1. |
- Agapitov, Oleksiy, et al.
(author)
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A statistical study of the propagation characteristics of whistler waves observed by Cluster
- 2011
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In: Geophysical Research Letters. - 0094-8276 .- 1944-8007. ; 38, s. L20103-
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- VLF waves play a crucial role in the dynamics of radiation belts, and are responsible for the loss and the acceleration of energetic electrons. Modeling wave-particle interactions requires the best possible knowledge for how wave energy and wave-normal directions are distributed in L-shells and for the magnetic latitudes of different magnetic activity conditions. In this work, we performed a statistical study for VLF emissions using a whistler frequency range for nine years (2001-2009) of Cluster measurements. We utilized data from the STAFF-SA experiment, which spans the frequency range from 8.8 Hz to 3.56 kHz. We show that the wave energy distribution has two maxima around L similar to 4.5 = 6 and L similar to 2, and that wave-normals are directed approximately along the magnetic field in the vicinity of the geomagnetic equator. The distribution changes with magnetic latitude, and so that at latitudes of similar to 30 degrees, wave-normals become nearly perpendicular to the magnetic field. The observed angular distribution is significantly different from Gaussian and the width of the distribution increases with latitude. Since the resonance condition for wave-particle interactions depends on the wave normal orientation, our results indicate that, due to the observed change in the wave-normal direction with latitude, the most efficient particle diffusion due to wave-particle interaction should occur in a limited region surrounding the geomagnetic equator.
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2. |
- Aichner, Bernhard, et al.
(author)
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Hydroclimate in the Pamirs Was Driven by Changes in Precipitation-Evaporation Seasonality Since the Last Glacial Period
- 2019
-
In: Geophysical Research Letters. - 0094-8276 .- 1944-8007. ; 46:23, s. 13972-13983
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The Central Asian Pamir Mountains (Pamirs) are a high-altitude region sensitive to climatic change, with only few paleoclimatic records available. To examine the glacial-interglacial hydrological changes in the region, we analyzed the geochemical parameters of a 31-kyr record from Lake Karakul and performed a set of experiments with climate models to interpret the results. delta D values of terrestrial biomarkers showed insolation-driven trends reflecting major shifts of water vapor sources. For aquatic biomarkers, positive delta D shifts driven by changes in precipitation seasonality were observed at ca. 31-30, 28-26, and 17-14 kyr BP. Multiproxy paleoecological data and modelling results suggest that increased water availability, induced by decreased summer evaporation, triggered higher lake levels during those episodes, possibly synchronous to northern hemispheric rapid climate events. We conclude that seasonal changes in precipitation-evaporation balance significantly influenced the hydrological state of a large waterbody such as Lake Karakul, while annual precipitation amount and inflows remained fairly constant.
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3. |
- Akbari, H., et al.
(author)
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In Situ Electron Density From Active Sounding : The Influence of the Spacecraft Wake
- 2019
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In: Geophysical Research Letters. - : AMER GEOPHYSICAL UNION. - 0094-8276 .- 1944-8007. ; 46:17-18, s. 10250-10256
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Results obtained in the Martian ionosphere by the Langmuir Probe and Waves instrument aboard the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN Mission spacecraft are presented. The results include ionospheric electron densities determined from the frequency of Langmuir waves. Since the amplitude of thermal Langmuir waves is often below the instrument's detection level, Langmuir Probe and Waves excites these waves by injecting into the plasma a 3.3-V white noise signal. Electric field spectral measurements obtained shortly after the excitation show a resonance line at frequencies slightly below the local plasma frequency. The observed resonance line is interpreted to originate from plasma waves excited in the wake behind the spacecraft. These results reveal an important phenomenon in electron density estimation from stimulated Langmuir waves. The observed phenomenon, not previously reported by earlier missions, may be a common process in active sounding that can affect in situ electron density measurements.
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4. |
- Aldahan, Ala, et al.
(author)
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Atmospheric impact on beryllium isotopes as solar activity proxy
- 2008
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In: Geophysical Research Letters. - 0094-8276 .- 1944-8007. ; 35:L21812
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Reconstructing solar activity variability beyond the time scale of actual measurements provides invaluable data for modeling of past and future climate change. The 10 Be isotope has been a primary proxy archive of past solar activity and cosmic ray intensity, particularly for the last millennium. There is, however, a lack of direct high-resolution atmospheric time series on 10 Be that enable estimating atmospheric modulation on the production signal. Here we report quasi-weekly data on 10 Be and 7 Be isotopes covering the periods 1983-2000 and 1975-2006 respectively, that show, for the first time, coherent variations reflecting both atmospheric and production effects. Our data indicate intrusion of stratosphere/upper troposphere air masses that can modulate the isotopes production signal, and may induce relative peaks in the natural 10 Be archives (i.e., ice and sediment). The atmospheric impact on the Be-isotopes can disturb the production signals and consequently the estimate of past solar activity magnitude. Citation: Aldahan, A., J. Hedfors, G. Possnert, A. Kulan, A.-M. Berggren, and C. Soderstrom (2008), Atmospheric impact on beryllium isotopes as solar activity proxy, Geophys. Res. Lett., 35, L21812, doi: 10.1029/2008GL035189.
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5. |
- Aldahan, Ala, et al.
(author)
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Distribution of I-127 and I-129 in preciptitation at high European latitudes
- 2009
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In: Geophysical Research Letters. - 0094-8276 .- 1944-8007. ; 36, s. L11805-
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We here present the most extensive data set on the distribution of I-127 and I-129 in precipitation (rain and snow) covering the period 2000-2006 and European latitudes 55 degrees N-68 degrees N. Our results indicate a wide variation in the concentrations and fluxes of the two isotopes associated with generally higher values at near coastal sites compared to the inland ones. Total wet-related annual deposition of I-127 and I-129 on Sweden and Denmark is estimated at about 1.2 x 10(9) g and 60 g respectively. The average annual I-129 wet deposition accounts for <1% and <0.05% of the total annual gaseous and liquid, respectively, discharges from the Sellafiled and La Hague Facilities. The I-127 annual wet deposition represents < 1% of the estimated global oceanic iodine flux. Air mass trajectories suggest that events of enhanced I-129 in precipitation are closely related to southwesterly weather fronts from regions of elevated concentrations.
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6. |
- Aleinov, I, et al.
(author)
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Modeling a Transient Secondary Paleolunar Atmosphere : 3-D Simulations and Analysis
- 2019
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In: Geophysical Research Letters. - : AMER GEOPHYSICAL UNION. - 0094-8276 .- 1944-8007. ; 46:10, s. 5107-5116
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The lunar history of water deposition, loss, and transport postaccretion has become an important consideration in relation to the possibility of a human outpost on the Moon. Very recent work has shown that a secondary primordial atmosphere of up to 10 mbar could have been emplaced similar to 3.5 x 10(9) years ago due to volcanic outgassing from the maria. Using a zero-dimensional chemistry model, we demonstrate the temperature dependence of the resulting major atmospheric components (CO or CO2). We use a three-dimensional general circulation model to test the viability of such an atmosphere and derive its climatological characteristics. Based on these results, we then conjecture on its capability to transport volatiles outgassed from the maria to the permanently shadowed regions at the poles. Our preliminary results demonstrate that atmospheres as low as 1 mbar are viable and that permanent cold trapping of volatiles is only possible at the poles.
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7. |
- Alfvén, Hannes
(author)
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Paradigm transition in cosmic plasma physics
- 1983
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In: Geophysical Research Letters. - : American Geophysical Union (AGU). - 0094-8276 .- 1944-8007. ; 10:6, s. 487-488
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- During the 1970's in situ measurements in the magnetospheres, including the solar wind region ("solar magnetosphere") drastically changed our understanding of the properties of cosmic plasmas. Further, we have learned how to generalize results from plasma investigations in one region to other regions. This means that laboratory investigations of plasmas of the size of, say, 10 cm can be used to achieve better understanding of cosmic plasmas of magnetospheric dimensions; say, 1010 cm. By another step of 109 we can transfer laboratory and magnetospheric results to galactic plasmas of, say, 1019 cm. A third jump of 109 brings us up to the Hubble distance 1028 cm and hence to cosmological problems (see Figure 1).
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8. |
- Alfvén, Hannes
(author)
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Viking in the plasma universe
- 1987
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In: Geophysical Research Letters. - : American Geophysical Union (AGU). - 0094-8276 .- 1944-8007. ; 14:4, s. 475-478
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Realizing that the magnetosphere cannot be understood until the electric field is mapped, Viking has placed emphasis on electric field measurements. Because energy is transferred from the solar wind mainly through electric currents in the active plasma regions, Viking's orbit is selected so as to include as much of the active regions as possible. The real-time presentation of the results makes it possible to modify the observations as soon as interesting events are seen. As several of the project leaders have experience in plasma laboratory experiments, Viking can be characterized as a new type of space plasma experiment.Some of the results of the Viking mission are important as a basis for drawing the circuit of energy transfer from the solar wind to the magnetosphere and ionosphere (Figure 1) and for understanding the general properties of collisionless plasmas in space (Table 1). They will constitute a platform for a systematic exploration of the plasma universe (Figure 2), which will have an impact on our views on cosmogony and cosmology.
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9. |
- Alho, M., et al.
(author)
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Electron Signatures of Reconnection in a Global eVlasiator Simulation
- 2022
-
In: Geophysical Research Letters. - : American Geophysical Union (AGU). - 0094-8276 .- 1944-8007. ; 49:14
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Geospace plasma simulations have progressed toward more realistic descriptions of the solar wind-magnetosphere interaction from magnetohydrodynamic to hybrid ion-kinetic, such as the state-of-the-art Vlasiator model. Despite computational advances, electron scales have been out of reach in a global setting. eVlasiator, a novel Vlasiator submodule, shows for the first time how electromagnetic fields driven by global hybrid-ion kinetics influence electrons, resulting in kinetic signatures. We analyze simulated electron distributions associated with reconnection sites and compare them with Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) spacecraft observations. Comparison with MMS shows that key electron features, such as reconnection inflows, heated outflows, flat-top distributions, and bidirectional streaming, are in remarkable agreement. Thus, we show that many reconnection-related features can be reproduced despite strongly truncated electron physics and an ion-scale spatial resolution. Ion-scale dynamics and ion-driven magnetic fields are shown to be significantly responsible for the environment that produces electron dynamics observed by spacecraft in near-Earth plasmas.
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10. |
- Alm, Love, et al.
(author)
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Magnetotail Hall Physics in the Presence of Cold Ions
- 2018
-
In: Geophysical Research Letters. - : Blackwell Publishing Ltd. - 0094-8276 .- 1944-8007. ; 45:20, s. 10,941-10,950
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We present the first in situ observation of cold ionospheric ions modifying the Hall physics of magnetotail reconnection. While in the tail lobe, Magnetospheric Multiscale mission observed cold (tens of eV) E × B drifting ions. As Magnetospheric Multiscale mission crossed the separatrix of a reconnection exhaust, both cold lobe ions and hot (keV) ions were observed. During the closest approach of the neutral sheet, the cold ions accounted for ∼30% of the total ion density. Approximately 65% of the initial cold ions remained cold enough to stay magnetized. The Hall electric field was mainly supported by the j × B term of the generalized Ohm's law, with significant contributions from the ∇·P e and v c ×B terms. The results show that cold ions can play an important role in modifying the Hall physics of magnetic reconnection even well inside the plasma sheet. This indicates that modeling magnetic reconnection may benefit from including multiscale Hall physics.
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11. |
- Alm, Love, et al.
(author)
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MMS Observations of Multiscale Hall Physics in the Magnetotail
- 2019
-
In: Geophysical Research Letters. - : AMER GEOPHYSICAL UNION. - 0094-8276 .- 1944-8007.
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We present Magnetospheric Multiscale mission (MMS) observations of Hall physics in the magnetotail, which compared to dayside Hall physics is a relatively unexplored topic. The plasma consists of electrons, moderately cold ions (T similar to 1.5 keV) and hot ions (T similar to 20 keV). MMS can differentiate between the cold ion demagnetization region and hot ion demagnetization regions, which suggests that MMS was observing multiscale Hall physics. The observed Hall electric field is compared with a generalized Ohm's law, accounting for multiple ion populations. The cold ion population, despite its relatively high initial temperature, has a significant impact on the Hall electric field. These results show that multiscale Hall physics is relevant over a much larger temperature range than previously observed and is relevant for the whole magnetosphere as well as for other astrophysical plasma.
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12. |
- An, Lu, et al.
(author)
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Bathymetry of Southeast Greenland From Oceans Melting Greenland (OMG) Data
- 2019
-
In: Geophysical Research Letters. - 0094-8276 .- 1944-8007. ; 46:11, s. 197-205
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Southeast Greenland has been a major participant in the ice sheet mass loss over the last several decades. Interpreting the evolution of glacier fronts requires information about their depth below sea level and ocean thermal forcing, which are incompletely known in the region. Here, we combine airborne gravity and multibeam echo sounding data from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Oceans Melting Greenland (OMG) mission with ocean probe and fishing boat depth data to reconstruct the bathymetry extending from the glacier margins to the edges of the continental shelf. We perform a three-dimensional inversion of the gravity data over water and merge the solution with a mass conservation reconstruction of bed topography over land. In contrast with other parts of Greenland, we find few deep troughs connecting the glaciers to the sources of warm Atlantic Water, amidst a relatively uniform, shallow (350 m) continental shelf. The deep channels include the Kangerlugssuaq, Sermilik, Gyldenlove, and Tingmiarmiut Troughs.
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13. |
- Andersson, Andreas, et al.
(author)
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Air-sea gas transfer in high Arctic fjords
- 2017
-
In: Geophysical Research Letters. - 0094-8276 .- 1944-8007. ; 44:5, s. 2519-2526
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In Arctic fjords and high-latitude seas, strong surface cooling dominates during a large part of the year, generating water-side convection (w*w) and enhanced turbulence in the water. These regions are key areas for the global carbon cycle; thus, a correct description of their air-sea gas exchange is crucial. CO2-data were measured via the eddy covariance technique in marine Arctic conditions and reveal that water-side convection has a major impact on the gas transfer velocity. This is observed even at wind speeds as high as 9 m s-1, where convective motions are generally thought to be suppressed by wind-driven turbulence. The enhanced air-sea transfer of CO2 caused by water-side convection nearly doubled the CO2uptake, after scaled to open sea conditions the contribution from to the CO2 flux remained as high as 34%; this phenomenon is expected to be highly important for the total carbon uptake in marine Arctic areas.
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14. |
- André, Mats, et al.
(author)
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Low-energy ions : A previously hidden solar system particle population
- 2012
-
In: Geophysical Research Letters. - 0094-8276 .- 1944-8007. ; 39, s. L03101-
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Ions with energies less than tens of eV originate from the Terrestrial ionosphere and from several planets and moons in the solar system. The low energy indicates the origin of the plasma but also severely complicates detection of the positive ions onboard sunlit spacecraft at higher altitudes, which often become positively charged to several tens of Volts. We discuss some methods to observe low-energy ions, including a recently developed technique based on the detection of the wake behind a charged spacecraft in a supersonic flow. Recent results from this technique show that low-energy ions typically dominate the density in large regions of the Terrestrial magnetosphere on the nightside and in the polar regions. These ions also often dominate in the dayside magnetosphere, and can change the dynamics of processes like magnetic reconnection. The loss of this low-energy plasma to the solar wind is one of the primary pathways for atmospheric escape from planets in our solar system. We combine several observations to estimate how common low-energy ions are in the Terrestrial magnetosphere and briefly compare with Mars, Venus and Titan.
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15. |
- André, Mats, et al.
(author)
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Magnetic reconnection and cold plasma at the magnetopause
- 2010
-
In: Geophysical Research Letters. - 0094-8276 .- 1944-8007. ; 37:22, s. L22108-
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We report on detailed observations by the four Cluster spacecraft of magnetic reconnection and a Flux Transfer Event (FTE) at the magnetopause. We detect cold (eV) plasma at the magnetopause with two independent methods. We show that the cold ions can be essential for the electric field normal to the current sheet in the separatrix region at the edge of the FTE and for the associated acceleration of ions from the magnetosphere into the reconnection jet. The cold ions have small enough gyroradii to drift inside the limited separatrix region and the normal electric field can be balanced by this drift, E approximate to -v x B. The separatrix region also includes cold accelerated electrons, as part of the reconnection current circuit.
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16. |
- André, Mats, et al.
(author)
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Magnetic reconnection and modification of the Hall physics due to cold ions at the magnetopause
- 2016
-
In: Geophysical Research Letters. - : Blackwell Publishing. - 0094-8276 .- 1944-8007. ; 43:13, s. 6705-6712
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Observations by the four Magnetospheric Multiscale spacecraft are used to investigate the Hall physics of a magnetopause magnetic reconnection separatrix layer. Inside this layer of currents and strong normal electric fields, cold (eV) ions of ionospheric origin can remain frozen-in together with the electrons. The cold ions reduce the Hall current. Using a generalized Ohm's law, the electric field is balanced by the sum of the terms corresponding to the Hall current, the vxB drifting cold ions, and the divergence of the electron pressure tensor. A mixture of hot and cold ions is common at the subsolar magnetopause. A mixture of length scales caused by a mixture of ion temperatures has significant effects on the Hall physics of magnetic reconnection.
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17. |
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18. |
- Andrews, David J., et al.
(author)
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Ionospheric plasma density variations observed at Mars by MAVEN/LPW
- 2015
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In: Geophysical Research Letters. - 0094-8276 .- 1944-8007. ; 42:21, s. 8862-8869
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We report on initial observations made by the Langmuir Probe and Waves relaxation sounding experiment on board the NASA Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) mission. These measurements yield the ionospheric thermal plasma density, and we use these data here for an initial survey of its variability. Studying orbit-to-orbit variations, we show that the relative variability of the ionospheric plasma density is lowest at low altitudes near the photochemical peak, steadily increases toward higher altitudes and sharply increases as the spacecraft crosses the terminator and moves into the nightside. Finally, despite the small volume of data currently available, we show that a clear signature of the influence of crustal magnetic fields on the thermal plasma density fluctuations is visible. Such results are consistent with previously reported remote measurements made at higher altitudes, but crucially, here we sample a new span of altitudes between similar to 130 and similar to 300 km using in situ techniques.
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19. |
- Andriopoulou, M., et al.
(author)
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Study of the spacecraft potential under active control and plasma density estimates during the MMS commissioning phase
- 2016
-
In: Geophysical Research Letters. - 0094-8276 .- 1944-8007. ; 43:10, s. 4858-4864
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Each spacecraft of the recently launched magnetospheric multiscale MMS mission is equipped with Active Spacecraft Potential Control (ASPOC) instruments, which control the spacecraft potential in order to reduce spacecraft charging effects. ASPOC typically reduces the spacecraft potential to a few volts. On several occasions during the commissioning phase of the mission, the ASPOC instruments were operating only on one spacecraft at a time. Taking advantage of such intervals, we derive photoelectron curves and also perform reconstructions of the uncontrolled spacecraft potential for the spacecraft with active control and estimate the electron plasma density during those periods. We also establish the criteria under which our methods can be applied.
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20. |
- Archer, W. E., et al.
(author)
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Steve : The Optical Signature of Intense Subauroral Ion Drifts
- 2019
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In: Geophysical Research Letters. - : AMER GEOPHYSICAL UNION. - 0094-8276 .- 1944-8007. ; 46:12, s. 6279-6286
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)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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21. |
- Arndt, Jan Erik, et al.
(author)
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The International Bathymetric Chart of the Southern Ocean (IBCSO) Version 1.0-A new bathymetric compilation covering circum-Antarctic waters
- 2013
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In: Geophysical Research Letters. - : American Geophysical Union (AGU). - 0094-8276 .- 1944-8007. ; 40:12, s. 3111-3117
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The International Bathymetric Chart of the Southern Ocean (IBCSO) Version 1.0 is a new digital bathymetric model (DBM) portraying the seafloor of the circum-Antarctic waters south of 60 degrees S. IBCSO is a regional mapping project of the General Bathymetric Chart of the Oceans (GEBCO). The IBCSO Version 1.0 DBM has been compiled from all available bathymetric data collectively gathered by more than 30 institutions from 15 countries. These data include multibeam and single-beam echo soundings, digitized depths from nautical charts, regional bathymetric gridded compilations, and predicted bathymetry. Specific gridding techniques were applied to compile the DBM from the bathymetric data of different origin, spatial distribution, resolution, and quality. The IBCSO Version 1.0 DBM has a resolution of 500 x 500 m, based on a polar stereographic projection, and is publicly available together with a digital chart for printing from the project website (www.ibcso.org) and at .
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22. |
- Artemyev, A. V., et al.
(author)
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Field-Aligned Currents Originating From the Magnetic Reconnection Region : Conjugate MMS-ARTEMIS Observations
- 2018
-
In: Geophysical Research Letters. - : American Geophysical Union (AGU). - 0094-8276 .- 1944-8007. ; 45:12, s. 5836-5844
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)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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23. |
- Askebjer, P., et al.
(author)
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UV and optical light transmission properties in deep ice at the South Pole
- 1997
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In: Geophysical Research Letters. - : American Geophysical Union (AGU). - 0094-8276 .- 1944-8007. ; 24:11, s. 1355-1358
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Both absorption and scattering of light at wavelengths 410 to 610 nanometers were measured in the South Pole ice at depths 0.8 to 1 kilometer with the laser calibration system of the Antarctic Muon And Neutrino Detector Array (AMANDA). At the shortest wavelengths the absorption lengths exceeded 200 meters - an order of magnitude longer than has been reported for laboratory ice. The absorption shows a strong wavelength dependence while the scattering length is found to be independent of the wavelength, consistent with the hypothesis of a residual density of air bubbles in the ice. The observed linear decrease of the inverse scattering length with depth is compatible with an earlier measurement by the AMANDA collaboration (at ∼515 nanometers).
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24. |
- Assmann, Karen, et al.
(author)
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Warm. Circumpolar Deep Water at the Western Getz Ice Shelf Front, Antarctica
- 2019
-
In: Geophysical Research Letters. - : American Geophysical Union (AGU). - 0094-8276 .- 1944-8007. ; 46:2, s. 870-878
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)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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25. |
- Backrud, Marie, et al.
(author)
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Interferometric Identification of Ion Acoustic Broadband Waves in the Auroral Region : CLUSTER Observations
- 2005
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In: Geophysical Research Letters. - 0094-8276 .- 1944-8007. ; 32:21
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- [1] We determine the phase velocity and k vector for parallel and oblique broadband extremely low frequency, ELF, waves on nightside auroral magnetic field lines at altitudes around 4.6 RE. We use internal burst mode data from the EFW electric field and wave instrument onboard the Cluster spacecraft to retrieve phase differences between the four probes of the instrument. The retrieved characteristic phase velocity is of the order of the ion acoustic speed and larger than the thermal velocity of the protons. The typical wavelength obtained from interferometry is around the proton gyro radius and always larger than the Debye length. We find that in regions with essentially no suprathermal electrons above a few tens of eV the observed broadband waves above the proton gyro frequency are consistent with upgoing ion acoustic and oblique ion acoustic waves.
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26. |
- Balke, Thorsten, et al.
(author)
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Increasing Synchrony of Annual River‐Flood Peaks and Growing Season in Europe
- 2019
-
In: Geophysical Research Letters. - : American Geophysical Union (AGU). - 0094-8276 .- 1944-8007. ; 46:17-18, s. 10446-10453
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)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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27. |
- Ball, W. T., et al.
(author)
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The Upper Stratospheric Solar Cycle Ozone Response
- 2019
-
In: Geophysical Research Letters. - 0094-8276 .- 1944-8007. ; 46:3, s. 1831-1841
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)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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28. |
- Baltar, Federico, et al.
(author)
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Significance of non-sinking particulate organic carbon and dark CO2 fixation to heterotrophic carbon demand in the mesopelagic Atlantic
- 2010
-
In: Geophysical Research Letters. - 0094-8276 .- 1944-8007. ; 37, s. L09602-
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- It is generally assumed that sinking particulate organic carbon (POC) constitutes the main source of organic carbon supply to the deep ocean's food webs. However, a major discrepancy between the rates of sinking POC supply (collected with sediment traps) and the prokaryotic organic carbon demand (the total amount of carbon required to sustain the heterotrophic metabolism of the prokaryotes; i.e., production plus respiration, PCD) of deep-water communities has been consistently reported for the dark realm of the global ocean. While the amount of sinking POC flux declines exponentially with depth, the concentration of suspended, buoyant non-sinking POC (nsPOC; obtained with oceanographic bottles) exhibits only small variations with depth in the (sub) tropical Northeast Atlantic. Based on available data for the North Atlantic we show here that the sinking POC flux would contribute only 4-12% of the PCD in the mesopelagic realm (depending on the primary production rate in surface waters). The amount of nsPOC potentially available to heterotrophic prokaryotes in the mesopelagic realm can be partly replenished by dark dissolved inorganic carbon fixation contributing between 12% to 72% to the PCD daily. Taken together, there is evidence that the mesopelagic microheterotrophic biota is more dependent on the nsPOC pool than on the sinking POC supply. Hence, the enigmatic major mismatch between the organic carbon demand of the deep-water heterotrophic microbiota and the POC supply rates might be substantially smaller by including the potentially available nsPOC and its autochthonous production in oceanic carbon cycling models. Citation: Baltar, F., J. Aristegui, E. Sintes, J. M. Gasol, T. Reinthaler, and G. J. Herndl (2010), Significance of non-sinking particulate organic carbon and dark CO2 fixation to heterotrophic carbon demand in the mesopelagic northeast Atlantic.
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29. |
- Bannan, T. J., et al.
(author)
-
A Large Source of Atomic Chlorine From ClNO2 Photolysis at a UK Landfill Site
- 2019
-
In: Geophysical Research Letters. - : American Geophysical Union (AGU). - 0094-8276 .- 1944-8007. ; 46:14, s. 8508-8516
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)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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30. |
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31. |
- Basu, N. B., et al.
(author)
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Nutrient loads exported from managed catchments reveal emergent biogeochemical stationarity
- 2010
-
In: Geophysical Research Letters. - 0094-8276 .- 1944-8007. ; 37:L23404
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Complexity of heterogeneous catchments poses challenges in predicting biogeochemical responses to human alterations and stochastic hydro‐climatic drivers. Human interferences and climate change may have contributed to the demise of hydrologic stationarity, but our synthesis of a large body of observational data suggests that anthropogenic impacts have also resulted in the emergence of effective biogeochemical stationarity in managed catchments. Long‐term monitoring data from the Mississippi‐Atchafalaya River Basin (MARB) and the Baltic Sea Drainage Basin (BSDB) reveal that inter‐annual variations in loads (LT) for total‐N (TN) and total‐P (TP), exported from a catchment are dominantly controlled by discharge (QT) leading inevitably to temporal invariance of the annual, flow‐weighted concentration, = (LT/QT). Emergence of this consistent pattern across diverse managed catchments is attributed to the anthropogenic legacy of accumulated nutrient sources generating memory, similar to ubiquitously present sources for geogenic constituents that also exhibit a linear LT‐QT relationship. These responses are characteristic of transport‐limited systems. In contrast, in the absence of legacy sources in less‐managed catchments, values were highly variable and supply limited. We offer a theoretical explanation for the observed patterns at the event scale, and extend it to consider the stochastic nature of rainfall/flow patterns at annual scales. Our analysis suggests that: (1) expected inter‐annual variations in LT can be robustly predicted given discharge variations arising from hydro‐climatic or anthropogenic forcing, and (2) water‐quality problems in receiving inland and coastal waters would persist until the accumulated storages of nutrients have been substantially depleted. The finding has notable implications on catchment management to mitigate adverse water‐quality impacts, and on acceleration of global biogeochemical cycles.
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32. |
- Becerra Garcia, Marley, et al.
(author)
-
On the velocity of positive connecting leaders associated with negative downward lightning leaders
- 2008
-
In: Geophysical Research Letters. - 0094-8276 .- 1944-8007. ; 35:2
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- A self-consistent leader propagation model is used to estimate the velocity of upward connecting positive leaders initiated from a tall tower under the influence of downward negative lightning leaders. The propagation of upward connecting leaders has been found to be influenced not only by the average velocity of the downward leader but also by the prospective return stroke current, the lateral position of the downward leader channel as well as by the ambient electric field. This result show that the velocity and propagation time of upward connecting positive leaders change from flash to flash due to the variations in these parameters.
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33. |
- Beck, Lisa J., et al.
(author)
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Differing Mechanisms of New Particle Formation at Two Arctic Sites
- 2021
-
In: Geophysical Research Letters. - 0094-8276 .- 1944-8007. ; 48:4
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- New particle formation in the Arctic atmosphere is an important source of aerosol particles. Understanding the processes of Arctic secondary aerosol formation is crucial due to their significant impact on cloud properties and therefore Arctic amplification. We observed the molecular formation of new particles from low-volatility vapors at two Arctic sites with differing surroundings. In Svalbard, sulfuric acid (SA) and methane sulfonic acid (MSA) contribute to the formation of secondary aerosol and to some extent to cloud condensation nuclei (CCN). This occurs via ion-induced nucleation of SA and NH3 and subsequent growth by mainly SA and MSA condensation during springtime and highly oxygenated organic molecules during summertime. By contrast, in an ice-covered region around Villum, we observed new particle formation driven by iodic acid but its concentration was insufficient to grow nucleated particles to CCN sizes. Our results provide new insight about sources and precursors of Arctic secondary aerosol particles.
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34. |
- Behar, Etienne, et al.
(author)
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Mass loading at 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko : A case study
- 2016
-
In: Geophysical Research Letters. - 0094-8276 .- 1944-8007. ; 43:4, s. 1411-1418
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)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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35. |
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36. |
- Behlke, Rico, et al.
(author)
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Solitary structures associated with short large-amplitude magnetic structures (SLAMS) upstream of the Earth's quasi-parallel bow shock
- 2004
-
In: Geophysical Research Letters. - 0094-8276 .- 1944-8007. ; 31:16
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- [1] For the first time, solitary waves (SWs) have been observed within short large-amplitude magnetic structures (SLAMS) upstream of the Earth's quasi-parallel bow shock. The SWs often occur as bipolar pulses in the electric field data and move parallel to the background magnetic field at velocities of v = 400–1200 km/s. They have peak-to-peak amplitudes in the parallel electric field of up to E′∥ = 65 mV/m and parallel scale sizes of L∥ ∼ 10 λD. The bipolar solitary waves exhibit negative potential structures of ∣Φ∥∣ = 0.4–2.2 V, i.e., eΦ∥/kTe ∼ 0.1. None of the theories commonly used to describe SWs adequately address these negative potential structures moving at velocities above the ion thermal speed in a weakly magnetized plasma.
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37. |
- Belcher, Stephen E., et al.
(author)
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A global perspective on Langmuir turbulence in the ocean surface boundary layer
- 2012
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In: Geophysical Research Letters. - 0094-8276 .- 1944-8007. ; 39, s. L18605-
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The turbulent mixing in thin ocean surface boundary layers (OSBL), which occupy the upper 100 m or so of the ocean, control the exchange of heat and trace gases between the atmosphere and ocean. Here we show that current parameterizations of this turbulent mixing lead to systematic and substantial errors in the depth of the OSBL in global climate models, which then leads to biases in sea surface temperature. One reason, we argue, is that current parameterizations are missing key surface-wave processes that force Langmuir turbulence that deepens the OSBL more rapidly than steady wind forcing. Scaling arguments are presented to identify two dimensionless parameters that measure the importance of wave forcing against wind forcing, and against buoyancy forcing. A global perspective on the occurrence of wave-forced turbulence is developed using re-analysis data to compute these parameters globally. The diagnostic study developed here suggests that turbulent energy available for mixing the OSBL is under-estimated without forcing by surface waves. Wave-forcing and hence Langmuir turbulence could be important over wide areas of the ocean and in all seasons in the Southern Ocean. We conclude that surface-wave-forced Langmuir turbulence is an important process in the OSBL that requires parameterization. Citation: Belcher, S. E., et al. (2012), A global perspective on Langmuir turbulence in the ocean surface boundary layer, Geophys. Res. Lett., 39, L18605, doi: 10.1029/2012GL052932.
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38. |
- Bergbauer, S., et al.
(author)
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Thermal stress evolution in cooling pluton environments of different geometries
- 1998
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In: Geophysical Research Letters. - 0094-8276 .- 1944-8007. ; 25:5, s. 707-71-
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Thermoelastic displacement potentials and fast Fourier transforms can be combined to rapidly calculate the thermal stresses in 2-D for plutons that cool by conduction. First, temperature distributions over time are computed by solving the diffusion equation. Thermal stresses are then obtained using thermoelastic stress potentials. This method can be applied to a broad range of pluton geometries and initial conditions, and requires far less computation time than finite difference or finite element analyses. Results of 2-D analyses show that pluton geometry strongly influences the thermal stresses that occur in a cooling pluton. Thermal stresses of several tens of MPa arise during cooling and are highest at the corners or where the intrusion is thin. The most tensile stress is greater inside a pluton than in the host rock. Moreover, the orientation of the most tensile stress in a cooling pluton generally changes over time. This could result in multiple fracture sets, which would significantly affect the mechanical and hydraulic behavior of a pluton.
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39. |
- Berggren, Ann-Marie, 1969-, et al.
(author)
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A 600-year annual 10Be record from the NGRIP ice core, Greenland
- 2009
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In: Geophysical Research Letters. - 0094-8276 .- 1944-8007. ; 36, s. L11801-
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Despite the extensive use of 10Be as the most significant information source on past solar activity, there has been only one record (Dye-3, Greenland) providing annual resolution over several centuries. Here we report a new annual resolution 10Be record spanning the period 1389-1994 AD, measured in an ice core from the NGRIP site in Greenland. NGRIP and Dye-3 10Be exhibits similar long-term variability, although occasional short term differences between the two sites indicate that at least two high resolution 10Be records are needed to assess local variations and to confidently reconstruct past solar activity. A comparison with sunspot and neutron records confirms that ice core 10Be reflects solar Schwabe cycle variations, and continued 10Be variability suggests cyclic solar activity throughout the Maunder and Spörer grand solar activity minima. Recent 10Be values are low; however, they do not indicate unusually high recent solar activity compared to the last 600 years.
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40. |
- Berglund, Sara, 1990-, et al.
(author)
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North Atlantic Ocean Circulation and Related Exchange of Heat and Salt Between Water Masses
- 2023
-
In: Geophysical Research Letters. - 0094-8276 .- 1944-8007. ; 50:13
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The meridional transport of mass, heat, and salt in the North Atlantic Ocean is often described for separate regions and parts, but rarely are all components of the circulation followed at once. Lagrangian trajectories have here been used to divide the North Atlantic Ocean circulation into four different pathways. In the boundary between the Subpolar and Subtropical Gyres, we show that the northward flowing waters exchange heat and salt with the water originating from the subpolar regions. This subsurface water mass exchange takes place in the first 1,000 m and is a key piece of the puzzle of how the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation transports heat and salt. Between 30 & DEG; and 60 & DEG;N the northward flowing water loses 8.8 Gg/s salt to the Subpolar Gyre and an equivalent loss of only 1.7 Gg/s to the atmosphere due to the net fresh water influx.
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41. |
- Berthelsen, A., et al.
(author)
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Recording marine airgun shots at offsets between 300 and 700 km
- 1991
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In: Geophysical Research Letters. - 0094-8276 .- 1944-8007. ; 18:4, s. 645-648
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This paper demonstrates that - under favorable conditions - by using multichannel recording and subsequent stacking of adjacent records marine airgun shots have been detected at offset distances up to 700 km, the maximum offset at which the authors attempted to record data.^Besides a powerful airgun array, a low noise environment at the recording site and the elimination of static shifts are the prerequisites to obtain refracted and reflected arrivals from the crust and upper mantle at such large offsets.^Primary arrivals detected at offsets between 400 and 700 km image the upper mantle from 70 to about 120 km depth.^Stacking of neighboring shots and/or receivers successfully increases the signal-to-noise ratio, if the traces have been corrected for offset differences, which requires knowledge of the apparent phase velocities.^The data presented here were collected in autumn 1989 during the BABEL Project on the Baltic Shield.
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42. |
- Berthet, G., et al.
(author)
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Nighttime chlorine monoxide observations by the Odin satellite and implications for the ClO/Cl2O2 equilibrium
- 2005
-
In: Geophysical Research Letters. - 1944-8007 .- 0094-8276. ; 32:11, s. 1-5
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We use measurements of chlorine monoxide (ClO) by the SMR instrument onboard the Odin satellite to study the nighttime thermal equilibrium between ClO and its dimer Cl2O2. Observations performed in the polar vortex during the 2002-2003 Arctic winter showed enhanced amounts of nighttime ClO over a wide range of stratospheric temperatures (185
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43. |
- Bertucci, C., et al.
(author)
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Structure of Titan's mid-range magnetic tail : Cassini magnetometer observations during the T9 flyby
- 2007
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In: Geophysical Research Letters. - 0094-8276 .- 1944-8007. ; 34:24, s. L24S02-
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We analyze the magnetic structure of Titan's mid-range magnetic tail (5-6 Titan radii downstream from the moon) during Cassini's T9 flyby. Cassini magnetometer (MAG) measurements reveal a well-defined, induced magnetic tail consisting of two lobes and a distinct central current sheet. MAG observations also indicate that Saturn's background magnetic field is close to the moon's orbital plane and that the magnetospheric flow has a significant component in the Saturn-Titan direction. The analysis of MAG data in a coordinate system based on the orientation of the background magnetic field and an estimation of the incoming flow direction suggests that Titan's magnetic tail is extremely asymmetric. An important source of these asymmetries is the connection of the inbound tail lobe and the outbound tail lobe to the dayside and nightside hemispheres of Titan, respectively. Another source could be the perturbations generated by changes in the upstream conditions.
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44. |
- Bertucci, C., et al.
(author)
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Titan's interaction with the supersonic solar wind
- 2015
-
In: Geophysical Research Letters. - 0094-8276 .- 1944-8007. ; 42:2, s. 193-200
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)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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45. |
- Blackledge, B. W., et al.
(author)
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Tides on Other Earths : Implications for Exoplanet and Palaeo-Tidal Simulations
- 2020
-
In: Geophysical Research Letters. - 0094-8276 .- 1944-8007. ; 47:12
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- A key controller of a planet's rotational evolution, and hence habitability, is tidal dissipation, which on Earth is dominated by the ocean tides. Because exoplanet or deep‐time Earth topographies are unknown, a statistical ensemble is used to constrain possible tidal dissipation rates on an Earth‐like planet. A dedicated tidal model is used together with 120 random continental configurations to simulate Earth's semidiurnal lunar tide. The results show a possible ocean tidal dissipation range spanning 3 orders of magnitude, between 2.3 GWto 1.9 TW (1 TW=1012 W). When model resolution is considered, this compares well with theoretical limits derived for the energetics of Earth's present‐day deep ocean. Consequently, continents exert a fundamental control on tidal dissipation rates and we suggest that plate tectonics on a planet will induce a time‐varying dissipation analogous to Earth's. This will alter rotational periods over millions of years and further complicate the role of tides for planetary evolution.Plain Language SummaryThe daylength of a planet is key for habitability because it regulates the rate with which solar radiation is received and redistributed at the surface. A main controller of a planet's daylength is the ocean tide, because the dissipation of tidal energy works as a brake on the planet's spin, increasing the daylength. Tides are sensitive to the continental arrangement on a planet, but there are no details of the surface of any exoplanet and only limited information of what Earth looked like in the distant past. The change in Earth's daylength forces the Moon to recede into a higher orbit, but the present‐day recession rate is very high and does not fit our age models of the moon, implying that the tides must have been much weaker in the distant past. Here, we use a series of tidal predictions for random continental configurations of Earth to provide a range of tidal dissipation rates and thus an estimate of how the tides in the deep past may have evolved as Earth's continents grew more and more complex. This research also provides a range of dissipation rates that can be used for simulations of the rotational and orbital evolution of exoplanets.
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46. |
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47. |
- Blomberg, Lars G., et al.
(author)
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High-Latitude Convection Patterns For Various Large-Scale Field-Aligned Current Configurations
- 1991
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In: Geophysical Research Letters. - 0094-8276 .- 1944-8007. ; 18:4, s. 717-720
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The large-scale field-aligned current system for persistent northward interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) is typically different from that for persistent southward IMF. One characteristic difference is that for northward IMF there is often a large-scale field-aligned current system poleward of the main auroral oval. This current system (the NBZ current) typically occupies a large fraction of the region poleward of the region 1 and 2 currents. The present paper models the high-latitude convection as a function of the large-scale field-aligned currents. In particular, a possible evolution of the convection pattern as the current system changes from a typical configuration for southward IMF to a configuration representing northward IMF (or vice versa) is presented. Depending on additional assumptions, for example about the y-component of the IMF, the convection pattern could either turn directly from a two-cell type to a four-cell type, or a three-cell type pattern could show up as an intermediate state. An interesting although rather surprising result of this study is that different ways of balancing the NBZ currents has a minor influence on the large-scale convection pattern.
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48. |
- Boardsen, Scott A., et al.
(author)
-
Observations of Kelvin-Helmholtz waves along the dusk-side boundary of Mercury's magnetosphere during MESSENGER's third flyby
- 2010
-
In: Geophysical Research Letters. - : American Geophysical Union (AGU). - 0094-8276 .- 1944-8007. ; 37
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- During the third MESSENGER flyby of Mercury on 29 September 2009, 15 crossings of the dusk-side magnetopause were observed in the magnetic field data over a 2-min period, during which the spacecraft traveled a distance of 0.2 R-M (where R-M is Mercury's radius). The quasi-periodic nature of the magnetic field variations during the crossings, the characteristic time separations of similar to 16 s between pairs of crossings, and the variations of the magnetopause normal directions indicate that the signals are likely the signature of surface waves highly steepened at their leading edge that arose from the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability. At Earth, the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability is believed to lead to the turbulent transport of solar wind plasma into Earth's plasma sheet. This solar wind entry mechanism could also be important at Mercury. Citation: Boardsen, S. A., T. Sundberg, J. A. Slavin, B. J. Anderson, H. Korth, S. C. Solomon, and L. G. Blomberg (2010), Observations of Kelvin-Helmholtz waves along the dusk-side boundary of Mercury's magnetosphere during MESSENGER's third flyby, Geophys. Res. Lett., 37, L12101, doi: 10.1029/2010GL043606.
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49. |
- Boehm, M. H., et al.
(author)
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Observations of an upward-directed electron beam with the perpendicular temperature of the cold ionosphere
- 1995
-
In: Geophysical Research Letters. - 0094-8276 .- 1944-8007. ; 22, s. 2103-2106
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The Freja TESP electron spectrometer has repeatedly observed similar to 100 eV - 1 keV upward-directed, anti-field-aligned electron beams near 1700 km altitude in the auroral zone. A particularly intense event, at energies up to 2 keV, is described. The beam perpendicular temperature T perpendicular to(e)), was as low as 0.1-0.2 eV at 100-200 eV parallel energy. The 10-15 s period of upward fluxes was coincident with a low density (similar to 10 cm(-3)) period and a similar to 5 keV ion conic. Strong low frequency waves and the lack of any downward motion in the simultaneously observed ion conic suggest a strong element of wave acceleration, while electric field and ion loss cone measurements provide limited evidence of potential acceleration to a fraction of the observed energies.
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50. |
- Brandefelt, Jenny, et al.
(author)
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Equilibration and variability in a Last Glacial Maximum climate simulation with CCSM3
- 2009
-
In: Geophysical Research Letters. - : American Geophysical Union (AGU). - 0094-8276 .- 1944-8007. ; 36
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We present results from a 1862 year simulation of the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) with the Community Climate System Model version 3 (CCSM3). A quasi steady state is reached after approximately 100 years of integration when the initial cooling trend in the annual global mean atmospheric surface temperature (T-s) levels off and even reverses. After another 150 years of integration the climate continues to cool and reaches a new equilibrium after a total of 800 years of integration. The cause of the continued adjustment of the climate to LGM forcing and boundary conditions is found in the abyssal ocean which is cooling at a rate decreasing from 0.15 degrees C per century until the new equilibrium is reached. The new equilibrium differs substantially from the first quasi steady state with 1.1 degrees C colder global mean Ts and regional differences of 5-15 degrees C in the North Atlantic region and a 30% reduction of the strength of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC). Further, the variability in the global mean Ts is significantly larger in the new equilibrium. This variability is associated with coupled ocean-atmosphere-sea ice variations in the North Atlantic region. Citation: Brandefelt, J., and B. L. Otto-Bliesner (2009), Equilibration and variability in a Last Glacial Maximum climate simulation with CCSM3, Geophys. Res. Lett., 36, L19712, doi: 10.1029/2009GL040364.
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