Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Assimilation of radial velocity and reflectivity data from coastal WSR‐88D radars using an ensemble Kalman filter for the analysis and forecast of landfalling hurricane Ike (2008)

Ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF) assimilation and forecasting experiments are performed for the case of Hurricane Ike (2008), the third most destructive hurricane hitting the USA. Data from two coastal WSR‐88D radars are carefully quality controlled before assimilation. In the control assimilation experiment, reflectivity (Z) and radial velocity (Vr) data from two radars are assimilated at 10 min intervals over a 2 h period shortly before Ike made landfall. A 32‐member forecast ensemble is initialized by introducing both mesoscale and convective‐scale perturbations to the initial National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) operational global forecast system (GFS) analysis background, and the ensemble spread during the analysis cycles is maintained using multiplicative covariance inflation and posterior additive perturbations. The radar data assimilation results in much improved vortex intensity and structure analysis over the corresponding GFS analysis. Compared with the forecast starting from the GFS analysis, the forecast intensity, track and structure of Ike over a 12 h period are much improved in both deterministic and ensemble forecasts. Assimilation of either Vr or Z leads to improvement in the forecasts, with Vr data exhibiting much greater impacts than Z data. With the 2 h assimilation window, 30 min assimilation intervals produced results similar to 10 min intervals, while 60 min intervals were found to be too long. The ensemble forecasts starting from the EnKF analyses are found to be mostly better than the corresponding deterministic forecast, especially after ensemble post‐processing, such as probability matching for precipitation. Precipitation equitable threat scores were calculated and compared. Copyright © 2012 Royal Meteorological Society
Liquid iron‐sulfur alloys at outer core conditions by first‐principles calculations

We perform first‐principles calculations to investigate liquid iron‐sulfur alloys (Fe, Fe56S8, Fe52S12, and Fe48S16) under high‐pressure and high‐temperature (150–300 GPa and 4000–6000 K) conditions corresponding to the Earth's outer core. Considering only the density profile, the best match with the preliminary reference Earth model is by liquid Fe–14 wt % S (Fe50S14), assuming sulfur is the only light element. However, its bulk sound velocity is too high, in particular in the deep outer core, suggesting that another light component such as oxygen is required. An experimental check using inelastic X‐ray scattering shows good agreement with the calculations. In addition, a present study demonstrates that the Birch's law does not hold for liquid iron‐sulfur alloy, consistent with a previous report on pure liquid iron.
Forest hunter-gatherers and their world: a study of the Mbendjele Yaka pygmies of Congo-Brazzaville andtheir secular and religious activities and representations

This thesis is about a forest hunter-gatherer people, the Mbendjele Yaka Pygmies of northern Congo-Brazzaville. The thesis is based on field research carried out between 1994 and 2001. I begin by examining certain key terms used in the thesis and by situating my research within the existing literature. Research methodologies are presented and the fieldwork experience described. I provide an overview of the historical, political and economic context of the research including an outline assessment of the main historical reconstructions of regional history. Conservationist and loggers' models of the forest are juxtaposed with Mbendjele ways of representing landscape and the forest environment. I discuss the significance of the forest in Mbendjele social experience and its role as the ideal environment for social life. I examine the way the Mbendjele classify animals and the cosmological significance of hunting and killing. This theme is continued with a presentation of ekila, a complex set of practices and beliefs that regulate the interactions of people with animals and express a complex relationship between human fertility and the correct handling of prey animals. I continue the analysis of Mbendjele collective representations with a presentation of the activity of massana. The link between children's play and adult rituals implicit in the use of this term is analysed. I then build on this understanding to present an analysis of aspects of two ritual associations, Ejengi and Ngoku, central to men's and women's power in society. The thesis is brought to a close by moving beyond the forest to examine Mbendjele relations with and conceptualisations of outsiders and property rights. New technological developments and financial incentives are increasingly transforming the Mbendjele forest into faunal and floral assets for distribution to international organizations.
The modification of X and L band radar signals by monomolecular sea slicks

One methyl oleate and two oleyl alcohol surface films were produced on the surface of the North Sea under comparable oceanographic and meteorological conditions in order to investigate their influence on X and L band radar backscatter. Signals are backscattered in these bands primarily by surface waves with lengths of about 2 and 12 cm, respectively, and backscattered power levels in both bands were reduced by the slicks. The reduction was larger at X band than at L band, however, indicating that shorter waves are more intensely damped by the surface films. The oleyl alcohol film caused greater attenuation of short gravity waves than the film of methyl oleate, thus demonstrating the importance of the physicochemical properties of films on the damping of wind-generated gravity capillary waves. Finally, these experiments indicate a distinct dependence of the degree of damping on the angle between wind and waves. Wind-generated waves traveling in the wind direction are more intensely damped by surface films than are waves traveling at larger angles to the wind.
3‐D aerosol‐cloud radiative interaction observed in collocated MODIS and ASTER images of cumulus cloud fields

[1] Three-dimensional (3-D) aerosol-cloud interaction is examined by analyzing two images containing cumulus clouds in biomass-burning regions in Brazil. The research consists of two parts. The first part focuses on identifying 3-D cloud impacts on reflectances for the pixels selected for the MODIS aerosol retrieval based purely on observations. The second part of the research combines the observations with radiative transfer computations to identify key parameters in the 3-D aerosol-cloud interaction. We find that 3-D cloud-induced enhancement depends on the optical properties of nearby clouds as well as on wavelength. The enhancement is too large to be ignored. Associated bias error in one-dimensional (1-D) aerosol optical thickness retrieval ranges from 50 to 140% depending on wavelength and the optical depth of nearby clouds, as well as aerosol optical thickness. We caution the community to be prudent when applying 1-D approximations in computing solar radiation in clear regions adjacent to clouds or when using traditional retrieved aerosol optical thickness in aerosol indirect effect research.
High‐latitude thermospheric wind observations and simulations with SuperDARN data driven NCAR TIEGCM during the December 2006 magnetic storm

Ion convection pattern derived from the Super Dual Auroral Radar Network potential pattern (SDP) data is developed for the National Center for Atmospheric Research Thermosphere Ionosphere Electrodynamic General Circulation Model. The December 2006 geomagnetic storm event was simulated with the SDP ion convection pattern and two other existing input options (Heelis and Weimer convection models). The high‐latitude thermospheric wind simulated with SDP showed very good agreement with the Fabry‐Perot interferometer thermospheric wind data inside the polar cap at Resolute, Canada (74.7°N, 94.8°W, magnetic latitude 84). The Heelis model overestimated the winds during the storm event, because the model does not consider the cross polar cap potential saturation at high global geomagnetic index (Kp) values. The Weimer model provides a better performance than the Heelis model in this case. However, it has a larger discrepancy compared to the SDP results. The SDP provides an alternative data‐based tool for study of the ionosphere/thermosphere interactions in the polar cap.
A semi‐empirical model of the contribution from sporadic meteoroid sources on the meteor input function in the MLT observed at Arecibo

[1] In this paper, we present a modeling and observational study of the micrometeor input function with a focus on understanding how each of the extraterrestrial sporadic meteoroid sources contributes to the observed meteoric flux in the Mesosphere and Lower Thermosphere (MLT) atmospheric region. For this purpose, we expand the model presented by Janches et al. (2006) using a Monte Carlo technique and incorporating: 1) a widely accepted global mass flux, which is divided into different proportions among the known sporadic meteoroid sources as the initial input above Earth’s atmosphere; 2) contemporary knowledge on the source's velocity and radiant distributions; and 3) the full integration of the canonical meteor equations that describe the meteoroid entry and ablation physics. In addition, we constrain the initial input through a comparison of our modeled results with meteor observations obtained with the 430 MHz High Power and Large Aperture (HPLA) Arecibo radar in Puerto Rico that covers all seasons. The predicted meteor rates and velocity distributions are in excellent agreement with the observed ones without the need for any additional normalization factor. Our results indicate that although the Earth’s Apex centered radiant source, which is characterized by high geocentric speeds (∼55 km/s), appears to be ∼33% of the meteoroids in the Solar System at 1 AU, it accounts for ∼60% of the meteors observed by the Arecibo HPLA radar in the atmosphere. The remaining 40% of observed meteors originate mostly from the Helion and Anti-Helion sources, with a very small, but constant during the day, contribution of the South and North Toroidal sources. These results also suggest that particles smaller than ∼10−3μg with slow velocities (<30 km/s) will not significantly ablate and never become observable meteors. The motivation of this effort is to construct a new and more precise MIF model needed for the subsequent modeling of the atmospheric phenomena related to the meteoric flux.
BATCH REACTOR UNVEGETATED WETLAND PERFORMANCE IN TREATING DAIRY WASTEWATER 1

ABSTRACT: Wetlands that treat holding pond effluent can be designed to utilize the pond storage capacity to allow flexibility in system management. Management of a wetland as a sequencing batch reactor can simplify operation and control detention times, but little performance data on such systems are available. The objective of this study was to evaluate the batch reactor wetland concept by quantifying removal of chemical oxygen demand (COD), total suspended sediments (TSS), total nitrogen (TN), ammonium (NH4), nitrate (NO3), total phosphorus (TP), and orthophosphate (PO4) and by assessing the suitability of first‐order kinetics. Weekly samples were collected following batch loadings of wetland cells with high concentration or low concentration dairy holding pond wastewater during both fall and spring seasons. During three‐week batch periods without plants, overall mass removal averaged 54 percent for COD, 58 percent for TSS, 90 percent for TN, 72 percent for NH4, ‐54 percent for NO3, 38 percent for TP, and ‐8 percent for PO4. Best fit, first‐order kinetic rate constant (k) and background concentration (C*) for COD varied by season, with k = 0.024/d and C*= 0 mg/l in fall and k = 0.056/d and C*= 200 mg/l in spring. Ammonium exhibited a consistent C*= 0 mg/l but had variable rate constants of k = 0.121/d for low concentration treatments and k = 0.079/d for high concentration treatments. Using first‐order kinetics was also appropriate for TN, with k = 0.061/d and C*= 0 mg/l for all loadings and seasons, but was not consistently appropriate for TP or PO4. These results support the use of first‐order kinetics to describe treatment in batch reactor wastewater treatment wetlands without vegetation, perhaps during the establishment phase or in open water zones of vegetated wetlands. Further work is needed to assess the effects of vegetation.
Short- and long-term leakage through composite liners. The 7th Arthur Casagrande Lecture1 1This lecture was presented at the 14th Pan-American Conference on Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering, Toronto, Ont., October 2011, and a pre-print appeared in the conference proceedings.

The factors that may affect short-term leakage through composite liners are examined. It is shown that the leakage through composite liners is only a very small fraction of that expected for either a geomembrane (GM) or clay liner (CL) alone. However, the calculated leakage through holes in a GM in direct contact with a clay liner is typically substantially smaller than that actually observed in the field. It is shown that calculated leakage taking account of typical connected wrinkle lengths observed in the field explains the observed field leakage through composite liners. Provided that care is taken to avoid excessive connected wrinkle lengths, the leakage through composite liners is very small compared to a typical GM or CL alone. It is shown that the leakage through composite liners with a geosynthetic clay liner (GCL) is typically much less than for composite liners with a compacted clay liner (CCL). Finally, factors that will affect long-term leakage through composite liners are discussed. It is co.
Wstępne wyniki datowań bezwzględnych (K - A) granitoidów dolnośląskich

PRELIMINARY RESULTS OF ABSOLUTE AGE DETERMINATION (K-A) OF THE LOWER SILESIAN GRANITOIDIC ROCKS By means of potassium-argon method the present author has made 19 determinations of absolute age of biotite sample taken from various granitoidic rock massifs of the Sudetes and of the Fore-Sudetic block. From literature are selected 11 determinations of absolute age of biotites deriving from the granitoidic rock massifs of the Sudetes, Fore-Sudetic block and Lusatia, made by means of K-A method, as well as 4 absolute age determinations of biotites from the Sudetic granitoidic rocks, made using Rb-Sr method.
Evaluación de prácticas de bienestar animal durante el transporte de bovinos para sacrificio

Objetivo Evaluar las practicas de bienestar animal durante el transporte terrestre de bovinos para el sacrificio. Metodos Se realizo un estudio transversal analitico en 194 transportadores de bovinosde dos zonas comerciales del occidente colombiano. Se analizaron variables de mograficas, actitudes de los conductores frente a los animales, y las condiciones de los vehiculos, de acuerdo con los lineamientos de la legislacion sanitaria. Resultados El transporte de bovinos es realizado por personas con edades comprendidas entre los 31 y 60 anos (69 %), con escasa capacitacion en manejo animal (4,1 %). Los conductores no vigilan las condiciones fisicas de los animales durante el viaje, y los manejan con metodos como la picana electrica (46,8 %), torciendo la cola u otros metodos que generan dolor (24,2 %), por medio de palos (16,1 %) y lazos (12,9 %), los cuales no garantizan el bienestar animal. El transporte no es especializado (79,4 %) y las condiciones de los vehiculos cumplen parcialmente con los requerimientos sanitarios. Conclusiones Se requiere el mejoramiento de la infraestructura de transporte de los bovinos en el area de estudio, la capacitacion de los conductores, el fomento de practicas de bienestar animal en todos los usuarios de la cadena carnica y el desarrollo de investigacion en el area.
Assessing the major drivers of water-level declines: new insights into the future of heavily stressed aquifers

ABSTRACT The major driver of water-level changes in many heavily stressed aquifers is irrigation pumping, which is primarily a function of meteorological conditions (precipitation and potential evapotranspiration). Correlations among climatic indices, water-level changes, and pumping can thus often be used to assess the impact of climatic and anthropogenic stresses. The power of this simple, first-order approach, which captures the primary excitation–response relationships driving aquifer behavior, is demonstrated for the High Plains aquifer in the central United States (Kansas). Regional correlations between water-level changes and climatic indices indicate that a repeat of the most severe drought on record would more than double water-level decline rates. More importantly, correlations between water-level changes and reported pumping reveal that practically feasible pumping reductions should stabilize water levels, at least temporarily, over much of the aquifer in Kansas. This example illustrates that when uncertainty obscures process-based modeling projections, simple approaches such as described here can often provide insights of great practical value. Editor D. Koutsoyiannis; Associate editor A. Fiori
Shape Classification of AltiKa 40-Hz Waveforms using Linear Discriminant Analysis and Bayes Decision Rule in the Gujarat Coastal Region

Shape classification of the 40-Hz waveforms obtained by the recently launched AltiKa satellite has been attempted in the paper. Since retracking algorithms suitable for altimeter return echoes based on Brown model are not applicable for the echoes from coastal ocean, specific algorithms are to be devised for such echoes. In the coastal ocean, waveforms display a wide variety of shapes due to varying coastline geometry, and topography. Hence, a proper classification strategy is required for classifying the waveforms into various categories so that suitable retracker could be applied to each category for retrieving the oceanic parameters. The algorithm consists of three steps: feature selection, linear discriminant analysis, and Bayesian classifier. The classification algorithm has been applied to the waveforms in the close proximity of Gujarat coast. Independent validation has been done near the eastern coast of India. Confusion matrices obtained for both the coasts are quite encouraging. Individual examples of classification have been provided for the purpose of illustration.
Spatial variation in high‐latitude methane flux along a transect across Siberian and European tundra environments

This paper reports results from a transect of methane flux measurements across tundra environments in Siberia and the European Arctic during July and August 1994. Overall, mean CH4 emission was 2.3±0.7 mg m−2 day−1 for the mesic tundra sites and 46.8±5.9 for the wet habitats with large intersite variability. The general scale of emissions was somewhat low compared to assumptions made about them in global methane budgets and models. In particular, the mesic tundra fluxes were lower than what would be expected based on data from similar environments in North America, and there are indications that these environments may be significant atmospheric methane consumers. Consistent consumption rates in combination with the large expanse of dry/mesic tundra environments suggest that it may be necessary to incorporate a high-latitude soil sink term in global methane budgets. However, the wet tundra emissions found between 67° and 77°N in this study were consistently higher than recent findings in comparable environments at much lower latitudes (50°–55°N). High northern latitudes therefore represent a very important player in the global methane budget. When compared across both mesic and wet sites, methane emission increased with increasing soil organic content, soil temperature, and soil moisture. The relationship between soil temperature and methane flux at the wet sites alone was highly significant, and the flux also increased with increasing soil moisture and organic content. No correlations were found between flux and the measured environmental parameters at the mesic sites when treated separately.
Tectonic Subsidence, Crustal Thinning and Petroleum Generation in the Jurassic Trend of Mississippi, Alabama and Florida

ABSTRACT The Atlantic-type passive margin of the northeast Gulf of Mexico consists of a thick section of Mesozoic and Cenozoic sedimentary strata. Tectonic subsidence curves calculated by backstripping stratigraphic columns acquired from deep well data in Mississippi, Alabama and Florida compare well with theoretical subsidence curves for uniform extension of the lithosphere. Results support an interpretation of rift-related lithospheric extension during the Early/Middle Jurassic followed by a long period of thermal subsidence. Subsidence patterns indicate that the lithosphere is unattenuated north of the peripheral fault zones and thins southwards. Crustal thinning reached maxima in the deep Mississippi Salt Basin and in state waters west of Mobile Bay. Present-day crustal thicknesses estimated from tectonic subsidence curves agree well with seismic refraction data and show that thick transitional crust underlies the northeast Gulf margin. Using the one-dimensional heat flow equation and including effects of sedimentation rate, compaction, and radiogenic heat production, the thermal history of the sediment fill was determined. Constraints for the model were provided by geochemical data, bottom hole temperatures and heat flow measurements. Model results show that the Jurassic Smackover Formation, the regional source rock, entered the oil window during Early to Late Cretaceous. Calculated thermal maturities suggest that the Smackover may reach maturity levels sufficient to generate liquid hydrocarbons at burial depths as shallow as 3 km and become overmature at a minimum depth of approximately 5 km.
WORKING PAPER SERIES THE EFFECTS OF ENTRY ON INCUMBENT INNOVATION AND PRODUCTIVITY

How does firm entry affect innovation incentives and productivity growth in incumbent firms? Micro-data suggests that there is heterogeneity across industries--incumbents in technologically advanced industries react positively to foreign firm entry, but not in laggard industries. To explain this pattern, we introduce entry into a Schumpeterian growth model with multiple sectors which differ by their distance to the technological frontier. We show that technologically advanced entry threat spurs innovation incentives in sectors close to the technological frontier--successful innovation allows incumbents to prevent entry. In laggard sectors it discourages innovation--increased entry threat reduces incumbents' expected rents from innovating. We find that the empirical patterns hold using rich micro-level productivity growth and patent panel data for the UK, and controlling for the endogeneity of entry by exploiting the large number of policy reforms undertaken during the Thatcher era. Philippe Aghion Department of Economics Harvard University Cambridge, MA 02138 and NBER p_aghion@harvard.edu Richard Blundell University College London r.blundell@ucl.ac. uk Rachel Griffith University College London r.griffith@ucl.ac. uk Peter Howitt Department of Economics Brown University, Box B Providence, RI 02912 and NBER peter_howitt@brown.edu Susanne Prantl WZB Humboldt University prantl@wz-berlin.de