A 500 hPa synoptic wildland fire climatology for large Canadian forest fires, 1959–1996

Summary In Canada, the average annual area of burned forest has increased from around 1 million ha in the 1970’s to over 2.5 million ha in the 1990’s. A previous study has identified the link between anomalous mid-tropospheric circulation at 500 hPa over northern North America and wildland fire severity activity in various large regions of Canada over the entire May to August fire season. In this study, a northern North American study region of the hemispheric gridded 5° latitude by 10° longitude 500 hPa dataset is identified and analysed from 1959 to 1996 for a sequence of six monthly periods through the fire season, beginning in April and ending in September. Synoptic types, or modes of upper air behavior, are determined objectively by the eigenvector method employing K-means cluster analysis. Monthly burned areas from the Canadian Large Fire Database (LFDB) for the same period, 1959 to 1996, are analysed in conjunction with the classified monthly 500 hPa synoptic types. Relationships between common monthly patterns of anomalous upper flow and spatial patterns of large fire occurrence are examined at the ecozone level. Average occurrence of a monthly synoptic type associated with very large area burned is approximately 18% of the years from 1959 to 1996. The largest areas burned during the main fire (May to August) season occur in the western Boreal and Taiga ecozones – the Taiga Plains, Taiga Shield, Boreal West Shield and Boreal Plains. Monthly burned areas are also analysed temporally in conjunction with a calculated monthly zonal index (Zi_m) for two separate areas defined to cover western and eastern Canada. In both western and eastern Canada, high area burned is associated with synoptic types with mid-tropospheric ridging in the proximity of the affected region and low Zi_m with weak westerlies and strong meridional flow over western Canada. Received April 3, 2001 Revised July 13, 2001     

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Der Boden der südlichen Nordsee

Zusammenfassung In Gezeitengebieten wie dem vorliegenden (südliche Nordsee, wofür eine Neubearbeitung vorgelegt wird) wurde bisher meistens das den Seekarten und anderen Quellen entstammende Zahlenmaterial ohne weitere Beschickung als Grundlage für die Bearbeitung von Tiefenkarten verwendet.Dabei wurde und wird das Seekartennull meistens stillschweigend als Kartennull für Isobathenkarten mit übernommen, obwohl sich manche Bearbeiter der Fehlerhaftigkeit dieser Annahme wohl bewußt gewesen sein mögen. Besonders unangenehm macht sich diese Tatsache bemerkbar, wenn Isobathen des Seegebietes mit Isohypsen im Watt oder auf dem festen Lande und auf Inseln in Verbindung gebracht werden sollen.Die jetzt vorgelegte Tiefenkarte versucht, dieses Dilemma durch Berücksichtigung einer für das ganze Gebiet gültigen, also von dem örtlich verschiedenen Seekartennull unabhängigen Niveaufläche zu umgehen; es wird eine Methode angegeben, die im Gebiet der südlichen Nordsee angewandt wurde, und im Hinblick auf die Isobathenäquidistanz (10 m im Ergebnis, 5 m im Entwurf) kritisch auf die möglichen Fehler untersucht. Es wird ferner, erläutert an einem konkreten Beispiel, auf den Unterschied zwischen den Seekarten-Tiefenlinien (nautischen Warnlinien) und echten morphologischen Isobathen hingewiesen; allerdings ist ein Anschluß der so gewonnenen Niveaufläche für die Tiefen der südlichen Nordsee an die beiderseitigen Landeshorizonte noch nicht möglich.

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A new bathymetric chart of the Southern North Sea

Summary For charts of tidal regions like that of the Southern North Sea, for which a revised edition is herewith presented, the numerical values required as basic elements for the construction of bathymetric charts have until now mostly been taken — without foregoing correction — from existing charts and other sources. Besides, in most cases, chart datum has been and still is continued to be used as ordnance datum for the construction of contour lines, though many a chart author may have been well aware of the uncorrectness of this procedure. The deficiency makes itself felt in a most disagreeable way when isobaths of the sea regions are to be combined with isohypses of regions of tidal flats or connected to such of the continent or of islands.The bathymetric chart herewith presented tries to avoid this uncorrectness by using a reference plane valid for all types of regions and, hence, independent of chart datum which is subject to local differences in height. The method that has been used for constructing the chart of the Southern North Sea is discussed and carefully scrutinized for any errors that may possibly occur with regard to the equidistance of isobaths (in this case 10 m on fair charts, 5 m on plotting charts). In addition, by way of practical example, attention is called to the difference existing between depth contours on charts (nautical danger lines) and true morphologic isobaths. It is, however, not yet possible to connect the new reference plane on which the depth contours on the new bathymetric chart of the Southern North Sea have been based to the ordnance datum used in mapping the countries adjoining the area covered by the new chart.

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Une nouvelle carte bathymétrique de la partie sud de la mer du Nord

Résumé Pour l'établissement des cartes bathymétriques représentant des zones soumises à la marée comme celle de la partie sud de la mer du Nord, on s'est jusqu'ici servi des valeurs numériqúes provenant des cartes marines et d'autres sources, sans avoir corrigé ces valeurs avant leur usage. En outre, on a employé le plus souvent, et on continue encore à employer le «zéro hydrographique» comme «zéro du nivellement général» pour la construction de lignes de niveau bienque beaucoup d'auteurs de cartes se soient, sans doute, rendu compte de l'inexactitude de cette méthode. Cette défectuosit é présente des inconvénients extraordinaires lorsque des isobathes de la région marine sont à com biner avec des isohypses de zones couvrantes et découvrantes ou à relier à celles du continent.Par rapport à l'édition refondue de la carte bathymétrique présentée avec ce travail et représentant la zone soumise à la marée de la région sud de la mer du Nord, on a essayé d'éviter cette inexactitude par l'introduction d'un nouveau plan de référence qui est valable pour des régions de caractères bien différents, et qui ne dépend pas du zéro hydrographique soumis à des différences locales en hauteur. La méthode qui fut appliquée à l'établissement de cette carte est discutée dans ce travail et examinée avec soin pour éviter que des erreurs pourraient s'introduire dans des équidistances des isobathes (dans ce cas, 10 m sur les minutes de rédaction, 5 m sur les minutes de construction). En outre, un exemple pratique sert à attirer l'attention sur la différence entre des lignes de niveau (limites de danger) indiquées sur des cartes marines et des isobathes vraiment morphologiques. Cependant, il n'est pas encore possible de relier le nouveau plan de référence sur lequel s'appuient les lignes de niveau de la nouvelle carte bathymétrique, au zéro du nivellement général en usage pour la représentation topographique des pays contigues à la région couverte par cette carte.

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Die Karte kann auch einzeln zum Preis von DM 3,- je Stück durch den Buchhandel oder unmittelbar vom D.H.I. bezogen werden (Druckschrift Nr. 2560 des D.H.I.).     

Reviewers of the Journal of Geodesy for Volume 79

Acknowledgement for Referees

Reviewers of the Journal of Geodesy for Volume 79     

The Association Between Circulation Anomaliesin the Mid-Troposphere and Area Burnedby Wildland Fire in Canada

Summary  There is evidence that the area burned by wildland fire has increased in certain regions of Canada in recent decades. One cause for this increase is changes in the mid-tropospheric circulation at 500 hPa over northern North America. This study examines the physical links between anomalous mid-tropospheric circulation over various regions of Canada and wildland fire severity. Analysis of monthly and seasonal burned areas for the period 1953 to 1995 reveals a bimodal distribution with distinct low and extreme high burned area years. The high/low burned area years coincide with positive/negative 500 hPa height anomalies over north-western, western, west-central and east-central Canada. Total area burned and the 500 hPa height anomaly data are analyzed for statistical relationships using the Spearman rank correlation non-parametric measure. Results for the May to August fire season indicate statistically significant correlations between regional total area burned and clusters of anomalous 500 hPa geopotential height values immediately over, and immediately upstream of the affected region. For the north-western and west-central regions, significantly correlated clusters are found in the central Pacific as well, providing evidence of the influence of a teleconnection structure on the summer climate of western and north-western North America. Two sample comparison tests show statistically significant differences in both the means and variances of the fire data populations during negative and positive phases of mid-tropospheric flow, and the means of the height anomaly populations during extremely high and extremely low area burned seasons. Increases in regional total area burned are related to increases in mean 500 hPa heights, taken from the significantly correlated clusters of height values, between two successive periods 1953–74 and 1975–95. For Canada as a whole, the five lowest area burned seasons all occurred during the early period, while the five highest seasons occurred during the later period. The difference in the geopotential height fields between the two periods identifies an increase in 500 hPa heights over most of Canada with an amplification of the western Canada ridge and an eastward shifted Canadian Polar Trough (CPT). Received October 19, 1998     

Großkreisdifferenzgleichen

Summary Echo soundings of the U.S. Cruiser Milwaukee in the Puerto Rico Trough in 1939 are briefly discussed, and two depths of 30246 feet or 9219 m, found at 19° 36 N, 68° 20.5 W and at 19° 35N, 68° 8.75W, are stated to be the greatest depths which are known so far in the Atlantic Ocean.     

Schallweicher und schallharter Boden im Bereich des Stoller Grundes (Kieler Bucht) in Beziehung zur Geologie

Summary Comparisons between three series of echo soundings taken by the survey- and research ships Meteor and Gauss across the shoals of the Stoller Grund and the Gabels Flach in 1934 and 1951 confirm that from the nature of the recorded echo qualitative conclusions in respect to the thickness of soft sedimentary layers can be drawn.

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Fonds amortissant et non-amortissant le son aux alentours du Stoller Grand et du Gabeis Flach (Kieler Bucht) — discutés par rapport à la géologie

Résumé Trois séries de sondages par écho qui furent effectués par dessus les bancs de sables du Stoller Grund et du Gabels Flach (Kieler Bucht) en 1934 et 1951 au bord du Meteor et du Gauss, navires hydrographiques et explorateurs, sont comparées entre elles. Ces comparaisons confirment qu'il est possible de déduire qualitativement de la nature des enregistrements l'épaisseur des couches de sédiments moux.