Physics Commons^™

Logistic Curves, Extraction Costs And Peak Oil, Robert Brecha

Robert J. Brecha

Debates about the possibility of a near-term maximum in world oil production have become increasingly prominent over the past decade, with the focus often being on the quantification of geologically available and technologically recoverable amounts of oil in the ground. Economically, the important parameter is not a physical limit to resources in the ground, but whether market price signals and costs of extraction will indicate the efficiency of extracting conventional or nonconventional resources as opposed to making substitutions over time for other fuels and technologies. We present a hybrid approach to the peak-oil question with two models in which the …

Approaching A Universal Scaling Relationship Between Fracture Stiffness And Fluid Flow, David Nolte, Laura Pyrak-Nolte

David D Nolte

Reviving Brontosaurus Name Because Of Species Differences, Life Throoughout The Precambrian As New Life Theory, Disproof Of Poincare Conjecture Because Meteorites Do Not Need To Map To Asteroid 3 Spheres Can Be From Comets, Planets, Oort Cloud, Kuiper Belt, Manifolds Changing And Moving Do Not Map To Unchanging 3 Spheres And I As Manifold Do Not Want To Be Folded Into 3 Sphere So Poincare Conjecture Disproven, James T. Struck

James T Struck

Three discoveries I made from visiting the Field Museum of Natural History yesterday on Illinois Day 12/6/2015. Brontosaurus as a dinosaur name can be brought back as existing in Wyoming rather than Apatosaurus' Colorado, 5 vertebrae rather than 3 on Apatosaurus, and larger size are enough to argue for a unique species. Yale Professor Marsh had it right when he saw Brontosaurus as different than Apatosaurus; larger size, different location, different bones should revive the Brontosaurus name. Riggs spoke to soon when speaking against Brontosaurus as a separate name. Second discovery, a new theory of life on Earth origin that …

South Australian Historical Earthquakes In The Pre-Instrumental Period 1837-1963: A Comprehensive Chronicle And Analysis Of Available Intensity Data, Katherine Dix

Dr Katherine Dix

Modelling Three-Phase Flow In Metallurgical Processes, Christoph Goniva, Gijsbert Wierink, Kari Heiskanen, Stefan Pirker, Christoph Kloss

Gijsbert Wierink

The interaction between gasses, liquids, and solids plays a critical role in many processes, such as coating, granulation and the blast furnace process. In this paper we present a comprehensive numerical model for three phase flow including droplets, particles and gas. By means of a coupled Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) - Discrete Element Method (DEM) approach the physical core phenomena are pictured at a detailed level. Sub-models for droplet deformation, breakup and coalescence as well as droplet-particle and wet particle-particle interaction are applied. The feasibility of this model approach is demonstrated by its application to a rotating drum coater. The …

Environmental Research With Undergraduates In East Asia: Collaborations In China And Japan, Gary A. Morris, Jon Schoer

Gary A. Morris

China: From 2007-2008 as part of a collaborative research project funded by the ASIANetwork, VU and the VLACD, 5 VU students (2 chemistry, 1 biology, 1 environmental science, and 1 civil engineering) spent 3 weeks in Zhejiang province, China and 7 additional weeks in northwest Indiana comparing and contrasting water quality issues and attitudes in the two regions. While in China, the students interacted with one another and graduate students, faculty, and staff from Zhejiang University and Zhejiang A &F University, and with multiple local & regional officials and residents to collect water quality data and opinions about key water …

Ozone Profile Observations In Houston, Texas (1994 - 2010) From Aircraft, Balloons, And Satellites, Gary A. Morris, Barry Lefer, Bernhard Rappenglueck, Christine Haman, Christopher Boxe, Scott Hersey, Valerie Thouret, Jean-Pierre Cammas, Bryan Johnson, Samuel Oltmans

Gary A. Morris

Houston, Texas has long been an urban area plagued with high levels of surface ozone, particularly in spring and late summer. The combination of a large commuter population and one of the largest concentrations of petrochemical plants in the world results in abundant and nearly co-located sources of NOx and hydrocarbons. The location of Houston on the South Coast of the United States in a subtropical climate results in meteorological conditions that favor ozone production. Using MOZAIC (1994 - 2004), ozonesonde (2000, 2004 - 2010), and TES (2005 – 2010) data, we examine the evolution of ozone profiles over Houston …

Reverse Logic - Safety Of Spent Nuclear Fuel Disposal, Antti Lempinen, Marianne Silvan-Lempinen

Antti Lempinen

No abstract provided.

Source Attribution Of Ozone In Southeast Texas Before And After The Deepwater Horizon Accident Using Satellite, Sonde, Surface Monitor, And Air Mass Trajectory Data, Gary A. Morris, Barry Lefer, Bernhard Rappenglueck, Christine Haman, Marc Taylor, Mark R. Schoeberl

Gary A. Morris

Since the summer of 2004, over 300 ozonesondes have been launched from Rice University (29.7 N, 95.4 W) or the University of Houston (29.7 N, 95.3 W), each < 5 km from downtown Houston. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality maintains a large database of hourly surface ozone observations in Southeast Texas. In this study, we identify the contributions to surface ozone pollution levels from natural and anthropogenic sources, both local and remote in nature. This source identification is performed two ways: 1) through an analysis of sonde data, including ozone concentrations, wind speed and direction, and relative humidity data, and 2) through an analysis that combines trajectory calculations with surface monitor data. We also examine regional changes in Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) measurements of formaldehyde and ozone from 2004 – 2010. In particular, we compare the 2010 sonde, surface monitor, and satellite data after the Deepwater Horizon accident with data from previous years to determine the impact, if any, of the large source of hydrocarbons in the Gulf of Mexico on air quality in Southeast Texas.

An Examination Of The Impact Of Air From China On Summertime Air Quality In Japan Before, During, And After The Beijing Olympics, Gary A. Morris, Hajime Akimoto, Masayuki Takigawa, Jun Hirokawa, Fumio Hasebe, Masatomo Fujiwara, Koji Miyagawa, Nicholay Krotkov, Jacquie Witte, Yugo Kanaya, Nathan Kellams, Ted Pietrzak

Gary A. Morris

During July – September 2008 pollution controls in China associated with the Beijing Olympics led to emissions reductions of up to 43%, as observed by NASA satellite instruments. Pollution from China has an impact on air quality throughout East Asia. In this poster, we examine the impact of China's pollution on Japan through the use of Aura satellite data (2005 – 2009), ozonesonde data (2000 – 2009), and data from air quality surface monitors (2000 – 2009). We also examine the year-to-year variability in meteorological flow regimes through trajectory model simulations of transport to Japan from the areas around Beijing …

Observations Of Ozone Production In A Dissipating Tropical Convective Cell During Tc4, Gary A. Morris, A. M. Thompson, K. E. Pickering, S. Chen, E. J. Bucsela, P. A. Kucera

Gary A. Morris

From 13 July–9 August 2007, 25 ozonesondes were launched from Las Tablas, Panama as part of the Tropical Composition, Cloud, and Climate Coupling (TC4) mission. On 5 August, a strong convective cell formed in the Gulf of Panama. World Wide Lightning Location Network (WWLLN) data indicated 563 flashes (09:00–17:00 UTC) in the Gulf. NO2 data from the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) show enhancements, suggesting lightning production of NOx. At 15:05 UTC, an ozonesonde ascended into the southern edge of the now dissipating convective cell as it moved west across the Azuero Peninsula. The balloon oscillated from 2.5–5.1 km five times …

Diurnal Patterns Of Blowing Sand, John E. Stout

John E. Stout

The diurnal pattern of blowing sand results from a complex process that involves an interaction between solar heating, thermal instability, atmospheric turbulence, wind strength, and surface threshold conditions. During the day, solar heating produces thermal instability, which enhances the convective mixing of high momentum winds from the upper levels of the atmosphere to the surface layer. The sun also dries the sand surface so that the critical threshold is as low as possible. Thus, in the afternoon, the combination of strong turbulent winds and a low surface threshold increases the likelihood that winds may intermittently exceed the critical threshold of …

Detection Of An So2 Plume Over Sapporo, Japan From The Eruption Of Mt. Kasatochi Using A Balloon Sounding Technique, Gary A. Morris, Jun Hirokawa, Masatomo Fujiwara, Fumio Hasebe, Keisuke Ishida, Nicholay Krotkov, Mark R. Schoeberl, Walter Komhyr, Barry Lefer, James Flynn

Gary A. Morris

During the month of August 2008, 10 ozonesondes were launched from Hokkaido University in Sapporo, Japan as part of a study to examine regional pollution during the Olympic period. Seven of these soundings included a second instrument with a filter designed to remove SO2 from the intake air stream. SO2 interferes with the normal chemistry of the electrochemical cell (ECC) method for ozone detection, with the net result being that each molecule of SO2 registers as minus one molecule of O3. Thus the unfiltered sonde reports [O3] - [SO2] while the filtered sonde reports [O3]. Laboratory tests prior to launch …

Construction And Analysis Of An Ozone Profile Climatology Over Houston, Texas, Gary A. Morris, Anne M. Thompson, Ryan Perna, John Yorks, Bernhard Rappengluek, Greg Ostermann, Barry Lefer, Renee Boudreaux, Aaron Chow, Bonnie Ford, Elizabeth Thompson, Scott Hersey, Brittni Emery

Gary A. Morris

Since the summer of 2004, over 200 ozonesondes have been launched from the campuses of Rice University or the University of Houston (29.7 N, 95.3 W), each about 3 miles from downtown Houston. These sounding launches have been sponsored by NASA, the Shell Center for Sustainability of Rice University, and the Texas Commissions for Environmental Quality as part of a large effort to understand Houston’s ozone problem. Data from these soundings have provided valuable insight into the seasonal and diurnal variations of the vertical ozone distribution and their relationship to changes in atmospheric conditions. In this presentation, we show annual …

Digital Elevation Accuracy And Grid Cell Size: Effects On Computed Topographic Attributes, Rob H. Erskine, Timothy R. Green

Timothy R. Green

Terrain attributes are commonly used to explain the spatial variability of agronomic, pedologic, and hydrologic variables. The terrain attributes studied here (elevation, slope, aspect, and curvature) are estimated readily from digital elevation models (DEMs), but questions remain about how the accuracy and sample spacing of the elevation data affect the estimated attributes. The main objective of this study was to quantify differences in each terrain attribute due to factors affecting DEM accuracy and grid cell size. Three data sources were compared: (i) real-time kinematic global positioning system (RTKGPS); (ii) satellite-differentially corrected global positioning system (DGPS); and (iii) U.S. Geological Survey …

Comparison Of Tropospheric Ozone Columns Calculated From Mls, Omi, And Ozonesonde Data, Gary A. Morris, Bojan Bojkov, Mark R. Schoeberl, Amy Wozniak, Jerry Ziemke, Sushil Chandra, Jack Fishman, Ivanka Stajner

Gary A. Morris

This poster shows a comparison of three derived tropospheric ozone residual (TOR) products with integrated tropospheric ozone columns from ozonesonde profile: (1) the method of Ziemke et al. (2006), (2) a modified version of Fishman et al. (2003), and (3) a trajectory mapping approach. In each case, MLS ozone profiles are integrated to the tropopause and subtracted from OMI (TOMS retrieval) total column ozone. The effectiveness of each of these techniques is examined as a function of latitude, time, and geographic region. In general, we find good agreement between the derived products and the ozonesondes, with the Fishman et al. …

Alaskan And Canadian Forest Fires Exacerbate Ozone Pollution Over Houston, Texas, On 19 And 20 July 2004, Gary A. Morris, Scott Hersey, Anne M. Thompson, Steven Pawson, J. Eric Nielsen, Peter R. Colarco, W. Wallace Mcmillian, Solene Turquety, Juying Warner, Bryan J. Johnson, Tom L. Kucsera, David E. Larko, Samuel Oltmans, Jacquie Witte

Gary A. Morris

On Monday, 19 July, and Tuesday, 20 July 2004, the air over Houston, Texas, appeared abnormally hazy. Transport model results and data from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS), the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MODIS), the Measurement of Ozone by Airbus In-service airCraft (MOZAIC) experiment, and the Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) indicate that an air mass originating on 12 July 2004 over forest fires in eastern Alaska and western Canada arrived in Houston about 1 week later. Ozonesonde data from Houston on 19 and 20 July show elevated ozone at the surface (>125 ppbv) and even higher concentrations aloft …

Strain-Induced Disorder, Phase Transformations, And Transformation-Induced Plasticity In Hexagonal Boron Nitride Under Compression And Shear In A Rotational Diamond Anvil Cell: In Situ X-Ray Diffraction Study And Modeling, Valery I. Levitas, Yanzhang Ma, Javad Hashemi, Mark Holtz, Necip Guven

Valery I. Levitas

Plastic shear significantly reduces the phase transformation (PT) pressure when compared to hydrostatic conditions. Here, a paradoxical result was obtained: PT of graphitelike hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) to superhard wurtzitic boron nitride under pressure and shear started at about the same pressure(∼10GPa) as under hydrostatic conditions. In situ x-ray diffraction measurement and modeling of the turbostratic stacking fault concentration (degree of disorder) and PT in hBN were performed. Under hydrostaticpressure, changes in the disorder were negligible. Under a complex compression and shear loading program, a strain-induced disorder was observed and quantitatively characterized. It is found that the strain-induced disorder suppresses …

Potential Impact Of Subsonic And Supersonic Aircraft Exhaust On Water Vapor In The Lower Stratosphere Assessed Via A Trajectory Model, Gary A. Morris, Joan A. Rosenfield, Mark R. Schoeberl, Charles A. Jackman

Gary A. Morris

We employ a trajectory model to assess the impact on the stratosphere of water vapor present in the exhaust of subsonic and a proposed fleet of supersonic aircraft. Air parcels into which water vapor from aircraft exhaust has been injected are run through a 6-year simulation in the trajectory model using meteorological data from the UKMO analyses with emissions dictated by the standard 2015 emissions scenario. For the subsonic aircraft, our results suggest maximum enhancements of ~150 ppbv just above the Northern Hemisphere tropopause and of much less than 50 ppbv in most other regions. Inserting the perturbed water vapor …

A Comparison Of Haloe V19 With Sage Ii V6.00 Ozone Observations Using Trajectory Mapping, Gary A. Morris, James F. Gleason, James M. Russell Iii, Mark R. Schoeberl, M. Patrick Mccormick

Gary A. Morris

We apply trajectory mapping to an 8-year intercomparison of ozone observations from the Halogen Occultation Experiment (HALOE) (V19) and Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment (SAGE) II (V6.00) for the months March, May, June, September, October, and December from the period December 1991 to October 1999. Our results, which represent the most extensive such intercomparison of these two data sets to date, suggest a root-mean-square difference between the two data sets of >15% below 22 km in the tropics and of 4–12% throughout most of the rest of the stratosphere. In addition, we find a bias with HALOE ozone low relative …

Trajectory Mapping: A Tool For Validation Of Trace Gas Observations, Gary A. Morris, James F. Gleason, Jerald Ziemke, Mark R. Schoeberl

Gary A. Morris

We investigate the effectiveness of trajectory mapping(TM) as a data validation tool. TM combines a dynamical model of the atmosphere with trace gas observations to provide more statistically robust estimates of instrument performance over much broader geographic areas than traditional techniques are able to provide. We present four detailed case studies selected so that the traditional techniques are expected to work well. In each case the TM results are equivalent to or improve upon the measurement comparisons performed with traditional approaches. The TM results are statistically more robust than those achieved using traditional approaches since the TM comparisons occur over …

Trajectory Mapping And Applications To Data From The Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite, Gary A. Morris, Mark R. Schoeberl, Lynn C. Sparling, Paul A. Newman, Leslie R. Lait, Lee Elson, Joe Waters, Robert A. Suttie, Aidan Roche, Jack Kumer, James M. Russell Iii

Gary A. Morris

The problem of creating synoptic maps from asynoptically gathered trace gas data has prompted the development of a number of schemes. Most notable among these schemes are the Kalman filter, the Salby-Fourier technique, and constituent reconstruction. This paper explores a new technique called "trajectory mapping." Trajectory mapping creates synoptic maps from asynoptically gathered data by advecting measurements backward or forward in time using analyzed wind fields. A significant portion of this work is devoted to an analysis of errors in synoptic trajectory maps associated with the calculation of individual parcel trajectories. In particular, we have considered (1) calculational errors; (2) …

Implications Of Atmospheric Test Fallout Data For Nuclear Winter, George H. Baker

George H Baker

Atmospheric test fallout data have been used to determine admissible dust particle size distributions for nuclear winter and nuclear fallout studies. The research was originally motivated by extreme differences noted in the magnitude and longevity of dust effects predicted by particle size distributions routinely used in fallout predictions versus those used for nuclear winter studies. Three different sets of historical data have been analyzed:

1. Stratospheric burden of Strontium-90 and Tungsten-185, 1954-1967 (97 contributing events) 2. Continental U.S Strontium-90 fallout through 1958 (75 contributing events) 3. Local Fallout from selected Nevada tests (16 events)

The contribution of dust to possible …