥感数据空间尺度分级模型的最优参照系。从不同视觉精度下国家基本比例尺对图像空间分辨率的需求出发,比较各空间尺度分级模型的层级分辨率与需求分辨率的匹配情况,包括OGC Well Known Scale Set的Global CRS84Pixel和Google Maps Compatible,以及NASA World Wind、Google Map、百度地图、天地图等软件平台采用的层级格网系统,以及"五层十五级"遥感数据组织模型,通过对数据信息冗余度的分析,对各个模型进行了评价。结果表明,在高视觉精度应用需求下,"五层十五级"模型与基本比例尺精度要求具有较明显的匹配优势,其次为OGC Google Maps Compatible模型和天地图模型,其余模型平均数据冗余倍数在2倍左右;在低视觉精度应用需求下,"五层十五级"模型平均数据冗余度仍为最低,其次为Google Map模型,其余模型平均数据冗余倍数都在2倍以上。     

Methane-rich fluid inclusions and their hosting volcanic reservoir rocks of the Songliao Basin, NE China

Methane-rich fluids were recognized to be hosted in the reservoir volcanic rocks as primary inclusions.Samples were collected from core-drillings of volcanic gas reservoirs with reversed δ12C of alkane in the Xujiaweizi depression of the Songliao Basin. The volcanic rocks are rhyolite dominant being enriched in the more incompatible elements like Cs, Rb, Ba, Th, U and Th with relative high LREE, depleted HREE and negative anomalies of Ti and Nb,suggesting a melt involving both in mantle source and crustal assimilation. Primary fluids hosted in the volcanic rocks should have the same provenance with the magma. The authors concluded that the enclosed CH4 in the volcanics are mantle/magma-derived alkane and the reversed δ13C of alkane in the corresponding gas reservoirs is partly resulted from mixture between biogenic and abiogenic gases.     

青藏高原主要生态系统净初级生产力的估算

利用青藏高原贡嘎山、海北、五道梁、拉萨等4个野外台站2000~2002年的观测数据、陆地生态系统模型与2001年MODIS遥感数据相结合的方法来估算青藏高原区域的净初级生产力。结果表明:青藏高原区域的净初级生产力空间分布趋势表现出由东南向西北逐渐递减的梯度,该趋势也与水热梯度表现基本一致;整个青藏高原的净初级生产力为302.44×1012 gC yr-1,其中森林的净初级生产力最高,120.11×1012 gC yr-1,占整个高原净初级生产力的39.7%;全年中夏季(6~8月) 的净初级生产力最高,246.7×1012 gC yr-1,约占全年总净初级生产力的80%。用实测数据验证模拟结果表明,二者非常相符。     

海上油藏勘探经济评价方法——以胜利滩海地区为例

正油气勘探经济评价是勘探项目可行性研究的重要组成部分,在此之前经济评价是从探明储量上报开始,在勘探阶段对经济评价工作研究较少,缺乏一套适应当前油气勘探市场形势的经济评价理论和方法(郭元岭,2005)。海上油藏相较于陆上成本更高、风险更大,因此本文针对海上油藏勘探开发特点,利用现金流法建立计算模型,由于勘探阶段资料相对匮乏,本次主要通过数据统计和类比等方法,以最简化的方式