| 11. |
- Archer, W. E., et al.
(författare)
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Steve : The Optical Signature of Intense Subauroral Ion Drifts
- 2019
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Ingår i: Geophysical Research Letters. - : AMER GEOPHYSICAL UNION. - 0094-8276 .- 1944-8007. ; 46:12, s. 6279-6286
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Little is currently known about the optical phenomenon known as Steve. The first scientific publication on the subject suggests that Steve is associated with an intense subauroral ion drift (SAID). However, additional inquiry is warranted as this suggested relationship as it is based on a single case study. Here we present eight occurrences of Steve with coincident or near-coincident measurements from the European Space Agency's Swarm satellites and show that Steve is consistently associated with SAID. When satellite observations coincident with Steve are compared to that of typical SAID, we find the SAID associated with Steve to have above average peak ion velocities and electron temperatures, as well as extremely low plasma densities.
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| 12. |
- Artemyev, A. V., et al.
(författare)
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Field-Aligned Currents Originating From the Magnetic Reconnection Region : Conjugate MMS-ARTEMIS Observations
- 2018
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Ingår i: Geophysical Research Letters. - : American Geophysical Union (AGU). - 0094-8276 .- 1944-8007. ; 45:12, s. 5836-5844
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Near-Earth magnetic reconnection reconfigures the magnetotail and produces strong plasma flows that transport plasma sheet particles and electromagnetic energy to the inner magnetosphere. An essential element of such a reconfiguration is strong, transient field-aligned currents. These currents, believed to be generated within the plasma sheet and closed at the ionosphere, are responsible for magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling during substorms. We use conjugate measurements from Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) at the plasma sheet boundary (around x approximate to- 10R(E)) and Acceleration, Reconnection, Turbulence and Electrodynamics of the Moon's Interaction with the Sun (ARTEMIS) at the equator (around x approximate to- 60R(E)) to explore the potential generation region of these currents. We find a clear correlation between the field-aligned current intensity measured by MMS and the tailward plasma sheet flows measured by ARTEMIS. To better understand the origin of this correlation, we compare spacecraft observations with results from 3-D particle-in-cell simulations of magnetotail reconnection. The comparison reveals that field-aligned currents and plasma flows start, wax, and wane due to the development of a reconnection region between MMS (near-Earth) and ARTEMIS (at lunar distance). A weak correlation between the field-aligned current intensity at MMS and earthward flow magnitudes at ARTEMIS suggests that distant magnetotail reconnection does not significantly contribute to the generation of the observed near-Earth currents. Our findings support the idea that the dominant role of the near-Earth magnetotail reconnection in the field-aligned current generation is likely responsible for their transient nature, whereas more steady distant tail reconnection would support long-term field-aligned current system. Plain Language Summary Field-aligned currents connect the Earth magnetotail and ionosphere, proving energy and information transport from the region where main energy release process, magnetic reconnection, occurs to the region where the collisional energy dissipation takes place. Therefore, investigation and modeling of the field-aligned current generation is important problem of the magnetosphere plasma physics. However, field-aligned current investigation requires simultaneous observations of reconnection signatures in the magnetotail and at high latitudes. Simultaneous and conjugate operation of two multispacecraft missions, Magnetospheric Multiscale and Acceleration, Reconnection, Turbulence and Electrodynamics of the Moon's Interaction with the Sun, for the first time provide an opportunity for such investigation. Combining spacecraft observations with results from 3-D particle-in-cell simulations of magnetotail reconnection, we demonstrate that field-aligned currents and plasma flows start, wax, and wane due to the development of a reconnection region between near-Earth (Magnetospheric Multiscale location) and lunar distant tail (Acceleration, Reconnection, Turbulence and Electrodynamics of the Moon's Interaction with the Sun location). Our findings support the idea that the dominant role of the near-Earth magnetotail reconnection in the field-aligned current generation is likely responsible for their transient nature, whereas more steady distant tail reconnection would support long-term field-aligned current system.
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| 13. |
- Assmann, Karen, et al.
(författare)
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Warm. Circumpolar Deep Water at the Western Getz Ice Shelf Front, Antarctica
- 2019
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Ingår i: Geophysical Research Letters. - : American Geophysical Union (AGU). - 0094-8276 .- 1944-8007. ; 46:2, s. 870-878
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The Getz Ice Shelf is one of the largest sources of fresh water from ice shelf basal melt in Antarctica. We present new observations from three moorings west of Siple Island 2016-2018. All moorings show a persistent flow of modified Circumpolar Deep Water toward the western Getz Ice Shelf. Unmodified Circumpolar Deep Water with temperatures up to 1.5 degrees C reaches the ice shelf front in frequent episodes. These represent the warmest water observed at any ice shelf front in the Amundsen Sea. Mean currents within the warm bottom layer of 18-20 cm/s imply an advection time scale of 7 days from shelf break to ice shelf front. Zonal wind stress at the shelf break affects heat content at the ice shelf front on weekly to monthly time scales. Our 2-year mooring records also evince that upwelling over the shelf break controls thermocline depth on subannual to annual time scales. Plain Language Summary The recent retreat of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet has been linked to changes in the transport of warm ocean water up to 1.5 degrees C to the floating ice shelves in the Amundsen Sea. One of these is the Getz Ice Shelf that produces one of the largest amounts of ice shelf melt water in Antarctica. To measure how much ocean heat is transported toward this ice shelf, we deployed a series of temperature, salinity, and current sensors at its western end from 2016 to 2018. We find a constant flow of warm water toward the ice shelf cavity. Comparing our ocean observations with wind data from the area, we found that stronger easterly winds in the area make it harder for the warm water to reach the ice shelf front by depressing the warm bottom layer over the shelf break. Climate projections indicate that these easterlies will weaken in future, making it easier for the warm water to reach the ice shelf base. Gradients in the wind field over the shelf break control the thickness of the warm layer on longer time scales. This provides the missing ocean evidence for previous studies that have linked this wind mechanism to ice sheet changes.
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| 14. |
- Balke, Thorsten, et al.
(författare)
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Increasing Synchrony of Annual River‐Flood Peaks and Growing Season in Europe
- 2019
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Ingår i: Geophysical Research Letters. - : American Geophysical Union (AGU). - 0094-8276 .- 1944-8007. ; 46:17-18, s. 10446-10453
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In a changing climate, time sensitive ecological interactions such as pollination and predation are vulnerable to temporal mismatch with direct consequences for ecosystem functioning. It is not known if synchrony and asynchrony of ecological and physical processes such as flood disturbance and plant phenology may similarly be affected by climate change. Here, by spatially merging temperature and flood peak data, we show for the first time that in Central and Eastern Europe, annual river flood peaks increasingly occur within the thermal growing season. This is due to the combined effect of earlier spring onsets and later flood peaks. Such increased physical‐phenological synchrony may especially impact river biogeomorphology and riparian floodplain ecosystem functioning through uprooting of seedlings and increased hydraulic roughness during major flood events.
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| 15. |
- Ball, W. T., et al.
(författare)
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The Upper Stratospheric Solar Cycle Ozone Response
- 2019
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Ingår i: Geophysical Research Letters. - 0094-8276 .- 1944-8007. ; 46:3, s. 1831-1841
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The solar cycle (SC) stratospheric ozone response is thought to influence surface weather and climate. To understand the chain of processes and ensure climate models adequately represent them, it is important to detect and quantify an accurate SC ozone response from observations. Chemistry climate models (CCMs) and observations display a range of upper stratosphere (1-10 hPa) zonally averaged spatial responses; this and the recommended data set for comparison remains disputed. Recent data-merging advancements have led to more robust observational data. Using these data, we show that the observed SC signal exhibits an upper stratosphere U-shaped spatial structure with lobes emanating from the tropics (5-10 hPa) to high altitudes at midlatitudes (1-3 hPa). We confirm this using two independent chemistry climate models in specified dynamics mode and an idealized timeslice experiment. We recommend the BASIC(v2) ozone composite to best represent historical upper stratospheric solar variability, and that those based on SBUV alone should not be used. Plain Language Summary Changes in the output of the Sun are thought to influence surface weather and climate through a set of processes initiated by the enhancement of upper stratosphere (32-48 km) ozone. In order to understand and assess the solar impact on the climate system, it is important that models reproduce the observed solar signal. However, the recommended data set for comparison with climate models remains disputed. We use newly improved observed ozone composites to determine both why there is disagreement between composites and which is most likely to be correct. We find that artifact-corrected composites represent the response better than those based on SBUV data alone. Further, we identify a U-shaped spatial structure with lobes emanating from the tropics to high altitudes at midlatitudes. An idealized chemistry climate model experiment and simulations considering historical meteorological conditions both support this conclusion. The results are of benefit to satellite-instrument scientists and to those engaged in atmospheric and climate research using both observations and climate models. The results will be important for assessing the solar signal in currently active and future assessments of chemistry climate models (e.g., Chemistry-Climate Model Initiative). We recommend the BASICv2 ozone composite to best represent historical upper stratospheric variability.
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| 16. |
- Bannan, T. J., et al.
(författare)
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A Large Source of Atomic Chlorine From ClNO2 Photolysis at a UK Landfill Site
- 2019
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Ingår i: Geophysical Research Letters. - : American Geophysical Union (AGU). - 0094-8276 .- 1944-8007. ; 46:14, s. 8508-8516
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Nitryl chloride (ClNO2) acts as a source of highly reactive chlorine atoms as well as an important NOx reservoir. Measurements of ClNO2 at an operational U.K. landfill site are reported here for the first time. A peak concentration of 4 ppb of ClNO2 was found with a peak mean nighttime maximum of 0.9 ppb. Using models based upon the photolysis of observed ClNO2 and atmospheric chlorine chemistry, chlorine atom concentrations reaching in excess of 1.20 x 10(5) molecules/cm(3) in the early morning following sunrise are calculated. These concentrations are approximately 10 times higher than previously reported in the United Kingdom, suggesting a significant impact on the oxidizing capacity around such sites. Given the ubiquity of landfill sites regionally and globally, and the large abundances of Cl atoms from the photolysis of ClNO2, chlorine chemistry has a significant impact on ozone formation and volatile organic compounds oxidation as shown by WRF-Chem modeling. Plain Language Summary Landfill sites are a known source of traces gases into the atmosphere, but measurements often focus predominately on methane and carbon dioxide. A small subsection of trace gas measurements at landfill sites have shown, however, that these sites may be important halogen sources that could have subsequent impacts on air quality and climate. Spatially limited field measurements have previously been reported of a halogen species, ClNO2, showing that this species is consistently formed during nighttime hours, but no such measurements before now have been made at any landfill site. ClNO2 undergoes photolysis upon sunrise, releasing the extremely reactive Cl as well as NO2 into the atmosphere and therefore plays an important part in the total budget and distribution of tropospheric oxidants, halogens, and reactive nitrogen species, all of which are important to air quality. Here we present mass spectrometry measurements of ClNO2 taken at an undisclosed landfill, which show high concentrations in comparison to any other global study of this type. We use predictive modeling techniques to show the importance of this halogen species to air quality, using indicators such as ozone formation. Based on these results we recommend that landfill sources of Cl should be included in future air quality studies.
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| 17. |
- Barchyn, Thomas E., et al.
(författare)
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Subglacial bed form morphology controlled by ice speed and sediment thickness
- 2016
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Ingår i: Geophysical Research Letters. - 0094-8276. ; 43:14, s. 7572-7580
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Subglacial bed forms (drumlins, ribbed moraines, and megascale glacial lineations) are enigmatic repetitive flow-parallel and flow-transverse landforms common in glaciated landscapes. Their evolution and morphology are a potentially powerful constraint for ice sheet modeling, but there is little consensus on bed form dynamics or formative mechanisms. Here we explore shallow sediment bed form dynamics via a simple model that iterates (i) down-flow till flux, (ii) pressure gradient-driven till flux, and (iii) entrainment and deposition of sediment. Under various boundary conditions, replicas of subglacial bed forms readily emerge. Bed form dynamics mirror those in subaqueous and aeolian domains. Transitions between ribbed moraines and elongate flow-parallel bed forms are associated with increasing ice speeds and declining sediment thickness. These simulations provide quantitative flux estimates and suggest that widely observed transitions in shallow sediment subglacial bed forms (e.g., ribbed moraines to drumlinoids to megascale glacial lineations) are manifestations of subtle variations in ice velocity and sediment thickness.
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| 18. |
- Behar, Etienne, et al.
(författare)
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Mass loading at 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko : A case study
- 2016
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Ingår i: Geophysical Research Letters. - 0094-8276 .- 1944-8007. ; 43:4, s. 1411-1418
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We study the dynamics of the interaction between the solar wind ions and a partially ionized atmosphere around a comet, at a distance of 2.88 AU from the Sun during a period of low nucleus activity. Comparing particle data and magnetic field data for a case study, we highlight the prime role of the solar wind electric field in the cometary ion dynamics. Cometary ion and solar wind proton flow directions evolve in a correlated manner, as expected from the theory of mass loading. We find that the main component of the accelerated cometary ion flow direction is along the antisunward direction and not along the convective electric field direction. This is interpreted as the effect of an antisunward polarization electric field adding up to the solar wind convective electric field.
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| 19. |
- Bertucci, C., et al.
(författare)
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Titan's interaction with the supersonic solar wind
- 2015
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Ingår i: Geophysical Research Letters. - 0094-8276 .- 1944-8007. ; 42:2, s. 193-200
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- After 9years in the Saturn system, the Cassini spacecraft finally observed Titan in the supersonic and super-Alfvenic solar wind. These unique observations reveal that Titan's interaction with the solar wind is in many ways similar to unmagnetized planets Mars and Venus and active comets in spite of the differences in the properties of the solar plasma in the outer solar system. In particular, Cassini detected a collisionless, supercritical bow shock and a well-defined induced magnetosphere filled with mass-loaded interplanetary magnetic field lines, which drape around Titan's ionosphere. Although the flyby altitude may not allow the detection of an ionopause, Cassini reports enhancements of plasma density compatible with plasma clouds or streamers in the flanks of its induced magnetosphere or due to an expansion of the induced magnetosphere. Because of the upstream conditions, these observations may be also relevant to other bodies in the outer solar system such as Pluto, where kinetic processes are expected to dominate.
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| 20. |
- Breuillard, H., et al.
(författare)
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Multispacecraft analysis of dipolarization fronts and associated whistler wave emissions using MMS data
- 2016
-
Ingår i: Geophysical Research Letters. - : Blackwell Publishing. - 0094-8276 .- 1944-8007. ; 43:14, s. 7279-7286
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Dipolarization fronts (DFs), embedded in bursty bulk flows, play a crucial role in Earth's plasma sheet dynamics because the energy input from the solar wind is partly dissipated in their vicinity. This dissipation is in the form of strong low-frequency waves that can heat and accelerate energetic electrons up to the high-latitude plasma sheet. However, the dynamics of DF propagation and associated low-frequency waves in the magnetotail are still under debate due to instrumental limitations and spacecraft separation distances. In May 2015 the Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission was in a string-of-pearls configuration with an average intersatellite distance of 160km, which allows us to study in detail the microphysics of DFs. Thus, in this letter we employ MMS data to investigate the properties of dipolarization fronts propagating earthward and associated whistler mode wave emissions. We show that the spatial dynamics of DFs are below the ion gyroradius scale in this region (approximate to 500km), which can modify the dynamics of ions in the vicinity of the DF (e.g., making their motion nonadiabatic). We also show that whistler wave dynamics have a temporal scale of the order of the ion gyroperiod (a few seconds), indicating that the perpendicular temperature anisotropy can vary on such time scales.
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