Physics Commons^™

Boom Or Bust? Mapping Out The Known Unknowns Of Global Shale Gas Production Potential, Jérôme Hilaire, Nico Bauer, Robert Brecha

Robert J. Brecha

To assess the global production costs of shale gas, we combine global top-down data with detailed bottom-up information. Studies solely based on top-down approaches do not adequately account for the heterogeneity of shale gas deposits and hence, are unlikely to appropriately capture the extraction costs of shale gas. We design and provide an expedient bottom-up method based on publicly available US data to compute the levelized costs of shale gas extraction. Our results indicate the existence of economically attractive areas but also reveal a dramatic cost increase as lower-quality reservoirs are exploited. At the global level, our best estimate suggests …

Rose: Roadmaps Towards Sustainable Energy Futures And Climate Protection: A Synthesis Of Results From The Rose Project, Elmar Kriegler, Ioanna Mouratiadou, Gunnar Luderer, Nico Bauer, Katherine Calvin, Enrica Decian, Robert J. Brecha, Wenying Chen, Aleh Cherp, Jae Edmonds, Kejun Jiang, Shonali Pachauri, Fabio Sferra, Massimo Tavoni, Ottmar Edenhofer

Robert J. Brecha

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Exploring energy demand and supply uncertainty: An exploration of uncertainty on drivers of energy demand and supply is indispensable for better understanding the prospects of long-tern climate stabilization. The RoSE study is the first of its kind to systematically explore the impact of economic growth, population and fossil fuel scarcity, in scenarios with and without climate policy, using a model ensemble. A feature of RoSE is the participation of five established integrated assessment modelling teams from three important regions in international climate policy negotiations: the EU, the USA and China. Economic growth: Neither slow nor rapid economic growth …

Flowering Phenology Change And Climate Warming In Southwestern Ohio, Ryan Mcewan, Robert J. Brecha, Donald R. Geiger, Grace P. John

Robert J. Brecha

Global surface temperature has increased markedly over the last 100 years. This increase has a variety of implications for human societies, and for ecological systems. One of the most obvious ways ecosystems are affected by global climate change is through alteration of organisms’ developmental timing (phenology). We used annual botanical surveys that documented the first flowering for an array of species from 1976 to 2003 to examine the potential implications of climate change for plant development. The overall trend for these species was a progressively earlier flowering time. The two earliest flowering taxa (Galanthus and Crocus) also exhibited the strongest …

The First Ten Months Of Investigation Of Gravity Waves And Temperature Variability Over The Andes, Jonathan Pugmire, Neal Criddle, Michael J. Taylor, P. D. Pautet, Yucheng Zhao

Jonathan Pugmire

The Andes region is an excellent natural laboratory for investigating gravity wave influences on the Upper Mesospheric and Lower Thermospheric (MLT) dynamics. The instrument suite that comprised the very successful Maui-MALT program was recently re-located to a new Andes Lidar Observatory (ALO) located at Cerro Pachon, Chile to obtain in-depth seasonal measurements of MLT dynamics over the Andes mountains. As part of the instrument set the Utah State University CEDAR Mesospheric Temperature Mapper (MTM) has operated continuously since August 2009 measuring the near infrared OH(6,2) band and the O2(0,1) Atmospheric band intensity and temperature perturbations. This poster focuses on an …

Mesospheric Temperature Variability And Seasonal Characteristics Over The Andes, Jonathan Pugmire, Yucheng Zhao, Michael Taylor, P Pautet

Jonathan Pugmire

The Utah State University CEDAR Mesospheric Temperature Mapper (MTM) is a high-quality CCD imager capable of remote sensing faint optical emissions from the night sky to determine mesospheric temperature and its variability at an altitude of ~87 km. The MTM was operated at the new Andes Lidar Observatory (ALO)located at Cerro Pachon, Chile (30.2° S, 70.7° W) since August 2009 to investigate the seasonal characteristic of the mesopause at mid-latitudes. Measurement were made alongside a powerful lidar capable of height sounding the mesosphere. In this study, the MTM data have been analyzed to determine night to night variability and seasonal …

Intra-Annual Comparison Of Mesospheric Gravity Waves Over Halley And Rothera Stations, Antarctica, Jonathan Pugmire, Michael J. Taylor, K. Nielsen, A. Wall, J. Thompson, P. D. Pautet

Jonathan Pugmire

No abstract provided.

New Measurements Of Mcmurdo Gravity Wave Parameters, Jonathan R. Pugmire, Michael J. Taylor, P Dominique Pautet

Jonathan Pugmire

The ANtarctic Gravity Wave Instrument Network (ANGWIN) is an NSF sponsored international program designed to develop and utilize a network of gravity wave observatories using existing and new instrumentation operated at several established research stations around the continent. The primary goal is to better understand and quantify large-scale gravity wave climatology and their effects on the upper atmosphere over Antarctica. ANGWIN currently comprises research measurements from five nations (U.S., U.K., Australia, Japan, and Brazil) at seven international stations. Utah State University’s Atmospheric Imaging Lab operates all-sky infrared and CCD imagers and an Advanced Mesospheric Temperature Mapper (AMTM) imager at several …

Steady-State Aerosol Distributions In The Extra-Tropical, Lower Stratosphere And The Processes That Maintain Them, J. Wilson, Shan-Hu Lee, J. Reeves, C. Brock, H. Jonsson, B. Lafleur, M. Loewenstein, J. Podolske, E. Atlas, K. Boering, G. Toon, D. Fahey, T. Bui, G. Diskin, F. Moore

Shan-Hu Lee

Measurements of aerosol, N2O and OCS made in the Northern Hemisphere below 21 km altitude following the eruption of Pinatubo are presented and analyzed. After September 1999, the oxidation of OCS and sedimentation of particles in the extra-tropical overworld north of 45 N are found to maintain the aerosol in a steady state. This analysis empirically links precursor gas to aerosol abundance throughout this region. These processes are tracked with age-of-air which offers advantages over tracking as a function of latitude and altitude. In the extra-tropical, lowermost stratosphere, normalized volume distributions appear constant in time after the fall of 1999. …

Isoprene Suppression Of New Particle Formation In A Mixed Deciduous Forest, V. P. Kanawade, B. T. Jobson, A. B. Guenther, M. E. Erupe, S. N. Pressley, S. N. Tripathi, Shan-Hu Lee

Shan-Hu Lee

Production of new particles over forests is an important source of cloud condensation nuclei that can affect climate. While such particle formation events have been widely observed, their formation mechanisms over forests are poorly understood. Our observations made in a mixed deciduous forest with large isoprene emissions during the summer displayed a surprisingly rare occurrence of new particle formation (NPF). Typically, NPF events occur around noon but no NPF events were observed during the 5 weeks of measurements. The exceptions were two evening ultrafine particle events. During the day, sulfuric acid concentrations were in the 106 cm−3 range with very …

The Effect Of Trimethylamine On Atmospheric Nucleation Involving H2so4, M. E. Erupe, A. A. Viggiano, Shan-Hu Lee

Shan-Hu Lee

Field observations and quantum chemical calculations have shown that organic amine compounds may be important for new particle formation involving H₂SO₄. Here, we report laboratory observations that investigate the effect of trimethylamine (TMA) on H₂SO₄-H₂O nucleation made under aerosol precursor concentrations typically found in the lower troposphere ([H₂SO₄] of 10⁶−10⁷ cm⁻³; [TMA] of 180–1350 pptv). The threshold [H₂SO₄] needed to produce the unity J was from 10⁶−10⁷ cm⁻³ and the slopes of Log …

New Particle Growth And Shrinkage Observed In Subtropical Environments, L. H. Young, Shan-Hu Lee, V. P. Kanawade, T-C. Hsiao, Y. L. Lee, B-F. Hwang, Y-J. Liou, H-T. Hsu, P-J. Tsai

Shan-Hu Lee

We present the first systematic analysis for new particle formation (NPF), growth and shrinkage of new particles at four different sites in subtropical central Taiwan. A total of 14 NPF events were identified from 137 days of ambient measurements during a cold and warm season. The measured formation rates of 10 nm particles (J₁₀) and growth rates were in the range of 4.4–30 cm⁻³s⁻¹ and 7.4–24 nm h⁻¹, respectively. The onset of NPF events coincided with decreases of condensation sink (CS) and increases of SO₂ under enhanced atmospheric mixing and dilution. …

Ternary Homogeneous Nucleation Of H2so4, Nh3, And H2o Under Conditions Relevant To The Lower Troposphere, D. Benson, J. Yu, A. Markovich, Shan-Hu Lee

Shan-Hu Lee

Ternary homogeneous nucleation (THN) of H2SO4, NH3 and H2O has been used to explain new particle formation in various atmospheric regions, yet laboratory measurements of THN have failed to reproduce atmospheric observations. Here, we report first laboratory observations of THN made under conditions relevant to the lower troposphere ([H2SO4] of 106–107 cm−3, [NH3] of 0.08–20 ppbv, and a temperature of 288 K). Our observations show that NH3 can enhance atmospheric H2SO4aerosol nucleation and the enhancement factor (EF) in nucleation rate (J) due to NH3 (the ratio of Jmeasured with vs. without NH3) increases linearly with increasing [NH3] and increases with …

Uncertainty Associated With Modeling The Global Ionosphere, Janelle Jenniges, Ariel Acebal, Larry Gardner, Robert Schunk, Lie Zhu

Janelle V Jenniges

A study has been conducted of the effect that different physical assumptions have on global models of the electron density distribution. The study was conducted with the Ionosphere Forecast Model (IFM) and the Ionosphere Plasmasphere Model (IPM) developed by Utah State University. Both physics-based, time-dependent, global models use the same empirical models for the neutral atmosphere (MSIS) and neutral wind (Horizontal Wind Model, HWM), but the altitude range, thermal structure, number of ion species, and magnetic 2ield are different. The IFM covers the altitude range from 90-1400 km, calculates the densities for four ions (NO+, O2+, N2+, O+), has a …

Usu Grad Student, Researchers Collect Project Data At South Pole, Kevin Opsahl

Jonathan Pugmire

No abstract provided.

Usu Grad Student Travels To South Pole, Kylie Conway

Jonathan Pugmire

No abstract provided.

Usu Team Travels To South Pole To Measure Gravity Waves, Nancy Van Valkenburg

Jonathan Pugmire

No abstract provided.

Evaluation Of The In Situ Ichthyoplankton Imaging System (Isiis): Comparison With The Traditional (Bongo Net) Sampler, Robert K. Cowen, Adam T. Greer, Cedric M. Guigand, Jonathan A. Hare, David E. Richardson, Harvey J. Walsh

Adam T. Greer

Plankton and larval fish sampling programs often are limited by a balance between sampling frequency (for precision) and costs. Advancements in sampling techniques hold the potential to add considerable efficiency and, therefore, add sampling frequency to improve precision. We compare a newly developed plankton imaging system, In Situ Ichthyoplankton Imaging System (ISIIS), with a bongo sampler, which is a traditional plankton sampling gear developed in the 1960s. Comparative sampling was conducted along 2 transects ~30–40 km long. Over 2 days, we completed 36 ISIIS tow-yo undulations and 11 bongo oblique tows, each from the surface to within 10 m of …

Mesosphereic Temperature Variability And Seasonal Characteristics Over The Andes, Jonathan R. Pugmire, Yucheng Zhao, Michael J. Taylor, Dominique Pautet

Jonathan Pugmire

The Utah State University CEDAR Mesospheric Temperature Mapper (MTM) is a high-quality CCD imager capable of remote sensing faint optical emissions from the night sky to determine mesospheric temperature and its variability at an altitude of ~87 km. The MTM was operated at the new Andes Lidar Observatory (ALO)located at Cerro Pachon, Chile (30.2° S, 70.7° W) since August 2009 to investigate the seasonal characteristic of the mesopause at mid-latitudes. Measurement were made alongside a powerful lidar capable of height sounding the mesosphere. In this study, the MTM data have been analyzed to determine night to night variability and seasonal …

Sensitivity Analysis Of Empirical Parameters In The Ionosphere-Plasmasphere Model, Janelle V. Jenniges

Janelle V Jenniges

A sensitivity analysis of empirical parameters used in physics-based models was completed in this study to determine their effect on electron densities and total electron content (TEC) in the ionosphere. The model used was the Ionosphere- Plasmasphere Model (IPM) developed by Utah State University. The empirical pa- rameters studied include the O+/O collision frequency, zonal wind, secondary electron production, nighttime E⃗ × B⃗ drifts, and tidal structure. The sensitivity analysis was completed by comparing a default run of the IPM to a run with the parameter ad- justed for three geophysical cases. Many of the comparisons resulted in nonlinear changes …

First Year Investigation Of Gravity Waves And Temperature Variability Over The Andes., Jonathan Pugmire, Neal Criddle, Michael Taylor, Dominique Pautet, Yucheng Zhao

Jonathan Pugmire

The Andes region is an excellent natural laboratory for investigating gravity wave influences on the Upper Mesospheric and Lower Thermospheric (MLT) dynamics: during the summer months the dominant gravity waves result from deep convection arising from severe thunderstorms over the continent to the east. In winter this convective activity is expected to be replaced by strong orographic forcing due to intense prevailing zonal winds blowing eastward from the Pacific Ocean and suddenly encountering the towering Andes mountain range (6000m). This creates large amplitude mountain waves that have been measured well into the stratosphere and most recently penetrate occasionally into the …

The First Ten Months Of Investigation Of Gravity Waves And Temperature Variability Over The Andes., Jonathan R. Pugmire, Neal Criddle, Michael J. Taylor, Dominique Pautet, Yucheng Zhao

Jonathan Pugmire

The Andes region is an excellent natural laboratory for investigating gravity wave influences on the Upper Mesospheric and Lower Thermospheric (MLT) dynamics: during the summer months the dominant gravity waves result from deep convection arising from severe thunderstorms over the continent to the east. In winter this convective activity is expected to be replaced by strong orographic forcing due to intense prevailing zonal winds blowing eastward from the Pacific Ocean and suddenly encountering the towering Andes mountain range (6000m). This creates large amplitude mountain waves that have been measured well into the stratosphere and most recently penetration occasionally into the …

Intra-Annual Comparison Of Mesospheric Gravity Waves Over Halley And Rothera Stations, Antarctica., Jonathan R. Pugmire, Mike J. Taylor, Kim Nielsen

Jonathan Pugmire

As part of a collaborative program between British Antarctic Survey and Utah State University, we present an intra-annual study of short-period, mesospheric gravity wave events observed over Antarctica in the near infrared OH emission. The measurements were made using an all-sky airglow imager operated at either Halley Station on the Brunt Ice Shelf, or Rothera Station, situated on the Antarctic Peninsula. A total of six austral winter seasons have been analyzed (2000-2006). This study comprises the first detailed winter seasonal investigation of short-period mesospheric gravity waves at high-Antarctic latitudes. Distributions of their observed wave parameters were found to be similar …

Multilayered Structures In The Ionosphere F2 Region And Impulse-Like Increase Of The Nightglow Red 630 Nm Line Intensity As A Result Of Influence Of Shear Excited Atmospheric Vortical Perturbations, G. G. Didebulidze, Levan Lomidze, N. B. Gudadze, M. Todua

Levan Lomidze

It is shown that the formation of multilayered structures in the midlatitude ionosphere F 2 layer can be caused by atmospheric vortical perturbation (shear wave) evolving in the meridional wind with linear zonal shear and can be accompanied by an impulse-like increase (with duration about 1–3 h) in the red 630 nm line total nightglow intensity. The shear wave can produce an enhancement of the northward wind (or decrease in the southward one), which can cause a downward motion of the F 2 layer peak height resulting in the impulse-like increase in the red line intensity. An important increase in …

The Formation Of Sporadic E Layers By A Vortical Perturbation Excited In A Horizontal Wind Shear Flow, G. G. Didebulidze, Levan Lomidze

Levan Lomidze

The formation of the mid-latitude sporadic E layers (Es layers) by an atmospheric vortical perturbation excited in a horizontal shear flow (horizontal wind with a horizontal linear shear) is investigated. A three-dimensional atmospheric vortical perturbation (atmospheric shear waves), whose velocity vector is in the horizontal plane and has a vertical wavenumber kz≠0, can provide a vertical shear of the horizontal wind. The shear waves influence the vertical transport of heavy metallic ions and their convergence into thin and dense horizontal layers. The proposed mechanism takes into account the dynamical influence of the shear wave velocity in the horizontal wind on …

Different Long-Term Trends Of The Oxygen Red 630.0 Nm Line Nightglow Intensity As The Result Of Lowering The Ionosphere F2 Layer, N. B. Gudadze, G. G. Didebulidze, Levan Lomidze, G. Sh. Javakhishvili, M. A. Marsagishvili, M. Todua

Levan Lomidze

Long-term observations of total nightglow intensity of the atomic oxygen red 630.0 nm line at Abastumani (41.75° N, 42.82° E) in 1957–1993 and measurements of the ionosphere F2 layer parameters from the Tbilisi ionosphere station (41.65° N, 44.75° E) in 1963–1986 have been analyzed. It is shown that a decrease in the long-term trend of the mean annual red 630.0 nm line intensity from the pre-midnight value (+0.770±1.045 R/year) to its minimum negative value (−1.080±0.670 R/year) at the midnight/after midnight is a possible result of the observed lowering of the peak height of the ionosphere F2 layer electron density hmF2 …

Asymptotic Accuracy Of Geoacoustic Inversions, Michele Zanolin, Ian Ingram, Aaron Thode, Nicholas C. Makris

Michele Zanolin