bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Latitudinal and seasonal variations of lower atmospheric inertial gravity wave energy revealed by US radiosonde data
Authors: Zhang S. D. , Yi F. , Huang C. M. , Zhou Q.
Published: June 2010

Abstract. The latitudinal and seasonal variations of gravity wave (GW) potential energy density (EP), kinetic energy density (EK), and total energy density (ET), i.e, the sum of potential and kinetic energy densities in the tropospheric (typically 2–10 km) and lower stratospheric (typically 18–25 km) segments have been derived from 10 years (1998–2007) of radiosonde observations over 92 United States stations in the Northern Hemisphere. The latitudinal variation of EP in the lower stratosphere is in good agreement with satellite observations. However, EK and ET in the lower stratosphere are different from satellite observations and the difference is believed to be linked with the latitudinal dependence of GW sources. Our analysis reveals that GW energy properties exhibit distinctive latitudinal and seasonal variations. The upward-propagating GW energy in the troposphere is larger than that in the lower stratosphere at low latitudes but the opposite holds true at high latitudes. The transition latitude, where the upward- propagating energies in the two altitude regions are the same, occurs at 35° N throughout the year. So striking differences between GW activity in the troposphere and lower stratosphere are not likely explained only by the background wind Doppler shifting due to strong tropospheric jets. Our analysis indicates that the region around tropopause, roughly from 10 km to 18 km, is an important source region, especially at latitudes below 35° N. Our studies strongly suggest that in order to fully understand the global GW activity in the lower atmosphere, the GW kinetic energy and its geographical and seasonal variations should be included, and more attention should be given to GWs in the troposphere and GW sources within the intermediate region, especially the upper troposphere.
Geomagnetic disturbances on ground associated with particle precipitation during SC
Authors: Safargaleev V. , Kozlovsky A. , Honary F. , Voronin A. , Turunen T.
Published: June 2010

Abstract. We have examined several cases of magnetosphere compression by solar wind pressure pulses using a set of instruments located in the noon sector of auroral zone. We have found that the increase in riometric absorption (sudden commencement absorption, SCA) occurred simultaneously with the beginning of negative or positive magnetic variations and broadband enhancement of magnetic activity in the frequency range above 0.1 Hz. Since magnetic variations were observed before the step-like increase of magnetic field at equatorial station (main impulse, MI), the negative declinations resembled the so-called preliminary impulse, PI. In this paper a mechanism for the generation of PI is introduced whereby PI's generation is linked to SCA – associated precipitation and the local enhancement of ionospheric conductivity leading to the reconstruction of the ionospheric current system prior to MI. Calculation showed that PI polarity depends on orientation of the background electric field and location of the observation point relative to ionospheric irregularity. For one case of direct measurements of electric field in the place where the ionospheric irregularity was present, the sign of calculated disturbance corresponded to the observed one. High-resolution measurements on IRIS facility and meridional chain of the induction magnetometers are utilized for the accurate timing of the impact of solar wind irregularity on the magnetopause.
Mesosphere and lower thermosphere temperature anomalies during the 2002 Antarctic stratospheric warming event
Authors: Azeem S. M. I. , Talaat E. R. , Sivjee G. G. , Yee J.-H.
Published: June 2010

Abstract. We present kinetic temperatures at ~87 km and ~94 km altitudes inferred from OH (6,2) and O2 At(0,1) airglow observations, respectively, at South Pole (90° S), Antarctica in the austral winter of 2002. These OH and O2 rotational temperatures measurements show mesosphere and lower thermosphere (MLT) temperature anomalies prior to the 2002 Southern Hemisphere Sudden Stratospheric Warming (SSW) . In this paper we focus on the first of the three minor stratospheric warmings which preceded the major SSW event. Temperature anomalies observed in the MLT region show sudden cooling (ΔT=~30 K) in OH temperatures accompanied by warming (ΔT=~15 K) in O2 temperatures preceding the onset of SSW event by about three to four weeks. This shallow vertical extent of mesospheric cooling is in agreement with the numerical simulation of Coy et al. (2005), however, the model cooling was centered well below the mesopause level. The other observed feature of the South Pole MLT temperature dataset is the intensification of planetary wave activity prior to the onset of SSW event. Fourier analyses of both OH and O2 temperatures show amplification of planetary wave activity in the 5–10 day range prior to the onset of SSW. The timing of wave amplification seen in the wave spectra coincides with the peak in OH and O2 temperature anomalies.
EPSAT-SG: a satellite method for precipitation estimation; its concepts and implementation for the AMMA experiment
Authors: Bergès J. C. , Jobard I. , Chopin F. , Roca R.
Published: June 2010

Abstract. This paper presents a new rainfall estimation method, EPSAT-SG which is a frame for method design. The first implementation has been carried out to meet the requirement of the AMMA database on a West African domain. The rainfall estimation relies on two intermediate products: a rainfall probability and a rainfall potential intensity. The first one is computed from MSG/SEVIRI by a feed forward neural network. First evaluation results show better properties than direct precipitation intensity assessment by geostationary satellite infra-red sensors. The second product can be interpreted as a conditional rainfall intensity and, in the described implementation, it is extracted from GPCP-1dd. Various implementation options are discussed and comparison of this embedded product with 3B42 estimates demonstrates the importance of properly managing the temporal discontinuity. The resulting accumulated rainfall field can be presented as a GPCP downscaling. A validation based on ground data supplied by AGRHYMET (Niamey) indicates that the estimation error has been reduced in this process. The described method could be easily adapted to other geographical area and operational environment.
On the time-scales of the downward propagation and of the tropospheric planetary wave response to the stratospheric circulation
Authors: Nikulin G. , Lott F.
Published: June 2010

Abstract. Three datasets (the NCEP-NCAR reanalysis, the ERA-40 reanalysis and the LMDz-GCM), are used to analyze the relationships between large-scale dynamics of the stratosphere and the tropospheric planetary waves during the Northern Hemisphere (NH) winter. First, a cross-spectral analysis clarifies the time scales at which downward propagation of stratospheric anomalies occurs in the low-frequency band (that is at periods longer than 50 days). At these periods the strength of the polar vortex, measured by the 20-hPa Northern Annular Mode (NAM) index and the wave activity flux, measured by the vertical component of the Eliassen-Palm flux (EPz) from both the troposphere and the stratosphere, are significantly related with each other and in lead-lag quadrature. While, in the low-frequency band of the downward propagation, the EPz anomalies of the opposite sign around NAM extremes drive the onset and decay of NAM events, we found that the EPz anomalies in the troposphere, are significantly larger after stratospheric vortex anomalies than at any time before. This marked difference in the troposphere is related to planetary waves with zonal wavenumbers 1–3, showing that there is a tropospheric planetary wave response to the earlier state of the stratosphere at low frequencies. We also find that this effect is due to anomalies in the EPz issued from the northern midlatitudes and polar regions.
Prediction of SYM-H index during large storms by NARX neural network from IMF and solar wind data
Authors: Cai L. , Ma S. Y. , Zhou Y. L.
Published: June 2010

Abstract. Similar to the Dst index, the SYM-H index may also serve as an indicator of magnetic storm intensity, but having distinct advantage of higher time-resolution. In this study the NARX neural network has been used for the first time to predict SYM-H index from solar wind (SW) and IMF parameters. In total 73 time intervals of great storm events with IMF/SW data available from ACE satellite during 1998 to 2006 are used to establish the ANN model. Out of them, 67 are used to train the network and the other 6 samples for test. Additionally, the NARX prediction model is also validated using IMF/SW data from WIND satellite for 7 great storms during 1995–1997 and 2005, as well as for the July 2000 Bastille day storm and November 2001 superstorm using Geotail and OMNI data at 1 AU, respectively. Five interplanetary parameters of IMF Bz, By and total B components along with proton density and velocity of solar wind are used as the original external inputs of the neural network to predict the SYM-H index about one hour ahead. For the 6 test storms registered by ACE including two super-storms of min. SYM-H<−200 nT, the correlation coefficient between observed and NARX network predicted SYM-H is 0.95 as a whole, even as high as 0.95 and 0.98 with average relative variance of 13.2% and 7.4%, respectively, for the two super-storms. The prediction for the 7 storms with WIND data is also satisfactory, showing averaged correlation coefficient about 0.91 and RMSE of 14.2 nT. The newly developed NARX model shows much better capability than Elman network for SYM-H prediction, which can partly be attributed to a key feedback to the input layer from the output neuron with a suitable length (about 120 min). This feedback means that nearly real information of the ring current status is effectively directed to take part in the prediction of SYM-H index by ANN. The proper history length of the output-feedback may mainly reflect on average the characteristic time of ring current decay which involves various decay mechanisms with ion lifetimes from tens of minutes to tens of hours. The Elman network makes feedback from hidden layer to input only one step, which is of 5 min for SYM-H index in this work and thus insufficient to catch the characteristic time length.
Diagnostics of corotating interaction regions with the kinetic properties of iron ions as determined with STEREO/PLASTIC
Authors: Bochsler P. , Lee M. A. , Karrer R. , Jian L. K. , Ellis L. , Farrugia C. J. , Galvin A. B. , Kistler L. M. , Kucharek H. , Möbius E. , Popecki M. A. , Simunac K. D. C. , Blush L. M. , Daoudi H. , Wurz P. , Klecker B. , Wimmer-Schweingruber R. F. , Thompson B. , Luhmann J. G. , Russell C. T. , Opitz A.
Published: June 2010

Abstract. STEREO/PLASTIC determines three-dimensional distributions of solar wind iron ions with unprecedented time resolution. Typically 300 to 1000 counts are registered within each 5 min time interval. For the present study we use the information contained in these distributions to characterize CIRs (Corotating Interaction Regions) in two test cases. We perform a consistency test for both the derived physical parameters and for the analytical model of CIRs of Lee (2000). At 1 AU we find that apart from compositional changes the most indicative parameter for marking the time when a CIR passes a spacecraft is the angular deflection of the flow vector of particles. Changes in particle densities and the changes in magnitudes of speeds are apparently less reliable indicators of stream interfaces.
Importance of including ammonium sulfate ((NH4)2SO4) aerosols for ice cloud parameterization in GCMs
Authors: Bhattacharjee P. S. , Sud Y. C. , Liu X. , Walker G. K. , Yang R. , Wang J.
Published: June 2010

Abstract. A common deficiency of many cloud-physics parameterizations including the NASA's microphysics of clouds with aerosol-cloud interactions (hereafter called McRAS-AC) is that they simulate lesser (larger) than the observed ice cloud particle number (size). A single column model (SCM) of McRAS-AC physics of the GEOS4 Global Circulation Model (GCM) together with an adiabatic parcel model (APM) for ice-cloud nucleation (IN) of aerosols were used to systematically examine the influence of introducing ammonium sulfate (NH4)2SO4 aerosols in McRAS-AC and its influence on the optical properties of both liquid and ice clouds. First an (NH4)2SO4 parameterization was included in the APM to assess its effect on clouds vis-à-vis that of the other aerosols. Subsequently, several evaluation tests were conducted over the ARM Southern Great Plain (SGP) and thirteen other locations (sorted into pristine and polluted conditions) distributed over marine and continental sites with the SCM. The statistics of the simulated cloud climatology were evaluated against the available ground and satellite data. The results showed that inclusion of (NH4)2SO4 into McRAS-AC of the SCM made a remarkable improvement in the simulated effective radius of ice cloud particulates. However, the corresponding ice-cloud optical thickness increased even more than the observed. This can be caused by lack of horizontal cloud advection not performed in the SCM. Adjusting the other tunable parameters such as precipitation efficiency can mitigate this deficiency. Inclusion of ice cloud particle splintering invoked empirically further reduced simulation biases. Overall, these changes make a substantial improvement in simulated cloud optical properties and cloud distribution particularly over the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) in the GCM.
Dynamic variability in F-region ionospheric composition at auroral arc boundaries
Authors: Zettergren M. , Semeter J. , Burnett B. , Oliver W. , Heinselman C. , Blelly P.-L. , Diaz M.
Published: June 2010

Abstract. The work presents a data-model synthesis examining the response of the auroral F-region ion temperature, composition, and density to short time scale (<1 min) electric field disturbances associated with auroral arcs. Ion temperature profiles recorded by the Sondrestrom incoherent scatter radar (ISR) are critically analyzed with the aid of theoretical calculations to infer ion composition variability. The analyses presented include a partial accounting for the effects of neutral winds on frictional heating and show promise as the groundwork for future attempts to address ion temperature-mass ambiguities in short-integration ISR data sets. Results indicate that large NO+ enchancements in the F-region can occur in as little as 20 s in response to impulsive changes in ion frictional heating. Enhancements in molecular ion density result in recombination and a depletion in plasma, which is shown to occur on time scales of several minutes. This depletion process, thus, appears to be of comparable importance to electrodynamic evacuation processes in producing auroral arc-related plasma depletions. Furthermore, the potential of ionospheric composition in regulating the amounts and types of ions supplied to the magnetosphere is outlined.
The increase in OH rotational temperature during an active aurora event
Authors: Suzuki H. , Tsutsumi M. , Nakamura T. , Taguchi M.
Published: June 2010

Abstract. OH rotational temperatures have been observed at the Syowa Station, Antarctica (69° S, 39° E), which is located in the middle of the auroral zone and has a high-sensitivity spectrometer for the spectral region of the OH 8-4 band. A dataset of 153 nights was acquired during the 2008 austral winter season. Of the 153 nights, the weather and aurora conditions were only suitable on 6 nights to study the relationship between auroral activity and OH airglow variation. Of these 6 nights, a significant increase in the rotational temperature and a decrease in the intensity related to an aurora activity were identified on the night of 27/28 March 2008, but no such variations were seen during the other nights. The horizontal magnetic field disturbance on the night of 27/28 March was the largest of that winter, while the cosmic radio noise absorption was also very strong. These facts indicate that, compared with the other nights, a large flux of high-energy auroral particles precipitated during the night. It is suggested that the observed variations in the OH rotational temperature and airglow intensity were caused by a lowering of the average airglow height as a result of OH depletion in the upper part of the layer where high-energy auroral particles can reach.
Interaction of plasma cloud with external electric field in lower ionosphere
Authors: Dimant Y. S. , Oppenheim M. M.
Published: June 2010

Abstract. In the auroral lower-E and upper-D region of the ionosphere, plasma clouds, such as sporadic-E layers and meteor plasma trails, occur daily. Large-scale electric fields, created by the magnetospheric dynamo, will polarize these highly conducting clouds, redistributing the electrostatic potential and generating anisotropic currents both within and around the cloud. Using a simplified model of the cloud and the background ionosphere, we develop the first self-consistent three-dimensional analytical theory of these phenomena. For dense clouds, this theory predicts highly amplified electric fields around the cloud, along with strong currents collected from the ionosphere and circulated through the cloud. This has implications for the generation of plasma instabilities, electron heating, and global MHD modeling of magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling via modifications of conductances induced by sporadic-E clouds.
Elastic-backscatter-lidar-based characterization of the convective boundary layer and investigation of related statistics
Authors: Pal S. , Behrendt A. , Wulfmeyer V.
Published: June 2010

Abstract. We applied a ground-based vertically-pointing aerosol lidar to investigate the evolution of the instantaneous atmospheric boundary layer depth, its growth rate, associated entrainment processes, and turbulence characteristics. We used lidar measurements with range resolution of 3 m and time resolution of up to 0.033 s obtained in the course of a sunny day (26 June 2004) over an urban valley (central Stuttgart, 48°47' N, 9°12' E, 240 m above sea level). The lidar system uses a wavelength of 1064 nm and has a power-aperture product of 2.1 W m2. Three techniques are examined for determining the instantaneous convective boundary layer (CBL) depth from the high-resolution lidar measurements: the logarithm gradient method, the inflection point method, and the Haar wavelet transform method. The Haar wavelet-based approach is found to be the most robust technique for the automated detection of the CBL depth. Two different regimes of the CBL are discussed in detail: a quasi-stationary CBL in the afternoon and a CBL with rapid growth during morning transition in the presence of dust layers atop. Two different growth rates were found: 3–5 m/min for the growing CBL in the morning and 0.5–2 m/min during the quasi-steady regime. The mean entrainment zone thickness for the quasi-steady CBL was found to be ~75 m while the CBL top during the entire day varied between 0.7 km and 2.3 km. A fast Fourier-transform-based spectral analysis of the instantaneous CBL depth time series gave a spectral exponent value of 1.50±0.04, confirming non-stationary CBL behavior in the morning while for the other regime a value of 1.00±0.06 was obtained indicating a quasi-stationary state of the CBL. Assuming that the spatio-temporal variation of the particle backscatter cross-section of the aerosols in the scattering volume is due to number density fluctuations (negligible hygroscopic growth), the particle backscatter coefficient profiles can be used to investigate boundary layer turbulence since the aerosols act as tracers. We demonstrate that with our lidar measurements, vertical profiles of variance, skewness, and kurtosis of the fluctuations of the particle backscatter coefficient can be determined. The variance spectra at different altitudes inside the quasi-steady CBL showed an f−5/3 dependency. The integral scale varied from 40 to 90 s (depending on height), which was significantly larger than the temporal resolution of the lidar data. Thus, the major part of the inertial subrange was detected and turbulent fluctuations could be resolved. For the quasi-stationary case, negative values of skewness were found inside the CBL while positive values were observed in the entrainment zone near the top of the CBL. For the case of the rapidly growing CBL, the skewness profile showed both positive and negative values even inside the CBL.
Study of Atmospheric Forcing and Responses (SAFAR) campaign: overview
Authors: Jayaraman A. , Venkat Ratnam M. , Patra A. K. , Narayana Rao T. , Sridharan S. , Rajeevan M. , Gadhavi H. , Kesarkar A. P. , Srinivasulu P. , Raghunath K.
Published: June 2010

Abstract. Study of Atmospheric Forcing and Responses (SAFAR) is a five year (2009–2014) research programme specifically to address the responses of the earth's atmosphere to both natural and anthropogenic forcings using a host of collocated instruments operational at the National Atmospheric Research Laboratory, Gadanki (13.5° N, 79.2° E), India from a unified viewpoint of studying the vertical coupling between the forcings and responses from surface layer to the ionosphere. As a prelude to the main program a pilot campaign was conducted at Gadanki during May–November 2008 using collocated observations from the MST radar, Rayleigh lidar, GPS balloonsonde, and instruments measuring aerosol, radiation and precipitation, and supporting satellite data. We show the importance of the large radiative heating caused by absorption of solar radiation by soot particles in the lower atmosphere, the observed high vertical winds in the convective updrafts extending up to tropopause, and the difficulty in simulating the same with existing models, the upward traveling waves in the middle atmosphere coupling the lower atmosphere with the upper atmosphere, their manifestation in the mesospheric temperature structure and inversion layers, the mesopause height extending up to 100 km, and the electro-dynamical coupling between mesosphere and the ionosphere which causes irregularities in the ionospheric F-region. The purpose of this communication is not only to share the knowledge that we gained from the SAFAR pilot campaign, but also to inform the international atmospheric science community about the SAFAR program as well as to extend our invitation to join in our journey.
Ionospheric precursors for crustal earthquakes in Italy
Authors: Perrone L. , Korsunova L. P. , Mikhailov A. V.
Published: June 2010

Abstract. Crustal earthquakes with magnitude 6.0>M≥5.5 observed in Italy for the period 1979–2009 including the last one at L'Aquila on 6 April 2009 were considered to check if the earlier obtained relationships for ionospheric precursors for strong Japanese earthquakes are valid for the Italian moderate earthquakes. The ionospheric precursors are based on the observed variations of the sporadic E-layer parameters (h'Es, fbEs) and foF2 at the ionospheric station Rome. Empirical dependencies for the seismo-ionospheric disturbances relating the earthquake magnitude and the epicenter distance are obtained and they have been shown to be similar to those obtained earlier for Japanese earthquakes. The dependences indicate the process of spreading the disturbance from the epicenter towards periphery during the earthquake preparation process. Large lead times for the precursor occurrence (up to 34 days for M=5.8–5.9) tells about a prolong preparation period. A possibility of using the obtained relationships for the earthquakes prediction is discussed.
Plasma convection jets near the poleward boundary of the nightside auroral oval and their relation to Pedersen conductivity gradients
Authors: Wang H. , Lühr H. , Ridley A. J.
Published: June 2010

Abstract. In this work, we have shown that the ionospheric azimuthal plasma velocity jets near the open-closed field line boundary on the nightside can be associated with the peak in the ionospheric conductivity gradient. Both model and DMSP observations have been utilized to conduct this investigation. The model tests show that when the gradient of conductivity in the poleward boundary becomes sharper, convection peaks appear around the poleward edge of the aurora. The model results have been confirmed by DMSP observations. Hundreds of large ion flow events are identified from one year DMSP observations, with flow speed larger than 500 m/s that occurred poleward of the aurora. Among them, 280 (74%) events are found to be associated with conductivity gradient peaks. Most of the convection jets occur in winter when conductivity gradients are expected to be large. The convection jets tend to occur at later local times (21:00–22:00 MLT) at 70°–72° MLat. These events are preceded by increasing of the merging electric field suggesting that they occur after the expansion of the polar cap. Both observation and model results show that the conductivity gradient at the polar cap boundary are one of the important elements in establishing the convection jets.
Energetic electrons in the exterior cusp: identifying the source
Authors: Walsh B. M. , Fritz T. A. , Klida M. M. , Chen J.
Published: June 2010

Abstract. A case study is presented to test the role several different sources may play in populating the exterior cusp with energetic (E>40 keV) electrons. The properties of the electrons measured in the exterior cusp are compared with the expected signatures of three sources in order to weigh the role each source may contribute in populating this region. The potential sources probed are: (1) solar energetic electrons entering the cusp from the solar wind; (2) an equatorial magnetospheric source with particles drifting to high latitudes on the dayside; and (3) a local source accelerating the electrons in situ. From the observations it is likely that local acceleration is the primary source of the energetic electrons in the exterior cusp during this event.
A global database of soil respiration data
Authors: Bond-Lamberty B. , Thomson A.
Published: June 2010

Abstract. Soil respiration – RS, the flux of CO2 from the soil to the atmosphere – is probably the least well constrained component of the terrestrial carbon cycle. Here we introduce the SRDB database, a near-universal compendium of published RS data, and make it available to the scientific community both as a traditional static archive and as a dynamic community database that may be updated over time by interested users. The database encompasses all published studies that report one of the following data measured in the field (not laboratory): annual RS, mean seasonal RS, a seasonal or annual partitioning of RS into its sources fluxes, RS temperature response (Q10), or RS at 10 °C. Its orientation is thus to seasonal and annual fluxes, not shorter-term or chamber-specific measurements. To date, data from 818 studies have been entered into the database, constituting 3379 records. The data span the measurement years 1961–2007 and are dominated by temperate, well-drained forests. We briefly examine some aspects of the SRDB data – its climate space coverage, mean annual RS fluxes and their correlation with other carbon fluxes, RS variability, temperature sensitivities, and the partitioning of RS source flux – and suggest some potential lines of research that could be explored using these data. The SRDB database is available online in a permanent archive as well as via a project-hosting repository; the latter source leverages open-source software technologies to encourage wider participation in the database's future development. Ultimately, we hope that the updating of, and corrections to, the SRDB will become a shared project, managed by the users of these data in the scientific community.
Local flux-profile relationships of wind speed and temperature in a canopy layer in atmospheric stable conditions
Authors: Zhang G. , Leclerc M. Y. , Karipot A.
Published: June 2010

Abstract. The particularities of the physics of the canopy layer pose challenges to the determination and use of traditional universal functions so helpful in the atmospheric surface layer. Progress toward "universal-like functions" such as those provided by Monin-Obukhov similarity theory for the canopy layer has been modest. One of the challenges lies in that the assumptions underlying Monin-Obukhov similarity theory do not hold within a canopy layer. This paper thus examines the local flux-profile relations for wind (φm) and for temperature (φh) using three different stability parameters, i.e., h/L(h) at tree top, local z/L(z), and local bulk Richardson number (Ri), within a tall forest canopy in nighttime stable (indicated by h/L(h)>0) conditions. Results suggest that the in-canopy φm can be described using the local Richardson number Ri. φm is found to increase linearly with Ri in the upper canopy layer for |Ri|<1. When local |Ri|>1, |φm| decreases with |Ri|, a result consistent for all levels of measurements within the canopy. When both local φh and local Ri are positive, i.e., local downward turbulent heat flux is consistent with local temperature gradient, local φh increases with local Ri when Ri<1 but does not change with Ri (or much more scattered) when Ri>1. The relationship between local φh and Ri disappears when counter-gradient heat transfer occurs in strongly stable conditions. A self-correlation analysis is used to examine the influence of self-correlation and the physical meaning of these relationships.
Detecting instabilities in tree-ring proxy calibration
Authors: Visser H. , Büntgen U. , D'Arrigo R. , Petersen A. C.
Published: June 2010

Abstract. Evidence has been found for reduced sensitivity of tree growth to temperature in a number of forests at high northern latitudes and alpine locations. Furthermore, at some of these sites, emergent subpopulations of trees show negative growth trends with rising temperature. These findings are typically referred to as the "Divergence Problem" (DP). Given the high relevance of paleoclimatic reconstructions for policy-related studies, it is important for dendrochronologists to address this issue of potential model uncertainties associated with the DP. Here we address this issue by proposing a calibration technique, termed "stochastic response function" (SRF), which allows the presence or absence of any instabilities in growth response of trees (or any other climate proxy) to their calibration target to be visualized and detected. Since this framework estimates confidence limits and subsequently provides statistical significance tests, the approach is also very well suited for proxy screening prior to the generation of a climate-reconstruction network. Two examples of tree growth/climate relationships are provided, one from the North American Arctic treeline and the other from the upper treeline in the European Alps. Instabilities were found to be present where stabilities were reported in the literature, and vice versa, stabilities were found where instabilities were reported. We advise to apply SRFs in future proxy-screening schemes, next to the use of correlations and RE/CE statistics. It will improve the strength of reconstruction hindcasts.
Improving the snow physics of WEB-DHM and its point evaluation at two SnowMIP alpine sites
Authors: Shrestha M. , Wang L. , Koike T. , Xue Y. , Hirabayashi Y.
Published: June 2010

Abstract. The snow physics of a distributed biosphere hydrological model, referred to as the Water and Energy Budget based Distributed Hydrological Model (WEB-DHM) is improved by incorporating the three-layer physically based energy balance snowmelt model of Simplified Simple Biosphere 3 (SSiB3) and the Biosphere-Atmosphere Transfer Scheme (BATS) albedo scheme. WEB-DHM with improved snow physics (WEB-DHM-S) can simulate the variability of snow density, snow depth and snow water equivalent, liquid water and ice content in each layer, prognostic snow albedo, diurnal variation in snow surface temperature, thermal heat due to conduction and liquid water retention. The performance of WEB-DHM-S is evaluated at two alpine sites of the Snow Model Intercomparison Project with different climate characteristics: Col de Porte in France and Weissfluhjoch in Switzerland. The simulation results of the snow depth, snow water equivalent, surface temperature, snow albedo and snowmelt runoff reveal that WEB-DHM-S is capable of simulating the internal snow process better than the original WEB-DHM, with the root mean square error and bias error being remarkably reduced. Although WEB-DHM-S is only evaluated at a point scale for the simulation of snow processes, this study provides a benchmark for the application of WEB-DHM-S in cold regions in the assessment of the basin-scale snow water equivalent and seasonal discharge simulation for water resources management.
Temporal energy partitions of Florida extreme sea level events as a function of Atlantic multidecadal oscillation
Authors: Park J. , Obeysekera J. , Barnes J.
Published: June 2010

Abstract. An energy-conservative metric based on the discrete wavelet transform is applied to assess the relative energy distribution of extreme sea level events across different temporal scales. The metric is applied to coastal events at Key West and Pensacola Florida as a function of two Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO) regimes. Under AMO warm conditions there is a small but significant redistribution of event energy from nearly static into more dynamic (shorter duration) timescales at Key West, while at Pensacola the AMO-dependent changes in temporal event behaviour are less pronounced. Extreme events with increased temporal dynamics might be consistent with an increase in total energy of event forcings which may be a reflection of more energetic storm events during AMO warm phases. As dynamical models mature to the point of providing regional climate index predictability, coastal planners may be able to consider such temporal change metrics in planning scenarios.
Radionuclides: Anthropogenic
Authors: Mietelski Jerzy W.
Published: June 2010

Following the definition of anthropogenic radioactivity, the main discoveries in this field made in the 1930s are briefly presented. The main facts about radioisotopes classification, radioactive decay, and artificial radionuclide production are then described. The article then provides a general overview on anthropogenic sources of radioactivity such as nuclear explosions, nuclear accidents, routine releases from nuclear reactors, releases due to nuclear weapon production programs or nuclear fuel reprocessing installations, and nuclear medicine. A description of modern techniques applied in determining radioactivity in the environment as well as a very general introduction to the concept of radioecology and some basic information on environmental remediation are presented.
Radium: Radionuclides
Authors: Vandenhove Hildegarde , Verrezen Freddy , Landa Edward R.
Published: June 2010

This article describes (1) the occurrence, chemistry, and bioavailability of radium (Ra) in terrestrial and aquatic environments, and its analysis in environmental samples, (2) the nature of naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM) and their role in radium‐contamination scenarios, and (3) the geochemical processes and remedial measures associated with radium‐contaminated water and soil. Radium is the heaviest of the Group II, alkaline earth metals. Radium is exclusively divalent and its chemistry resembles that of barium. Radium has a limited environmental mobility due to sorption (e.g., by hydrous oxides of Fe, Mn, and Al) and coprecipitation reactions (e.g., with barite).

All isotopes of radium (atomic number 88) are radioactive. The most important radium isotopes are226Ra (half life 1600 years) and228Ra (half life 5.7 years), decay products of, respectively, the238U and the232Th series. As members of natural radioactive decay series, these radium isotopes are found in uranium‐ and thorium‐bearing minerals. Concentrations of uranium and thorium in rocks can range from those of ore‐grade deposits to the trace levels typical of common rock‐forming minerals.

In uncontaminated surface waters, radium content is generally low and within a narrow range (0.5–20 mBq l−1). Radium in groundwater is highly variable (<0.52–55 000 mBq l−1) and can arise from natural sources, resulting from the interaction of groundwater with radium‐bearing materials or indirectly from man's exploitation of the radioactive minerals of uranium and thorium. The major challenge associated with many NORM‐containing residues or NORM‐contaminated sites is the larger volumes of material and the relatively low specific activities.
Sulfur: Radionuclides
Authors: Tsay Olga G. , Churchill David G.
Published: June 2010

35S is a radionuclide with a half‐life of 87.5 days and it decays via β‐emission. It is available from natural and anthropogenic sources. It is cosmogenic, that is, it is produced by the collision of atmospheric argon with cosmic rays. Anthropogenic molecular sources of35S include carbonyl sulfide (CO35S) and hydrogen sulfide (H235S), which are released from nuclear reactors. The impact of the incorporation of these compounds into plants and animals is of particular interest and concern with regard to the accumulation of35S in human food. Radioisotopes of sulfur can be detected by a Geiger–Müller counter and liquid scintillation counting techniques.
Indium: Radionuclides
Authors: Wehmschulte Rudolf J.
Published: June 2010

Although the major isotope
115
indium (95.7% abundance) is a β‐emitter, it has a very long half‐life at 6 × 10
14
(600 trillion) years and hence can be considered practically nonradioactive. Other radioactive indium isotopes are short‐lived and are either part of the decay processes of other radioactive nuclei or are prepared artificially for medicinal and analytical purposes in very small amounts. The environmental impact of radioactive indium isotopes is very minor and standard safety procedures for low‐level wastes are sufficient.
Thallium: Radionuclides
Authors: Wehmschulte Rudolf J.
Published: June 2010

Of the 35 radioactive isotopes, only201Tl and204Tl with half‐lives of 73 h and 3.78 y are applied in medicine and materials analysis. Both are usually generated in situ on site in small amounts just prior to use in cyclotrons. Owing to the small amounts applied and generated, they are of minor concern as environmental radionuclides despite their high mobility under physiological and environmental conditions.
Iodine: Radionuclides
Authors: Hu Qinhong , Moran Jean E.
Published: June 2010

This article provides a review of iodine with regard to the basic chemistry, occurrence, speciation, separation, analysis, fate, and transport. Biogeochemical cycling of iodine in the environment is complex because iodine occurs in multiple oxidation states (ranging from −1 to +7), and inorganic and organic species may be hydrophilic, atmophilic, and biophilic. Organically bound iodine can be a significant fraction of total iodine in the atmosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, and lithosphere. Nuclear‐fuel reprocessing facilities constitute the major source (>90%) of129I released to the environment. It has been recognized that129I is a very important dose contributor in risk assessment because of its tendency to concentrate in the human thyroid gland, long half‐life, and presumably high mobility. Speciation, input concentration, and residence time effects will influence the biogeochemical cycling of anthropogenic129I deposited on surface soils.
Cobalt: Radionuclides
Authors: Lima Enrique
Published: June 2010

Radionulcides of cobalt are generated through nuclear reactions from other stables isotopes. The most common radionuclide of cobalt is60Co, which is generated in nuclear power plants. Medical equipment is also a minor source of radioactive cobalt. Important applications of60Co in the field of medicine, biology, and food are possible because of the powerful emitted γ‐rays (1.17 and 1.33 MeV). However, this kind of radiation may be very dangerous to human beings; serious cellular damage can occur if exposed directly to doses as high as 1000 rad. Thus, discharges of radioactive cobalt to the environment should be minimized, but accidental releases have occurred. The chemical behavior of cobalt in aqueous media is a determinant for the stabilization of cobalt in polluted effluents. Water and soil in several regions in the world are contaminated. The chemical complexity of seawater and soil makes it difficult to remediate60Co. The chemical media determine the stabilization and rate of transport through marine media and soil. Several strategies have been designed to remediate water and soil polluted with cobalt radionuclides. This article describes some of the common uses of cobalt as well as some problems associated with cobalt radionuclides.
Technetium: Radionuclides
Authors: Hu Qinhong
Published: June 2010

This article provides a review of Tc with regards to the basic chemistry, occurrence, speciation, separation, analysis, fate, and transport. Environmental99Tc originates from the nuclear fuel cycle, with most of the isotope (>90%) discharged from reprocessing plants in Europe. It has been recognized that99Tc is a very important dose contributor in risk assessment, because of its high abundance, long half‐lives, and presumably high mobility. Essentially all the technetium on the Earth has been created by human activities involving fissionable materials. Among 11 metastates of technetium,97mTc is the most stable, with a half‐life of 90.1 days. The common oxidation states of technetium include 0, +2, +4, +5, +6, and +7. Depending upon the redox conditions, Tc primarily exists in two (+7 and +4) stable oxidation states in the subsurface. Under oxidizing conditions, technetium (VII) will exist as the mobile pertechnetate ion (TcO4−) in aqueous solution. Reduction of TcO4−to Tc(IV) species (TcO2 · nH2O) will decrease Tc mobility, because Tc(IV) species are strongly retarded from mineral sorption and/or precipitation. ICP‐MS is the common analytical method used to quantify Tc levels.
Rhenium: Radionuclides
Authors: Tagami Keiko , Uchida Shigeo
Published: June 2010

The occurrence, chemistry, and speciation of rhenium (Re) in environmental components such as soil and water, as well as rhenium separation and analytical characterization techniques in the environment, are summarized. Rhenium has two isotopes: one is stable185Re and the other is radioactive187Re, which has a very long half‐life of 4.35 × 1010years. The decay system,187Re–187Os has been used for dating rocks and meteorites. Artificially made radioisotopes with short half‐lives, such as186Re and188Re have been used in radiopharmaceuticals. Because of similarities in chemistry, rhenium has been used as a chemical analog of technetium.
Neptunium: Radionuclides
Authors: Runde Wolfgang , Goff George S.
Published: June 2010

Following the element uranium, neptunium is the fourth element in the actinide series. Although primordial neptunium isotopes formed during the creation of the solar system billions of years ago have long since decayed away, neptunium continues to be formed by the nuclear reactions in naturally occurring uranium deposits. Currently, trace amounts of neptunium isotopes can be isolated from uranium ore minerals. Most of present‐day inventory of neptunium originates from human activities, such as nuclear weapons testing, nuclear accidents, or irradiation of uranium fuel for producing nuclear energy. All neptunium isotopes are highly radioactive and pose extreme health hazards to humans when ingested or inhaled. Neptunium exhibits five oxidation states (III–VII) in solution and solid state, but only the IV and V oxidation states are relevant under most environmental conditions. In the +IV state, neptunium is insoluble and forms stable complexes with ligands abundant in natural environments (such as hydroxide, carbonate, or humic substances), and can adsorb onto mobile colloidal matter. In contrast, neptunium(V) forms a soluble dioxo‐cation in solution (NpO$_{2}^{+}$), which exhibits an increased solubility, weaker complex formation, and higher stability in the aqueous phases of aquatic systems. Thus, neptunium(V) is mostly characterized as the dominant solution species, while Np(IV) is found to be adsorbed on sediments, minerals, and colloidal particles. There is no large‐scale use of neptunium in industrial applications.
Plutonium: Radionuclides
Authors: Neu Mary P. , Goff George S. , Runde Wolfgang
Published: June 2010

Plutonium is the most debated actinide element because of its dual use in devastating nuclear weapons and beneficial generation of nuclear energy. Plutonium metal exists in several allotropic phases and plutonium in solution exhibits a rich and complex chemistry. The ability to exist in up to four oxidation states makes plutonium unique among all elements. Pu(III) and Pu(VI) form only under reducing or oxidizing conditions, respectively; whereas Pu(IV) and Pu(V) have broad stability ranges within the geochemical bounds of environmental systems. When Pu(IV) is above trace concentration and particulate matter is present, then solids or suspended colloids are the predominant chemical forms. In contrast, Pu(V), as PuO$_{2}^{+}$, has relatively higher solubility as an aquo species or a monomeric complex of natural ligands (hydroxide, chloride, sulfate, etc.). Stronger complexing, polydentate ligands, such as carbonate and organics, tend to increase plutonium solubility by forming very stable Pu(IV) complexes. Minerals, high molecular weight organic matter, and bacteria can either increase or decrease the solubility of plutonium, depending upon their chemical properties, mechanisms of interaction, and the geochemical conditions of the surrounding environment. Plutonium generally has very low solubility, low mobility, and few health consequences from environmental forms, and therefore poses little risk to living systems under nearly all conditions. This article provides a brief overview of the chemistry and behavior of plutonium in aqueous solutions and in the environment.
Americium and Curium: Radionuclides
Authors: Runde Wolfgang
Published: June 2010

Following the element plutonium, americium and curium are the sixth and seventh elements in the actinide series. The primordial americium and curium isotopes that formed during the creation of the solar system billions of years ago have decayed away. Today, residual amounts of americium and curium isotopes present in nature are anthropogenic, originating from human activities such as nuclear weapons testing or nuclear energy generation. All americium and curium isotopes are highly radioactive and pose extreme health hazards to humans, especially when ingested or inhaled. Complexation reactions with environmentally relevant ligands, separation chemistry, the mechanistic studies of the processes that Am(III) and Cm(III) undergo at the solid–liquid interface in nature, and innovative process applications have been the focus of many studies during recent decades.

In general, the trivalent oxidation state of americium and curium is the most stable under environmental conditions. As hard cations, the Am3+and Cm3+ions form strong complexes with hard donor ligands and adsorb readily on surfaces. In the absence of carbonate, hydrolysis leads to sparingly soluble Am(III) and Cm(III) hydroxide complexes. Americium and curium are commonly used in home smoke detectors and for oil‐well logging (241Am), and as radioisotope thermoelectric generators (244Cm).