Oceanography and Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology Commons^™

Concentrations And Snow-Atmosphere Fluxes Of Reactive Nitrogen At Summit, Greenland, J W. Munger, D J. Jacob, S M. Fan, A S. Colman, Jack E. Dibb

Earth Sciences

Concentrations and fluxes of NO_y (total reactive nitrogen), ozone concentrations and fluxes of sensible heat, water vapor, and momentum were measured from May 1 to July 20, 1995 at Summit, Greenland. Median NO_y concentrations declined from 947 ppt in May to 444 ppt by July. NO_y fluxes were observed into and out of the snow, but the magnitudes were usually below 1 μmol m⁻² h⁻¹ because of the low HNO₃ concentration and weak turbulence over the snow surface. Some of the highest observed fluxes may be due to temporary storage by equilibrium sorption of …

A Process Model Of Risk Communication: The Case Of Global Climate Change, Fiona Clark, Keith R. Stamm, Paula Reynolds Eblacas

RISK: Health, Safety & Environment (1990-2002)

The authors describe a survey of public media use as it relates to different stages of awareness and concern regarding risk issues.

The Arab Republic Of Egypt: Initial National Communication On Climate Change, Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency

Egypt & Libya

Although Egypt’s contribution to Green House Gases is relatively minimal, yet given Egypt’s growing population, its limited fertile land, and its large area of desert, and the concentration of its economic activities in the coastal zones, the potential social and economic impact of climate change could be devastating for the country’s future.

Close-Range And Satellite Remote Sensing Of Algal Biomass In The Iowa Great Lakes, Eric A. Wilson

Department of Geography: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The utility of both close-range and satellite remote sensing for assessing inland water quality was examined in the Iowa Great Lakes. The water quality of this system is of considerable interest because of its status as an environmental, recreational, and therefore, economic resource. The broad range of optical conditions present in the lakes and the wealth of literature on the system make it an ideal environment for water quality remote sensing research. The goal of this research was to survey the water quality of the Iowa Great Lakes via remote sensing, evaluate different predictive algorithms, and map the distribution of …

Characterization Of Hypoxia: Topic 1 Report For The Integrated Assessment On Hypoxia In The Gulf Of Mexico, Nancy N. Rabalais, R. Eugene Turner, Dubravko Justic, Quay Dortch, William J. Wiseman

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Spring 1999, Nsu Oceanographic Center

Currents

No abstract provided.

Nutrient Enhanced Coastal Ocean Productivity In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico, William J. Wiseman Jr., Michael J. Dagg, Nancy N. Rabalais, Terry E. Whitledge

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Benthic Community Analysis Of Hog Island Bay, Virginia, David James Lewis

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

The benthic infaunal macroinvertebrate communities of Hog Island Bay of the Virginia Eastern Shore were quantitatively sampled at 30 locations on August 31 and September 1, 1995. The primary objectives of this study were: (1) to characterize the subtidal macroinfaunal benthic communities of Hog Island Bay, (2) to examine relationships between abiotic factors and the macroinfaunal communities and (3) to characterize the environmental condition of the system using the Benthic Index of Biotic Integrity (B-IBI) (Weisburg et al. 1997) and the EMAP Benthic Index for the Virginian Province (Strobel et al. 1995).

The ecological condition of Hog Island Bay appears …

Circulation, Vol. 6, No. 3, Center For Coastal Physical Oceanography, Old Dominion University

CCPO Circulation

Spring 1999 issue of CCPO Circulation featuring article "Studying Earth's Environment from Space"

Production Of Copper-Complexing Ligands In Response To Elevated Concentrations Of Copper In Marine Synechococcus Spp., Arunsri Chatkaeomorakot Brown

Theses and Dissertations in Biomedical Sciences

Synechococcus spp. (marine cyanobacteria) are extremely sensitive to copper toxicity and can produce high-affinity ligands of unknown structure which form complexes with free cupric ion. These ligands may contribute to the biological control of the levels of free cupric ions in surface seawater. Synechococcus spp. are known to produce metallothioneins (MT) in response to cadmium and zinc stress. In the present study the hypothesis that marine Synechococcus produce MT in response to copper was tested. Three marine Synechococcus spp. i.e., PCC 7001, PCC 73109, and PCC 7003, were exposed to different concentrations of CUSO 4 for various time periods. Size …

Fiber-Optic Coupled Lidar Receiver System To Measure Stratospheric Ozone, David Brent Harper

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

A fiber-optic coupled lidar receiver system was constructed to determine ozone concentrations in the stratosphere. The system was used to make ground-based measurements of lidar returns from a UV DIAL system. A fiber-optic cable was used to couple the light from the receiver telescope to the light detector. Photon counting was implemented as the light detection technique. This technique allowed detection of 301 and 311 nm lidar returns up to 27.5 and 32.5 km respectively. A software application was developed to control the photon counting system and perform real-time data analysis of measured lidar returns. DIAL measurements of stratospheric ozone …

Gravity Wave Characteristics In The Lower Atmosphere At South Pole, Matt Pfenniger, Alan Z. Liu, George C. Papen, Chester S. Gardner

Physical Sciences - Daytona Beach

A 4-year (1993-1996) temperature and wind data set obtained from over 2000 high-resolution balloon soundings at South Pole is used to study gravity wave characteristics in the atmosphere and lower stratosphere. Extensive analyses of energy density, spectra, and static stability are performed to present a comprehensive view of the gravity waves are ubiquitous and often fairly strong at the South Pole, even though the generation mechanisms are not clear. Gravity wave characteristics are, in general, similar to those obtained at other high-latitude southern hemisphere stations. Potential energies vary between about 0.5 J/kg and 5 J/kg with season and altitude. Variations …

Influence Of Biomass Combustion Emissions On The Distribution Of Acidic Trace Gases Over The Southern Pacific Basin During Austral Springtime, R. Talbot, Jack E. Dibb, Eric Scheuer, D R. Blake, N J. Blake, G L. Gregory, G W. Sachse, J D. Bradshaw, S T. Sandholm, H B. Singh

Earth Sciences

This paper describes the large-scale distributions of HNO₃, HCOOH, and CH₃COOH over the central and South Pacific basins during the Pacific Exploratory Mission-Tropics (PEM-Tropics) in austral springtime. Because of the remoteness of this region from continental areas, low part per trillion by volume (pptv) mixing ratios of acidic gases were anticipated to be pervasive over the South Pacific basin. However, at altitudes of 2–12 km over the South Pacific, air parcels were encountered frequently with significantly enhanced mixing ratios (up to 1200 pptv) of acidic gases. Most of these air parcels were centered in the 3–7 …

Aerosol Chemical Composition And Distribution During The Pacific Exploratory Mission (Pem) Tropics, Jack E. Dibb, R. Talbot, Eric Scheuer, D R. Blake, N J. Blake, G L. Gregory, G W. Sachse, D C. Thornton

Earth Sciences

Distributions of aerosol-associated soluble ions over much of the South Pacific were determined by sampling from the NASA DC-8 as part of the Pacific Exploratory Mission (PEM) Tropics campaign. The mixing ratios of all ionic species were surprisingly low throughout the free troposphere (2-12 km), despite the pervasive influence from biomass burning plumes advecting over the South Pacific from the west during PEM-Tropics. At the same time, the specific activity of 7Be frequently exceeded 1000 fCi m-3 through much of the depth of the troposphere. These distributions indicate that the plumes must have been efficiently scavenged by precipitation (removing the …

Evidence Of Nox Production Within Or Upon Ice Particles In The Greenland Snowpack, R E. Honrath, Matthew C. Peterson, S Guo, Jack E. Dibb, P B. Shepson, Bradley M. Campbell

Earth Sciences

NOx and NOy were determined in the interstitial air of surface snow and in ambient air at Summit, Greenland. NOx levels in interstitial air were 3 to >10 times those in ambient air, and were generally greater than ambient NOy levels. [NOy] in interstitial air varied diurnally in a manner consistent with photochemical generation within the snowpack. These observations imply that photochemical reactions occurring within or upon the ice crystals of surface snow produced NOx from a N-reservoir compound within the snow. Average [NOX]:[HNO3] and [NOx]:[NOy] ratios in ambient air above the snow were elevated relative to other remote sites, …

Validation Of The Gallagher Protonospheric Model, Kelly M. Law

Theses and Dissertations

Ionospheric models are used in many systems throughout the Department of Defense: for example, they are useful in correcting range errors in radio signals. However, correction models don't incorporate the protonosphere, the torus-shaped plasma volume above the ionosphere. The Gallagher Protonospheric Model, recently incorporated into the Parameterized Ionospheric Model 1.7 (PIM 1.7), was validated against protonospheric total electron content (PTEC) measurements made by the GPS system. Gallagher model calculations of slant PTEC for Pittsburgh ground station looking south with a raypath at an elevation of 26 degrees were compared against GPS PTEC measurements for the same configuration derived from the …

A Refinement And Cross-Validation Of The Special Sensor Microwave Imager (Ssm/I) Calibration-Validation (Cv) Brightness Temperature Algorithm, Mark R. Adair

Theses and Dissertations

The Air Force Weather Agency (AFWA) currently uses an algorithm to calculate surface temperatures from microwave observations taken by the Special Sensor Microwave Imager (SSM/I) aboard the orbiting platforms of the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP). This algorithm, called the Calibration-Validation (CV) algorithm, used multiple linear regression to calculate coefficients relating microwave brightness temperatures and land surface temperatures. Because the coefficients in this algorithm do not take into account the identity of the individual satellite, the question arose whether this assumption was valid. This thesis used multiple linear regression, stepwise linear regression, and qualitative regression on 3700 data sets from …

A Comparison Of Horizontal Cloud-To-Ground Lightning Flash Distance Using Weather Surveillance Radar And The Distance Between Successive Flashes Method, Christopher C. Cox

Theses and Dissertations

On April 29th, 1996 an airman servicing a C-130 aircraft on Huriburt AFB Florida was struck and killed by a lightning flash that traveled an estimated 7 to 10 miles from storms south of the airfield. Ten other workers were injured in the incident. The fatal flash occurred just 8 minutes after the base weather station allowed a lightning advisory to expire. The incident brought to question the adequacy of lightning advisory criteria. Very little research has been done on the horizontal distance that cloud-to-ground lightning flashes occurs from the center of a thunderstorm. This thesis used the WSR-88D method, …

Improving Cape Canaveral's Next-Day Thunderstorm Forecasting Using A Meso-Eta Model-Based Index, John C. Crane

Theses and Dissertations

Reliable thunderstorm forecasts are essential to safety and resource protection at Cape Canaveral. Current methods of forecasting day-2 thunderstorms provide little improvement over forecasting by persistence alone and are therefore in need of replacement. This research focused on using the mesoscale eta model to develop an index for improved forecasting of day-2 thunderstorms. Logistic regression techniques were used to regress the occurrence of a thunderstorm at Cape Canaveral against day-2 forecast variables output, or derived, from the mesoscale eta model. Accuracy and bias scores were calculated for the forecasts made by the regression equations, and the forecast results were compared …

Evaluation Of Barnes' Method And Kriging For Estimating The Low Level Wind Field, Michael W. Engel

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis evaluates two different methods of estimating a three dimensional wind field based upon a limited number of irregularly-spaced observations. This work was performed for the 45th Weather Squadron to determine how well the two methods worked and their potential for use in a visualization program. The two methods evaluated were Barnes' method and a method called Kriging, which is commonly used in geostatistics. Both of these estimation techniques were implemented and then evaluated to determine how accurate the estimates were that they created. The methods' accuracies were determined by withholding an observation from the observed wind field data …

An Improved Thunderstorm Forecast Index For Cape Canaveral, Florida, James A. Everitt

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis creates a new algorithm to replace the Neumann-Pfeffer Thunderstorm Index (NPTI). The 45th Weather Squadron at Patrick AFB, Florida, uses the NPTI as an objective means of determining the probability of thunderstorm occurrence at Cape Canaveral. The probability is used for mission planning and resource protection, and increasing the accuracy of NPTI can potentially save billions of dollars for the United States space program. Stratified logistical regressions are performed and probability equations are derived for May through September using upper air data and surface observations for Cape Canaveral. A logistical regression of NPTI was also performed. Variables include …

A Validation Study Of Cloud Scene Simulation Model Temporal Performance, Glenn Kerr

Theses and Dissertations

Cloud Scene Simulation Model (CSSM) temporal performance was validated by comparing the cloud forcing signatures on observed radiometric time series with those derived from CSSM output for initial conditions similar to that for the observed data. Observed radiometric data was collected by a normal incidence pyraheliometer sensitive to wavelengths in the range .3mm to 3mm. Simulation radiometric time series data was derived by applying the following process to each case study. CSSM cloud liquid water content (CLWC) grids were converted to grids of slant path optical depth values by the Fast Map post processor to the CSSM. A ray tracing …

Forecasting Downdraft Wind Speeds Associated With Airmass Thunderstorms For Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado, Using The Wsr-88d, Travis A. Steen

Theses and Dissertations

During the period Jun-Aug 96, four Air Force installations suffered over $4.8 million in damage from convective winds. During the same summer, Air Force Space Command units issued nearly 65% of their weather warnings for convective winds, making the forecasting of convective winds the most frequent challenge to forecasters. This thesis seeks to assist Air Force forecasters at Peterson Air Force Base (PAFB), Colorado, in forecasting airmass thunderstorm downdraft wind speeds using the Weather Surveillance Radar-1988 Doppler (WSR-88D). To accomplish this purpose, several existing potential downdraft wind speed prediction techniques were evaluated against the observed wind speeds of nineteen airmass …

Predicting Launch Pad Winds At The Kennedy Space Center With A Neural Network Model, Steven J. Storch

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis uses neural networks to forecast winds at the Kennedy Space Center and the Cape Canaveral Air Station launch pads. Variables are developed from WINDS tower observations, surface and buoy observations, and an upper-air sounding. From these variables, a smaller set of predictive inputs is chosen using a signal-to-noise variable screening method. A neural network is then trained to forecast launch pad winds from the inputs. The network forecasts are compared to persistence, and peak wind predictions are found skillful compared to persistence. An ensemble modeling technique using Toth's and Kalnay's breeding of growing modes method is explored with …

Using The Wsr-88d To Forecast Downburst Winds At Cape Canaveral Air Station And The Kennedy Space Center (Ccas/Ksc), Gerald D. Sullivan Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

The 45 Weather Squadron is tasked with providing several convective wind warnings in support of the U. S. Space Program. The forecasters use a radar-based forecast technique to determine if a thunderstorm has the potential to produce a gust that meets warning criteria. This technique, the Echo Top/Vertically Integrated Liquid Wind Gust Potential (ET/VIL WGP), has not previously been evaluated for use in the Cape Canaveral Air Station and Kennedy Space Center (CCAS/KSC) locale. Additionally, there are two other radar-based forecast techniques that required evaluation for possible inclusion into the 45 WS forecast process. These are the Maximum Reflectivity / …

A Note On Gravity Wave-Driven Volume Emission Rate Weighted Temperature Perturbations Inferred From O₂ Atmospheric And O I 5577 Airglow Observations, Michael P. Hickey Ph.D., Richard L. Walterscheid

Publications

A full-wave dynamical model and chemistry models that simulate ground-based observations of gravity wave-driven O₂ atmospheric and O I 5577 airglow fluctuations in the mesopause region are used to demonstrate that for many observable gravity waves modeling is required to infer temperature perturbation amplitudes from airglow observations. We demonstrate that the amplitude of the altitude-integrated volume emission rate weighted temperature perturbation differs by at least about 30% from the amplitude of the temperature perturbation of the major gas in the vicinity of the peak of the airglow volume emission rate for gravity waves with horizontal phase speeds less than about …

Estimating The Height Of The Planetary Boundary Layer For Diffusion-Transport Models: A Four Algorithm Comparison, Robert L. Russ

Theses and Dissertations

Diffusion-Transport (D-T) modeling is a branch of numerical weather prediction concerned with eddy diffusion of particulate pollutant plumes and their transport by the wind. When conducting D-T modeling, establishing the height of the planetary boundary layer (PBL) is crucial to defining the vertical bounds within which a plume can become thoroughly mixed. The PBL can be deduced from observations or model simulation. Three sounding analysis PBL algorithms were considered - the Potential Instability Mixing Depth (PIMIX), Potential Temperature (POTEMP), and Gradient Richardson Number (RICH) algorithms. A turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) based PBL algorithm was also evaluated. The purpose of this …

Crop Updates 1999 - Cereals, Len W. Broadbridge, Doug Abrecht, D. Bakker, Greg Hamilton, Cliff Spann, Doug Rowe, Peter Fisher, Jennifer Bignell, Matthew Braimbridge, Bill Bowden, Ross Brennan, Reg Lunt, Senthold Asseng, Cherie Rowles, Simon Bedbrook, Chris Gazey, Mike Bolland, Garren Knell, Lyn Abbott, Zed Rengel, Wayne Pluske, Erin Cahill, Bill Crabtree, Matthew Evans, Tim Nielsen, Jat Bhathal, Rob Loughman, D. Rasmussen, Roger A C Jones, Sean Kelly, Ian Riley, Sharyn Tayor, Vivien Vanstone, Dominie Wright, Debbie Thackray, Simon Mckirdy, George Yan, Robin Wilson, Iain Barclay, Robin Mclean, Dean A. Diepeveen, Bill Lambe, Wal Anderson, Brenda Shackley, Mechelle Owen, Peter Burgess, Ben Curtis, Mohammed A. Hamza, Jamie Henderson, Frank Boetel, Alfredo Impiglia, Frances Hoyle, Darshan Sharma, Pierre Fievez, Blakely Paynter, Glenn Macdonald, Kevin Young, Andrew Blake, Keith Devenish, P J. Dolling, Roy Latta, Lisa-Jane Blacklow, Chris Matthews, Angelo Loi, Brad Nutt, Rochelle Mcrobb, David Webb, Andrew Mcrobb, Clinton K. Revell, James Ridsdill-Smith, Celia Pavri, David Tennant, Darryl Mclements, Ross Thompson, Mike Ewing, Tim Woodburn, Paul Yeoh, James Fisher, Art Diggle, Mark Whitten, Andrew Rate, Paul Carlile, Ed Blanchard, Bevan Buirchell, Lorraine Osborne, Tress Walmsley, Terry Piper, Cameron Weeks, Michael Dodd, Amanda Falconer, Caroline Peek, Glenn Adam, Camray Gethin, Richard Guinness, Daniel Fels, Andrew Rintoul, Mal Lamond, Roger Tapp, Craig White

Crop Updates

This article covers sixty papers

FOREWORD

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

PLENARY PAPERS

1. Western Australia’s climate: trends and opportunities, Len W. Broadbridge, Director, Bureau of Meterorology

2. Managing seasonal variations in agriculture, Dr Doug Abrecht, Director, Dryland Research Institute, Merredin

CROP ESTABLISHMENT

3. Soil management to prevent waterlogging on duplex soils in the Great Southern, D. Bakker, Greg Hamilton, Cliff Spann and Doug Rowe, Agriculture Western Australia

4. The influence of no-till and press wheels on crop production for heavy soils, Peter Fisher, Jennifer Bignell, Matthew Braimbridge, Greg Hamilton, Agriculture

Western Australia

NUTRITION

5. Fertiliser nitrogen, applied late, needs …

Announcements: February 1999

Drought Network News (1994–2001)

Contents:

International Symposium on High Altitude and Sensitive Ecological Environmental Geotechnology

5th International Symposium on Environmental Geotechnology and Global Sustainable Development

10th Global Warming International Conference & Expo (GW10)

New Book

Rainfall Climatology Of Jammu And Kashmir State, India, Badrul Hasan

Drought Network News (1994–2001)

We have written a number of articles on various aspects of weather characterization and forecast verification under temperate environments of Jammu and Kashmir (India). We have also touched on some of the approaches that might help in solving climatically triggered problems (Hasan and Kanth 1997). Fortunately, we were lucky enough to make significant progress in some (if not all) of the approaches. The present article focuses on an analysis of rainfall/ precipitation in this state of the Indian Union under different agroclimatic zones, with an update on forecast verification analysis of temperate Kashmir (India) during 1997–98.

India is classified into …