WorldWideScience

Sample records for seasonal temperature gradients

  1. Insect temperature-body size trends common to laboratory, latitudinal and seasonal gradients are not found across altitudes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Horne, Curtis R.; Hirst, Andrew G.; Atkinson, David

    2018-01-01

    Body size affects rates of most biological and ecological processes, from individual performance to ecosystem function, and is fundamentally linked to organism fitness. Within species, size at maturity can vary systematically with environmental temperature in the laboratory and across seasons...... altitude. Although the general direction of body size clines along altitudinal gradients has been examined previously, to our knowledge altitude-body size (A-S) clines have never been synthesised quantitatively, nor compared with temperature-size (T-S) responses measured under controlled laboratory......, as well as over latitudinal gradients. Recent meta-analyses have revealed a close match in the magnitude and direction of these size gradients in various arthropod orders, suggesting that these size responses share common drivers. As with increasing latitude, temperature also decreases with increasing...

  2. Seasonal body size reductions with warming covary with major body size gradients in arthropod species

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Horne, Curtis R.; Hirst, Andrew G.; Atkinson, David

    2017-01-01

    experience different developmental conditions. Yet, unlike other size patterns, these common seasonal temperature–size gradients have never been collectively analysed. We undertake the largest analysis to date of seasonal temperature-size gradients in multivoltine arthropods, including 102 aquatic...... and terrestrial species from 71 global locations. Adult size declines in warmer seasons in 86% of the species examined. Aquatic species show approximately 2.5-fold greater reduction in size per °C of warming than terrestrial species, supporting the hypothesis that greater oxygen limitation in water than in air...

  3. Near-surface temperature gradient in a coastal upwelling regime

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maske, H.; Ochoa, J.; Almeda-Jauregui, C. O.; Ruiz-de la Torre, M. C.; Cruz-López, R.; Villegas-Mendoza, J. R.

    2014-08-01

    In oceanography, a near homogeneous mixed layer extending from the surface to a seasonal thermocline is a common conceptual basis in physics, chemistry, and biology. In a coastal upwelling region 3 km off the coast in the Mexican Pacific, we measured vertical density gradients with a free-rising CTD and temperature gradients with thermographs at 1, 3, and 5 m depths logging every 5 min during more than a year. No significant salinity gradient was observed down to 10 m depth, and the CTD temperature and density gradients showed no pronounced discontinuity that would suggest a near-surface mixed layer. Thermographs generally logged decreasing temperature with depth with gradients higher than 0.2 K m-1 more than half of the time in the summer between 1 and 3 m, 3 and 5 m and in the winter between 1 and 3 m. Some negative temperature gradients were present and gradients were generally highly variable in time with high peaks lasting fractions of hours to hours. These temporal changes were too rapid to be explained by local heating or cooling. The pattern of positive and negative peaks might be explained by vertical stacks of water layers of different temperatures and different horizontal drift vectors. The observed near-surface gradient has implications for turbulent wind energy transfer, vertical exchange of dissolved and particulate water constituents, the interpretation of remotely sensed SST, and horizontal wind-induced transport.

  4. Research on the characteristics of temperature field of asphalt pavement in seasonal frozen region

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Qiao, Jiangang; Liu, Weizheng

    2014-01-01

    The characteristics of climate in seasonal frozen area are low temperature and a large range of temperature variation between day and night in winter. These characteristics often lead to problems of asphalt pavement, especially transverse cracks. To reduce the problems of asphalt pavement, it is necessary to examine the distribution of the temperature range of asphalt pavement. A three-dimensional finite element model was used, taking the SMA asphalt pavement as an example with solid70 and plane55 unit features of ANSYS software. It can obtain the relationship between temperature gradient and time and the relationship between temperature gradient and depth. In addition, a function relation model of stress and time was also established. It can provide a theoretical basis for the prevention and treatment of problems of asphalt pavement in seasonal frozen area. Moreover, it has an important significance for improving asphalt pavement design

  5. Effects of Global Warming on Predatory Bugs Supported by Data Across Geographic and Seasonal Climatic Gradients

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schuldiner-Harpaz, Tarryn; Coll, Moshe

    2013-01-01

    Global warming may affect species abundance and distribution, as well as temperature-dependent morphometric traits. In this study, we first used historical data to document changes in Orius (Heteroptera: Anthocoridae) species assemblage and individual morphometric traits over the past seven decades in Israel. We then tested whether these changes could have been temperature driven by searching for similar patterns across seasonal and geographic climatic gradients in a present survey. The historical records indicated a shift in the relative abundance of dominant Orius species; the relative abundance of O. albidipennis, a desert-adapted species, increased while that of O. laevigatus decreased in recent decades by 6 and 10–15 folds, respectively. These shifts coincided with an overall increase of up to 2.1°C in mean daily temperatures over the last 25 years in Israel. Similar trends were found in contemporary data across two other climatic gradients, seasonal and geographic; O. albidipennis dominated Orius assemblages under warm conditions. Finally, specimens collected in the present survey were significantly smaller than those from the 1980’s, corresponding to significantly smaller individuals collected now during warmer than colder seasons. Taken together, results provide strong support to the hypothesis that temperature is the most likely driver of the observed shifts in species composition and body sizes because (1) historical changes in both species assemblage and body size were associated with rising temperatures in the study region over the last few decades; and (2) similar changes were observed as a result of contemporary drivers that are associated with temperature. PMID:23805249

  6. Air and ground temperatures along elevation and continentality gradients in Southern Norway

    Science.gov (United States)

    Farbrot, Herman; Hipp, Tobias; Etzelmüller, Bernd; Humlum, Ole; Isaksen, Ketil; Strand Ødegârd, Rune

    2010-05-01

    The modern southern boundary for Scandinavian permafrost is located in the mountains of Southern Norway. Permafrost and seasonal frost are considered key components of the cryosphere, and the climate-permafrost relation has acquired added importance with the increasing awareness and concern of rising air temperatures. The three-year research project CRYOLINK ("Permafrost and seasonal frost in southern Norway") aims at improving knowledge on past and present ground temperatures, seasonal frost, and distribution of mountain permafrost in Southern Norway by addressing the fundamental problem of heat transfer between the atmosphere and the ground surface. Hence, several shallow boreholes have been drilled, and a monitoring program to measure air and ground temperatures was started August 2008. The borehole areas (Juvvass, Jetta and Tron) are situated along a west-east transect and, hence, a continentality gradient, and each area provides boreholes at different elevations. Here we present the first year of air and ground temperatures from these sites and discuss the influence of air temperature and ground surface charcteristics (snow conditions, sediments/bedrock, vegetation) on ground temperatures.

  7. Thermal conduction down steep temperature gradients

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bell, A.R.; Evans, R.G.; Nicholas, D.J.

    1980-08-01

    The Fokker-Planck equation has been solved numerically in one spatial and two velocity dimensions in order to study thermal conduction in large temperature gradients. An initially cold plasma is heated at one end of the spatial grid producing temperature gradients with scale lengths of a few times the electron mean free path. The heat flow is an order of magnitude smaller than that predicted by the classical theory which is valid in the limit of small temperature gradients. (author)

  8. Self-induced temperature gradients in Brownian dynamics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Devine, Jack; Jack, M. W.

    2017-12-01

    Brownian systems often surmount energy barriers by absorbing and emitting heat to and from their local environment. Usually, the temperature gradients created by this heat exchange are assumed to dissipate instantaneously. Here we relax this assumption to consider the case where Brownian dynamics on a time-independent potential can lead to self-induced temperature gradients. In the same way that externally imposed temperature gradients can cause directed motion, these self-induced gradients affect the dynamics of the Brownian system. The result is a coupling between the local environment and the Brownian subsystem. We explore the resulting dynamics and thermodynamics of these coupled systems and develop a robust method for numerical simulation. In particular, by focusing on one-dimensional situations, we show that self-induced temperature gradients reduce barrier-crossing rates. We also consider a heat engine and a heat pump based on temperature gradients induced by a Brownian system in a nonequilibrium potential.

  9. Ponderomotive force effects on temperature-gradient-driven instabilities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sundaram, A.K.; Hershkowitz, N.

    1992-01-01

    The modification of temperature-gradient-driven instabilities due to the presence of nonuniform radio-frequency fields near the ion cyclotron frequency is investigated in the linear regime. Employing the fluid theory, it is shown that the induced field line compression caused by ion cyclotron range of frequencies (ICRF) fields makes the net parallel compressibility positive, and thus provides a stabilizing influence on the ion-temperature-gradient-driven mode for an appropriately tailored profile of radio-frequency (rf) pressure. Concomitantly, the radial ponderomotive force generates an additional contribution via coupling between the perturbed fluid motion and the equilibrium ponderomotive force and this effect plays the role of dissipation to enhance or decrease the growth of temperature-gradient-driven modes depending upon the sign of rf pressure gradients. For decreased growth of temperature-gradient-driven instabilities, the plasma density gradients and rf pressure gradients must have opposite signs while enhancement in growth arises when both gradients have the same sign. Finally, the kinetic effects associated with these modes are briefly discussed

  10. Calculation of Vertical Temperature Gradients in Heated Rooms

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Overby, H.; Steen-Thøde, Mogens

    This paper deals with a simple model which predicts the vertical temperature gradient in a heated room. The gradient is calculated from a dimensionless temperature profile which is determined by two room air temperatures only, the mean temperature in the occupied zone and the mean temperature...

  11. Sound beam manipulation based on temperature gradients

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Qian, Feng [Key Laboratory of Modern Acoustics, Institute of Acoustics and School of Physics, Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093 (China); School of Physics & Electronic Engineering, Changshu Institute of Technology, Changshu 215500 (China); Quan, Li; Liu, Xiaozhou, E-mail: xzliu@nju.edu.cn; Gong, Xiufen [Key Laboratory of Modern Acoustics, Institute of Acoustics and School of Physics, Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093 (China)

    2015-10-28

    Previous research with temperature gradients has shown the feasibility of controlling airborne sound propagation. Here, we present a temperature gradients based airborne sound manipulation schemes: a cylindrical acoustic omnidirectional absorber (AOA). The proposed AOA has high absorption performance which can almost completely absorb the incident wave. Geometric acoustics is used to obtain the refractive index distributions with different radii, which is then utilized to deduce the desired temperature gradients. Since resonant units are not applied in the scheme, its working bandwidth is expected to be broadband. The scheme is temperature-tuned and easy to realize, which is of potential interest to fields such as noise control or acoustic cloaking.

  12. Nearshore, seasonally persistent fronts in sea surface temperature on Red Sea tropical reefs

    KAUST Repository

    Blythe, J. N.

    2011-07-08

    Temperature variability was studied on tropical reefs off the coast of Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea using remote sensing from Aqua and Terra satellites. Cross-shore gradients in sea surface temperature (SST) were observed, including cold fronts (colder inshore) during winter and warm fronts (warmer inshore) during summer. Fronts persisted over synoptic and seasonal time-scales and had a periodic annual cycle over a 10-year time-series. Measurements of cross-shore SST variability were conducted at the scale of tens of kilometres, which encompassed temperature over shallow tropical reef complexes and the continental slope. Two tropical reefs that had similar reef geomorphology and offshore continental slope topography had identical cold fronts, although they were separated by 100 km along the Red Sea coast of Saudi Arabia. Satellite SST gradients across contours of topography of tropical reefs can be used as an index to flag areas potentially exposed to temperature stress. © 2011 International Council for the Exploration of the Sea.

  13. Nearshore, seasonally persistent fronts in sea surface temperature on Red Sea tropical reefs

    KAUST Repository

    Blythe, J. N.; da Silva, J. C. B.; Pineda, J.

    2011-01-01

    Temperature variability was studied on tropical reefs off the coast of Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea using remote sensing from Aqua and Terra satellites. Cross-shore gradients in sea surface temperature (SST) were observed, including cold fronts (colder inshore) during winter and warm fronts (warmer inshore) during summer. Fronts persisted over synoptic and seasonal time-scales and had a periodic annual cycle over a 10-year time-series. Measurements of cross-shore SST variability were conducted at the scale of tens of kilometres, which encompassed temperature over shallow tropical reef complexes and the continental slope. Two tropical reefs that had similar reef geomorphology and offshore continental slope topography had identical cold fronts, although they were separated by 100 km along the Red Sea coast of Saudi Arabia. Satellite SST gradients across contours of topography of tropical reefs can be used as an index to flag areas potentially exposed to temperature stress. © 2011 International Council for the Exploration of the Sea.

  14. Quasi-steady temperature gradient metamorphism in idealized, dry snow

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Christon, M.

    1994-01-01

    A three-dimensional model for heat and mass transport in microscale ice lattices of dry snow is formulated consistent with conservation laws and solid-vapor interface constraints. A finite element model that employs continuous mesh deformation is developed, and calculation of the effective diffusion rates in snow, metamorphosing under a temperature gradient, is performed. Results of the research provide basic insight into the movement of heat and water vapor in seasonal snowcovers. Agreement between the numerical results and measured data of effective thermal conductivity is excellent. The enhancement to the water vapor diffusion rate in snow is bracketed in the range of 1.05--2.0 times that of water vapor in dry air

  15. Air temperature gradient in large industrial hall

    Science.gov (United States)

    Karpuk, Michał; Pełech, Aleksander; Przydróżny, Edward; Walaszczyk, Juliusz; Szczęśniak, Sylwia

    2017-11-01

    In the rooms with dominant sensible heat load, volume airflow depends on many factors incl. pre-established temperature difference between exhaust and supply airflow. As the temperature difference is getting higher, airflow volume drops down, consequently, the cost of AHU is reduced. In high industrial halls with air exhaust grids located under the ceiling additional temperature gradient above working zone should be taken into consideration. In this regard, experimental research of the vertical air temperature gradient in high industrial halls were carried out for the case of mixing ventilation system The paper presents the results of air temperature distribution measurements in high technological hall (mechanically ventilated) under significant sensible heat load conditions. The supply airflow was delivered to the hall with the help of the swirl diffusers while exhaust grids were located under the hall ceiling. Basing on the air temperature distribution measurements performed on the seven pre-established levels, air temperature gradient in the area between 2.0 and 7.0 m above the floor was calculated and analysed.

  16. Considerations of ion temperature gradient driven turbulence

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cowley, S.C.; Kulsrud, R.M.

    1991-02-01

    The ion temperature gradient driven instability is considered in this paper. Physical pictures are presented to clarify the nature of the instability. The saturation of a single eddy is modeled by a simple nonlinear equation. We show that eddies which are elongated in the direction of the temperature gradient are the most unstable and have the highest saturation amplitudes. In a sheared magnetic field, such elongated eddies twist with the field lines. This structure is shown to be alternative to the usual Fourier mode picture in which the mode is localized around the surface where k parallel = 0. We show how these elongated twisting eddies, which are an integral part of the ''ballooning mode'' structure, could survive in a torus. The elongated eddies are shown to be unstable to secondary instabilities that are driven by the large gradients in the long eddy. We argue that this mechanism isotropizes ion temperature gradient turbulence. We further argue that the ''mixing length'' is set by this nonlinear process, not by a linear eigenmode width. 17 refs., 6 figs

  17. Seasonal Changes in Central England Temperatures

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Proietti, Tommaso; Hillebrand, Eric

    The aim of this paper is to assess how climate change is reflected in the variation of the seasonal patterns of the monthly Central England Temperature time series between 1772 and 2013. In particular, we model changes in the amplitude and phase of the seasonal cycle. Starting from the seminal work...... by Thomson (“The Seasons, Global Temperature and Precession”, Science, 7 April 1995, vol 268, p. 59–68), a number of studies have documented a shift in the phase of the annual cycle implying an earlier onset of the spring season at various European locations. A significant reduction in the amplitude...... and stochastic trends, as well as seasonally varying autocorrelation and residual variances. The model can be summarized as containing a permanent and a transitory component, where global warming is captured in the permanent component, on which the seasons load differentially. The phase of the seasonal cycle...

  18. Seasonal emanation of radon at Ghuttu, northwest Himalaya: Differentiation of atmospheric temperature and pressure influences

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kamra, Leena

    2015-01-01

    Continuous monitoring of radon along with meteorological parameters has been carried out in a seismically active area of Garhwal region, northwest Himalaya, within the frame work of earthquake precursory research. Radon measurements are carried out by using a gamma ray detector installed in the air column at a depth of 10 m in a 68 m deep borehole. The analysis of long time series for 2006–2012 shows strong seasonal variability masked by diurnal and multi-day variations. Isolation of a seasonal cycle by minimising short-time by 31 day running average shows a strong seasonal variation with unambiguous dependence on atmospheric temperature and pressure. The seasonal characteristics of radon concentrations are positively correlated to atmospheric temperature (R=0.95) and negatively correlated to atmospheric pressure (R=−0.82). The temperature and pressure variation in their annual progressions are negatively correlated. The calculations of partial correlation coefficient permit us to conclude that atmospheric temperature plays a dominant role in controlling the variability of radon in borehole, 71% of the variability in radon arises from the variation in atmospheric temperature and about 6% of the variability is contributed by atmospheric pressure. The influence of pressure variations in an annual cycle appears to be a pseudo-effect, resulting from the negative correlation between temperature and pressure variations. Incorporation of these results explains the varying and even contradictory claims regarding the influence of the pressure variability on radon changes in the published literature. Temperature dependence, facilitated by the temperature gradient in the borehole, controls the transportation of radon from the deep interior to the surface. - Highlights: • Seasonal variability of radon in borehole. • Influence of atmospheric temperature and pressure on radon variability. • Partial correlation coefficient.

  19. Tolman temperature gradients in a gravitational field

    OpenAIRE

    Santiago, Jessica; Visser, Matt

    2018-01-01

    Tolman's relation for the temperature gradient in an equilibrium self-gravitating general relativistic fluid is broadly accepted within the general relativity community. However, the concept of temperature gradients in thermal equilibrium continues to cause confusion in other branches of physics, since it contradicts naive versions of the laws of classical thermodynamics. In this paper we discuss the crucial role of the universality of free fall, and how thermodynamics emphasises the great di...

  20. Germination responses to current and future temperatures of four seeder shrubs across a latitudinal gradient in western Iberia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chamorro, Daniel; Luna, Belén; Moreno, José M

    2017-01-01

    Species differ in their temperature germination niche. Populations of a species may similarly differ across the distribution range of the species. Anticipating the impacts of climate variability and change requires understanding the differential sensitivity to germination temperature among and within species. Here we studied the germination responses of four hard-seeded Cistaceae seeders to a range of current and future temperatures. Seeds were collected at sites across the Iberian Peninsula and exposed or not exposed to a heat shock to break dormancy, then set to germinate under four temperature regimes. Temperatures were varied daily and seasonally, simulating the temperature range across the gradient, plus an increased temperature simulating future climate. Time to germination onset and cumulative germination at the end of each season were analyzed for the effects of temperature treatments, seasons, and local climate (temperature of the germination period, T gp ) at each site. T gp was a significant covariate of germination in all species but Cistus populifolius. Temperature treatments significantly affected Cistus ladanifer, C. salviifolius, and Halimium ocymoides. Germination occurred in simulated autumn conditions, with little germination occurring at later seasons, except in unheated seeds of H. ocymoides. Exposure to a heat shock changed the sensitivity to temperature treatments and the relationships with T gp . Germination responses to temperature differ not only among species but also within species across their latitudinal range. The responses were idiosyncratic and related to the local climate of the population. This germination variability complicates generalizing the impacts of climate variability and climate change. © 2017 Botanical Society of America.

  1. Ion temperature gradient mode driven solitons and shocks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zakir, U.; Adnan, Muhammad; Haque, Q.; Qamar, Anisa; Mirza, Arshad M.

    2016-04-01

    Ion temperature gradient (ITG) driven solitons and shocks are studied in a plasma having gradients in the equilibrium number density and equilibrium ion temperature. In the linear regime, it is found that the ion temperature and the ratio of the gradient scale lengths, ηi=Ln/LT , affect both the real frequency and the growth rate of the ITG driven wave instability. In the nonlinear regime, for the first time we derive a Korteweg de Vries-type equation for the ITG mode, which admits solitary wave solution. It is found that the ITG mode supports only compressive solitons. Further, it is noticed that the soliton amplitude and width are sensitive to the parameter ηi=Ln/LT . Second, in the presence of dissipation in the system, we obtain a Burger type equation, which admits the shock wave solution. This work may be useful to understand the low frequency electrostatic modes in inhomogeneous electron-ion plasma having density and ion temperature gradients. For illustration, the model has been applied to tokamak plasma.

  2. Density Gradient Stabilization of Electron Temperature Gradient Driven Turbulence in a Spherical Tokamak

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ren, Y.; Kaye, S.M.; Mazzucato, E.; Guttenfelder, W.; Bell, R.E.; Domier, C.W.; LeBlanc, B.P.; Lee, K.C.; Luhmann, N.C. Jr.; Smith, D.R.; Yuh, H.

    2011-01-01

    In this letter we report the first clear experimental observation of density gradient stabilization of electron temperature gradient driven turbulence in a fusion plasma. It is observed that longer wavelength modes, k (perpendicular) ρ s ∼< 10, are most stabilized by density gradient, and the stabilization is accompanied by about a factor of two decrease in the plasma effective thermal diffusivity.

  3. The relationship of meteorological patterns with changes in floristic richness along a large elevational gradient in a seasonally dry region of southern Mexico

    Science.gov (United States)

    Salas-Morales, Silvia H.; Meave, Jorge A.; Trejo, Irma

    2015-12-01

    Globally, climate is a fundamental driver of plant species' geographical distributions, yet we still lack a good understanding of climatic variation on tropical mountains and its consequences for elevational floristic patterns. In a seasonally dry region of southern Mexico, we analysed meteorological patterns along a large elevational gradient (0-3670 m a.s.l.) and examined their relationship with changes in floristic richness. Meteorological patterns were characterised using two data sources. First, climatic information was extracted from cartography and records from a few existing meteorological stations. Additionally, air temperature and humidity were recorded hourly during 1 year with data loggers, at sites representing 200-m elevation increments. Floristic information was extracted from a database containing 10,124 records of plant collections, and organized in 200-m elevational belts. Climatic charts distinguished three climate types along the gradient, all with marked rainfall seasonality, but these bore little correspondence with the information obtained with the data loggers. Mean annual air temperature decreased with increasing elevation (lapse rate of 0.542 °C 100 m-1). Thermal oscillation was minimum around 1400 m and increased towards both extremes of the gradient. Relative humidity opposed this pattern, with maxima between 800 and 1800 m, decreasing towards the highest elevations. An analysis of temperature frequency distributions revealed meteorological features undetectable from the annual or monthly means of this variable; despite an overall gradual transition of the proportions of time recorded at different temperatures, some changes did not conform to this pattern. The first discontinuity occurred between 1000-1200 m, where dominant temperatures shifted abruptly; also noticeable was an abrupt increase of the proportion of time elapsed at 0.1-10 °C between 2400 and 2600 m. Air temperature appears to be the most influential climatic factor

  4. COMPARISON OF GKS CALCULATED CRITICAL ION TEMPERATURE GRADIENTS AND ITG GROWTH RATES TO DIII-D MEASURED GRADIENTS AND DIFFUSIVITIES

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    BAKER, DR; STAEBLER, GM; PETTY, CC; GREENFIELD, CM; LUCE, TC

    2003-01-01

    OAK-B135 The gyrokinetic equations predict that various drift type waves or modes can be unstable in a tokamak. For some of these modes, such as the ion temperature gradient (ITG) mode and the electron temperature gradient mode, there exists a critical gradient, above which the mode is unstable. Since the existence of unstable modes can cause increased transport, plasmas which are centrally heated tend to increase in temperature gradient until the modes become unstable. Under some conditions the increased transport can fix the gradient at the critical value. here they present a comparison between the measured ion temperature gradients and the critical gradient as calculated by a gyrokinetic linear stability (GKS) code. They also present the maximum linear growth rate as calculated by this code for comparison to experimentally derived transport coefficients. The results show that for low confinement mode (L-mode) discharges, the measured ion temperature gradient is significantly greater than the GKS calculated critical gradient over a large region of the plasma. This is the same region of the plasma where the ion thermal diffusivity is large. For high confinement mode (H-mode) discharges the ion temperature gradient is closer to the critical gradient, but often still greater than the critical gradient over some region. For the best H-mode discharges, the ion temperature is less than or equal to the critical gradient over the whole plasma. In general they find that the position in the plasma where the ion thermal diffusivity starts to increase rapidly is where the maximum linear growth rate is greater than the E x B shearing rate

  5. Seasonal emanation of radon at Ghuttu, northwest Himalaya: Differentiation of atmospheric temperature and pressure influences.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kamra, Leena

    2015-11-01

    Continuous monitoring of radon along with meteorological parameters has been carried out in a seismically active area of Garhwal region, northwest Himalaya, within the frame work of earthquake precursory research. Radon measurements are carried out by using a gamma ray detector installed in the air column at a depth of 10m in a 68m deep borehole. The analysis of long time series for 2006-2012 shows strong seasonal variability masked by diurnal and multi-day variations. Isolation of a seasonal cycle by minimising short-time by 31 day running average shows a strong seasonal variation with unambiguous dependence on atmospheric temperature and pressure. The seasonal characteristics of radon concentrations are positively correlated to atmospheric temperature (R=0.95) and negatively correlated to atmospheric pressure (R=-0.82). The temperature and pressure variation in their annual progressions are negatively correlated. The calculations of partial correlation coefficient permit us to conclude that atmospheric temperature plays a dominant role in controlling the variability of radon in borehole, 71% of the variability in radon arises from the variation in atmospheric temperature and about 6% of the variability is contributed by atmospheric pressure. The influence of pressure variations in an annual cycle appears to be a pseudo-effect, resulting from the negative correlation between temperature and pressure variations. Incorporation of these results explains the varying and even contradictory claims regarding the influence of the pressure variability on radon changes in the published literature. Temperature dependence, facilitated by the temperature gradient in the borehole, controls the transportation of radon from the deep interior to the surface. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Subsurface temperatures and geothermal gradients on the North Slope, Alaska

    Science.gov (United States)

    Collett, Timothy S.; Bird, Kenneth J.; Magoon, Leslie B.

    1989-01-01

    Geothermal gradients as interpreted from a series of high-resolution stabilized well-bore-temperature surveys from 46 North Slope, Alaska, wells vary laterally and vertically throughout the near-surface sediment (0-2,000 m). The data from these surveys have been used in conjunction with depths of ice-bearing permafrost, as interpreted from 102 well logs, to project geothermal gradients within and below the ice-bearing permafrost sequence. The geothermal gradients calculated from the projected temperature profiles are similar to the geothermal gradients measured in the temperature surveys. Measured and projected geothermal gradients in the ice-bearing permafrost sequence range from 1.5??C/100m in the Prudhoe Bay area to 5.1??C/100m in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska (NPRA).

  7. A general strategy for performing temperature-programming in high performance liquid chromatography--prediction of segmented temperature gradients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wiese, Steffen; Teutenberg, Thorsten; Schmidt, Torsten C

    2011-09-28

    In the present work it is shown that the linear elution strength (LES) model which was adapted from temperature-programming gas chromatography (GC) can also be employed to predict retention times for segmented-temperature gradients based on temperature-gradient input data in liquid chromatography (LC) with high accuracy. The LES model assumes that retention times for isothermal separations can be predicted based on two temperature gradients and is employed to calculate the retention factor of an analyte when changing the start temperature of the temperature gradient. In this study it was investigated whether this approach can also be employed in LC. It was shown that this approximation cannot be transferred to temperature-programmed LC where a temperature range from 60°C up to 180°C is investigated. Major relative errors up to 169.6% were observed for isothermal retention factor predictions. In order to predict retention times for temperature gradients with different start temperatures in LC, another relationship is required to describe the influence of temperature on retention. Therefore, retention times for isothermal separations based on isothermal input runs were predicted using a plot of the natural logarithm of the retention factor vs. the inverse temperature and a plot of the natural logarithm of the retention factor vs. temperature. It could be shown that a plot of lnk vs. T yields more reliable isothermal/isocratic retention time predictions than a plot of lnk vs. 1/T which is usually employed. Hence, in order to predict retention times for temperature-gradients with different start temperatures in LC, two temperature gradient and two isothermal measurements have been employed. In this case, retention times can be predicted with a maximal relative error of 5.5% (average relative error: 2.9%). In comparison, if the start temperature of the simulated temperature gradient is equal to the start temperature of the input data, only two temperature-gradient

  8. The impact of edge gradients in the pressure, density, ion temperature, and electron temperature on edge-localized modes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kleva, Robert G.; Guzdar, Parvez N.

    2011-01-01

    The magnitude of the energy and particle fluxes in simulations of edge-localized modes (ELMs) is determined by the edge gradients in the pressure, density, ion temperature, and electron temperature. The total edge pressure gradient is the dominant influence on ELMs by far. An increase (decrease) of merely 2% in the pressure gradient results in an increase (decrease) of more than a factor of ten in the size of the ELM bursts. At a fixed pressure gradient, the size of the ELM bursts decreases as the density gradient increases, while the size of the bursts increases as the electron temperature gradient or, especially, the ion temperature gradient increases.

  9. Equatorial seawater temperatures and latitudinal temperature gradients during the Middle to Late Jurassic: the stable isotope record of brachiopods and oysters from Gebel Maghara, Egypt

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alberti, Matthias; Fürsich, Franz T.; Abdelhady, Ahmed A.; Andersen, Nils

    2017-04-01

    The Jurassic climate has traditionally been described as equable, warmer than today, with weak latitudinal temperature gradients, and no polar glaciations. This view changed over the last decades with studies pointing to distinct climate fluctuations and the occasional presence of polar ice caps. Most of these temperature reconstructions are based on stable isotope analyses of fossil shells from Europe. Additional data from other parts of the world is slowly completing the picture. Gebel Maghara in the northern Sinai Peninsula of Egypt exposes a thick Jurassic succession. After a phase of terrestrial sedimentation in the Early Jurassic, marine conditions dominated since the end of the Aalenian. The stable isotope (δ18O, δ13C) composition of brachiopod and oyster shells was used to reconstruct seawater temperatures from the Bajocian to the Kimmeridgian at a palaeolatitude of ca. 3°N. Throughout this time interval, temperatures were comparatively constant aorund an average of 25.7°C. Slightly warmer conditions existed in the Early Bathonian ( 27.0°C), while the Kimmeridgian shows the lowest temperatures ( 24.3°C). The seasonality has been reconstructed with the help of high-resolution sampling of two oyster shells and was found to be very low (temperature gradients. During the Middle Jurassic, this gradient was much steeper than previously expected and comparable to today. During the Kimmeridgian, temperatures in Europe were generally warmer leading to weaker latitudinal gradients. Based on currently used estimates for the δ18O value of seawater during the Jurassic, reconstructed water temperatures for localities above the thermocline in Egypt and Europe were mostly lower than Recent sea-surface temperatures. These results improve our understanding of the Jurassic climate and its influence on marine faunal diversity patterns.

  10. Voltammetry under a Controlled Temperature Gradient

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jan Krejci, Jr.

    2010-07-01

    Full Text Available Electrochemical measurements are generally done under isothermal conditions. Here we report on the application of a controlled temperature gradient between the working electrode surface and the solution. Using electrochemical sensors prepared on ceramic materials with extremely high specific heat conductivity, the temperature gradient between the electrode and solution was applied here as a second driving force. This application of the Soret phenomenon increases the mass transfer in the Nernst layer and enables more accurate control of the electrode response enhancement by a combination of diffusion and thermal diffusion. We have thus studied the effect of Soret phenomenon by cyclic voltammetry measurements in ferro/ferricyanide. The time dependence of sensor response disappears when applying the Soret phenomenon, and the complicated shape of the cyclic voltammogram is replaced by a simple exponential curve. We have derived the Cotrell-Soret equation describing the steady-state response with an applied temperature difference.

  11. Evolution of avian clutch size along latitudinal gradients: do seasonality, nest predation or breeding season length matter?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Griebeler, E M; Caprano, T; Böhning-Gaese, K

    2010-05-01

    Birds display a latitudinal gradient in clutch size with smaller clutches in the tropics and larger in the temperate region. Three factors have been proposed to affect this pattern: seasonality of resources (SR), nest predation and length of the breeding season (LBS). Here, we test the importance of these factors by modelling clutch size evolution within bird populations under different environmental settings. We use an individual-based ecogenetic simulation model that combines principles from population ecology and life history theory. Results suggest that increasing SR from the tropics to the poles by itself or in combination with a decreasing predation rate and LBS can generate the latitudinal gradient in clutch size. Annual fecundity increases and annual adult survival rate decreases from the tropics to the poles. We further show that the annual number of breeding attempts that (together with clutch size) determines total annual egg production is an important trait to understand latitudinal patterns in these life history characteristics. Field experiments that manipulate environmental factors have to record effects not only on clutch size, but also on annual number of breeding attempts. We use our model to predict the outcome of such experiments under different environmental settings.

  12. Theory of ion-temperature-gradient-driven turbulence in tokamaks

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, G.S.; Diamond, P.H.

    1986-01-01

    An analytic theory of ion-temperature-gradient-driven turbulence in tokamaks is presented. Energy-conserving, renormalized spectrum equations are derived and solved in order to obtain the spectra of stationary ion-temperature-gradient-driven turbulence. Corrections to mixing-length estimates are calculated explicitly. The resulting anomalous ion thermal diffusivity chi/sub i/ = 0.4[(π/2)ln(1 + eta/sub i/)] 2 [(1 + eta/sub i/)/tau] 2 rho/sub s/ 2 c/sub s//L/sub s/ is derived and is found to be consistent with experimentally-deduced thermal diffusivities. The associated electron thermal diffusivity and particle and heat-pinch velocities are also calculated. The effect of impurity gradients on saturated ion-temperature-gradient-driven turbulence is discussed and a related explanation of density profile steepening during Z-mode operation is proposed. 35 refs., 4 figs

  13. Estimation of geothermal gradients from single temperature log-field cases

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kutasov, I M; Eppelbaum, L V

    2009-01-01

    A geothermal gradient is one of the most frequently used parameters in logging geophysics. However, the drilling process greatly disturbs the temperature of the formations around the wellbore. For this reason, in order to determine with the required accuracy the formation temperatures and geothermal gradients, a certain length of shut-in time is required. It was shown earlier (Kutasov 1968 Freiberger Forshungshefte C 238 55–61, 1987 Geothermics 16 467–72) that at least two transient temperature surveys are needed to determine the geothermal gradient with adequate accuracy. However, in many cases only one temperature log is conducted in a shut-in borehole. For these cases, we propose an approximate method for the estimation of the geothermal gradient. The utilization of this method is demonstrated on four field examples

  14. Effect of temperature gradient on liquid-liquid phase separation in a polyolefin blend.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jiang, Hua; Dou, Nannan; Fan, Guoqiang; Yang, Zhaohui; Zhang, Xiaohua

    2013-09-28

    We have investigated experimentally the structure formation processes during phase separation via spinodal decomposition above and below the spinodal line in a binary polymer blend system exposed to in-plane stationary thermal gradients using phase contrast optical microscopy and temperature gradient hot stage. Below the spinodal line there is a coupling of concentration fluctuations and thermal gradient imposed by the temperature gradient hot stage. Also under the thermal gradient annealing phase-separated domains grow faster compared with the system under homogeneous temperature annealing on a zero-gradient or a conventional hot stage. We suggest that the in-plane thermal gradient accelerates phase separation through the enhancement in concentration fluctuations in the early and intermediate stages of spinodal decomposition. In a thermal gradient field, the strength of concentration fluctuation close to the critical point (above the spinodal line) is strong enough to induce phase separation even in one-phase regime of the phase diagram. In the presence of a temperature gradient the equilibrium phase diagrams are no longer valid, and the systems with an upper critical solution temperature can be quenched into phase separation by applying the stationary temperature gradient. The in-plane temperature gradient drives enhanced concentration fluctuations in a binary polymer blend system above and below the spinodal line.

  15. Temperature Gradients on the Cell Wall in the Critical Viscosity Experiment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Berg, Robert F.; Moldover, Michael R.

    1993-01-01

    Because of the diverging susceptibility delta rho/delta Tau near the liquid-vapor critical point, temperature gradients must be kept small to maintain adequate sample homogeneity. In our Science Requirements Document we paid particular attention to radial density gradients caused by equilibration of the xenon sample. Axial density gradients were addressed through the requirement that the cell's copper wall have a gradient less than 22 microK/m. This report re-examines the cell wall's temperature distribution in more detail by estimating all known significant contributions to temperature differences on the cell's wall.

  16. Thermoelectric properties of high electron concentration materials under large temperature gradients

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bulat, L.P.; Stefansky, V.A.

    1994-01-01

    Theoretical methods of investigating of transport properties in solids under large temperature gradients are grounded. The nonlinear and non-local expressions for current density and heat flow are obtained with degenerated of current carriers gas. A number of new effects with large temperature gradients have been tested. Use of large temperature gradients leads to the increasing of the thermoelectric figure of merit. copyright 1995 American Institute of Physics

  17. Subsurface temperatures and geothermal gradients on the north slope of Alaska

    Science.gov (United States)

    Collett, T.S.; Bird, K.J.; Magoon, L.B.

    1993-01-01

    On the North Slope of Alaska, geothermal gradient data are available from high-resolution, equilibrated well-bore surveys and from estimates based on well-log identification of the base of ice-bearing permafrost. A total of 46 North Slope wells, considered to be in or near thermal equilibrium, have been surveyed with high-resolution temperatures devices and geothermal gradients can be interpreted directly from these recorded temperature profiles. To augment the limited North Slope temperature data base, a new method of evaluating local geothermal gradients has been developed. In this method, a series of well-log picks for the base of the ice-bearing permafrost from 102 wells have been used, along with regional temperature constants derived from the high-resolution stabilized well-bore temperature surveys, to project geothermal gradients. Geothermal gradients calculated from the high-resolution temperature surveys generally agree with those projected from known ice-bearing permafrost depths over most of the North Slope. Values in the ice-bearing permafrost range from ??? 1.5??C 100 m in the Prudhoe Bay area to ??? 4.5??C 100 m in the east-central portion of the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska. Geothermal gradients below the ice-bearing permafrost sequence range from ??? 1.6??C 100 m to ??? 5.2??C 100 m. ?? 1993.

  18. Temperature Gradient in Hall Thrusters

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Staack, D.; Raitses, Y.; Fisch, N.J.

    2003-01-01

    Plasma potentials and electron temperatures were deduced from emissive and cold floating probe measurements in a 2 kW Hall thruster, operated in the discharge voltage range of 200-400 V. An almost linear dependence of the electron temperature on the plasma potential was observed in the acceleration region of the thruster both inside and outside the thruster. This result calls into question whether secondary electron emission from the ceramic channel walls plays a significant role in electron energy balance. The proportionality factor between the axial electron temperature gradient and the electric field is significantly smaller than might be expected by models employing Ohmic heating of electrons

  19. Tripolar vortex formation in dense quantum plasma with ion-temperature-gradients

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qamar, Anisa; Ata-ur-Rahman, Mirza, Arshad M.

    2012-05-01

    We have derived system of nonlinear equations governing the dynamics of low-frequency electrostatic toroidal ion-temperature-gradient mode for dense quantum magnetoplasma. For some specific profiles of the equilibrium density, temperature, and ion velocity gradients, the nonlinear equations admit a stationary solution in the form of a tripolar vortex. These results are relevant to understand nonlinear structure formation in dense quantum plasmas in the presence of equilibrium ion-temperature and density gradients.

  20. Tripolar vortex formation in dense quantum plasma with ion-temperature-gradients

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Qamar, Anisa; Ata-ur-Rahman [Institute of Physics and Electronics, University of Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtoon Khwa 25000 (Pakistan); National Center for Physics Shahdrah Valley Road, Islamabad 44000 (Pakistan); Mirza, Arshad M. [Theoretical Plasma Physics Group, Physics Department, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad 45320 (Pakistan)

    2012-05-15

    We have derived system of nonlinear equations governing the dynamics of low-frequency electrostatic toroidal ion-temperature-gradient mode for dense quantum magnetoplasma. For some specific profiles of the equilibrium density, temperature, and ion velocity gradients, the nonlinear equations admit a stationary solution in the form of a tripolar vortex. These results are relevant to understand nonlinear structure formation in dense quantum plasmas in the presence of equilibrium ion-temperature and density gradients.

  1. Tripolar vortex formation in dense quantum plasma with ion-temperature-gradients

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Qamar, Anisa; Ata-ur-Rahman; Mirza, Arshad M.

    2012-01-01

    We have derived system of nonlinear equations governing the dynamics of low-frequency electrostatic toroidal ion-temperature-gradient mode for dense quantum magnetoplasma. For some specific profiles of the equilibrium density, temperature, and ion velocity gradients, the nonlinear equations admit a stationary solution in the form of a tripolar vortex. These results are relevant to understand nonlinear structure formation in dense quantum plasmas in the presence of equilibrium ion-temperature and density gradients.

  2. The disparate impact of the ion temperature gradient and the density gradient on edge transport and the low-high transition in tokamaks

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kleva, Robert G.; Guzdar, Parvez N.

    2009-01-01

    Steepening of the ion temperature gradient in nonlinear fluid simulations of the edge region of a tokamak plasma causes a rapid degradation in confinement. As the density gradient steepens, there is a continuous improvement in confinement analogous to the low (L) to high (H) transition observed in tokamaks. In contrast, as the ion temperature gradient steepens, there is a rapid increase in the particle and energy fluxes and no L-H transition. For a given pressure gradient, confinement always improves when more of the pressure gradient arises from the density gradient, and less of the pressure gradient arises from the ion temperature gradient.

  3. Temperature regulates positively photoblastic seed germination in four ficus (moraceae) tree species from contrasting habitats in a seasonal tropical rainforest.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Hui; Cao, Min; Baskin, Jerry M; Baskin, Carol C

    2013-08-01

    Differences in seed germination responses of trees in tropical forests to temperature and light quality may contribute to their coexistence. We investigated the effects of temperature and red:far-red light (R:FR ratio) on seed germination of two gap-demanding species (Ficus hispida and F. racemosa) and two shade-tolerant species (F. altissima and F. auriculata) in a tropical seasonal rainforest in southwest China. A R:FR ratio gradient was created by filtering fluorescent light through polyester filters. Four temperature treatments were used to test the effect of temperature on seed germination of the four Ficus tree species across the R:FR gradient. Seeds of the four Ficus species were positively photoblastic. Seed germination of F. hispida and F. racemosa was not affected across the R:FR ratio gradient (0.25-1.19) at 25/35°C, but it was inhibited under low R:FR at 22/23°C. By contrast, germination percentages of F. altissima and F. auriculata were not inhibited along the entire light gradient in all temperature treatments. Differences in germination responses of Ficus species might contribute to differences in their habitat preferences. The inhibitory effect of understory temperatures in the forest might be a new mechanism that prevents positively photoblastic seeds of the gap-demanding species such as F. hispida and F. racemosa from germinating in the understory and in small canopy gaps.

  4. The effects of sea surface temperature gradients on surface turbulent fluxes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Steffen, John

    A positive correlation between sea surface temperature (SST) and wind stress perturbation near strong SST gradients (DeltaSST) has been observed in different parts of the world ocean, such as the Gulf Stream in the North Atlantic and the Kuroshio Extension east of Japan. These changes in winds and SSTs can modify near-surface stability, surface stress, and latent and sensible heat fluxes. In general, these small scale processes are poorly modeled in Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) and climate models. Failure to account for these air--sea interactions produces inaccurate values of turbulent fluxes, and therefore a misrepresentation of the energy, moisture, and momentum budgets. Our goal is to determine the change in these surface turbulent fluxes due to overlooking the correlated variability in winds, SSTs, and related variables. To model these air--sea interactions, a flux model was forced with and without SST--induced changes to the surface wind fields. The SST modification to the wind fields is based on a baroclinic argument as implemented by the University of Washington Planetary Boundary-Layer (UWPBL) model. Other input parameters include 2-m air temperature, 2-m dew point temperature, surface pressure (all from ERA--interim), and Reynolds Daily Optimum Interpolation Sea Surface Temperature (OISST). Flux model runs are performed every 6 hours starting in December 2002 and ending in November 2003. From these model outputs, seasonal, monthly, and daily means of the difference between DeltaSST and no DeltaSST effects on sensible heat flux (SHF), latent heat flux (LHF), and surface stress are calculated. Since the greatest impacts occur during the winter season, six additional December-January-February (DJF) seasons were analyzed for 1987--1990 and 1999--2002. The greatest differences in surface turbulent fluxes are concentrated near strong SST fronts associated with the Gulf Stream and Kuroshio Extension. On average, 2002---2003 DJF seasonal differences in SHF

  5. Tree growth and its climate signal along latitudinal and altitudinal gradients: comparison of tree rings between Finland and the Tibetan Plateau

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    L. Lyu

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Latitudinal and altitudinal gradients can be utilized to forecast the impact of climate change on forests. To improve the understanding of how these gradients impact forest dynamics, we tested two hypotheses: (1 the change of the tree growth–climate relationship is similar along both latitudinal and altitudinal gradients, and (2 the time periods during which climate affects growth the most occur later towards higher latitudes and altitudes. To address this, we utilized tree-ring data from a latitudinal gradient in Finland and from two altitudinal gradients on the Tibetan Plateau. We analysed the latitudinal and altitudinal growth patterns in tree rings and investigated the growth–climate relationship of trees by correlating ring-width index chronologies with climate variables, calculating with flexible time windows, and using daily-resolution climate data. High latitude and altitude plots showed higher correlations between tree-ring chronologies and growing season temperature. However, the effects of winter temperature showed contrasting patterns for the gradients. The timing of the highest correlation with temperatures during the growing season at southern sites was approximately 1 month ahead of that at northern sites in the latitudinal gradient. In one out of two altitudinal gradients, the timing for the strongest negative correlation with temperature at low-altitude sites was ahead of treeline sites during the growing season, possibly due to differences in moisture limitation. Mean values and the standard deviation of tree-ring width increased with increasing mean July temperatures on both types of gradients. Our results showed similarities of tree growth responses to increasing seasonal temperature between latitudinal and altitudinal gradients. However, differences in climate–growth relationships were also found between gradients due to differences in other factors such as moisture conditions. Changes in the timing of the most

  6. Estimates of the temperature flux-temperature gradient relation above a sea floor

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Cimatoribus, A.; van Haren, H.

    2016-01-01

    The relation between the ux of temperature (or buoyancy), the verti-cal temperature gradient and the height above the bottom, is investigatedin an oceanographic context, using high-resolution temperature measure-ments. The model for the evolution of a strati?ed layer by Balmforthet al. (1998) is

  7. Response of Soft Continuous Structures and Topological Defects to a Temperature Gradient.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kurita, Rei; Mitsui, Shun; Tanaka, Hajime

    2017-09-08

    Thermophoresis, which is mass transport induced by a temperature gradient, has recently attracted considerable attention as a new way to transport materials. So far the study has been focused on the transport of discrete structures such as colloidal particles, proteins, and polymers in solutions. However, the response of soft continuous structures such as membranes and gels to a temperature gradient has been largely unexplored. Here we study the behavior of a lamellar phase made of stacked surfactant bilayer membranes under a temperature gradient. We find the migration of membranes towards a low-temperature region, causing the increase in the degree of membrane undulation fluctuations towards that direction. This is contrary to our intuition that the fluctuations are weaker at a lower temperature. We show that this can be explained by temperature-gradient-induced migration of membranes under the topological constraint coming from the connectivity of each membrane. We also reveal that the pattern of an edge dislocation array formed in a wedge-shaped cell can be controlled by a temperature gradient. These findings suggest that application of a temperature gradient provides a novel way to control the organization of soft continuous structures such as membranes, gels, and foams, in a manner essentially different from the other types of fields, and to manipulate topological defects.

  8. Increase of volume swelling by a temperature gradient

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Herschbach, K.; Schneider, W.; Stober, T.

    1996-11-01

    The temperature gradient in the cladding of a Fast Reactor fuel pin leads to increased dilatation compared to material irradiations. Investigations of a specially designed fuel pin reached the conclusion that the cause is enhanced volume swelling. It is induced by He-bubbles, which migrate upwards the temperature gradient and coalesce. The critical size of nuclei for void swelling is thus reached much faster. Consequently, the p in deformation is larger than expected from materials irradiations, in the present case (DIN 1.4981 sa) by about 50%. (orig.) [de

  9. Anomalous plasma transport due to electron temperature gradient instability

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tokuda, Sinji; Ito, Hiroshi; Kamimura, Tetsuo.

    1979-01-01

    The collisionless drift wave instability driven by an electron temperature inhomogeneity (electron temperature gradient instability) and the enhanced transport processes associated with it are studied using a two-and-a-half dimensional particle simulation code. The simulation results show that quasilinear diffusion in phase space is an important mechanism for the saturation of the electron temperature gradient instability. Also, the instability yields particle fluxes toward the hot plasma regions. The heat conductivity of the electron temperature perpendicular to the magnetic field, T sub(e'), is not reduced by magnetic shear but remains high, whereas the heat conductivity of the parallel temperature, T sub(e''), is effectively reduced, and the instability stabilized. (author)

  10. Ion-temperature-gradient-driven modes in bi-ion magnetoplasma

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Batool, Nazia; Mirza, Arshad M [Theoretical Plasma Physics Group, Department of Physics, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad 45320 (Pakistan); Qamar, Anisa [Department of Physics, Peshawar University, NWFP 25120 (Pakistan)], E-mail: nazia.batool@ncp.edu.pk

    2008-12-15

    The toroidal ion-temperature-gradient (ITG)-driven electrostatic drift waves are investigated for bi-ion plasmas with equilibrium density, temperature and magnetic field gradients. Using Braginskii's transport equations for the ions and Boltzmann distributed electrons, the mode coupling equations are derived. New ITG-driven modes are shown to exist. The results of the present study should be helpful to understand several wave phenomena in space and tokamak plasmas.

  11. Impedance Characterization and Modeling of Lithium-Ion Batteries Considering the Internal Temperature Gradient

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Haifeng Dai

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Battery impedance is essential to the management of lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles (EVs, and impedance characterization can help to monitor and predict the battery states. Many studies have been undertaken to investigate impedance characterization and the factors that influence impedance. However, few studies regarding the influence of the internal temperature gradient, which is caused by heat generation during operation, have been presented. We have comprehensively studied the influence of the internal temperature gradient on impedance characterization and the modeling of battery impedance, and have proposed a discretization model to capture battery impedance characterization considering the temperature gradient. Several experiments, including experiments with artificial temperature gradients, are designed and implemented to study the influence of the internal temperature gradient on battery impedance. Based on the experimental results, the parameters of the non-linear impedance model are obtained, and the relationship between the parameters and temperature is further established. The experimental results show that the temperature gradient will influence battery impedance and the temperature distribution can be considered to be approximately linear. The verification results indicate that the proposed discretization model has a good performance and can be used to describe the actual characterization of the battery with an internal temperature gradient.

  12. AC susceptibility response of bulk YBCO superconductors in the presence of a temperature gradient

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bodi, A.C.; Kirschner, I.

    1997-01-01

    Low-frequency AC susceptibility measurements on ceramic YBCO superconductors carried out at the presence of a quasi-one-dimensional temperature gradient are compared with those made without the temperature gradient. The values of the different characteristic temperatures measured on samples without and with a temperature gradient are identical but in the second case its characteristic temperature is a medium value. When the temperature gradient is constant on the sample the arithmetic medium value of the local temperatures is the effective characteristic temperature different phenomena. (orig.)

  13. Space charge build-up in XLPE-cable with temperature gradient

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Holbøll, Joachim; Henriksen, Mogens; Hjerrild, Jesper

    2000-01-01

    and temperatures were applied in the 20 - 80°C range with gradients across the insulation of up to 15°C. In this paper, the observed charge phenomena in the bulk and at the interfaces are related to the external conditions, in particular to the temperature gradient. The measured space charge distributions...

  14. Identifying Stream/Aquifer Exchange by Temperature Gradient in a Guarani Aquifer System Outcrop Zone

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wendland, E.; Rosa, D. M. S.; Anache, J. A. A.; Lowry, C.; Lin, Y. F. F.

    2017-12-01

    Recharge of the Guarani Aquifer System (GAS) in South America is supposed to occur mainly in the outcrop zones, where the GAS appears as an unconfined aquifer (10% of the 1.2 Million km2 aquifer extension). Previous evaluations of recharge are based essentially on water balance estimates for the whole aquifer area or water table fluctuations in monitoring wells. To gain a more detailed understanding of the recharge mechanisms the present work aimed to study the stream aquifer interaction in a watershed (Ribeirão da Onça) at an outcrop zone. Two Parshall flumes were installed 1.3 km apart for discharge measurement in the stream. Along this distance an optic fiber cable was deployed to identify stretches with gaining and losing behavior. In order to estimate groundwater discharge in specific locations, 8 temperature sticks were set up along the stream reach to measure continuously the vertical temperature gradient. A temperature probe with 4 thermistors was also used to map the shallow streambed temperature gradient manually along the whole distance. The obtained results show a discharge difference of 250 m3/h between both flumes. Since the last significant rainfall (15 mm) in the watershed occurred 3 months ago, this value can be interpreted as the base flow contribution to the stream during the dry season. Given the temperature difference between groundwater ( 24oC) and surface water ( 17oC) the fiber-optic distributed temperature sensing (FO-DTS) allowed the identification of stretches with gaining behavior. Temperature gradients observed at the streambed varied between 0.67 and 14.33 oC/m. The study demonstrated that heat may be used as natural tracer even in tropical conditions, where the groundwater temperature is higher than the surface water temperature during the winter. The obtained results show that the discharge difference between both flumes can not be extrapolated without detailed analysis. Gaining and loosing stretches have to be identified on order

  15. Threshold temperature gradient effect on migration of brine inclusions in salt

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pigford, T.H.

    1987-01-01

    Theories of the migration of brine inclusions in salt were interpreted as simple physical processes, and theories by Russian and US workers were shown to yield the same results. The migration theory was used to predict threshold temperature gradients below which migration of brine inclusions should not occur. The predicted threshold gradients were compared with the temperature gradients expected at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in New Mexico. The theory of threshold gradients helps explain the existence of brine inclusions in natural salt deposits

  16. The Effect of Soil Temperature Seasonality on Climate Reconstructions from Paleosols

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gallagher, T. M.; Hren, M. T.; Sheldon, N. D.

    2017-12-01

    Accurate continental temperature reconstructions provide important constraints on climate sensitivity to changes in atmospheric pCO2, the timing and rates of tectonic uplift, and the driving mechanisms and feedbacks associated with major climate events. Temperature seasonality is an important variable to consider, because not only does it exert a strong control on the biosphere, but it can obfuscate changes in mean annual air temperature (MAAT) in the geologic record. In order to better understand the effect temperature seasonality has on paleosol temperature proxies, soil temperature data was compiled from over 200 stations that comprise the NCDC Soil Climate Analysis Network. Observed soil temperature variations were then compared to predicted soil temperature values based on normal seasonal air temperature trends. Approximately one quarter of sites record less temperature variation than predicted. This reduction in soil temperature seasonality is a result of warmer than predicted cold-season temperatures, driven by cold-season processes such as snow cover insulation. The reduction in soil temperature seasonality explains why pedo-transfer functions to break down below MAAT values of 6-8 °C. Greater than predicted soil temperature seasonality is observed at nearly half of the sites, driven primarily by direct heating of the soil surface by solar radiation. Deviations larger than 2 °C are not common until mean annual precipitation falls below 300 mm, suggesting that complications introduced by ground heating are primarily restricted to paleosols that formed in more arid environments. Clumped isotope measurements of pedogenic carbonate and bulk paleosol elemental data from a stacked series of paleosols spanning the Eocene-Oligocene in Northeastern Spain are also examined to demonstrate how the documented seasonal trends in modern soils can help inform paleo-applications.

  17. Coral reef fish assemblages along a disturbance gradient in the northern Persian Gulf: A seasonal perspective.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ghazilou, Amir; Shokri, Mohammad Reza; Gladstone, William

    2016-04-30

    Seasonal dynamics of coral reef fish assemblages were assessed along a gradient of potential anthropogenic disturbance in the Northern Persian Gulf. Overall, the attributes of coral reef fish assemblages showed seasonality at two different levels: seasonal changes irrespective of the magnitude of disturbance level (e.g. species richness), and seasonal changes in response to disturbance level (e.g. total abundance and assemblage composition). The examined parameters mostly belonged to the second group, but the interpretation of the relationship between patterns of seasonal changes and the disturbance level was not straightforward. The abundance of carnivorous fishes did not vary among seasons. SIMPER identified the family Nemipteridae as the major contributor to the observed spatiotemporal variations in the composition of coral reef fish assemblages in the study area. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Instability and transport driven by an electron temperature gradient close to critical

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dong, J.Q.; Jian, G.D.; Wang, A.K.; Sanuki, H.; Itoh, K.

    2003-01-01

    Electron temperature gradient (ETG) driven instability in toroidal plasmas is studied with gyrokinetic theory. The full electron kinetics is considered. The upgraded numerical scheme for solving the integral eigenvalue equations allows the study of both growing and damping modes, and thus direct calculation of critical gradient. Algebraic formulas for the critical gradient with respect to ratio of electron temperature over ion temperature and to toroidicity are given. An estimation for turbulence induced transport is presented. (author)

  19. Seasonal temperature variation influences climate suitability for dengue, chikungunya, and Zika transmission.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huber, John H; Childs, Marissa L; Caldwell, Jamie M; Mordecai, Erin A

    2018-05-01

    Dengue, chikungunya, and Zika virus epidemics transmitted by Aedes aegypti mosquitoes have recently (re)emerged and spread throughout the Americas, Southeast Asia, the Pacific Islands, and elsewhere. Understanding how environmental conditions affect epidemic dynamics is critical for predicting and responding to the geographic and seasonal spread of disease. Specifically, we lack a mechanistic understanding of how seasonal variation in temperature affects epidemic magnitude and duration. Here, we develop a dynamic disease transmission model for dengue virus and Aedes aegypti mosquitoes that integrates mechanistic, empirically parameterized, and independently validated mosquito and virus trait thermal responses under seasonally varying temperatures. We examine the influence of seasonal temperature mean, variation, and temperature at the start of the epidemic on disease dynamics. We find that at both constant and seasonally varying temperatures, warmer temperatures at the start of epidemics promote more rapid epidemics due to faster burnout of the susceptible population. By contrast, intermediate temperatures (24-25°C) at epidemic onset produced the largest epidemics in both constant and seasonally varying temperature regimes. When seasonal temperature variation was low, 25-35°C annual average temperatures produced the largest epidemics, but this range shifted to cooler temperatures as seasonal temperature variation increased (analogous to previous results for diurnal temperature variation). Tropical and sub-tropical cities such as Rio de Janeiro, Fortaleza, and Salvador, Brazil; Cali, Cartagena, and Barranquilla, Colombia; Delhi, India; Guangzhou, China; and Manila, Philippines have mean annual temperatures and seasonal temperature ranges that produced the largest epidemics. However, more temperate cities like Shanghai, China had high epidemic suitability because large seasonal variation offset moderate annual average temperatures. By accounting for seasonal

  20. Seasonal temperature variation influences climate suitability for dengue, chikungunya, and Zika transmission.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    John H Huber

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available Dengue, chikungunya, and Zika virus epidemics transmitted by Aedes aegypti mosquitoes have recently (reemerged and spread throughout the Americas, Southeast Asia, the Pacific Islands, and elsewhere. Understanding how environmental conditions affect epidemic dynamics is critical for predicting and responding to the geographic and seasonal spread of disease. Specifically, we lack a mechanistic understanding of how seasonal variation in temperature affects epidemic magnitude and duration. Here, we develop a dynamic disease transmission model for dengue virus and Aedes aegypti mosquitoes that integrates mechanistic, empirically parameterized, and independently validated mosquito and virus trait thermal responses under seasonally varying temperatures. We examine the influence of seasonal temperature mean, variation, and temperature at the start of the epidemic on disease dynamics. We find that at both constant and seasonally varying temperatures, warmer temperatures at the start of epidemics promote more rapid epidemics due to faster burnout of the susceptible population. By contrast, intermediate temperatures (24-25°C at epidemic onset produced the largest epidemics in both constant and seasonally varying temperature regimes. When seasonal temperature variation was low, 25-35°C annual average temperatures produced the largest epidemics, but this range shifted to cooler temperatures as seasonal temperature variation increased (analogous to previous results for diurnal temperature variation. Tropical and sub-tropical cities such as Rio de Janeiro, Fortaleza, and Salvador, Brazil; Cali, Cartagena, and Barranquilla, Colombia; Delhi, India; Guangzhou, China; and Manila, Philippines have mean annual temperatures and seasonal temperature ranges that produced the largest epidemics. However, more temperate cities like Shanghai, China had high epidemic suitability because large seasonal variation offset moderate annual average temperatures. By accounting

  1. SEASONAL CHANGES IN TITAN'S SURFACE TEMPERATURES

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jennings, D. E.; Cottini, V.; Nixon, C. A.; Flasar, F. M.; Kunde, V. G.; Samuelson, R. E.; Romani, P. N.; Hesman, B. E.; Carlson, R. C.; Gorius, N. J. P.; Coustenis, A.; Tokano, T.

    2011-01-01

    Seasonal changes in Titan's surface brightness temperatures have been observed by Cassini in the thermal infrared. The Composite Infrared Spectrometer measured surface radiances at 19 μm in two time periods: one in late northern winter (LNW; L s = 335 deg.) and another centered on northern spring equinox (NSE; L s = 0 deg.). In both periods we constructed pole-to-pole maps of zonally averaged brightness temperatures corrected for effects of the atmosphere. Between LNW and NSE a shift occurred in the temperature distribution, characterized by a warming of ∼0.5 K in the north and a cooling by about the same amount in the south. At equinox the polar surface temperatures were both near 91 K and the equator was at 93.4 K. We measured a seasonal lag of ΔL S ∼ 9 0 in the meridional surface temperature distribution, consistent with the post-equinox results of Voyager 1 as well as with predictions from general circulation modeling. A slightly elevated temperature is observed at 65 0 S in the relatively cloud-free zone between the mid-latitude and southern cloud regions.

  2. Ion temperature gradient instability

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1989-01-01

    Anomalous ion thermal conductivity remains an open physics issue for the present generation of high temperature Tokamaks. It is generally believed to be due to Ion Temperature Gradient Instability (η i mode). However, it has been difficult, if not impossible to identify this instability and study the anomalous transport due to it, directly. Therefore the production and identification of the mode is pursued in the simpler and experimentally convenient configuration of the Columbia Linear Machine (CLM). CLM is a steady state machine which already has all the appropriate parameters, except η i . This parameter is being increased to the appropriate value of the order of 1 by 'feathering' a tungsten screen located between the plasma source and the experimental cell to flatten the density profile and appropriate redesign of heating antennas to steepen the ion temperature profile. Once the instability is produced and identified, a thorough study of the characteristics of the mode can be done via a wide range of variation of all the critical parameters: η i , parallel wavelength, etc

  3. Changes in the seasonality of Arctic sea ice and temperature

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bintanja, R.

    2012-04-01

    Observations show that the Arctic sea ice cover is currently declining as a result of climate warming. According to climate models, this retreat will continue and possibly accelerate in the near-future. However, the magnitude of this decline is not the same throughout the year. With temperatures near or above the freezing point, summertime Arctic sea ice will quickly diminish. However, at temperatures well below freezing, the sea ice cover during winter will exhibit a much weaker decline. In the future, the sea ice seasonal cycle will be no ice in summer, and thin one-year ice in winter. Hence, the seasonal cycle in sea ice cover will increase with ongoing climate warming. This in itself leads to an increased summer-winter contrast in surface air temperature, because changes in sea ice have a dominant influence on Arctic temperature and its seasonality. Currently, the annual amplitude in air temperature is decreasing, however, because winters warm faster than summer. With ongoing summer sea ice reductions there will come a time when the annual temperature amplitude will increase again because of the large seasonal changes in sea ice. This suggests that changes in the seasonal cycle in Arctic sea ice and temperature are closely, and intricately, connected. Future changes in Arctic seasonality (will) have an profound effect on flora, fauna, humans and economic activities.

  4. Indirect effects of impoundment on migrating fish: temperature gradients in fish ladders slow dam passage by adult Chinook salmon and steelhead.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Christopher C Caudill

    Full Text Available Thermal layering in reservoirs upstream from hydroelectric dams can create temperature gradients in fishways used by upstream migrating adults. In the Snake River, Washington, federally-protected adult salmonids (Oncorhynchus spp. often encounter relatively cool water in dam tailraces and lower ladder sections and warmer water in the upstream portions of ladders. Using radiotelemetry, we examined relationships between fish passage behavior and the temperature difference between the top and bottom of ladders (∆T at four dams over four years. Some spring Chinook salmon (O. tshawytscha experienced ∆T ≥ 0.5 °C. Many summer and fall Chinook salmon and summer steelhead (O. mykiss experienced ∆T ≥ 1.0 °C, and some individuals encountered ΔT > 4.0°C. As ΔT increased, migrants were consistently more likely to move down fish ladders and exit into dam tailraces, resulting in upstream passage delays that ranged from hours to days. Fish body temperatures equilibrated to ladder temperatures and often exceeded 20°C, indicating potential negative physiological and fitness effects. Collectively, the results suggest that gradients in fishway water temperatures present a migration obstacle to many anadromous migrants. Unfavorable temperature gradients may be common at reservoir-fed fish passage facilities, especially those with seasonal thermal layering or stratification. Understanding and managing thermal heterogeneity at such sites may be important for ensuring efficient upstream passage and minimizing stress for migratory, temperature-sensitive species.

  5. Thermotaxis of human sperm cells in extraordinarily shallow temperature gradients over a wide range.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anat Bahat

    Full Text Available On the basis of the finding that capacitated (ready to fertilize rabbit and human spermatozoa swim towards warmer temperatures by directing their movement along a temperature gradient, sperm thermotaxis has been proposed to be one of the processes guiding these spermatozoa to the fertilization site. Although the molecular mechanism underlying sperm thermotaxis is gradually being revealed, basic questions related to this process are still open. Here, employing human spermatozoa, we addressed the questions of how wide the temperature range of thermotaxis is, whether this range includes an optimal temperature or whether spermatozoa generally prefer swimming towards warmer temperatures, whether or not they can sense and respond to descending temperature gradients, and what the minimal temperature gradient is to which they can thermotactically respond. We found that human spermatozoa can respond thermotactically within a wide temperature range (at least 29-41°C, that within this range they preferentially accumulate in warmer temperatures rather than at a single specific, preferred temperature, that they can respond to both ascending and descending temperature gradients, and that they can sense and thermotactically respond to temperature gradients as low as <0.014°C/mm. This temperature gradient is astonishingly low because it means that as a spermatozoon swims through its entire body length (46 µm it can sense and respond to a temperature difference of <0.0006°C. The significance of this surprisingly high temperature sensitivity is discussed.

  6. Vapor flux and recrystallization during dry snow metamorphism under a steady temperature gradient as observed by time-lapse micro-tomography

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    B. R. Pinzer

    2012-10-01

    Full Text Available Dry snow metamorphism under an external temperature gradient is the most common type of recrystallization of snow on the ground. The changes in snow microstructure modify the physical properties of snow, and therefore an understanding of this process is essential for many disciplines, from modeling the effects of snow on climate to assessing avalanche risk. We directly imaged the microstructural changes in snow during temperature gradient metamorphism (TGM under a constant gradient of 50 K m−1, using in situ time-lapse X-ray micro-tomography. This novel and non-destructive technique directly reveals the amount of ice that sublimates and is deposited during metamorphism, in addition to the exact locations of these phase changes. We calculated the average time that an ice volume stayed in place before it sublimated and found a characteristic residence time of 2–3 days. This means that most of the ice changes its phase from solid to vapor and back many times in a seasonal snowpack where similar temperature conditions can be found. Consistent with such a short timescale, we observed a mass turnover of up to 60% of the total ice mass per day. The concept of hand-to-hand transport for the water vapor flux describes the observed changes very well. However, we did not find evidence for a macroscopic vapor diffusion enhancement. The picture of {temperature gradient metamorphism} produced by directly observing the changing microstructure sheds light on the micro-physical processes and could help to improve models that predict the physical properties of snow.

  7. Mechanisms of detonation formation due to a temperature gradient

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kapila, A. K.; Schwendeman, D. W.; Quirk, J. J.; Hawa, T.

    2002-12-01

    Emergence of a detonation in a homogeneous, exothermically reacting medium can be deemed to occur in two phases. The first phase processes the medium so as to create conditions ripe for the onset of detonation. The actual events leading up to preconditioning may vary from one experiment to the next, but typically, at the end of this stage the medium is hot and in a state of nonuniformity. The second phase consists of the actual formation of the detonation wave via chemico-gasdynamic interactions. This paper considers an idealized medium with simple, rate-sensitive kinetics for which the preconditioned state is modelled as one with an initially prescribed linear gradient of temperature. Accurate and well-resolved numerical computations are carrried out to determine the mode of detonation formation as a function of the size of the initial gradient. For shallow gradients, the result is a decelerating supersonic reaction wave, a weak detonation, whose trajectory is dictated by the initial temperature profile, with only weak intervention from hydrodynamics. If the domain is long enough, or the gradient less shallow, the wave slows down to the Chapman-Jouguet speed and undergoes a swift transition to the ZND structure. For sharp gradients, gasdynamic nonlinearity plays a much stronger role. Now the path to detonation is through an accelerating pulse that runs ahead of the reaction wave and rearranges the induction-time distribution there to one that bears little resemblance to that corresponding to the initial temperature gradient. The pulse amplifies and steepens, transforming itself into a complex consisting of a lead shock, an induction zone, and a following fast deflagration. As the pulse advances, its three constituent entities attain progressively higher levels of mutual coherence, to emerge as a ZND detonation. For initial gradients that are intermediate in size, aspects of both the extreme scenarios appear in the path to detonation. The novel aspect of this study

  8. Temperature dependency of silicon structures for magnetic field gradient sensing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dabsch, Alexander; Rosenberg, Christoph; Stifter, Michael; Keplinger, Franz

    2018-02-01

    This work describes the temperature dependence of two sensors for magnetic field gradient sensors and demonstrates a structure to compensate for the drift of resonance frequency over a wide temperature range. The temperature effect of the sensing element is based on internal stresses induced by the thermal expansion of material, therefore FEM is used to determine the change of the eigenvalues of the sensing structure. The experimental setup utilizes a Helmholtz coil system to generate the magnetic field and to excite the MEMS structure with Lorentz forces. The MEMS structure is placed on a plate heated with resistors and cooled by a Peltier element to control the plate temperature. In the second part, we describe how one can exploit temperature sensitivity for temperature measurements and we show the opportunity to include the temperature effect to increase the sensitivity of single-crystal silicon made flux density gradient sensors.

  9. Identifying Time Periods of Minimal Thermal Gradient for Temperature-Driven Structural Health Monitoring.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reilly, John; Glisic, Branko

    2018-03-01

    Temperature changes play a large role in the day to day structural behavior of structures, but a smaller direct role in most contemporary Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) analyses. Temperature-Driven SHM will consider temperature as the principal driving force in SHM, relating a measurable input temperature to measurable output generalized strain (strain, curvature, etc.) and generalized displacement (deflection, rotation, etc.) to create three-dimensional signatures descriptive of the structural behavior. Identifying time periods of minimal thermal gradient provides the foundation for the formulation of the temperature-deformation-displacement model. Thermal gradients in a structure can cause curvature in multiple directions, as well as non-linear strain and stress distributions within the cross-sections, which significantly complicates data analysis and interpretation, distorts the signatures, and may lead to unreliable conclusions regarding structural behavior and condition. These adverse effects can be minimized if the signatures are evaluated at times when thermal gradients in the structure are minimal. This paper proposes two classes of methods based on the following two metrics: (i) the range of raw temperatures on the structure, and (ii) the distribution of the local thermal gradients, for identifying time periods of minimal thermal gradient on a structure with the ability to vary the tolerance of acceptable thermal gradients. The methods are tested and validated with data collected from the Streicker Bridge on campus at Princeton University.

  10. A shorter snowfall season associated with higher air temperatures over northern Eurasia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ye Hengchun; Cohen, Judah

    2013-01-01

    The temperature sensitivity of the snowfall season (start, end, duration) over northern Eurasia (the former USSR) is analyzed from synoptic records of 547 stations from 1966 to 2000. The results find significant correlations between temperature and snowfall season at approximately 56% of stations (61% for the starting date and 56% for the ending date) with a mean snowfall season duration temperature sensitivity of −6.2 days °C −1 split over the start (2.8 days) and end periods (−3.4 days). Temperature sensitivity was observed to increase with stations’ mean seasonal air temperature, with the strongest relationships at locations of around 6 °C temperature. This implies that increasing air temperature in fall and spring will delay the onset and hasten the end of snowfall events, and reduces the snowfall season length by 6.2 days for each degree of increase. This study also clarifies that the increasing trend in snowfall season length during 1936/37–1994 over northern European Russia and central Siberia revealed in an earlier study is unlikely to be associated with warming in spring and fall seasons. (letter)

  11. A measurement of the local ion temperature gradient in the PLT tokamak

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lovberg, J.A.; Strachan, J.D.; Princeton Univ., NJ

    1989-12-01

    Local ion temperature gradients were measured at two radial positions in the PLT tokamak by counting escaping d(d,p)t protons on orbits at closely spaced intervals. A single surface barrier detector was used to make each gradient measurement, eliminating relative calibration uncertainties. The ion thermal diffusivities inferred through ion energy balance with the measured temperature gradients are within a factor of two of Chang-Hinton neoclassical values for the 3 He-minority ICRH plasmas. 12 refs., 8 figs

  12. Identifying Time Periods of Minimal Thermal Gradient for Temperature-Driven Structural Health Monitoring

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    John Reilly

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Temperature changes play a large role in the day to day structural behavior of structures, but a smaller direct role in most contemporary Structural Health Monitoring (SHM analyses. Temperature-Driven SHM will consider temperature as the principal driving force in SHM, relating a measurable input temperature to measurable output generalized strain (strain, curvature, etc. and generalized displacement (deflection, rotation, etc. to create three-dimensional signatures descriptive of the structural behavior. Identifying time periods of minimal thermal gradient provides the foundation for the formulation of the temperature–deformation–displacement model. Thermal gradients in a structure can cause curvature in multiple directions, as well as non-linear strain and stress distributions within the cross-sections, which significantly complicates data analysis and interpretation, distorts the signatures, and may lead to unreliable conclusions regarding structural behavior and condition. These adverse effects can be minimized if the signatures are evaluated at times when thermal gradients in the structure are minimal. This paper proposes two classes of methods based on the following two metrics: (i the range of raw temperatures on the structure, and (ii the distribution of the local thermal gradients, for identifying time periods of minimal thermal gradient on a structure with the ability to vary the tolerance of acceptable thermal gradients. The methods are tested and validated with data collected from the Streicker Bridge on campus at Princeton University.

  13. Seasonal Variability of Saturn's Tropospheric Temperatures, Winds and Para-H2 from Cassini Far-IR Spectroscopy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fletcher, Leigh N.; Irwin, P. G. J; Achterberg, R. K.; Orton, G. S.; Flasar, F. M.

    2015-01-01

    temperatures, para-H2 and winds. Quantitative differences between the Cassini and Voyager epochs suggest that the oscillation is not in phase with the seasonal cycle at these tropospheric depths (i.e., it should be described as quasi-periodic rather than 'semi annual'). Variability in the zonal wind field derived from latitudinal thermal gradients is small (less than 10 m/s per scale height near the tropopause) and mostly affects the broad retrograde jets, with the notable exception of large variability on the northern flank of the equatorial jet. The meridional potential vorticity (PV) gradient, and hence the 'staircase of PV' associated with spatial variations in the vigour of vertical mixing, has varied over the course of the mission but maintained its overall shape. PV gradients in latitude and altitude are used to estimate the atmospheric refractive index for the propagation of stationary planetary (Rossby) waves, predicting that such wave activity would be confined to regions of real refractivity (tropical regions plus bands at 35-45 in both hemispheres). The penetration depth of these regions into the upper troposphere is temporally variable (potentially associated with stratification changes), whereas the latitudinal structure is largely unchanged over time (associated with the zonal jet system).

  14. Range-wide latitudinal and elevational temperature gradients for the world's terrestrial birds: implications under global climate change.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Frank A La Sorte

    Full Text Available Species' geographical distributions are tracking latitudinal and elevational surface temperature gradients under global climate change. To evaluate the opportunities to track these gradients across space, we provide a first baseline assessment of the steepness of these gradients for the world's terrestrial birds. Within the breeding ranges of 9,014 bird species, we characterized the spatial gradients in temperature along latitude and elevation for all and a subset of bird species, respectively. We summarized these temperature gradients globally for threatened and non-threatened species and determined how their steepness varied based on species' geography (range size, shape, and orientation and projected changes in temperature under climate change. Elevational temperature gradients were steepest for species in Africa, western North and South America, and central Asia and shallowest in Australasia, insular IndoMalaya, and the Neotropical lowlands. Latitudinal temperature gradients were steepest for extratropical species, especially in the Northern Hemisphere. Threatened species had shallower elevational gradients whereas latitudinal gradients differed little between threatened and non-threatened species. The strength of elevational gradients was positively correlated with projected changes in temperature. For latitudinal gradients, this relationship only held for extratropical species. The strength of latitudinal gradients was better predicted by species' geography, but primarily for extratropical species. Our findings suggest threatened species are associated with shallower elevational temperature gradients, whereas steep latitudinal gradients are most prevalent outside the tropics where fewer bird species occur year-round. Future modeling and mitigation efforts would benefit from the development of finer grain distributional data to ascertain how these gradients are structured within species' ranges, how and why these gradients vary among

  15. Is the temperature gradient or the derivative of the density gradient responsible for drift solitons?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Salat, A.

    1990-01-01

    In conventional drift wave theory the density gradient κ n =d lnn/dχ determines the linear phase velocity, and the (electron) temperature gradient κ T =d lnT/dχ gives rise to a nonlinear term which leads to the existence of soliton-type solutions and solitary waves. LAKHIN, MIKHAILOVSKI and ONISHCHENKO, Phys. Lett. A 119, 348 (1987) and Plasma Phys. and Contr. Fus. 30, 457 (1988), recently claimed that it is not κ T but essentially the derivative of the density gradient, dκ n /dχ, that is relevant. This claim is refuted by means of an expansion scheme in ε=eΦ/T≤1, where Φ is the drift wave potential. (orig.)

  16. Regional difference of the vertical structure of seasonal thermocline and its impact on sea surface temperature in the North Pacific

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yamaguchi, R.; Suga, T.

    2016-12-01

    Recent observational studies show that, during the warming season, a large amount of heat flux is penetrated through the base of thin mixed layer by vertical eddy diffusion, in addition to penetration of solar radiation [1]. In order to understand this heat penetration process due to vertical eddy diffusivity and its contribution to seasonal variation of sea surface temperature, we investigated the evolution of thermal stratification below the summertime thin mixed layer (i.e. evolution of seasonal thermocline) and its vertical structure in the North Pacific using high vertical resolution temperature profile observed by Argo floats. We quantified the vertical structure of seasonal thermocline as deviations from the linear structure where the vertical gradient of temperature is constant, that is, "shape anomaly". The shape anomaly is variable representing the extent of the bend of temperature profiles. We found that there are larger values of shape anomaly in the region where the seasonal sea surface temperature warming is relatively faster. To understand the regional difference of shape anomalies, we investigated the relationship between time changes in shape anomalies and net surface heat flux and surface kinetic energy flux. From May to July, the analysis indicated that, in a large part of North Pacific, there's a tendency for shape anomalies to develop strongly (weakly) under the conditions of large (small) downward net surface heat flux and small (large) downward surface kinetic energy flux. Since weak (strong) development of shape anomalies means efficient (inefficient) downward heat transport from the surface, these results suggest that the regional difference of the downward heat penetration below mixed layer is explained reasonably well by differences in surface heat forcing and surface wind forcing in a vertical one dimensional framework. [1] Hosoda et al. (2015), J. Oceanogr., 71, 541-556.

  17. Geothermal gradients in Iraqi Kurdistan deduced from bottom hole temperatures

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rzger A. Abdula

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available Bottom hole temperature (BHT data from 12 oil wells in Iraqi Kurdistan were used to obtain the thermal trend of Iraqi Kurdistan. Due to differences in thermal conductivity of rocks and groundwater movement, variations in geothermal gradients were observed. The highest geothermal gradient (29.2 °C/km was found for well Taq Taq-8 in the Low Folded Zone (central part of the area. The lowest geothermal gradients (14.9 °C/km were observed for well Bekhme-1 in the High Folded Zone (northern and northeastern parts of the area. The average regional geothermal gradient for Iraqi Kurdistan is 21 °C/km.

  18. An Investigation into the Effects of Temperature Gradient on the Soil Water–Salt Transfer with Evaporation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rong Ren

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Temperature gradients exist in the field under brackish water irrigation conditions, especially in northern semi–arid areas of China. Although there are many investigators dedicated to studying the mechanism of brackish water irrigation and the effect of brackish water irrigation on crops, there are fewer investigations of the effects of temperature gradient on the water–salt transport. Based on the combination of a physical experiment and a mathematical model, this study was conducted to: (a build a physical model and observe the redistribution of soil water–heat–salt transfer; (b develop a mathematical model focused on the influence of a temperature gradient on soil water and salt redistribution based on the physical model and validate the proposed model using the measured data; and (c analyze the effects of the temperature gradient on the soil water–salt transport by comparing the proposed model with the traditional water–salt model in which the effects of temperature gradient on the soil water–salt transfer are neglected. Results show that the soil temperature gradient has a definite influence on the soil water–salt migration. Moreover, the effect of temperature gradient on salt migration was greater than that of water movement.

  19. Temperature gradient measurements by using thermoelectric effect in CNTs-silicone adhesive composite.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Muhammad Tariq Saeed Chani

    Full Text Available This work presents the fabrication and investigation of thermoelectric cells based on composite of carbon nanotubes (CNT and silicone adhesive. The composite contains CNT and silicon adhesive 1∶1 by weight. The current-voltage characteristics and dependences of voltage, current and Seebeck coefficient on the temperature gradient of cell were studied. It was observed that with increase in temperature gradient the open circuit voltage, short circuit current and the Seebeck coefficient of the cells increase. Approximately 7 times increase in temperature gradient increases the open circuit voltage and short circuit current up to 40 and 5 times, respectively. The simulation of experimental results is also carried out; the simulated results are well matched with experimental results.

  20. Temperature gradient driven electron transport in NSTX and Tore Supra

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Horton, W.; Wong, H.V.; Morrison, P.J.; Wurm, A.; Kim, J.H.; Perez, J.C.; Pratt, J.; Hoang, G.T.; LeBlanc, B.P.; Ball, R.

    2005-01-01

    Electron thermal fluxes are derived from the power balance for Tore Supra (TS) and NSTX discharges with centrally deposited fast wave electron heating. Measurements of the electron temperature and density profiles, combined with ray tracing computations of the power absorption profiles, allow detailed interpretation of the thermal flux versus temperature gradient. Evidence supporting the occurrence of electron temperature gradient turbulent transport in the two confinement devices is found. With control of the magnetic rotational transform profile and the heating power, internal transport barriers are created in TS and NSTX discharges. These partial transport barriers are argued to be a universal feature of transport equations in the presence of invariant tori that are intrinsic to non-monotonic rotational transforms in dynamical systems

  1. Gradient-driven flux-tube simulations of ion temperature gradient turbulence close to the non-linear threshold

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Peeters, A. G.; Rath, F.; Buchholz, R.; Grosshauser, S. R.; Strintzi, D.; Weikl, A. [Physics Department, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstrasse 30, Bayreuth (Germany); Camenen, Y. [Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, PIIM, UMR 7345, Marseille (France); Candy, J. [General Atomics, PO Box 85608, San Diego, California 92186-5608 (United States); Casson, F. J. [CCFE, Culham Science Centre, Abingdon OX14 3DB, Oxon (United Kingdom); Hornsby, W. A. [Max Planck Institut für Plasmaphysik, Boltzmannstrasse 2 85748 Garching (Germany)

    2016-08-15

    It is shown that Ion Temperature Gradient turbulence close to the threshold exhibits a long time behaviour, with smaller heat fluxes at later times. This reduction is connected with the slow growth of long wave length zonal flows, and consequently, the numerical dissipation on these flows must be sufficiently small. Close to the nonlinear threshold for turbulence generation, a relatively small dissipation can maintain a turbulent state with a sizeable heat flux, through the damping of the zonal flow. Lowering the dissipation causes the turbulence, for temperature gradients close to the threshold, to be subdued. The heat flux then does not go smoothly to zero when the threshold is approached from above. Rather, a finite minimum heat flux is obtained below which no fully developed turbulent state exists. The threshold value of the temperature gradient length at which this finite heat flux is obtained is up to 30% larger compared with the threshold value obtained by extrapolating the heat flux to zero, and the cyclone base case is found to be nonlinearly stable. Transport is subdued when a fully developed staircase structure in the E × B shearing rate forms. Just above the threshold, an incomplete staircase develops, and transport is mediated by avalanche structures which propagate through the marginally stable regions.

  2. The Shifting Seasonal Mean Autoregressive Model and Seasonality in the Central England Monthly Temperature Series, 1772-2016

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    He, Changli; Kang, Jian; Terasvirta, Timo

    In this paper we introduce an autoregressive model with seasonal dummy variables in which coefficients of seasonal dummies vary smoothly and deterministically over time. The error variance of the model is seasonally heteroskedastic and multiplicatively decomposed, the decomposition being similar ...... temperature series. More specifically, the idea is to find out in which way and by how much the monthly temperatures are varying over time during the period of more than 240 years, if they do. Misspecification tests are applied to the estimated model and the findings discussed....

  3. Geothermal gradients in Iraqi Kurdistan deduced from bottom hole temperatures

    OpenAIRE

    Abdula, Rzger A.

    2016-01-01

    Bottom hole temperature (BHT) data from 12 oil wells in Iraqi Kurdistan were used to obtain the thermal trend of Iraqi Kurdistan. Due to differences in thermal conductivity of rocks and groundwater movement, variations in geothermal gradients were observed. The highest geothermal gradient (29.2 °C/km) was found for well Taq Taq-8 in the Low Folded Zone (central part of the area). The lowest geothermal gradients (14.9 °C/km) were observed for well Bekhme-1 in the High Folded Zone (northern and...

  4. Seasonal dynamics of common ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) along an urbanisation gradient near Sorø, Zealand, Denmark

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Elek, Zoltan; Howe, Andy G.; Enggaard, Mattias

    2017-01-01

    The seasonal activity of six carabid species (Nebria brevicollis, Carabus nemoralis, C. hortensis, C. coriaceus, Pterostichus melanarius and Abax parallelepipedus) was studied along an urbanisation gradient (rural forest – suburban forest – forest fragments in urban park) in Sorø, Denmark, during...... and between the years (C. nemoralis, N. brevicollis and P. melanarius). In four out of six studied species, 2005 was less favourable than 2004. Spring activity in the urban habitat started earlier than in the suburban or forested ones. Abetter understanding of urban green infrastructures in biodiversity...... assessments may need the study of seasonality in order to distinguish whether the bioindicator’s responses are to habitat quality or stochastic seasonal events....

  5. Lateral Temperature-Gradient Method for High-Throughput Characterization of Material Processing by Millisecond Laser Annealing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bell, Robert T; Jacobs, Alan G; Sorg, Victoria C; Jung, Byungki; Hill, Megan O; Treml, Benjamin E; Thompson, Michael O

    2016-09-12

    A high-throughput method for characterizing the temperature dependence of material properties following microsecond to millisecond thermal annealing, exploiting the temperature gradients created by a lateral gradient laser spike anneal (lgLSA), is presented. Laser scans generate spatial thermal gradients of up to 5 °C/μm with peak temperatures ranging from ambient to in excess of 1400 °C, limited only by laser power and materials thermal limits. Discrete spatial property measurements across the temperature gradient are then equivalent to independent measurements after varying temperature anneals. Accurate temperature calibrations, essential to quantitative analysis, are critical and methods for both peak temperature and spatial/temporal temperature profile characterization are presented. These include absolute temperature calibrations based on melting and thermal decomposition, and time-resolved profiles measured using platinum thermistors. A variety of spatially resolved measurement probes, ranging from point-like continuous profiling to large area sampling, are discussed. Examples from annealing of III-V semiconductors, CdSe quantum dots, low-κ dielectrics, and block copolymers are included to demonstrate the flexibility, high throughput, and precision of this technique.

  6. Spatio-Temporal Analyses of Symbiodinium Physiology of the Coral Pocillopora verrucosa along Large-Scale Nutrient and Temperature Gradients in the Red Sea

    KAUST Repository

    Sawall, Yvonne

    2014-08-19

    Algal symbionts (zooxanthellae, genus Symbiodinium) of scleractinian corals respond strongly to temperature, nutrient and light changes. These factors vary greatly along the north-south gradient in the Red Sea and include conditions, which are outside of those typically considered optimal for coral growth. Nevertheless, coral communities thrive throughout the Red Sea, suggesting that zooxanthellae have successfully acclimatized or adapted to the harsh conditions they experience particularly in the south (high temperatures and high nutrient supply). As such, the Red Sea is a region, which may help to better understand how zooxanthellae and their coral hosts successfully acclimatize or adapt to environmental change (e. g. increased temperatures and localized eutrophication). To gain further insight into the physiology of coral symbionts in the Red Sea, we examined the abundance of dominant Symbiodinium types associated with the coral Pocillopora verrucosa, and measured Symbiodinium physiological characteristics (i.e. photosynthetic processes, cell density, pigmentation, and protein composition) along the latitudinal gradient of the Red Sea in summer and winter. Despite the strong environmental gradients from north to south, our results demonstrate that Symbiodinium microadriaticum (type A1) was the predominant species in P. verrucosa along the latitudinal gradient. Furthermore, measured physiological characteristics were found to vary more with prevailing seasonal environmental conditions than with region-specific differences, although the measured environmental parameters displayed much higher spatial than temporal variability. We conclude that our findings might present the result of long-term acclimatization or adaptation of S. microadriaticum to regionally specific conditions within the Red Sea. Of additional note, high nutrients in the South correlated with high zooxanthellae density indicating a compensation for a temperature-driven loss of photosynthetic

  7. Spatio-temporal analyses of Symbiodinium physiology of the coral Pocillopora verrucosa along large-scale nutrient and temperature gradients in the Red Sea.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sawall, Yvonne; Al-Sofyani, Abdulmohsin; Banguera-Hinestroza, Eulalia; Voolstra, Christian R

    2014-01-01

    Algal symbionts (zooxanthellae, genus Symbiodinium) of scleractinian corals respond strongly to temperature, nutrient and light changes. These factors vary greatly along the north-south gradient in the Red Sea and include conditions, which are outside of those typically considered optimal for coral growth. Nevertheless, coral communities thrive throughout the Red Sea, suggesting that zooxanthellae have successfully acclimatized or adapted to the harsh conditions they experience particularly in the south (high temperatures and high nutrient supply). As such, the Red Sea is a region, which may help to better understand how zooxanthellae and their coral hosts successfully acclimatize or adapt to environmental change (e.g. increased temperatures and localized eutrophication). To gain further insight into the physiology of coral symbionts in the Red Sea, we examined the abundance of dominant Symbiodinium types associated with the coral Pocillopora verrucosa, and measured Symbiodinium physiological characteristics (i.e. photosynthetic processes, cell density, pigmentation, and protein composition) along the latitudinal gradient of the Red Sea in summer and winter. Despite the strong environmental gradients from north to south, our results demonstrate that Symbiodinium microadriaticum (type A1) was the predominant species in P. verrucosa along the latitudinal gradient. Furthermore, measured physiological characteristics were found to vary more with prevailing seasonal environmental conditions than with region-specific differences, although the measured environmental parameters displayed much higher spatial than temporal variability. We conclude that our findings might present the result of long-term acclimatization or adaptation of S. microadriaticum to regionally specific conditions within the Red Sea. Of additional note, high nutrients in the South correlated with high zooxanthellae density indicating a compensation for a temperature-driven loss of photosynthetic

  8. Spatio-temporal analyses of Symbiodinium physiology of the coral Pocillopora verrucosa along large-scale nutrient and temperature gradients in the Red Sea.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yvonne Sawall

    Full Text Available Algal symbionts (zooxanthellae, genus Symbiodinium of scleractinian corals respond strongly to temperature, nutrient and light changes. These factors vary greatly along the north-south gradient in the Red Sea and include conditions, which are outside of those typically considered optimal for coral growth. Nevertheless, coral communities thrive throughout the Red Sea, suggesting that zooxanthellae have successfully acclimatized or adapted to the harsh conditions they experience particularly in the south (high temperatures and high nutrient supply. As such, the Red Sea is a region, which may help to better understand how zooxanthellae and their coral hosts successfully acclimatize or adapt to environmental change (e.g. increased temperatures and localized eutrophication. To gain further insight into the physiology of coral symbionts in the Red Sea, we examined the abundance of dominant Symbiodinium types associated with the coral Pocillopora verrucosa, and measured Symbiodinium physiological characteristics (i.e. photosynthetic processes, cell density, pigmentation, and protein composition along the latitudinal gradient of the Red Sea in summer and winter. Despite the strong environmental gradients from north to south, our results demonstrate that Symbiodinium microadriaticum (type A1 was the predominant species in P. verrucosa along the latitudinal gradient. Furthermore, measured physiological characteristics were found to vary more with prevailing seasonal environmental conditions than with region-specific differences, although the measured environmental parameters displayed much higher spatial than temporal variability. We conclude that our findings might present the result of long-term acclimatization or adaptation of S. microadriaticum to regionally specific conditions within the Red Sea. Of additional note, high nutrients in the South correlated with high zooxanthellae density indicating a compensation for a temperature-driven loss of

  9. Precipitation and air temperature control the variations of dissolved organic matter along an altitudinal forest gradient, Gongga Mountains, China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hu, Zhaoyong; Wang, Genxu; Sun, Xiangyang

    2017-04-01

    Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) contribute significantly to C and N cycling in forest ecosystems. Little information is available on the variations in the DOC and DON concentrations and depositions in bulk and stand precipitation within forests along an altitudinal gradient. To determine the temporal variations in the DOC and DON concentrations and depositions in different forests and the spatial variations along the elevation gradient, the DOC and DON concentrations and depositions were measured in bulk precipitation, throughfall, and stemflow within three forest types, i.e., broadleaf forest (BLF), broadleaf-coniferous forest (BCF), and coniferous forest (CF), during the wet season (May to October) on Gongga Mountain, China, in 2015. The concentrations of bulk precipitation in BLF, BCF, and CF were 3.92, 4.04, and 2.65 mg L -1 , respectively, for DOC and were 0.38, 0.26, and 0.29 mg L -1 , respectively, for DON. BCF had the highest DOC deposition both in bulk precipitation (45.12 kg ha -1 ) and stand precipitation (98.52 kg ha -1 ), whereas the highest DON deposition was in BLF (3.62 kg ha -1 bulk precipitation and 4.11 kg ha -1 stand precipitation) during the study period. The meteorological conditions of precipitation and air temperature significantly influenced the dissolved organic matter (DOM) depositions along the elevation gradient. The leaf area index did not show any correlation with DOM depositions during the growing season.

  10. Variations in soil carbon sequestration and their determinants along a precipitation gradient in seasonally dry tropical forest ecosystems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Campo, Julio; Merino, Agustín

    2016-05-01

    The effect of precipitation regime on the C cycle of tropical forests is poorly understood, despite the existence of models that suggest a drier climate may substantially alter the source-sink function of these ecosystems. Along a precipitation regime gradient containing 12 mature seasonally dry tropical forests growing under otherwise similar conditions (similar annual temperature, rainfall seasonality, and geological substrate), we analyzed the influence of variation in annual precipitation (1240 to 642 mm) and duration of seasonal drought on soil C. We investigated litterfall, decomposition in the forest floor, and C storage in the mineral soil, and analyzed the dependence of these processes and pools on precipitation. Litterfall decreased slightly - about 10% - from stands with 1240 mm yr(-1) to those with 642 mm yr(-1), while the decomposition decreased by 56%. Reduced precipitation strongly affected C storage and basal respiration in the mineral soil. Higher soil C storage at the drier sites was also related to the higher chemical recalcitrance of litter (fine roots and forest floor) and the presence of charcoal across sites, suggesting an important indirect influence of climate on C sequestration. Basal respiration was controlled by the amount of recalcitrant organic matter in the mineral soil. We conclude that in these forest ecosystems, the long-term consequences of decreased precipitation would be an increase in organic layer and mineral soil C storage, mainly due to lower decomposition and higher chemical recalcitrance of organic matter, resulting from changes in litter composition and, likely also, wildfire patterns. This could turn these seasonally dry tropical forests into significant soil C sinks under the predicted longer drought periods if primary productivity is maintained. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  11. Light Ray Displacements due to Air Temperature Gradient

    CERN Document Server

    Teymurazyan, A; CERN. Geneva

    2000-01-01

    Abstract In the optical monitoring systems suggested to control the geometry of tracking spectrometers, light beams serve as reference frames for the measurement of the tracking chamber displacements and deformations. It is shown that air temperature gradients can induce systematic errors which considerably exceed the intrinsic resolution of the monitoring system.

  12. Seasonal migrations, body temperature fluctuations, and infection dynamics in adult amphibians

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    David R. Daversa

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available Risks of parasitism vary over time, with infection prevalence often fluctuating with seasonal changes in the annual cycle. Identifying the biological mechanisms underlying seasonality in infection can enable better prediction and prevention of future infection peaks. Obtaining longitudinal data on individual infections and traits across seasons throughout the annual cycle is perhaps the most effective means of achieving this aim, yet few studies have obtained such information for wildlife. Here, we tracked spiny common toads (Bufo spinosus within and across annual cycles to assess seasonal variation in movement, body temperatures and infection from the fungal parasite, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd. Across annual cycles, toads did not consistently sustain infections but instead gained and lost infections from year to year. Radio-tracking showed that infected toads lose infections during post-breeding migrations, and no toads contracted infection following migration, which may be one explanation for the inter-annual variability in Bd infections. We also found pronounced seasonal variation in toad body temperatures. Body temperatures approached 0 °C during winter hibernation but remained largely within the thermal tolerance range of Bd. These findings provide direct documentation of migratory recovery (i.e., loss of infection during migration and escape in a wild population. The body temperature reductions that we observed during hibernation warrant further consideration into the role that this period plays in seasonal Bd dynamics.

  13. Vortex breakdown control by adding near-axis swirl and temperature gradients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Herrada, Miguel Angel; Shtern, Vladimir

    2003-10-01

    Vortex breakdown (VB) is an intriguing effect of practical and fundamental interest, occurring, e.g., in tornadoes, above delta-wing aircraft, and in vortex devices. Depending on application, VB is either beneficiary or harmful and therefore requires a proper control. This study shows that VB can be efficiently controlled by a combination of additional near-axis swirl and heat. To explore the underlying mechanism, we address a flow in a cylindrical container driven by a rotating bottom disk. This model flow has been extensively studied being well suited for understanding both the VB mechanism and its control. Our numerical analysis explains experimentally observed effects of control corotation and counter-rotation (with no temperature gradient) and reveals some flaws of dye visualization. An important feature found is that a moderate negative (positive) axial gradient of temperature can significantly enforce (diminish) the VB enhancement by the counter-rotation. A strong positive temperature gradient stimulates the centrifugal instability and time oscillations in the flow with counter-rotation. An efficient time-evolution code for axisymmetric compressible flows has facilitated the numerical study.

  14. Stable isotopes in a branching coral monitor seasonal temperature variation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dunbar, R.B.; Wellington, G.M.

    1981-01-01

    Results are reported of 18 O composition measurements of specimens of the branching reef coral Pocillopora damicornis, which have grown in the field, while seawater temperatures were continuously recorded. It is shown that seasonal temperature changes are accurately recorded by 18 O variations in branches of this reef coral and that isotopic profiles may be used to estimate growth rates of branching corals, which lack annual density banding. The method provides a technique for high resolution palaeoclimatic reconstruction of seasonal temperature ranges and accurate estimation of rates of reef carbonate production. (U.K.)

  15. Seasonal temperature extremes in Potsdam

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kundzewicz, Zbigniew; Huang, Shaochun

    2010-12-01

    The awareness of global warming is well established and results from the observations made on thousands of stations. This paper complements the large-scale results by examining a long time-series of high-quality temperature data from the Secular Meteorological Station in Potsdam, where observation records over the last 117 years, i.e., from January 1893 are available. Tendencies of change in seasonal temperature-related climate extremes are demonstrated. "Cold" extremes have become less frequent and less severe than in the past, while "warm" extremes have become more frequent and more severe. Moreover, the interval of the occurrence of frost has been decreasing, while the interval of the occurrence of hot days has been increasing. However, many changes are not statistically significant, since the variability of temperature indices at the Potsdam station has been very strong.

  16. Interplay between temperature gradients field and C - E transformation in solidifying rolls

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    W. Wołczyński

    2009-07-01

    Full Text Available At first step of simulation a temperature field for solidifying cast steel and cast iron roll has been performed. The calculation does not take into account the convection in the liquid since convection has no influence on the proposed model for the localization of the C-E (columnar to equiaxed grains transformation. However, it allows to study the dynamics of temperature field temporal behavior in the middle of a mould. It is postulated that for the C-E transition a full accumulation of the heat in the mould has been observed (plateau at the T(t curve. The temporal range of plateau existence corresponds to the incubation time for the full equiaxed grains formation. At the second step of simulation temporal behavior of the temperature gradient field has been studied. Three ranges within temperature gradients field have been distinguished for the operating point situated at the middle of mould: a/ for the formation of columnar grains zone, ( and high temperature gradient 0>>T&0//>>∂∂−∂∂∂∂−∂∂>EttEtrTrT. T - temperature, r - roll radius. It is evident that the heat transfer across the mould decides on the temporal appearance of incubation during which the solidification is significantly arrested and competition between columnar and equiaxed growth occurs. Moreover solidification with positive temperature gradient transforms into solidification with negative temperature gradient (locally after the incubation. A simulation has been performed for the cast steel and cast iron rolls solidifying as in industry condition. Since the incubation divides the roll into to parts (first with columnar structure, second with equiaxed structure some experiments dealing with solidification have been made in laboratory scale. Finally, observations of the macrosegregation or microsegregation and phase or structure appearance in the cast iron ingot / roll (made in laboratory has also been done in order to confront them with theoretical predictions

  17. Studies of the trapped particle and ion temperature gradient instabilities in the Columbia Linear Machine

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mathey, O.H.

    1989-01-01

    In the first part of the work, the effects of weak Coulomb and neutral collisions on the collisionless curvature driven trapped particle mode are studied in the Columbia Linear Machine (CLM) [Phys. Rev. Lett. 57, 1729, (1986)]. Low Coulomb collisionality yields a small stabilizing correction to the magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) collisionless mode, which scales as v, using the Krook model, and ν ec 1/2 using a Lorentz pitch angle operator. In higher collisionality regimes, both models tend to yield similar scalings. In view of relative high neutral collisionality in CLM, both types of collisionality are then combined, modeling neutral collisions with the conserving Krook and Coulomb collisions with a Lorentz model. The dispersion relation is then integrated over velocity space. This combination yields results in very good accord with the available experimental data. The Ion Temperature Gradient Instability is then investigated. It is shown that anisotropy in gradient has a substantial effect on the ion temperature gradient driven mode. A gradient in the parallel temperature is needed for an instability to occur, and a gradient in the perpendicular temperature gradient further enhances the instability indirectly as long as the frequency of the mode is near ion resonance. The physical reason for this important role difference is presented. The Columbia Linear Machine is being redesigned to produce and identify the ion temperature gradient driven η i mode. Using the expected parameters, the author has developed detailed predictions of the mode characteristics in the CLM. Strong multi mode instabilities are expected. As the ion parallel and perpendicular ion temperature gradients are expected to differ significantly, we differentiate between η i parallel and ν i perpendicular and explore the physical differences between them, which leads to a scheme for stabilization of the mode

  18. Parallelism between gradient temperature raman spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry results

    Science.gov (United States)

    Temperature dependent Raman spectroscopy (TDR) applies the temperature gradients utilized in differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) to Raman spectroscopy, providing a straightforward technique to identify molecular rearrangements that occur just prior to phase transitions. Herein we apply TDR and D...

  19. Projections of Seasonal Patterns in Temperature- Related Deaths for Manhattan, New York

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Tiantian; Horton, Radley M.; Kinney, Patrick L.

    2013-01-01

    Global average temperatures have been rising for the past half-century, and the warming trend has accelerated in recent decades. Further warming is expected over the next few decades, with significant regional variations. These warming trends will probably result in more frequent, intense and persistent periods of hot temperatures in summer, and generally higher temperatures in winter. Daily death counts in cities increase markedly when temperatures reach levels that are very high relative to what is normal in a given location. Relatively cold temperatures also seem to carry risk. Rising temperatures may result in more heat-related mortality but may also reduce cold-related mortality, and the net impact on annual mortality remains uncertain. Here we use 16 downscaled global climate models and two emissions scenarios to estimate present and future seasonal patterns in temperature-related mortality in Manhattan, New York. All 32 projections yielded warm-season increases and cold-season decreases in temperature-related mortality, with positive net annual temperature-related deaths in all cases. Monthly analyses showed that the largest percentage increases may occur in May and September. These results suggest that, over a range of models and scenarios of future greenhouse gas emissions, increases in heat-related mortality could outweigh reductions in cold-related mortality, with shifting seasonal patterns.

  20. Seasonal temperature prediction skill over Southern Africa and human health

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Lazenby, MJ

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available An assessment of probabilistic prediction skill of seasonal temperature extremes over Southern Africa is presented. Verification results are presented for six run-on seasons; September to November, October to December, November to January, December...

  1. Mutation screening of the TP53 gene by temporal temperature gradient gel electrophoresis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sørlie, Therese; Johnsen, Hilde; Vu, Phuong; Lind, Guro Elisabeth; Lothe, Ragnhild; Børresen-Dale, Anne-Lise

    2005-01-01

    A protocol for detection of mutations in the TP53 gene using temporal temperature gradient gel electrophoresis (TTGE) is described. TTGE is a mutation detection technique that separates DNA fragments differing by single base pairs according to their melting properties in a denaturing gel. It is based on constant denaturing conditions in the gel combined with a temperature gradient during the electrophoretic run. This method combines some of the advantages of the related techniques denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) and constant denaturant gel electrophoresis (CDGE) and eliminates some of the problems. The result is a rapid and sensitive screening technique that is robust and easily set up in smaller laboratory environments.

  2. Seasonal prediction skill of winter temperature over North India

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tiwari, P. R.; Kar, S. C.; Mohanty, U. C.; Dey, S.; Kumari, S.; Sinha, P.

    2016-04-01

    The climatology, amplitude error, phase error, and mean square skill score (MSSS) of temperature predictions from five different state-of-the-art general circulation models (GCMs) have been examined for the winter (December-January-February) seasons over North India. In this region, temperature variability affects the phenological development processes of wheat crops and the grain yield. The GCM forecasts of temperature for a whole season issued in November from various organizations are compared with observed gridded temperature data obtained from the India Meteorological Department (IMD) for the period 1982-2009. The MSSS indicates that the models have skills of varying degrees. Predictions of maximum and minimum temperature obtained from the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) climate forecast system model (NCEP_CFSv2) are compared with station level observations from the Snow and Avalanche Study Establishment (SASE). It has been found that when the model temperatures are corrected to account the bias in the model and actual orography, the predictions are able to delineate the observed trend compared to the trend without orography correction.

  3. Biodegradation of Toluene Under Seasonal and Diurnal Fluctuations of Soil-Water Temperature.

    KAUST Repository

    Yadav, Brijesh K; Shrestha, Shristi R; Hassanizadeh, S Majid

    2012-01-01

    An increasing interest in bioremediation of hydrocarbon polluted sites raises the question of the influence of seasonal and diurnal changes on soil-water temperature on biodegradation of BTEX, a widespread group of (sub)-surface contaminants. Therefore, we investigated the impact of a wide range of varying soil-water temperature on biodegradation of toluene under aerobic conditions. To see the seasonal impact of temperature, three sets of batch experiments were conducted at three different constant temperatures: 10°C, 21°C, and 30°C. These conditions were considered to represent (1) winter, (2) spring and/or autumn, and (3) summer seasons, respectively, at many polluted sites. Three additional sets of batch experiments were performed under fluctuating soil-water temperature cases (21<>10°C, 30<>21°C, and 10<>30°C) to mimic the day-night temperature patterns expected during the year. The batches were put at two different temperatures alternatively to represent the day (high-temperature) and night (low-temperature) times. The results of constant- and fluctuating-temperature experiments show that toluene degradation is strongly dependent on soil-water temperature level. An almost two-fold increase in toluene degradation time was observed for every 10°C decrease in temperature for constant-temperature cases. Under fluctuating-temperature conditions, toluene degraders were able to overcome the temperature stress and continued thriving during all considered weather scenarios. However, a slightly longer time was taken compared to the corresponding time at daily mean temperature conditions. The findings of this study are directly useful for bioremediation of hydrocarbon-polluted sites having significant diurnal and seasonal variations of soil-water temperature.

  4. Biodegradation of Toluene Under Seasonal and Diurnal Fluctuations of Soil-Water Temperature.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yadav, Brijesh K; Shrestha, Shristi R; Hassanizadeh, S Majid

    2012-09-01

    An increasing interest in bioremediation of hydrocarbon polluted sites raises the question of the influence of seasonal and diurnal changes on soil-water temperature on biodegradation of BTEX, a widespread group of (sub)-surface contaminants. Therefore, we investigated the impact of a wide range of varying soil-water temperature on biodegradation of toluene under aerobic conditions. To see the seasonal impact of temperature, three sets of batch experiments were conducted at three different constant temperatures: 10°C, 21°C, and 30°C. These conditions were considered to represent (1) winter, (2) spring and/or autumn, and (3) summer seasons, respectively, at many polluted sites. Three additional sets of batch experiments were performed under fluctuating soil-water temperature cases (2110°C, 3021°C, and 1030°C) to mimic the day-night temperature patterns expected during the year. The batches were put at two different temperatures alternatively to represent the day (high-temperature) and night (low-temperature) times. The results of constant- and fluctuating-temperature experiments show that toluene degradation is strongly dependent on soil-water temperature level. An almost two-fold increase in toluene degradation time was observed for every 10°C decrease in temperature for constant-temperature cases. Under fluctuating-temperature conditions, toluene degraders were able to overcome the temperature stress and continued thriving during all considered weather scenarios. However, a slightly longer time was taken compared to the corresponding time at daily mean temperature conditions. The findings of this study are directly useful for bioremediation of hydrocarbon-polluted sites having significant diurnal and seasonal variations of soil-water temperature.

  5. Biodegradation of Toluene Under Seasonal and Diurnal Fluctuations of Soil-Water Temperature.

    KAUST Repository

    Yadav, Brijesh K

    2012-05-12

    An increasing interest in bioremediation of hydrocarbon polluted sites raises the question of the influence of seasonal and diurnal changes on soil-water temperature on biodegradation of BTEX, a widespread group of (sub)-surface contaminants. Therefore, we investigated the impact of a wide range of varying soil-water temperature on biodegradation of toluene under aerobic conditions. To see the seasonal impact of temperature, three sets of batch experiments were conducted at three different constant temperatures: 10°C, 21°C, and 30°C. These conditions were considered to represent (1) winter, (2) spring and/or autumn, and (3) summer seasons, respectively, at many polluted sites. Three additional sets of batch experiments were performed under fluctuating soil-water temperature cases (21<>10°C, 30<>21°C, and 10<>30°C) to mimic the day-night temperature patterns expected during the year. The batches were put at two different temperatures alternatively to represent the day (high-temperature) and night (low-temperature) times. The results of constant- and fluctuating-temperature experiments show that toluene degradation is strongly dependent on soil-water temperature level. An almost two-fold increase in toluene degradation time was observed for every 10°C decrease in temperature for constant-temperature cases. Under fluctuating-temperature conditions, toluene degraders were able to overcome the temperature stress and continued thriving during all considered weather scenarios. However, a slightly longer time was taken compared to the corresponding time at daily mean temperature conditions. The findings of this study are directly useful for bioremediation of hydrocarbon-polluted sites having significant diurnal and seasonal variations of soil-water temperature.

  6. Variability in estuarine water temperature gradients and influence on ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Structure and variability of water temperature gradients and potential influence on distribution of two tropical zooplankters (the mysid Mesopodopsis africana and the copepod Acartia natalensis) and their temperate congenerics (M. wooldridgei and A. longipatella) was investigated over a 10-year period in the Mgazi Estuary, ...

  7. Charge imbalance induced by a temperature gradient in superconducting aluminum

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mamin, H.J.; Clarke, J.; Van Harlingen, D.J.

    1984-01-01

    The quasiparticle transport current induced in a superconducting aluminum film by a temperature gradient has been measured by means of the spatially decaying charge imbalance generated near the end of the sample where the current is divergent. The magnitude and decay length of the charge imbalance are in good agreement with the predictions of a simple model that takes into account the nonuniformity of the temperature gradient. The inferred value of the thermopower in the superconducting state agrees reasonably well with the value measured in the normal state. Measurements of the decay length of charge imbalance induced by current injection yield a value of the inelastic relaxation time tau/sub E/ of about 2 ns. This value is substantially smaller than that obtained from other measurements for reasons that are not known

  8. Sentinel Gap basalt reacted in a temperature gradient

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Charles, R.W.; Bayhurst, G.K.

    1983-01-01

    Six basalt prisms were reacted in a controlled temperature gradient hydrothermal circulation system for two months. The prisms were centered at 72, 119, 161, 209, 270, and 310 0 C. Total pressure was 1/3 kbar. All prisms showed large weight loss: 5.5% to 14.9%. The matrix micropegmatite and natural nontronitic alteration reacted readily to clays at all temperatures. The first four prisms were coated with a calcium smectite, and the last two prisms were covered with discrete patches of potassium-rich phengite and alkali feldspar. The results indicated that clays may act as adsorbers of various ions

  9. Sentinel Gap basalt reacted in a temperature gradient

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Charles, R.W.; Bayhurst, G.K.

    1982-01-01

    Six basalt prisms were reacted in a controlled temperature gradient hydrothermal circulation system for two months. The prisms are centered at 72, 119, 161, 209, 270, and 310 0 C. Total pressure is 1/3 kbar. All prisms show large weight loss: 5.5% to 14.9%. The matrix micropegmatite and natural nontronitic alteration readily reacts to clays at all temperatures. The first four prisms are coated with a Ca-smectite while the last two prisms are covered with discrete patches of K rich phengite and alkali feldspar. The clays may act as adsorbers of various ions

  10. PHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONSES OF ECKLONIA RADIATA (LAMINARIALES) TO A LATITUDINAL GRADIENT IN OCEAN TEMPERATURE

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Stæhr, Peter Anton; Wernberg, Thomas

    2009-01-01

    We tested the ability of sporophytes of a small kelp, Ecklonia radiata (C. Agardh) J. Agardh, to adjust their photosynthesis, respiration, and cellular processes to increasingly warm ocean climates along a latitudinal gradient in ocean temperature (~4°C). Tissue concentrations of pigment and nutr......We tested the ability of sporophytes of a small kelp, Ecklonia radiata (C. Agardh) J. Agardh, to adjust their photosynthesis, respiration, and cellular processes to increasingly warm ocean climates along a latitudinal gradient in ocean temperature (~4°C). Tissue concentrations of pigment...... and nutrients decreased with increasing ocean temperature. Concurrently, a number of gradual changes in the metabolic balance of E. radiata took place along the latitudinal gradient. Warm-acclimatized kelps had 50% lower photosynthetic rates and 90% lower respiration rates at the optimum temperature than did...... cool-acclimatized kelps. A reduction in temperature sensitivity was also observed as a reduction in Q10-values from cool- to warm-acclimatized kelps for gross photosynthesis (Q10: 3.35 to 1.45) and respiration (Q10: 3.82 to 1.65). Respiration rates were more sensitive to increasing experimental...

  11. Continuous gradient temperature Raman spectroscopy of oleic and linoleic acids from -100 to 50°C

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gradient Temperature Raman spectroscopy (GTRS) applies the temperature gradients utilized in differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) to Raman spectroscopy, providing a straightforward technique to identify molecular rearrangements that occur near and at phase transitions. Herein we apply GTRS and DS...

  12. Seasonal Changes in Bird Species and Feeding Guilds along Elevational Gradients of the Central Himalayas, Nepal

    Science.gov (United States)

    Katuwal, Hem Bahadur; Basnet, Khadga; Khanal, Bhaiya; Devkota, Shiva; Rai, Sanjeev Kumar; Gajurel, Jyoti Prasad; Scheidegger, Christoph; Nobis, Michael P.

    2016-01-01

    The Himalayas are a global hotspot for bird diversity with a large number of threatened species, but little is known about seasonal changes in bird communities along elevational gradients in this region. We studied the seasonality of bird diversity in six valleys of the Central Himalayas, Nepal. Using 318 plots with a 50 m radius, located from 2200 to 3800 m a.s.l., and repeated sampling during different seasons (mainly pre-monsoon, monsoon, and post-monsoon), we analyzed 3642 occurrences of 178 species. Birds classified in the literature as resident were more species-rich than migratory birds (140 vs. 38 species). In all six valleys and within the studied elevation range, species richness of all birds showed a peak at mid-elevation levels of 2600 or 3000 m a.s.l. Similar patterns were found for the most species-rich feeding guilds of insectivores (96 species) and omnivores (24 species), whereas the species richness of herbivores (37 species including frugivores) increased towards higher elevations. Among these feeding guilds, only species richness of insectivores showed pronounced seasonal changes with higher species numbers during post-monsoon season. Similarly, individual bird species showed distinct spatio-temporal distribution patterns, with transitions from species dominated by elevational differences to those characterized by strong seasonal changes. In an era of climate change, the results demonstrate that individual bird species as well as feeding guilds might greatly differ in their responses to climate warming and changes in the seasonality of the precipitation regime, two aspects of climate change which should not be analyzed independently. PMID:27367903

  13. Measurement and Analysis of the Temperature Gradient of Blackbody Cavities, for Use in Radiation Thermometry

    Science.gov (United States)

    De Lucas, Javier; Segovia, José Juan

    2018-05-01

    Blackbody cavities are the standard radiation sources widely used in the fields of radiometry and radiation thermometry. Its effective emissivity and uncertainty depend to a large extent on the temperature gradient. An experimental procedure based on the radiometric method for measuring the gradient is followed. Results are applied to particular blackbody configurations where gradients can be thermometrically estimated by contact thermometers and where the relationship between both basic methods can be established. The proposed procedure may be applied to commercial blackbodies if they are modified allowing secondary contact temperature measurement. In addition, the established systematic may be incorporated as part of the actions for quality assurance in routine calibrations of radiation thermometers, by using the secondary contact temperature measurement for detecting departures from the real radiometrically obtained gradient and the effect on the uncertainty. On the other hand, a theoretical model is proposed to evaluate the effect of temperature variations on effective emissivity and associated uncertainty. This model is based on a gradient sample chosen following plausible criteria. The model is consistent with the Monte Carlo method for calculating the uncertainty of effective emissivity and complements others published in the literature where uncertainty is calculated taking into account only geometrical variables and intrinsic emissivity. The mathematical model and experimental procedure are applied and validated using a commercial type three-zone furnace, with a blackbody cavity modified to enable a secondary contact temperature measurement, in the range between 400 °C and 1000 °C.

  14. Theory of neoclassical ion temperature-gradient-driven turbulence

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Y. B.; Diamond, P. H.; Biglari, H.; Callen, J. D.

    1991-02-01

    The theory of collisionless fluid ion temperature-gradient-driven turbulence is extended to the collisional banana-plateau regime. Neoclassical ion fluid evolution equations are developed and utilized to investigate linear and nonlinear dynamics of negative compressibility ηi modes (ηi≡d ln Ti/d ln ni). In the low-frequency limit (ωB2p. As a result of these modifications, growth rates are dissipative, rather than sonic, and radial mode widths are broadened [i.e., γ˜k2∥c2s(ηi -(2)/(3) )/μi, Δx˜ρs(Bt/Bp) (1+ηi)1/2, where k∥, cs, and ρs are the parallel wave number, sound velocity, and ion gyroradius, respectively]. In the limit of weak viscous damping, enhanced neoclassical polarization persists and broadens radial mode widths. Linear mixing length estimates and renormalized turbulence theory are used to determine the ion thermal diffusivity in both cases. In both cases, a strong favorable dependence of ion thermal diffusivity on Bp (and hence plasma current) is exhibited. Furthermore, the ion thermal diffusivity for long wavelength modes exhibits favorable density scaling. The possible role of neoclassical ion temperature-gradient-driven modes in edge fluctuations and transport in L-phase discharges and the L to H transition is discussed.

  15. Determination of sulfonamides and trimethoprim using high temperature HPLC with simultaneous temperature and solvent gradient.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Giegold, Sascha; Teutenberg, Thorsten; Tuerk, Jochen; Kiffmeyer, Thekla; Wenclawiak, Bernd

    2008-10-01

    A fast HPLC method for the analysis of eight selected sulfonamides (SA) and trimethoprim has been developed with the use of high temperature HPLC. The separation could be achieved in less than 1.5 min on a 50 mm sub 2 microm column with simultaneous solvent and temperature gradient programming. Due to the lower viscosity of the mobile phase and the increased mass transfer at higher temperatures, the separation could be performed on a conventional HPLC system obtaining peak widths at half height between 0.6 and 1.3 s.

  16. Analyzing the edge effects in a Brazilian seasonally dry tropical forest.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arruda, D M; Eisenlohr, P V

    2016-02-01

    Due to the deciduous nature of dry forests (widely known as seasonally dry tropical forests) they are subject to microclimatic conditions not experienced in other forest formations. Close examinations of the theory of edge effects in dry forests are still rare and a number of questions arise in terms of this topic. In light of this situation we examined a fragment of the dry forest to respond to the following questions: (I) Are there differences in canopy cover along the edge-interior gradient during the dry season? (II) How does the microclimate (air temperature, soil temperature, and relative humidity) vary along that gradient? (III) How does the microclimate influence tree species richness, evenness and abundance along that gradient? (IV) Are certain tree species more dominant closer to the forest edges? Regressions were performed to address these questions. Their coefficients did not significantly vary from zero. Apparently, the uniform openness of the forest canopy caused a homogeneous internal microclimate, without significant differentiation in habitats that would allow modifications in biotic variables tested. We conclude that the processes of edge effect commonly seen in humid forests, not was shared with the dry forest assessed.

  17. Experimental observation of electron-temperature-gradient turbulence in a laboratory plasma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mattoo, S K; Singh, S K; Awasthi, L M; Singh, R; Kaw, P K

    2012-06-22

    We report the observation of electron-temperature-gradient (ETG) driven turbulence in the laboratory plasma of a large volume plasma device. The removal of unutilized primary ionizing and nonthermal electrons from uniform density plasma and the imposition and control of the gradient in the electron temperature (T[Symbol: see text] T(e)) are all achieved by placing a large (2 m diameter) magnetic electron energy filter in the middle of the device. In the dressed plasma, the observed ETG turbulence in the lower hybrid range of frequencies ν = (1-80 kHz) is characterized by a broadband with a power law. The mean wave number k perpendicular ρ(e) = (0.1-0.2) satisfies the condition k perpendicular ρ(e) ≤ 1, where ρ(e) is the electron Larmor radius.

  18. Environmental temperature affects prevalence of blood parasites of birds on an elevation gradient: implications for disease in a warming climate.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Itzel Zamora-Vilchis

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: The rising global temperature is predicted to expand the distribution of vector-borne diseases both in latitude and altitude. Many host communities could be affected by increased prevalence of disease, heightening the risk of extinction for many already threatened species. To understand how host communities could be affected by changing parasite distributions, we need information on the distribution of parasites in relation to variables like temperature and rainfall that are predicted to be affected by climate change. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We determined relations between prevalence of blood parasites, temperature, and seasonal rainfall in a bird community of the Australian Wet Tropics along an elevation gradient. We used PCR screening to investigate the prevalence and lineage diversity of four genera of blood parasites (Plasmodium, Haemoproteus, Leucocytozoon and Trypanosoma in 403 birds. The overall prevalence of the four genera of blood parasites was 32.3%, with Haemoproteus the predominant genus. A total of 48 unique lineages were detected. Independent of elevation, parasite prevalence was positively and strongly associated with annual temperature. Parasite prevalence was elevated during the dry season. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Low temperatures of the higher elevations can help to reduce both the development of avian haematozoa and the abundance of parasite vectors, and hence parasite prevalence. In contrast, high temperatures of the lowland areas provide an excellent environment for the development and transmission of haematozoa. We showed that rising temperatures are likely to lead to increased prevalence of parasites in birds, and may force shifts of bird distribution to higher elevations. We found that upland tropical areas are currently a low-disease habitat and their conservation should be given high priority in management plans under climate change.

  19. Estimation of seasonal atmospheric stability and mixing height by using different schemes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Essa, K.S.M.; Embaby, M.; Mubarak, F.; Kamel, I.

    2007-01-01

    Different atmospheric stability schemes were used to characterize the plume growth (dispersion coefficients σ) in the lateral and vertical directions to determine the concentration distribution of pollutants through the PBL. The PBL is the region in which surface friction has a large effect on the mixing of pollutants. It is also suffer large fluctuation in temperature and wind and its depth (mixing depth) changes over a diurnal cycle. In this study, four months of surface meteorological parameters were used (to represent different seasons) to determine seasonal stability, classification. Five different stability schemes were estimated based on temperature gradient, standard deviation of the horizontal wind direction fluctuation, gradient and Bulk Richardson numbers and Monin-Obukhov length. Friction velocity, (u * ) for each stability scheme was estimated for characterizing the hourly, mixing height for each stability class. Also, plume rise was estimated for each stability class depending on the availability of meteorological parameters

  20. European seasonal mortality and influenza incidence due to winter temperature variability

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rodó, X.; Ballester, J.; Robine, J. M.; Herrmann, F. R.

    2017-12-01

    Recent studies have vividly emphasized the lack of consensus on the degree of vulnerability (sensu IPCC) of European societies to current and future winter temperatures. Here we consider several climate factors, influenza incidence and daily numbers of deaths to characterize the relationship between winter temperature and mortality in a very large ensemble of European regions representing more than 400 million people. Analyses highlight the strong association between the year-to-year fluctuations in winter mean temperature and mortality, with higher seasonal cases during harsh winters, in all of the countries except the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Belgium. This spatial distribution contrasts with the well-documented latitudinal orientation of the dependency between daily temperature and mortality within the season. A theoretical framework is proposed to reconcile the apparent contradictions between recent studies, offering an interpretation to regional differences in the vulnerability to daily, seasonal and long-term winter temperature variability. Despite the lack of a strong year-to-year association between winter mean values in some countries, it can be concluded that warmer winters will contribute to the decrease in winter mortality everywhere in Europe. More information in Ballester J, et al. (2016) Nature Climate Change 6, 927-930, doi:10.1038/NCLIMATE3070.

  1. The phase differences of the interdecadal variabilities of tropical cyclone activity in the peak and late seasons over the western North Pacific

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fan, Tingting; Xu, Shibin; Huang, Fei; Zhao, Jinping

    2018-04-01

    This study compares the interdecadal variations in tropical cyclone (TC) activities over the western North Pacific (WNP) basin during the peak season (July-September) and late season (October-December) of 1955-2014 and explores the possible physical mechanisms behind the variations. Both the peak- and late-season tropical storm (TS) days show distinct interdecadal variations, while the late-season TS days lead the peak-season TS days by approximately 4 years on an interdecadal time scale. The late-season TC activity is related to the east-west sea surface temperature (SST) gradient across the equatorial Pacific. The westerly winds induced by the SST gradient can reduce the vertical wind shear and increase the low-level vorticity, which favors TC genesis over the TC genesis region. The peak-season TC activity appears to relate to the SST gradient between the Indian Ocean and the Central Pacific. The westerly wind induced by the SST gradient can reduce the vertical wind shear and increase the mid-level relative humidity, thereby enhancing the TC activity. The full picture of the interdecadal variation in the WNP TC activity during the peak and late seasons revealed in this study provides a new perspective on the seasonal TC forecasts and future projections.

  2. Study on Relationship between Seasonal Temperatures and Municipal Wastewater Pollutant Concentration and Removal Rate

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yuan Shaoxiong

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available In this study, the temperatures, pollutant concentrations and other indicators of municipal wastewater influent and effluent were tested for 7 months in 6 constructed wetland microcosms; the hydraulic retention time is 2 days. The results indicated that for both influent and effluent, there was a highly significant negative correlation (P<0.01 between the temperature and the pollutant concentrations, there was a significant difference (P<0.05 between seasonal temperatures, and the pollutant concentrations in summer and autumn were significantly different from those in winter (P<0.05. Furthermore, a regression analysis of pollutant concentration (y based on changes in water temperature (x in different seasons was performed. The analysis revealed that the relationship has the form ‘y = a -bx + cx2’, that under certain circumstances, pollutant concentrations can be calculated based on the temperature, and that the concentrations of NH4-N, Total Phosphorus (TP and Soluble Reactive Phosphorus (SRP had a significantly negative correlation with their removal rate (P < 0.01. However, seasonal temperature clearly did not have a direct impact on the pollutant concentration, and some studies have indicated that the different manners in which urban residents use water as the temperature changes may be the real reason that the pollutant concentrations of municipal wastewater vary with seasonal temperature. Furthermore, when designing and operating constructed wetlands, the impact of the changes in pollutant concentrations generated by seasonal temperature should be fully considered, dilution and other means should be taken to ensure purification.

  3. Study of the possibility of growing germanium single crystals under low temperature gradients

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moskovskih, V. A.; Kasimkin, P. V.; Shlegel, V. N.; Vasiliev, Y. V.; Gridchin, V. A.; Podkopaev, O. I.; Zhdankov, V. N.

    2014-03-01

    The possibility of growing germanium single crystals under low temperature gradients in order to produce a dislocation-free material has been studied. Germanium crystals with a dislocation density of about 100-200 cm-2 have been grown in a system with a weight control of crystal growth at maximum axial gradients of about 1.5 K/cm.

  4. Temperature gradient method for lipid phase diagram construction using time-resolved x-ray diffraction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Caffrey, M.; Hing, F.S.

    1987-01-01

    A method that enables temperature-composition phase diagram construction at unprecedented rates is described and evaluated. The method involves establishing a known temperature gradient along the length of a metal rod. Samples of different compositions contained in long, thin-walled capillaries are positioned lengthwise on the rod and equilibrated such that the temperature gradient is communicated into the sample. The sample is then moved through a focused, monochromatic synchrotron-derived x-ray beam and the image-intensified diffraction pattern from the sample is recorded on videotape continuously in live-time as a function of position and, thus, temperature. The temperature at which the diffraction pattern changes corresponds to a phase boundary, and the phase(s) existing (coexisting) on either side of the boundary can be identified on the basis of the diffraction pattern. Repeating the measurement on samples covering the entire composition range completes the phase diagram. These additional samples can be conveniently placed at different locations around the perimeter of the cylindrical rod and rotated into position for diffraction measurement. Temperature-composition phase diagrams for the fully hydrated binary mixtures, dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC)/dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) and dipalmitoylphosphatidylethanolamine (DPPE)/DPPC, have been constructed using the new temperature gradient method. They agree well with and extend the results obtained by other techniques. In the DPPE/DPPC system structural parameters as a function of temperature in the various phases including the subgel phase are reported. The potential limitations of this steady-state method are discussed

  5. The temperature gradient on section of casting in process of primary crystallization of chromium cast iron

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. Studnicki

    2008-08-01

    Full Text Available The methodology of defining in article was introduced the temperature gradient in process of primary crystallization during cooling the casting from chromium cast iron on basis of measurements of thermal field in test DTA-K3. Insert also the preliminary results of investigations of influence temperature gradient on structure of studied wear resistance chromium cast iron.

  6. Temperature effects on seaweed-sustaining top-down control vary with season.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Werner, Franziska J; Graiff, Angelika; Matthiessen, Birte

    2016-03-01

    Rising seawater temperature and CO2 concentrations (ocean acidification) represent two of the most influential factors impacting marine ecosystems in the face of global climate change. In ecological climate change research, full-factorial experiments performed across seasons in multispecies, cross-trophic-level settings are essential as they permit a more realistic estimation of direct and indirect effects as well as the relative importance of the effects of both major environmental stressors on ecosystems. In benthic mesocosm experiments, we tested the responses of coastal Baltic Sea Fucus vesiculosus communities to elevated seawater temperature and CO2 concentrations across four seasons of one year. While increasing [CO2] levels had only minor effects, warming had strong and persistent effects on grazers, and the resulting effects on the Fucus community were found to be season dependent. In late summer, a temperature-driven collapse of grazers caused a cascading effect from the consumers to the foundation species, resulting in overgrowth of Fucus thalli by epiphytes. In fall/winter (outside the growing season of epiphytes), intensified grazing under warming resulted in a significant reduction in Fucus biomass. Thus, we were able to confirm the prediction that future increases in water temperatures will influence marine food-web processes by altering top-down control, but we were also able to show that specific consequences for food-web structure depend on the season. Since F. vesiculosus is the dominant habitat-forming brown algal system in the Baltic Sea, its potential decline under global warming implies a loss of key functions and services such as provision of nutrient storage, substrate, food, shelter, and nursery grounds for a diverse community of marine invertebrates and fish in Baltic Sea coastal waters.

  7. IMPACT OF GEOTHERMAL GRADIENT ON GROUND SOURCE HEAT PUMP SYSTEM MODELING

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tomislav Kurevija

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available ndisturbed ground temperature is one of the most crucial thermogeological parameters needed for shallow geothermal resources assessment. Energy considered to be geothermal is energy stored in the ground at depths where solar radiation has no effect. At depth where undisturbed ground temperature occurs there is no influence of seasonal variations in air temperature from surface. Exact temperature value, and depth where it occurs, is functionally dependent on surface climate parameters and thermogeologic properties of ground. After abovementioned depth, increase of ground temperature is solely dependent on geothermal gradient. Accurately determined value of undisturbed ground temperature is beneficial for proper sizing of borehole heat exchangers. On practical example of building which is being heated and cooled with shallow geothermal resource, influences of undisturbed ground temperature and geothermal gradient, on size of borehole heat exchanger are going to be presented. Sizing of borehole heat exchanger was calculated with commercial software Ground Loop Designer (GLD, which uses modified line source and cylinder source solutions of heat conduction in solids.

  8. Marine heatwaves and optimal temperatures for microbial assemblage activity

    OpenAIRE

    Joint, IR; Smale, DA

    2016-01-01

    The response of microbial assemblages to instantaneous temperature change was measured in a seasonal study of the coastal waters of the western English Channel. On 18 occasions between November 1999 and December 2000, bacterial abundance was assessed and temperature responses determined from the incorporation of 3H leucine, measured in a temperature gradient from 5°C to 38°C. Q10 values varied, being close to 2 in spring and summer but were >3 in autumn. There was a seasonal pattern in the as...

  9. Seasonality of change: Summer warming rates do not fully represent effects of climate change on lake temperatures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Winslow, Luke; Read, Jordan S.; Hansen, Gretchen J. A.; Rose, Kevin C.; Robertson, Dale M.

    2017-01-01

    Responses in lake temperatures to climate warming have primarily been characterized using seasonal metrics of surface-water temperatures such as summertime or stratified period average temperatures. However, climate warming may not affect water temperatures equally across seasons or depths. We analyzed a long-term dataset (1981–2015) of biweekly water temperature data in six temperate lakes in Wisconsin, U.S.A. to understand (1) variability in monthly rates of surface- and deep-water warming, (2) how those rates compared to summertime average trends, and (3) if monthly heterogeneity in water temperature trends can be predicted by heterogeneity in air temperature trends. Monthly surface-water temperature warming rates varied across the open-water season, ranging from 0.013 in August to 0.073°C yr−1 in September (standard deviation [SD]: 0.025°C yr−1). Deep-water trends during summer varied less among months (SD: 0.006°C yr−1), but varied broadly among lakes (–0.056°C yr−1 to 0.035°C yr−1, SD: 0.034°C yr−1). Trends in monthly surface-water temperatures were well correlated with air temperature trends, suggesting monthly air temperature trends, for which data exist at broad scales, may be a proxy for seasonal patterns in surface-water temperature trends during the open water season in lakes similar to those studied here. Seasonally variable warming has broad implications for how ecological processes respond to climate change, because phenological events such as fish spawning and phytoplankton succession respond to specific, seasonal temperature cues.

  10. A gradient approximation for calculating Debye temperatures from pairwise interatomic potentials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jackson, D.P.

    1975-09-01

    A simple gradient approximation is given for calculating the effective Debye temperature of a cubic crystal from central pairwise interatomic potentials. For examples of the Morse potential applied to cubic metals the results are in generally good agreement with experiment. (author)

  11. Potential uses of high gradient magnetic filtration for high-temperature water purification in boiling water reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Elliott, H.H.; Holloway, J.H.; Abbott, D.G.

    1979-01-01

    Studies of various high-temperature filter devices indicate a potentially positive impact for high gradient magnetic filtration on boiling water reactor radiation level reduction. Test results on in-plant water composition and impurity crystallography are presented for several typical boiling water reactors (BWRs) on plant streams where high-temperature filtration may be particularly beneficial. An experimental model on the removal of red iron oxide (hematite) from simulated reactor water with a high gradient magnetic filter is presented, as well as the scale-up parameters used to predict the filtration efficiency on various high temperature, in-plant streams. Numerical examples are given to illustrate the crud removal potential of high gradient magnetic filters installed at alternative stream locations under typical, steady-state, plant operating conditions

  12. Acoustic emission of quasi-isotropic rock samples initiated by temperature gradients

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Vasin, R.N.; Nikitin, A. N.; Lokajíček, Tomáš; Rudajev, Vladimír

    2006-01-01

    Roč. 42, č. 10 (2006), s. 815-823 ISSN 1069-3513 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z30460519; CEZ:AV0Z30130516 Keywords : seismoacoustic emission * rock sample * temperature gradient Subject RIV: DB - Geology ; Mineralogy Impact factor: 0.092, year: 2006

  13. Saturation mechanism of decaying ion temperature gradient driven turbulence with kinetic electrons

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Idomura, Yasuhiro

    2016-01-01

    We present full-f gyrokinetic simulations of the ion temperature gradient driven (ITG) turbulence including kinetic electrons. By comparing decaying ITG turbulence simulations with adiabatic and kinetic electron models, an impact of kinetic electrons on the ITG turbulence is investigated. It is found that significant electron transport occurs even in the ITG turbulence, and both ion and electron temperature profiles are relaxed. In steady states, both cases show upshifts of nonlinear critical ion temperature gradients from linear ones, while their saturation mechanisms are qualitatively different. In the adiabatic electron case, the ITG mode is stabilized by turbulence driven zonal flows. On the other hand, in the kinetic electron case, passing electrons transport shows fine resonant structures at mode rational surfaces, which generate corrugated density profiles. Such corrugated density profiles lead to fine radial electric fields following the neoclassical force balance relation. The resulting E × B shearing rate greatly exceeds the linear growth rate of the ITG mode. (author)

  14. Temperature-gradient instability induced by conducting end walls

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Berk, H.L.; Ryutov, D.D.; Tsidulko, Yu.A.

    1990-04-01

    A new rapidly growing electron temperature gradient instability is found for a plasma in contact with a conducting wall. The linear instability analysis is presented and speculations are given for its nonlinear consequences. This instability illustrates that conducting walls can produce effects that are detrimental to plasma confinement. This mode should be of importance in open-ended systems including astrophysical plasmas, mirror machines and at the edge of tokamaks where field lines are open and are connected to limiters or divertors. 16 refs., 2 figs

  15. Effect of pool rotation on three-dimensional flow in a shallow annular pool of silicon melt with bidirectional temperature gradients

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhang, Quan-Zhuang; Peng, Lan; Liu, Jia [Key Laboratory of Low-grade Energy Utilization Technologies and Systems of Ministry of Education, College of Power Engineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400044 (China); Wang, Fei, E-mail: penglan@cqu.edu.cn [Chongqing Special Equipment Inspection and Research Institute, Chongqing, 401121 (China)

    2016-08-15

    In order to understand the effect of pool rotation on silicon melt flow with the bidirectional temperature gradients, we conducted a series of unsteady three-dimensional (3D) numerical simulations in a shallow annular pool. The bidirectional temperature gradients are produced by the temperature difference between outer and inner walls as well as a constant heat flux at the bottom. Results show that when Marangoni number is small, a 3D steady flow is common without pool rotation. But it bifurcates to a 3D oscillatory flow at a low rotation Reynolds number. Subsequently, the flow becomes steady and axisymmetric at a high rotation Reynolds number. When the Marangoni number is large, pool rotation can effectively suppress the temperature fluctuation on the free surface, meanwhile, it improves the flow stability. The critical heat flux density diagrams are mapped, and the effects of radial and vertical temperature gradients on the flow are discussed. Additionally, the transition process from the flow dominated by the radial temperature gradient to the one dominated by the vertical temperature gradient is presented. (paper)

  16. Temperature responses of a coccolithophorid, Cricosphaera carterae, measured in a simple and inexpensive thermal-gradient device

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Blankley, W.F.; Lewin, R.A.

    1976-01-01

    An illuminated thermal-gradient device is described which is of simple construction, very low cost, and wide adaptability to various culture vessels. It can be readily adapted for use in crossed gradients with temperature along one axis. The thermal gradient produced depends on several factors including the heat source (one or more incandescent lamps), heat sink (cold air in a refrigerated box or room), and type of culture vessel. By use of the device, the temperature range for growth of Cricosphaera carterae was found to be 10-26 degrees C, with a maximal growth rate at 20 degrees C

  17. Presence and significance of temperature gradients among different ovarian tissues

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hunter, Ronald Henry Fraser; Einer-Jensen, Niels; Greve, Torben

    2006-01-01

    also be involved. Temperature gradients would be maintained locally by counter-current heat exchange mechanisms and, in this context, the microvasculature and lymphatic flow of individual follicles were found to be appropriate. Observations on the temperature of preovulatory follicles appear relevant......, and cow, and generally fell in the range of 1.3-1.7 degrees C: follicles were always cooler than stroma. Measurements were made principally by means of a thermo-sensing camera at midventral laparotomy, but also using microelectrodes or thermistor probes sited in the follicular antrum of rabbits and pigs...

  18. Temperature sensitivity and enzymatic mechanisms of soil organic matter decomposition along an altitudinal gradient on Mount Kilimanjaro

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blagodatskaya, Еvgenia; Blagodatsky, Sergey; Khomyakov, Nikita; Myachina, Olga; Kuzyakov, Yakov

    2016-02-01

    Short-term acceleration of soil organic matter decomposition by increasing temperature conflicts with the thermal adaptation observed in long-term studies. Here we used the altitudinal gradient on Mt. Kilimanjaro to demonstrate the mechanisms of thermal adaptation of extra- and intracellular enzymes that hydrolyze cellulose, chitin and phytate and oxidize monomers (14C-glucose) in warm- and cold-climate soils. We revealed that no response of decomposition rate to temperature occurs because of a cancelling effect consisting in an increase in half-saturation constants (Km), which counteracts the increase in maximal reaction rates (Vmax with temperature). We used the parameters of enzyme kinetics to predict thresholds of substrate concentration (Scrit) below which decomposition rates will be insensitive to global warming. Increasing values of Scrit, and hence stronger canceling effects with increasing altitude on Mt. Kilimanjaro, explained the thermal adaptation of polymer decomposition. The reduction of the temperature sensitivity of Vmax along the altitudinal gradient contributed to thermal adaptation of both polymer and monomer degradation. Extrapolating the altitudinal gradient to the large-scale latitudinal gradient, these results show that the soils of cold climates with stronger and more frequent temperature variation are less sensitive to global warming than soils adapted to high temperatures.

  19. Central-peripheral temperature gradient: an early diagnostic sign of late-onset neonatal sepsis in very low birth weight infants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leante-Castellanos, José Luis; Lloreda-García, José M; García-González, Ana; Llopis-Baño, Caridad; Fuentes-Gutiérrez, Carmen; Alonso-Gallego, José Ángel; Martínez-Gimeno, Antonio

    2012-04-22

    We assessed central-peripheral temperature gradient alteration for the diagnosis of late-onset neonatal sepsis and compared earliness detection of this sign with altered blood cell count and C-reactive protein. Thirty-one preterm babies (peripheral) temperatures were continuously monitored with a thermal probe (ThermoTracer; Dräger Medical AGF & Co. KgaA, Lübeck, Germany) adjusting incubator air temperature for a thermal gradient peripheral temperature alteration was defined as a thermal gradient >2°C that could not be corrected with protocolized air temperature modifications. Proven (positive blood culture) sepsis and probable late-onset sepsis were recorded. Late-onset sepsis was diagnosed in 11 neonates (proven, 9; probable, 2). Thermal gradient alteration was present in 12 cases, in association with the onset of sepsis in 10 and concomitantly with a ductus arteriosus and stage 1 necrotizing enterocolitis in 2. Thermal gradient alteration had a sensitivity of 90.9% [95% confidence interval (CI), 62.3-98.4] and specificity of 90% (95% CI, 69.9-97.2%), and in 80% of cases, it occurred before abnormal laboratory findings. Central-peripheral temperature gradient monitoring is a feasible, non-invasive, and simple tool easily applicable in daily practice. An increase of >2°C showed a high-sensitivity and specificity for the diagnosis of late-onset sepsis.

  20. Extensive phenotypic plasticity of a Red Sea coral over a strong latitudinal temperature gradient suggests limited acclimatization potential to warming

    KAUST Repository

    Sawall, Yvonne

    2015-03-10

    Global warming was reported to cause growth reductions in tropical shallow water corals in both, cooler and warmer, regions of the coral species range. This suggests regional adaptation with less heat-tolerant populations in cooler and more thermo-tolerant populations in warmer regions. Here, we investigated seasonal changes in the in situ metabolic performance of the widely distributed hermatypic coral Pocillopora verrucosa along 12° latitudes featuring a steep temperature gradient between the northern (28.5°N, 21-27°C) and southern (16.5°N, 28-33°C) reaches of the Red Sea. Surprisingly, we found little indication for regional adaptation, but strong indications for high phenotypic plasticity: Calcification rates in two seasons (winter, summer) were found to be highest at 28-29°C throughout all populations independent of their geographic location. Mucus release increased with temperature and nutrient supply, both being highest in the south. Genetic characterization of the coral host revealed low inter-regional variation and differences in the Symbiodinium clade composition only at the most northern and most southern region. This suggests variable acclimatization potential to ocean warming of coral populations across the Red Sea: high acclimatization potential in northern populations, but limited ability to cope with ocean warming in southern populations already existing at the upper thermal margin for corals.

  1. Extensive phenotypic plasticity of a Red Sea coral over a strong latitudinal temperature gradient suggests limited acclimatization potential to warming

    KAUST Repository

    Sawall, Yvonne; Al-Sofyani, Abdulmoshin; Hohn, Sö nke; Banguera Hinestroza, Eulalia; Voolstra, Christian R.; Wahl, Martin

    2015-01-01

    Global warming was reported to cause growth reductions in tropical shallow water corals in both, cooler and warmer, regions of the coral species range. This suggests regional adaptation with less heat-tolerant populations in cooler and more thermo-tolerant populations in warmer regions. Here, we investigated seasonal changes in the in situ metabolic performance of the widely distributed hermatypic coral Pocillopora verrucosa along 12° latitudes featuring a steep temperature gradient between the northern (28.5°N, 21-27°C) and southern (16.5°N, 28-33°C) reaches of the Red Sea. Surprisingly, we found little indication for regional adaptation, but strong indications for high phenotypic plasticity: Calcification rates in two seasons (winter, summer) were found to be highest at 28-29°C throughout all populations independent of their geographic location. Mucus release increased with temperature and nutrient supply, both being highest in the south. Genetic characterization of the coral host revealed low inter-regional variation and differences in the Symbiodinium clade composition only at the most northern and most southern region. This suggests variable acclimatization potential to ocean warming of coral populations across the Red Sea: high acclimatization potential in northern populations, but limited ability to cope with ocean warming in southern populations already existing at the upper thermal margin for corals.

  2. Study on the properties of infrared wavefront coding athermal system under several typical temperature gradient distributions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cai, Huai-yu; Dong, Xiao-tong; Zhu, Meng; Huang, Zhan-hua

    2018-01-01

    Wavefront coding for athermal technique can effectively ensure the stability of the optical system imaging in large temperature range, as well as the advantages of compact structure and low cost. Using simulation method to analyze the properties such as PSF and MTF of wavefront coding athermal system under several typical temperature gradient distributions has directive function to characterize the working state of non-ideal temperature environment, and can effectively realize the system design indicators as well. In this paper, we utilize the interoperability of data between Solidworks and ZEMAX to simplify the traditional process of structure/thermal/optical integrated analysis. Besides, we design and build the optical model and corresponding mechanical model of the infrared imaging wavefront coding athermal system. The axial and radial temperature gradients of different degrees are applied to the whole system by using SolidWorks software, thus the changes of curvature, refractive index and the distance between the lenses are obtained. Then, we import the deformation model to ZEMAX for ray tracing, and obtain the changes of PSF and MTF in optical system. Finally, we discuss and evaluate the consistency of the PSF (MTF) of the wavefront coding athermal system and the image restorability, which provides the basis and reference for the optimal design of the wavefront coding athermal system. The results show that the adaptability of single material infrared wavefront coding athermal system to axial temperature gradient can reach the upper limit of temperature fluctuation of 60°C, which is much higher than that of radial temperature gradient.

  3. Effects of population density and chemical environment on the behavior of Escherichia coli in shallow temperature gradients

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Demir, Mahmut; Yoney, Anna; Salman, Hanna; Douarche, Carine; Libchaber, Albert

    2011-01-01

    In shallow temperature gradients, changes in temperature that bacteria experience occur over long time scales. Therefore, slow processes such as adaptation, metabolism, chemical secretion and even gene expression become important. Since these are cellular processes, the cell density is an important parameter that affects the bacteria's response. We find that there are four density regimes with distinct behaviors. At low cell density, bacteria do not cause changes in their chemical environment; however, their response to the temperature gradient is strongly influenced by it. In the intermediate cell-density regime, the consumption of nutrients becomes significant and induces a gradient of nutrients opposing the temperature gradient due to higher consumption rate at the high temperature. This causes the bacteria to drift toward low temperature. In the high cell-density regime, interactions among bacteria due to secretion of an attractant lead to a strong local accumulation of bacteria. This together with the gradient of nutrients, resulted from the differential consumption rate, creates a fast propagating pulse of bacterial density. These observations are a result of classical nonlinear population dynamics. At extremely high cell density, a change in the physiological state of the bacteria is observed. The bacteria, at the individual level, become cold seeking. This appears initially as a result of a change in the methylation level of the two most abundant sensing receptors, Tsr and Tar. It is further enforced at an even higher cell density by a change in the expression level of these receptors. (perspective)

  4. Coupled ion temperature gradient and trapped electron mode to electron temperature gradient mode gyrokinetic simulations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Waltz, R. E.; Candy, J.; Fahey, M.

    2007-01-01

    Electron temperature gradient (ETG) transport is conventionally defined as the electron energy transport at high wave number (high-k) where ions are adiabatic and there can be no ion energy or plasma transport. Previous gyrokinetic simulations have assumed adiabatic ions (ETG-ai) and work on the small electron gyroradius scale. However such ETG-ai simulations with trapped electrons often do not have well behaved nonlinear saturation unless fully kinetic ions (ki) and proper ion scale zonal flow modes are included. Electron energy transport is separated into ETG-ki at high-k and ion temperature gradient-trapped electron mode (ITG/TEM) at low-k. Expensive (more computer-intensive), high-resolution, large-ion-scale flux-tube simulations coupling ITG/TEM and ETG-ki turbulence are presented. These require a high effective Reynolds number R≡[k(max)/k(min)] 2 =μ 2 , where μ=[ρ si /ρ si ] is the ratio of ion to electron gyroradii. Compute times scale faster than μ 3 . By comparing the coupled expensive simulations with (1) much cheaper (less compute-intensive), uncoupled, high-resolution, small, flux-tube ETG-ki and with (2) uncoupled low-resolution, large, flux-tube ITG/TEM simulations, and also by artificially turning ''off'' the low-k or high-k drives, it appears that ITG/TEM and ETG-ki transport are not strongly coupled so long as ETG-ki can access some nonadiabatic ion scale zonal flows and both high-k and low-k are linearly unstable. However expensive coupled simulations are required for physically accurate k-spectra of the transport and turbulence. Simulations with μ≥30 appear to represent the physical range μ>40. ETG-ki transport measured in ion gyro-Bohm units is weakly dependent on μ. For the mid-radius core tokamak plasma parameters studied, ETG-ki is about 10% of the electron energy transport, which in turn is about 30% of the total energy transport (with negligible ExB shear). However at large ExB shear sufficient to quench the low-k ITG

  5. Temperature of the Icelandic crust: Inferred from electrical conductivity, temperature surface gradient, and maximum depth of earthquakes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Björnsson, Axel

    2008-02-01

    Two different models of the structure of the Icelandic crust have been presented. One is the thin-crust model with a 10-15 km thick crust beneath the axial rift zones, with an intermediate layer of partially molten basalt at the base of the crust and on the top of an up-domed asthenosphere. The thick-crust model assumes a 40 km thick and relatively cold crust beneath central Iceland. The most important and crucial parameter to distinguish between these different models is the temperature distribution with depth. Three methods are used to estimate the temperature distribution with depth. First, the surface temperature gradient measured in shallow wells drilled outside geothermal areas. Second, the thickness of the seismogenic zone which is associated with a 750 °C isothermal surface. Third, the depth to a layer with high electrical conductivity which is associated with partially molten basalt with temperature around 1100 °C at the base of the crust. Combination of these data shows that the temperature gradient can be assumed to be nearly linear from the surface down to the base of the crust. These results are strongly in favour of the thin-crust model. The scattered deep seismic reflectors interpreted as Moho in the thick-crust model could be caused by phase transitions or reflections from melt pockets in the mantle.

  6. Control of colloids with gravity, temperature gradients, and electric fields

    CERN Document Server

    Sullivan, M; Harrison, C; Austin, R H; Megens, M; Hollingsworth, A; Russel, W B; Cheng Zhen; Mason, T; Chaikin, P M

    2003-01-01

    We have used a variety of different applied fields to control the density, growth, and structure of colloidal crystals. Gravity exerts a body force proportional to the buoyant mass and in equilibrium produces a height-dependent concentration profile. A similar body force can be obtained with electric fields on charged particles (electrophoresis), a temperature gradient on all particles, or an electric field gradient on uncharged particles (dielectrophoresis). The last is particularly interesting since its magnitude and sign can be changed by tuning the applied frequency. We study these effects in bulk (making 'dielectrophoretic bottles' or traps), to control concentration profiles during nucleation and growth and near surfaces. We also study control of non-spherical and optically anisotropic particles with the light field from laser tweezers.

  7. Control of colloids with gravity, temperature gradients, and electric fields

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sullivan, Matt [Department of Physics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ (United States); Zhao Kun [Department of Physics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ (United States); Harrison, Christopher [Department of Physics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ (United States); Austin, Robert H [Department of Physics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ (United States); Megens, Mischa [Department of Physics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ (United States); Hollingsworth, Andrew [Department of Chemical Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ (United States); Russel, William B [Department of Chemical Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ (United States); Cheng Zhengdong [ExxonMobil Research, Annandale, NJ (United States); Mason, Thomas [ExxonMobil Research, Annandale, NJ (United States); Chaikin, P M [Department of Physics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ (United States)

    2003-01-15

    We have used a variety of different applied fields to control the density, growth, and structure of colloidal crystals. Gravity exerts a body force proportional to the buoyant mass and in equilibrium produces a height-dependent concentration profile. A similar body force can be obtained with electric fields on charged particles (electrophoresis), a temperature gradient on all particles, or an electric field gradient on uncharged particles (dielectrophoresis). The last is particularly interesting since its magnitude and sign can be changed by tuning the applied frequency. We study these effects in bulk (making 'dielectrophoretic bottles' or traps), to control concentration profiles during nucleation and growth and near surfaces. We also study control of non-spherical and optically anisotropic particles with the light field from laser tweezers.

  8. Threshold for the destabilisation of the ion-temperature-gradient mode in magnetically confined toroidal plasmas

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zocco, A.; Xanthopoulos, P.; Doerk, H.; Connor, J. W.; Helander, P.

    2018-02-01

    The threshold for the resonant destabilisation of ion-temperature-gradient (ITG) driven instabilities that render the modes ubiquitous in both tokamaks and stellarators is investigated. We discover remarkably similar results for both confinement concepts if care is taken in the analysis of the effect of the global shear . We revisit, analytically and by means of gyrokinetic simulations, accepted tokamak results and discover inadequacies of some aspects of their theoretical interpretation. In particular, for standard tokamak configurations, we find that global shear effects on the critical gradient cannot be attributed to the wave-particle resonance destabilising mechanism of Hahm & Tang (Phys. Plasmas, vol. 1, 1989, pp. 1185-1192), but are consistent with a stabilising contribution predicted by Biglari et al. (Phys. Plasmas, vol. 1, 1989, pp. 109-118). Extensive analytical and numerical investigations show that virtually no previous tokamak theoretical predictions capture the temperature dependence of the mode frequency at marginality, thus leading to incorrect instability thresholds. In the asymptotic limit , where is the rotational transform, and such a threshold should be solely determined by the resonant toroidal branch of the ITG mode, we discover a family of unstable solutions below the previously known threshold of instability. This is true for a tokamak case described by a local local equilibrium, and for the stellarator Wendelstein 7-X, where these unstable solutions are present even for configurations with a small trapped-particle population. We conjecture they are of the Floquet type and derive their properties from the Fourier analysis of toroidal drift modes of Connor & Taylor (Phys. Fluids, vol. 30, 1987, pp. 3180-3185), and to Hill's theory of the motion of the lunar perigee (Acta Math., vol. 8, 1886, pp. 1-36). The temperature dependence of the newly determined threshold is given for both confinement concepts. In the first case, the new temperature-gradient

  9. Using Temperature Forecasts to Improve Seasonal Streamflow Forecasts in the Colorado and Rio Grande Basins

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lehner, F.; Wood, A.; Llewellyn, D.; Blatchford, D. B.; Goodbody, A. G.; Pappenberger, F.

    2017-12-01

    Recent studies have documented the influence of increasing temperature on streamflow across the American West, including snow-melt driven rivers such as the Colorado or Rio Grande. At the same time, some basins are reporting decreasing skill in seasonal streamflow forecasts, termed water supply forecasts (WSFs), over the recent decade. While the skill in seasonal precipitation forecasts from dynamical models remains low, their skill in predicting seasonal temperature variations could potentially be harvested for WSFs to account for non-stationarity in regional temperatures. Here, we investigate whether WSF skill can be improved by incorporating seasonal temperature forecasts from dynamical forecasting models (from the North American Multi Model Ensemble and the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecast System 4) into traditional statistical forecast models. We find improved streamflow forecast skill relative to traditional WSF approaches in a majority of headwater locations in the Colorado and Rio Grande basins. Incorporation of temperature into WSFs thus provides a promising avenue to increase the robustness of current forecasting techniques in the face of continued regional warming.

  10. Gradient temperature Raman spectroscopy identifies flexible sites in proline and alanine peptides

    Science.gov (United States)

    Continuous thermo dynamic Raman spectroscopy (TDRS) applies the temperature gradients utilized in differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) to Raman spectroscopy, providing a straightforward technique to identify molecular rearrangements that occur just prior to phase transitions. Herein we apply TDRS...

  11. A STUDY OF SOLAR PHOTOSPHERIC TEMPERATURE GRADIENT VARIATION USING LIMB DARKENING MEASUREMENTS

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Criscuoli, Serena [National Solar Observatory, Boulder, CO 80303 (United States); Foukal, Peter [192 Willow Road, Nahant, MA 01908 (United States)

    2017-01-20

    The variation in area of quiet magnetic network measured over the sunspot cycle should modulate the spatially averaged photospheric temperature gradient, since temperature declines with optical depth more gradually in magnetic flux tube atmospheres. Yet, limb darkening measurements show no dependence upon activity level, even at an rms precision of 0.04%. We study the sensitivity of limb darkening to changes in area filling factor using a 3D MHD model of the magnetized photosphere. The limb darkening change expected from the measured 11-year area variation lies below the level of measured limb darkening variations, for a reasonable range of magnetic flux in quiet network and internetwork regions. So the remarkably constant limb darkening observed over the solar activity cycle is not inconsistent with the measured 11-year change in area of quiet magnetic network. Our findings offer an independent constraint on photospheric temperature gradient changes reported from measurements of the solar spectral irradiance from the Spectral Irradiance Monitor, and recently, from wavelength-differential spectrophotometry using the Solar Optical Telescope aboard the HINODE spacecraft.

  12. Temperature and diet effects on omnivorous fish performance: Implications for the latitudinal diversity gradient in herbivorous fishes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Behrens, M.D.; Lafferty, K.D.

    2007-01-01

    Herbivorous fishes show a clear latitudinal diversity gradient, making up a larger proportion of the fish species in a community in tropical waters than in temperate waters. One proposed mechanism that could drive this gradient is a physiological constraint due to temperature. One prediction based on this mechanism is that if herbivorous fishes could shift their diet to animal material, they would be better able to grow, survive, and reproduce in cold waters. We tested this prediction on the omnivore Girella nigricans under different temperature and diet regimes using RNA-DNA ratios as an indicator of performance. Fish had increased performance (100%) at low temperatures (12??C) when their diet was supplemented with animal material. In contrast, at higher temperatures (17, 22, and 27??C) fish showed no differences between diets. This indicates that omnivorous fishes could increase their performance at low temperatures by consuming more animal matter. This study supports the hypothesis that a relative increase in the nutritional value of plant material at warmer temperatures could drive the latitudinal diversity gradient in herbivorous fishes. ?? 2007 NRC.

  13. Fires in Seasonally Dry Tropical Forest: Testing the Varying Constraints Hypothesis across a Regional Rainfall Gradient.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mondal, Nandita; Sukumar, Raman

    2016-01-01

    The "varying constraints hypothesis" of fire in natural ecosystems postulates that the extent of fire in an ecosystem would differ according to the relative contribution of fuel load and fuel moisture available, factors that vary globally along a spatial gradient of climatic conditions. We examined if the globally widespread seasonally dry tropical forests (SDTFs) can be placed as a single entity in this framework by analyzing environmental influences on fire extent in a structurally diverse SDTF landscape in the Western Ghats of southern India, representative of similar forests in monsoonal south and southeast Asia. We used logistic regression to model fire extent with factors that represent fuel load and fuel moisture at two levels-the overall landscape and within four defined moisture regimes (between 700 and1700 mm yr-1)-using a dataset of area burnt and seasonal rainfall from 1990 to 2010. The landscape scale model showed that the extent of fire in a given year within this SDTF is dependent on the combined interaction of seasonal rainfall and extent burnt the previous year. Within individual moisture regimes the relative contribution of these factors to the annual extent burnt varied-early dry season rainfall (i.e., fuel moisture) was the predominant factor in the wettest regime, while wet season rainfall (i.e., fuel load) had a large influence on fire extent in the driest regime. Thus, the diverse structural vegetation types associated with SDTFs across a wide range of rainfall regimes would have to be examined at finer regional or local scales to understand the specific environmental drivers of fire. Our results could be extended to investigating fire-climate relationships in STDFs of monsoonal Asia.

  14. Measurement of the vertical temperature gradient at the Saclay Nuclear Research Centre

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Santelli, F.; Le Quino, R.

    1962-01-01

    A 109 m mast has been erected at the Saclay Nuclear Research Centre for the precise measurement of thermal gradients and gaseous effluents. This note describes the temperature measurement devices (thermocouple and thermo-resistor) and the first results obtained

  15. Ultraviolet irradiation and gradient temperature assisted autolysis for protein recovery from shrimp head waste.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cao, Wenhong; Tan, Caiyun; Zhan, Xiaojian; Li, Huiyi; Zhang, Chaohua

    2014-12-01

    A novel autolysis method using ultraviolet (UV) irradiation and gradient temperature was investigated to efficiently recover proteins from the head of the shrimp Penaeus vannamei. The proteolytic activity of shrimp head subjected to 30W UV irradiation for 20 min was increased by 62%, compared with that of untreated samples. After irradiation, the enzymes remained active across a wide range of temperatures (45-60°C) and pH (7-10). An orthogonal design was used to optimize autolysis condition. After 5h autolysis, protein recovery from the UV-heat treated samples was up to 92.1%. These results indicate the potential of using UV irradiation in combination with gradient temperatures to improve recovery of proteins from shrimp head waste. Crown Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Self-organized profile relaxation by ion temperature gradient instability in toroidal plasmas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kishimoto, Y.; Tajima, T.; LeBrun, M.J.; Gray, M.G.; Kim, J.Y.; Horton, W.

    1993-02-01

    Toroidal effects on the ion-temperature gradient mode are found to dictate the temperature evolution and the subsequent relaxed profile realization according to our toroidal particle simulation. Both in the strongly unstable fluid regime as well as in the near-marginal kinetic regime we observe that the plasma maintains an exponential temperature profile and forces the heat flux to be radially independent. The self-organized critical relaxed state is sustained slightly above the marginal stability, where the weak wave growth balances the wave decorrelation

  17. Seasonal temperature variations influence tapetum mitosis patterns associated with reproductive fitness.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lavania, Umesh C; Basu, Surochita; Kushwaha, Jyotsana Singh; Lavania, Seshu

    2014-09-01

    Environmental stress in plants impacts many biological processes, including male gametogenesis, and affects several cytological mechanisms that are strongly interrelated. To understand the likely impact of rising temperature on reproductive fitness in the climate change regime, a study of tapetal mitosis and its accompanying meiosis over seasons was made to elucidate the influence of temperature change on the cytological events occurring during microsporogenesis. For this we used two species of an environmentally sensitive plant system, i.e., genus Cymbopogon Sprengel (Poaceae), namely Cymbopogon nardus (L.) Rendle var. confertiflorus (Steud.) Bor (2n = 20) and Cymbopogon jwaruncusha (Jones) Schult. (2n = 20). Both species flower profusely during extreme summer (48 °C) and mild winter (15 °C) but support low and high seed fertility, respectively, in the two seasons. We have shown that tapetal mitotic patterns over seasons entail differential behavior for tapetal mitosis. During the process of tapetum development there are episodes of endomitosis that form either (i) an endopolyploid genomically imbalanced uninucleate and multinucleate tapetum, and (or) (ii) an acytokinetic multinucleate genomically balanced tapetum, with the progression of meiosis in the accompanying sporogenous tissue. The relative frequency of occurrence of the two types of tapetum mitosis patterns is significantly different in the two seasons, and it is found to be correlated with the temperature conditions. Whereas, the former (genomically imbalanced tapetum) are prevalent during the hot summer, the latter (genomically balanced tapetum) are frequent under optimal conditions. Such a differential behaviour in tapetal mitosis vis-à-vis temperature change is also correspondingly accompanied by substantial disturbances or regularity in meiotic anaphase disjunction. Both species show similar patterns. The study underpins that tapetal mitotic behaviour per se could be a reasonable indicator to

  18. Relationship between Czech windstorms and air temperature

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Kašpar, Marek; Müller, Miloslav; Crhová, L.; Holtanová, E.; Polášek, J. F.; Pop, Lukáš; Valeriánová, A.

    2016-01-01

    Roč. 37, č. 1 (2016), s. 11-24 ISSN 0899-8418 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GAP209/11/1990 Institutional support: RVO:68378289 Keywords : windstorm * strong wind * weather extreme * temperature anomaly * temperature gradient * seasonality * Czech Republic Subject RIV: DG - Athmosphere Sciences, Meteorology Impact factor: 3.760, year: 2016 http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/joc.4682/abstract

  19. Decadal Seasonal Shifts of Precipitation and Temperature in TRMM and AIRS Data

    Science.gov (United States)

    Savtchenko, Andrey; Huffman, George; Meyer, David; Vollmer, Bruce

    2018-01-01

    We present results from an analysis of seasonal phase shifts in the global precipitation and surface temperatures. We use data from the TRMM (Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission) Multi-satellite Precipitation Algorithm (TMPA), and the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) on Aqua satellite, all hosted at NASA Goddard Earth Science Data and Information Services Center (GES DISC). We explore the information content and data usability by first aggregating daily grids from the entire records of both missions to pentad (5-day) series which are then processed using Singular Value Decomposition approach. A strength of this approach is the normalized principal components that can then be easily converted from real to complex time series. Thus, we can separate the most informative, the seasonal, components and analyze unambiguously for potential seasonal phase drifts. TMPA and AIRS records represent correspondingly 20 and 15 years of data, which allows us to run simple “phase learning†from the first 5 years of records and use it as reference. The most recent 5 years are then phase-compared with the reference. We demonstrate that the seasonal phase of global precipitation and surface temperatures has been stable in the past two decades. However, a small global trend of delayed precipitation, and earlier arrival of surface temperatures seasons, are detectable at 95% confidence level. Larger phase shifts are detectable at regional level, in regions recognizable from the Eigen vectors to having strong seasonal patterns. For instance, in Central North America, including the North American Monsoon region, confident phase shifts of 1-2 days per decade are detected at 95% confidence level. While seemingly symbolic, these shifts are indicative of larger changes in the Earth Climate System. We thus also demonstrate a potential usability scenario of Earth Science Data Records curated at the NASA GES DISC in partnership with Earth Science Missions.

  20. Methane Carbon Isotopic Composition Reveals Changing Production Pathways Across a Gradient of Permafrost Thaw

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rocci, K.; Burke, S. A.; Clariza, P.; Malhotra, A.; McCalley, C. K.; Verbeke, B. A.; Werner, S. L.; Roulet, N. T.; Varner, R. K.

    2017-12-01

    Methane (CH4) emission in areas of discontinuous permafrost may increase with warming temperatures resulting in a positive feedback to climate change. Characterizing the production pathways of CH4, which may be inferred by measuring carbon isotopes, can help determine underlying mechanistic changes. We studied CH4 flux and isotopic composition of porewater (δ13C-CH4) in a sub-arctic peatland in Abisko, Sweden to understand controls on these factors across a thaw gradient during four growing seasons. Methane chamber flux measurements and porewater samples were collected in July 2013, and over the growing seasons of 2014 to 2016. Samples were analyzed on a Gas Chromatograph with a Flame Ionization Detector for CH4 concentrations and a Quantum Cascade Laser for carbon isotopes. Increased emission rates and changing isotopic signatures were observed across the thaw gradient throughout the growing season. While CH4 flux increased with increases in temperature and shallower water table, δ13C-CH4 exhibited a seasonal pattern that did not correlate with measured environmental variables, suggesting dependence on other factors. The most significant controlling factor for both flux and isotopic signature was plant community composition, specifically, the presence of graminoid species. Graminoid cover increases with thaw stage so both CH4 emissions and δ13C-CH4 are likely to increase in a warmer world, suggesting a shift toward the acetoclastic pathway of methane production.

  1. Correlation between δ18O in precipitation and surface air temperature on different time-scale in China

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang Lin; Chen Zongyu; Nie Zhenlong; Liu Fuliang; Jia Yankun; Zhang Xiangyang

    2008-01-01

    The relation between isotopic compositions of precipitation and surface air temperature provides a unique tool for paleoclimate studies, among which the relation between long term changes in δ 18 O of precipitation and surface air temperature at different stations or in a given location seems to be the most appropriate to paleoclimatic reconstructions. Analysis was conducted on monthly and annual mean δ 18 O content of precipitation and surface air temperature at spatial and fixed locations by using the data of China (1985-2002) in Global Network of Isotopes in Precipitation (GNIP) Database. This study shows that there is a positive correlation between δ 18 O of precipitation and surface air temperature for stations located in north of 34 degree-36 degree N latitudes. The seasonal δ 18 O-temperature gradient derived from the monthly data of 12 stations in northern China is about 0.034% degree C -1 . The δ 18 O-temperature gradient, however, derived from the long term annual mean data of 13 stations, is about 0.052% degree C -1 , which is substantially larger than the seasonal gradient. (authors)

  2. Asymptotic analysis to the effect of temperature gradient on the propagation of triple flames

    Science.gov (United States)

    Al-Malki, Faisal

    2018-05-01

    We study asymptotically in this paper the influence of the temperature gradient across the mixing layer on the propagation triple flames formed inside a porous wall channel. The study begins by formulating the problem mathematically using the thermo-diffusive model and then presents a thorough asymptotic analysis of the problem in the limit of large activation energy and thin flames. Analytical formulae for the local burning speed, the flame shape and the propagation speed in terms of the temperature gradient parameter have been derived. It was shown that varying the feed temperatures can significantly enhance the burning of the reactants up to a critical threshold, beyond which no solutions can be obtained. In addition, the study showed that increasing the temperature at the boundaries will modify the usual triple structure of the flame by inverting the upper premixed branch and extending it to the boundary, which may have great implications on the safety of the adopted combustion chambers.

  3. Diurnal, seasonal and latitudinal variations of electron temperature measured by the SROSS C2 satellite at 500 km altitude and comparison with the IRI

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    P. K. Bhuyan

    2002-06-01

    Full Text Available The diurnal, seasonal and latitudinal variations of electron temperature Te, measured by the SROSS C2 satellite at equatorial and the low-latitudes during the low solar activity period of 1995–1997 are investigated. The average height of the satellite was ~ 500 km and it covered the latitude belt of –31° to 34° and the longitude range of 40°–100°. Te varies between 700–800 K during night-time (20:00–04:00 LT, rises sharply during sunrise (04:00–06:00 LT to reach a level of ~ 3500 K within a couple of hours and then falls between 07:00–10:00 LT to a daytime average value of ~ 1600 K. A secondary maximum is observed around 16:00–18:00 LT in summer. Latitudinal gradients in Te have been observed during the morning enhancement and daytime hours. Comparison of measured and International Reference Ionosphere (IRI predicted electron temperature reveals that the IRI predicts nighttime Te well within ~ 100 K of observation, but at other local times, the predicted Te is less than that measured in all seasons.Key words. Ionosphere, equatorial ionosphere, plasma temperature, and density

  4. Numerical simulation of ion temperature gradient driven modes in the presence of ion-ion collisions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xu, X.Q.

    1990-08-01

    Ion temperature gradient driven modes in the presence of ion-ion collisions in a toroidal geometry with trapped ions have been studied by using a 1 2/2 d linearized gyro-kinetic particle simulation code in the electrostatic limit. The purpose of the investigation is to try to understand the physics of flat density discharges, in order to test the marginal stability hypothesis. Results giving threshold conditions of L Ti /R 0 , an upper bound on k χ , and linear growth rates and mode frequencies over all wavelengths for the collisionless ion temperature gradient driven modes are obtained. The behavior of ion temperature gradient driven instabilities in the transition from slab to toroidal geometry, with trapped ions, is shown. A Monte Carlo scheme for the inclusion of ion-ion collisions, in which ions can undergo Coulomb collisional dynamical friction, velocity space diffusion and random walk of guiding centers, has been constructed. The effects of ion-ion collisions on the long wave length limit of the ion modes is discussed. 44 refs., 12 figs

  5. The association of season and temperature with adverse pregnancy outcome in two German states, a time-series analysis.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jennyfer Wolf

    Full Text Available A seasonality of low birth weight (LBW and preterm birth (PTB has been described for most regions and there is evidence that this pattern is caused by ambient outdoor temperature. However, the association as such, the direction of effect and the critical time of exposure remain controversial.Logistic, time-series regression was performed on nearly 300,000 births from two German states to study the association between season and daily mean temperature and changes in daily proportions of term LBW (tLBW or PTB. Analyses were adjusted for time-varying factors. Temperature exposures were examined during different periods of pregnancy.Weak evidence for an association between season of conception, season of birth or ambient outdoor temperature and tLBW or PTB was found. Results of analyses of temperature were not consistent between the two states. Different sources of bias which would have artificially led to stronger findings were detected and are described.No clear evidence for an association between season of conception, season of birth or temperature and tLBW or PTB was found. In the study of pregnancy outcome different sources of bias can be identified which can potentially explain heterogeneous findings of the past.

  6. Propagation of seasonal temperature signals into an aquifer upon bank infiltration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Molina-Giraldo, Nelson; Bayer, Peter; Blum, Philipp; Cirpka, Olaf A

    2011-01-01

    Infiltrating river water carries the temperature signal of the river into the adjacent aquifer. While the diurnal temperature fluctuations are strongly dampened, the seasonal fluctuations are much less attenuated and can be followed into the aquifer over longer distances. In one-dimensional model with uniform properties, this signal is propagated with a retarded velocity, and its amplitude decreases exponentially with distance. Therefore, time shifts in seasonal temperature signals between rivers and groundwater observation points may be used to estimate infiltration rates and near-river groundwater velocities. As demonstrated in this study, however, the interpretation is nonunique under realistic conditions. We analyze a synthetic test case of a two-dimensional cross section perpendicular to a losing stream, accounting for multi-dimensional flow due to a partially penetrating channel, convective-conductive heat transport within the aquifer, and heat exchange with the underlying aquitard and the land surface. We compare different conceptual simplifications of the domain in order to elaborate on the importance of different system elements. We find that temperature propagation within the shallow aquifer can be highly influenced by conduction through the unsaturated zone and into the underlying aquitard. In contrast, regional groundwater recharge has no major effect on the simulated results. In our setup, multi-dimensionality of the flow field is important only close to the river. We conclude that over-simplistic analytical models can introduce substantial errors if vertical heat exchange at the aquifer boundaries is not accounted for. This has to be considered when using seasonal temperature fluctuations as a natural tracer for bank infiltration. Copyright © 2010 The Author(s). Journal compilation © 2010 National Ground Water Association.

  7. Effects of thermal vapor diffusion on seasonal dynamics of water in the unsaturated zone

    Science.gov (United States)

    Milly, Paul C.D.

    1996-01-01

    The response of water in the unsaturated zone to seasonal changes of temperature (T) is determined analytically using the theory of nonisothermal water transport in porous media, and the solutions are tested against field observations of moisture potential and bomb fallout isotopic (36Cl and 3H) concentrations. Seasonally varying land surface temperatures and the resulting subsurface temperature gradients induce thermal vapor diffusion. The annual mean vertical temperature gradient is close to zero; however, the annual mean thermal vapor flux is downward, because the temperature‐dependent vapor diffusion coefficient is larger, on average, during downward diffusion (occurring at high T) than during upward diffusion (low T). The annual mean thermal vapor flux is shown to decay exponentially with depth; the depth (about 1 m) at which it decays to e−1of its surface value is one half of the corresponding decay depth for the amplitude of seasonal temperature changes. This depth‐dependent annual mean flux is effectively a source of water, which must be balanced by a flux divergence associated with other transport processes. In a relatively humid environment the liquid fluxes greatly exceed the thermal vapor fluxes, so such a balance is readily achieved without measurable effect on the dynamics of water in the unsaturated zone. However, if the mean vertical water flux through the unsaturated zone is very small (theoretical prediction is supported by long‐term field measurements in the Chihuahuan Desert. The analysis also makes predictions, confirmed by the field observations, regarding the seasonal variations of matric potential at a given depth. The conceptual model of unsaturated zone water transport developed here implies the possibility of near‐surface trapping of any aqueous constituent introduced at the surface.

  8. Sensitivities of dry season runoff to precipitation and temperature in southern Sierra Nevada streams

    Science.gov (United States)

    Safeeq, M.; Hunsaker, C. T.; Bales, R. C.

    2016-12-01

    In a mediterranean climate, dry season runoff sustains water supply and supports aquatic habitat and other ecosystems. Precipitation and temperature directly, by regulating recharge and evapotranspiration (ET), and indirectly, by regulating amount and timing of snowmelt, control the dry season runoff in the Sierra Nevada. Here, we explored relative impacts of precipitation and temperature variability on dry season runoff using path analysis. Specific objectives include: (i) to quantify the direct and indirect impacts of precipitation and temperature on 7-day average minimum flow (Qmin) and (ii) to explore the role of preceding year Qmin on fall season runoff (QF). We used daily runoff, air temperature, precipitation, and snow water equivalent (SWE) over 2004-2015 for the ten catchments in the Kings River Experimental Watersheds. For path analysis model of Qmin, we defined annual precipitation and temperature as exogenous variables and peak SWE, day of snow disappearance, and Qmin as endogenous variables. For QF, we defined current year fall precipitation and preceding year Qmin as exogenous variables and current year QF as an endogenous variable. Path analysis results for Qmin show precipitation as a dominant driver when compared to temperature, peak SWE, and day of snow disappearance. However, in half of the catchments that are mostly located at higher elevations the impact of temperature on Qmin was either comparable or exceeded that of precipitation. This relatively high sensitivity of Qmin to air temperature in high elevation catchments is consistent with the earlier findings of increased ET in proportion to warming. The direct effects of peak SWE and day of snow disappearance on Qmin were limited, and indirect effects of temperature and precipitation via peak SWE and day of snow disappearance were not significant. The preceding year Qmin and fall precipitation showed comparable impacts on QF, indicating that the storage in the preceding year modulates current

  9. Properties of ion temperature gradient and trapped electron modes in tokamak plasmas with inverted density profiles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Du, Huarong; Jhang, Hogun; Hahm, T. S.; Dong, J. Q.; Wang, Z. X.

    2017-12-01

    We perform a numerical study of linear stability of the ion temperature gradient (ITG) mode and the trapped electron mode (TEM) in tokamak plasmas with inverted density profiles. A local gyrokinetic integral equation is applied for this study. From comprehensive parametric scans, we obtain stability diagrams for ITG modes and TEMs in terms of density and temperature gradient scale lengths. The results show that, for the inverted density profile, there exists a normalized threshold temperature gradient above which the ITG mode and the TEM are either separately or simultaneously unstable. The instability threshold of the TEM for the inverted density profile is substantially different from that for normal and flat density profiles. In addition, deviations are found on the ITG threshold from an early analytic theory in sheared slab geometry with the adiabatic electron response [T. S. Hahm and W. M. Tang, Phys. Fluids B 1, 1185 (1989)]. A possible implication of this work on particle transport in pellet fueled tokamak plasmas is discussed.

  10. The relation between temperature and concentration gradients in superfluid sup 3 He- sup 4 He solutions

    CERN Document Server

    Zadorozhko, A A; Rudavskij, E Y; Chagovets, V K; Sheshin, G A

    2003-01-01

    The temperature and concentration gradients nabla T and nabla x in a superfluid sup 3 He- sup 4 He mixture with an initial concentration 9,8 % of sup 3 He are measured in a temperature range 70-500 mK. The gradients are produced by a steady thermal flow with heating from below. It is shown that the value of nabla x/nabla T observed in the experiment is in good agreement with the theoretical model derived from the temperature and concentration dependences of osmotic pressure. The experimental data permitted us to obtain a thermal diffusion ratio of the solution responsible for the thermal diffusion coefficient.

  11. Temperature logging of groundwater in bedrock wells for geothermal gradient characterization in New Hampshire, 2012

    Science.gov (United States)

    Degnan, James; Barker, Gregory; Olson, Neil; Wilder, Leland

    2012-01-01

    The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the New Hampshire Geological Survey, measured the fluid temperature of groundwater in deep bedrock wells in the State of New Hampshire in order to characterize geothermal gradients in bedrock. All wells selected for the study had low water yields, which correspond to low groundwater flow from fractures. This reduced the potential for flow-induced temperature changes that would mask the natural geothermal gradient in the bedrock. All the wells included in this study were privately owned, and permission to use the wells was obtained from homeowners before logging.

  12. TEMPERATURE SELECTION BY HATCHLING AND YEARLING FLORIDA RED-BELLIED TURTLES (PSEUDEMYS NELSONI) IN THERMAL GRADIENTS

    Science.gov (United States)

    We tested hatchling and yearling Florida red-bellied turtles (Pseudemys nelsoni) in laboratory thermal gradient chambers to determine if they would prefer particular temperatures. Most 1995 hatchlings selected the highest temperature zone of 27degrees C (Test 1) and 30 degrees ...

  13. Improved Seasonal Prediction of European Summer Temperatures With New Five-Layer Soil-Hydrology Scheme

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bunzel, Felix; Müller, Wolfgang A.; Dobrynin, Mikhail; Fröhlich, Kristina; Hagemann, Stefan; Pohlmann, Holger; Stacke, Tobias; Baehr, Johanna

    2018-01-01

    We evaluate the impact of a new five-layer soil-hydrology scheme on seasonal hindcast skill of 2 m temperatures over Europe obtained with the Max Planck Institute Earth System Model (MPI-ESM). Assimilation experiments from 1981 to 2010 and 10-member seasonal hindcasts initialized on 1 May each year are performed with MPI-ESM in two soil configurations, one using a bucket scheme and one a new five-layer soil-hydrology scheme. We find the seasonal hindcast skill for European summer temperatures to improve with the five-layer scheme compared to the bucket scheme and investigate possible causes for these improvements. First, improved indirect soil moisture assimilation allows for enhanced soil moisture-temperature feedbacks in the hindcasts. Additionally, this leads to improved prediction of anomalies in the 500 hPa geopotential height surface, reflecting more realistic atmospheric circulation patterns over Europe.

  14. A study of self organized criticality in ion temperature gradient mode driven gyrokinetic turbulence

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mavridis, M.; Isliker, H.; Vlahos, L.; Görler, T.; Jenko, F.; Told, D.

    2014-10-01

    An investigation on the characteristics of self organized criticality (Soc) in ITG mode driven turbulence is made, with the use of various statistical tools (histograms, power spectra, Hurst exponents estimated with the rescaled range analysis, and the structure function method). For this purpose, local non-linear gyrokinetic simulations of the cyclone base case scenario are performed with the GENE software package. Although most authors concentrate on global simulations, which seem to be a better choice for such an investigation, we use local simulations in an attempt to study the locally underlying mechanisms of Soc. We also study the structural properties of radially extended structures, with several tools (fractal dimension estimate, cluster analysis, and two dimensional autocorrelation function), in order to explore whether they can be characterized as avalanches. We find that, for large enough driving temperature gradients, the local simulations exhibit most of the features of Soc, with the exception of the probability distribution of observables, which show a tail, yet they are not of power-law form. The radial structures have the same radial extent at all temperature gradients examined; radial motion (transport) though appears only at large temperature gradients, in which case the radial structures can be interpreted as avalanches.

  15. A study of self organized criticality in ion temperature gradient mode driven gyrokinetic turbulence

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mavridis, M.; Isliker, H.; Vlahos, L.; Görler, T.; Jenko, F.; Told, D.

    2014-01-01

    An investigation on the characteristics of self organized criticality (Soc) in ITG mode driven turbulence is made, with the use of various statistical tools (histograms, power spectra, Hurst exponents estimated with the rescaled range analysis, and the structure function method). For this purpose, local non-linear gyrokinetic simulations of the cyclone base case scenario are performed with the GENE software package. Although most authors concentrate on global simulations, which seem to be a better choice for such an investigation, we use local simulations in an attempt to study the locally underlying mechanisms of Soc. We also study the structural properties of radially extended structures, with several tools (fractal dimension estimate, cluster analysis, and two dimensional autocorrelation function), in order to explore whether they can be characterized as avalanches. We find that, for large enough driving temperature gradients, the local simulations exhibit most of the features of Soc, with the exception of the probability distribution of observables, which show a tail, yet they are not of power-law form. The radial structures have the same radial extent at all temperature gradients examined; radial motion (transport) though appears only at large temperature gradients, in which case the radial structures can be interpreted as avalanches

  16. A study of self organized criticality in ion temperature gradient mode driven gyrokinetic turbulence

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mavridis, M.; Isliker, H.; Vlahos, L. [Section of Astrophysics, Astronomy and Mechanics, Department of Physics, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, GR-54124 Thessaloniki (Greece); Görler, T.; Jenko, F.; Told, D. [Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics, Boltzmannstr. 2, 85748 Garching (Germany)

    2014-10-15

    An investigation on the characteristics of self organized criticality (Soc) in ITG mode driven turbulence is made, with the use of various statistical tools (histograms, power spectra, Hurst exponents estimated with the rescaled range analysis, and the structure function method). For this purpose, local non-linear gyrokinetic simulations of the cyclone base case scenario are performed with the GENE software package. Although most authors concentrate on global simulations, which seem to be a better choice for such an investigation, we use local simulations in an attempt to study the locally underlying mechanisms of Soc. We also study the structural properties of radially extended structures, with several tools (fractal dimension estimate, cluster analysis, and two dimensional autocorrelation function), in order to explore whether they can be characterized as avalanches. We find that, for large enough driving temperature gradients, the local simulations exhibit most of the features of Soc, with the exception of the probability distribution of observables, which show a tail, yet they are not of power-law form. The radial structures have the same radial extent at all temperature gradients examined; radial motion (transport) though appears only at large temperature gradients, in which case the radial structures can be interpreted as avalanches.

  17. Analysis and modeling of the seasonal South China Sea temperature cycle using remote sensing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Twigt, Daniel J.; de Goede, Erik D.; Schrama, Ernst J. O.; Gerritsen, Herman

    2007-10-01

    The present paper describes the analysis and modeling of the South China Sea (SCS) temperature cycle on a seasonal scale. It investigates the possibility to model this cycle in a consistent way while not taking into account tidal forcing and associated tidal mixing and exchange. This is motivated by the possibility to significantly increase the model’s computational efficiency when neglecting tides. The goal is to develop a flexible and efficient tool for seasonal scenario analysis and to generate transport boundary forcing for local models. Given the significant spatial extent of the SCS basin and the focus on seasonal time scales, synoptic remote sensing is an ideal tool in this analysis. Remote sensing is used to assess the seasonal temperature cycle to identify the relevant driving forces and is a valuable source of input data for modeling. Model simulations are performed using a three-dimensional baroclinic-reduced depth model, driven by monthly mean sea surface anomaly boundary forcing, monthly mean lateral temperature, and salinity forcing obtained from the World Ocean Atlas 2001 climatology, six hourly meteorological forcing from the European Center for Medium range Weather Forecasting ERA-40 dataset, and remotely sensed sea surface temperature (SST) data. A sensitivity analysis of model forcing and coefficients is performed. The model results are quantitatively assessed against climatological temperature profiles using a goodness-of-fit norm. In the deep regions, the model results are in good agreement with this validation data. In the shallow regions, discrepancies are found. To improve the agreement there, we apply a SST nudging method at the free water surface. This considerably improves the model’s vertical temperature representation in the shallow regions. Based on the model validation against climatological in situ and SST data, we conclude that the seasonal temperature cycle for the deep SCS basin can be represented to a good degree. For shallow

  18. Ion temperature gradient modes in toroidal helical systems

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kuroda, T. [Graduate University for Advanced Studies, Toki, Gifu (Japan); Sugama, H.; Kanno, R.; Okamoto, M.

    2000-04-01

    Linear properties of ion temperature gradient (ITG) modes in helical systems are studied. The real frequency, growth rate, and eigenfunction are obtained for both stable and unstable cases by solving a kinetic integral equation with proper analytic continuation performed in the complex frequency plane. Based on the model magnetic configuration for toroidal helical systems like the Large Helical Device (LHD), dependences of the ITG mode properties on various plasma equilibrium parameters are investigated. Particularly, relative effects of {nabla}B-curvature drifts driven by the toroidicity and by the helical ripples are examined in order to compare the ITG modes in helical systems with those in tokamaks. (author)

  19. Ion temperature gradient modes in toroidal helical systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kuroda, T.; Sugama, H.; Kanno, R.; Okamoto, M.

    2000-04-01

    Linear properties of ion temperature gradient (ITG) modes in helical systems are studied. The real frequency, growth rate, and eigenfunction are obtained for both stable and unstable cases by solving a kinetic integral equation with proper analytic continuation performed in the complex frequency plane. Based on the model magnetic configuration for toroidal helical systems like the Large Helical Device (LHD), dependences of the ITG mode properties on various plasma equilibrium parameters are investigated. Particularly, relative effects of ∇B-curvature drifts driven by the toroidicity and by the helical ripples are examined in order to compare the ITG modes in helical systems with those in tokamaks. (author)

  20. Fluid simulations of toroidal ion temperature gradient turbulence

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sandberg, I.; Isliker, H.; Pavlenko, V.P.; Hizanidis, K.; Vlahos, L.

    2006-01-01

    The evolution of the toroidal ion temperature gradient mode instability is numerically studied by using the equations based on the standard reactive fluid model. The long-term dynamics of the instability are investigated using random-phase, small-amplitude fluctuations for initial conditions. The main events during the evolution of the instability that lead to the formation of large-scale coherent structures are described and the role of the dominant nonlinearities is clarified. The polarization drift nonlinearity leads to the inverse energy cascade while the convective ion heat nonlinearity is responsible for the saturation of the instability. Finally, the sensitivity of the saturated state to the initial plasma conditions is examined

  1. Dynamic microscale temperature gradient in a gold nanorod solution measured by diffraction-limited nanothermometry

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Li, Chengmingyue; Gan, Xiaosong; Li, Xiangping; Gu, Min, E-mail: mgu@swin.edu.au [Centre for Micro-Photonics, Faculty of Science, Engineering and Technology, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, Victoria 3122 (Australia)

    2015-09-21

    We quantify the dynamic microscale temperature gradient in a gold nanorod solution using quantum-dot-based microscopic fluorescence nanothermometry. By incorporating CdSe quantum dots into the solution as a nanothermometer, precise temperature mapping with diffraction-limited spatial resolution and sub-degree temperature resolution is achieved. The acquired data on heat generation and dissipation show an excellent agreement with theoretical simulations. This work reveals an effective approach for noninvasive temperature regulation with localized nanoheaters in microfluidic environment.

  2. Temperature Gradient Effect on Gas Discrimination Power of a Metal-Oxide Thin-Film Sensor Microarray

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Joachim Goschnick

    2004-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract: The paper presents results concerning the effect of spatial inhomogeneous operating temperature on the gas discrimination power of a gas-sensor microarray, with the latter based on a thin SnO2 film employed in the KAMINA electronic nose. Three different temperature distributions over the substrate are discussed: a nearly homogeneous one and two temperature gradients, equal to approx. 3.3 oC/mm and 6.7 oC/mm, applied across the sensor elements (segments of the array. The gas discrimination power of the microarray is judged by using the Mahalanobis distance in the LDA (Linear Discrimination Analysis coordinate system between the data clusters obtained by the response of the microarray to four target vapors: ethanol, acetone, propanol and ammonia. It is shown that the application of a temperature gradient increases the gas discrimination power of the microarray by up to 35 %.

  3. Reproductive output of a non-zooxanthellate temperate coral is unaffected by temperature along an extended latitudinal gradient.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Valentina Airi

    Full Text Available Global environmental change, in marine ecosystems, is associated with concurrent shifts in water temperature, circulation, stratification, and nutrient input, with potentially wide-ranging biological effects. Variations in seawater temperature might alter physiological functioning, reproductive efficiency, and demographic traits of marine organisms, leading to shifts in population size and abundance. Differences in temperature tolerances between organisms can identify individual and ecological characteristics, which make corals able to persist and adapt in a climate change context. Here we investigated the possible effect of temperature on the reproductive output of the solitary non-zooxanthellate temperate coral Leptopsammia pruvoti, along an 8° latitudinal gradient. Samples have been collected in six populations along the gradient and each polyp was examined using histological and cyto-histometric analyses. We coupled our results with previous studies on the growth, demography, and calcification of L. pruvoti along the same temperature gradient, and compared them with those of another sympatric zooxanthellate coral Balanophyllia europaea to understand which trophic strategy makes the coral more tolerant to increasing temperature. The non-zooxanthellate species seemed to be quite tolerant to temperature increases, probably due to the lack of the symbiosis with zooxanthellae. To our knowledge, this is the first field investigation of the relationship between reproductive output and temperature increase of a temperate asymbiotic coral, providing novel insights into the poorly studied non-zooxanthellate scleractinians.

  4. Reproductive output of a non-zooxanthellate temperate coral is unaffected by temperature along an extended latitudinal gradient.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Airi, Valentina; Prantoni, Selena; Calegari, Marco; Lisini Baldi, Veronica; Gizzi, Francesca; Marchini, Chiara; Levy, Oren; Falini, Giuseppe; Dubinsky, Zvy; Goffredo, Stefano

    2017-01-01

    Global environmental change, in marine ecosystems, is associated with concurrent shifts in water temperature, circulation, stratification, and nutrient input, with potentially wide-ranging biological effects. Variations in seawater temperature might alter physiological functioning, reproductive efficiency, and demographic traits of marine organisms, leading to shifts in population size and abundance. Differences in temperature tolerances between organisms can identify individual and ecological characteristics, which make corals able to persist and adapt in a climate change context. Here we investigated the possible effect of temperature on the reproductive output of the solitary non-zooxanthellate temperate coral Leptopsammia pruvoti, along an 8° latitudinal gradient. Samples have been collected in six populations along the gradient and each polyp was examined using histological and cyto-histometric analyses. We coupled our results with previous studies on the growth, demography, and calcification of L. pruvoti along the same temperature gradient, and compared them with those of another sympatric zooxanthellate coral Balanophyllia europaea to understand which trophic strategy makes the coral more tolerant to increasing temperature. The non-zooxanthellate species seemed to be quite tolerant to temperature increases, probably due to the lack of the symbiosis with zooxanthellae. To our knowledge, this is the first field investigation of the relationship between reproductive output and temperature increase of a temperate asymbiotic coral, providing novel insights into the poorly studied non-zooxanthellate scleractinians.

  5. Thermal characterization of European ant communities along thermal gradients and its implications for community resilience to temperature variability

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xavier eArnan

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Ecologists are increasingly concerned about how climate change will affect biodiversity yet have mostly addressed the issue at the species level. Here, we present a novel framework that accounts for the full range and complementarity of thermal responses present in a community; it may help reveal how biological communities will respond to climatic (i.e., thermal variability. First, we characterized the thermal niches of 147 ant species from 342 communities found along broad temperature gradients in western Europe. Within each community, species’ mean thermal breadth and the difference among species’ thermal optima (thermal complementarity were considered to define community thermal niche breadth—our proxy for community thermal resilience. The greater the range of thermal responses and their complementarity within a community, the greater the likelihood that the community could cope with novel conditions. Second, we used simulations to calculate how robust community thermal resilience was to random species extinctions. Community resilience was considered to be robust when random species extinctions largely failed to constrict initial community thermal breadth. Our results indicate that community thermal resilience was negatively and positively correlated with mean temperature and temperature seasonality, respectively. The pattern was reversed for robustness. While species richness did not directly affect community resilience to thermal variability, it did have a strong indirect effect because it determined community resilience robustness. Consequently, communities in warm, aseasonal regions are the most vulnerable to temperature variability, despite their greater number of species and resultant greater resilience robustness.

  6. The responses of microbial temperature relationships to seasonal change and winter warming in a temperate grassland.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Birgander, Johanna; Olsson, Pål Axel; Rousk, Johannes

    2018-01-18

    Microorganisms dominate the decomposition of organic matter and their activities are strongly influenced by temperature. As the carbon (C) flux from soil to the atmosphere due to microbial activity is substantial, understanding temperature relationships of microbial processes is critical. It has been shown that microbial temperature relationships in soil correlate with the climate, and microorganisms in field experiments become more warm-tolerant in response to chronic warming. It is also known that microbial temperature relationships reflect the seasons in aquatic ecosystems, but to date this has not been investigated in soil. Although climate change predictions suggest that temperatures will be mostly affected during winter in temperate ecosystems, no assessments exist of the responses of microbial temperature relationships to winter warming. We investigated the responses of the temperature relationships of bacterial growth, fungal growth, and respiration in a temperate grassland to seasonal change, and to 2 years' winter warming. The warming treatments increased winter soil temperatures by 5-6°C, corresponding to 3°C warming of the mean annual temperature. Microbial temperature relationships and temperature sensitivities (Q 10 ) could be accurately established, but did not respond to winter warming or to seasonal temperature change, despite significant shifts in the microbial community structure. The lack of response to winter warming that we demonstrate, and the strong response to chronic warming treatments previously shown, together suggest that it is the peak annual soil temperature that influences the microbial temperature relationships, and that temperatures during colder seasons will have little impact. Thus, mean annual temperatures are poor predictors for microbial temperature relationships. Instead, the intensity of summer heat-spells in temperate systems is likely to shape the microbial temperature relationships that govern the soil-atmosphere C

  7. Fluxon dynamics in long Josephson junctions in the presence of a temperature gradient or spatial nonuniformity

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Krasnov, V.M.; Oboznov, V.A.; Pedersen, Niels Falsig

    1997-01-01

    Fluxon dynamics in nonuniform Josephson junctions was studied both experimentally and theoretically. Two types of nonuniform junctions were considered: the first type had a nonuniform spatial distribution of critical and bias currents and the second had a temperature gradient applied along...... the junction. An analytical expression for the I-V curve in the presence of a temperature gradient or spatial nonuniformity was derived. It was shown that there is no static thermomagnetic Nernst effect due to Josephson fluxon motion despite the existence of a force pushing fluxons in the direction of smaller...

  8. Fluid simulation of tokamak ion temperature gradient turbulence with zonal flow closure model

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yamagishi, Osamu, E-mail: yamagisi@nifs.ac.jp; Sugama, Hideo [National Institute for Fusion Science, Toki, Gifu 509-5292 (Japan)

    2016-03-15

    Nonlinear fluid simulation of turbulence driven by ion temperature gradient modes in the tokamak fluxtube configuration is performed by combining two different closure models. One model is a gyrofluid model by Beer and Hammett [Phys. Plasmas 3, 4046 (1996)], and the other is a closure model to reproduce the kinetic zonal flow response [Sugama et al., Phys. Plasmas 14, 022502 (2007)]. By including the zonal flow closure, generation of zonal flows, significant reduction in energy transport, reproduction of the gyrokinetic transport level, and nonlinear upshift on the critical value of gradient scale length are observed.

  9. Fluid simulation of tokamak ion temperature gradient turbulence with zonal flow closure model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yamagishi, Osamu; Sugama, Hideo

    2016-03-01

    Nonlinear fluid simulation of turbulence driven by ion temperature gradient modes in the tokamak fluxtube configuration is performed by combining two different closure models. One model is a gyrofluid model by Beer and Hammett [Phys. Plasmas 3, 4046 (1996)], and the other is a closure model to reproduce the kinetic zonal flow response [Sugama et al., Phys. Plasmas 14, 022502 (2007)]. By including the zonal flow closure, generation of zonal flows, significant reduction in energy transport, reproduction of the gyrokinetic transport level, and nonlinear upshift on the critical value of gradient scale length are observed.

  10. Experimental evidence of temperature gradients in cavitating microflows seeded with thermosensitive nanoprobes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ayela, Frédéric; Medrano-Muñoz, Manuel; Amans, David; Dujardin, Christophe; Brichart, Thomas; Martini, Matteo; Tillement, Olivier; Ledoux, Gilles

    2013-10-01

    Thermosensitive fluorescent nanoparticles seeded in deionized water combined with confocal microscopy enables thermal mapping over three dimensions of the liquid phase flowing through a microchannel interrupted by a microdiaphragm. This experiment reveals the presence of a strong thermal gradient up to ˜105 K/m only when hydrodynamic cavitation is present. Here hydrodynamic cavitation is the consequence of high shear rates downstream in the diaphragm. This temperature gradient is located in vortical structures associated with eddies in the shear layers. We attribute such overheating to the dissipation involved by the cavitating flow regime. Accordingly, we demonstrate that the microsizes of the device enhance the intensity of the thermal gap.

  11. Base flow-driven shifts in tropical stream temperature regimes across a mean annual rainfall gradient

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ayron M. Strauch; Richard A. MacKenzie; Ralph W. Tingley

    2017-01-01

    Climate change is expected to affect air temperature and watershed hydrology, but the degree to which these concurrent changes affect stream temperature is not well documented in the tropics. How stream temperature varies over time under changing hydrologic conditions is difficult to isolate from seasonal changes in air temperature. Groundwater and bank storage...

  12. Impacts of Land Cover and Seasonal Variation on Maximum Air Temperature Estimation Using MODIS Imagery

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yulin Cai

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available Daily maximum surface air temperature (Tamax is a crucial factor for understanding complex land surface processes under rapid climate change. Remote detection of Tamax has widely relied on the empirical relationship between air temperature and land surface temperature (LST, a product derived from remote sensing. However, little is known about how such a relationship is affected by the high heterogeneity in landscapes and dynamics in seasonality. This study aims to advance our understanding of the roles of land cover and seasonal variation in the estimation of Tamax using the MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer LST product. We developed statistical models to link Tamax and LST in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River in China for five major land-cover types (i.e., forest, shrub, water, impervious surface, cropland, and grassland and two seasons (i.e., growing season and non-growing season. Results show that the performance of modeling the Tamax-LST relationship was highly dependent on land cover and seasonal variation. Estimating Tamax over grasslands and water bodies achieved superior performance; while uncertainties were high over forested lands that contained extensive heterogeneity in species types, plant structure, and topography. We further found that all the land-cover specific models developed for the plant non-growing season outperformed the corresponding models developed for the growing season. Discrepancies in model performance mainly occurred in the vegetated areas (forest, cropland, and shrub, suggesting an important role of plant phenology in defining the statistical relationship between Tamax and LST. For impervious surfaces, the challenge of capturing the high spatial heterogeneity in urban settings using the low-resolution MODIS data made Tamax estimation a difficult task, which was especially true in the growing season.

  13. Vortex dynamics equation in type-II superconductors in a temperature gradient

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vega Monroy, R.; Sarmiento Castillo, J.; Puerta Torres, D.

    2010-01-01

    In this work we determined a vortex dynamics equation in a temperature gradient in the frame of the time dependent Ginzburg-Landau equation. In this sense, we derived a local solvability condition, which governs the vortex dynamics. Also, we calculated the explicit form for the force coefficients, which are the keys for the understanding of the balance equation due to vortex interactions with the environment. (author)

  14. Vortex dynamics equation in type-II superconductors in a temperature gradient

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Vega Monroy, R.; Sarmiento Castillo, J. [Universidad del Atlantico, Barranquilla (Colombia). Facultad de Ciencias Basicas; Puerta Torres, D. [Universidad de Cartagena (Colombia). Facultad de Ciencias Exactas

    2010-12-15

    In this work we determined a vortex dynamics equation in a temperature gradient in the frame of the time dependent Ginzburg-Landau equation. In this sense, we derived a local solvability condition, which governs the vortex dynamics. Also, we calculated the explicit form for the force coefficients, which are the keys for the understanding of the balance equation due to vortex interactions with the environment. (author)

  15. Seasonal Temperature Variations controlling Cave Ventilation Processes in Cueva Larga, Puerto Rico

    Science.gov (United States)

    Winter, A.; Vieten, R.; Warken, S. F.; Schrӧder-Ritzrau, A.; Miller, T. E.; Scholz, D.

    2016-12-01

    Two years of monthly monitoring result in much better understanding of ventilation processes in caves. Cueva Larga, a tropical cave in Puerto Rico is 1440 m long with a large main passage (about 116,000 m3). Cave air pCO2 in the main passage varied seasonally, between 600 ppm in winter and 1800 ppm in summer. The seasonal variability in cave pCO2 made it possible to estimate a cave air exchange time of 36±5 days and a winter ventilation rate of 3,200±800 m3/day for the main cave passage. Calculations of virtual temperature and differences between cave and surface temperature show that the seasonal temperature cycle is the main driver of the alternation between a well-ventilated winter mode and a near-stagnant summer mode. The winter mode is characterized by a positive buoyancy contrast at night leading to maximal cave ventilation, while during summer ventilation is at a minimum. Between winter and summer, a transitional mode of partial cave ventilation is observed. On shorter time scales (diurnal to weekly), cave pCO2 is also influenced by atmospheric pressure but this variation is one order of magnitude lower than the seasonal pCO2 change. The cave morphology of Cueva Larga including its large volume, tubular shape and the obstructed cave entrance geometry are important boundary conditions for the observed ventilation patterns. Our findings emphasize that cave systems with varying morphology have to be studied individually in order to correctly describe ventilation processes.

  16. Seasonality in mortality and its relationship to temperature among the older population in Hanoi, Vietnam

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Le Thi Thanh Xuan

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available Background: Several studies have established a relationship between temperature and mortality. In particular, older populations have been shown to be vulnerable to temperature effects. However, little information exists on the temperature–mortality relationship in Vietnam. Objectives: This article aims to examine the monthly temperature–mortality relationship among older people in Hanoi, Vietnam, over the period between 2005 and 2010, and estimate seasonal patterns in mortality. Methods: We employed Generalized Additive Models, including smooth functions, to model the temperature–mortality relationships. A quasi-Poisson distribution was used to model overdispersion of death counts. Temporal trends, seasonality, and population size were adjusted for while estimating changes in monthly mortality over the study period. A cold month was defined as a month with a mean temperature below 19°C. Results: This study found that the high peak of mortality coincided with low temperatures in the month of February 2008, during which the mean temperature was the lowest in the whole study period. There was a significant relationship between mean monthly temperature and mortality among the older people (p<0.01. Overall, there was a significant decrease in the number of deaths in the year 2009 during the study period. There was a 21% increase in the number of deaths during the cold season compared to the warm season. The increase in mortality during the cold period was higher among females compared to males (female: IRR [incidence relative risk] =1.23; male: IRR=1.18. Conclusions: Cold temperatures substantially increased mortality among the older population in Hanoi, Vietnam, and there were gender differences. Necessary preventive measures are required to mitigate temperature effects with greater attention to vulnerable groups.

  17. The electron temperature gradient instability in presence of a limiter with tilted plates

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Farina, D.; Pozzoli, R.; Ryutov, D.

    1994-01-01

    The analysis of the electron temperature gradient instability in the scrape-off layer is generalized to the case of non-orthogonal intersections of the magnetic field with the wall surface, a situation which is most typical for a tokamak with a limiter. (orig.)

  18. Crustal temperature structure derived from a ground temperature gradient chart of Hokkaido; Hokkaido no chion kobaizu kara motometa chikakunai ondo kozo

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Okubo, Y. [Geological Survey of Japan, Tsukuba (Japan); Akita, F. [Hokkaido Geological Survey, Sapporo (Japan); Nagumo, S. [Oyo Corp., Tokyo (Japan)

    1997-05-27

    The Hokkaido Underground Resources Investigation Institute has prepared in 1995 a detailed temperature gradient chart that shows local anomalies around volcanoes. This paper describes an attempt to derive crustal temperature structure of Hokkaido from the above data. The model was hypothesized as a primary model in which no thermal convection exists. In volcanic and geothermal areas which show a temperature gradient of more than 100 {degree}C km {sup -1}, a solidus temperature is reached at a depth shallower than 10 km. Below the volcanic chain forming the Chishima arc, a partially melted region exists in a width of about 100 km. Most of the areas in the southern Hokkaido have the temperature reached the solidus temperature in the crust. On the other hand, in most of the areas of the forefront side, no solidus temperature is reached in the crust. In the temperature structure of a cross section crossing almost orthogonally with the volcanic front passing through Mt. Daisetsu, a high temperature area reaches to a shallow portion beneath Mt. Daisetsu, where the depth at which the solidus temperature is reached is 10 km or shallower. The range of area where the solidus depth is shallower than 10 km has a south-west width of about 40 km. This means that a partially melted area with a size of 40 km in the horizontal direction exists at a depth of several kilometers. 20 refs., 3 figs.

  19. Spectroscopic analysis of the density and temperature gradients in the laser-heated gas jet

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Matthews, D.L.; Lee, R.W.; Auerbach, J.M.

    1981-01-01

    We have performed an analysis of the x-ray spectra produced by a 1.0TW, lambda/sub L/-0.53μm laser-irradiated gas jet. Plasmas produced by ionization of neon, argon and N 2 + SF 6 gases were included in those measurements. Plasma electron density and temperature gradients were obtained by comparison of measured spectra with those produced by computer modeling. Density gradients were also obtained using laser interferometry. The limitations of this technique for plasma diagnosis will be discussed

  20. The Rate of Seasonal Changes in Temperature Alters Acclimation of Performance under Climate Change.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nilsson-Örtman, Viktor; Johansson, Frank

    2017-12-01

    How the ability to acclimate will impact individual performance and ecological interactions under climate change remains poorly understood. Theory predicts that the benefit an organism can gain from acclimating depends on the rate at which temperatures change relative to the time it takes to induce beneficial acclimation. Here, we present a conceptual model showing how slower seasonal changes under climate change can alter species' relative performance when they differ in acclimation rate and magnitude. To test predictions from theory, we performed a microcosm experiment where we reared a mid- and a high-latitude damselfly species alone or together under the rapid seasonality currently experienced at 62°N and the slower seasonality predicted for this latitude under climate change and measured larval growth and survival. To separate acclimation effects from fixed thermal responses, we simulated growth trajectories based on species' growth rates at constant temperatures and quantified how much and how fast species needed to acclimate to match the observed growth trajectories. Consistent with our predictions, the results showed that the midlatitude species had a greater capacity for acclimation than the high-latitude species. Furthermore, since acclimation occurred at a slower rate than seasonal temperature changes, the midlatitude species had a small growth advantage over the high-latitude species under the current seasonality but a greater growth advantage under the slower seasonality predicted for this latitude under climate change. In addition, the two species did not differ in survival under the current seasonality, but the midlatitude species had higher survival under the predicted climate change scenario, possibly because rates of cannibalism were lower when smaller heterospecifics were present. These findings highlight the need to incorporate acclimation rates in ecological models.

  1. An investigation of the flow dependence of temperature gradients near large vessels during steady state and transient tissue heating

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kolios, M.C.; Worthington, A.E.; Hunt, J.W.; Holdsworth, D.W.; Sherar, M.D.

    1999-01-01

    Temperature distributions measured during thermal therapy are a major prognostic factor of the efficacy and success of the procedure. Thermal models are used to predict the temperature elevation of tissues during heating. Theoretical work has shown that blood flow through large blood vessels plays an important role in determining temperature profiles of heated tissues. In this paper, an experimental investigation of the effects of large vessels on the temperature distribution of heated tissue is performed. The blood flow dependence of steady state and transient temperature profiles created by a cylindrical conductive heat source and an ultrasound transducer were examined using a fixed porcine kidney as a flow model. In the transient experiments, a 20 s pulse of hot water, 30 deg. C above ambient, heated the tissues. Temperatures were measured at selected locations in steps of 0.1 mm. It was observed that vessels could either heat or cool tissues depending on the orientation of the vascular geometry with respect to the heat source and that these effects are a function of flow rate through the vessels. Temperature gradients of 6 deg. C mm -1 close to large vessels were routinely measured. Furthermore, it was observed that the temperature gradients caused by large vessels depended on whether the heating source was highly localized (i.e. a hot needle) or more distributed (i.e. external ultrasound). The gradients measured near large vessels during localized heating were between two and three times greater than the gradients measured during ultrasound heating at the same location, for comparable flows. Moreover, these gradients were more sensitive to flow variations for the localized needle heating. X-ray computed tomography data of the kidney vasculature were in good spatial agreement with the locations of all of the temperature variations measured. The three-dimensional vessel path observed could account for the complex features of the temperature profiles. The flow

  2. Seasonal temperature is associated with Parkinson's disease prescriptions: an ecological study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rowell, David; Nghiem, Son; Ramagopalan, Sreeram; Meier, Ute-Christiane

    2017-12-01

    The aim of this study is to test what effect the weather may have on medications prescribed to treat Parkinson's disease. Twenty-three years of monthly time, series data was sourced from the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) and the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM). Data were available for eight states and territories and their corresponding capital cities. The dependent variable was the aggregate levodopa equivalent dose (LED) for 51 Parkinson's medications identified on the PBS. Two explanatory variables of interest, temperature and solar exposure, were identified in the BOM data set. Linear and cosinor models were estimated with fixed and random effects, respectively. The prescribed LED was 4.2% greater in January and 4.5% lower in July. Statistical analysis showed that temperature was associated with the prescription of Parkinson medications. Our results suggest seasonality exists in Parkinson's disease symptoms and this may be related to temperature. Further work is needed to confirm these findings and understand the underlying mechanisms as a better understanding of the causes of any seasonal variation in Parkinson's disease may help clinicians and patients manage the disease more effectively.

  3. Plasma membrane temperature gradients and multiple cell permeabilization induced by low peak power density femtosecond lasers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Allen L. Garner

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available Calculations indicate that selectively heating the extracellular media induces membrane temperature gradients that combine with electric fields and a temperature-induced reduction in the electropermeabilization threshold to potentially facilitate exogenous molecular delivery. Experiments by a wide-field, pulsed femtosecond laser with peak power density far below typical single cell optical delivery systems confirmed this hypothesis. Operating this laser in continuous wave mode at the same average power permeabilized many fewer cells, suggesting that bulk heating alone is insufficient and temperature gradients are crucial for permeabilization. This work suggests promising opportunities for a high throughput, low cost, contactless method for laser mediated exogenous molecule delivery without the complex optics of typical single cell optoinjection, for potential integration into microscope imaging and microfluidic systems.

  4. The case of the missing mechanism : How does temperature influence seasonal timing in endotherms?

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Caro, Samuel P; Schaper, Sonja V; Hut, Roelof A; Ball, Gregory F; Visser, Marcel E

    2013-01-01

    Temperature has a strong effect on the seasonal timing of life-history stages in both mammals and birds, even though these species can regulate their body temperature under a wide range of ambient temperatures. Correlational studies showing this effect have recently been supported by experiments

  5. New England observed and predicted growing season maximum stream/river temperature points

    Data.gov (United States)

    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — The shapefile contains points with associated observed and predicted growing season maximum stream/river temperatures in New England based on a spatial statistical...

  6. Temperature gradient scale length measurement: A high accuracy application of electron cyclotron emission without calibration

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Houshmandyar, S., E-mail: houshmandyar@austin.utexas.edu; Phillips, P. E.; Rowan, W. L. [Institute for Fusion Studies, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712 (United States); Yang, Z. J. [Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430074 (China); Hubbard, A. E.; Rice, J. E.; Hughes, J. W.; Wolfe, S. M. [Plasma Science and Fusion Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02129 (United States)

    2016-11-15

    Calibration is a crucial procedure in electron temperature (T{sub e}) inference from a typical electron cyclotron emission (ECE) diagnostic on tokamaks. Although the calibration provides an important multiplying factor for an individual ECE channel, the parameter ΔT{sub e}/T{sub e} is independent of any calibration. Since an ECE channel measures the cyclotron emission for a particular flux surface, a non-perturbing change in toroidal magnetic field changes the view of that channel. Hence the calibration-free parameter is a measure of T{sub e} gradient. B{sub T}-jog technique is presented here which employs the parameter and the raw ECE signals for direct measurement of electron temperature gradient scale length.

  7. Effects of season, temperature, and body mass on the standard metabolic rate of tegu lizards (Tupinambis merianae).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Toledo, Luís F; Brito, Simone P; Milsom, William K; Abe, Augusto S; Andrade, Denis V

    2008-01-01

    Abstract This study examined how the standard metabolic rate of tegu lizards, a species that undergoes large ontogenetic changes in body weight with associated changes in life-history traits, is affected by changes in body mass, body temperature, season, and life-history traits. We measured rates of oxygen consumption (Vo(2)) in 90 individuals ranging in body mass from 10.4 g to 3.75 kg at three experimental temperatures (17 degrees , 25 degrees , and 30 degrees C) over the four seasons. We found that standard metabolic rate scaled to the power of 0.84 of body mass at all experimental temperatures in all seasons and that thermal sensitivity of metabolism was relatively low (Q(10) approximately 2.0-2.5) over the range from 17 degrees to 30 degrees C regardless of body size or season. Metabolic rates did vary seasonally, being higher in spring and summer than in autumn and winter at the same temperatures, and this was true regardless of animal size. Finally, in this study, the changes in life-history traits that occurred ontogenetically were not accompanied by significant changes in metabolic rate.

  8. Generation of charge imbalance in a superconductor by a temperature gradient

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Entin-Wohlman, O.; Orbach, R.

    1980-01-01

    The charge-imbalance voltage in a superconductor carrying a current in the presence of a temperature gradient is calculated from the Boltzmann equation in the clean limit. We demonstrate why the Green's-function approach in the dirty limit, first performed by Schmid and Schoem, generates the same Boltzmann-like equation for the distribution function. In addition, the charge-imbalance voltage in the absence of an impressed current is calculated. It is shown to depend on del 2 T+(delT) 2 /T, and not solely on (delT) 2 . The calculations are limited to the temperature regime near T/sub c/, such that Δ<< T

  9. Orbital forcing and role of the latitudinal insolation/temperature gradient

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Davis, Basil A.S. [University of Newcastle, School of Geography, Politics and Sociology, Newcastle upon Tyne (United Kingdom); ARVE Group, ISTE, EPFL, Lausanne (Switzerland); Brewer, Simon [CEREGE, Europole de l' Arbois, Aix-en-Provence (France)

    2009-02-15

    Orbital forcing of the climate system is clearly shown in the Earths record of glacial-interglacial cycles, but the mechanism underlying this forcing is poorly understood. Traditional Milankovitch theory suggests that these cycles are driven by changes in high latitude summer insolation, yet this forcing is dominated by precession, and cannot account for the importance of obliquity in the Ice Age record. Here, we investigate an alternative forcing based on the latitudinal insolation gradient (LIG), which is dominated by both obliquity (in summer) and precession (in winter). The insolation gradient acts on the climate system through differential solar heating, which creates the Earths latitudinal temperature gradient (LTG) that drives the atmospheric and ocean circulation. A new pollen-based reconstruction of the LTG during the Holocene is used to demonstrate that the LTG may be much more sensitive to changes in the LIG than previously thought. From this, it is shown how LIG forcing of the LTG may help explain the propagation of orbital signatures throughout the climate system, including the Monsoon, Arctic Oscillation and ocean circulation. These relationships are validated over the last (Eemian) Interglacial, which occurred under a different orbital configuration to the Holocene. We conclude that LIG forcing of the LTG explains many criticisms of classic Milankovitch theory, while being poorly represented in climate models. (orig.)

  10. Spring and Autumn Phenological Variability across Environmental Gradients of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, USA

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Steven P. Norman

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available Mountainous regions experience complex phenological behavior along climatic, vegetational and topographic gradients. In this paper, we use a MODIS time series of the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI to understand the causes of variations in spring and autumn timing from 2000 to 2015, for a landscape renowned for its biological diversity. By filtering for cover type, topography and disturbance history, we achieved an improved understanding of the effects of seasonal weather variation on land surface phenology (LSP. Elevational effects were greatest in spring and were more important than site moisture effects. The spring and autumn NDVI of deciduous forests were found to increase in response to antecedent warm temperatures, with evidence of possible cross-seasonal lag effects, including possible accelerated green-up after cold Januarys and early brown-down following warm springs. Areas that were disturbed by the hemlock woolly adelgid and a severe tornado showed a weaker sensitivity to cross-year temperature and precipitation variation, while low severity wildland fire had no discernable effect. Use of ancillary datasets to filter for disturbance and vegetation type improves our understanding of vegetation’s phenological responsiveness to climate dynamics across complex environmental gradients.

  11. Effects of the safety factor on ion temperature gradient modes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, A.K.; Dong, J.Q.; Sanuki, H.; Itoh, K.

    2003-01-01

    A model for the ion temperature gradient (ITG) driven instability is derived from Braginskii magnetohydrodynamic equations of ions. The safety factor q in a toroidal plasma is introduced into the model through the current density J parallel . The effects of q or J parallel on both the ITG instability in k perpendicular and k parallel spectra and the critical stability thresholds are studied. It is shown that the current density // J or the safety factor q plays an important role in stabilizing the ITG instability. (author)

  12. Daily indoor-to-outdoor temperature and humidity relationships: a sample across seasons and diverse climatic regions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nguyen, Jennifer L; Dockery, Douglas W

    2016-02-01

    The health consequences of heat and cold are usually evaluated based on associations with outdoor measurements collected at a nearby weather reporting station. However, people in the developed world spend little time outdoors, especially during extreme temperature events. We examined the association between indoor and outdoor temperature and humidity in a range of climates. We measured indoor temperature, apparent temperature, relative humidity, dew point, and specific humidity (a measure of moisture content in air) for one calendar year (2012) in a convenience sample of eight diverse locations ranging from the equatorial region (10 °N) to the Arctic (64 °N). We then compared the indoor conditions to outdoor values recorded at the nearest airport weather station. We found that the shape of the indoor-to-outdoor temperature and humidity relationships varied across seasons and locations. Indoor temperatures showed little variation across season and location. There was large variation in indoor relative humidity between seasons and between locations which was independent of outdoor airport measurements. On the other hand, indoor specific humidity, and to a lesser extent dew point, tracked with outdoor, airport measurements both seasonally and between climates, across a wide range of outdoor temperatures. These results suggest that, in general, outdoor measures of actual moisture content in air better capture indoor conditions than outdoor temperature and relative humidity. Therefore, in studies where water vapor is among the parameters of interest for examining weather-related health effects, outdoor measurements of actual moisture content can be more reliably used as a proxy for indoor exposure than the more commonly examined variables of temperature and relative humidity.

  13. Elevational gradient in clutch size of Red-faced Warblers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dillon, Kristen G.; Conway, Courtney J.

    2015-01-01

    Our understanding of life history evolution has benefited from debates regarding the underlying causes, and geographic ubiquity, of spatial patterns in avian clutch sizes. Past studies have revealed that birds lay smaller clutch sizes at higher elevation. However, in most previous studies, investigators have failed to adequately control for elevational differences in breeding phenology. To better understand the elevational gradient in avian clutch size, we need to know how clutch size changes across the entire elevational breeding range of a species (i.e., the shape of the relationship between elevation and clutch size), and whether the elevational gradient in clutch size is merely an artifact of elevational gradients in breeding phenology or breeding season length. We examined the relationship between breeding elevation and clutch size of Red-faced Warblers (Cardellina rubrifrons) along a 1000-m elevational gradient in Arizona. Our objectives were to determine how clutch size changed with elevation, and if the relationship between clutch size and elevation merely reflected elevational changes in breeding season length or phenology. The proportion of 5-egg clutches decreased and the proportion of 3- and 4-egg clutches increased non-linearly with increasing elevation, even after controlling for the elevational gradient in nest initiation date. Thus, average clutch size declined across the elevational breeding range of Red-faced Warblers, but this decline was not due to elevational variation in breeding phenology. Timing of breeding changed, but the duration of the breeding season did not change appreciably across the elevational gradient. Hence, elevational differences in breeding season length or breeding phenology cannot explain why Red-faced Warblers (and perhaps other birds) breeding at higher elevations have smaller clutches.

  14. Seasonal Changes in Titan's Meteorology

    Science.gov (United States)

    Turtle, E. P.; DelGenio, A. D.; Barbara, J. M.; Perry, J. E.; Schaller, E. L.; McEwen, A. S.; West, R. A.; Ray, T. L.

    2011-01-01

    The Cassini Imaging Science Subsystem has observed Titan for 1/4 Titan year, and we report here the first evidence of seasonal shifts in preferred locations of tropospheric methane clouds. South \\polar convective cloud activity, common in late southern summer, has become rare. North \\polar and northern mid \\latitude clouds appeared during the approach to the northern spring equinox in August 2009. Recent observations have shown extensive cloud systems at low latitudes. In contrast, southern mid \\latitude and subtropical clouds have appeared sporadically throughout the mission, exhibiting little seasonality to date. These differences in behavior suggest that Titan s clouds, and thus its general circulation, are influenced by both the rapid temperature response of a low \\thermal \\inertia surface and the much longer radiative timescale of Titan s cold thick troposphere. North \\polar clouds are often seen near lakes and seas, suggesting that local increases in methane concentration and/or lifting generated by surface roughness gradients may promote cloud formation. Citation

  15. Amplification of obliquity forcing through mean annual and seasonal atmospheric feedbacks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S.-Y. Lee

    2008-10-01

    Full Text Available Pleistocene benthic δ18O records exhibit strong spectral power at ~41 kyr, indicating that global ice volume has been modulated by Earth's axial tilt. This feature, and weak spectral power in the precessional band, has been attributed to the influence of obliquity on mean annual and seasonal insolation gradients at high latitudes. In this study, we use a coupled ocean-atmosphere general circulation model to quantify changes in continental snowfall associated with mean annual and seasonal insolation forcing due to a change in obliquity. Our model results indicate that insolation changes associated with a decrease in obliquity amplify continental snowfall in three ways: (1 Local reductions in air temperature enhance precipitation as snowfall. (2 An intensification of the winter meridional insolation gradient strengthens zonal circulation (e.g. the Aleutian low, promoting greater vapor transport from ocean to land and snow precipitation. (3 An increase in the summer meridional insolation gradient enhances summer eddy activity, increasing vapor transport to high-latitude regions. In our experiments, a decrease in obliquity leads to an annual snowfall increase of 25.0 cm; just over one-half of this response (14.1 cm is attributed to seasonal changes in insolation. Our results indicate that the role of insolation gradients is important in amplifying the relatively weak insolation forcing due to a change in obliquity. Nonetheless, the total snowfall response to obliquity is similar to that due to a shift in Earth's precession, suggesting that obliquity forcing alone can not account for the spectral characteristics of the ice-volume record.

  16. Evidence of counter-gradient growth in western pond turtles (Actinemys marmorata) across thermal gradients

    Science.gov (United States)

    Snover, Melissa; Adams, Michael J.; Ashton, Donald T.; Bettaso, Jamie B.; Welsh, Hartwell H.

    2015-01-01

    Counter-gradient growth, where growth per unit temperature increases as temperature decreases, can reduce the variation in ectothermic growth rates across environmental gradients. Understanding how ectothermic species respond to changing temperatures is essential to their conservation and management due to human-altered habitats and changing climates.

  17. Edaphic fauna in a vegetation gradient in the Sete Cidades National Park.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nunes, L A P L; Araújo, A S F; Pessoa, M M C; Sousa, R S; Silva, J D C; Matos-Filho, C H A

    2018-04-09

    The vegetation physionomy and cover can show patterns of diversity and composition of the edaphic community, depending on the quantity and quality of litter in a specific habitat. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of the vegetation gradient formed by Graminoid Field (GRF), Cerrado Sensu Stricto (CSS), Cerradão (CRD) and Semideciduous Seasonal Forest (SSF) on density, diversity and composition of the edaphic fauna community in two seasons of the year, in the Sete Cidades National Park (Piauí state). For fauna sampling, a total of eight pitfall traps, distanced 10 m, were placed in each area in the central part of each system, where they remained for seven days. In the wet period, there was a tendency to increase the number of individuals as a function of the complexity of the vegetation formation, with the inverse occurring in the dry period. It was verified an environmental variation of the climatic factors temperature and humidity according to the vegetal formation, contributing to a heterogeneous distribution of the fauna. The GRF formation presented a significantly lower value of average richness only in the dry period. Regarding the variables of diversity and uniformity, they did not show drastic variations in relation to the vegetation gradient studied. The dominant groups in the vegetation gradient were Formicidae, Coleoptera, Aranae, Acari and Collembola, with reduction of the number of Coleoptera in the dry season. Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed greater differences in the composition of the communities between the vegetation formations for the rainy season. At this time, the formations SSF and CRD were associated to a greater diversity of invertebrates than CSS and GRF, demonstrating the influence of the vegetation complexity on the soil fauna community.

  18. Edaphic fauna in a vegetation gradient in the Sete Cidades National Park

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    L. A. P. L. Nunes

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract The vegetation physionomy and cover can show patterns of diversity and composition of the edaphic community, depending on the quantity and quality of litter in a specific habitat. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of the vegetation gradient formed by Graminoid Field (GRF, Cerrado Sensu Stricto (CSS, Cerradão (CRD and Semideciduous Seasonal Forest (SSF on density, diversity and composition of the edaphic fauna community in two seasons of the year, in the Sete Cidades National Park (Piauí state. For fauna sampling, a total of eight pitfall traps, distanced 10 m, were placed in each area in the central part of each system, where they remained for seven days. In the wet period, there was a tendency to increase the number of individuals as a function of the complexity of the vegetation formation, with the inverse occurring in the dry period. It was verified an environmental variation of the climatic factors temperature and humidity according to the vegetal formation, contributing to a heterogeneous distribution of the fauna. The GRF formation presented a significantly lower value of average richness only in the dry period. Regarding the variables of diversity and uniformity, they did not show drastic variations in relation to the vegetation gradient studied. The dominant groups in the vegetation gradient were Formicidae, Coleoptera, Aranae, Acari and Collembola, with reduction of the number of Coleoptera in the dry season. Principal component analysis (PCA revealed greater differences in the composition of the communities between the vegetation formations for the rainy season. At this time, the formations SSF and CRD were associated to a greater diversity of invertebrates than CSS and GRF, demonstrating the influence of the vegetation complexity on the soil fauna community.

  19. Development of the CARS method for measurement of pressure and temperature gradients in centrifuges

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zeltmann, A.H.; Valentini, J.J.

    1983-12-01

    These experiments evaluated the feasibility of applying the CARS technique to the measurement of UF 6 concentrations and pressure gradients in a gas centrifuge. The resultant CARS signals were properly related to system parameters as suggested by theory. The results have been used to guide design of an apparatus for making CARS measurements in a UF 6 gas centrifuge. Ease of measurement is expected for pressures as low as 0.1 torr. Temperature gradients can be measured by this technique with changes in the data acquisition method. 16 references, 8 figures, 2 tables

  20. Seasonal variation of plankton communities influenced by environmental factors in an artificial lake

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Xuemei; Yu, Yuhe; Zhang, Tanglin; Feng, Weisong; Ao, Hongyi; Yan, Qingyun

    2012-05-01

    We evaluated the seasonal variation in plankton community composition in an artificial lake. We conducted microscopic analysis and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) of PCR-amplified partial 16S rRNA and 18S rRNA genes to characterize the plankton community. The clustering of unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean (UPGMA) was then used to investigate the similarity of these plankton communities. DGGE fingerprinting revealed that samples collected at the different sites within a season shared high similarity and were generally grouped together. In contrast, we did not observe any seasonal variation based on microscopic analysis. Redundancy analysis (RDA) of the plankton operational taxonomic units (OTUs) in relation to environmental factors revealed that transparency was negatively correlated with the first axis ( R=-0.931), and temperature and total phosphorus (TP) were positively correlated with the first axis ( R=0.736 and R=0.660, respectively). In conclusion, plankton communities in the artificial lake exhibited significant seasonal variation. Transparency, phosphorus and temperature appear to be the major factors driving the differences in plankton composition.

  1. Seasonal shifts in body temperature and use of microhabitats by Galapagos land iguanas (Conolophus pallidus)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Christian, K.; Tracy, C.R.; Porter, W.P.

    1983-06-01

    Seasonal differences in the body temperatures (T/sub b/) of free-ranging Galapagos land iguanas (Conolophus pallidus) were detected by temperature sensitive telemetry transmitters. Midday T/sub b/'s of iguanas average 4.4/sup 0/C lower in the Garua (cool) season than in the Hot season. Measured T/sub b/'s and those predicted from biophysical models permitted the following conclusions: (1) lower T/sub b/'s during the Garua season represent an active shift in thermoregulation by the iguanas rather than a passive result of a cooler season; (2) the average midday T/sub b/ selected by the iguanas in either season is the T/sub b/ that allows maintenance of a constant T/sub b/ for the longest possible portion of the day; (3) by exploiting the warmer microclimate created by a cliff face, the iguanas are able to maintain a constant T/sub b/ for a full hour longer than they could elsewhere in their home range. Census data demonstrated that the iguanas exploited the warmer microclimate created by the cliff extensively during the Garua season, and the cliff face was visited by the iguanas relatively infrequently during the Hot season. Thus, the exploitation of the microclimate created by the cliff results in seasonal differences in the pattern of space utilization within the home ranges of the iguanas. Within the Garua season the iguanas moved away from the cliff more often on sunny days than during cloudy days. It is concluded that the physical environment is an important determinant of patterns of space utilization both within and between seasons.

  2. Observed changes in seasonal heat waves and warm temperature extremes in the Romanian Carpathians

    Science.gov (United States)

    Micu, Dana; Birsan, Marius-Victor; Dumitrescu, Alexandru; Cheval, Sorin

    2015-04-01

    Extreme high temperature have a large impact on environment and human activities, especially in high elevation areas particularly sensitive to the recent climate warming. The climate of the Romanian Carpathians became warmer particularly in winter, spring and summer, exibiting a significant increasing frequency of warm extremes. The paper investigates the seasonal changes in the frequency, duration and intensity of heat waves in relation to the shifts in the daily distribution of maximum temperatures over a 50-year period of meteorological observations (1961-2010). The paper uses the heat wave definition recommended by the Expert Team on Climate Change Detection and Indices (ETCCDI) and exploits the gridded daily dataset of maximum temperature at 0.1° resolution (~10 km) developed in the framework of the CarpatClim project (www.carpatclim.eu). The seasonal changes in heat waves behavior were identified using the Mann-Kendall non-parametric trend test. The results suggest an increase in heat wave frequency and a lengthening of intervals affected by warm temperature extremes all over the study region, which are explained by the shifts in the upper (extreme) tail of the daily maximum temperature distribution in most seasons. The trends are consistent across the region and are well correlated to the positive phases of the East Atlantic Oscillation. Our results are in good agreement with the previous temperature-related studies concerning the Carpathian region. This study was realized within the framework of the project GENCLIM, financed by UEFISCDI, code PN-II 151/2014.

  3. Deposition of mercury in forests across a montane elevation gradient: Elevational and seasonal patterns in methylmercury inputs and production

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gerson, Jacqueline R.; Driscoll, Charles T.; Demers, Jason D.; Sauer, Amy K.; Blackwell, Bradley D.; Montesdeoca, Mario R.; Shanley, James B.; Ross, Donald S.

    2017-08-01

    Global mercury contamination largely results from direct primary atmospheric and secondary legacy emissions, which can be deposited to ecosystems, converted to methylmercury, and bioaccumulated along food chains. We examined organic horizon soil samples collected across an elevational gradient on Whiteface Mountain in the Adirondack region of New York State, USA to determine spatial patterns in methylmercury concentrations across a forested montane landscape. We found that soil methylmercury concentrations were highest in the midelevation coniferous zone (0.39 ± 0.07 ng/g) compared to the higher elevation alpine zone (0.28 ± 0.04 ng/g) and particularly the lower elevation deciduous zone (0.17 ± 0.02 ng/g), while the percent of total mercury as methylmercury in soils decreased with elevation. We also found a seasonal pattern in soil methylmercury concentrations, with peak methylmercury values occurring in July. Given elevational patterns in temperature and bioavailable total mercury (derived from mineralization of soil organic matter), soil methylmercury concentrations appear to be driven by soil processing of ionic Hg, as opposed to atmospheric deposition of methylmercury. These methylmercury results are consistent with spatial patterns of mercury concentrations in songbird species observed from other studies, suggesting that future declines in mercury emissions could be important for reducing exposure of mercury to montane avian species.

  4. Seasonal variation in the temperature sensitivity of proteolytic enzyme activity in temperate forest soils

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brzostek, Edward R.; Finzi, Adrien C.

    2012-03-01

    Increasing soil temperature has the potential to alter the activity of the extracellular enzymes that mobilize nitrogen (N) from soil organic matter (SOM) and ultimately the availability of N for primary production. Proteolytic enzymes depolymerize N from proteinaceous components of SOM into amino acids, and their activity is a principal driver of the within-system cycle of soil N. The objectives of this study were to investigate whether the soils of temperate forest tree species differ in the temperature sensitivity of proteolytic enzyme activity over the growing season and the role of substrate limitation in regulating temperature sensitivity. Across species and sampling dates, proteolytic enzyme activity had relatively low sensitivity to temperature with a mean activation energy (Ea) of 33.5 kJ mol-1. Ea declined in white ash, American beech, and eastern hemlock soils across the growing season as soils warmed. By contrast, Eain sugar maple soil increased across the growing season. We used these data to develop a species-specific empirical model of proteolytic enzyme activity for the 2009 calendar year and studied the interactive effects of soil temperature (ambient or +5°C) and substrate limitation (ambient or elevated protein) on enzyme activity. Declines in substrate limitation had a larger single-factor effect on proteolytic enzyme activity than temperature, particularly in the spring. There was, however, a large synergistic effect of increasing temperature and substrate supply on proteolytic enzyme activity. Our results suggest limited increases in N availability with climate warming unless there is a parallel increase in the availability of protein substrates.

  5. Changes in photosynthesis and soil moisture drive the seasonal soil respiration-temperature hysteresis relationship

    Science.gov (United States)

    Quan Zhang; Richard P. Phillips; Stefano Manzoni; Russell L. Scott; A. Christopher Oishi; Adrien Finzi; Edoardo Daly; Rodrigo Vargas; Kimberly A. Novick

    2018-01-01

    In nearly all large-scale terrestrial ecosystem models, soil respiration is represented as a function of soil temperature. However, the relationship between soil respiration and soil temperature is highly variable across sites and there is often a pronounced hysteresis in the soil respiration-temperature relationship over the course of the growing season. This...

  6. European seasonal and annual temperature variability, trends, and extremes since 1500.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Luterbacher, Jürg; Dietrich, Daniel; Xoplaki, Elena; Grosjean, Martin; Wanner, Heinz

    2004-03-05

    Multiproxy reconstructions of monthly and seasonal surface temperature fields for Europe back to 1500 show that the late 20th- and early 21st-century European climate is very likely (>95% confidence level) warmer than that of any time during the past 500 years. This agrees with findings for the entire Northern Hemisphere. European winter average temperatures during the period 1500 to 1900 were reduced by approximately 0.5 degrees C (0.25 degrees C for annual mean temperatures) compared to the 20th century. Summer temperatures did not experience systematic century-scale cooling relative to present conditions. The coldest European winter was 1708/1709; 2003 was by far the hottest summer.

  7. Modeling seasonal surface temperature variations in secondary tropical dry forests

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cao, Sen; Sanchez-Azofeifa, Arturo

    2017-10-01

    Secondary tropical dry forests (TDFs) provide important ecosystem services such as carbon sequestration, biodiversity conservation, and nutrient cycle regulation. However, their biogeophysical processes at the canopy-atmosphere interface remain unknown, limiting our understanding of how this endangered ecosystem influences, and responds to the ongoing global warming. To facilitate future development of conservation policies, this study characterized the seasonal land surface temperature (LST) behavior of three successional stages (early, intermediate, and late) of a TDF, at the Santa Rosa National Park (SRNP), Costa Rica. A total of 38 Landsat-8 Thermal Infrared Sensor (TIRS) data and the Surface Reflectance (SR) product were utilized to model LST time series from July 2013 to July 2016 using a radiative transfer equation (RTE) algorithm. We further related the LST time series to seven vegetation indices which reflect different properties of TDFs, and soil moisture data obtained from a Wireless Sensor Network (WSN). Results showed that the LST in the dry season was 15-20 K higher than in the wet season at SRNP. We found that the early successional stages were about 6-8 K warmer than the intermediate successional stages and were 9-10 K warmer than the late successional stages in the middle of the dry season; meanwhile, a minimum LST difference (0-1 K) was observed at the end of the wet season. Leaf phenology and canopy architecture explained most LST variations in both dry and wet seasons. However, our analysis revealed that it is precipitation that ultimately determines the LST variations through both biogeochemical (leaf phenology) and biogeophysical processes (evapotranspiration) of the plants. Results of this study could help physiological modeling studies in secondary TDFs.

  8. Seasonal and spatial variations in fish and macrocrustacean assemblage structure in Mad Island Marsh estuary, Texas

    Science.gov (United States)

    Akin, S.; Winemiller, K. O.; Gelwick, F. P.

    2003-05-01

    Fish and macrocrustacean assemblage structure was analyzed along an estuarine gradient at Mad Island Marsh (MIM), Matagorda Bay, TX, during March 1998-August 1999. Eight estuarine-dependent fish species accounted for 94% of the individual fishes collected, and three species accounted for 96% of macrocrustacean abundance. Consistent with evidence from other Gulf of Mexico estuarine studies, species richness and abundance were highest during late spring and summer, and lowest during winter and early spring. Sites near the bay supported the most individuals and species. Associations between fish abundance and environmental variables were examined with canonical correspondence analysis. The dominant gradient was associated with water depth and distance from the bay. The secondary gradient reflected seasonal variation and was associated with temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, and vegetation cover. At the scales examined, estuarine biota responded to seasonal variation more than spatial variation. Estuarine-dependent species dominated the fauna and were common throughout the open waters of the shallow lake during winter-early spring when water temperature and salinity were low and dissolved oxygen high. During summer-early fall, sub-optimal environmental conditions (high temperature, low DO) in upper reaches accounted for strong spatial variation in assemblage composition. Small estuarine-resident fishes and the blue crab ( Callinectes sapidus) were common in warm, shallow, vegetated inland sites during summer-fall. Estuarine-dependent species were common at deeper, more saline locations near the bay during this period. During summer, freshwater species, such as gizzard shad ( Dorosoma cepedianum) and gars ( Lepisosteus spp.), were positively associated with water depth and proximity to the bay. The distribution and abundance of fishes in MIM appear to result from the combined effects of endogenous, seasonal patterns of reproduction and migration operating on large

  9. Seasonality of major redox constituents in a shallow subterranean estuary

    Science.gov (United States)

    O'Connor, Alison E.; Krask, Julie L.; Canuel, Elizabeth A.; Beck, Aaron J.

    2018-03-01

    The subterranean estuary (STE), the subsurface mixing zone of outflowing fresh groundwater and infiltrating seawater, is an area of extensive geochemical reactions that determine the composition of groundwater that flows into coastal environments. This study examined the porewater composition of a shallow STE (redox gradients on STE geochemistry. Two freshwater endmembers were identified, between which redox potential and composition varied with depth-a shallow freshwater endmember was oxidizing and high in DOC, whereas a deep freshwater endmember was reducing, lower in DOC, and high in sulfide. Results showed that dissolved Fe, Mn, and sulfide varied along a redox gradient distinct from the salinity gradient, and that three-endmember mixing was required to quantify non-conservative chemical addition/removal in the STE. In addition to salinity, humic carbon was used as a quasi-conservative tracer to quantify mixing according to a three-endmember model. The vertical distributions of DOC and reduced metabolites remained approximately constant over time, but concentrations varied with season. Dissolved organic carbon concentrations were greatest in the summer, and shallow meteoric groundwater supplied the majority of DOC to the STE. In summer, there was additional evidence for shallow non-conservative addition of DOC. Dissolved Fe and Mn were highest in a subsurface plume through the middle of the STE (100-140 cm below sediment surface at the high tide line) which was characterized by higher concentrations and greater non-conservative addition in the winter. In contrast, sulfide was higher in summer at depths within the Fe and Mn plume (100-140 cm). We attribute the contrasting seasonal patterns of dissolved Fe, Mn, and sulfide to differences in microbial response to temperature changes and organic matter availability, and to competition at the ferrous-sulfidic transition zone between dissimilatory metal reduction and sulfate reduction, leading to sulfate

  10. Influence of natural temperature gradients on measurements of xylem sap flow with thermal dissipation probes. 1. Field observations and possible remedies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Do, F; Rocheteau, A

    2002-06-01

    The thermal dissipation method is simple and widely used for measuring sap flow in large stems. As with several other thermal methods, natural temperature gradients are assumed to be negligible in the sapwood being measured. We studied the magnitude and variability of natural temperature gradients in sapwood of Acacia trees growing in the Sahelian zone of Senegal, analyzed their effects on sap flow measurements, and investigated possible solutions. A new measurement approach employing cyclic heating (45 minutes of heating and 15 minutes of cooling; 45/15) was also tested. Three-day measurement sequences that included 1 day without heating, a second day with continuous heating and a third day with cyclic heating were recorded during a 6.5-month period using probes installed at three azimuths in a tree trunk. Natural temperature gradients between the two probes of the sensor unit, spaced 8 to 10 cm vertically, were rarely negligible (i.e., solar radiation and low sap flow rate. However, for all applications of the thermal dissipation method, it is wise to check regularly for natural temperature gradients by switching off the heater.

  11. Stable isotope record of Eemian seasonal temperature from MIS 5e tufa stromatolite; Somme Basin, Northern France

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dabkowski, J.; Andrews, J.; Antoine, P.; Marca-Bell, A.

    2013-03-01

    In many modern to sub-fossil deposits tufa formations, very well crystallised deposits called stromatolites are preserved. These are often strongly laminated deposits, the laminae linked to seasonal climatic and environmental variations. Where found in fossil tufas such deposits have huge potential as high resolution archives of Pleistocene climate. One of the first investigations of this type has been performed on a 2.5 cm-radius stromatolite from the Eemian sequence of Caours (Somme Basin, Northern France), where precise observations in thin section have been combined with intra-lamina δ18O and δ13C analyses. Independent interpretations of petrographical and geochemical data are strongly coherent and demonstrate a clear seasonal signal. Moreover, as δ18O is temperature dependent, we have quantified likely maximum water temperature variations between summer and winter at Caours. A small mismatch between the δ18O derived temperature values and the typical modern range is observed, which may reflect a real difference between modern and Eemian temperature seasonality. This study supports previous investigations performed on a laminated tufa from central Greece and clearly confirms the potential of tufa stromatolites as records of seasonal climatic information and for the quantification of riverine water temperature variations.

  12. Role of season, temperature and humidity on the incidence of epistaxis in Alberta, Canada

    Science.gov (United States)

    2014-01-01

    Background Classical dogma holds that epistaxis is more common in winter months but there is significant variability reported in the literature. No study has yet examined the effect of season, humidity and temperature on epistaxis in a location with as severe weather extremes as seen in Alberta, Canada. The objective of the study is to evaluate for an effect of these meteorological factors on the incidence of epistaxis in Alberta. Method A retrospective review of consecutive adult patients presenting to the Emergency room (ER) in Edmonton and Calgary, Alberta over a three-year period was performed. Daily temperature and humidity data was recorded from the respective airports. Statistical analysis with Pearson’s correlation coefficient was performed. Results 4315 patients presented during the study period. Mean daily temperatures ranged from a low of -40°C to a high of +23°C. A significant negative correlation was found for mean monthly temperature with epistaxis (Pearson’s r = -0.835, p = 0.001). A significant correlation was also present for daily temperature and epistaxis presentation (Pearson’s r = -0.55, p = 0.018, range 1.8 to 2.2 events/day). No correlation was identified with humidity and no significant seasonal variation was present. Conclusions A negative correlation was found to exist for both daily and mean monthly temperature with rates of epistaxis. A seasonal variation was seen in Edmonton but not in Calgary. No correlation was found for humidity when compared to both presentation rates and admissions. PMID:24755112

  13. Nanoscale steady-state temperature gradients within polymer nanocomposites undergoing continuous-wave photothermal heating from gold nanorods.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maity, Somsubhra; Wu, Wei-Chen; Tracy, Joseph B; Clarke, Laura I; Bochinski, Jason R

    2017-08-17

    Anisotropically-shaped metal nanoparticles act as nanoscale heaters via excitation of a localized surface plasmon resonance, utilizing a photothermal effect which converts the optical energy into local heat. Steady-state temperatures within a polymer matrix embedded with gold nanorods undergoing photothermal heating using continuous-wave excitation are measured in the immediate spatial vicinity of the nanoparticle (referred to as the local temperature) from observing the rate of physical rotation of the asymmetric nanoparticles within the locally created polymer melt. Average temperatures across the entire (mostly solid) sample (referred to as the global temperature) are simultaneously observed using a fluorescence method from randomly dispersed molecular emitters. Comparing these two independent measurements in films having varying concentrations of nanorods reveals the interplay between the local and global temperatures, clearly demonstrating the capability of these material samples to sustain large steady-state spatial temperature gradients when experiencing continuous-wave excitation photothermal heating. These results are discussed quantitatively. Illustrative imaging studies of nanofibers under photothermal heating also support the presence of a large temperature gradient. Photothermal heating in this manner has potential utility in creating unique thermal processing conditions for outcomes such as driving chemical reactions, inducing crystallinity changes, or enhancing degradation processes in a manner unachievable by conventional heating methods.

  14. Ion temperature gradient driven mode in presence of transverse velocity shear in magnetized plasmas

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Chakrabarti, N.; Juul Rasmussen, J.; Michelsen, Poul

    2005-01-01

    The effect of sheared poloidal flow on the toroidal branch of the ion temperature gradient driven mode of magnetized nonuniform plasma is studied. A novel "nonmodal" calculation is used to analyze the problem. It is shown that the transverse shear flow considerably reduced the growth...

  15. Large diffusion anisotropy and orientation sorting of phosphorene nanoflakes under a temperature gradient.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cheng, Yuan; Zhang, Gang; Zhang, Yingyan; Chang, Tienchong; Pei, Qing-Xiang; Cai, Yongqing; Zhang, Yong-Wei

    2018-01-25

    We perform molecular dynamics simulations to investigate the motion of phosphorene nanoflakes on a large graphene substrate under a thermal gradient. It is found that the atomic interaction between the graphene substrate and the phosphorene nanoflake generates distinct rates of motion for phosphorene nanoflakes with different orientations. Remarkably, for square phosphorene nanoflakes, the motion of zigzag-oriented nanoflakes is 2-fold faster than those of armchair-oriented and randomly-oriented nanoflakes. This large diffusion anisotropy suggests that sorting of phosphorene nanoflakes into specific orientations can be realized by a temperature gradient. The findings here provide interesting insights into strong molecular diffusion anisotropy and offer a novel route for manipulating two-dimensional materials.

  16. Conservation status affects elevational gradient in bird diversity in the Himalaya: A new perspective

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Prakash Kumar Paudel

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available Understanding diversity patterns along altitudinal gradients, and their underlying causes are important for conserving biodiversity. Previous studies have focused on climatic, energetic, and geographic variables (e.g., mid-domain effects, with less attention paid to human-induced habitat modifications. We used published data of bird distributions along an elevational gradient (0–4900 m in the Nepalese Himalaya and interpolated species presence between elevational limits. The relationship between species richness and environmental variables was analyzed using generalized linear models. A low plateau relationship between bird richness and elevation was observed, with a main peak at intermediate elevations (2800 m. Across the total gradient, interpolated bird species richness had a unimodal relationship to maximum monthly precipitation and a linear response to seasonal variation in temperature, proportion of forest cover, and proportion of protected area. In lower elevations (0–2800 m, interpolated species richness had a positive and linear response to the proportion of Ramsar sites and a unimodal response to habitat heterogeneity. At higher elevations (2900–4900 m, interpolated bird richness had a positive linear response to monthly variation in temperature and a negative linear response to proportion forest cover. We conclude that factors related to human management are important drivers of elevational gradients in bird species richness. Keywords: Elevational gradient, Biogeography, Bird species richness, Conservation, Himalaya, Nepal

  17. How important are internal temperature gradients in french straws during freezing of bovine sperm in nitrogen vapor?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Santos, M V; Sansinena, M; Zaritzky, N; Chirife, J

    2013-01-01

    The subject of present work was to predict internal temperature gradients developed during freezing of bovine sperm diluted in extender, packaged in 0.5 ml French plastic straws and suspended in static liquid nitrogen vapor at -100 degree C. For this purpose, a mathematical heat transfer model previously developed to predict freezing times (phase change was considered) of semen/extender packaged in straw was extended to predict internal temperature gradients during the cooling/freezing process. Results showed maximum temperature differences between the centre and the periphery of semen/extender "liquid" column was 1.5 degree C for an external heat transfer coefficient, h = 15 W per (m(2) K), and only 0.5 degree C for h = 5 W per (m(2) K). It is concluded that if a thermocouple wire were inserted in a 0.5 ml plastic straw to monitor the freezing process in nitrogen vapor, its radial position would have little importance since expected internal gradients may be safely neglected. This finding facilitates the interpretation of freezing rates in 0.5 ml plastic straws immersed in nitrogen vapor over liquid nitrogen, a widely used method for cryopreservation of bovine spermatozoa.

  18. Seasonal temperature acclimatization in a semi-fossorial mammal and the role of burrows as thermal refuges

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rachlow, Janet L.; Chappell, Mark A.; Camp, Meghan J.; Johnson, Timothy R.; Shipley, Lisa A.; Paul, David R.; Forbey, Jennifer S.

    2018-01-01

    Small mammals in habitats with strong seasonal variation in the thermal environment often exhibit physiological and behavioral adaptations for coping with thermal extremes and reducing thermoregulatory costs. Burrows are especially important for providing thermal refuge when above-ground temperatures require high regulatory costs (e.g., water or energy) or exceed the physiological tolerances of an organism. Our objective was to explore the role of burrows as thermal refuges for a small endotherm, the pygmy rabbit (Brachylagus idahoensis), during the summer and winter by quantifying energetic costs associated with resting above and below ground. We used indirect calorimetry to determine the relationship between energy expenditure and ambient temperature over a range of temperatures that pygmy rabbits experience in their natural habitat. We also measured the temperature of above- and below-ground rest sites used by pygmy rabbits in eastern Idaho, USA, during summer and winter and estimated the seasonal thermoregulatory costs of resting in the two microsites. Although pygmy rabbits demonstrated seasonal physiological acclimatization, the burrow was an important thermal refuge, especially in winter. Thermoregulatory costs were lower inside the burrow than in above-ground rest sites for more than 50% of the winter season. In contrast, thermal heterogeneity provided by above-ground rest sites during summer reduced the role of burrows as a thermal refuge during all but the hottest periods of the afternoon. Our findings contribute to an understanding of the ecology of small mammals in seasonal environments and demonstrate the importance of burrows as thermal refuge for pygmy rabbits. PMID:29576977

  19. Underestimated effects of low temperature during early growing season on carbon sequestration of a subtropical coniferous plantation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    W.-J. Zhang

    2011-06-01

    Full Text Available The impact of air temperature in early growing season on the carbon sequestration of a subtropical coniferous plantation was discussed through analyzing the eddy flux observations at Qianyanzhou (QYZ site in southern China from 2003 to 2008. This site experienced two cold early growing seasons (with temperature anomalies of 2–5 °C in 2005 and 2008, and a severe summer drought in 2003.
    Results indicated that the low air temperature from January to March was the major factor controlling the inter-annual variations in net carbon uptake at this site, rather than the previously thought summer drought. The accumulative air temperature from January to February showed high correlation (R2=0.970, p<0.001 with the annual net ecosystem production (NEP. This was due to the controls of early-month temperature on the plant phenology developing and the growing season length at this subtropical site. The cold spring greatly shortened the growing season length and therefore reduced the carbon uptake period. The eddy flux observations showed a carbon loss of 4.04 g C m−2 per growing-season day at this coniferous forest site. On the other hand, the summer drought also reduced the net carbon uptake strength because the photosynthesis was more sensitive to water deficit stress than the ecosystem respiration. However, the impact of summer drought occurred within a relatively shorter period and the carbon sequestration went back to the normal level once the drought was relieved.

  20. Effect of ion temperature gradient driven turbulence on the edge-core connection for transient edge temperature sink

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Miyato, Naoaki

    2014-01-01

    Ion temperature gradient (ITG) driven turbulence simulation for a transient edge temperature sink localized in the poloidal plane is performed using a global Landau-fluid code in the electrostatic limit. Pressure perturbations with (m, n) = (±1, 0) are induced by the edge sink, where m and n are poloidal and toroidal mode numbers, respectively. It was found in the previous simulation that the nonlinear dynamics of these perturbations are responsible for the nonlocal plasma response/transport connecting edge and core in a toroidal plasma. Present simulation shows, however, that the ITG turbulence in the core region dissipates the large-scale (m, n) = (±1, 0) perturbations and weakens the edge-core connection observed in the previous simulation. (author)

  1. Coupling of near-field thermal radiative heating and phonon Monte Carlo simulation: Assessment of temperature gradient in n-doped silicon thin film

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wong, Basil T.; Francoeur, Mathieu; Bong, Victor N.-S.; Mengüç, M. Pinar

    2014-01-01

    Near-field thermal radiative exchange between two objects is typically more effective than the far-field thermal radiative exchange as the heat flux can increase up to several orders higher in magnitudes due to tunneling of evanescent waves. Such an interesting phenomenon has started to gain its popularity in nanotechnology, especially in nano-gap thermophotovoltaic systems and near-field radiative cooling of micro-/nano-devices. Here, we explored the existence of thermal gradient within an n-doped silicon thin film when it is subjected to intensive near-field thermal radiative heating. The near-field radiative power density deposited within the film is calculated using the Maxwell equations combined with fluctuational electrodynamics. A phonon Monte Carlo simulation is then used to assess the temperature gradient by treating the near-field radiative power density as the heat source. Results indicated that it is improbable to have temperature gradient with the near-field radiative heating as a continuous source unless the source comprises of ultra-short radiative pulses with a strong power density. - Highlights: • This study investigates temperature distribution in an n-doped silicon thin film. • Near-field radiative heating is treated as a volumetric phenomenon. • The temperature gradient is computed using phonon MC simulation. • Temperature of thin film can be approximated as uniform for radiation calculations. • If heat source is a pulsed radiation, a temperature gradient can be established

  2. Activation of AMP-activated protein kinase in response to temperature elevation shows seasonal variation in the zebra mussel, Dreissena polymorpha.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jost, Jennifer A; Keshwani, Sarah S; Abou-Hanna, Jacob J

    2015-04-01

    Global climate change is affecting ectothermic species, and a variety of studies are needed on thermal tolerances, especially from cellular and physiological perspectives. This study utilized AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), a key regulator of cellular energy levels, to examine the effects of high water temperatures on zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) physiology. During heating, AMPK activity increased as water temperature increased to a point, and maximum AMPK activity was detected at high, but sublethal, water temperatures. This pattern varied with season, suggesting that cellular mechanisms of seasonal thermal acclimatization affect basic metabolic processes during sublethal heat stress. There was a greater seasonal variation in the water temperature at which maximum AMPK activity was measured than in lethal water temperature. Furthermore, baseline AMPK activity varied significantly across seasons, most likely reflecting altered metabolic states during times of growth and reproduction. In addition, when summer-collected mussels were lab-acclimated to winter and spring water temperatures, patterns of heat stress mirrored those of field-collected animals. These data suggest that water temperature is the main driver of the seasonal variation in physiology. This study concluded that AMPK activity, which reflects changes in energy supply and demand during heat stress, can serve as a sensitive and early indicator of temperature stress in mussels. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  3. Directed motion of a Brownian motor in a temperature gradient

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Yibing; Nie, Wenjie; Lan, Yueheng

    2017-05-01

    Directed motion of mesoscopic systems in a non-equilibrium environment is of great interest to both scientists and engineers. Here, the translation and rotation of a Brownian motor is investigated under non-equilibrium conditions. An anomalous directed translation is found if the two heads of the Brownian motor are immersed in baths with different particle masses, which is hinted in the analytic computation and confirmed by the numerical simulation. Similar consideration is also used to find the directed movement in the single rotational and translational degree of freedom of the Brownian motor when residing in one thermal bath with a temperature gradient.

  4. Seasonal and inter-annual temperature variability in the bottom waters over the western Black Sea shelf

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    G. I. Shapiro

    2011-09-01

    Full Text Available Long-term changes in the state of the Bottom Shelf Water (BSW on the Western shelf of the Black Sea are assessed using analysis of intra-seasonal and inter-annual temperature variations. For the purpose of this study the BSW is defined as such shelf water mass between the seabed and the upper mixed layer (bounded by the σθ = 14.2 isopycnal which has limited ability to mix vertically with oxygen-rich surface waters during the warm season due to formation of a seasonal pycnocline. A long-term time series of temperature anomalies in the BSW is constructed from in-situ observations taken over the 2nd half of the 20th century. The BSW is shown to occupy nearly half of the shelf area during the summer stratification period (May–November.The results reveal a warm phase in the 1960s/70s, followed by a cold phase between 1985 and 1995 and a further warming after 1995. The transition between the warm and cold periods coincides with a regime shift in the Black Sea ecosystem. While it was confirmed that the memory of winter convection is well preserved over the following months in the deep sea, the signal of winter cooling in the BSW significantly reduces during the warm season. The potential of the BSW to ventilate horizontally during the warm season with the deep-sea waters is assessed using isopycnic analysis of temperature variations. It is shown that temperature in the BSW is stronger correlated with the temperature of Cold Intermediate Waters (CIW in the deep sea than with the severity of the previous winters, thus indicating that the isopycnal exchanges with the deep sea are more important for inter-annual/inter-decadal variability of the BSW on the western Black Sea shelf than effects of winter convection on the shelf itself.

  5. The influence of heat sink temperature on the seasonal efficiency of shallow geothermal heat pumps

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pełka, Grzegorz; Luboń, Wojciech; Sowiżdżał, Anna; Malik, Daniel

    2017-11-01

    Geothermal heat pumps, also known as ground source heat pumps (GSHP), are the most efficient heating and cooling technology utilized nowadays. In the AGH-UST Educational and Research Laboratory of Renewable Energy Sources and Energy Saving in Miękinia, shallow geothermal heat is utilized for heating. In the article, the seasonal efficiency of two geothermal heat pump systems are described during the 2014/2015 heating season, defined as the period between 1st October 2014 and 30th April 2015. The first system has 10.9 kW heating capacity (according to European Standard EN 14511 B0W35) and extracts heat from three vertical geothermal loops at a depth of 80m each. During the heating season, tests warmed up the buffer to 40°C. The second system has a 17.03 kW heating capacity and extracts heat from three vertical geothermal loops at a depth of 100 m each, and the temperature of the buffer was 50°C. During the entire heating season, the water temperatures of the buffers was constant. Seasonal performance factors were calculated, defined as the quotient of heat delivered by a heat pump to the system and the sum of electricity consumed by the compressor, source pump, sink pump and controller of heat pumps. The measurements and calculations give the following results: - The first system was supplied with 13 857 kWh/a of heat and consumed 3 388 kWh/a electricity. The SPF was 4.09 and the average temperature of outlet water from heat pump was 40.8°C, and the average temperature of brine flows into the evaporator was 3.7 °C; - The second system was supplied with 12 545 kWh/a of heat and consumed 3 874 kWh/a electricity. The SPF was 3.24 and the average temperature of outlet water from heat pump was 51.6°C, and the average temperature of brine flows into the evaporator was 5.3°C. To summarize, the data shown above presents the real SPF of the two systems. It will be significant in helping to predict the SPF of objects which will be equipped with ground source heat pumps.

  6. Nonlinear theory of trapped electron temperature gradient driven turbulence in flat density H-mode plasmas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hahm, T.S.

    1990-12-01

    Ion temperature gradient turbulence based transport models have difficulties reconciling the recent DIII-D H-mode results where the density profile is flat, but χ e > χ i in the core region. In this work, a nonlinear theory is developed for recently discovered ion temperature gradient trapped electron modes propagating in the electron diamagnetic direction. This instability is predicted to be linearly unstable for L Ti /R approx-lt κ θ ρ s approx-lt (L Ti /R) 1/4 . They are also found to be strongly dispersive even at these long wavelengths, thereby suggesting the importance of the wave-particle-wave interactions in the nonlinear saturation phase. The fluctuation spectrum and anomalous fluxes are calculated. In accordance with the trends observed in DIII-D, the predicted electron thermal diffusivity can be larger than the ion thermal diffusivity. 17 refs., 3 figs

  7. Complex terrain alters temperature and moisture limitations of forest soil respiration across a semiarid to subalpine gradient

    Science.gov (United States)

    Berryman, Erin Michele; Barnard, H.R.; Adams, H.R.; Burns, M.A.; Gallo, E.; Brooks, P.D.

    2015-01-01

    Forest soil respiration is a major carbon (C) flux that is characterized by significant variability in space and time. We quantified growing season soil respiration during both a drought year and a nondrought year across a complex landscape to identify how landscape and climate interact to control soil respiration. We asked the following questions: (1) How does soil respiration vary across the catchments due to terrain-induced variability in moisture availability and temperature? (2) Does the relative importance of moisture versus temperature limitation of respiration vary across space and time? And (3) what terrain elements are important for dictating the pattern of soil respiration and its controls? Moisture superseded temperature in explaining watershed respiration patterns, with wetter yet cooler areas higher up and on north facing slopes yielding greater soil respiration than lower and south facing areas. Wetter subalpine forests had reduced moisture limitation in favor of greater seasonal temperature limitation, and the reverse was true for low-elevation semiarid forests. Coincident climate poorly predicted soil respiration in the montane transition zone; however, antecedent precipitation from the prior 10 days provided additional explanatory power. A seasonal trend in respiration remained after accounting for microclimate effects, suggesting that local climate alone may not adequately predict seasonal variability in soil respiration in montane forests. Soil respiration climate controls were more strongly related to topography during the drought year highlighting the importance of landscape complexity in ecosystem response to drought.

  8. Observation of refraction and convergence of ion acoustic waves in a plasma with a temperature gradient

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nishida, Y.; Hirose, A.

    1977-01-01

    The refraction and convergence of ion acoustic waves are experimentally investigated in a magnetized plasma with an electron temperature gradient. When ion acoustic waves are launched parallel to the field lines the waves converge toward the interior of the plasma column where the electron temperature is lower, in good agreement with theoretical prediction. Wave interference is also observed. (author)

  9. Sub-seasonal temperature variability in the tropical upper troposphere and lower stratosphere observed with GPS radio occultation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scherllin-Pirscher, Barbara; Randel, William J.; Kim, Joowan

    2017-04-01

    We investigate sub-seasonal temperature variability in the tropical upper troposphere and lower stratosphere (UTLS) region using daily gridded fields of GPS radio occultation measurements. The unprecedented vertical resolution (from about 100 m in the troposphere to about 1.5 km in the stratosphere) and high accuracy and precision (0.7 K to 1 K between 8 km and 25 km) make these data ideal for characterizing temperature oscillations with short vertical wavelengths. Long-term behavior of sub-seasonal temperature variability is investigated using the entire RO record from January 2002 to December 2014 (13 years of data). Transient sub-seasonal waves including eastward-propagating Kelvin waves (isolated with space-time spectral analysis) dominate large-scale zonal temperature variability in the tropical tropopause region and in the lower stratosphere. Above 20 km, Kelvin waves are strongly modulated by the quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO). Enhanced wave activity can be found during the westerly shear phase of the QBO. In the tropical tropopause region, however, sub-seasonal waves are highly transient in time. Several peaks of Kelvin-wave activity coincide with short-term fluctuations in tropospheric deep convection, but other episodes are not evidently related. Also, there are no obvious relationships with zonal winds or stability fields near the tropical tropopause. Further investigations of convective forcing and atmospheric background conditions along the waves' trajectories are needed to better understand sub-seasonal temperature variability near the tropopause. For more details, see Scherllin-Pirscher, B., Randel, W. J., and Kim, J.: Tropical temperature variability and Kelvin-wave activity in the UTLS from GPS RO measurements, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 17, 793-806, doi:10.5194/acp-17-793-2017, 2017. http://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/17/793/2017/acp-17-793-2017.html

  10. Measurement of water vapour transport through a porous non-hygroscopic material in a temperature gradient

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, Thor; Padfield, Tim; Hansen, Kurt Kielsgaard

    2014-01-01

    This was an experiment to identify the driving potential for water vapour diffusion through porous materials in a temperature gradient. The specimen of mineral fibre insulation was placed between a space with controlled temperature and relative humidity and a space with a controlled, higher...... temperature, and a measured but not controlled relative humidity (RH). This assembly was allowed to reach equilibrium with no vapour movement between the spaces, as tested by a constant RH on each side and by zero flux of water vapour measured in the cold side chamber. The RH and temperature values were...

  11. Correlation between the season, temperature and atmospheric pressure with incidence and pathogenesis of acute appendicitis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Karanikolić, Aleksandar; Karanikolić, Vesna; Djordjević, Lidija; Pešić, Ivan

    2016-01-01

    There is very little literature data on the correlation between the seasons, temperature and atmospheric pressure, and pathogenesis of acute appendicitis (AA). The aim of this research is to investigate the association between the seasons, changes in atmospheric temperature and pressure, and patients’ age and severity of the clinical form of AA in the city of Niš This study included 395 patients diagnosed with AA, who, during the two-year period, from July 1st 2011 to June 30th 2013, were hospitalized and operated on at the Department of General Surgery, Clinical Center in Niš, Serbia. The increased average daily values of barometric pressure by 1 millibar on the day when the event took place was associated (p atmospheric temperature and pressure.

  12. Convective cells of internal gravity waves in the earth's atmosphere with finite temperature gradient

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    O. Onishchenko

    2013-03-01

    Full Text Available In this paper, we have investigated vortex structures (e.g. convective cells of internal gravity waves (IGWs in the earth's atmosphere with a finite vertical temperature gradient. A closed system of nonlinear equations for these waves and the condition for existence of solitary convective cells are obtained. In the atmosphere layers where the temperature decreases with height, the presence of IGW convective cells is shown. The typical parameters of such structures in the earth's atmosphere are discussed.

  13. Biodegradation of Toluene under seasonal and diurnal fluctuations of soil-water temperature

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Yadav, B.K.; Shrestha, S.R.; Hassanizadeh, S.M.

    2012-01-01

    An increasing interest in bioremediation of hydrocarbon polluted sites raises the question of the influence of seasonal and diurnal changes on soil-water temperature on biodegradation of BTEX, a widespread group of (sub)-surface contaminants. Therefore, we investigated the impact of a wide range of

  14. Effect of temperature gradient and crystallization rate on morphological peculiarities of cellular-dendrite structure in iron-nickel alloys

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kralina, A.A.; Vorontsov, V.B.

    1977-01-01

    Cellular and dendritic structure of Fe-Ni single crystals (31 and 45 wt%Ni) grown according to Bridgeman have been studied by metallography. Growth rates at which the crystallization frontier becomes unstable and splits into cells have been determined for three temperature gradients. The transition from cells to dendrites occurs gradually through the changes in the cells regular structure and formation of secondary and tertiary branches. The dependence of cell diameter and distance between dendrites on crystallization rate and temperature gradient are discussed in terms of the admixture substructures development according to the schedule: cells - cellular dendrites - dendrites

  15. Transition to Collisionless Ion-Temperature-Gradient-Driven Plasma Turbulence: A Dynamical Systems Approach

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kolesnikov, R.A.; Krommes, J.A.

    2005-01-01

    The transition to collisionless ion-temperature-gradient-driven plasma turbulence is considered by applying dynamical systems theory to a model with 10 degrees of freedom. The study of a four-dimensional center manifold predicts a 'Dimits shift' of the threshold for turbulence due to the excitation of zonal flows and establishes (for the model) the exact value of that shift

  16. Deposition of mercury in forests across a montane elevation gradient: Elevational and seasonal patterns in methylmercury inputs and production

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gerson, Jacqueline R.; Driscoll, Charles T.; Demers, Jason D.; Sauer, Amy K.; Blackwell, Bradley D.; Montesdeoca, Mario R.; Shanley, James B.; Ross, Donald S.

    2017-01-01

    Global mercury contamination largely results from direct primary atmospheric and secondary legacy emissions, which can be deposited to ecosystems, converted to methylmercury, and bioaccumulated along food chains. We examined organic horizon soil samples collected across an elevational gradient on Whiteface Mountain in the Adirondack region of New York State, USA to determine spatial patterns in methylmercury concentrations across a forested montane landscape. We found that soil methylmercury concentrations were highest in the midelevation coniferous zone (0.39 ± 0.07 ng/g) compared to the higher elevation alpine zone (0.28 ± 0.04 ng/g) and particularly the lower elevation deciduous zone (0.17 ± 0.02 ng/g), while the percent of total mercury as methylmercury in soils decreased with elevation. We also found a seasonal pattern in soil methylmercury concentrations, with peak methylmercury values occurring in July. Given elevational patterns in temperature and bioavailable total mercury (derived from mineralization of soil organic matter), soil methylmercury concentrations appear to be driven by soil processing of ionic Hg, as opposed to atmospheric deposition of methylmercury. These methylmercury results are consistent with spatial patterns of mercury concentrations in songbird species observed from other studies, suggesting that future declines in mercury emissions could be important for reducing exposure of mercury to montane avian species.

  17. Seasonal variations of indoor microbial exposures and their relation to temperature, relative humidity, and air exchange rate.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Frankel, Mika; Bekö, Gabriel; Timm, Michael; Gustavsen, Sine; Hansen, Erik Wind; Madsen, Anne Mette

    2012-12-01

    Indoor microbial exposure has been related to adverse pulmonary health effects. Exposure assessment is not standardized, and various factors may affect the measured exposure. The aim of this study was to investigate the seasonal variation of selected microbial exposures and their associations with temperature, relative humidity, and air exchange rates in Danish homes. Airborne inhalable dust was sampled in five Danish homes throughout the four seasons of 1 year (indoors, n = 127; outdoors, n = 37). Measurements included culturable fungi and bacteria, endotoxin, N-acetyl-beta-d-glucosaminidase, total inflammatory potential, particles (0.75 to 15 μm), temperature, relative humidity, and air exchange rates. Significant seasonal variation was found for all indoor microbial exposures, excluding endotoxin. Indoor fungi peaked in summer (median, 235 CFU/m(3)) and were lowest in winter (median, 26 CFU/m(3)). Indoor bacteria peaked in spring (median, 2,165 CFU/m(3)) and were lowest in summer (median, 240 CFU/m(3)). Concentrations of fungi were predominately higher outdoors than indoors, whereas bacteria, endotoxin, and inhalable dust concentrations were highest indoors. Bacteria and endotoxin correlated with the mass of inhalable dust and number of particles. Temperature and air exchange rates were positively associated with fungi and N-acetyl-beta-d-glucosaminidase and negatively with bacteria and the total inflammatory potential. Although temperature, relative humidity, and air exchange rates were significantly associated with several indoor microbial exposures, they could not fully explain the observed seasonal variations when tested in a mixed statistical model. In conclusion, the season significantly affects indoor microbial exposures, which are influenced by temperature, relative humidity, and air exchange rates.

  18. Seasonal and inter-annual temperature variability in the bottom waters over the Black Sea shelf

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shapiro, G. I.; Wobus, F.; Aleynik, D. L.

    2011-02-01

    Long-term changes in the state of the Bottom Shelf Water (BSW) on the Western shelf of the Black Sea are assessed using analysis of intra- and inter-annual variations of temperature as well as their relations to physical parameters of both shelf and deep-sea waters. First, large data sets of in-situ observations over the 20th century are compiled into high-resolution monthly climatology at different depth levels. Then, the temperature anomalies from the climatic mean are calculated and aggregated into spatial compartments and seasonal bins to reveal temporal evolution of the BSW. For the purpose of this study the BSW is defined as such shelf water body between the seabed and the upper mixed layer (bounded by the σθ = 14.2 isopycnal) which has limited ability to mix vertically with oxygen-rich surface waters during the warm season (May-November) due to the formation of a seasonal pycnocline. The effects of atmospheric processes at the surface on the BSW are hence suppressed as well as the action of the "biological pump". The vertical extent of the near- bottom waters is determined based on energy considerations and the structure of the seasonal pycnocline, whilst the horizontal extent is controlled by the shelf break, where strong along-slope currents hinder exchanges with the deep sea. The BSW is shown to occupy nearly half of the area of the shelf during the summer stratification period. The potential of the BSW to ventilate horizontally during the warm season with the deep-sea waters is assessed using isopycnic analysis of temperature variations. A long-term time series of temperature anomalies in the BSW is constructed from observations during the May-November period for the 2nd half of the 20th century. The results reveal a warm phase in the 1960s/70s, followed by cooling of the BSW during 1980-2001. The transition between the warm and cold periods coincides with a regime shift in the Black Sea ecosystem. While it was confirmed that the memory of winter

  19. Seasonal Canopy Temperatures for Normal and Okra Leaf Cotton under Variable Irrigation in the Field

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    James R. Mahan

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available Temperature affects a number of physiological factors in plants and is related to water use, yield and quality in many crop species. Seasonal canopy temperature, measured with infrared thermometers, is often used in conjunction with environmental factors (e.g., air temperature, humidity, solar radiation to assess crop stress and management actions in cotton. Normal and okra leaf shapes in cotton have been associated with differences in water use and canopy temperature. The okra leaf shape in cotton is generally expected to result in lower water use and lower canopy temperatures, relative to normal leaf, under water deficits. In this study canopy temperatures were monitored in okra and normal leaf varieties for a growing season at four irrigation levels. Differences in canopy temperature (<2 °C were measured between the two leaf shapes. As irrigation levels increased, canopy temperature differences between the leaf shapes declined. At the lowest irrigation level, when differences in sensible energy exchanges due to the okra leaf shape would be enhanced, the canopy temperature of the okra leaf was warmer than the normal leaf. This suggests that varietal differences that are not related to leaf shape may have more than compensated for leaf shape differences in the canopy temperature.

  20. Inferred effects of cloud deposition on forest floor nutrient cycling and microbial properties along a short elevation gradient

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lavoie, M.; Bradley, R.L.

    2003-01-01

    Higher cloud cover significantly decreases forest floor pH, decrease exchangeable cations, modifies mineral-N speciation and increases physiological stress within microbial communities. - Cloud water deposition often increases with elevation, and it is widely accepted that this cloud water increases acid loading to upland forest ecosystems. A study was undertaken in south-eastern Quebec to determine if a 250 m elevation gradient (i.e. 420-665 m), along a uniform sugar-maple stand on the slope of Mount Orford, corresponded to a pH gradient in the forest floor and to predictable changes in soil nutrient availability and microbial properties. Precipitation data from a nearby study, and a photographic survey, provided presumptive evidence that this elevation gradient corresponded to a strong gradient in cloud water deposition. Forest floor temperature did not differ significantly across elevations. Forest floor moisture content was significantly higher, whereas pH and exchangeable Ca and Mg were significantly lower, at the higher elevations. Average seasonal net nitrification rates, determined by long-term laboratory incubations, did not differ significantly across elevations, whereas average seasonal net ammonification rates were significantly higher at higher elevations. Basal respiration rates and microbial biomass did not differ significantly across elevations, but metabolic quotient was significantly higher at higher elevations indicating possible environmental stress on forest floor microbial communities due to cloud water deposition. Anaerobic N mineralisation rates were significantly higher at higher elevations suggesting that N-limited microbial communities frequently exposed to cloud cover can be important short-term sinks for atmospheric N, thereby contributing to increase the active-N fraction of forest floors. We conclude that, where no significant changes in vegetation or temperature occur, elevation gradients can still be used to understand the spatial

  1. Electron temperature gradient driven instability in the tokamak boundary plasma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xu, X.Q.; Rosenbluth, M.N.; Diamond, P.H.

    1992-01-01

    A general method is developed for calculating boundary plasma fluctuations across a magnetic separatrix in a tokamak with a divertor or a limiter. The slab model, which assumes a periodic plasma in the edge reaching the divertor or limiter plate in the scrape-off layer(SOL), should provide a good estimate, if the radial extent of the fluctuation quantities across the separatrix to the edge is small compared to that given by finite particle banana orbit. The Laplace transform is used for solving the initial value problem. The electron temperature gradient(ETG) driven instability is found to grow like t -1/2 e γmt

  2. Parametric studies and evaluations of indoor thermal environment in wet season using a field survey and PMV-PPD method

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wei, Shengxian [College of Physics and Electric Engineering, Qujing Normal University, Qujing 655011 (China); Key Laboratory of Advanced Technique and Preparation for Renewable Energy Materials, Ministry of Education, Yunnan Normal University, Kunming 650092 (China); Li, Ming [Key Laboratory of Advanced Technique and Preparation for Renewable Energy Materials, Ministry of Education, Yunnan Normal University, Kunming 650092 (China); Lin, Wenxian [Key Laboratory of Advanced Technique and Preparation for Renewable Energy Materials, Ministry of Education, Yunnan Normal University, Kunming 650092 (China); School of Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811 (Australia); Sun, Yanlin [College of Physics and Electric Engineering, Qujing Normal University, Qujing 655011 (China)

    2010-06-15

    Fanger's PMV-PPD is the most famous thermal sensation indices but it is too complex to be applied in practice. To obtain simple and applicable correlations, taking Qujing of Yunnan province, China, as example, a wet season (six-month) field measurement was conducted in a naturally ventilated residential room. Based on collected data, PMV indices were calculated by using Newton's iterative method. It is shown that the PMV values approximately vary from -1.0 to +1.0 and the indoor thermal environment is basically comfortable. Relationships of the parameters (indoor and outdoor air temperatures, mean radiant temperature, PMV and PPD) and indoor air temperature gradients (vertical and horizontal) were also studied by means of the linear regression and the quadratic polynomial fit techniques. Numerous correlations with high relativities have been developed. Moreover, the vertical and horizontal air temperature gradients range from 0.1 K/m to 0.85 K/m and from -0.208 K/m to 0.063 K/m in wet season. It is convenient to use these results to evaluate and assess the indoor thermal environment under similar climatic conditions. The results of this work enrich and develop the basic theory of the indoor thermal environment design and control. (author)

  3. Effect of electric field and temperature gradient on orientational dynamics of nematics encapsulated in a hallow cylindrical cavity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zakharov, A. V.; Maslennikov, P. V.

    2018-05-01

    We have considered a homogeneously oriented liquid crystal (HOLC) microvolume, confined between two infinitely long horizontal coaxial cylinders subjected to both a temperature gradient ∇T and a radially applied electric field E . We have investigated dynamic field pumping, i.e. studied the interactions between director, velocity, electric fields, as well as a radially applied temperature gradient, where the inner cylinder is kept at a lower temperature than the outer one. In order to elucidate the role of ∇T and E in producing hydrodynamic flow, we have carried out a numerical study of a system of hydrodynamic equations including director reorientation, fluid flow, and temperature redistribution across the HOLC cavity. Calculations show that, under the effect of the named perturbations and at high curvature of the inner cylinder, the HOLC microvolume settles down to a nonstandard pumping regime with maximum flow in the vicinity of the cooler inner cylinder.

  4. Temperature dependence of the electric field gradient in AgPd and AgPt alloys

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Krolas, K.

    1977-07-01

    The measurements of temperature dependence of the electric field gradient (EFG) on 111 Cd nuclei in AgPd and AgPt alloys were performed using the time dependent perturbed angular correlation method. The EFG caused by impurities distributed in further coordination shells decrease stronaer with increasing temperature than the EFG due to single impurity being the nearest neighbour of the probe atom. These results were explained assuming different modes of thermal vibrations of single impurity atoms and impurity complexes in silver host lattice. (author)

  5. Variation in size and growth of the great scallop Pecten maximus along a latitudinal gradient.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Laurent Chauvaud

    Full Text Available Understanding the relationship between growth and temperature will aid in the evaluation of thermal stress and threats to ectotherms in the context of anticipated climate changes. Most Pecten maximus scallops living at high latitudes in the northern hemisphere have a larger maximum body size than individuals further south, a common pattern among many ectotherms. We investigated differences in daily shell growth among scallop populations along the Northeast Atlantic coast from Spain to Norway. This study design allowed us to address precisely whether the asymptotic size observed along a latitudinal gradient, mainly defined by a temperature gradient, results from differences in annual or daily growth rates, or a difference in the length of the growing season. We found that low annual growth rates in northern populations are not due to low daily growth values, but to the smaller number of days available each year to achieve growth compared to the south. We documented a decrease in the annual number of growth days with age regardless of latitude. However, despite initially lower annual growth performances in terms of growing season length and growth rate, differences in asymptotic size as a function of latitude resulted from persistent annual growth performances in the north and sharp declines in the south. Our measurements of daily growth rates throughout life in a long-lived ectothermic species provide new insight into spatio-temporal variations in growth dynamics and growing season length that cannot be accounted for by classical growth models that only address asymptotic size and annual growth rate.

  6. Unified theory of ballooning instabilities and temperature gradient driven trapped ion modes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xu, X.Q.

    1990-08-01

    A unified theory of temperature gradient driven trapped ion modes and ballooning instabilities is developed using kinetic theory in banana regimes. All known results, such as electrostatic and purely magnetic trapped particle modes and ideal MHD ballooning modes (or shear Alfven waves) are readily derived from our single general dispersion relation. Several new results from ion-ion collision and trapped particle modification of ballooning modes are derived and discussed and the interrelationship between those modes is established. 24 refs

  7. Incorporating residual temperature and specific humidity in predicting weather-dependent warm-season electricity consumption

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guan, Huade; Beecham, Simon; Xu, Hanqiu; Ingleton, Greg

    2017-02-01

    Climate warming and increasing variability challenges the electricity supply in warm seasons. A good quantitative representation of the relationship between warm-season electricity consumption and weather condition provides necessary information for long-term electricity planning and short-term electricity management. In this study, an extended version of cooling degree days (ECDD) is proposed for better characterisation of this relationship. The ECDD includes temperature, residual temperature and specific humidity effects. The residual temperature is introduced for the first time to reflect the building thermal inertia effect on electricity consumption. The study is based on the electricity consumption data of four multiple-street city blocks and three office buildings. It is found that the residual temperature effect is about 20% of the current-day temperature effect at the block scale, and increases with a large variation at the building scale. Investigation of this residual temperature effect provides insight to the influence of building designs and structures on electricity consumption. The specific humidity effect appears to be more important at the building scale than at the block scale. A building with high energy performance does not necessarily have low specific humidity dependence. The new ECDD better reflects the weather dependence of electricity consumption than the conventional CDD method.

  8. Unmanned Aerial System Aids Dry-season Stream Temperature Sensing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chung, M.; Detweiler, C.; Higgins, J.; Ore, J. P.; Dralle, D.; Thompson, S. E.

    2016-12-01

    In freshwater ecosystems, temperature affects biogeochemistry and ecology, and is thus a primary physical determinant of habitat quality. Measuring temperatures in spatially heterogeneous water bodies poses a serious challenge to researchers due to constraints associated with currently available methods: in situ loggers record temporally continuous temperature measurements but are limited to discrete spatial locations, while distributed temperature and remote sensing provide fine-resolution spatial measurements that are restricted to only two-dimensions (i.e. streambed and surface, respectively). Using a commercially available quadcopter equipped with a 6m cable and temperature-pressure sensor system, we measured stream temperatures at two confluences at the South Fork Eel River, where cold water inputs from the tributary to the mainstem create thermal refugia for juvenile salmonids during the dry season. As a mobile sensing platform, unmanned aerial systems (UAS) can facilitate quick and repeated sampling with minimal disturbance to the ecosystem, and their datasets can be interpolated to create a three-dimensional thermal map of a water body. The UAS-derived data was compared to data from in situ data loggers to evaluate whether the UAS is better able to capture fine-scale temperature dynamics at each confluence. The UAS has inherent limitations defined by battery life and flight times, as well as operational constraints related to maneuverability under wind and streamflow conditions. However, the platform is able to serve as an additional field tool for researchers to capture complex thermal structures in water bodies.

  9. Seasonal variability in Arctic temperatures during the early Eocene

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eberle, J. J.; Fricke, H. C.; Humphrey, J.; Hackett, L.; Newbrey, M.; Hutchison, H.

    2009-12-01

    As a deep time analog for today’s rapidly warming Arctic region, early Eocene (~53 Ma) rocks on Ellesmere Island, Arctic Canada (~79° N.) preserve evidence of lush swamp forests inhabited by turtles, alligators, primates, tapirs, and hippo-like Coryphodon. Although the rich flora and fauna of the early Eocene Arctic imply warmer, wetter conditions that at present, quantitative estimates of Eocene Arctic climate are rare. By analyzing oxygen isotope ratios of biogenic phosphate from mammal, fish, and turtle fossils from a single locality on central Ellesmere Island, we provide estimates of early Eocene Arctic temperature, including mean annual temperature (MAT) of ~ 8° C, mean annual range in temperature (MART) of ~ 16.5° C, warm month mean temperature (WMMT) of 16 - 19° C, and cold month mean temperature (CMMT) of 0 - 1° C. Our seasonal range in temperature is similar to the range in estimated MAT obtained using different proxies. In particular, unusually high estimates of early Eocene Arctic MAT and sea surface temperature (SST) by others that are based upon the distribution of branched glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraether (GDGT) membrane lipids in terrestrial soil bacteria and marine Crenarchaeota fall within our range of WMMT, suggesting a bias towards summer values. Consequently, caution should be taken when using these methods to infer MAT and SST that, in turn, are used to constrain climate models. From a paleontologic perspective, our temperature estimates verify that alligators and tortoises, by way of nearest living relative-based climatic inference, are viable paleoclimate proxies for mild, above-freezing year-round temperatures. Although in both of these reptiles, past temperature tolerances were greater than in their living descendants.

  10. An optimized resistor pattern for temperature gradient control in microfluidics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Selva, Bertrand; Marchalot, Julien; Jullien, Marie-Caroline

    2009-06-01

    In this paper, we demonstrate the possibility of generating high-temperature gradients with a linear temperature profile when heating is provided in situ. Thanks to improved optimization algorithms, the shape of resistors, which constitute the heating source, is optimized by applying the genetic algorithm NSGA-II (acronym for the non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm) (Deb et al 2002 IEEE Trans. Evol. Comput. 6 2). Experimental validation of the linear temperature profile within the cavity is carried out using a thermally sensitive fluorophore, called Rhodamine B (Ross et al 2001 Anal. Chem. 73 4117-23, Erickson et al 2003 Lab Chip 3 141-9). The high level of agreement obtained between experimental and numerical results serves to validate the accuracy of this method for generating highly controlled temperature profiles. In the field of actuation, such a device is of potential interest since it allows for controlling bubbles or droplets moving by means of thermocapillary effects (Baroud et al 2007 Phys. Rev. E 75 046302). Digital microfluidics is a critical area in the field of microfluidics (Dreyfus et al 2003 Phys. Rev. Lett. 90 14) as well as in the so-called lab-on-a-chip technology. Through an example, the large application potential of such a technique is demonstrated, which entails handling a single bubble driven along a cavity using simple and tunable embedded resistors.

  11. An optimized resistor pattern for temperature gradient control in microfluidics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Selva, Bertrand; Marchalot, Julien; Jullien, Marie-Caroline

    2009-01-01

    In this paper, we demonstrate the possibility of generating high-temperature gradients with a linear temperature profile when heating is provided in situ. Thanks to improved optimization algorithms, the shape of resistors, which constitute the heating source, is optimized by applying the genetic algorithm NSGA-II (acronym for the non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm) (Deb et al 2002 IEEE Trans. Evol. Comput. 6 2). Experimental validation of the linear temperature profile within the cavity is carried out using a thermally sensitive fluorophore, called Rhodamine B (Ross et al 2001 Anal. Chem. 73 4117–23, Erickson et al 2003 Lab Chip 3 141–9). The high level of agreement obtained between experimental and numerical results serves to validate the accuracy of this method for generating highly controlled temperature profiles. In the field of actuation, such a device is of potential interest since it allows for controlling bubbles or droplets moving by means of thermocapillary effects (Baroud et al 2007 Phys. Rev. E 75 046302). Digital microfluidics is a critical area in the field of microfluidics (Dreyfus et al 2003 Phys. Rev. Lett. 90 14) as well as in the so-called lab-on-a-chip technology. Through an example, the large application potential of such a technique is demonstrated, which entails handling a single bubble driven along a cavity using simple and tunable embedded resistors

  12. Investigation on multilayer failure mechanism of RPV with a high temperature gradient from core meltdown scenario

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jianfeng, Mao, E-mail: jianfeng-mao@163.com [Institute of Process Equipment and Control Engineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310032 (China); Engineering Research Center of Process Equipment and Remanufacturing, Ministry of Education (China); Xiangqing, Li [Institute of Process Equipment and Control Engineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310032 (China); Shiyi, Bao, E-mail: bsy@zjut.edu.cn [Institute of Process Equipment and Control Engineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310032 (China); Engineering Research Center of Process Equipment and Remanufacturing, Ministry of Education (China); Lijia, Luo [Institute of Process Equipment and Control Engineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310032 (China); Zengliang, Gao [Institute of Process Equipment and Control Engineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310032 (China); Engineering Research Center of Process Equipment and Remanufacturing, Ministry of Education (China)

    2016-12-15

    Highlights: • The multilayer failure mechanism is investigated for RPV under CHF. • Failure time and location of RPV are predicted under various SA scenarios. • The structural behaviors are analyzed in depth for creep and plasticity. • The effect of internal pressure and temperature gradient is considered. • The structural integrity of RPV is secured within the required 72 creep hours. - Abstract: The Fukushima accident shows that in-vessel retention (IVR) of molten core debris has not been appropriately assessed, and a certain pressure (up to 8.0 MPa) still exists inside the reactor pressure vessel (RPV). In the traditional concept of IVR, the pressure is supposed to successfully be released, and the temperature distributed among the wall thickness is assumed to be uniform. However, this concept is seriously challenged by reality of Fukushima accident with regard to the existence of both internal pressure and high temperature gradient. Therefore, in order to make the IVR mitigation strategy succeed, the numerical investigation of the lower head behavior and its failure has been performed for several internal pressures under high temperature gradient. According to some requirements in severe accident (SA) management of RPV, it should be ensured that the IVR mitigation takes effect in preventing the failure of the structure within a period of 72 h. Subsequently, the failure time and location have to be predicted under the critical heat flux (CHF) loading condition for lower head, since the CHF is limit thermal boundary before the melt-through of RPV. In illustrating the so called ‘multilayer failure mechanism’, the structural behaviors of RPV are analyzed in terms of the stress, creep strain, deformation, damage on selected paths.

  13. Directional solidification of C8-BTBT films induced by temperature gradients and its application for transistors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fujieda, Ichiro; Iizuka, Naoki; Onishi, Yosuke

    2015-03-01

    Because charge transport in a single crystal is anisotropic in nature, directional growth of single crystals would enhance device performance and reduce its variation among devices. For an organic thin film, a method based on a temperature gradient would offer advantages in throughput and cleanliness. In experiments, a temperature gradient was established in a spin-coated film of 2,7-dioctyl [1]benzothieno[3,2-b]benzothiophene (C8-BTBT) by two methods. First, a sample was placed on a metal plate bridging two heat stages. When one of the heat stages was cooled, the material started to solidify from the colder region. The melt-solid interface proceeded along the temperature gradient. Cracks were formed perpendicular to the solidification direction. Second, a line-shaped region on the film was continuously exposed to the light from a halogen lamp. After the heat stage was cooled, cracks similar to the first experiment were observed, indicating that the melt-solid interface moved laterally. We fabricated top-contact, bottom-gate transistors with these films. Despite the cracks, field-effect mobility of the transistors fabricated with these films was close to 6 cm2 /Vs and 4 cm2 /Vs in the first and second experiment, respectively. Elimination of cracks would improve charge transport and reduce performance variation among devices. It should be noted that the intense light from the halogen lamp did not damage the C8-BTBT films. The vast knowledge on laser annealing is now available for directional growth of this type of materials. The associated cost would be much smaller because an organic thin film melts at a low temperature.

  14. Investigation on multilayer failure mechanism of RPV with a high temperature gradient from core meltdown scenario

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jianfeng, Mao; Xiangqing, Li; Shiyi, Bao; Lijia, Luo; Zengliang, Gao

    2016-01-01

    Highlights: • The multilayer failure mechanism is investigated for RPV under CHF. • Failure time and location of RPV are predicted under various SA scenarios. • The structural behaviors are analyzed in depth for creep and plasticity. • The effect of internal pressure and temperature gradient is considered. • The structural integrity of RPV is secured within the required 72 creep hours. - Abstract: The Fukushima accident shows that in-vessel retention (IVR) of molten core debris has not been appropriately assessed, and a certain pressure (up to 8.0 MPa) still exists inside the reactor pressure vessel (RPV). In the traditional concept of IVR, the pressure is supposed to successfully be released, and the temperature distributed among the wall thickness is assumed to be uniform. However, this concept is seriously challenged by reality of Fukushima accident with regard to the existence of both internal pressure and high temperature gradient. Therefore, in order to make the IVR mitigation strategy succeed, the numerical investigation of the lower head behavior and its failure has been performed for several internal pressures under high temperature gradient. According to some requirements in severe accident (SA) management of RPV, it should be ensured that the IVR mitigation takes effect in preventing the failure of the structure within a period of 72 h. Subsequently, the failure time and location have to be predicted under the critical heat flux (CHF) loading condition for lower head, since the CHF is limit thermal boundary before the melt-through of RPV. In illustrating the so called ‘multilayer failure mechanism’, the structural behaviors of RPV are analyzed in terms of the stress, creep strain, deformation, damage on selected paths.

  15. The prediction of surface temperature in the new seasonal prediction system based on the MPI-ESM coupled climate model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baehr, J.; Fröhlich, K.; Botzet, M.; Domeisen, D. I. V.; Kornblueh, L.; Notz, D.; Piontek, R.; Pohlmann, H.; Tietsche, S.; Müller, W. A.

    2015-05-01

    A seasonal forecast system is presented, based on the global coupled climate model MPI-ESM as used for CMIP5 simulations. We describe the initialisation of the system and analyse its predictive skill for surface temperature. The presented system is initialised in the atmospheric, oceanic, and sea ice component of the model from reanalysis/observations with full field nudging in all three components. For the initialisation of the ensemble, bred vectors with a vertically varying norm are implemented in the ocean component to generate initial perturbations. In a set of ensemble hindcast simulations, starting each May and November between 1982 and 2010, we analyse the predictive skill. Bias-corrected ensemble forecasts for each start date reproduce the observed surface temperature anomalies at 2-4 months lead time, particularly in the tropics. Niño3.4 sea surface temperature anomalies show a small root-mean-square error and predictive skill up to 6 months. Away from the tropics, predictive skill is mostly limited to the ocean, and to regions which are strongly influenced by ENSO teleconnections. In summary, the presented seasonal prediction system based on a coupled climate model shows predictive skill for surface temperature at seasonal time scales comparable to other seasonal prediction systems using different underlying models and initialisation strategies. As the same model underlying our seasonal prediction system—with a different initialisation—is presently also used for decadal predictions, this is an important step towards seamless seasonal-to-decadal climate predictions.

  16. Controls on seasonal patterns of maximum ecosystem carbon uptake and canopy-scale photosynthetic light response: contributions from both temperature and photoperiod.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stoy, Paul C; Trowbridge, Amy M; Bauerle, William L

    2014-02-01

    Most models of photosynthetic activity assume that temperature is the dominant control over physiological processes. Recent studies have found, however, that photoperiod is a better descriptor than temperature of the seasonal variability of photosynthetic physiology at the leaf scale. Incorporating photoperiodic control into global models consequently improves their representation of the seasonality and magnitude of atmospheric CO2 concentration. The role of photoperiod versus that of temperature in controlling the seasonal variability of photosynthetic function at the canopy scale remains unexplored. We quantified the seasonal variability of ecosystem-level light response curves using nearly 400 site years of eddy covariance data from over eighty Free Fair-Use sites in the FLUXNET database. Model parameters describing maximum canopy CO2 uptake and the initial slope of the light response curve peaked after peak temperature in about 2/3 of site years examined, emphasizing the important role of temperature in controlling seasonal photosynthetic function. Akaike's Information Criterion analyses indicated that photoperiod should be included in models of seasonal parameter variability in over 90% of the site years investigated here, demonstrating that photoperiod also plays an important role in controlling seasonal photosynthetic function. We also performed a Granger causality analysis on both gross ecosystem productivity (GEP) and GEP normalized by photosynthetic photon flux density (GEP n ). While photoperiod Granger-caused GEP and GEP n in 99 and 92% of all site years, respectively, air temperature Granger-caused GEP in a mere 32% of site years but Granger-caused GEP n in 81% of all site years. Results demonstrate that incorporating photoperiod may be a logical step toward improving models of ecosystem carbon uptake, but not at the expense of including enzyme kinetic-based temperature constraints on canopy-scale photosynthesis.

  17. Advanced-fueled fusion reactors suitable for direct energy conversion. Project note: temperature-gradient enhancement of electrical fields in insulators

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Blum, A.S.; Mancebo, L.

    1976-01-01

    Direct energy converters for use on controlled fusion reactors utilize electrodes operated at elevated voltages and temperatures. The insulating elements that position these electrodes must support large voltages and under some circumstances large thermal gradients. It is shown that even modest thermal gradients can cause major alterations of the electric-field distribution within the insulating element

  18. Seasonal temperatures have more influence than nitrogen fertilizer rates on cucumber yield and nitrogen uptake in a double cropping system

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Guo Ruiying; Li Xiaolin [College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University, No. 2 Yuanmingyuan Xilu, Haidian District, Beijing 100094 (China); Christie, Peter [College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University, No. 2 Yuanmingyuan Xilu, Haidian District, Beijing 100094 (China); Agricultural and Environmental Science Department, Queen' s University Belfast, Belfast BT9 5PX (United Kingdom); Chen Qing [College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University, No. 2 Yuanmingyuan Xilu, Haidian District, Beijing 100094 (China)], E-mail: qchen@cau.edu.cn; Zhang Fusuo [College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University, No. 2 Yuanmingyuan Xilu, Haidian District, Beijing 100094 (China)

    2008-02-15

    Two-year greenhouse cucumber experiments were conducted to investigate seasonal effects on fruit yield, dry matter allocation, and N uptake in a double-cropping system with different fertilizer management. Seasonal effects were much greater than fertilizer effects, and winter-spring (WS) cucumber attained higher fruit yields and N uptake than autumn-winter (AW) cucumber due to lower cumulative air temperatures during fruit maturation in the AW season. Fertilizer N application and apparent N loss under recommended N management (Nmr) decreased by 40-78% and 33-48% without yield loss compared to conventional N management (Nmt) over four growing seasons. However, there were no seasonal differences in N recommendations, taking into consideration seasonal differences in crop N demand, critical nutrient supply in the root zone and N mineralization rate. - Nitrogen inputs can be reduced to minimize N losses to the environment while maintaining yields but N recommendations must reflect seasonal temperature effects.

  19. Seasonal temperatures have more influence than nitrogen fertilizer rates on cucumber yield and nitrogen uptake in a double cropping system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Guo Ruiying; Li Xiaolin; Christie, Peter; Chen Qing; Zhang Fusuo

    2008-01-01

    Two-year greenhouse cucumber experiments were conducted to investigate seasonal effects on fruit yield, dry matter allocation, and N uptake in a double-cropping system with different fertilizer management. Seasonal effects were much greater than fertilizer effects, and winter-spring (WS) cucumber attained higher fruit yields and N uptake than autumn-winter (AW) cucumber due to lower cumulative air temperatures during fruit maturation in the AW season. Fertilizer N application and apparent N loss under recommended N management (Nmr) decreased by 40-78% and 33-48% without yield loss compared to conventional N management (Nmt) over four growing seasons. However, there were no seasonal differences in N recommendations, taking into consideration seasonal differences in crop N demand, critical nutrient supply in the root zone and N mineralization rate. - Nitrogen inputs can be reduced to minimize N losses to the environment while maintaining yields but N recommendations must reflect seasonal temperature effects

  20. Low temperature magnetic behaviour of glass-covered magnetic microwires with gradient nanocrystalline microstructure

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Serrano, I. G.; Hernando, A.; Marín, P. [Instituto de Magnetismo Aplicado, UCM-ADIF-CSIC, P.O. Box 155 las Rozas, Madrid 28230 (Spain)

    2014-01-21

    Slow nanocrystallization driving dynamics can be affected by the combination of two factors: sample residual stresses and sample geometry. This effect is evidenced at the initial stages of nanocrystallization of amorphous CoFeSiBCuNb magnetic microwires. Transmission electron microscopy observations indicate how crystallization at temperatures between 730 and 780 K results in a graded microstructure where the crystallization at the surface skin of the microwire, which remains almost amorphous, differs from that of the middle, where elongated grains are observed, and inner regions. However, samples annealed at higher temperatures present a homogeneous microstructure. The effect of gradient microstructure on magnetic properties has been also analyzed and a loss of bistable magnetic behaviour at low temperatures, from that obtained in the amorphous and fully nanocrystallized sample, has been observed and ascribed to changes in sign of magnetostriction for measuring temperatures below 100 K.

  1. Temperature and seasonality influences on Spanish electricity load

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pardo, Angel; Meneu, Vicente; Valor, Enric

    2002-01-01

    Deregulation of the Spanish electricity market in 1998 and the possible listing of electricity or weather derivative contracts have encouraged the study of the relationship between electricity demand and weather in Spain. In this paper, a transfer function intervention model is developed for forecasting daily electricity load from cooling and heating degree-days. The influence of weather and seasonality is proved, and is significant even when the autoregressive effects and the dynamic specification of the temperature are taken into account. The estimated general model shows a high predictive power. The results and information presented in this paper could be of interest for current users and potential traders in the deregulated Spanish electricity market

  2. Temperature and seasonality influences on Spanish electricity load

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pardo, Angel; Meneu, Vicente [Departamento de Economia Financiera y Matematica, Facultad de Economia, Avda. de los Naranjos s/n., Edificio Departamental Oriental, Universidad de Valencia, 46022 Valencia (Spain); Valor, Enric [Departamento de Termodinamica, Universidad de Valencia, 46100 Burjassot, Valencia (Spain)

    2002-01-01

    Deregulation of the Spanish electricity market in 1998 and the possible listing of electricity or weather derivative contracts have encouraged the study of the relationship between electricity demand and weather in Spain. In this paper, a transfer function intervention model is developed for forecasting daily electricity load from cooling and heating degree-days. The influence of weather and seasonality is proved, and is significant even when the autoregressive effects and the dynamic specification of the temperature are taken into account. The estimated general model shows a high predictive power. The results and information presented in this paper could be of interest for current users and potential traders in the deregulated Spanish electricity market.

  3. Coastal upwelling seasonality and variability of temperature and chlorophyll in a small coastal embayment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Walter, Ryan K.; Armenta, Kevin J.; Shearer, Brandon; Robbins, Ian; Steinbeck, John

    2018-02-01

    While the seasonality of wind-driven coastal upwelling in eastern boundary upwelling systems has long been established, many studies describe two distinct seasons (upwelling and non-upwelling), a generalized framework that does not capture details relevant to marine ecosystems. In this contribution, we present a more detailed description of the annual cycle and upwelling seasonality for an understudied location along the central California coast. Using both the mean monthly upwelling favorable wind stress and the monthly standard deviation, we define the following seasons (contiguous months) and a transitional period (non-contiguous months): "Winter Storms" season (Dec-Jan-Feb), "Upwelling Transition" period (Mar and Jun), "Peak Upwelling" season (Apr-May), "Upwelling Relaxation" season (Jul-Aug-Sep), and "Winter Transition" season (Oct-Nov). In order to describe the oceanic response to this upwelling wind seasonality, we take advantage of nearly a decade of full water-column measurements of temperature and chlorophyll made using an automated profiling system at the end of the California Polytechnic State University Pier in San Luis Obispo Bay, a small ( 2 km wide near study site) and shallow ( 10 m average bay depth) coastal embayment. Variability and average-year patterns are described inside the bay during the various upwelling seasons. Moreover, the role of the local coastline orientation and topography on bay dynamics is also assessed using long-term measurements collected outside of the bay. The formation of a seasonally variable upwelling shadow system and potential nearshore retention zone is discussed. The observations presented provide a framework on which to study interannual changes to the average-year seasonal cycle, assess the contribution of higher-frequency features to nearshore variability, and better predict dynamically and ecologically important events.

  4. Contact angle hysteresis and motion behaviors of a water nano-droplet on suspended graphene under temperature gradient

    Science.gov (United States)

    Foroutan, Masumeh; Fatemi, S. Mahmood; Esmaeilian, Farshad; Fadaei Naeini, Vahid; Baniassadi, Majid

    2018-05-01

    In the present work, the effect of temperature gradient on the behavior of a water nano-droplet resting on a suspended graphene was studied based on a non-equilibrium molecular dynamics simulation. The acquired results indicate that the applied temperature gradient to the suspended graphene drives the water nano-droplet to the colder region. The droplet accelerates its motion toward the cold reservoir as the temperature gradient is increased. In addition to the translational motion of the nano-droplet, the vortical motion of the water molecules was also observed. Contact angle analysis was also utilized to describe the directional motion of the nano-droplet. The translational motion of the droplet leads to the estimation of contact angle hysteresis through advancing and receding contact angles while the rotational motion resulted in the advancing and receding fronts being switched with one another through the simulation. The average displacement vector of the water molecules shows that parts of the droplet seem to stagnate while other parts rotate around them. The reason behind this particular behavior was studied based on interaction energy contours between a water molecule and the suspended graphene. The obtained data indicate that the rotational motion is in agreement with the migration of the water molecules to low interaction energy regions in order to avoid high interaction energy areas.

  5. On the physics of the pressure and temperature gradients in the edge of tokamak plasmas

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stacey, Weston M.

    2018-04-01

    An extended plasma fluid theory including atomic physics, radiation, electromagnetic and themodynamic forces, external sources of particles, momentum and energy, and kinetic ion orbit loss is employed to derive theoretical expressions that display the role of the various factors involved in the determination of the pressure and temperature gradients in the edge of tokamak plasmas. Calculations for current experiments are presented to illustrate the magnitudes of various effects including strong radiative and atomic physics edge cooling effects and strong reduction in ion particle and energy fluxes due to ion orbit loss in the plasma edge. An important new insight is the strong relation between rotation and the edge pressure gradient.

  6. Sex, season, and time of day interact to affect body temperatures of the Giant Gartersnake

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wylie, G.D.; Casazza, Michael L.; Halstead, B.J.; Gregory, C.J.

    2009-01-01

    1.We examined multiple hypotheses regarding differences in body temperatures of the Giant Gartersnake using temperature-sensitive radio telemetry and an information-theoretic analytical approach.2.Giant Gartersnakes selected body temperatures near 30 ??C, and males and females had similar body temperatures most of the year, except during the midsummer gestation period.3.Seasonal differences in the body temperatures of males and females may relate to both the costs associated with thermoregulatory behavior, such as predation, and the benefits associated with maintaining optimal body temperatures, such as successful incubation.

  7. Dependence of trapped-flux-induced surface resistance of a large-grain Nb superconducting radio-frequency cavity on spatial temperature gradient during cooldown through Tc

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Shichun; Kubo, Takayuki; Geng, R. L.

    2016-08-01

    Recent studies by Romanenko et al. revealed that cooling down a superconducting cavity under a large spatial temperature gradient decreases the amount of trapped flux and leads to reduction of the residual surface resistance. In the present paper, the flux expulsion ratio and the trapped-flux-induced surface resistance of a large-grain cavity cooled down under a spatial temperature gradient up to 80 K /m are studied under various applied magnetic fields from 5 to 20 μ T . We show the flux expulsion ratio improves as the spatial temperature gradient increases, independent of the applied magnetic field: our results support and enforce the previous studies. We then analyze all rf measurement results obtained under different applied magnetic fields together by plotting the trapped-flux-induced surface resistance normalized by the applied magnetic field as a function of the spatial temperature gradient. All the data can be fitted by a single curve, which defines an empirical formula for the trapped-flux-induced surface resistance as a function of the spatial temperature gradient and applied magnetic field. The formula can fit not only the present results but also those obtained by Romanenko et al. previously. The sensitivity rfl of surface resistance from trapped magnetic flux of fine-grain and large-grain niobium cavities and the origin of d T /d s dependence of Rfl/Ba are also discussed.

  8. Critical temperature gradient and critical current density in thin films of a type I superconductor

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Heubener, R P

    1968-12-16

    Measurements of the critical temperature gradient and the critical current density in superconducting lead films in a transverse magnetic field indicate that the critical current flows predominantly along the surface of the films and that the critical surface currents contribute only very little to the Lorentz force on a fluxoid.

  9. Seasonal and elevational contrasts in temperature trends in Central Chile between 1979 and 2015

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burger, F.; Brock, B.; Montecinos, A.

    2018-03-01

    We analyze trends in temperature from 18 temperature stations and one upper air sounding site at 30°-35° S in central Chile between 1979-2015, to explore geographical and season temperature trends and their controls, using regional ocean-atmosphere indices. Significant warming trends are widespread at inland stations, while trends are non-significant or negative at coastal sites, as found in previous studies. However, ubiquitous warming across the region in the past 8 years, suggests the recent period of coastal cooling has ended. Significant warming trends are largely restricted to austral spring, summer and autumn seasons, with very few significant positive or negative trends in winter identified. Autumn warming is notably strong in the Andes, which, together with significant warming in spring, could help to explain the negative mass balance of snow and glaciers in the region. A strong Pacific maritime influence on regional temperature trends is inferred through correlation with the Interdecadal Pacific Oscillation (IPO) index and coastal sea surface temperature, but the strength of this influence rapidly diminishes inland, and the majority of valley, and all Andes, sites are independent of the IPO index. Instead, valley and Andes sites, and mid-troposphere temperature in the coastal radiosonde profile, show correlation with the autumn Antarctic Oscillation which, in its current positive phase, promotes subsidence and warming at the latitude of central Chile.

  10. Dual temperature effects on oxygen isotopic ratio of shallow-water coral skeleton: Consequences on seasonal and interannual records

    Science.gov (United States)

    Juillet-Leclerc, A.; Reynaud, S.

    2009-04-01

    Oxygen isotopic ratio from coral skeleton is regarded for a long time as promising climate archives at seasonal scale. Although in isotopic disequilibrium relative to seawater, it is supposed to obey to the isotope thermometer. Indeed, coral oxygen isotopic records are strongly temperature dependent, but d18O-temperature calibrations derived from different corals are highly variable. The isotope thermometer assumption does not take into account vital effects due to biogenic origin of the mineral. Corals are animals living in symbiosis with algae (zooxanthellae). Interactions between symbiont photosynthesis and coral skeleton carbonation have been abundantly observed but they remain poorly understood and the effects of photosynthesis on coral growth and skeleton oxygen ratio are ignored. Coral cultured under two light conditions enabled to relate metabolic parameters and oxygen isotopic variability with photosynthetic activity. By examining responses provided by each colony they revealed that photosynthesis significantly affected d18O, by an opposite sense compared with the sole temperature influence. Since temperature and light changes are associated during seasonal variations, this complicates the interpretation of seasonal record. Additionally, this complexity is amplified because photosynthetic activity is also directly impacted by temperature variability. Thus, the annual isotopic amplitude due to the "physical" temperature influence is partly compensated through photosynthesis. Similar opposite effect is also shown by extension rate of the cultured colonies. First, we will examine and quantify consequences of photosynthesis on growth rate and oxygen isotopic signature, from cultured corals. Second, we will consider the consequences of this vital effect on data series, at seasonal and interannual time scales.

  11. Root Zone Cooling and Exogenous Spermidine Root-Pretreatment Promoting Lactuca sativa L. Growth and Photosynthesis in the High-Temperature Season

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jin eSun

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available Root zone high-temperature stress is a major factor limiting hydroponic plant growth during the high-temperature season. The effects of root zone cooling (RZC; at 25°C and exogenous spermidine (Spd root-pretreatment (SRP, 0.1 mM on growth, leaf photosynthetic traits, and chlorophyll fluorescence characteristics of hydroponic Lactuca sativa L. grown in a high-temperature season (average temperature > 30°C were examined. Both treatments significantly promoted plant growth and photosynthesis in the high-temperature season, but the mechanisms of photosynthesis improvement in the hydroponic grown lettuce plants were different between the RZC and SRP treatments. The former improved plant photosynthesis by increasing stoma conductance (Gs to enhance CO2 supply, thus promoting photosynthetic electron transport activity and phosphorylation, which improved the level of the photochemical efficiency of photosystem II (PSII, rather than enhancing CO2 assimilation efficiency. The latter improved plant photosynthesis by enhancing CO2 assimilation efficiency, rather than stomatal regulation. Combination of RZC and SRP significantly improved PN of lettuce plants in a high-temperature season by both improvement of Gs to enhance CO2 supply and enhancement of CO2 assimilation. The enhancement of photosynthetic efficiency in both treatments was independent of altering light-harvesting or excessive energy dissipation.

  12. Root Zone Cooling and Exogenous Spermidine Root-Pretreatment Promoting Lactuca sativa L. Growth and Photosynthesis in the High-temperature Season.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Jin; Lu, Na; Xu, Hongjia; Maruo, Toru; Guo, Shirong

    2016-01-01

    Root zone high-temperature stress is a major factor limiting hydroponic plant growth during the high-temperature season. The effects of root zone cooling (RZC; at 25°C) and exogenous spermidine (Spd) root-pretreatment (SRP, 0.1 mM) on growth, leaf photosynthetic traits, and chlorophyll fluorescence characteristics of hydroponic Lactuca sativa L. grown in a high-temperature season (average temperature > 30°C) were examined. Both treatments significantly promoted plant growth and photosynthesis in the high-temperature season, but the mechanisms of photosynthesis improvement in the hydroponic grown lettuce plants were different between the RZC and SRP treatments. The former improved plant photosynthesis by increasing stoma conductance (G s) to enhance CO2 supply, thus promoting photosynthetic electron transport activity and phosphorylation, which improved the level of the photochemical efficiency of photosystem II (PSII), rather than enhancing CO2 assimilation efficiency. The latter improved plant photosynthesis by enhancing CO2 assimilation efficiency, rather than stomatal regulation. Combination of RZC and SRP significantly improved P N of lettuce plants in a high-temperature season by both improvement of G s to enhance CO2 supply and enhancement of CO2 assimilation. The enhancement of photosynthetic efficiency in both treatments was independent of altering light-harvesting or excessive energy dissipation.

  13. Relation between 1m depth temperature and average geothermal gradient at 75cm depth in geothermal fields

    OpenAIRE

    江原, 幸雄

    2009-01-01

    Shallow ground temperatures such as 1m depth temperature have been measured to delineate thermal anomalies of geothermal fields and also to estimate heat discharge rates from geothermal fields. As a result, a close linear relation between 1m depth temperature and average geothermal gradient at 75cm depth has been recognized in many geothermal fields and was used to estimate conductive heat discharge rates. However, such a linear relation may show that the shallow thermal regime in geothermal ...

  14. Scaling of spectra in grid turbulence with a mean cross-stream temperature gradient

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bahri, Carla; Arwatz, Gilad; Mueller, Michael E.; George, William K.; Hultmark, Marcus

    2014-11-01

    Scaling of grid turbulence with a constant mean cross-stream temperature gradient is investigated using a combination of theoretical predictions, DNS, and experimental data. Conditions for self-similarity of the governing equations and the scalar spectrum are investigated, which reveals necessary conditions for self-similarity to exist. These conditions provide a theoretical framework for scaling of the temperature spectrum as well as the temperature flux spectrum. One necessary condition, predicted by the theory, is that the characteristic length scale describing the scalar spectrum must vary as √{ t} for a self-similar solution to exist. In order to investigate this, T-NSTAP sensors, specially designed for temperature measurements at high frequencies, were deployed in a heated passive grid turbulence setup together with conventional cold-wires, and complementary DNS calculations were performed to complement and complete the experimental data. These data are used to compare the behavior of different length scales and validate the theoretical predictions.

  15. Comparative study of the temperature and velocity gradients for the interphases obtained during directional solidification of Al-Cu alloys

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ares, Alicia Esther; Gueijman, Sergio Fabian; Schvezov, Carlos E

    2004-01-01

    Previous studies determined that in directionally solidified lead-tin alloys, the position in which the transition occurs from columnar to equiaxial structure depending on the distribution of temperatures in the system, occurs when a minimum and critical thermal gradient value is attained in the liquid before the interphase that separates the (liquid) phase from the (solid + liquid) phase and this critical gradient value is independent from the solute concentration, natural convection, degree of overheating, the mold geometry and the number of columnar and equiaxial grains that form. The study now includes aluminum-copper alloys, for which the temperature gradient test values in the liquid before the (liquid)/(solid + liquid) interphase and the speeds of the (liquid)/(solid+liquid)/(solid) interphases are determined. The values of interphase gradients and velocities contrast with the values predicted by the Hunt model for the same alloy system. The velocities of the interphases are also compared with those calculated with the Lipton equation and used in the Wang and Beckermann model for dendritic equiaxial growth. The results are compared with those obtained previously in the lead-tin system (CW)

  16. The Hengill geothermal area, Iceland: Variation of temperature gradients deduced from the maximum depth of seismogenesis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Foulger, G. R.

    1995-04-01

    Given a uniform lithology and strain rate and a full seismic data set, the maximum depth of earthquakes may be viewed to a first order as an isotherm. These conditions are approached at the Hengill geothermal area S. Iceland, a dominantly basaltic area. The likely strain rate calculated from thermal and tectonic considerations is 10 -15 s -1, and temperature measurements from four drill sites within the area indicate average, near-surface geothermal gradients of up to 150 °C km -1 throughout the upper 2 km. The temperature at which seismic failure ceases for the strain rates likely at the Hengill geothermal area is determined by analogy with oceanic crust, and is about 650 ± 50 °C. The topographies of the top and bottom of the seismogenic layer were mapped using 617 earthquakes located highly accurately by performing a simultaneous inversion for three-dimensional structure and hypocentral parameters. The thickness of the seismogenic layer is roughly constant and about 3 km. A shallow, aseismic, low-velocity volume within the spreading plate boundary that crosses the area occurs above the top of the seismogenic layer and is interpreted as an isolated body of partial melt. The base of the seismogenic layer has a maximum depth of about 6.5 km beneath the spreading axis and deepens to about 7 km beneath a transform zone in the south of the area. Beneath the high-temperature part of the geothermal area, the maximum depth of earthquakes may be as shallow as 4 km. The geothermal gradient below drilling depths in various parts of the area ranges from 84 ± 9 °Ckm -1 within the low-temperature geothermal area of the transform zone to 138 ± 15 °Ckm -1 below the centre of the high-temperature geothermal area. Shallow maximum depths of earthquakes and therefore high average geothermal gradients tend to correlate with the intensity of the geothermal area and not with the location of the currently active spreading axis.

  17. Unravelling abiotic and biotic controls on the seasonal water balance using data-driven dimensionless diagnostics

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S. P. Seibert

    2017-06-01

    scaling strongly influences the diagnostic potential of the dDMC. Adding discrimination between growing season and winter period was of fundamental importance and easy to implement by means of a temperature-index model. More specifically, temperature aggregates explain over 70 % of the variability of the seasonal summer runoff coefficients. The results also show that the soil topographic index, i.e. the product of topographic gradient and saturated hydraulic conductivity, is significantly correlated with winter runoff coefficients, whereas the topographic gradient and the hydraulic conductivity alone are not. We conclude that proxies for gradients and resistances should be interpreted as a pair. Lastly, the dDMC concept reveals memory effects between summer and winter runoff regimes that are not relevant in spring between the transition from winter to summer.

  18. Comparison of Observed Temperature and Wind in Mountainous and Coastal Regions in Korea

    Science.gov (United States)

    Park, Y. S.

    2015-12-01

    For more than one year, temperature and wind are observed at several levels in three different environments in Korea. First site is located in a ski jump stadium in a mountain area and observations are performed at 5 heights. Second site is located in an agricultural land 1.4km inland from the seaside and the observing tower is 300m tall. Third site is located in the middle of sea 30km away from the seaside and the tower is 100m tall. The vertical gradients of air temperature are compared on the daily and seasonal bases. Not only the strengths of atmospheric stability are analyzed but also the times when the turnover of the signs of vertical gradients of temperature are occurred. The comparison is also applied to vertical gradients of wind speed and turning of wind direction due to surface slope and sea/land breeze. This study may suggest characteristics of local climate over different environments quantitatively.

  19. Temperature Regimes Impact Coral Assemblages along Environmental Gradients on Lagoonal Reefs in Belize.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Justin H Baumann

    Full Text Available Coral reefs are increasingly threatened by global and local anthropogenic stressors such as rising seawater temperature, nutrient enrichment, sedimentation, and overfishing. Although many studies have investigated the impacts of local and global stressors on coral reefs, we still do not fully understand how these stressors influence coral community structure, particularly across environmental gradients on a reef system. Here, we investigate coral community composition across three different temperature and productivity regimes along a nearshore-offshore gradient on lagoonal reefs of the Belize Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System (MBRS. A novel metric was developed using ultra-high-resolution satellite-derived estimates of sea surface temperatures (SST to classify reefs as exposed to low (lowTP, moderate (modTP, or high (highTP temperature parameters over 10 years (2003 to 2012. Coral species richness, abundance, diversity, density, and percent cover were lower at highTP sites relative to lowTP and modTP sites, but these coral community traits did not differ significantly between lowTP and modTP sites. Analysis of coral life history strategies revealed that highTP sites were dominated by hardy stress-tolerant and fast-growing weedy coral species, while lowTP and modTP sites consisted of competitive, generalist, weedy, and stress-tolerant coral species. Satellite-derived estimates of Chlorophyll-a (chl-a were obtained for 13-years (2003-2015 as a proxy for primary production. Chl-a concentrations were highest at highTP sites, medial at modTP sites, and lowest at lowTP sites. Notably, thermal parameters correlated better with coral community traits between site types than productivity, suggesting that temperature (specifically number of days above the thermal bleaching threshold played a greater role in defining coral community structure than productivity on the MBRS. Dominance of weedy and stress-tolerant genera at highTP sites suggests that corals

  20. Chaos in toroidal ion-temperature-gradient-driven modes in dust-contaminated magnetoplasma

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Qamar, Anisa; Atta-Ullah-Shah [Theoretical Plasma Physics Group, Institute of Physics and Electronics, University of Peshawar Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 25000 (Pakistan); Yaqub Khan, M; Ayub, M [Department of Mathematics, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad 45320 (Pakistan); Mirza, Arshad M, E-mail: anisaqamar@gmail.com [Theoretical Plasma Physics Group, Department of Physics, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad 45320 (Pakistan)

    2011-06-01

    A new set of nonlinear equations for toroidal ion-temperature-gradient-driven (ITGD) drift-dissipative waves is derived by using Braginskii's transport model of the ion dynamics and the Boltzmann distribution of electrons in the presence of negatively charged dust grains. The temporal behaviour of the nonlinear ITGD mode is found to be governed by three nonlinear equations for the amplitudes, which is a generalization of Lorenz- and Stenflo-type equations admitting chaotic trajectories. The linear stability analysis has been presented and stationary points for our generalized mode coupling equations are also derived.

  1. Seasonal variation in Chironomid emergence from coastal pools

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alexander T. Egan

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available Understanding the phenology of emergences can be useful in determining seasonal chironomid life cycle patterns, which are often influenced by ice cover and temperature in cold climates. Lake Superior is the largest lake in North America and with a mean surface temperature of 3.9 °C influences regional climate. Coastal pools at Isle Royale, a wilderness archipelago in the northern part of the lake, occur in dense patches on low-gradient volcanic bedrock between the lakeshore and forest, creating variable microhabitats for Chironomidae. Four sites were sampled monthly from April to October, 2010. Surface-floating pupal exuviae were collected from a series of pools in two zones: a lower zone near the lake influenced by wave splash, and an upper zone near the forest and influenced by upland runoff. We used Jaccard’s and Whittaker’s diversity indexes to test community similarity across months. Temperature loggers in pools collected hourly readings for most of the study. Assemblage emergences were stable in upper pools, with significant similarity across late spring and summer months. Assemblages were seasonally variable in lower pools, with significant dissimilarity across spring, summer, and fall months. Few species in either zone were unique to spring or fall months. However, many summer species in the splash zone had a narrow emergence period occurring during calm weather following distinct increases in mean water temperature. Regardless of input of cold lake water to the lower zone, pools from both zones generally had corresponding temperature trends.

  2. Near-field radiative heat transfer under temperature gradients and conductive transfer

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jin, Weiliang; Rodriguez, Alejandro W. [Princeton Univ., NJ (United States). Dept. of Electrical Engineering; Messina, Riccardo [CNRS-Univ. de Montpellier (France). Lab. Charles Coulomb

    2017-05-01

    We describe a recently developed formulation of coupled conductive and radiative heat transfer (RHT) between objects separated by nanometric, vacuum gaps. Our results rely on analytical formulas of RHT between planar slabs (based on the scattering-matrix method) as well as a general formulation of RHT between arbitrarily shaped bodies (based on the fluctuating-volume current method), which fully captures the existence of temperature inhomogeneities. In particular, the impact of RHT on conduction, and vice versa, is obtained via self-consistent solutions of the Fourier heat equation and Maxwell's equations. We show that in materials with low thermal conductivities (e.g. zinc oxides and glasses), the interplay of conduction and RHT can strongly modify heat exchange, exemplified for instance by the presence of large temperature gradients and saturating flux rates at short (nanometric) distances. More generally, we show that the ability to tailor the temperature distribution of an object can modify the behaviour of RHT with respect to gap separations, e.g. qualitatively changing the asymptotic scaling at short separations from quadratic to linear or logarithmic. Our results could be relevant to the interpretation of both past and future experimental measurements of RHT at nanometric distances.

  3. New England observed and predicted Julian day of maximum growing season stream/river temperature points

    Data.gov (United States)

    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — The shapefile contains points with associated observed and predicted Julian day of maximum growing season stream/river temperatures in New England based on a spatial...

  4. Seasonal Variations of Indoor Microbial Exposures and Their Relation to Temperature, Relative Humidity, and Air Exchange Rate

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Frankel, Mika; Bekö, Gabriel; Timm, Michael

    2012-01-01

    with temperature, relative humidity, and air exchange rates in Danish homes. Airborne inhalable dust was sampled in five Danish homes throughout the four seasons of 1 year (indoors, n = 127; outdoors, n = 37). Measurements included culturable fungi and bacteria, endotoxin, N-acetyl-beta-d-glucosaminidase, total...... inflammatory potential, particles (0.75 to 15 μm), temperature, relative humidity, and air exchange rates. Significant seasonal variation was found for all indoor microbial exposures, excluding endotoxin. Indoor fungi peaked in summer (median, 235 CFU/m3) and were lowest in winter (median, 26 CFU/m3). Indoor...... of inhalable dust and number of particles. Temperature and air exchange rates were positively associated with fungi and N-acetyl-beta-d-glucosaminidase and negatively with bacteria and the total inflammatory potential. Although temperature, relative humidity, and air exchange rates were significantly...

  5. Vertical Distribution of Temperature in Transitional Season II and West Monsoon in Western Pacific

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pranoto, Hikari A. H.; Kunarso; Soeyanto, Endro

    2018-02-01

    Western Pacific is the water mass intersection from both the Northern Pacific and Southern Pacific ocean. The Western Pacific ocean is warm pool area which formed by several warm surface currents. As a warm pool area and also the water mass intersection, western Pacific ocean becomes an interesting study area. The object of this study is to describe the temperature vertical distribution by mooring buoy and temporally in transitional season II (September - November 2014) and west monsoon (December 2014 - February 2015) in Western Pacific. Vertical temperature and wind speed data that was used in this study was recorded by INA-TRITON mooring instrument and obtained from Laboratory of Marine Survey, BPPT. Supporting data of this study was wind vector data from ECMWF to observe the relation between temperature distribution and monsoon. The quantitative approach was used in this study by processing temperature and wind data from INA-TRITON and interpreted graphically. In the area of study, it was found that in transitional season II the range of sea surface temperature to 500-meter depth was about 8.29 - 29.90 °C while in west monsoon was 8.12 - 29.45 °C. According to the research result, the sea SST of western Pacific ocean was related to monsoonal change with SST and wind speed correlation coefficient was 0.78. While the deep layer temperature was affected by water mass flow which passes through the western Pacific Ocean.

  6. Effects of pH and seasonal temperature variation on simultaneous partial nitrification and anammox in free-water surface wetlands.

    Science.gov (United States)

    He, Yuling; Tao, Wendong; Wang, Ziyuan; Shayya, Walid

    2012-11-15

    Design considerations to enhance simultaneous partial nitrification and anammox in constructed wetlands are largely unknown. This study examined the effects of pH and seasonal temperature variation on simultaneous partial nitrification and anammox in two free-water surface wetlands. In order to enhance partial nitrification and inhibit nitrite oxidation, furnace slag was placed on the rooting substrate to maintain different pH levels in the wetland water. The wetlands were batch operated for dairy wastewater treatment under oxygen-limited conditions at a cycle time of 7 d. Fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis found that aerobic ammonium oxidizing bacteria and anammox bacteria accounted for 42-73% of the bacterial populations in the wetlands, which was the highest relative abundance of ammonium oxidizing and anammox bacteria in constructed wetlands enhancing simultaneous partial nitrification and anammox. The two wetlands removed total inorganic nitrogen efficiently, 3.36-3.38 g/m(2)/d in the warm season with water temperatures at 18.9-24.9 °C and 1.09-1.50 g/m(2)/d in the cool season at 13.8-18.9 °C. Plant uptake contributed 2-45% to the total inorganic nitrogen removal in the growing season. A seasonal temperature variation of more than 6 °C would affect simultaneous partial nitrification and anammox significantly. Significant pH effects were identified only when the temperatures were below 18.9 °C. Anammox was the limiting stage of simultaneous partial nitrification and anammox in the wetlands. Water pH should be controlled along with influent ammonium concentration and temperature to avoid toxicity of free ammonia to anammox bacteria. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. On the shortening of Indian summer monsoon season in a warming scenario

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sabeerali, C. T.; Ajayamohan, R. S.

    2018-03-01

    Assessing the future projections of the length of rainy season (LRS) has paramount societal impact considering its potential to alter the seasonal mean rainfall over the Indian subcontinent. Here, we explored the projections of LRS using both historical and Representative Concentration Pathways 8.5 (RCP8.5) simulations of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase5 (CMIP5). RCP8.5 simulations project shortening of the LRS of Indian summer monsoon by altering the timing of onset and withdrawal dates. Most CMIP5 RCP8.5 model simulations indicate a faster warming rate over the western tropical Indian Ocean compared to other regions of the Indian Ocean. It is found that the pronounced western Indian Ocean warming and associated increase in convection results in warmer upper troposphere over the Indian Ocean compared to the Indian subcontinent, reducing the meridional gradient in upper tropospheric temperature (UTT) over the Asian summer monsoon (ASM) domain. The weakening of the meridional gradient in UTT induces weakening of easterly vertical wind shear over the ASM domain during first and last phase of monsoon, facilitate delayed (advanced) monsoon onset (withdrawal) dates, ensues the shortening of LRS of the Indian summer monsoon in a warming scenario.

  8. A reduced model for ion temperature gradient turbulent transport in helical plasmas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nunami, M.; Watanabe, T.-H.; Sugama, H.

    2013-07-01

    A novel reduced model for ion temperature gradient (ITG) turbulent transport in helical plasmas is presented. The model enables one to predict nonlinear gyrokinetic simulation results from linear gyrokinetic analyses. It is shown from nonlinear gyrokinetic simulations of the ITG turbulence in helical plasmas that the transport coefficient can be expressed as a function of the turbulent fluctuation level and the averaged zonal flow amplitude. Then, the reduced model for the turbulent ion heat diffusivity is derived by representing the nonlinear turbulent fluctuations and zonal flow amplitude in terms of the linear growth rate of the ITG instability and the linear response of the zonal flow potentials. It is confirmed that the reduced transport model results are in good agreement with those from nonlinear gyrokinetic simulations for high ion temperature plasmas in the Large Helical Device. (author)

  9. A further contribution to the seasonal variation of weighted mean temperature

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ding, Maohua; Hu, Wusheng

    2017-12-01

    The weighted mean temperature Tm is a variable parameter in the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) meteorology and the Askne-Nordius zenith wet delay (ZWD) model. Some parameters about the Tm seasonal variation (e.g. the annual mean value, the annual range, the annual and semi-annual amplitudes, and the long-term trend) were discussed before. In this study, some additional results about the Tm seasonal variation on a global scale were found by using the Tm time series at 309 global radiosonde sites. Periodic signals of the annual and semi-annual variations were detected in these Tm time series by using the Lomb-Scargle periodogram. The annual variation is the main component of the periodic Tm in non-tropical regions, while the annual variation or the semiannual variation can be the main component of the periodic Tm in tropics. The mean annual Tm almost keeps constant with the increasing latitude in tropics, while it decreases with the increasing latitude in non-tropical regions. From a global perspective, Tm has an increasing trend of 0.22 K/decade on average, which may be caused by the global warming effects. The annual phase is almost found in about January for the non-tropical regions of the Southern Hemisphere and in about July for the non-tropical regions of the Northern Hemisphere, but it has no clear symmetry in tropics. Unlike the annual phase, the geographical distributions of semi-annual phase do not follow obvious rules. In non-tropical regions, the maximum and minimum Tm of the seasonal model are usually found in respective summer and winter days while the maximum and minimum Tm are distributed over a whole year but not in any fixed seasons for tropical regions. The seasonal model errors increase with the increasing value of annual amplitude. A primary reason for the irregular seasonal variation in tropics is that Tm has rather small variations in this region.

  10. Sea surface temperature control of taxon specific phytoplankton production along an oligotrophic gradient in the Mediterranean Sea

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van de Poll, W.H.V.; Boute, P.G.; Rozema, P.D.; Buma, A.; Kulk, G.; Rijkenberg, M.J.

    2015-01-01

    The current study aimed to assess changes in phytoplankton composition and productivity along an oligotrophic gradient in relation to changes in sea surface temperature (SST). Phytoplankton pigments, nutrients, and physical water column properties were studied along a longitudinal transect in the

  11. Interactive Influence on Void Swelling in 300 Series Stainless Steels of Coupled Gradients in Temperature and DPA Rate

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Garner, F.

    2007-01-01

    Full text of publication follows: Recently, experimental evidence has accumulated that demonstrates that the dependence of swelling in austenitic steels on dpa rate has been strongly underestimated. In development of swelling correlations for both fusion and fission reactor applications the dpa rate is frequently but inadvertently incorporated into the temperature dependence. This inability to separate the separate dependencies of dpa rate and temperature is closely associated with the coupling of gradients in neutron flux-spectra and irradiation temperature along the axial length of components, especially for relatively small cores. In order to demonstrate the separate action of dpa rate and temperature, previously unpublished swelling data are presented from hexagonal ducts, fuel pins and pressurized tubes irradiated in EBR-II, all possessing both axial and radial gradients in dpa rate. Annealed AISI 304 components were chosen to avoid complications of precipitation found in other alloys such as AISI 316 or PCA. Since this steel never develops multiple-peak swelling behavior and experiences very little precipitation at high dpa rates, it use in this effort is ideal for separation of environmental variables. It is demonstrated that the transient regime of void selling is increased by increasing dpa rate and by decreasing temperature. It is also shown that the combined effect of dpa rate and temperature distribution along the length of any given structural component produces a well defined, scatter-free 'swelling loop' vs. dpa that uniquely allows estimation and separation of the separate dependencies of swelling on temperature and dpa rate. One consequence of the derived flux dependence is that components subject to a dpa rate gradient in general suffer much less distortion than predicted by equations that do not explicitly incorporate a dependence on dpa rate. It is also shown that over a wide range of irradiation conditions the terminal steady-state swelling

  12. Lichens show that fungi can acclimate their respiration to seasonal changes in temperature.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lange, Otto L; Green, T G Allan

    2005-01-01

    Five species of lichens, the majority members of a soil-crust community ( Cladonia convoluta, Diploschistes muscorum, Fulgensia fulgens, Lecanora muralis, Squamarina lentigera) showed seasonal changes of temperature sensitivity of their dark respiration (DR) to such an extent that several substantially met the definition of full acclimation, i.e. near identical DR under different nocturnal temperature conditions during the course of the year. C. convoluta, for example, had maximal DR at 5 degrees C of -0.42, -1.11 and -0.09 nmol CO(2) g(-1) s(-1) in autumn, winter, and summer, respectively, a tenfold range. However, at the mean night temperatures for the same three seasons, 9.7 degrees C, 4.2 degrees C and 13.6 degrees C, maximal DR were almost identical at -1.11, -0.93, and -1.45 nmol CO(2) g(-1) s(-1). The information was extracted from measurements using automatic cuvettes that continuously recorded a sample lichen's gas exchange every 30 min under near-natural conditions. The longest period (for L. muralis) covered 15 months and 22,000 data sets whilst, for the other species studied, data blocks were available throughout the calendar year. The acclimation of DR means that maximal net carbon fixation rates remain substantially similar throughout the year and are not depressed by increased carbon loss by respiration in warmer seasons. This is especially important for lichens because of their normally high rate of DR compared to net photosynthesis. We suggest that lichens, especially soil-crust species, could be a suitable model for fungi generally, a group of organisms for which little is known about temperature acclimation because of the great difficulty in separating the organism from its growth medium. Fungi, whether saprophytic, symbiotic or parasitic, including soil lichens, are important components of soil ecosystems and contribute much of the respired CO(2) from these systems. Temperature acclimation by fungi would mean that expected increases in carbon

  13. Shear flow effect on ion temperature gradient vortices in plasmas with sheared magnetic field

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Chakrabarti, N.; Juul Rasmussen, J.

    1999-01-01

    The effect of velocity shear on ion temperature gradient (ITG) driven vortices in a nonuniform plasma in a curved, sheared magnetic field is investigated. In absence of parallel ion dynamics, vortex solutions for the ITG mode are studied analytically. It is shown that under certain conditions...... and ultimately lead to a dominating monopolar form. The effects of magnetic shear indicate it may destroy these structures. (C) 1999 American Institute of Physics....

  14. Nonlinear vacuum gas flow through a short tube due to pressure and temperature gradients

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pantazis, Sarantis; Naris, Steryios; Tantos, Christos [Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Thessaly, Pedion Areos, 38334 Volos (Greece); Valougeorgis, Dimitris, E-mail: diva@mie.uth.gr [Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Thessaly, Pedion Areos, 38334 Volos (Greece); André, Julien; Millet, Francois; Perin, Jean Paul [Service des Basses Températures, UMR-E CEA/UJF-Grenoble 1, INAC, Grenoble, F-38054 (France)

    2013-10-15

    The flow of a rarefied gas through a tube due to both pressure and temperature gradients has been studied numerically. The main objective is to investigate the performance of a mechanical vacuum pump operating at low temperatures in order to increase the pumped mass flow rate. This type of pump is under development at CEA-Grenoble. The flow is modelled by the Shakhov kinetic model equation, which is solved by the discrete velocity method. Results are presented for certain geometry and flow parameters. Since according to the pump design the temperature driven flow is in the opposite direction than the main pressure driven flow, it has been found that for the operating pressure range studied here the net mass flow rate through the pump may be significantly reduced.

  15. Nonlinear vacuum gas flow through a short tube due to pressure and temperature gradients

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pantazis, Sarantis; Naris, Steryios; Tantos, Christos; Valougeorgis, Dimitris; André, Julien; Millet, Francois; Perin, Jean Paul

    2013-01-01

    The flow of a rarefied gas through a tube due to both pressure and temperature gradients has been studied numerically. The main objective is to investigate the performance of a mechanical vacuum pump operating at low temperatures in order to increase the pumped mass flow rate. This type of pump is under development at CEA-Grenoble. The flow is modelled by the Shakhov kinetic model equation, which is solved by the discrete velocity method. Results are presented for certain geometry and flow parameters. Since according to the pump design the temperature driven flow is in the opposite direction than the main pressure driven flow, it has been found that for the operating pressure range studied here the net mass flow rate through the pump may be significantly reduced

  16. Metabolic rates and tissue composition of the coral Pocillopora verrucosa over 12 latitudes in the Red Sea characterized by strong temperature and nutrient gradient, supplement to: Sawall, Yvonne; Al-Sofyani, A; Hohn, S; Banguera-Hinestroza, E; Voolstra, Christian R; Wahl, Martin (2015): Extensive phenotypic plasticity of a Red Sea coral over a strong latitudinal temperature gradient suggests limited acclimatization potential to warming. Scientific Reports, 5, 8940

    KAUST Repository

    Sawall, Yvonne

    2015-01-01

    Global warming was reported to cause growth reductions in tropical shallow water corals in both, cooler and warmer, regions of the coral species range. This suggests regional adaptation with less heat-tolerant populations in cooler and more thermo-tolerant populations in warmer regions. Here, we investigated seasonal changes in the in situ metabolic performance of the widely distributed hermatypic coral Pocillopora verrucosa along 12 degrees latitudes featuring a steep temperature gradient between the northern (28.5 degrees N, 21-27 degrees C) and southern (16.5 degrees N, 28-33 degrees C) reaches of the Red Sea. Surprisingly, we found little indication for regional adaptation, but strong indications for high phenotypic plasticity: Calcification rates in two seasons (winter, summer) were found to be highest at 28-29 degrees C throughout all populations independent of their geographic location. Mucus release increased with temperature and nutrient supply, both being highest in the south. Genetic characterization of the coral host revealed low inter-regional variation and differences in the Symbiodinium clade composition only at the most northern and most southern region. This suggests variable acclimatization potential to ocean warming of coral populations across the Red Sea: high acclimatization potential in northern populations, but limited ability to cope with ocean warming in southern populations already existing at the upper thermal margin for corals

  17. THE MAXIMUM EFFECT OF DEEP LAKES ON TEMPERATURE PROFILES – DETERMINATION OF THE GEOTHERMAL GRADIENT

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eppelbaum L. V.

    2009-07-01

    Full Text Available Understanding the climate change processes on the basis of geothermal observations in boreholes is an important and at the same time high-intricate problem. Many non-climatic effects could cause changes in ground surface temperatures. In this study we investigate the effects of deep lakes on the borehole temperature profilesobserved within or in the vicinity of the lakes. We propose a method based on utilization of Laplace equation with nonuniform boundary conditions. The proposed method makes possible to estimate the maximum effect of deep lakes (here the term "deep lake" means that long term mean annual temperature of bottom sediments can beconsidered as a constant value on the borehole temperature profiles. This method also allows one to estimate an accuracy of the determination of the geothermal gradient.

  18. Local temperatures inferred from plant communities suggest strong spatial buffering of climate warming across Northern Europe

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lenoir, Jonathan; Graae, Bente; Aarrestad, Per

    2013-01-01

    -change impacts. Is this local spatial buffering restricted to topographically complex terrains? To answer this, we here study fine-grained thermal variability across a 2500-km wide latitudinal gradient in Northern Europe encompassing a large array of topographic complexities. We first combined plant community...... data, Ellenberg temperature indicator values, locally measured temperatures (LmT) and globally interpolated temperatures (GiT) in a modelling framework to infer biologically relevant temperature conditions from plant assemblages within community-inferred temperatures: CiT). We...... temperature indicator values in combination with plant assemblages explained 46-72% of variation in LmT and 92-96% of variation in GiT during the growing season (June, July, August). Growing-season CiT range within 1-km(2) units peaked at 60-65°N and increased with terrain roughness, averaging 1.97 °C (SD = 0...

  19. Seasonal Prediction of Regional Surface Air Temperature and First-flowering Date in South Korea using Dynamical Downscaling

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ahn, J. B.; Hur, J.

    2015-12-01

    The seasonal prediction of both the surface air temperature and the first-flowering date (FFD) over South Korea are produced using dynamical downscaling (Hur and Ahn, 2015). Dynamical downscaling is performed using Weather Research and Forecast (WRF) v3.0 with the lateral forcing from hourly outputs of Pusan National University (PNU) coupled general circulation model (CGCM) v1.1. Gridded surface air temperature data with high spatial (3km) and temporal (daily) resolution are obtained using the physically-based dynamical models. To reduce systematic bias, simple statistical correction method is then applied to the model output. The FFDs of cherry, peach and pear in South Korea are predicted for the decade of 1999-2008 by applying the corrected daily temperature predictions to the phenological thermal-time model. The WRF v3.0 results reflect the detailed topographical effect, despite having cold and warm biases for warm and cold seasons, respectively. After applying the correction, the mean temperature for early spring (February to April) well represents the general pattern of observation, while preserving the advantages of dynamical downscaling. The FFD predictabilities for the three species of trees are evaluated in terms of qualitative, quantitative and categorical estimations. Although FFDs derived from the corrected WRF results well predict the spatial distribution and the variation of observation, the prediction performance has no statistical significance or appropriate predictability. The approach used in the study may be helpful in obtaining detailed and useful information about FFD and regional temperature by accounting for physically-based atmospheric dynamics, although the seasonal predictability of flowering phenology is not high enough. Acknowledgements This work was carried out with the support of the Rural Development Administration Cooperative Research Program for Agriculture Science and Technology Development under Grant Project No. PJ009953 and

  20. Seasonal temperature variability and emergency hospital admissions for respiratory diseases: a population-based cohort study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Shengzhi; Laden, Francine; Hart, Jaime E; Qiu, Hong; Wang, Yan; Wong, Chit Ming; Lee, Ruby Siu-Yin; Tian, Linwei

    2018-04-05

    Climate change increases global mean temperature and changes short-term (eg, diurnal) and long-term (eg, intraseasonal) temperature variability. Numerous studies have shown that mean temperature and short-term temperature variability are both associated with increased respiratory morbidity or mortality. However, data on the impact of long-term temperature variability are sparse. We aimed to assess the association of intraseasonal temperature variability with respiratory disease hospitalisations among elders. We ascertained the first occurrence of emergency hospital admissions for respiratory diseases in a prospective Chinese elderly cohort of 66 820 older people (≥65 years) with 10-13 years of follow-up. We used an ordinary kriging method based on 22 weather monitoring stations in Hong Kong to spatially interpolate daily ambient temperature for each participant's residential address. Seasonal temperature variability was defined as the SD of daily mean summer (June-August) or winter (December-February) temperatures. We applied Cox proportional hazards regression with time-varying exposure of seasonal temperature variability to respiratory admissions. During the follow-up time, we ascertained 12 689 cases of incident respiratory diseases, of which 6672 were pneumonia and 3075 were COPD. The HRs per 1°C increase in wintertime temperature variability were 1.20 (95% CI 1.08 to 1.32), 1.15 (1.01 to 1.31) and 1.41 (1.15 to 1.71) for total respiratory diseases, pneumonia and COPD, respectively. The associations were not statistically significant for summertime temperature variability. Wintertime temperature variability was associated with higher risk of incident respiratory diseases. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

  1. Dependence of trapped-flux-induced surface resistance of a large-grain Nb superconducting radio-frequency cavity on spatial temperature gradient during cooldown through T_{c}

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shichun Huang

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available Recent studies by Romanenko et al. revealed that cooling down a superconducting cavity under a large spatial temperature gradient decreases the amount of trapped flux and leads to reduction of the residual surface resistance. In the present paper, the flux expulsion ratio and the trapped-flux-induced surface resistance of a large-grain cavity cooled down under a spatial temperature gradient up to 80  K/m are studied under various applied magnetic fields from 5 to 20  μT. We show the flux expulsion ratio improves as the spatial temperature gradient increases, independent of the applied magnetic field: our results support and enforce the previous studies. We then analyze all rf measurement results obtained under different applied magnetic fields together by plotting the trapped-flux-induced surface resistance normalized by the applied magnetic field as a function of the spatial temperature gradient. All the data can be fitted by a single curve, which defines an empirical formula for the trapped-flux-induced surface resistance as a function of the spatial temperature gradient and applied magnetic field. The formula can fit not only the present results but also those obtained by Romanenko et al. previously. The sensitivity r_{fl} of surface resistance from trapped magnetic flux of fine-grain and large-grain niobium cavities and the origin of dT/ds dependence of R_{fl}/B_{a} are also discussed.

  2. Climate controls on forest productivity along the climate gradient of the western Sierra Nevada

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kelly, A. E.; Goulden, M. L.

    2010-12-01

    The broad climate gradient of the slopes of the western Sierra Nevada mountains supports ecosystems spanning extremes of productivity, biomass, and function. We are using this natural environmental gradient to understand how climate controls NPP, aboveground biomass, species' range limits, and phenology. Our experimental approach combines eddy covariance, sap flow, dendrometer, and litterfall measurements in combination with soil and hydrological data from the Southern Sierra Critical Zone Observatory (SSCZO). We have found that above about 2500 m, forest productivity is limited by winter cold, while below 1200 m, productivity is likely limited by summer drought. The sweet spot between these elevations has a nearly year-long growing season despite a snowpack that persists for as long as six months. Our results show that small differences in temperature can markedly alter the water balance and productivity of mixed conifer forests.

  3. Effects of finite electron temperature on gradient drift instabilities in partially magnetized plasmas

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lakhin, V. P.; Ilgisonis, V. I.; Smolyakov, A. I.; Sorokina, E. A.; Marusov, N. A.

    2018-01-01

    The gradient-drift instabilities of partially magnetized plasmas in plasma devices with crossed electric and magnetic fields are investigated in the framework of the two-fluid model with finite electron temperature in an inhomogeneous magnetic field. The finite electron Larmor radius (FLR) effects are also included via the gyroviscosity tensor taking into account the magnetic field gradient. This model correctly describes the electron dynamics for k⊥ρe>1 in the sense of Padé approximants (here, k⊥ and ρe are the wavenumber perpendicular to the magnetic field and the electron Larmor radius, respectively). The local dispersion relation for electrostatic plasma perturbations with the frequency in the range between the ion and electron cyclotron frequencies and propagating strictly perpendicular to the magnetic field is derived. The dispersion relation includes the effects of the equilibrium E ×B electron current, finite ion velocity, electron inertia, electron FLR, magnetic field gradients, and Debye length effects. The necessary and sufficient condition of stability is derived, and the stability boundary is found. It is shown that, in general, the electron inertia and FLR effects stabilize the short-wavelength perturbations. In some cases, such effects completely suppress the high-frequency short-wavelength modes so that only the long-wavelength low-frequency (with respect to the lower-hybrid frequency) modes remain unstable.

  4. The potentially neglected culprit of DC surface flashover: electron migration under temperature gradients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Chuanyang; Hu, Jun; Lin, Chuanjie; He, Jinliang

    2017-06-12

    This report intends to reveal the role of electron migration and its effects in triggering direct current (DC) surface flashover under temperature gradient conditions when using epoxy-based insulating composites. The surface potential and the surface flashover voltage are both measured using insulators that are bridged between two thermo-regulated electrodes. The space charge injection and migration properties under different temperature are detected. The results show that the surface potential rises significantly because of electron migration near the high voltage (HV) electrode under high temperature conditions, thus creating an "analogous ineffective region". The expansion of this "analogous ineffective region" results in most of the voltage drop occurring near the ground electrode, which serves as an important factor triggering positive streamers across the insulation surface. This work is helpful in understanding of DC surface flashover mechanism from a new perspective and also has important significance in design of a suitable DC insulator to avoid surface flashover problem.

  5. The role of the meridional sea surface temperature gradient in controlling the Caribbean low-level jet

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maldonado, Tito; Rutgersson, Anna; Caballero, Rodrigo; Pausata, Francesco S. R.; Alfaro, Eric; Amador, Jorge

    2017-06-01

    The Caribbean low-level jet (CLLJ) is an important modulator of regional climate, especially precipitation, in the Caribbean and Central America. Previous work has inferred, due to their semiannual cycle, an association between CLLJ strength and meridional sea surface temperature (SST) gradients in the Caribbean Sea, suggesting that the SST gradients may control the intensity and vertical shear of the CLLJ. In addition, both the horizontal and vertical structure of the jet have been related to topographic effects via interaction with the mountains in Northern South America (NSA), including funneling effects and changes in the meridional geopotential gradient. Here we test these hypotheses, using an atmospheric general circulation model to perform a set of sensitivity experiments to examine the impact of both SST gradients and topography on the CLLJ. In one sensitivity experiment, we remove the meridional SST gradient over the Caribbean Sea and in the other, we flatten the mountains over NSA. Our results show that the SST gradient and topography have little or no impact on the jet intensity, vertical, and horizontal wind shears, contrary to previous works. However, our findings do not discount a possible one-way coupling between the SST and the wind over the Caribbean Sea through friction force. We also examined an alternative approach based on barotropic instability to understand the CLLJ intensity, vertical, and horizontal wind shears. Our results show that the current hypothesis about the CLLJ must be reviewed in order to fully understand the atmospheric dynamics governing the Caribbean region.

  6. Geographic variation in body size and its relationship with environmental gradients in the Oriental Garden Lizard, Calotes versicolor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wei, Xiaomei; Yan, Linmiao; Zhao, Chengjian; Zhang, Yueyun; Xu, Yongli; Cai, Bo; Jiang, Ni; Huang, Yong

    2018-05-01

    Patterns of geographic variation in body size are predicted to evolve as adaptations to local environmental gradients. However, many of these clinal patterns in body size, such as Bergmann's rule, are controversial and require further investigation into ectotherms such as reptiles on a regional scale. To examine the environmental variables (temperature, precipitation, topography and primary productivity) that shaped patterns of geographic variation in body size in the reptile Calotes versicolor , we sampled 180 adult specimens (91 males and 89 females) at 40 locations across the species range in China. The MANOVA results suggest significant sexual size dimorphism in C. versicolor ( F 23,124  = 11.32, p  body size of C. versicolor differed for males and females, but mechanisms related to heat balance and water availability hypotheses were involved in both sexes. Temperature seasonality, precipitation of the driest month, precipitation seasonality, and precipitation of the driest quarter were the most important predictors of variation in body size in males, whereas mean precipitation of the warmest quarter, mean temperature of the wettest quarter, precipitation seasonality, and precipitation of the wettest month were most important for body size variation in females. The discrepancy between patterns of association between the sexes suggested that different selection pressures may be acting in males and females.

  7. Sea surface temperature variability over North Indian Ocean - A study of two contrasting monsoon seasons

    Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

    RameshKumar, M.R.; Sathyendranath, S.; Viswambharan, N.K.; Rao, L.V.G.

    Using the satellite derived sea surface temperature (SST) data for 1979 (bad monsoon) and 1983 (good monsoon), the SST variability for two contrasting monsoon seasons is studied. The study indicates that large negative anomalies off the Somali...

  8. Migration of the ThO2 kernels under the influence of a temperature gradient

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Smith, C.L.

    1977-01-01

    Biso-coated ThO 2 fertile fuel kernels will migrate up the thermal gradients imposed across coated particles during high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) operation. Thorium dioxide kernel migration has been studied as a function of temperature (1290 to 1705 0 C) (1563 to 1978 K) and ThO 2 kernel burnup (0.9 to 5.8 percent FIMA) in out-of-pile postirradiation thermal gradient heating experiments. The studies were conducted to obtain descriptions of migration rates that will be used in core design studies to evaluate the impact of ThO 2 migration on fertile fuel performance in an operating HTGR and to define characteristics needed by any comprehensive model describing ThO 2 kernel migration. The kinetics data generated in these postirradiation studies are consistent with in-pile data collected by investigators at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, which supports use of the more precise postirradiation heating results in HTGR core design studies. Observations of intergranular carbon deposits on the cool side of migrating kernels support the assumption that the kinetics of kernel migration are controlled by solid-state diffusion within irradiated ThO 2 kernels. The migration is characterized by a period of no migration (incubation period), followed by migration at the equilibrium rate for ThO 2 . The incubation period decreases with increasing temperature and kernel burnup. The improved understanding of the kinetics of ThO 2 kernel migration provided by this work will contribute to an optimization of HTGR core design and an increased confidence in fuel performance predictions

  9. On axial temperature gradients due to large pressure drops in dense fluid chromatography.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Colgate, Sam O; Berger, Terry A

    2015-03-13

    The effect of energy degradation (Degradation is the creation of net entropy resulting from irreversibility.) accompanying pressure drops across chromatographic columns is examined with regard to explaining axial temperature gradients in both high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC). The observed effects of warming and cooling can be explained equally well in the language of thermodynamics or fluid dynamics. The necessary equivalence of these treatments is reviewed here to show the legitimacy of using whichever one supports the simpler determination of features of interest. The determination of temperature profiles in columns by direct application of the laws of thermodynamics is somewhat simpler than applying them indirectly by solving the Navier-Stokes (NS) equations. Both disciplines show that the preferred strategy for minimizing the reduction in peak quality caused by temperature gradients is to operate columns as nearly adiabatically as possible (i.e. as Joule-Thomson expansions). This useful fact, however, is not widely familiar or appreciated in the chromatography community due to some misunderstanding of the meaning of certain terms and expressions used in these disciplines. In fluid dynamics, the terms "resistive heating" or "frictional heating" have been widely used as synonyms for the dissipation function, Φ, in the NS energy equation. These terms have been widely used by chromatographers as well, but often misinterpreted as due to friction between the mobile phase and the column packing, when in fact Φ describes the increase in entropy of the system (dissipation, ∫TdSuniv>0) due to the irreversible decompression of the mobile phase. Two distinctly different contributions to the irreversibility are identified; (1) ΔSext, viscous dissipation of work done by the external surroundings driving the flow (the pump) contributing to its warming, and (2) ΔSint, entropy change accompanying decompression of

  10. Seasonal circulation over the Catalan inner-shelf (northwest Mediterranean Sea)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grifoll, Manel; Aretxabaleta, Alfredo L.; Pelegrí, Josep L.; Espino, Manuel; Warner, John C.; Sánchez-Arcilla, Agustín

    2013-01-01

    This study characterizes the seasonal cycle of the Catalan inner-shelf circulation using observations and complementary numerical results. The relation between seasonal circulation and forcing mechanisms is explored through the depth-averaged momentum balance, for the period between May 2010 and April 2011, when velocity observations were partially available. The monthly-mean along-shelf flow is mainly controlled by the along-shelf pressure gradient and by surface and bottom stresses. During summer, fall, and winter, the along-shelf momentum balance is dominated by the barotropic pressure gradient and local winds. During spring, both wind stress and pressure gradient act in the same direction and are compensated by bottom stress. In the cross-shelf direction the dominant forces are in geostrophic balance, consistent with dynamic altimetry data.

  11. Cold-season temperature in the Swiss Alps from AD 1100-1500; trends, intra-annual variability and forcing factors

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Jong, Rixt; Kamenik, Christian; Grosjean, Martin

    2010-05-01

    To fully understand past climatic changes and their forcing factors, detailed reconstructions of past summer and winter temperatures are required. Winter temperature reconstructions are scarce, however, because most biological proxies are biased towards the growing season. This study presents a detailed reconstruction of winter temperatures based on Chrysophyte stomatocysts, silicious scales formed by so-called 'golden algae'. Previous studies (Kamenik and Schmidt, 2005; Pla and Catalan, 2005) have demonstrated the sensitivity of these algae to cold-season temperatures. Chrysophyte stomatocyst analysis was carried out on varved sediments from Lake Silvaplana (1791 m a.s.l.) at annual to near-annual resolution for two periods; AD 1100-1500 and AD 1870-2004. For both periods the reference date 'date of spring mixing' (Smix) was reconstructed using a transfer function developed for the Austrian Alps (Kamenik and Schmidt, 2005). In the Austrian Alps, Smix was primarily driven by air temperature in the cold season. The strength of stomatocysts as a proxy for winter temperature was tested by directly comparing reconstructed Smix with measured temperatures from nearby meteostation Sils Maria for the period AD 1870 - 2004. Correlation was highest (R = -0.6; p number of eruptions during the much shorter instrumental period (Fischer et al., 2007). References: T. Crowley. Science 289, 270-277 (2000) E. Fischer et al. Geophys. Res. Lett. 34, L05707 (2007) C. Kamenik and R. Schmidt. Boreas 34, 477-489 (2005) I. Larocque-Tobler et al. Quat. Sci. Rev., accepted. S. Pla and J. Catalan. Clim. Dyn. 24, 263-278 (2005) M. Trachsel et al. Manuscript in review

  12. Migration of ThO2 kernels under the influence of a temperature gradient

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Smith, C.L.

    1976-11-01

    BISO coated ThO 2 fertile fuel kernels will migrate up the thermal gradients imposed across coated particles during HTGR operation. Thorium dioxide kernel migration has been studied as a function of temperature (1300 to 1700 0 C) and ThO 2 kernel burnup (0.9 to 5.8 percent FIMA) in out-of-pile, postirradiation thermal gradient heating experiments. The studies were conducted to obtain descriptions of migration rates that will be used in core design studies to evaluate the impact of ThO 2 migration on fertile fuel performance in an operating HTGR and to define characteristics needed by any comprehensive model describing ThO 2 kernel migration. The kinetics data generated in these postirradiation studies are consistent with in-pile data collected by investigators at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, which supports use of the more precise postirradiation heating results in HTGR core design studies. Observations of intergranular carbon deposits on the cool side of migrating kernels support the assumption that the kinetics of kernel migration are controlled by solid state diffusion within irradiated ThO 2 kernels. The migration is characterized by a period of no migration (incubation period) followed by migration at the equilibrium rate for ThO 2 . The incubation period decreases with increasing temperature and kernel burnup. The improved understanding of the kinetics of ThO 2 kernel migration provided by this work will contribute to an optimization of HTGR core design and an increased confidence in fuel performance predictions

  13. Laser-induced cracks in ice due to temperature gradient and thermal stress

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Song; Yang, Ying-Ying; Zhang, Jing-Yuan; Zhang, Zhi-Yan; Zhang, Ling; Lin, Xue-Chun

    2018-06-01

    This work presents the experimental and theoretical investigations on the mechanism of laser-induce cracks in ice. The laser-induced thermal gradient would generate significant thermal stress and lead to the cracking without thermal melting in the ice. The crack density induced by a pulsed laser in the ice critically depends on the laser scanning speed and the size of the laser spot on the surface, which determines the laser power density on the surface. A maximum of 16 cracks within an area of 17 cm × 10 cm can be generated when the laser scanning speed is at 10 mm/s and the focal point of the laser is right on the surface of the ice with a laser intensity of ∼4.6 × 107 W/cm2. By comparing the infrared images of the ice generated at various experimental conditions, it was found that a larger temperature gradient would result in more laser-induced cracks, while there is no visible melting of the ice by the laser beam. The data confirm that the laser-induced thermal stress is the main cause of the cracks created in the ice.

  14. Anthocyanin Profile in Berries of Wild and Cultivated Vaccinium spp. along Altitudinal Gradients in the Alps.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zoratti, Laura; Jaakola, Laura; Häggman, Hely; Giongo, Lara

    2015-10-07

    Vaccinium spp. berries provide some of the best natural sources of anthocyanins. In the wild bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.), a clear increasing trend in anthocyanin biosynthesis has been reported toward northern latitudes of Europe, but studies related to altitude have given contradictory results. The present study focused on the anthocyanin composition in wild bilberries and highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L. cv. Brigitta Blue) growing along altitudinal gradients in the Alps of northern Italy. Our results indicate an increasing accumulation of anthocyanins in bilberries along an altitudinal gradient of about 650 m. The accumulation was due to a significant increase in delphinidin and malvidin glycosides, whereas the accumulation of cyanidin and peonidin glycosides was not affected by altitude. Seasonal differences, especially temperature, had a major influence on the accumulation of anthocyanins in blueberries.

  15. Modeling the influence of a reduced equator-to-pole sea surface temperature gradient on the distribution of water isotopes in the Eocene

    Science.gov (United States)

    Speelman, E. N.; Sewall, J. O.; Noone, D. C.; Huber, M.; Sinninghe Damsté, J. S.; Reichart, G.

    2009-12-01

    Proxy-based climate reconstructions suggest the existence of a strongly reduced equator-to-pole temperature gradient during most of the Early Eocene. With the realization that the Eocene Arctic Ocean was covered with enormous quantities of the free floating freshwater fern Azolla, new questions related to Eocene (global) hydrological cycling facilitating these blooms arose. Changes in hydrological cycling, as a consequence of a reduced temperature gradient, are expected to be most clearly reflected in the isotopic composition (D, 18O) of precipitation. The interpretation of water isotopic records to quantitatively estimate past precipitation patterns is, however, hampered by the lack of detailed information on changes in their spatial and temporal distribution. Using the isotope-enabled global circulation model, Community Atmosphere Model v.3 (isoCAM3), relationships between water isotopes and past climates can be simulated. Here we examine the influence of a reduced meridional sea surface temperature gradient on the spatial distribution of precipitation and its isotopic composition in an Eocene setting. Overall, our combination of Eocene climate forcings, with superimposed TEX86-derived SST estimates and elevated pCO2 concentrations, produces a climate that agrees well with proxy data in locations around the globe. It shows the presence of an intensified hydrological cycle with precipitation exceeding evaporation in the Arctic region. The Eocene model runs with a significantly reduced equator-to-pole temperature gradient in a warmer more humid world predict occurrence of less depleted precipitation, with δD values ranging only between 0 and -140‰ (as opposed to the present-day range of 0 to -300‰). Combining new results obtained from compound specific isotope analyses on terrestrially derived n-alkanes extracted from Eocene sediments, and model calculations, shows that the model not only captures the main features, but reproduces isotopic values

  16. Destabilization of drift waves due to nonuniform density gradient

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hirose, A.; Ishihara, O.

    1985-01-01

    It is shown that the conventional mode differential equation for low frequency electrostatic waves in a tokamak does not contain full ion dynamics. Both electrons and ions contribute to the ballooning term, which is subject to finite ion Larmor radius effects. Also, both fluid ion approximation and kinetic ion model yield the same correction. Reexamined are the density gradient universal mode and ion temperature gradient instability employing the lowest order Pearlstein-Berk type radial eigenfunctions. No unstable, bounded, energy outgoing eigenfunctions have been found. In particular, a large ion temperature gradient (eta/sub i/) tends to further stabilize the temperature gradient driven mode

  17. The Transition to Collisionless Ion-temperature-gradient-driven Plasma Turbulence: A Dynamical Systems Approach

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kolesnikov, R.A.; Krommes, J.A.

    2004-01-01

    The transition to collisionless ion-temperature-gradient-driven plasma turbulence is considered by applying dynamical systems theory to a model with ten degrees of freedom. Study of a four-dimensional center manifold predicts a ''Dimits shift'' of the threshold for turbulence due to the excitation of zonal flows and establishes the exact value of that shift in terms of physical parameters. For insight into fundamental physical mechanisms, the method provides a viable alternative to large simulations

  18. Effects of temperature, temperature gradients, stress, and irradiation on migration of brine inclusions in a salt repository

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jenks, G.H.

    1979-07-01

    Available experimental and theoretical information on brine migration in bedded salt are reviewed and analyzed. The effects of temperature, thermal gradients, stress, irradiation, and pressure in a salt repository are among the factors considered. The theoretical and experimental (with KCl) results of Anthony and Cline were used to correlate and explain the available data for rates of brine migration at temperatures up to 250 0 C in naturally occurring crystals of bedded salt from Lyons and Hutchinson, Kansas. Considerations of the effects of stressing crystals of bedded salt on the migratin properties of brine inclusions within the crystals led to the conclusion that the most probable effects are a small fractional increase in the solubility of the salt within the liquid and a concomitant and equal fractional increase in the rate of the thermal gradient-induced migration of the brine. The greatest uncertainty relative to the prediction of rates of migration of brine into a waste emplacement cavity in bedded salt is associated with questions concerning the effects of the grain boundaries (within the aggregates of single crystals which comprise a bedded salt deposit) on brine migration through the deposit. The results of some of the estimates of rates and total amounts of brine inflow to HLW and SURF waste packages emplaced in bedded salt were included to illustrate the inflow volumes which might occur in a repository. The results of the brine inflow estimates for 10-year-old HLW emplaced at 150 kW/acre indicated inflow rates starting at 0.7 liter/year and totaling 12 liters at 30 years after emplacement. The results of the estimates for 10-year-old PWR SURF emplaced at 60 kW/acre indicated a constant inflow of 0.035 liter/year for the first 35 years after emplacement

  19. Linking activity, composition and seasonal dynamics of atmospheric methane oxidizers in a meadow soil.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shrestha, Pravin Malla; Kammann, Claudia; Lenhart, Katharina; Dam, Bomba; Liesack, Werner

    2012-06-01

    Microbial oxidation is the only biological sink for atmospheric methane. We assessed seasonal changes in atmospheric methane oxidation and the underlying methanotrophic communities in grassland near Giessen (Germany), along a soil moisture gradient. Soil samples were taken from the surface layer (0-10 cm) of three sites in August 2007, November 2007, February 2008 and May 2008. The sites showed seasonal differences in hydrological parameters. Net uptake rates varied seasonally between 0 and 70 μg CH(4) m(-2) h(-1). Greatest uptake rates coincided with lowest soil moisture in spring and summer. Over all sites and seasons, the methanotrophic communities were dominated by uncultivated methanotrophs. These formed a monophyletic cluster defined by the RA14, MHP and JR1 clades, referred to as upland soil cluster alphaproteobacteria (USCα)-like group. The copy numbers of pmoA genes ranged between 3.8 × 10(5)-1.9 × 10(6) copies g(-1) of soil. Temperature was positively correlated with CH(4) uptake rates (P50 vol% and primarily related to members of the MHP clade.

  20. Constitutive relationships for ocean sediments subjected to stress and temperature gradients

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Davies, T.G.; Banerjee, P.K.

    1980-08-01

    The disposal of low-level nuclear wastes by burial in deep sea sediments is an option currently being considered. This report lays the groundwork for an investigation of the stability of canisters containing nuclear wastes against movement due to fluidisation of the surrounding sediments, where such fluidisation may result from thermally induced stresses. The requisite constitutive relationships for ocean sediments under stress and temperature gradients are derived from the theory of critical state soil mechanics. A parametric survey has been made of the behaviour of an element of soil in order to assess various models and the importance of the governing parameters, The formulation of a finite element algorithm is given for the solution of the sediment stability problem. (author)

  1. Curvature and temperature gradient driven instabilities in tokomak edge plasmas with SOL

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Novakovskii, S.V.; Guzdar, P.N.; Drake, J.F.; Liu, C.S.

    1996-01-01

    Curvature driven resistive ballooning modes (RBM) as well as the electron temperature gradient (ETG) modes have been investigated in the tokomak edge region and the SOL, with the help of the numerical code open-quotes 2D-BALLOONclose quotes. This is an initial value code, which determines the stability properties and estimates the quasi-linear transport for given density, temperature, the magnetic and electric field profiles, taking into account the SOL geometry as well as a closed flux region. The results related to the following issues will be presented: (1) Comparative analysis of the ETG and the RBM instabilities in the SOL and their influence on the transport in the edge region (inside the Last Closed Magnetic Surface). (2) The influence of the effective Debye sheath current. (3) Different poloidal positions of the toroidal limiter and their effect on the instabilities. Other aspects of the edge plasma turbulence, such as finite β effects, flow-shear of the poloidal rotation etc. will also be discussed

  2. Performance and application of controlled temperature-gradient lamps in atomic absorption spectrometry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gough, D.S.; Sullivan, J.V.

    1981-01-01

    An improved design of controlled temperature-gradient lamp (CTGL) is suitable for arsenic, cadmium, phosphorus, potassium, rubidium, selenium, sodium, sulphur and zinc. Intensity and linewidth measurements indicate that the CTGL is significantly more intense than an electrodeless discharge lamp (EDL) at the same linewidth. CTGL's also compare favourably with EDL's when used as light sources for a.a.s. Arsenic and selenium can be determined at very low concentrations (ng ml -1 ) by the hydride generation technique. Sulphur and phosphorus can be detected in the vacuum ultra-violet region using nitrogen-separated flames; the limits of detection are 13 and 10 μg ml -1 , respectively. (Auth.)

  3. Changes in the onset of spring growth in shrubland species in response to experimental warming along a north-south gradient in Europe

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Prieto, Patricia; Penuelas, Josep; Niinemets, Üelo

    2009-01-01

    Species responsive to increased temperatures were Vaccinium myrtillus and Empetrum nigrum in Wales, Deschampsia flexuosa in Denmark, Calluna vulgaris in Netherlands, Populus alba in Hungary and Erica multiflora in Spain. Although the acceleration of spring growth was the commonest response to warming...... gradient with average annual temperatures (8.2–15.6 °C) and precipitation (511–1427 mm). Methods 'Bud break' was monitored in eight shrub and grass species in six European sites under control and experimentally warmer conditions generated by automatic roofs covering vegetation during the night. Results...... treatments, the responses at each site were species specific and year dependent. Under experimental warming 25% of cases exhibited a significantly earlier onset of the growing season and 10% had a significantly delayed onset of vegetative growth. No geographical gradient was detected in the experimental...

  4. Study of the kinetics of oxygen redistribution in UOsub(2+x) and UCeO2 due to a temperature gradient

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ducroux, Rene.

    1979-11-01

    The aim of this work is to study out of pile the oxygen redistrbution in UOsub(2+x) in order to explain the O/U+Pu profiles obtained in quenched mixed oxide fuels. The thermal gradient has been obtained by a 'mirror furnace'. The focal spot (0,5 cm 2 area) is maintained at the top of the cylindrical sample; the cold part of the pellet is in contact with the upper side of a molybdenum furnace. This allows to maintain a solid electrolyte probe at fixed temperature (ThO 2 - Y 2 O 3 ) which contains a Fe/FeO chemical reference. This probe gives continuously the oxygen activity at the cold part of the sample. It has been tested in measuring the oxygen potential of several chemical systems. The experiments have been achieved under argon purified by electrochemical pumps. The linear temperature profile was estimated showing a 300 0 C/cm thermal gradient. The hot side temperature did not exceed 1100 0 C in order to avoid the UO 3 evaporation. The EMF was continuously recorded during the anneal under thermal gradient. After quenching, the sample was cut in five or six slices. In each one, the analysis of the O/U ratio was performed. Though the annealing-times were short and the temperature of the hot side relatively low, the observed oxygen redistributions were found important, showing that the oxygen migrates to the hot part of the sample [fr

  5. Satellite-derived, melt-season surface temperature of the Greenland Ice Sheet (2000-2005) and its relationship to mass balance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hall, D.K.; Williams, R.S.; Casey, K.A.; DiGirolamo, N.E.; Wan, Z.

    2006-01-01

    Mean, clear-sky surface temperature of the Greenland Ice Sheet was measured for each melt season from 2000 to 2005 using Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS)–derived land-surface temperature (LST) data-product maps. During the period of most-active melt, the mean, clear-sky surface temperature of the ice sheet was highest in 2002 (−8.29 ± 5.29°C) and 2005 (−8.29 ± 5.43°C), compared to a 6-year mean of −9.04 ± 5.59°C, in agreement with recent work by other investigators showing unusually extensive melt in 2002 and 2005. Surface-temperature variability shows a correspondence with the dry-snow facies of the ice sheet; a reduction in area of the dry-snow facies would indicate a more-negative mass balance. Surface-temperature variability generally increased during the study period and is most pronounced in the 2005 melt season; this is consistent with surface instability caused by air-temperature fluctuations.

  6. Temperature Sensitivity of Soil Respiration to Nitrogen Fertilization: Varying Effects between Growing and Non-Growing Seasons

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Qingfang; Wang, Rui; Li, Rujian; Hu, Yaxian; Guo, Shengli

    2016-01-01

    Nitrogen (N) fertilization has a considerable effect on food production and carbon cycling in agro-ecosystems. However, the impacts of N fertilization rates on the temperature sensitivity of soil respiration (Q10) were controversial. Five N rates (N0, N45, N90, N135, and N180) were applied to a continuous winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) crop on the semi-arid Loess Plateau, and the in situ soil respiration was monitored during five consecutive years from 2008 to 2013. During the growing season, the mean soil respiration rates increased with increasing N fertilization rates, peaking at 1.53 μmol m−2s−1 in the N135 treatment. A similar dynamic pattern was observed during the non-growing season, yet on average with 7.3% greater soil respiration rates than the growing season. In general for all the N fertilization treatments, the mean Q10 value during the non-growing season was significantly greater than that during the growing season. As N fertilization rates increased, the Q10 values did not change significantly in the growing season but significantly decreased in the non-growing season. Overall, N fertilization markedly influenced soil respirations and Q10 values, in particular posing distinct effects on the Q10 values between the growing and non-growing seasons. PMID:27992576

  7. Experimental measurements of the SP response to concentration and temperature gradients in sandstones with application to subsurface geophysical monitoring

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leinov, E.; Jackson, M. D.

    2014-09-01

    Exclusion-diffusion potentials arising from temperature gradients are widely neglected in self-potential (SP) surveys, despite the ubiquitous presence of temperature gradients in subsurface settings such as volcanoes and hot springs, geothermal fields, and oil reservoirs during production via water or steam injection. Likewise, with the exception of borehole SP logging, exclusion-diffusion potentials arising from concentration gradients are also neglected or, at best, it is assumed that the diffusion potential dominates. To better interpret these SP sources requires well-constrained measurements of the various coupling terms. We report measurements of thermoelectric and electrochemical exclusion-diffusion potentials across sandstones saturated with NaCl brine and find that electrode effects can dominate the measured voltage. After correcting for these, we find that Hittorf transport numbers are the same within experimental error regardless of whether ion transport occurs in response to temperature or concentration gradients over the range of NaCl concentration investigated that is typical of natural systems. Diffusion potentials dominate only if the pore throat radius is more than approximately 4000 times larger than the diffuse layer thickness. In fine-grained sandstones with small pore throat diameter, this condition is likely to be met only if the saturating brine is of relatively high salinity; thus, in many cases of interest to earth scientists, exclusion-diffusion potentials will comprise significant contributions from both ionic diffusion through, and ionic exclusion from, the pore space of the rock. However, in coarse-grained sandstones, or sandstones saturated with high-salinity brine, exclusion-diffusion potentials can be described using end-member models in which ionic exclusion is neglected. Exclusion-diffusion potentials in sandstones depend upon pore size and salinity in a complex way: they may be positive, negative, or zero depending upon sandstone

  8. Seasonal and spatial patterns of microbial diversity along a trophic gradient in the interconnected lakes of the Osterseen Lake District, Bavaria

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zwirglmaier, Katrin; Keiz, Katharina; Engel, Marion; Geist, Juergen; Raeder, Uta

    2015-01-01

    The Osterseen Lake District in Bavaria consists of 19 small interconnected lakes that exhibit a pronounced trophic gradient from eutrophic to oligotrophic. It therefore presents a unique model system to address ecological questions regarding niche adaptation and Baas Becking's long standing hypothesis of “everything is everywhere, but the environment selects.” Here, we present the first assessment of the microbial diversity in these lakes. We sampled the lakes in August and December and used 454 pyrosequencing of 16S rRNA amplicons to analyze the microbial diversity. The diversity patterns between lakes and seasons were compared and the bacterial community composition was correlated with key chemical and physical parameters. Distinct patterns of bacterial diversity only emerged at the level of individual OTUs (operational taxonomic units), but not at the level of the major bacterial phyla. This emphasizes the high functional and physiological diversity among bacterial species within a phylum and calls for analysis of biodiversity at the level of OTUs in order to understand fine-scale biogeography. We were able to identify a number of cosmopolitan OTUs as well as specialist OTUs that were restricted to certain lakes or seasons, suggesting adaptation to specific ecological niches. PMID:26579082

  9. Investigation of microstructure and V-defect formation inInxGa1-xN/GaN MQW grown using temperature-gradient MOCVD

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Johnson, M.C.; Liliental-Weber, Z.; Zakharov, D.N.; McCready,D.E.; Jorgenson, R.J.; Wu, J.; Shan, W.; Bourret-Courchesne, E.D.

    2004-11-19

    Temperature-gradient Metalorganic Chemical Vapor Deposition was used to deposit In{sub x}Ga{sub 1-x}N/GaN multiple quantum well structures with a concentration gradient of indium across the wafer. These multiple quantum well structures were deposited on low defect density (2 x 10{sup 8} cm{sup -2}) GaN template layers for investigation of microstructural properties and V-defect (pinhole) formation. Room temperature photoluminescence and photomodulated transmission were used for optical characterization which show a systematic decrease in emission energy for a decrease in growth temperature. Triple-axis X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and cross-section transmission electron microscopy were used to obtain microstructural properties of different regions across the wafer. Results show that there is a decrease in crystal quality and an increase in V-defect formation with increasing indium concentration. A direct correlation was found between V-defect density and growth temperature due to increased strain and indium segregation for increasing indium concentration.

  10. The Influence of Climatic Seasonality on the Diversity of Different Tropical Pollinator Groups

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abrahamczyk, Stefan; Kluge, Jürgen; Gareca, Yuvinka; Reichle, Steffen; Kessler, Michael

    2011-01-01

    Tropical South America is rich in different groups of pollinators, but the biotic and abiotic factors determining the geographical distribution of their species richness are poorly understood. We analyzed the species richness of three groups of pollinators (bees and wasps, butterflies, hummingbirds) in six tropical forests in the Bolivian lowlands along a gradient of climatic seasonality and precipitation ranging from 410 mm to 6250 mm. At each site, we sampled the three pollinator groups and their food plants twice for 16 days in both the dry and rainy seasons. The richness of the pollinator groups was related to climatic factors by linear regressions. Differences in species numbers between pollinator groups were analyzed by Wilcoxon tests for matched pairs and the proportion in species numbers between pollinator groups by correlation analyses. Species richness of hummingbirds was most closely correlated to the continuous availability of food, that of bees and wasps to the number of food plant species and flowers, and that of butterflies to air temperature. Only the species number of butterflies differed significantly between seasons. We were not able to find shifts in the proportion of species numbers of the different groups of pollinators along the study gradient. Thus, we conclude that the diversity of pollinator guilds is determined by group-specific factors and that the constant proportions in species numbers of the different pollinator groups constitute a general pattern. PMID:22073268

  11. The influence of climatic seasonality on the diversity of different tropical pollinator groups.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stefan Abrahamczyk

    Full Text Available Tropical South America is rich in different groups of pollinators, but the biotic and abiotic factors determining the geographical distribution of their species richness are poorly understood. We analyzed the species richness of three groups of pollinators (bees and wasps, butterflies, hummingbirds in six tropical forests in the Bolivian lowlands along a gradient of climatic seasonality and precipitation ranging from 410 mm to 6250 mm. At each site, we sampled the three pollinator groups and their food plants twice for 16 days in both the dry and rainy seasons. The richness of the pollinator groups was related to climatic factors by linear regressions. Differences in species numbers between pollinator groups were analyzed by Wilcoxon tests for matched pairs and the proportion in species numbers between pollinator groups by correlation analyses. Species richness of hummingbirds was most closely correlated to the continuous availability of food, that of bees and wasps to the number of food plant species and flowers, and that of butterflies to air temperature. Only the species number of butterflies differed significantly between seasons. We were not able to find shifts in the proportion of species numbers of the different groups of pollinators along the study gradient. Thus, we conclude that the diversity of pollinator guilds is determined by group-specific factors and that the constant proportions in species numbers of the different pollinator groups constitute a general pattern.

  12. Explaining the species richness of birds along a subtropical elevational gradient in the Hengduan Mountains

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wu, Yongjie; Colwell, Robert K.; Rahbek, Carsten

    2013-01-01

    AimTo document the species richness pattern of birds in the Hengduan Mountains and to understand its causes. LocationHengduan Mountains, China. MethodsSpecies richness of 738 breeding bird species was calculated for each 100-m elevational band along a gradient from 100 to 6000m a.s.l. Climate data...... were compiled based on monthly records from 182 meteorological stations in the Hengduan Mountains from 1959 to 2004. We calculated the planimetric area, predicted richness under geometric constraints, three-year average NDVI (normalized difference vegetation index) and EVI (enhanced vegetation index...... that climatic and energy factors correlate well with the richness pattern of birds, and that on the surveyed subtropical mountain, the elevational bands with highest seasonality harbour fewer species than areas with less seasonal variation in temperature. The results, however, vary somewhat among taxonomic...

  13. A new look on anomalous thermal gradient values obtained in South Portugal

    Science.gov (United States)

    Duque, M. R.; Malico, I.

    2012-04-01

    A NEW LOOK ON THE ANOMALOUS THERMAL GRADIENT VALUES OBTAINED IN SOUTH PORTUGAL Duque, M. R. and Malico, I. M. Physics Department, University of Évora, Rua Romão Ramalho, 59,7000-671, Évora, Portugal It is well known that soil temperatures can be altered by water circulation. In this paper, we study numerically this effect by simulating some aquifers occurring in South Portugal. At this location, the thermal gradient values obtained in boreholes with depths less than 200 m, range between 22 and 30 °C km-1. However, there, it is easy to find places where temperatures are around 30 °C, at depths of 100 m. The obtained thermal gradient values show an increase one day after raining and a decrease during the dry season. Additionally, the curve of temperature as function of depth showed no hot water inlet in the hole. The region studied shows a smooth topography due to intensive erosion, but it was affected by alpine and hercinian orogenies. As a result, a high topography in depth, with folds and wrinkles is present. The space between adjacent folds is now filled by small sedimentary basins. Aquifers existing in this region can reach considerable depths and return to depths near the surface, but hot springs in the area are scarce. Water temperature rises in depth, and when the speed is high enough high temperatures near the surface, due to water circulation, can be found. The ability of the fluid to flow through the system depends on topography relief, rock permeability and basal heat flow. In this study, the steady-state fluid flow and heat transfer by conduction and advection are modeled. Fractures in the medium are simulated by an equivalent porous medium saturated with liquid. Thermal conductivity values for the water and the rocks can vary in space .Porosities used have high values in the region of the aquifer, low values in the lower region of the model and intermediate values in the upper regions. The results obtained show that temperature anomaly values

  14. Thermal Properties and Energy Fluxes in Pre-monsoon Season of 2016 at the Ponkar Debris-Covered Glacier, Manang, Nepal Himalaya

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chand, M. B.; Kayastha, R. B.; Armstrong, R. L.

    2016-12-01

    Himalayan glaciers are characterized by the presence of extensive debris cover in ablation areas. It is essential to understand the thermal properties and assess the effect of debris in glacier ice melt rate in debris-covered glaciers. Meteorological conditions are recorded on the lower ablation zone of the debris-covered Ponkar Glacier, Bhimthang, Manang, Nepal during pre-monsoon season of 2016. Debris temperature at different depths is monitored for winter and pre-monsoon season to estimate the effective heat conduction. Similarly, melt under the debris is also measured for pre-monsoon season. The incoming and outgoing shortwave radiations are measured at 2 m above the surface and other variables including air temperature, humidity, wind speed, and precipitation are used to estimate surface energy balance. Energy flux is dominated by net shortwave radiation as the foremost source of melting, where contribution of net longwave radiation, sensible, latent, and conductive heat flux is low. The daily average temperature gradients of the debris layer from surface to 30 cm below for winter and pre-monsoon seasons are 0.04 oC cm-1 and 0.23 oC cm-1, respectively. Debris thermal conductivities are 0.30 W m-1 K-1 and 1.69 W m-1 K-1 for the winter and pre-monsoon season, respectively. The higher value of conductivity during pre-monsoon season is due to the higher air temperature and increased precipitation compared to the winter months. The daily mean measured ice melt under a debris layer of 11-20 cm ranges from 0.6 to 1.1 cm. Estimation of melt at a few points can be used to estimate the general melting pattern for the glacier surface, which can be improved by using the spatial distribution of debris thickness and surface temperature.

  15. Gyrokinetic analysis of ion temperature gradient modes in the presence of sheared flows

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Artun, M.; Tang, W.M.

    1992-01-01

    The linearized gyrokinetic equation governing electrostatic microinstabilities in the presence of sheared equilibrium flow in both the z and y directions has been systematically derived for a sheared slab geometry, where in the large aspect ratio limit z and y directions correspond to the toroidal and poloidal directions respectively. In the familiar long perpendicular wavelength regime (κ perpendicular ρi > 1), the analysis leads to a comprehensive kinetic differential eigenmode equation which is solved numerically. The numerical results have been successfully cross-checked against analytic estimates in the fluid limit. For typical conditions, the Ion Temperature Gradient (ηi) modes are found to be stabilized for y-direction flows with a velocity shear scale comparable to that of the ion temperature gradient and velocities of a few percent of the sound speed. Sheared flows in the z-direction taken along are usually destabilizing, with the effect being independent of the sign of the flow. However, when both types are simultaneously considered, it is found that in the presence of shared z-direction flow, sheared y-direction flow can be either stabilizing or destabilizing depending on the relative sign of these flows. However, for sufficiently large values of υ' y the mode is completely stabilized regardless of the sign of υ' z υ' y . The importance of a proper kinetic treatment of this problem is supported by comparisons with fluid estimates. In particular, when such effects are favorable, significantly smaller values of sheared y-direction flow are required for stability than fluid estimates would indicate

  16. Metabarcoding Reveals Seasonal and Temperature-Dependent Succession of Zooplankton Communities in the Red Sea

    KAUST Repository

    Casas, Laura; Pearman, John K.; Irigoien, Xabier

    2017-01-01

    Very little is known about the composition and the annual cycle of zooplankton assemblages in the Red Sea, a confined water body characterized by a high biodiversity and endemism but at the same time one of the most understudied areas in the world in terms of marine biodiversity. This high diversity together with the lack of references for several of the groups poses a problem in obtaining basic information on zooplankton seasonal patterns. In the present work, we used high throughput sequencing to examine the temporal and spatial distribution of the zooplankton communities inhabiting the epipelagic zone in the central Red Sea. The analysis of zooplankton assemblages collected at two sites—coastal and offshore—twice a month at several depth strata by using MANTA, Bongo and WP2 nets provides baseline information of the seasonal patterns of the zooplankton community over 1 year. We show that the seasonal fluctuation of zooplankton communities living in the upper 100 m of the water column is driven mainly by the annual changes in seawater temperature. The 18S rRNA gene was used for metabarcoding of zooplankton assemblages revealing 630 metazoan OTUs (97% similarity) in five phyla, highlighting the richness of the Red Sea community. During colder months, communities were characterized by lower richness and higher biomass than communities found during the hot season. Throughout the year the zooplankton communities were dominated by the class Maxillopoda, mainly represented by copepods and class Hydrozoa. The rise in the water temperature favors the appearance of classes Malacostraca, Cephalopoda, Gastropoda, and Saggitoidea. The present study provides essential baseline information for future monitoring and improves our knowledge of the marine ecosystem in the Red Sea while reporting the main environmental variable structuring zooplankton assemblages in this region.

  17. Metabarcoding Reveals Seasonal and Temperature-Dependent Succession of Zooplankton Communities in the Red Sea

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Laura Casas

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available Very little is known about the composition and the annual cycle of zooplankton assemblages in the Red Sea, a confined water body characterized by a high biodiversity and endemism but at the same time one of the most understudied areas in the world in terms of marine biodiversity. This high diversity together with the lack of references for several of the groups poses a problem in obtaining basic information on zooplankton seasonal patterns. In the present work, we used high throughput sequencing to examine the temporal and spatial distribution of the zooplankton communities inhabiting the epipelagic zone in the central Red Sea. The analysis of zooplankton assemblages collected at two sites—coastal and offshore—twice a month at several depth strata by using MANTA, Bongo and WP2 nets provides baseline information of the seasonal patterns of the zooplankton community over 1 year. We show that the seasonal fluctuation of zooplankton communities living in the upper 100 m of the water column is driven mainly by the annual changes in seawater temperature. The 18S rRNA gene was used for metabarcoding of zooplankton assemblages revealing 630 metazoan OTUs (97% similarity in five phyla, highlighting the richness of the Red Sea community. During colder months, communities were characterized by lower richness and higher biomass than communities found during the hot season. Throughout the year the zooplankton communities were dominated by the class Maxillopoda, mainly represented by copepods and class Hydrozoa. The rise in the water temperature favors the appearance of classes Malacostraca, Cephalopoda, Gastropoda, and Saggitoidea. The present study provides essential baseline information for future monitoring and improves our knowledge of the marine ecosystem in the Red Sea while reporting the main environmental variable structuring zooplankton assemblages in this region.

  18. Metabarcoding Reveals Seasonal and Temperature-Dependent Succession of Zooplankton Communities in the Red Sea

    KAUST Repository

    Casas, Laura

    2017-08-02

    Very little is known about the composition and the annual cycle of zooplankton assemblages in the Red Sea, a confined water body characterized by a high biodiversity and endemism but at the same time one of the most understudied areas in the world in terms of marine biodiversity. This high diversity together with the lack of references for several of the groups poses a problem in obtaining basic information on zooplankton seasonal patterns. In the present work, we used high throughput sequencing to examine the temporal and spatial distribution of the zooplankton communities inhabiting the epipelagic zone in the central Red Sea. The analysis of zooplankton assemblages collected at two sites—coastal and offshore—twice a month at several depth strata by using MANTA, Bongo and WP2 nets provides baseline information of the seasonal patterns of the zooplankton community over 1 year. We show that the seasonal fluctuation of zooplankton communities living in the upper 100 m of the water column is driven mainly by the annual changes in seawater temperature. The 18S rRNA gene was used for metabarcoding of zooplankton assemblages revealing 630 metazoan OTUs (97% similarity) in five phyla, highlighting the richness of the Red Sea community. During colder months, communities were characterized by lower richness and higher biomass than communities found during the hot season. Throughout the year the zooplankton communities were dominated by the class Maxillopoda, mainly represented by copepods and class Hydrozoa. The rise in the water temperature favors the appearance of classes Malacostraca, Cephalopoda, Gastropoda, and Saggitoidea. The present study provides essential baseline information for future monitoring and improves our knowledge of the marine ecosystem in the Red Sea while reporting the main environmental variable structuring zooplankton assemblages in this region.

  19. Seasonal variation of upper mesospheric temperatures from the OH and O2 nightglow over King Sejong Station, Antarctica

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, J.-H.; Kim, Y. H.; Moon, B.-K.; Chung, J.-K.; Won, Y.-I.

    A spectral airglow temperature imager SATI was operated at King Sejong Station 62 22 r S 301 2 r E Korea Antarctic Research Station during a period of 2002 - 2005 Rotational temperatures from the OH 6-2 and O 2 0-1 band airglow were obtained for more than 600 nights during the 4 year operation Both the OH and O 2 temperatures show similar seasonal variations which change significantly year by year A maximum temperature occurred early May in 2003 and 2004 whereas two maxima appeared in April and August in 2002 The 2005 data show only a broad and weak maximum during months of April and May The data also show oscillations with periods of hours that seem to relate to tides and gravity waves and fluctuations with timescales of days that could be due to planetary waves Detailed analysis will be performed to the data set to identify major atmospheric oscillations or variation over hours days and seasons

  20. SHIFTS OF START AND END OF SEASON IN RESPONSE TO AIR TEMPERATURE VARIATION BASED ON GIMMS DATASET IN HYRCANIAN FORESTS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    K. H. Kiapasha

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available Climate change is one of the most important environmental challenges in the world and forest as a dynamic phenomenon is influenced by environmental changes. The Hyrcanian forests is a unique natural heritage of global importance and we need monitoring this region. The objective of this study was to detect start and end of season trends in Hyrcanian forests of Iran based on biweekly GIMMS (Global Inventory Modeling and Mapping Studies NDVI3g in the period 1981-2012. In order to find response of vegetation activity to local temperature variations, we used air temperature provided from I.R. Iran Meteorological Organization (IRIMO. At the first step in order to remove the existing gap from the original time series, the iterative Interpolation for Data Reconstruction (IDR model was applied to GIMMS and temperature dataset. Then we applied significant Mann Kendall test to determine significant trend for each pixel of GIMMS and temperature datasets over the Hyrcanian forests. The results demonstrated that start and end of season (SOS & EOS respectively derived from GIMMS3g NDVI time series increased by -0.16 and +0.41 days per year respectively. The trends derived from temperature time series indicated increasing trend in the whole of this region. Results of this study showed that global warming and its effect on growth and photosynthetic activity can increased the vegetation activity in our study area. Otherwise extension of the growing season, including an earlier start of the growing season, later autumn and higher rate of production increased NDVI value during the study period.

  1. Breeding Birds Associated with Seasonal Pools in the Northeastern United States

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seasonal pools in the northeast US are important habitats for amphibians and invertebrates, but little is known of their importance for birds. We examined avian community composition at seasonal pools across an urbanization gradient in Rhode Island to test the hypotheses that se...

  2. Spatial and seasonal distribution of carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur and their ecological stoichiometry in wetland soils along a water and salt gradient in the Yellow River Delta, China

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lu, Qiongqiong; Bai, Junhong; Zhang, Guangliang; Zhao, Qingqing; Wu, Jianjun

    2018-04-01

    Top soils (0-10 cm) were collected in three sampling belts during four seasons in 2014, including bare land (HN1), Calamagrostis epigeios (HN2), Typha orientalis (HN3), Phragmites australis (HN4), Tamarix chinensis (HN5) and Suaeda salsa (HN6) along a water and salinity gradient in the Yellow River Delta, China. Soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorous (TP), total sulfur (TS) and their ecological stoichiometry were measured to investigate their seasonal and horizontal distribution patterns, as well as their important influencing factors such as electric conductivity (EC) and water content (WC). Our results showed that the contents of SOC and TN exhibited similar changing tendency along the water and salinity gradient. The TP contents followed the order HN5 ≈ HN2 > HN3 ≈ HN6 > HN4 > HN1. TS levels generally increased with increasing salinity from HN1 to HN6. The higher levels of SOC and TP were mostly observed in October and August, respectively, while the seasonal variations in TN were heterogeneous under different plant covers. TS contents were lower in August compared with other sampling periods except for HN4. The mean values of the C/N, C/P and C/S ratios along a water-salinity gradient ranged from 26 to 72, 20 to 74, and 61 to 292, respectively. Generally, higher C/P ratios were observed in sampling sites with plant covers in October expect for HN1, whereas they were lower in January or August. SOC, TN and TP were significantly positively correlated with soil organic matter (SOM), silt, WC and cation exchange capacity (CEC) (p 0.05). Bulk density (BD) had a great influence on C/N ratio, C/P ratio were mainly effected by SOM, EC and silt, while C/S ratio showed a significant negative correlation with BD, EC, K+, Na+, and Mg2+ (p < 0.05).

  3. Electron-temperature-gradient-driven drift waves and anomalous electron energy transport

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shukla, P.K.; Murtaza, G.; Weiland, J.

    1990-01-01

    By means of a kinetic description for ions and Braginskii's fluid model for electrons, three coupled nonlinear equations governing the dynamics of low-frequency short-wavelength electrostatic waves in the presence of equilibrium density temperature and magnetic-field gradients in a two-component magnetized plasma are derived. In the linear limit a dispersion relation that admits new instabilities of drift waves is presented. An estimate of the anomalous electron energy transport due to non-thermal drift waves is obtained by making use of the saturated wave potential, which is deduced from the mixing-length hypothesis. Stationary solutions of the nonlinear equations governing the interaction of linearly unstable drift waves are also presented. The relevance of this investigation to wave phenomena in space and laboratory plasmas is pointed out. (author)

  4. Characterisation of temperature gradient driven turbulence and transport

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ottaviani, M.A.

    2002-01-01

    We report on extensive numerical studies aimed at characterising various aspects of temperature gradient driven turbulence. We specifically discuss results from 3D fluid models of ETG and of ITG turbulence, and results from a 2D+2D gyrokinetic model of trapped ion turbulence. Global transport exhibits gyro-Bohm scaling in both the ETG and the ITG model. The conductivity of the ETG model decreases weakly with beta. The heat transport is due to the EXB advection, the effect of the magnetic flutter is negligible. However the transport level is much lower than experimentally observed. In both 3D models the correlation lengths scale with the gyroradius, but they are typically a factor 10 larger. Vortices are elongated but their aspect ratio is independent of the gyroradius. Their radial size is limited by LD. The trapped ion model gives larger vortices due to the absence of LD from passing ions. Avalanches are observed in all the models, the weakest occurring in the ITG system. Their range increases with gyroradius, but more weakly than linearly. Finally, ZFs can limit the range of the avalanches, which explains why avalanches are weaker in the ITG model which is more sensitive to ZFs. (author)

  5. Redox systematics of a magma ocean with variable pressure-temperature gradients and composition.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Righter, K; Ghiorso, M S

    2012-07-24

    Oxygen fugacity in metal-bearing systems controls some fundamental aspects of the geochemistry of the early Earth, such as the FeO and siderophile trace element content of the mantle, volatile species that influence atmospheric composition, and conditions for organic compounds synthesis. Redox and metal-silicate equilibria in the early Earth are sensitive to oxygen fugacity (fO(2)), yet are poorly constrained in modeling and experimentation. High pressure and temperature experimentation and modeling in metal-silicate systems usually employs an approximation approach for estimating fO(2) that is based on the ratio of Fe and FeO [called "ΔIW (ratio)" hereafter]. We present a new approach that utilizes free energy and activity modeling of the equilibrium: Fe + SiO(2) + O(2) = Fe(2)SiO(4) to calculate absolute fO(2) and relative to the iron-wüstite (IW) buffer at pressure and temperature [ΔIW (P,T)]. This equilibrium is considered across a wide range of pressures and temperatures, including up to the liquidus temperature of peridotite (4,000 K at 50 GPa). Application of ΔIW (ratio) to metal-silicate experiments can be three or four orders of magnitude different from ΔIW (P,T) values calculated using free energy and activity modeling. We will also use this approach to consider the variation in oxygen fugacity in a magma ocean scenario for various thermal structures for the early Earth: hot liquidus gradient, 100 °C below the liquidus, hot and cool adiabatic gradients, and a cool subsolidus adiabat. The results are used to assess the effect of increasing P and T, changing silicate composition during accretion, and related to current models for accretion and core formation in the Earth. The fO(2) in a deep magma ocean scenario may become lower relative to the IW buffer at hotter and deeper conditions, which could include metal entrainment scenarios. Therefore, fO(2) may evolve from high to low fO(2) during Earth (and other differentiated bodies) accretion. Any

  6. Seasonal dynamics of the plant community and soil seed bank along a successional gradient in a subalpine meadow on the Tibetan Plateau.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Miaojun Ma

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Knowledge about how change the importance of soil seed bank and relationship between seed mass and abundance during vegetation succession is crucial for understanding vegetation dynamics. Many studies have been conducted, but their ecological mechanisms of community assembly are not fully understood. METHODOLOGY: We examined the seasonal dynamics of the vegetation and soil seed bank as well as seed size distribution along a successional gradient. We also explored the potential role of the soil seed bank in plant community regeneration, the relationship between seed mass and species abundance, and the relative importance of deterministic and stochastic processes along a successional gradient. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Species richness of seed bank increased (shallow layer and the total and seed density decreased (each layer and the total significantly with succession. Species richness and seed density differed significantly between different seasons and among soil depths. Seed mass showed a significant negative relationship with relative abundance in the earliest successional stage, but the relationships were not significant in later stages. Seed mass showed no relationship with relative abundance in the whole successional series in seed bank. Results were similar for both July 2005 and April 2006. CONCLUSIONS: The seed mass and abundance relationship was determined by a complex interaction between small and larger seeded species and environmental factors. Both stochastic processes and deterministic processes were important determinants of the structure of the earliest stage. The importance of seed bank decreased with succession. The restoration of abandoned farmed and grazed meadows to the species-rich subalpine meadow in Tibetan Plateau can be successfully achieved from the soil seed bank. However, at least 20 years are required to fully restore an abandoned agricultural meadow to a natural mature subalpine meadow.

  7. Evolution of plasticity and adaptive responses to climate change along climate gradients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kingsolver, Joel G; Buckley, Lauren B

    2017-08-16

    The relative contributions of phenotypic plasticity and adaptive evolution to the responses of species to recent and future climate change are poorly understood. We combine recent (1960-2010) climate and phenotypic data with microclimate, heat balance, demographic and evolutionary models to address this issue for a montane butterfly, Colias eriphyle , along an elevational gradient. Our focal phenotype, wing solar absorptivity, responds plastically to developmental (pupal) temperatures and plays a central role in thermoregulatory adaptation in adults. Here, we show that both the phenotypic and adaptive consequences of plasticity vary with elevation. Seasonal changes in weather generate seasonal variation in phenotypic selection on mean and plasticity of absorptivity, especially at lower elevations. In response to climate change in the past 60 years, our models predict evolutionary declines in mean absorptivity (but little change in plasticity) at high elevations, and evolutionary increases in plasticity (but little change in mean) at low elevation. The importance of plasticity depends on the magnitude of seasonal variation in climate relative to interannual variation. Our results suggest that selection and evolution of both trait means and plasticity can contribute to adaptive response to climate change in this system. They also illustrate how plasticity can facilitate rather than retard adaptive evolutionary responses to directional climate change in seasonal environments. © 2017 The Author(s).

  8. Thermal-gradient migration of brine inclusions in salt crystals

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yagnik, S.K.

    1982-09-01

    It has been proposed that high-level nuclear waste be disposed in a geologic repository. Natural-salt deposits, which are being considered for this purpose, contain a small volume fraction of water in the form of brine inclusions distributed throughout the salt. Radioactive-decay heating of the nuclear wastes will impose a temperature gradient on the surrounding salt which mobilizes the brine inclusions. Inclusions filled completely with brine migrate up the temperature gradient and eventually accumulate brine near the buried waste forms. The brine may slowly corrode or degrade the waste forms which is undesirable. In this work, thermal gradient migration of both all-liquid and gas-liquid inclusions was experimentally studied in synthetic single crystals of NaCl and KCl using a hot-stage attachment to an optical microscope which was capable of imposing temperature gradients and axial compressive loads on the crystals. The migration velocities of the inclusions were found to be dependent on temperature, temperature gradient, and inclusion shape and size. The velocities were also dictated by the interfacial mass transfer resistance at brine/solid interface. This interfacial resistance depends on the dislocation density in the crystal, which in turn, depends on the axial compressive loading of the crystal. At low axial loads, the dependence between the velocity and temperature gradient is non-linear.At high axial loads, however, the interfacial resistance is reduced and the migration velocity depends linearly on the temperature gradient. All-liquid inclusions filled with mixed brines were also studied. For gas-liquid inclusions, three different gas phases (helium, air and argon) were compared. Migration studies were also conducted on single crystallites of natural salt as well as in polycrystalline natural salt samples. The behavior of the inclusions at large angle grain boundaries was observed. 35 figures, 3 tables

  9. Thermal gradient migration of brine inclusions in salt crystals

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yagnik, S.K.

    1982-01-01

    Natural salt deposits, which are being considered for high-level nuclear wastes repositories, contain a small volume fraction of water in the form of brine inclusions distributed throughout the salt. Radioactive decay heating of the nuclear wastes will impose a temperature gradient on the surrounding salt which mobilizes the brine inclusions. Inclusions filled completely with brine (the all-liquid inclusions) migrate up the temperature gradient and eventually accumulate brine near the buried waste forms. The brine may slowly corrode or degrade the waste forms which is undesirable. In the present work, thermal gradient migration of both all-liquid and gas-liquid inclusions was experimentally studied in synthetic single crystals of NaCl and KCl using a hot-stage attachment to an optical microscope which was capable of imposing temperature gradients and axial compressive loads on the crystals. The migration velocities of the inclusions were found to be dependent on temperature, temperature gradient, and inclusion shape and size. The velocities were also dictated by the interfacial mass transfer resistance at brine/solid interface. This interfacial resistance depends on the dislocation density in the crystal, which in turn, depends on the axial compressive loading of the crystal. At low axial loads, the dependence between the velocity and temperature gradient is nonlinear. At high axial loads, however, the interfacial resistance is reduced and the migration velocity depends linearly on the temperature gradient. All-liquid inclusions filled with mixed brines were also studied. For gas-liquid inclusions, three different gas phases (helium, air and argon) were compared. Migration studies were also conducted on single crystallites of natural salt as well as in polycrystalline natural salt samples. The behavior of the inclusions at large angle grain boudaries was observed

  10. Electric field gradients in metals

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schatz, G.

    1979-01-01

    A review of the recent works on electric field gradient in metals is given. The main emphasis is put on the temperature dependence of the electric field gradient in nonmagnetic metals. Some methods of investigation of this effect using nuclear probes are described. One of them is nuclear accoustic resonance method. (S.B.)

  11. Observing Semi-Arid Ecoclimates across Mountain Gradients in the Great Basin, USA

    Science.gov (United States)

    Strachan, Scotty

    Observation of climate and ecohydrological variables in mountain systems is a necessary (if challenging) endeavor for modern society. Water resources are often intimately tied to mountains, and high elevation environments are frequently home to unique landscapes and biota with limited geographical distributions. This is especially true in the temperate and semi-arid mountains of the western United States, and specifically the Great Basin. Stark contrasts in annual water balance and ecological populations are visible across steep elevational gradients in the region; and yet the bulk of our historical knowledge of climate and related processes comes from lowland observations. Interpolative models that strive to estimate conditions in mountains using existing datasets are often found to be inaccurate, making future projections of mountain climate and ecosystem response suspect. This study details the results of high-resolution topographically-diverse ecohydrological monitoring, and describes the character and seasonality of basic climatic variables such as temperature and precipitation as well as their impact on soil moisture and vegetation during the 2012-2015 drought sequence. Relationships of topography (elevation/aspect) to daily and seasonal temperatures are shown. Tests of the PRISM temperature model are performed at the large watershed scale, revealing magnitudes, modes, and potential sources of bias that could dramatically affect derivative scientific conclusions. A new method of precipitation phase partitioning to detect and quantify frozen precipitation on a sub-daily basis is described. Character of precipitation from sub-daily to annual scales is quantified across all major Great Basin vegetation/elevation zones, and the relationship of elevation to precipitation phase, intensity, and amount is explored. Water-stress responses of Great Basin conifers including Pinus flexilis, Pinus longaeva, and Pinus ponderosa are directly observed, showing potential

  12. Continuous gradient temperature Raman spectroscopy of n-6 DPA and DHA from -100 C to 20°C

    Science.gov (United States)

    One of the great unanswered questions with respect to biological science in general is the absolute necessity of DHA in fast signal processing tissues. N-6 DPA, with just one less diene, group, is fairly abundant in terrestrial food chains yet cannot substitute for DHA. Gradient Temperature Raman sp...

  13. Impact of the temperature gradient between twin inclined jets and an oncoming crossflow on their resulting heat transfer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Radhouane, Amina; Mahjoub, Nejla; Mhiri, Hatem; Le Palec, George; Bournot, Philippe

    2009-01-01

    This paper deals with the interaction of twin inclined jets in crossflow. The consideration of this particular configuration is of great interest due to its wide presence in various domains and applications and to its dependence in many parameters. These parameters may be geometric like the jets height, the jet nozzles separating distance, the jet nozzles, exit section, etc... It may also be based upon one of the reigning features like the velocity ratio, the temperature gradient, etc...The gradient between the jets and the crossflow temperatures is precisely the parameter we intend to handle in the present work due to its great relevance in several environmental concerns and in technical constraints as well. The evaluation of this parameter will be carried out numerically on the temperature distribution itself. This evaluation is likely to give a thorough idea about the cooling/heating process resulted from the jets interaction with the oncoming crossflow. Such an understanding is likely to give viable solutions to problems raised by this configuration like the acid rain engendered by too hot fumes or the deterioration of the combustors walls by too high temperature jets, etc...The numerically simulated model is based on the resolution of the Navier-Stokes equations by means of the finite volume method and the RSM second order turbulent model and is validated by confrontation to experimental data depicted on the same geometric replica

  14. Growing season temperature and precipitation variability and extremes in the U.S. Corn Belt from 1981 to 2012

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dai, S.; Shulski, M.

    2013-12-01

    Climate warming and changes in rainfall patterns and increases in extreme events are resulting in higher risks of crop failures. A greater sense of urgency has been induced to understand the impacts of past climate on crop production in the U.S. As one of the most predominant sources of feed grains, corn is also the main source of U.S. ethanol. In the U.S. Corn Belt, region-scale evaluation on temperature and precipitation variability and extremes during the growing season is not well-documented yet. This study is part of the USDA-funded project 'Useful to Usable: Transforming climate variability and change information for cereal crop producers'. The overall goal of our work is to study the characteristics of average growing season conditions and changes in growing season temperature- and precipitation-based indices that are closely correlated with corn grain yield in the U.S. Corn Belt. The research area is the twelve major Corn Belt states, including IL, IN, IA, KS, MI, MN, MO, NE, OH, SD, ND, and WI. Climate data during 1981-2010 from 132 meteorological stations (elevation ranges from 122 m to 1,202 m) are used in this study, including daily minimum, maximum, and mean temperature, and daily precipitation. From 1981 to 2012, beginning date (BD), ending date (ED), and growing season length (GSL) in the climatological corn growing season are studied. Especially, during the agronomic corn growing season, from Apr to Oct, temperature- and precipitation-based indices are analyzed. The temperature-based indices include: number of days with daily mean temperature below 10°C, number of days with daily mean temperature above 30°C, the sum of growing degree days (GDD) between 10°C to 30°C (GDD10,30, growth range for corn), the sum of growing degree days above 30°C (GDD30+, exposure to harmful warming for corn), the sum of growing degree days between 0°C and 44°C (GDD0,44, survival range limits for corn), the sum of growing degree days between 5°C and 35°C (GDD5

  15. Seasonal Composite Raster Images for Sea Surface Temperature in the Gulf of Maine for Stellwagen Bank NMS

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — This personal geodatabase contains raster images of sea surface temperature (SST) in the Gulf of Maine. These raster images are seasonal composites, and were...

  16. Elevated Temperature and CO2 Stimulate Late-Season Photosynthesis But Impair Cold Hardening in Pine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chang, Christine Y; Fréchette, Emmanuelle; Unda, Faride; Mansfield, Shawn D; Ensminger, Ingo

    2016-10-01

    Rising global temperature and CO 2 levels may sustain late-season net photosynthesis of evergreen conifers but could also impair the development of cold hardiness. Our study investigated how elevated temperature, and the combination of elevated temperature with elevated CO 2 , affected photosynthetic rates, leaf carbohydrates, freezing tolerance, and proteins involved in photosynthesis and cold hardening in Eastern white pine (Pinus strobus). We designed an experiment where control seedlings were acclimated to long photoperiod (day/night 14/10 h), warm temperature (22°C/15°C), and either ambient (400 μL L -1 ) or elevated (800 μmol mol -1 ) CO 2 , and then shifted seedlings to growth conditions with short photoperiod (8/16 h) and low temperature/ambient CO 2 (LTAC), elevated temperature/ambient CO 2 (ETAC), or elevated temperature/elevated CO 2 (ETEC). Exposure to LTAC induced down-regulation of photosynthesis, development of sustained nonphotochemical quenching, accumulation of soluble carbohydrates, expression of a 16-kD dehydrin absent under long photoperiod, and increased freezing tolerance. In ETAC seedlings, photosynthesis was not down-regulated, while accumulation of soluble carbohydrates, dehydrin expression, and freezing tolerance were impaired. ETEC seedlings revealed increased photosynthesis and improved water use efficiency but impaired dehydrin expression and freezing tolerance similar to ETAC seedlings. Sixteen-kilodalton dehydrin expression strongly correlated with increases in freezing tolerance, suggesting its involvement in the development of cold hardiness in P. strobus Our findings suggest that exposure to elevated temperature and CO 2 during autumn can delay down-regulation of photosynthesis and stimulate late-season net photosynthesis in P. strobus seedlings. However, this comes at the cost of impaired freezing tolerance. Elevated temperature and CO 2 also impaired freezing tolerance. However, unless the frequency and timing of extreme low-temperature

  17. Elevated Temperature and CO2 Stimulate Late-Season Photosynthesis But Impair Cold Hardening in Pine[OPEN

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-01-01

    Rising global temperature and CO2 levels may sustain late-season net photosynthesis of evergreen conifers but could also impair the development of cold hardiness. Our study investigated how elevated temperature, and the combination of elevated temperature with elevated CO2, affected photosynthetic rates, leaf carbohydrates, freezing tolerance, and proteins involved in photosynthesis and cold hardening in Eastern white pine (Pinus strobus). We designed an experiment where control seedlings were acclimated to long photoperiod (day/night 14/10 h), warm temperature (22°C/15°C), and either ambient (400 μL L−1) or elevated (800 μmol mol−1) CO2, and then shifted seedlings to growth conditions with short photoperiod (8/16 h) and low temperature/ambient CO2 (LTAC), elevated temperature/ambient CO2 (ETAC), or elevated temperature/elevated CO2 (ETEC). Exposure to LTAC induced down-regulation of photosynthesis, development of sustained nonphotochemical quenching, accumulation of soluble carbohydrates, expression of a 16-kD dehydrin absent under long photoperiod, and increased freezing tolerance. In ETAC seedlings, photosynthesis was not down-regulated, while accumulation of soluble carbohydrates, dehydrin expression, and freezing tolerance were impaired. ETEC seedlings revealed increased photosynthesis and improved water use efficiency but impaired dehydrin expression and freezing tolerance similar to ETAC seedlings. Sixteen-kilodalton dehydrin expression strongly correlated with increases in freezing tolerance, suggesting its involvement in the development of cold hardiness in P. strobus. Our findings suggest that exposure to elevated temperature and CO2 during autumn can delay down-regulation of photosynthesis and stimulate late-season net photosynthesis in P. strobus seedlings. However, this comes at the cost of impaired freezing tolerance. Elevated temperature and CO2 also impaired freezing tolerance. However, unless the frequency and timing of extreme low-temperature

  18. Nonintrusive field experiments show different plant responses to warming and drought among sites, seasons, and species in a north-south European gradient

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Penuelas, J.; Gordon, C.; Llorens, L.

    2004-01-01

    -limited. In the water-stressed southern site, there was no increase in total aboveground plant biomass growth as expected since warming increases water loss, and temperatures in those ecosystems are already close to the optimum for photosynthesis. The southern site presented instead the most negative response...... a 15% increase in total aboveground plant biomass growth in the UK site. Both direct and indirect effects of warming, such as longer growth season and increased nutrient availability, are likely to be particularly important in this and the other northern sites which tend to be temperature...... to the drought treatment consisting of a soil moisture reduction at the peak of the growing season ranging from 33% in the Spanish site to 82% in The Netherlands site. In the Spanish site there was a 14% decrease in total aboveground plant biomass growth relative to control. Flowering was decreased by drought...

  19. Benchmark analysis of forecasted seasonal temperature over different climatic areas

    Science.gov (United States)

    Giunta, G.; Salerno, R.; Ceppi, A.; Ercolani, G.; Mancini, M.

    2015-12-01

    From a long-term perspective, an improvement of seasonal forecasting, which is often exclusively based on climatology, could provide a new capability for the management of energy resources in a time scale of just a few months. This paper regards a benchmark analysis in relation to long-term temperature forecasts over Italy in the year 2010, comparing the eni-kassandra meteo forecast (e-kmf®) model, the Climate Forecast System-National Centers for Environmental Prediction (CFS-NCEP) model, and the climatological reference (based on 25-year data) with observations. Statistical indexes are used to understand the reliability of the prediction of 2-m monthly air temperatures with a perspective of 12 weeks ahead. The results show how the best performance is achieved by the e-kmf® system which improves the reliability for long-term forecasts compared to climatology and the CFS-NCEP model. By using the reliable high-performance forecast system, it is possible to optimize the natural gas portfolio and management operations, thereby obtaining a competitive advantage in the European energy market.

  20. Effects of temperature and salinity on larval survival and development in the invasive shrimp Palaemon macrodactylus (Caridea: Palaemonidae) along the reproductive season

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guadalupe Vázquez, M.; Bas, Claudia C.; Kittlein, Marcelo; Spivak, Eduardo D.

    2015-05-01

    The invasive shrimp Palaemon macrodactylus is associated mainly with brackish waters. Previous studies raised the question if tolerance to low salinities differs between larvae and adults. To answer this question, the combined effects of two temperatures (20 and 25 °C) and four salinities (5, 12, 23 and 34 psu) on survival and development of larvae that hatched at the beginning, in the midpoint and near the end of a reproductive season (denoted early, middle season and late larvae respectively) were examined. The three types of larvae were able to survive and reach juvenile phase at salinities between 12 and 34 psu and at both temperatures. At 5 psu all larvae died, but 45% molted at least once. Temperature and salinity to a lesser extent, had effects on the duration of development and on the number of larval stages in all larval types. Development was longer at the lower temperature, especially in middle season and late larvae. Most early larvae reached the juvenile phase through 5 larval stages; the number of larval stages of middle season and late larvae was higher at 20 °C and in late larvae also low salinity produced extra stages. Low salinity (12 psu) and, in early and middle season larvae, low temperature produced lighter and smaller individuals. Response of larvae to environmental factors seems to be related in part to the previous conditions (maternal effects and/or embryo development conditions). The narrower salinity tolerance of larvae compared to adults and the ability of zoea I to survive at least some days at 5 psu may be related with an export larval strategy.

  1. Marine heatwaves and optimal temperatures for microbial assemblage activity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Joint, Ian; Smale, Dan A

    2017-02-01

    The response of microbial assemblages to instantaneous temperature change was measured in a seasonal study of the coastal waters of the western English Channel. On 18 occasions between November 1999 and December 2000, bacterial abundance was assessed and temperature responses determined from the incorporation of 3 H leucine, measured in a temperature gradient from 5°C to 38°C. Q 10 values varied, being close to 2 in spring and summer but were >3 in autumn. There was a seasonal pattern in the assemblage optimum temperature (T opt ), which was out of phase with sea surface temperature. In July, highest 3 H-leucine incorporation rates were measured at temperatures that were only 2.8°C greater than ambient sea surface temperature but in winter, T opt was ∼20°C higher than the ambient sea surface temperature. Sea surface temperatures for the adjacent English Channel and Celtic Sea for 1982-2014 have periodically been >3°C higher than climatological mean temperatures. This suggests that discrete periods of anomalously high temperatures might be close to, or exceed, temperatures at which maximum microbial assemblage activity occurs. The frequency and magnitude of marine heatwaves are likely to increase as a consequence of anthropogenic climate change and extreme temperatures may influence the role of bacterial assemblages in biogeochemical processes. © FEMS 2016. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  2. Limited tolerance by insects to high temperatures across tropical elevational gradients and the implications of global warming for extinction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    García-Robledo, Carlos; Kuprewicz, Erin K; Staines, Charles L; Erwin, Terry L; Kress, W John

    2016-01-19

    The critical thermal maximum (CTmax), the temperature at which motor control is lost in animals, has the potential to determine if species will tolerate global warming. For insects, tolerance to high temperatures decreases with latitude, suggesting that similar patterns may exist along elevational gradients as well. This study explored how CTmax varies among species and populations of a group of diverse tropical insect herbivores, the rolled-leaf beetles, across both broad and narrow elevational gradients. Data from 6,948 field observations and 8,700 museum specimens were used to map the elevational distributions of rolled-leaf beetles on two mountains in Costa Rica. CTmax was determined for 1,252 individual beetles representing all populations across the gradients. Initial morphological identifications suggested a total of 26 species with populations at different elevations displaying contrasting upper thermal limits. However, compared with morphological identifications, DNA barcodes (cytochrome oxidase I) revealed significant cryptic species diversity. DNA barcodes identified 42 species and haplotypes across 11 species complexes. These 42 species displayed much narrower elevational distributions and values of CTmax than the 26 morphologically defined species. In general, species found at middle elevations and on mountaintops are less tolerant to high temperatures than species restricted to lowland habitats. Species with broad elevational distributions display high CTmax throughout their ranges. We found no significant phylogenetic signal in CTmax, geography, or elevational range. The narrow variance in CTmax values for most rolled-leaf beetles, especially high-elevation species, suggests that the risk of extinction of insects may be substantial under some projected rates of global warming.

  3. Carbon dioxide effluxes and their environmental controls in sagebrush steppe ecosystems along an elevation gradient in the Reynolds Creek Critical Zone Observatory

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lohse, K. A.; Fellows, A.; Flerchinger, G. N.; Seyfried, M. S.

    2017-12-01

    The spatial and temporal variation of carbon dioxide effluxes and their environmental controls are poorly constrained in cold shrub steppe ecosystems. The objectives of this study were to 1) analyze environmental parameters in determining soil CO2 efflux, 2) assess the level of agreement between manual chambers and force diffusion (FD) soil CO2 efflux chambers, when both measurements are extrapolated across the growing season, and lastly to compare respiration fluxes to modeled ecosystem respiration fluxes. We installed FD chambers at four sites co-located with eddy covariance (EC) towers and soil moisture and temperature sensors along an elevation gradient in the Reynolds Creek Critical Zone Observatory in SW Idaho. FD chamber fluxes were collected continuously at 15-minute intervals. We sampled soil CO2 efflux with manual chambers at plant and interplant spaces in five plots at each site biweekly to monthly during the growing season. The sites included a Wyoming big sagebrush site, a low sagebrush site, a post-fire mountain big sagebrush site, and a mountain big sagebrush site located at elevations of 1425, 1680, 1808 and 2111 m. Climate variation followed the montane elevation gradient; mean annual precipitation (MAP) at the sites is 290, 337, 425, and 795 mm, respectively, and mean annual temperature is 8.9, 8.4, 6.1, 5.4°C. Automated force diffusion chambers detected large differences in carbon dioxide pulse dynamics along the elevation gradient. Growing season carbon dioxide fluxes were 3 times higher at the 425 mm MAP site compared than the lowest elevation sites at 290 and 337 MAP sites and >1.5 higher than the 795 mm MAP site over the same period. Manual fluxes showed similar seasonal patterns as FD chamber fluxes but often higher and greater spatial variability in fluxes than FD chamber fluxes. Plant and interplant flux differences were surprisingly similar, especially at higher elevations. Soil respiration ranged from 0.2-0.48 of ecosystem respiration

  4. Temperature and light conditions at different latitudes affect sensory quality of broccoli florets (Brassica oleracea L. var. italica).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johansen, Tor J; Mølmann, Jørgen Ab; Bengtsson, Gunnar B; Schreiner, Monica; Velasco, Pablo; Hykkerud, Anne L; Cartea, Elena; Lea, Per; Skaret, Josefine; Seljåsen, Randi

    2017-08-01

    Broccoli (Brassica oleracea L. var. italica) is a popular vegetable grown at a wide range of latitudes. Plants were grown in 2009-2011 in pots with standardized soil, irrigation and nutrient supply under natural temperature and light conditions at four locations (42-70° N). A descriptive sensory analysis of broccoli florets was performed by a trained panel to examine any differences along the latitudinal gradient for 30 attributes within appearance, odour, taste/flavour and texture. Average results over three summer seasons in Germany, southern Norway and northern Norway showed that the northernmost location with low temperatures and long days had highest scores for bud coarseness and uniform colour, while broccoli from the German location, with high temperatures and shorter days, had highest intensity of colour hue, whiteness, bitter taste, cabbage flavour, stale flavour and watery flavour. Results from two autumn seasons at the fourth location (42° N, Spain), with low temperatures and short days, tended toward results from the two northernmost locations, with an exception for most texture attributes. Results clearly demonstrate that temperature and light conditions related to latitude and season affect the sensory quality of broccoli florets. Results may be used in marketing special quality regional or seasonal products. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

  5. Ventilation System Type and the Resulting Classroom Temperature and Air Quality During Heating Season

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gao, Jie; Wargocki, Pawel; Wang, Yi

    2014-01-01

    The present study investigated how different ventilation system types influence classroom temperature and air quality. Five classrooms were selected in the same school. They were ventilated by manually operable windows, manually operable windows with exhaust fan, automatically operable windows...... with and without exhaust fan and by mechanical ventilation system. Temperature, relative humidity, carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration and opening of windows were continuously monitored for one month during heating season in 2012. Classroom with manually operable windows had the highest carbon dioxide concentration...... levels so that the estimated ventilation rate was the lowest compared with the classrooms ventilated with other systems. Temperatures were slightly lower in classroom ventilated by manually operable windows with exhaust fan. Windows were opened seldom even in the classroom ventilated by manually operable...

  6. Projected warming portends seasonal shifts of stream temperatures in the Crown of the Continent Ecosystem, USA and Canada

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jones, Leslie A.; Muhlfeld, Clint C.; Marshall, Lucy A.

    2017-01-01

    Climate warming is expected to increase stream temperatures in mountainous regions of western North America, yet the degree to which future climate change may influence seasonal patterns of stream temperature is uncertain. In this study, a spatially explicit statistical model framework was integrated with empirical stream temperature data (approximately four million bi-hourly recordings) and high-resolution climate and land surface data to estimate monthly stream temperatures and potential change under future climate scenarios in the Crown of the Continent Ecosystem, USA and Canada (72,000 km2). Moderate and extreme warming scenarios forecast increasing stream temperatures during spring, summer, and fall, with the largest increases predicted during summer (July, August, and September). Additionally, thermal regimes characteristic of current August temperatures, the warmest month of the year, may be exceeded during July and September, suggesting an earlier and extended duration of warm summer stream temperatures. Models estimate that the largest magnitude of temperature warming relative to current conditions may be observed during the shoulder months of winter (April and November). Summer stream temperature warming is likely to be most pronounced in glacial-fed streams where models predict the largest magnitude (> 50%) of change due to the loss of alpine glaciers. We provide the first broad-scale analysis of seasonal climate effects on spatiotemporal patterns of stream temperature in the Crown of the Continent Ecosystem for better understanding climate change impacts on freshwater habitats and guiding conservation and climate adaptation strategies.

  7. Simulated Seasonal Photoperiods and Fluctuating Temperatures Have Limited Effects on Blood Feeding and Life History in Aedes triseriatus (Diptera: Culicidae).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Westby, K M; Juliano, S A

    2015-09-01

    Biotic and abiotic factors change seasonally and impact life history in temperate-zone ectotherms. Temperature and photoperiod are factors that change in predictable ways. Most studies testing for effects of temperature on vectors use constant temperatures and ignore potential correlated effects of photoperiod. In two experiments, we tested for effects of larval rearing environments creating ecologically relevant temperatures and photoperiods simulating early and late season conditions (June and August), or constant temperatures (cool and warm) with the June or August photoperiods, respectively. We determined effects on survivorship, development, size, and a composite performance index in a temperate-zone population of Aedes triseriatus (Say). We followed cohorts of resulting females, all held under the same environmental conditions, to assess carry-over effects of rearing conditions for larvae on longevity, blood feeding, and egg production. Larval survivorship was affected by treatment in one experiment. Development time was greater in the June and cool treatments, but the constant and fluctuating temperatures did not differ. Significantly larger mosquitoes were produced in fluctuating versus constant temperature treatments. There were no significant treatment effects on the composite performance index. Adult female longevity was lower after rearing at constant versus fluctuating temperature, but there was no difference between June and August, nor did size affect longevity. There was no effect of treatments on blood feeding and a limited effect on egg production. We conclude that seasonal temperatures and photoperiods during development have limited effects on this population of A. triseriatus and find little evidence of strong effects of fluctuating versus constant temperatures. © The Authors 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  8. Linking activity, composition and seasonal dynamics of atmospheric methane oxidizers in a meadow soil

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shrestha, Pravin Malla; Kammann, Claudia; Lenhart, Katharina; Dam, Bomba; Liesack, Werner

    2012-01-01

    Microbial oxidation is the only biological sink for atmospheric methane. We assessed seasonal changes in atmospheric methane oxidation and the underlying methanotrophic communities in grassland near Giessen (Germany), along a soil moisture gradient. Soil samples were taken from the surface layer (0–10 cm) of three sites in August 2007, November 2007, February 2008 and May 2008. The sites showed seasonal differences in hydrological parameters. Net uptake rates varied seasonally between 0 and 70 μg CH4 m−2 h−1. Greatest uptake rates coincided with lowest soil moisture in spring and summer. Over all sites and seasons, the methanotrophic communities were dominated by uncultivated methanotrophs. These formed a monophyletic cluster defined by the RA14, MHP and JR1 clades, referred to as upland soil cluster alphaproteobacteria (USCα)-like group. The copy numbers of pmoA genes ranged between 3.8 × 105–1.9 × 106 copies g−1 of soil. Temperature was positively correlated with CH4 uptake rates (P50 vol% and primarily related to members of the MHP clade. PMID:22189499

  9. Estimates of eddy turbulence consistent with seasonal variations of atomic oxygen and its possible role in the seasonal cycle of mesopause temperature

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. N. Vlasov

    2010-11-01

    Full Text Available According to current understanding, adiabatic cooling and heating induced by the meridional circulation driven by gravity waves is the major process for the cold summer and warm winter polar upper mesosphere. However, our calculations show that the upward/downward motion needed for adiabatic cooling/heating of the summer/winter polar mesopause simultaneously induces a seasonal variation in both the O maximum density and the altitude of the [O] peak that is opposite to the observed variables generalized by the MSISE-90 model. It is usually accepted that eddy turbulence can produce the [O] seasonal variations. Using this approach, we can infer the eddy diffusion coefficient for the different seasons. Taking these results and experimental data on the eddy diffusion coefficient, we consider in detail and estimate the heating and cooling caused by eddy turbulence in the summer and winter polar upper mesosphere. The seasonal variations of these processes are similar to the seasonal variations of the temperature and mesopause. These results lead to the conclusion that heating/cooling by eddy turbulence is an important component in the energy budget and that adiabatic cooling/heating induced by upward/downward motion cannot dominate in the mesopause region. Our study shows that the impact of the dynamic process, induced by gravity waves, on [O] distributions must be included in models of thermal balance in the upper mesosphere and lower thermosphere (MLT for a consistent description because (a the [O] distribution is very sensitive to dynamic processes, and (b atomic oxygen plays a very important role in chemical heating and infrared cooling in the MLT. To our knowledge, this is the first attempt to consider this aspect of the problem.

  10. Theory of neoclassical resistivity-gradient-driven turbulence

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kwon, O.J.; Diamond, P.H.; Hahm, T.S.

    1988-12-01

    It is shown that rippling instabilities can tap the density gradient expansion free energy source through the density dependence of the neoclassical resistivity. Linear analyses show that the region where neoclassical rippling modes are significantly excited extends from the edge of the plasma to the region where ν/sub *e/ ≤ 1. Since these modes are non-dispersive, diamagnetic effects are negligible in comparison to the nonlinear decorrelation rate at saturation. Thus, the relevant regime is the 'strong turbulence' regime. The turbulent radial diffusivities of the temperature and the density are obtained as eigenvalues of the renormalized eigenmode equations at steady state. The density gradient acts to enhance the level of turbulence, compared to that driven by the temperature gradient alone. The saturated turbulent state is characterized by: current decoupling, the breakdown of Boltzmann relation, a radial mode scale of density fluctuations exceeding that of temperature fluctuations, implying that density diffusivity exceeds temperature diffusivity, and that density fluctuation levels exceed temperature fluctuation levels. Magnetic fluctuation levels are negligible. 29 refs., 1 fig

  11. How do two Lupinus species respond to temperature along an altitudinal gradient in the Venezuelan Andes? ¿Cómo responden dos especies de Lupinus a la temperatura en un gradiente altitudinal en los Andes venezolanos?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    FERMÍN RADA

    2008-09-01

    Full Text Available Temperature determines plant formations and species distribution along altitudinal gradients. Plants in the tropical high Andes, through different physiological and morphological characteristics, respond to freezing night temperatures and high daytime energy inputs which occur anytime of the year. The main objective of this study was to characterize day and night temperature related responses of two Lupinus species with different altitudinal ranges (L. meridanus, 1,800-3,600 and L. eromonomos, 3,700-4,300 m of altitude. Are there differences in night low temperature resistance mechanisms between the species along the gradient? How do these species respond, in terms of optimum temperature for photosynthesis, to increasing altitude? Lupinus meridanus shows frost avoidance, in contrast to L. eromonomos, which tolerates freezing at higher altitudes. Optimum temperature for photosynthesis decreases along the gradient for both species. Maximum C0(2 assimilation rates were higher in L. meridanus, while L. eromonomos showed decreasing C0(2 assimilation rates at the higher altitude. In most cases, measured daily leaf temperature is always within the 80 % of optimum for photosynthesis. L. meridanus7 upper distribution limit seems to be restricted by cold resistance mechanisms, while L. eromonomos7 to a combination of both cold resistance and to C0(2 assimilation responses at higher altitudes.La temperatura determina las formaciones vegetales y la distribución de especies a lo largo de gradientes altitudinales. Las plantas en los altos Andes tropicales, a través de diferentes características morfológicas y fisiológicas, responden a temperaturas congelantes nocturnas y altas entradas energéticas durante el día en cualquier momento del año. El objetivo principal de este estudio fue caracterizar las respuestas relacionadas con temperaturas diurnas y nocturnas en dos especies de Lupinus con diferente distribución altitudinal (L. meridanus, 1

  12. Soil moisture effects on seasonal temperature and precipitation forecast scores in Europe

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hurk, Bart van den; Camargo, Helio [Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute, KNMI, PO Box 201, AE De Bilt (Netherlands); Doblas-Reyes, Francisco [Catalan Institute of Climate Sciences (IC3), Barcelona (Spain); European Centre for Medium-range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), Reading (United Kingdom); Balsamo, Gianpaolo [European Centre for Medium-range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), Reading (United Kingdom); Koster, Randal D. [NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, Global Modeling and Assimilation Office, Greenbelt, MD (United States); Seneviratne, Sonia I. [Institute for Atmospheric and Climate Science, Zurich (Switzerland)

    2012-01-15

    The Second Global Land Atmosphere Coupling Experiment (GLACE2) is designed to explore the improvement of forecast skill of summertime temperature and precipitation up to 8 weeks ahead by using realistic soil moisture initialization. For the European continent, we show in this study that for temperature the skill does indeed increase up to 6 weeks, but areas with (statistically significant) lower skill also exist at longer lead times. The skill improvement is smaller than shown earlier for the US, partly because of a lower potential predictability of the European climate at seasonal time scales. Selection of extreme soil moisture conditions or a subset of models with similar initial soil moisture conditions does improve the forecast skill, and sporadic positive effects are also demonstrated for precipitation. Using realistic initial soil moisture data increases the interannual variability of temperature compared to the control simulations in the South-Central European area at longer lead times. This leads to better temperature forecasts in a remote area in Western Europe. However, the covered range of forecast dates (1986-1995) is too short to isolate a clear physical mechanism for this remote correlation. (orig.)

  13. Modeling the effects of the vertical temperature gradient in the furnace in an edge-defined film-fed growth technique

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Epure, S.; Braescu, L.; Balint, St.

    2006-01-01

    In this paper, the mathematical model for the growth of cylindrical bars described elsewhere is considered. Using MathCAD 11 Enterprise Edition and mathematical tools, the asymptotically stable steady-states (r*, h*) of the nonlinear system of differential equations which governs the evolution of the bar radius r=r(t) and the meniscus height h=h(t), for different values of the pulling rate v, the melt temperature T 0 at the meniscus basis and the vertical temperature gradient k in the furnace, respectively, are found. For a given k, the range of the stable growth regions in the (v, T 0 ) plane (i.e. those couples (v, T 0 ) for which (r*, h*) has physical sense) are determined. The effects of the changes of the vertical temperature gradient k are investigated and it is shown that if v and T 0 are constant, and k increases, then the bar radius r increases and the meniscus height h decreases. Numerical results are given for the silicon bar grown in an edge-defined film-fed growth (E.F.G.) system with a die radius r 0e =20(cmx10 -2 )

  14. Assimilation of temperature and hydraulic gradients for quantifying the spatial variability of streambed hydraulics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Xiang; Andrews, Charles B.; Liu, Jie; Yao, Yingying; Liu, Chuankun; Tyler, Scott W.; Selker, John S.; Zheng, Chunmiao

    2016-08-01

    Understanding the spatial and temporal characteristics of water flux into or out of shallow aquifers is imperative for water resources management and eco-environmental conservation. In this study, the spatial variability in the vertical specific fluxes and hydraulic conductivities in a streambed were evaluated by integrating distributed temperature sensing (DTS) data and vertical hydraulic gradients into an ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF) and smoother (EnKS) and an empirical thermal-mixing model. The formulation of the EnKF/EnKS assimilation scheme is based on a discretized 1D advection-conduction equation of heat transfer in the streambed. We first systematically tested a synthetic case and performed quantitative and statistical analyses to evaluate the performance of the assimilation schemes. Then a real-world case was evaluated to calculate assimilated specific flux. An initial estimate of the spatial distributions of the vertical hydraulic gradients was obtained from an empirical thermal-mixing model under steady-state conditions using a constant vertical hydraulic conductivity. Then, this initial estimate was updated by repeatedly dividing the assimilated specific flux by estimates of the vertical hydraulic gradients to obtain a refined spatial distribution of vertical hydraulic gradients and vertical hydraulic conductivities. Our results indicate that optimal parameters can be derived with fewer iterations but greater simulation effort using the EnKS compared with the EnKF. For the field application in a stream segment of the Heihe River Basin in northwest China, the average vertical hydraulic conductivities in the streambed varied over three orders of magnitude (5 × 10-1 to 5 × 102 m/d). The specific fluxes ranged from near zero (qz < ±0.05 m/d) to ±1.0 m/d, while the vertical hydraulic gradients were within the range of -0.2 to 0.15 m/m. The highest and most variable fluxes occurred adjacent to a debris-dam and bridge pier. This phenomenon is very likely

  15. High NDVI and Potential Canopy Photosynthesis of South American Subtropical Forests despite Seasonal Changes in Leaf Area Index and Air Temperature

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Piedad M. Cristiano

    2014-02-01

    Full Text Available The canopy photosynthesis and carbon balance of the subtropical forests are not well studied compared to temperate and tropical forest ecosystems. The main objective of this study was to assess the seasonal dynamics of Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI and potential canopy photosynthesis in relation to seasonal changes in leaf area index (LAI, chlorophyll concentration, and air temperatures of NE Argentina subtropical forests throughout the year. We included in the analysis several tree plantations (Pinus, Eucalyptus and Araucaria species that are known to have high productivity. Field studies in native forests and tree plantations were conducted; stem growth rates, LAI and leaf chlorophyll concentration were measured. MODIS satellite-derived LAI (1 km SIN Grid and NDVI (250m SIN Grid from February 2000 to 2012 were used as a proxy of seasonal dynamics of potential photosynthetic activity at the stand level. The remote sensing LAI of the subtropical forests decreased every year from 6 to 5 during the cold season, similar to field LAI measurements, when temperatures were 10 °C lower than during the summer. The yearly maximum NDVI values were observed during a few months in autumn and spring (March through May and November, respectively because high and low air temperatures may have a small detrimental effect on photosynthetic activity during both the warm and the cold seasons. Leaf chlorophyll concentration was higher during the cold season than the warm season which may have a compensatory effect on the seasonal variation of the NDVI values. The NDVI of the subtropical forest stands remained high and fairly constant throughout the year (the intra-annual coefficient of variation was 1.9%, and were comparable to the values of high-yield tree plantations. These results suggest that the humid subtropical forests in NE Argentina potentially could maintain high canopy photosynthetic activity throughout the year and thus this ecosystem may

  16. Seasonal changes in temperature and nutrient control of photosynthesis, respiration and growth of natural phytoplankton communities

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Stæhr, P. A.; Sand-Jensen, K.

    2006-01-01

    cultures in seasons of low ambient nutrient availability. 3. Temperature stimulation of growth and metabolism was higher at low than high ambient temperature showing that long-term temperature acclimation of the phytoplankton community before the experiments was of great importance for the measured rates...... +2, +4 and +6 °C for 2 weeks with and without addition of extra inorganic nutrients. 2. Rates of photosynthesis, respiration and growth generally increased with temperature, but this effect was strongly enhanced by high nutrient availability, and therefore was most evident for nutrient amended......1. To investigate the influence of elevated temperatures and nutrients on photosynthesis, respiration and growth of natural phytoplankton assemblages, water was collected from a eutrophic lake in spring, summer, autumn, winter and the following spring and exposed to ambient temperature and ambient...

  17. Experimental study of electron temperature gradient influence on impurity turbulent transport in fusion plasmas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Villegas, D.

    2010-01-01

    Understanding impurity transport is a key to an optimal regime for a future fusion device. In this thesis, the theoretical and experimental influence of the electron temperature gradient R/L Te on heavy impurity transport is analyzed both in Tore Supra and ASDEX Upgrade. The electron temperature profile is modified locally by heating the plasma with little ECRH power deposited at two different radii. Experimental results have been obtained with the impurity transport code (ITC) which has been completed with a genetic algorithm allowing to determine the transport coefficient profiles with more accuracy. Transport coefficient profiles obtained by a quasilinear gyrokinetic code named QuaLiKiz are consistent with the experimental ones despite experimental uncertainties on gradients. In the core dominated by electron modes, the lower R/L Te the lower the nickel diffusion coefficient. The latter tends linearly to the neoclassical level when the instability threshold is approached. The experimental threshold is in agreement with the one computed by QuaLiKiz. Further out, where the plasma is dominated by ITG, which are independent of R/L Te , both experimental and simulated results show no modification in the diffusion coefficient profile. Furthermore, the convection velocity profile is not modified. This is attributed to a very small contribution of the thermodiffusion (1/Z dependence) in the total convection. On ASDEX, the preliminary results, very different from the Tore Supra ones, show a internal transport barrier for impurities located at the same radius as the strong ECRH power deposit. (author) [fr

  18. Modeling the influence of a reduced equator-to-pole sea surface temperature gradient on the distribution of water isotopes in the Early/Middle Eocene

    Science.gov (United States)

    Speelman, Eveline N.; Sewall, Jacob O.; Noone, David; Huber, Matthew; von der Heydt, Anna; Damsté, Jaap Sinninghe; Reichart, Gert-Jan

    2010-09-01

    Proxy-based climate reconstructions suggest the existence of a strongly reduced equator-to-pole temperature gradient during the Azolla interval in the Early/Middle Eocene, compared to modern. Changes in the hydrological cycle, as a consequence of a reduced temperature gradient, are expected to be reflected in the isotopic composition of precipitation (δD, δ 18O). The interpretation of water isotopic records to quantitatively reconstruct past precipitation patterns is, however, hampered by a lack of detailed information on changes in their spatial and temporal distribution. Using the isotope-enabled version of the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) atmospheric general circulation model, Community Atmosphere Model v.3 (isoCAM3), relationships between water isotopes and past climates can be simulated. Here we examine the influence of an imposed reduced meridional sea surface temperature gradient on the spatial distribution of precipitation and its isotopic composition in an Early/Middle Eocene setting. As a result of the applied forcings, the Eocene simulation predicts the occurrence of less depleted high latitude precipitation, with δD values ranging only between 0 and -140‰ (compared to Present-day 0 to -300‰). Comparison with Early/Middle Eocene-age isotopic proxy data shows that the simulation accurately captures the main features of the spatial distribution of the isotopic composition of Early/Middle Eocene precipitation over land in conjunction with the aspects of the modeled Early/Middle Eocene climate. Hence, the included stable isotope module quantitatively supports the existence of a reduced meridional temperature gradient during this interval.

  19. The Impact of Wet Soil and Canopy Temperatures on Daytime Boundary-Layer Growth.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Segal, M.; Garratt, J. R.; Kallos, G.; Pielke, R. A.

    1989-12-01

    The impact of very wet soil and canopy temperatures on the surface sensible heat flux, and on related daytime boundary-layer properties is evaluated. For very wet soils, two winter situations are considered, related to significant changes in soil surface temperature: (1) due to weather perturbations at a given location, and (2) due to the climatological north-south temperature gradient. Analyses and scaling of the various boundary-layer properties, and soil surface fluxes affecting the sensible beat flux, have been made; related evaluations show that changes in the sensible heat flux at a given location by a factor of 2 to 3 due to temperature changes related to weather perturbations is not uncommon. These changes result in significant alterations in the boundary-layer depth; in the atmospheric boundary-layer warming; and in the break-up time of the nocturnal surface temperature inversion. Investigation of the impact of the winter latitudinal temperature gradient on the above characteristics indicated that the relative increase in very wet soil sensible heat flux, due to the climatological reduction in the surface temperature in northern latitudes, moderates to some extent its reduction due to the corresponding decrease in solar radiation. Numerical model simulations confirmed these analytical evaluations.In addition, the impact of synoptic temperature perturbations during the transition seasons (fall and spring) on canopy sensible heal fluxes, and the related boundary-layer characteristics mentioned above, was evaluated. Analogous features to those found for very wet soil surfaces occurred also for the canopy situations. Likewise, evaluations were also carried out to explore the impact of high midlatitude foreste areas on the boundary-layer characteristics during the winter as compared to those during the summer. Similar impacts were found in both seasons, regardless of the substantial difference in the daily total solar radiation.

  20. Stabilization of ion temperature gradient driven modes by lower hybrid wave in a tokamak

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kuley, Animesh; Tripathi, V. K.

    2009-01-01

    A gyrokinetic formalism has been developed to study lower hybrid wave stabilization of ion temperature gradient driven modes, responsible for anomalous ion transport in the inner region of tokamak. The parametric coupling between lower hybrid and drift waves produce lower hybrid sideband waves. The pump and the sidebands exert a ponderomotive force on electrons, modifying the eigenfrequency of the drift wave and influencing the growth rate. The longer wavelength drift waves are destabilized by the lower hybrid wave while the shorter wavelengths are suppressed. The requiste lower hybrid power is in the range of ∼900 kW at 4.6 GHz.

  1. Atmospheric pollen season in Zagreb (Croatia) and its relationship with temperature and precipitation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peternel, Renata; Srnec, Lidija; Čulig, Josip; Zaninović, Ksenija; Mitić, Božena; Vukušić, Ivan

    . The number of individuals allergic to plant pollen has recently been on a constant increase, especially in large cities and industrial areas. Therefore, monitoring of airborne pollen types and concentrations during the pollen season is of the utmost medical importance. The research reported in this paper aims to determine the beginning, course and end of the pollen season for the plants in the City of Zagreb, to identify allergenic plants, and to assess the variation in airborne pollen concentration as a function of temperature and precipitation changes for the year 2002. A volumetric Hirst sampler was used for airborne pollen sampling. Qualitative and quantitative pollen analysis was performed under a light microscope (magnification ×400). In the Zagreb area, 12 groups of highly allergenic plants (alder, hazel, cypress, birch, ash, hornbeam, grasses, elder, nettles, sweet chestnut, artemisia and ambrosia) were identified. Birch pollen predominated in spring, the highest concentrations being recorded in February and March. Grass pollen prevailed in May and June, and pollen of herbaceous plants of the genus Urtica (nettle) and of ambrosia in July, August and September. Air temperature was mostly higher or considerably higher than the annual average in those months, which resulted in a many days with high and very high airborne pollen concentrations. The exception was April, when these concentrations were lower because of high levels of precipitation. This also held for the first half of August and the second half of September. Pollen-sensitive individuals were at high risk from February till October because of the high airborne pollen concentrations, which only showed a transient decrease when the temperature fell or there was precipitation.

  2. The Effect of Seasonal Ambient Temperatures on Fire-Stimulated Germination of Species with Physiological Dormancy: A Case Study Using Boronia (Rutaceae)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Auld, Tony D.; Keith, David A.; Hui, Francis K. C.; Ooi, Mark K. J.

    2016-01-01

    Dormancy and germination requirements determine the timing and magnitude of seedling emergence, with important consequences for seedling survival and growth. Physiological dormancy is the most widespread form of dormancy in flowering plants, yet the seed ecology of species with this dormancy type is poorly understood in fire-prone vegetation. The role of seasonal temperatures as germination cues in these habitats is often overlooked due to a focus on direct fire cues such as heat shock and smoke, and little is known about the combined effects of multiple fire-related cues and environmental cues as these are seldom assessed in combination. We aimed to improve understanding of the germination requirements of species with physiological dormancy in fire-prone floras by investigating germination responses across members of the Rutaceae from south eastern Australia. We used a fully factorial experimental design to quantify the individual and combined effects of heat shock, smoke and seasonal ambient temperatures on germination of freshly dispersed seeds of seven species of Boronia, a large and difficult-to-germinate genus. Germination syndromes were highly variable but correlated with broad patterns in seed morphology and phylogenetic relationships between species. Seasonal temperatures influenced the rate and/or magnitude of germination responses in six species, and interacted with fire cues in complex ways. The combined effects of heat shock and smoke ranged from neutral to additive, synergistic, unitive or negative and varied with species, seasonal temperatures and duration of incubation. These responses could not be reliably predicted from the effect of the application of single cues. Based on these findings, fire season and fire intensity are predicted to affect both the magnitude and timing of seedling emergence in wild populations of species with physiological dormancy, with important implications for current fire management practices and for population

  3. Growth and demography of the solitary scleractinian coral Leptopsammia pruvoti along a sea surface temperature gradient in the Mediterranean Sea.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Erik Caroselli

    Full Text Available The demographic traits of the solitary azooxanthellate scleractinian Leptopsammia pruvoti were determined in six populations on a sea surface temperature (SST gradient along the western Italian coasts. This is the first investigation of the growth and demography characteristics of an azooxanthellate scleractinian along a natural SST gradient. Growth rate was homogeneous across all populations, which spanned 7 degrees of latitude. Population age structures differed between populations, but none of the considered demographic parameters correlated with SST, indicating possible effects of local environmental conditions. Compared to another Mediterranean solitary scleractinian, Balanophyllia europaea, zooxanthellate and whose growth, demography and calcification have been studied in the same sites, L. pruvoti seems more tolerant to temperature increase. The higher tolerance of L. pruvoti, relative to B. europaea, may rely on the absence of symbionts, and thus the lack of an inhibition of host physiological processes by the heat-stressed zooxanthellae. However, the comparison between the two species must be taken cautiously, due to the likely temperature differences between the two sampling depths. Increasing research effort on determining the effects of temperature on the poorly studied azooxanthellate scleractinians may shed light on the possible species assemblage shifts that are likely to occur during the current century as a consequence of global climatic change.

  4. Cold-season solar input and ambivalent thermal behavior brought by climber greenwalls

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jim, C.Y.

    2015-01-01

    Most greenwall studies focus on cooling and energy conservation in the warm season, and tropical cold-season has received little attention. This field-experimental study in humid-subtropical Hong Kong evaluated winter thermal behavior of climber greenwalls. Orientation and weather factors regulated solar-irradiation regimes with critical impact on vegetation thermal responses. Temperature differentiation occurred mainly on sunny day, with subdued variations on cloudy and rainy days. The south greenwall on sunny day received the highest solar-energy input, bringing divergent surface temperature in three climber species. The daytime descending cooling sequence was: Control-air > Pyrostegia venusta > Bauhinia corymbosa > Ficus pumila > Control-surface. Heat-sink effect related to foliage-thickness and moisture-content influenced climber thermal responses. Exceeding a solar-irradiance threshold of 500 Wm"−"2 was a prerequisite for notable solar-warming and transpiration-cooling, bringing well-differentiated climber-surface temperature. Cooling of vegetation-surface and Anterior-ambient-air was contrasted by warming behind the greenwall. Posterior-airgap with trapped stagnant air and Posterior-concrete-surface were warmed consistently above control concrete-surface on sunny and cloudy days. This winter passive warming mechanism denotes a new dimension in thermal benefits operating behind the greenwall. The thermal-gradient can transmit heat into indoor space, with benefits on human comfort, health and energy conservation. - Highlights: • Cold-season thermal regimes and benefits of climber greenwalls in tropics was studied. • Greenwall plots were installed as a field-experiment to evaluated six related factors. • Descending cooling sequence: Pyrostegia venusta > Bauhinia corymbosa > Ficus pumila. • Solar radiation intensity and foliage heat-sink effect determined climber cooling. • Posterior airgap and Posterior concrete-surface were warmed to provide indoor

  5. Nearly a decade-long repeatable seasonal diversity patterns of bacterioplankton communities in the eutrophic Lake Donghu (Wuhan, China)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yan, Qingyun [Environmental Microbiome Research Center and the School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou China; Key Laboratory of Aquatic Biodiversity and Conservation of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan China; Stegen, James C. [Biological Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland WA USA; Yu, Yuhe [Key Laboratory of Aquatic Biodiversity and Conservation of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan China; Deng, Ye [CAS Key Laboratory of Environmental Biotechnology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing China; Li, Xinghao [Key Laboratory of Aquatic Biodiversity and Conservation of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan China; Wu, Shu [Key Laboratory of Aquatic Biodiversity and Conservation of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan China; Dai, Lili [Key Laboratory of Aquatic Biodiversity and Conservation of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan China; Zhang, Xiang [Key Laboratory of Aquatic Biodiversity and Conservation of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan China; Li, Jinjin [Key Laboratory of Aquatic Biodiversity and Conservation of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan China; Wang, Chun [Key Laboratory of Aquatic Biodiversity and Conservation of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan China; Ni, Jiajia [Key Laboratory of Aquatic Biodiversity and Conservation of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan China; Li, Xuemei [Key Laboratory of Aquatic Biodiversity and Conservation of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan China; Hu, Hongjuan [Key Laboratory of Aquatic Biodiversity and Conservation of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan China; Xiao, Fanshu [Environmental Microbiome Research Center and the School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou China; Feng, Weisong [Key Laboratory of Aquatic Biodiversity and Conservation of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan China; Ning, Daliang [Department of Microbiology and Plant Biology, Institute for Environmental Genomics, University of Oklahoma, Norman OK USA; He, Zhili [Environmental Microbiome Research Center and the School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou China; Department of Microbiology and Plant Biology, Institute for Environmental Genomics, University of Oklahoma, Norman OK USA; Van Nostrand, Joy D. [Department of Microbiology and Plant Biology, Institute for Environmental Genomics, University of Oklahoma, Norman OK USA; Wu, Liyou [Department of Microbiology and Plant Biology, Institute for Environmental Genomics, University of Oklahoma, Norman OK USA; Zhou, Jizhong [Department of Microbiology and Plant Biology, Institute for Environmental Genomics, University of Oklahoma, Norman OK USA; State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing China; Earth Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley CA USA

    2017-05-21

    Uncovering which environmental factors have the greatest influence on community diversity patterns and how ecological processes govern community turnover are key questions related to understanding community assembly mechanisms. Although we have good understanding of plant and animal community assembly, the mechanisms regulating diversity patterns of aquatic bacterial communities in lake ecosystems remains poorly understood. Here we present nearly a decade-long time-series study of bacterioplankton communities from the eutrophic Lake Donghu (Wuhan, China) using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. We found strong repeatable seasonal patterns for the overall community, common (detected in more than 50% samples) and dominant bacterial taxa (relative abundance > 1%). Moreover, community composition tracked the seasonal temperature gradient, indicating that temperature is an important environmental factor controlling observed diversity patterns. Total phosphorus also contributed significantly to the seasonal shifts in bacterioplankton composition. However, any spatial pattern across the main lake areas was overwhelmed by temporal variability in this eutrophic lake system. Phylogenetic analysis further indicated that 75%-82% of community turnover was governed by homogeneous selection, suggesting that the bacterioplankton communities are mainly controlled by niche-based processes. However, dominant niches available within seasons might be occupied by similar combinations of bacterial taxa with modest dispersal rates throughout this lake system. This study gives us important insights into community assembly and seasonal turnover of lake bacterioplankton, it may be also useful to predict temporal patterns of other planktonic communities.

  6. INTER-SEASONAL DYNAMICS OF VEGETATION COVER AND SURFACE TEMPERATURE DISTRIBUTION: A CASE STUDY OF ONDO STATE, NIGERIA

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    H. A. Ibitolu

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available This study employs Landsat ETM+ satellite imagery to access the inter-seasonal variations of Surface Temperature and Vegetation cover in Ondo State in 2013. Also, air temperature data for year 2013 acquired from 3 synoptic meteorological stations across the state were analyzed. The Single-channel Algorithm was used to extract the surface temperature maps from the digital number embedded within the individual pixel. To understand the spatio-temporal distribution of LST and vegetation across the various landuse types, 200 sample points were randomly chosen, so that each land-use covers 40 points. Imagery for the raining season where unavailable because of the intense cloud cover. Result showed that the lowest air temperature of 20.9°C was in January, while the highest air temperature of 34°C occurred in January and March. There was a significant shift in the vegetation greenness over Ondo State, as average NDVI tend to increase from a weak positive value (0.189 to a moderate value (0.419. The LULC map revealed that vegetation cover occupied the largest area (65% followed by Built-up (26%, Swampy land (4%, Rock outcrop (3% and water bodies (2%. The surface temperature maps revealed that January has the lowest temperature of 10°C experienced in the coastal riverine areas of Ilaje and Igbokoda, while the highest temperature of 39°C observed in September is experienced on the rocky grounds. The study also showed the existence of pockets of Urban Heat Islands (UHI that are well scattered all over the state. This finding proves the capability and reliability of Satellite remote sensing for environmental studies.

  7. Changes In Some Physiological And Chemical Parameters Of Ostrich In Response To The Seasonal And Diurnal Temperature Variations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Khalil, M.H.; Khalifa, H.H.; Elaroussi, M.A.; Elsayed, M.A.; Basuony, H.A.

    2011-01-01

    The present study was carried out to evaluate the effect of temperature variation during summer and winter seasons and diurnal effect on ostrich performance and changes in some physiological and blood chemical parameters. Twelve immature ostrich birds (7 months old) were exposed to daily natural ambient temperatures during the summer and winter. The birds were fed a grower ration ad libitum (19 % protein and 2450 K cal ME/kg) and the daily feed consumption (g/ bird/day) and water consumption (ml/bird/day) were measured for a representative 7 days during each season. Cloacal temperatures was measured and blood samples were collected twice; one in the morning at 7:00 am and the other in the afternoon at 15.00 pm during a representative 7 hot days of June (40±2 degree C) (summer) and the 7 cold days of January (18±2 degree C) (winter). Red blood cells count (RBC) and total white blood cells count (WBC), hemoglobin (Hb) and packed cell volume (PCV) were determined. Mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular haemoglobin (MCH) and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentrations (MCHC) were calculated. In serum, levels of total protein (TP), albumin (A) and globulin (G), alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST), glucose, triglycerides, cholesterol, triiodothyronine (T 3 ) and cortisol were estimated. Results indicated that feed consumption unlike water consumption was significantly increased during winter than in summer season. Moreover, body temperature was increased significantly during the summer season as compared with the winter season and was significantly elevated at the afternoon than at the morning. Blood picture showed that hemoglobin (Hb), packed cell volume (PCV), red blood cells count (RBC) and total white blood cells count (WBC) were significantly decreased in the summer than in winter at the two diurnal periods. Also, both mean corpuscular volume (MCV) and mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH) were significantly increased in summer than winter

  8. Corresponding Relation between Warm Season Precipitation Extremes and Surface Air Temperature in South China

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    SUN; Wei; LI; Jian; YU; Ru-Cong

    2013-01-01

    Hourly data of 42 rain gauges over South China during 1966–2005 were used to analyze the corresponding relation between precipitation extremes and surface air temperature in the warm season(May to October).The results show that below 25℃,both daily and hourly precipitation extremes in South China increase with rising temperature.More extreme events transit to the two-time Clausius-Clapeyron(CC)relationship at lower temperatures.Daily as well as hourly precipitation extremes have a decreasing tendency nearly above 25℃,among which the decrease of hourly extremes is much more significant.In order to investigate the efects of rainfall durations,hourly precipitation extremes are presented by short duration and long duration precipitation,respectively.Results show that the dramatic decrease of hourly rainfall intensities above 25℃ is mainly caused by short duration precipitation,and long duration precipitation extremes rarely occur in South China when surface air temperature surpasses 28℃.

  9. Extended season for northern butterflies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Karlsson, Bengt

    2014-07-01

    Butterflies are like all insects in that they are temperature sensitive and a changing climate with higher temperatures might effect their phenology. Several studies have found support for earlier flight dates among the investigated species. A comparative study with data from a citizen science project, including 66 species of butterflies in Sweden, was undertaken, and the result confirms that most butterfly species now fly earlier during the season. This is especially evident for butterflies overwintering as adults or as pupae. However, the advancement in phenology is correlated with flight date, and some late season species show no advancement or have even postponed their flight dates and are now flying later in the season. The results also showed that latitude had a strong effect on the adult flight date, and most of the investigated species showed significantly later flights towards the north. Only some late flying species showed an opposite trend, flying earlier in the north. A majority of the investigated species in this study showed a general response to temperature and advanced their flight dates with warmer temperatures (on average they advanced their flight dates by 3.8 days/°C), although not all species showed this response. In essence, a climate with earlier springs and longer growing seasons seems not to change the appearance patterns in a one-way direction. We now see butterflies on the wings both earlier and later in the season and some consequences of these patterns are discussed. So far, studies have concentrated mostly on early season butterfly-plant interactions but also late season studies are needed for a better understanding of long-term population consequences.

  10. Needle age and season influence photosynthetic temperature response and total annual carbon uptake in mature Picea mariana trees

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jensen, Anna M.; Warren, Jeffrey M.; Hanson, Paul J.; Childs, Joanne; Wullschleger, Stan D.

    2015-01-01

    Background and Aims The carbon (C) balance of boreal terrestrial ecosystems is sensitive to increasing temperature, but the direction and thresholds of responses are uncertain. Annual C uptake in Picea and other evergreen boreal conifers is dependent on seasonal- and cohort-specific photosynthetic and respiratory temperature response functions, so this study examined the physiological significance of maintaining multiple foliar cohorts for Picea mariana trees within an ombrotrophic bog ecosystem in Minnesota, USA. Methods Measurements were taken on multiple cohorts of needles for photosynthetic capacity, foliar respiration (Rd) and leaf biochemistry and morphology of mature trees from April to October over 4 years. The results were applied to a simple model of canopy photosynthesis in order to simulate annual C uptake by cohort age under ambient and elevated temperature scenarios. Key Results Temperature responses of key photosynthetic parameters [i.e. light-saturated rate of CO2 assimilation (Asat), rate of Rubisco carboxylation (Vcmax) and electron transport rate (Jmax)] were dependent on season and generally less responsive in the developing current-year (Y0) needles compared with 1-year-old (Y1) or 2-year-old (Y2) foliage. Temperature optimums ranged from 18·7 to 23·7, 31·3 to 38·3 and 28·7 to 36·7 °C for Asat, Vcmax and Jmax, respectively. Foliar cohorts differed in their morphology and photosynthetic capacity, which resulted in 64 % of modelled annual stand C uptake from Y1&2 cohorts (LAI 0·67 m2 m−2) and just 36 % from Y0 cohorts (LAI 0·52 m2 m−2). Under warmer climate change scenarios, the contribution of Y0 cohorts was even less; e.g. 31 % of annual C uptake for a modelled 9 °C rise in mean summer temperatures. Results suggest that net annual C uptake by P. mariana could increase under elevated temperature, and become more dependent on older foliar cohorts. Conclusions Collectively, this study illustrates the physiological and

  11. The forcing of monthly precipitation variability over Southwest Asia during the Boreal cold season

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hoell, Andrew; Shukla, Shraddhanand; Barlow, Mathew; Cannon, Forest; Kelley, Colin; Funk, Christopher C.

    2015-01-01

    Southwest Asia, deemed as the region containing the countries of Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq and Pakistan, is water scarce and receives nearly 75% of its annual rainfall during8 the boreal cold season of November-April. The forcing of Southwest Asia precipitation has been previously examined for the entire boreal cold season from the perspective of climate variability originating over the Atlantic and tropical Indo-Pacific Oceans. Here, we examine the inter-monthly differences in precipitation variability over Southwest Asia and the atmospheric conditions directly responsible in forcing monthly November-April precipitation. Seasonally averaged November-April precipitation over Southwest Asia is significantly correlated with sea surface temperature (SST) patterns consistent with Pacific Decadal Variability (PDV), the El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and the warming trend of SST (Trend). On the contrary, the precipitation variability during individual months of November-April are unrelated and are correlated with SST signatures that include PDV, ENSO and Trend in different combinations. Despite strong inter-monthly differences in precipitation variability during November- April over Southwest Asia, similar atmospheric circulations, highlighted by a stationary equivalent barotropic Rossby wave centered over Iraq, force the monthly spatial distributions of precipitation. Tropospheric waves on the eastern side of the equivalent barotropic Rossby wave modifies the flux of moisture and advects the mean temperature gradient, resulting in temperature advection that is balanced by vertical motions over Southwest Asia. The forcing of monthly Southwest Asia precipitation by equivalent barotropic Rossby waves is different than the forcing by baroclinic Rossby waves associated with tropically-forced-only modes of climate variability.

  12. Tecuamburro Volcano, Guatemala: exploration geothermal gradient drilling and results

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goff, S.J.; Goff, F.; Janik, C.J.

    1992-01-01

    Results of geological, volcanological, hydrogeochemical, and geophysical field studies conducted in 1988 and 1989 at the Tecuamburro geothermal site, Guatemala, indicate that there is a substantial shallow heat source beneath the area of youngest volcanism. Gases from acid-sulfate springs near Laguna Ixpaco consistently yield maximum estimated subsurface temperatures of 300??C. To obtain information on subsurface temperatures and temperature gradients, stratigraphy, fracturing, hydrothermal alteration, and hydrothermal fluids, a geothermal gradient core hole (TCB-1) was drilled to 808 m low on the northern flank of the Tecuamburro Volcano complex. The hole is located 300 m south of a 300m-diameter phreatic crater. Laguna Ixpaco, dated at 2910 years. TCB-1 temperature logs do not indicate isothermal conditions at depth and the calculated thermal gradient from 500-800 m is 230??C/km. Bottom hole temperature is close to 240??C. Calculated heat flow values are around 350-400 mW/m2. Fluid-inclusion and secondary-alteration studies indicate that veins and secondary minerals were formed at temperatures equal to or slightly less than present temperatures; thus, the Tecuamburro geothermal system may still be heating up. The integration of results from the TCB-1 gradient core hole with results from field studies provides strong evidence that the Tecuamburro area holds great promise for geothermal resource development. ?? 1992.

  13. Effect of a temperature gradient on Sphagnum fallax and its associated living microbial communities: a study under controlled conditions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jassey, Vincent E J; Gilbert, Daniel; Binet, Philippe; Toussaint, Marie-Laure; Chiapusio, Geneviève

    2011-03-01

    Microbial communities living in Sphagnum are known to constitute early indicators of ecosystem disturbances, but little is known about their response (including their trophic relationships) to climate change. A microcosm experiment was designed to test the effects of a temperature gradient (15, 20, and 25°C) on microbial communities including different trophic groups (primary producers, decomposers, and unicellular predators) in Sphagnum segments (0-3 cm and 3-6 cm of the capitulum). Relationships between microbial communities and abiotic factors (pH, conductivity, temperature, and polyphenols) were also studied. The density and the biomass of testate amoebae in Sphagnum upper segments increased and their community structure changed in heated treatments. The biomass of testate amoebae was linked to the biomass of bacteria and to the total biomass of other groups added and, thus, suggests that indirect effects on the food web structure occurred. Redundancy analysis revealed that microbial assemblages differed strongly in Sphagnum upper segments along a temperature gradient in relation to abiotic factors. The sensitivity of these assemblages made them interesting indicators of climate change. Phenolic compounds represented an important explicative factor in microbial assemblages and outlined the potential direct and (or) indirect effects of phenolics on microbial communities.

  14. Trend analysis and change point detection of annual and seasonal temperature series in Peninsular Malaysia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Suhaila, Jamaludin; Yusop, Zulkifli

    2017-06-01

    Most of the trend analysis that has been conducted has not considered the existence of a change point in the time series analysis. If these occurred, then the trend analysis will not be able to detect an obvious increasing or decreasing trend over certain parts of the time series. Furthermore, the lack of discussion on the possible factors that influenced either the decreasing or the increasing trend in the series needs to be addressed in any trend analysis. Hence, this study proposes to investigate the trends, and change point detection of mean, maximum and minimum temperature series, both annually and seasonally in Peninsular Malaysia and determine the possible factors that could contribute to the significance trends. In this study, Pettitt and sequential Mann-Kendall (SQ-MK) tests were used to examine the occurrence of any abrupt climate changes in the independent series. The analyses of the abrupt changes in temperature series suggested that most of the change points in Peninsular Malaysia were detected during the years 1996, 1997 and 1998. These detection points captured by Pettitt and SQ-MK tests are possibly related to climatic factors, such as El Niño and La Niña events. The findings also showed that the majority of the significant change points that exist in the series are related to the significant trend of the stations. Significant increasing trends of annual and seasonal mean, maximum and minimum temperatures in Peninsular Malaysia were found with a range of 2-5 °C/100 years during the last 32 years. It was observed that the magnitudes of the increasing trend in minimum temperatures were larger than the maximum temperatures for most of the studied stations, particularly at the urban stations. These increases are suspected to be linked with the effect of urban heat island other than El Niño event.

  15. Seasonality of bottom water temperature in the northern North Sea reconstructed from the oxygen isotope composition of the bivalve Arctica islandica

    Science.gov (United States)

    Trofimova, Tamara; Andersson, Carin; Bonitz, Fabian

    2017-04-01

    The seasonality of temperature changes is an important characteristic of climate. However, observational data for the ocean are only available for the last 150 year from a limited number of locations. Prior to 18th century information is only available from proxy reconstructions. The vast majority of such reconstructions depend on land-based archives, primarily from dendrochronology. Established marine proxy records for the ocean, especially at high latitudes, are both sparsely distributed and poorly resolved in time. Therefore, the identification and development of proxies for studying key ocean processes at sub-annual resolution that can extend the marine instrumental record is a clear priority in marine climate science. In this study, we have developed a record of early Holocene seasonal variability of bottom water temperature from the Viking Bank in the northern most North Sea. This area is of a particular interest since the hydrography is controlled by the inflow of Atlantic water. The reconstruction is based on the oxygen isotope composition of the growth increments in two sub-fossil shells of Arctica islandica (Bivalvia), dated to 9600-9335 cal. yr BP. By combining radiocarbon dating and sclerochronological techniques a floating chronology spanning over 200 years was constructed. Using the chronology as an age model, oxygen isotope measurements from 2 shells were combined into a 22-years long record. The results from this oxygen isotope record are compared with stable oxygen isotope profiles from modern shells to estimate changes in the mean state and seasonality between present and early Holocene. Shell-derived oxygen isotope values together with ice-volume corrected oxygen isotope values for the seawater were used to calculate bottom-water temperatures on a sub-annual time-scale. Preliminary results of the reconstructed early Holocene bottom water temperature indicate higher seasonality and lower minimum temperature compared to the present.

  16. Longitudinal and Seasonal Variations of the Electron Temperature and Density in the Low-Latitude Topside Ionosphere Observed by KOMPSAT-1

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Heejun Kim

    2002-06-01

    Full Text Available The electron density and temperature in the topside ionosphere are observed by the Ionosphere Measurement Sensor (IMS onboard the KOMPSAT-1, which has the sun-synchronous orbit of the altitude of 685 km and the orbital inclination of 98deg with a descending node at 22:50LT. Observations have been analyzed to determine the seasonal variations of the electron density and temperature in the low-latitude region. Only the night-time (22:50LT behavior on magnetically quiet days (Kp < 4 has been examined. Observations show a strong longitudinal and seasonal variation. Generally, in the dip equator the density increases and the temperature decreases. In equinox the latitudinal distributions of the electron density and temperature are quite symmetric about the dip equator. However, the local maximum of the density and the local minimum of the temperature shift toward the Northern hemisphere in summer solstice but the Southern hemisphere in winter solstice. Such variations are due to the influences of field-aligned plasma transport induced by F region neutral wind. Compared with the IRI95 model, the observed electron density and temperature show significant differences from those predicted by the IRI95 model.

  17. Seasonal habitat selection of the red deer (Cervus elaphus alxaicus in the Helan Mountains, China

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mingming Zhang

    2013-02-01

    Full Text Available We studied the seasonal habitat selection of the red deer, Cervus elaphus alxaicus Bobrinskii & Flerov, 1935, in the Helan Mountains, China, from December 2007 to December 2008. Habitat selection varied widely by season. Seasonal movements between high and low elevations were attributed to changes in forage availability, alpine topography, the arid climate of the Helan Mountains, and potential competition with blue sheep, Pseudois nayaur (Hodgson, 1833. The use of vegetation types varied seasonally according to food availability and ambient temperature. Red deer used montane coniferous forest and alpine shrub and meadow zones distributed above 2,000 m and 3,000 m in summer, alpine shrub and meadows above 3,000 m in autumn, being restricted to lower elevation habitats in spring and winter. The winter habitat of C. elaphus alxaicus was dominated by Ulmus glaucescens Franch. and Juglans regia Linnaeus, deciduous trees, and differed from the habitats selected by other subspecies of red deer. Cervus elaphus alxaicus preferred habitats with abundant vegetation coverage to open habitats in winter, but the reverse pattern was observed in summer and autumn. Red deer preferred gentle slopes (<10° but the use of slope gradient categories varied seasonally. Red deer avoidance of human disturbance in the Helan Mountains varied significantly by season. Information on red deer habitat selection can help understand the factors affecting seasonal movements and also support decision making in the management and conservation of red deer and their habitats.

  18. Community and ecosystem responses to elevational gradients

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sundqvist, Maja K.; Sanders, Nate; Wardle, David A.

    2013-01-01

    Community structure and ecosystem processes often vary along elevational gradients. Their responses to elevation are commonly driven by changes in temperature, and many community- and ecosystem-level variables therefore frequently respond similarly to elevation across contrasting gradients...... elevational gradients for understanding community and ecosystem responses to global climate change at much larger spatial and temporal scales than is possible through conventional ecological experiments. However, future studies that integrate elevational gradient approaches with experimental manipulations...... will provide powerful information that can improve predictions of climate change impacts within and across ecosystems....

  19. Rates and Controls of N2 Fixation in Sphagnum spp. along the Hydrological Gradient - Beaver Pond to Bog Transition at Mer Bleue, Ontario, Canada

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zivkovic, T.; Moore, T. R.

    2014-12-01

    Many northern bogs with low atmospheric N inputs acquire N only via N2-fixation. Little is known about rates and controls on N2-fixation in bogs. The aim of this study was to: 1) test the important ecological drivers for N2-fixation, 2) investigate seasonal and temporal patterns of N2 fixation, and 3) to estimate current N2-fixation rates at Mer Bleue bog. We used acetylene reduction assay (ARA) to measure N2-fixation from June-October 2013 and 2014 (currently ongoing field season) along a hydrological gradient (beaver pond, hollows and hummocks). The highest ARA rates in 2013 growing season occurred in the pond in floating Sphagnum cuspidatum mats (50.3 ± 12.9 μmol m-2 d-1 Mean ± Std Err) which were up to 2.5 times latger than the rates found in the hummock with the lowest water table depth throughout the season. Two rain events during the summer 2013 increased ARA rates in all plots by 1 to 4 times, suggesting that moisture availability may play a crucial role on N2 fixation potential in the field. We are currently investigating the role of moisture, temperature, PAR and nutrient content (N, phosphorous and metals) on ARA along the gradient. In addition, we are using 15N2 enrichment method to estimate N2 fixation rates and compare them to ARA method at Mer Bleue bog.

  20. Continuous epitaxial growth of extremely strong Cu6Sn5 textures at liquid-Sn/(111)Cu interface under temperature gradient

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhong, Y.; Zhao, N.; Liu, C. Y.; Dong, W.; Qiao, Y. Y.; Wang, Y. P.; Ma, H. T.

    2017-11-01

    As the diameter of solder interconnects in three-dimensional integrated circuits (3D ICs) downsizes to several microns, how to achieve a uniform microstructure with thousands of interconnects on stacking chips becomes a critical issue in 3D IC manufacturing. We report a promising way for fabricating fully intermetallic interconnects with a regular grain morphology and a strong texture feature by soldering single crystal (111) Cu/Sn/polycrystalline Cu interconnects under the temperature gradient. Continuous epitaxial growth of η-Cu6Sn5 at cold end liquid-Sn/(111)Cu interfaces has been demonstrated. The resultant η-Cu6Sn5 grains show faceted prism textures with an intersecting angle of 60° and highly preferred orientation with their ⟨ 11 2 ¯ 0 ⟩ directions nearly paralleling to the direction of the temperature gradient. These desirable textures are maintained even after soldering for 120 min. The results pave the way for controlling the morphology and orientation of interfacial intermetallics in 3D packaging technologies.

  1. Ant Diversity and Distribution along Elevation Gradients in the Australian Wet Tropics: The Importance of Seasonal Moisture Stability.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Somayeh Nowrouzi

    Full Text Available The threat of anthropogenic climate change has seen a renewed focus on understanding contemporary patterns of species distribution. This is especially the case for the biota of tropical mountains, because tropical species often have particularly narrow elevational ranges and there are high levels of short-range endemism. Here we describe geographic patterns of ant diversity and distribution in the World Heritage-listed rainforests of the Australian Wet Tropics (AWT, revealing seasonal moisture stability to be an important environmental correlate of elevational patterns of species composition. We sampled ants in leaf litter, on the litter surface and on tree trunks at 26 sites from six subregions spanning five degrees of latitude and elevation ranges from 100-1,300 m. A total of 296 species from 63 genera were recorded. Species richness showed a slight peak at mid elevations, and did not vary significantly with latitude. Species composition varied substantially between subregions, and many species have highly localised distributions. There was very marked species turnover with elevation, with a particularly striking compositional disjunction between 600 m and 800 m at each subregion. This disjunction coincides with a strong environmental threshold of seasonal stability in moisture associated with cloud 'stripping'. Our study therefore provides further support for climatic stability as a potential mechanism underlying patterns of diversity. The average height of orographic cloud layers is predicted to rise under global warming, and associated shifts in seasonal moisture stability may exacerbate biotic change caused by rising temperature alone.

  2. Optical performance of the SO/PHI full disk telescope due to temperature gradients effect on the heat rejection entrance window

    Science.gov (United States)

    Garranzo, D.; Núñez, A.; Zuluaga-Ramírez, P.; Barandiarán, J.; Fernández-Medina, A.; Belenguer, T.; Álvarez-Herrero, A.

    2017-11-01

    The Polarimetric Helioseismic Imager for Solar Orbiter (SO/PHI) is an instrument on board in the Solar Orbiter mission. The Full Disk Telescope (FDT) will have the capability of providing images of the solar disk in all orbital faces with an image quality diffraction-limited. The Heat Rejection Entrance Window (HREW) is the first optical element of the instrument. Its function is to protect the instrument by filtering most of the Solar Spectrum radiation. The HREW consists of two parallel-plane plates made from Suprasil and each surface has a coating with a different function: an UV shield coating, a low pass band filter coating, a high pass band filter coating and an IR shield coating, respectively. The temperature gradient on the HREW during the mission produces a distortion of the transmitted wave-front due to the dependence of the refractive index with the temperature (thermo-optic effect) mainly. The purpose of this work is to determine the capability of the PHI/FDT refocusing system to compensate this distortion. A thermal gradient profile has been considered for each surface of the plates and a thermal-elastic analysis has been done by Finite Element Analysis to determine the deformation of the optical elements. The Optical Path Difference (OPD) between the incident and transmitted wavefronts has been calculated as a function of the ray tracing and the thermo-optic effect on the optical properties of Suprasil (at the work wavelength of PHI) by means of mathematical algorithms based on the 3D Snell Law. The resultant wavefronts have been introduced in the optical design of the FDT to evaluate the performance degradation of the image at the scientific focal plane and to estimate the capability of the PHI refocusing system for maintaining the image quality diffraction-limited. The analysis has been carried out considering two different situations: thermal gradients due to on axis attitude of the instrument and thermal gradients due to 1° off pointing attitude

  3. Extreme Temperature Regimes during the Cool Season and their Associated Large-Scale Circulations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xie, Z.

    2015-12-01

    In the cool season (November-March), extreme temperature events (ETEs) always hit the continental United States (US) and provide significant societal impacts. According to the anomalous amplitudes of the surface air temperature (SAT), there are two typical types of ETEs, e.g. cold waves (CWs) and warm waves (WWs). This study used cluster analysis to categorize both CWs and WWs into four distinct regimes respectively and investigated their associated large-scale circulations on intra-seasonal time scale. Most of the CW regimes have large areal impact over the continental US. However, the distribution of cold SAT anomalies varies apparently in four regimes. In the sea level, the four CW regimes are characterized by anomalous high pressure over North America (near and to west of cold anomaly) with different extension and orientation. As a result, anomalous northerlies along east flank of anomalous high pressure convey cold air into the continental US. To the middle troposphere, the leading two groups feature large-scale and zonally-elongated circulation anomaly pattern, while the other two regimes exhibit synoptic wavetrain pattern with meridionally elongated features. As for the WW regimes, there are some patterns symmetry and anti-symmetry with respect to CW regimes. The WW regimes are characterized by anomalous low pressure and southerlies wind over North America. The first and fourth groups are affected by remote forcing emanating from North Pacific, while the others appear mainly locally forced.

  4. Linear and nonlinear dynamics of electron temperature gradient mode in non-Maxwellian plasmas

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zakir, U.; Qamar, A. [Institute of Physics and Electronics, University of Peshawar, Peshawar (Pakistan); Haque, Q. [Theoretical Plasma Physics Division, PINSTECH, Islamabad (Pakistan); National Centre for Physics, Islamabad (Pakistan)

    2013-05-15

    The effect of non-Maxwellian distributed ions on electron temperature gradient mode is investigated. The linear dispersion relation of η{sub e}−mode is obtained which shows that the behavior of this mode changes in the presence of superthermal ions. The growth rate of η{sub e}−mode driven linear instability is found and is observed to modify due to nonthermal ions. However, it is found that this leaves the electron energy transport coefficient unchanged. In the nonlinear regime, a dipolar vortex solution is derived which indicates that the dynamic behavior of the vortices changes with the inclusion of kappa distributed ions. The importance of present study with respect to space and laboratory plasmas is also pointed out.

  5. Responses of Microbial Community Composition to Temperature Gradient and Carbon Steel Corrosion in Production Water of Petroleum Reservoir

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiao-Xiao Li

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Oil reservoir production systems are usually associated with a temperature gradient and oil production facilities frequently suffer from pipeline corrosion failures. Both bacteria and archaea potentially contribute to biocorrosion of the oil production equipment. Here the response of microbial populations from the petroleum reservoir to temperature gradient and corrosion of carbon steel coupons were investigated under laboratory condition. Carbon steel coupons were exposed to production water from a depth of 1809 m of Jiangsu petroleum reservoir (China and incubated for periods of 160 and 300 days. The incubation temperatures were set at 37, 55, and 65°C to monitoring mesophilic, thermophilic and hyperthermophilic microorganisms associated with anaerobic carbon steel corrosion. The results showed that corrosion rate at 55°C (0.162 ± 0.013 mm year-1 and 37°C (0.138 ± 0.008 mm year-1 were higher than that at 65°C (0.105 ± 0.007 mm year-1, and a dense biofilm was observed on the surface of coupons under all biotic incubations. The microbial community analysis suggests a high frequency of bacterial taxa associated with families Porphyromonadaceae, Enterobacteriaceae, and Spirochaetaceae at all three temperatures. While the majority of known sulfate-reducing bacteria, in particular Desulfotignum, Desulfobulbus and Desulfovibrio spp., were predominantly observed at 37°C; Desulfotomaculum spp., Thermotoga spp. and Thermanaeromonas spp. as well as archaeal members closely related to Thermococcus and Archaeoglobus spp. were substantially enriched at 65°C. Hydrogenotrophic methanogens of the family Methanobacteriaceae were dominant at both 37 and 55°C; acetoclastic Methanosaeta spp. and methyltrophic Methanolobus spp. were enriched at 37°C. These observations show that temperature changes significantly alter the microbial community structure in production fluids and also affected the biocorrosion of carbon steel under anaerobic conditions.

  6. Sign of inverse spin Hall voltages generated by ferromagnetic resonance and temperature gradients in yttrium iron garnet platinum bilayers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schreier, Michael; Lotze, Johannes; Gross, Rudolf; Goennenwein, Sebastian T B; Bauer, Gerrit E W; Uchida, Ken-ichi; Daimon, Shunsuke; Kikkawa, Takashi; Saitoh, Eiji; Vasyuchka, Vitaliy I; Lauer, Viktor; Chumak, Andrii V; Serga, Alexander A; Hillebrands, Burkard; Flipse, Joost; Van Wees, Bart J

    2015-01-01

    We carried out a concerted effort to determine the absolute sign of the inverse spin Hall effect voltage generated by spin currents injected into a normal metal. We focus on yttrium iron garnet (YIG)∣platinum bilayers at room temperature, generating spin currents by microwaves and temperature gradients. We find consistent results for different samples and measurement setups that agree with theory. We suggest a right-hand-rule to define a positive spin Hall angle corresponding to the voltage expected for the simple case of scattering of free electrons from repulsive Coulomb charges. (paper)

  7. Modelling soil temperature and moisture and corresponding seasonality of photosynthesis and transpiration in a boreal spruce ecosystem

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, S. H.; Jansson, P.-E.

    2013-02-01

    Recovery of photosynthesis and transpiration is strongly restricted by low temperatures in air and/or soil during the transition period from winter to spring in boreal zones. The extent to which air temperature (Ta) and soil temperature (Ts) influence the seasonality of photosynthesis and transpiration of a boreal spruce ecosystem was investigated using a process-based ecosystem model (CoupModel) together with eddy covariance (EC) data from one eddy flux tower and nearby soil measurements at Knottåsen, Sweden. A Monte Carlo-based uncertainty method (GLUE) provided prior and posterior distributions of simulations representing a wide range of soil conditions and performance indicators. The simulated results showed sufficient flexibility to predict the measured cold and warm Ts in the moist and dry plots around the eddy flux tower. Moreover, the model presented a general ability to describe both biotic and abiotic processes for the Norway spruce stand. The dynamics of sensible heat fluxes were well described by the corresponding latent heat fluxes and net ecosystem exchange of CO2. The parameter ranges obtained are probably valid to represent regional characteristics of boreal conifer forests, but were not easy to constrain to a smaller range than that produced by the assumed prior distributions. Finally, neglecting the soil temperature response function resulted in fewer behavioural models and probably more compensatory errors in other response functions for regulating the seasonality of ecosystem fluxes.

  8. Determination of Cardinal Temperatures for Cool Season Turfgrass and Two Common Weed Species

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marjan Diayanat

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Introduction The presence of broadleaf weeds not only reduces the aesthetic quality of the turfgrass, but more importantly they compete with desired turfgrass for water, nutrients, and light. Weed management after seeding is an important component to successfully establishing a healthy stand of cool season turfgrass. Weed seed germination is a key process because determines both the number of weeds that could potentially emerge and the timing of their appearance in the turfgrass. Temperature is of the most important factor regulating germination of non-dormant seeds in irrigated, annual agroecosystems at the beginning of the growth season where light, nutrients, and moisture are typically not growth limiting. Also prostrate knotweed (Polygonum aviculare L. and annual sowthistle (Sonchus oleraceus L. are two annual common broad leaf weeds in cool season turfgrass. Prostrate knotweed is very competitive in infertile and compacted soils and often invades turfgrasses along driveways, sidewalks, and beaten paths across lawns. Annual sowthistle is found in open habitats that include waste areas, turf, and roadsides. The aim of this study was to evaluate different nonlinear regression models to describe response of germination rate to different temperatures in perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L., fescue (Festuca rubra L., prostrate knotweed and annual sowthistle. Materials and Methods This experiment was based on completely randomized design with 4 replications at Islamic Azad University in the laboratory of Science Research Branch in 2015. The seeds were treated with different temperatures (2, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40 and 45oC Twenty five seeds were placed in each petri dish for each species in per replication. Ten milliliters of distilled water were added to each petri dish and the filter papers were regularly moistened to ensure saturation throughout the germination tests. Petri dishes were placed in germinator with 16 hour day, 8 hour night

  9. How Do Tropical Sea Surface Temperatures Influence the Seasonal Distribution of Precipitation in the Equatorial Amazon?.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fu, Rong; Dickinson, Robert E.; Chen, Mingxuan; Wang, Hui

    2001-10-01

    Although the correlation between precipitation over tropical South America and sea surface temperatures (SSTs) over the Pacific and Atlantic has been documented since the early twentieth century, the impact of each ocean on the timing and intensity of the wet season over tropical South America and the underlying mechanisms have remained unclear. Numerical experiments have been conducted using the National Center for Atmospheric Research Community Climate Model Version 3 to explore these impacts. The results suggest the following.1)Seasonality of SSTs in the tropical Pacific and Atlantic has an important influence on precipitation in the eastern Amazon during the equinox seasons. The eastern side of the Amazon is influenced both by the direct thermal circulation of the Atlantic intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) and by Rossby waves. These processes are enhanced by the seasonal cycles of SSTs in the tropical Atlantic and Pacific. SSTs affect Amazon precipitation much less during the solstice seasons and in the western Amazon.2)The seasonality of SSTs in the Atlantic more strongly affects Amazon rainfall than does that of the Pacific. Without the former, austral spring in the eastern equatorial Amazon would be a wet season, rather than the observed dry season. As a consequence of the lag at that time of the southward seasonal migration of the Atlantic SSTs behind that of the insolation, the Atlantic ITCZ centers itself near 10°N, instead of at the equator, imposing subsidence and low-level anticyclonic flow over the eastern equatorial Amazon, thus drying the air above the planetary boundary layer and reducing the low-level moisture convergence. Consequently, convection in the eastern Amazon is suppressed despite strong surface heating.3)Seasonality of the SSTs in the tropical Pacific also tends to reduce precipitation in the eastern Amazon during both spring and fall. In spring, subsidence is enhanced not only through a zonal direct circulation, but also through

  10. Experimental demonstration of efficient and robust second harmonic generation using the adiabatic temperature gradient method

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dimova, E.; Steflekova, V.; Karatodorov, S.; Kyoseva, E.

    2018-03-01

    We propose a way of achieving efficient and robust second-harmonic generation. The technique proposed is similar to the adiabatic population transfer in a two-state quantum system with crossing energies. If the phase mismatching changes slowly, e.g., due to a temperature gradient along the crystal, and makes the phase match for second-harmonic generation to occur, then the energy would be converted adiabatically to the second harmonic. As an adiabatic technique, the second-harmonic generation scheme presented is stable to variations in the crystal parameters, as well as in the input light, crystal length, input intensity, wavelength and angle of incidence.

  11. Comparisons of theoretically predicted transport from ion temperature gradient instabilities to L-mode tokamak experiments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kotschenreuther, M.; Wong, H.V.; Lyster, P.L.; Berk, H.L.; Denton, R.; Miner, W.H.; Valanju, P.

    1991-12-01

    The theoretical transport from kinetic micro-instabilities driven by ion temperature gradients is a sheared slab is compared to experimentally inferred transport in L-mode tokamaks. Low noise gyrokinetic simulation techniques are used to obtain the ion thermal transport coefficient X. This X is much smaller than in experiments, and so cannot explain L-mode confinement. Previous predictions based on fluid models gave much greater X than experiments. Linear and nonlinear comparisons with the fluid model show that it greatly overestimates transport for experimental parameters. In addition, disagreements among previous analytic and simulation calculations of X in the fluid model are reconciled

  12. Seasonal variation in standardized litter decomposition and effects of elevation and land use at Mount Kilimanjaro

    Science.gov (United States)

    Becker, Joscha; Kuzyakov, Yakov

    2017-04-01

    Decomposition is one of most important ecological steps in organic matter and nutrient cycles, but studies and reliable data from tropical regions in Africa are still scarce. At the global scale, litter decomposition and recycling is controlled by climatic factors and land-use intensity. These factors can be linked to specific ecosystem characteristics along the unique elevation gradient of Mt. Kilimanjaro. Our objectives were to assess the effects of climatic conditions (i.e. elevation) and land-use intensity on C turnover and stabilization and investigated the seasonal variations. Tea-bag Index (see www.teatime4science.org) was used to measure decomposition of a standardized litter substrate by microorganisms and mesofauna coffee plantations or cloud forest (S=0.11) respectively and strongly increased again to a maximum of S=0.41 in the alpine helichrysum ecosystem. During all seasons, we found the highest decomposition rates at mid elevation. However, during both warm seasons the peak is shifted upslope. Savanna experienced the strongest seasonal variation, with 23 times higher S-values in dry- compared to rainy season. Mean annual k-values increased for about 30% with increasing land-use intensity. C stabilization in Mt. Kilimanjaro ecosystems is strongly dependent on seasonal moisture limitation (lower slope) and perennial temperature limitation (alpine zone). Ecosystems at mid elevation (around 1920 & 2120m) represent the interception zone of optimal moisture and temperature conditions. High input and fast turnover drive the C sequestration in these ecosystems, while restrains on decomposition control the C turnover in lower and higher elevation zones. Land-use intensification decreases stabilization from new C inputs in transition zones from savanna to maize monocultures and from traditional homegardens to large-scale coffee plantations.

  13. Seasonal climatology of hydrographic conditions in the upwelling region off northern Chile

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blanco, J. L.; Thomas, A. C.; Carr, M.-E.; Strub, P. T.

    2001-06-01

    Over 30 years of hydrographic data from the northern Chile (18°S-24°S) upwelling region are used to calculate the surface and subsurface seasonal climatology extending 400 km offshore. The data are interpolated to a grid with sufficient spatial resolution to preserve cross-shelf gradients and then presented as means within four seasons: austral winter (July-September), spring (October-December), summer (January-March), and fall (April-June). Climatological monthly wind forcing, surface temperature, and sea level from three coastal stations indicate equatorward (upwelling favorable) winds throughout the year, weakest in the north. Seasonal maximum alongshore wind stress is in late spring and summer (December-March). Major water masses of the region are identified in climatological T-S plots and their sources and implied circulation discussed. Surface fields and vertical transects of temperature and salinity confirm that upwelling occurs year-round, strongest in summer and weakest in winter, bringing relatively fresh water to the surface nearshore. Surface geostrophic flow nearshore is equatorward throughout the year. During summer, an anticyclonic circulation feature in the north which extends to at least 200 m depth is evident in geopotential anomaly and in both temperature and geopotential variance fields. Subsurface fields indicate generally poleward flow throughout the year, strongest in an undercurrent near the coast. This undercurrent is strongest in summer and most persistent and organized in the south (south of 21°S). A subsurface oxygen minimum, centered at ˜250 m, is strongest at lower latitudes. Low-salinity subsurface water intrudes into the study area near 100 m, predominantly in offshore regions, strongest during summer and fall and in the southernmost portion of the region. The climatological fields are compared to features off Baja within the somewhat analogous California Current and to measurements from higher latitudes within the Chile

  14. Indo-Pacific sea surface temperature influences on failed consecutive rainy seasons over eastern Africa

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hoell, Andrew; Funk, Christopher C.

    2014-01-01

    Rainfall over eastern Africa (10°S–10°N; 35°E–50°E) is bimodal, with seasonal maxima during the "long rains" of March–April–May (MAM) and the "short rains" of October–November–December (OND). Below average precipitation during consecutive long and short rains seasons over eastern Africa can have devastating long-term impacts on water availability and agriculture. Here, we examine the forcing of drought during consecutive long and short rains seasons over eastern Africa by Indo-Pacific sea surface temperatures (SSTs). The forcing of eastern Africa precipitation and circulation by SSTs is tested using ten ensemble simulations of a global weather forecast model forced by 1950–2010 observed global SSTs. Since the 1980s, Indo-Pacific SSTs have forced more frequent droughts spanning consecutive long and short rains seasons over eastern Africa. The increased frequency of dry conditions is linked to warming SSTs over the Indo-west Pacific and to a lesser degree to Pacific Decadal Variability. During MAM, long-term warming of tropical west Pacific SSTs from 1950–2010 has forced statistically significant precipitation reductions over eastern Africa. The warming west Pacific SSTs have forced changes in the regional lower tropospheric circulation by weakening the Somali Jet, which has reduced moisture and rainfall over the Horn of Africa. During OND, reductions in precipitation over recent decades are oftentimes overshadowed by strong year-to-year precipitation variability forced by the Indian Ocean Dipole and the El Niño–Southern Oscillation.

  15. Variability of cold season surface air temperature over northeastern China and its linkage with large-scale atmospheric circulations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhuang, Yuanhuang; Zhang, Jingyong; Wang, Lin

    2018-05-01

    Cold temperature anomalies and extremes have profound effects on the society, the economy, and the environment of northeastern China (NEC). In this study, we define the cold season as the months from October to April, and investigate the variability of cold season surface air temperature (CSAT) over NEC and its relationships with large-scale atmospheric circulation patterns for the period 1981-2014. The empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analysis shows that the first EOF mode of the CSAT over NEC is characterized by a homogeneous structure that describes 92.2% of the total variance. The regionally averaged CSAT over NEC is closely linked with the Arctic Oscillation ( r = 0.62, 99% confidence level) and also has a statistically significant relation with the Polar/Eurasian pattern in the cold season. The positive phases of the Arctic Oscillation and the Polar/Eurasian pattern tend to result in a positive geopotential height anomaly over NEC and a weakened East Asian winter monsoon, which subsequently increase the CSAT over NEC by enhancing the downward solar radiation, strengthening the subsidence warming and warm air advection. Conversely, the negative phases of these two climate indices result in opposite regional atmospheric circulation anomalies and decrease the CSAT over NEC.

  16. Fire Regime Characteristics along Environmental Gradients in Spain

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    María Vanesa Moreno

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available Concern regarding global change has increased the need to understand the relationship between fire regime characteristics and the environment. Pyrogeographical theory suggests that fire regimes are constrained by climate, vegetation and fire ignition processes, but it is not obvious how fire regime characteristics are related to those factors. We used a three-matrix approach with a multivariate statistical methodology that combined an ordination method and fourth-corner analysis for hypothesis testing to investigate the relationship between fire regime characteristics and environmental gradients across Spain. Our results suggest that fire regime characteristics (i.e., density and seasonality of fire activity are constrained primarily by direct gradients based on climate, population, and resource gradients based on forest potential productivity. Our results can be used to establish a predictive model for how fire regimes emerge in order to support fire management, particularly as global environmental changes impact fire regime characteristics.

  17. Microstructure and high temperature oxidation resistance of Ti-Ni gradient coating on TA2 titanium alloy fabricated by laser cladding

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Fencheng; Mao, Yuqing; Lin, Xin; Zhou, Baosheng; Qian, Tao

    2016-09-01

    To improve the high temperature oxidation resistance of TA2 titanium alloy, a gradient Ni-Ti coating was laser cladded on the surface of the TA2 titanium alloy substrate, and the microstructure and oxidation behavior of the laser cladded coating were investigated experimentally. The gradient coating with a thickness of about 420-490 μm contains two different layers, e.g. a bright layer with coarse equiaxed grain and a dark layer with fine and columnar dendrites, and a transition layer with a thickness of about 10 μm exists between the substrate and the cladded coating. NiTi, NiTi2 and Ni3Ti intermetallic compounds are the main constructive phases of the laser cladded coating. The appearance of these phases enhances the microhardness, and the dense structure of the coating improves its oxidation resistance. The solidification procedure of the gradient coating is analyzed and different kinds of solidification processes occur due to the heat dissipation during the laser cladding process.

  18. To Everything There Is a Season: Summer-to-Winter Food Webs and the Functional Traits of Keystone Species.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Humphries, Murray M; Studd, Emily K; Menzies, Allyson K; Boutin, Stan

    2017-11-01

    From a trophic perspective, a seasonal increase in air temperature and photoperiod propagates as bottom-up pulse of primary production by plants, secondary production by herbivores, and tertiary production by carnivores. However, food web seasonality reflects not only abiotic variation in temperature and photoperiod, but also the composition of the biotic community and their functional responses to this variation. Some plants and animals-here referred to as seasonal specialists-decouple from food webs in winter through migration or various forms of metabolic arrest (e.g., senescence, diapause, and hibernation), whereas some plants and resident animals-here referred to as seasonal generalists-remain present and trophically coupled in winter. The co-occurrence of species with divergent responses to winter introduces seasonal variation in interaction strengths, resulting in summer-to-winter differences in trophic organization. Autumn cooling and shortening day length arrests primary productivity and cues seasonal herbivores to decouple, leaving generalist carnivores to concentrate their predation on the few generalist herbivores that remain resident, active, and vulnerable to predation in winter, which themselves feed on the few generalist plant structures available in winter. Thus, what was a bottom-up pulse, spread among many species in summer, including highly productive seasonal specialists, reverses into strong top-down regulation in winter that is top-heavy, and concentrated among a small number of generalist herbivores and their winter foods. Intermediate-sized, generalist herbivores that remain active and vulnerable to predation in winter are likely to be keystone species in seasonal food webs because they provide the essential ecosystem service of turning summer primary productivity into winter food for carnivores. Empirical examination of terrestrial mammals and their seasonal trophic status in the boreal forest and across an arctic-to-tropics seasonality

  19. Forest biomass density across large climate gradients in northern South America is related to water availability but not with temperature.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Álvarez-Dávila, Esteban; Cayuela, Luis; González-Caro, Sebastián; Aldana, Ana M; Stevenson, Pablo R; Phillips, Oliver; Cogollo, Álvaro; Peñuela, Maria C; von Hildebrand, Patricio; Jiménez, Eliana; Melo, Omar; Londoño-Vega, Ana Catalina; Mendoza, Irina; Velásquez, Oswaldo; Fernández, Fernando; Serna, Marcela; Velázquez-Rua, Cesar; Benítez, Doris; Rey-Benayas, José M

    2017-01-01

    Understanding and predicting the likely response of ecosystems to climate change are crucial challenges for ecology and for conservation biology. Nowhere is this challenge greater than in the tropics as these forests store more than half the total atmospheric carbon stock in their biomass. Biomass is determined by the balance between biomass inputs (i.e., growth) and outputs (mortality). We can expect therefore that conditions that favor high growth rates, such as abundant water supply, warmth, and nutrient-rich soils will tend to correlate with high biomass stocks. Our main objective is to describe the patterns of above ground biomass (AGB) stocks across major tropical forests across climatic gradients in Northwestern South America. We gathered data from 200 plots across the region, at elevations ranging between 0 to 3400 m. We estimated AGB based on allometric equations and values for stem density, basal area, and wood density weighted by basal area at the plot-level. We used two groups of climatic variables, namely mean annual temperature and actual evapotranspiration as surrogates of environmental energy, and annual precipitation, precipitation seasonality, and water availability as surrogates of water availability. We found that AGB is more closely related to water availability variables than to energy variables. In northwest South America, water availability influences carbon stocks principally by determining stand structure, i.e. basal area. When water deficits increase in tropical forests we can expect negative impact on biomass and hence carbon storage.

  20. [Effect of seasonal high temperature and drought on carbon flux of bamboo forest ecosystem in subtropical region].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Xiao-feng; Jiang, Hong; Niu, Xiao-dong; Zhang, Jin-meng; Liu, Yu-li; Fang, Cheng-yuan

    2016-02-01

    The carbon flux of subtropical bamboo forest ecosystem was continuously measured using eddy covariance technique in Anji County of Zhejiang Province, China. The monthly net ecosystem productivity (NEP), ecosystem respiration (Re) and gross ecosystem productivity (GEP) data from 2011 to 2013 were selected to analyze the impacts of seasonal high temperature and drought on the carbon flux of bamboo forest ecosystem. The results showed that there were big differences among annual NEP of bamboo forest from 2011 to 2013. Because of the asynchronization of precipitation and heat, the seasonal high temperature and drought in July and August of 2013 caused significant decline in NEP by 59.9% and 80.0% when compared with the same months in 2011. Correlation analysis of the NEP, Re, GEP and environmental factors suggested that the atmosphere temperatures were significantly correlated with Re and GEP in 2011 and 2013 (P<0.05). However, to air and soil moisture, Re and GEP had different responses, that was, GEP was more vulnerable by the decrease of the soil moisture compared with Re. Besides, the raising of saturation vapour pressure promoted the Re modestly but inhibited the GEP, which was supposed to be the main reason for NEP decrease of bamboo forest ecosystem in Anji, from July to August in 2013.

  1. Geothermal gradients map of Hokkaido; Hokkaido no chion kobaizu ni tsuite

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Akita, F.; Matsunami, T.; Wakahama, H. [Hokkaido Geological Survey, Sapporo (Japan)

    1997-06-15

    This paper outlines the newly prepared geothermal gradient map (GGM) of Hokkaido which is important for survey on geothermal and hot spring resources. The temperature data of 687 wells were compiled by data collection and field survey. The geothermal gradient was calculated from the ratio of the temperature difference between the bottom (deepest well log) and the ground surface (10degC) to a bottom depth. GGM was prepared using data of 85 wells which show real geothermal temperatures through conductive temperature profiles, or SBHT (static bottom hole temperature) calculation is possible. Geological profiles were classified into three types based on base rocks. The thermal structure of GGM was clearly divided into a high geothermal gradient over 10degC/100m, and a low one within 3degC/100m. The former showed active volcano and high geothermal areas, while the latter showed a volcanic front arc area. This underground temperature structure relates to the formation process of volcanos and the origin of magma, and is also similar to the trend of a crust thermal flow rate. The geothermal gradient increases with a decrease in Curie point depth. 26 refs., 10 figs., 2 tabs.

  2. Electron thermal energy transport research based on dynamical relationship between heat flux and temperature gradient

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Notake, Takashi; Inagaki, Shigeru; Tamura, Naoki

    2008-01-01

    In the nuclear fusion plasmas, both of thermal energy and particle transport governed by turbulent flow are anomalously enhanced more than neoclassical levels. Thus, to clarify a relationship between the turbulent flow and the anomalous transports has been the most worthwhile work. There are experimental results that the turbulent flow induces various phenomena on transport processes such as non-linearity, transition, hysteresis, multi-branches and non-locality. We are approaching these complicated problems by analyzing not conventional power balance but these phenomena directly. They are recognized as dynamical trajectories in the flux and gradient space and must be a clue to comprehend a physical mechanism of arcane anomalous transport. Especially, to elucidate the mechanism for electron thermal energy transport is critical in the fusion plasma researches because the burning plasmas will be sustained by alpha-particle heating. In large helical device, the dynamical relationships between electron thermal energy fluxes and electron temperature gradients are investigated by using modulated electron cyclotron resonance heating and modern electron cyclotron emission diagnostic systems. Some trajectories such as hysteresis loop or line segments with steep slope which represent non-linear property are observed in the experiment. (author)

  3. Generation of zonal flows by ion-temperature-gradient and related modes in the presence of neoclassical viscosity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mikhailovskii, A.B.; Smolyakov, A.I.; Kovalishen, E.A.; Shirokov, M.S.; Tsypin, V.S.; Galvao, R.M.O.

    2006-01-01

    Generation of zonal flows by primary waves that are more complex than those considered in the standard drift-wave model is studied. The effects of parallel ion velocity and ion perturbed temperature and the part of the nonlinear mode interaction proportional to the ion pressure are taken into account. This generalization of the standard model allows the analysis of generation of zonal flows by a rather wide variety of primary modes, including ion temperature gradients, ion sound, electron drift, and drift-sound modes. All the listed effects, which are present in the slab geometry model, are complemented by effects of neoclassical viscosity inherent to toroidal geometry. We show that the electrostatic potential of secondary small-scale modes is expressed in terms of a nonlinear shift of the mode frequency and interpret this shift in terms of the perpendicular and parallel Doppler, nonlinear Kelvin-Helmholtz (KH), and nonlinear ion-pressure-gradient effects. A basic assumption of our model is that the primary modes form a nondispersive monochromatic wave packet. The analysis of zonal-flow generation is performed following an approach similar to that of convective-cell theory. Neoclassical zonal-flow instabilities are separated into fast and slow ones, and these are divided into two varieties. The first of them is independent of the nonlinear KH effect, while the second one is sensitive to it

  4. Seed dormancy and germination of Halophila ovalis mediated by simulated seasonal temperature changes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Statton, John; Sellers, Robert; Dixon, Kingsley W.; Kilminster, Kieryn; Merritt, David J.; Kendrick, Gary A.

    2017-11-01

    The seagrass, Halophila ovalis plays an important ecological and sediment stability role in estuarine systems in Australia with the species in decline in many sites. Halophila ovalis is a facultative annual, relying mainly on recruitment from the sediment seed bank for the annual regeneration of meadows. Despite this, there is little understanding of seed dormancy releasing mechanisms and germination cues. Using H. ovalis seed from the warm temperate Swan River Estuary in Western Australia, the germination ecology of H. ovalis was investigated by simulating the natural seasonal variation in water temperatures. The proportion of germinating seeds was found to be significantly different among temperature treatments (p < 0.001). The treatment with the longest period of cold exposure at 15 °C followed by an increase in temperature to 20-25 °C (i.e. cold stratification) had the highest final mean germination of 32% and the fastest germination rate. Seeds exposed to constant mean winter temperatures of 15 °C had the slowest germination rate with less than two seeds germinating over 118 days. Thus temperature is a key germination cue for H. ovalis seeds and these data infer that cold stratification is an important dormancy releasing mechanism. This finding has implications for recruitment in facultative annual species like H. ovalis under global warming since the trend for increasing water temperatures in the region may limit seed-based recruitment in the future.

  5. Spatial and temporal variation of CO2 efflux along a disturbance gradient in a miombo woodland in Western Zambia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. M. Mukelabai

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Carbon dioxide efflux from the soil surface was measured over a period of several weeks within a heterogeneous Brachystegia spp. dominated miombo woodland in Western Zambia. The objectives were to examine spatial and temporal variation of soil respiration along a disturbance gradient from a protected forest reserve to a cut, burned, and grazed area outside, and to relate the flux to various abiotic and biotic drivers. The highest daily mean fluxes (around 12 μmol CO2 m−2 s−1 were measured in the protected forest in the wet season and lowest daily mean fluxes (around 1 μmol CO2 m−2 s−1 in the most disturbed area during the dry season. Diurnal variation of soil respiration was closely correlated with soil temperature. The combination of soil water content and soil temperature was found to be the main driving factor at seasonal time scale. There was a 75% decrease in soil CO2 efflux during the dry season and a 20% difference in peak soil respiratory flux measured in 2008 and 2009. Spatial variation of CO2 efflux was positively related to total soil carbon content in the undisturbed area but not at the disturbed site. Coefficients of variation of efflux rates between plots decreased towards the core zone of the protected forest reserve. Normalized soil respiration values did not vary significantly along the disturbance gradient. Spatial variation of respiration did not show a clear distinction between the disturbed and undisturbed sites and could not be explained by variables such as leaf area index. In contrast, within plot variability of soil respiration was explained by soil organic carbon content. Three different approaches to calculate total ecosystem respiration (Reco from eddy covariance measurements were compared to two bottom-up estimates of Reco obtained from chambers measurements of soil- and leaf respiration which differed in the consideration of spatial heterogeneity. The consideration of spatial variability resulted only in

  6. Linkage Between Hourly Precipitation Events and Atmospheric Temperature Changes over China during the Warm Season

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miao, Chiyuan; Sun, Qiaohong; Borthwick, Alistair G. L.; Duan, Qingyun

    2016-01-01

    We investigated changes in the temporospatial features of hourly precipitation during the warm season over mainland China. The frequency and amount of hourly precipitation displayed latitudinal zonation, especially for light and moderate precipitation, which showed successive downward change over time in northeastern and southern China. Changes in the precipitation amount resulted mainly from changes in frequency rather than changes in intensity. We also evaluated the linkage between hourly precipitation and temperature variations and found that hourly precipitation extreme was more sensitive to temperature than other categories of precipitation. A strong dependency of hourly precipitation on temperature occurred at temperatures colder than the median daily temperature; in such cases, regression slopes were greater than the Clausius-Clapeyron (C-C) relation of 7% per degree Celsius. Regression slopes for 31.6%, 59.8%, 96.9%, and 99.1% of all stations were greater than 7% per degree Celsius for the 75th, 90th, 99th, and 99.9th percentiles for precipitation, respectively. The mean regression slopes within the 99.9th percentile of precipitation were three times the C-C rate. Hourly precipitation showed a strong negative relationship with daily maximum temperature and the diurnal temperature range at most stations, whereas the equivalent correlation for daily minimum temperature was weak. PMID:26931350

  7. Bioinspired large-scale aligned porous materials assembled with dual temperature gradients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bai, Hao; Chen, Yuan; Delattre, Benjamin; Tomsia, Antoni P; Ritchie, Robert O

    2015-12-01

    Natural materials, such as bone, teeth, shells, and wood, exhibit outstanding properties despite being porous and made of weak constituents. Frequently, they represent a source of inspiration to design strong, tough, and lightweight materials. Although many techniques have been introduced to create such structures, a long-range order of the porosity as well as a precise control of the final architecture remain difficult to achieve. These limitations severely hinder the scale-up fabrication of layered structures aimed for larger applications. We report on a bidirectional freezing technique to successfully assemble ceramic particles into scaffolds with large-scale aligned, lamellar, porous, nacre-like structure and long-range order at the centimeter scale. This is achieved by modifying the cold finger with a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) wedge to control the nucleation and growth of ice crystals under dual temperature gradients. Our approach could provide an effective way of manufacturing novel bioinspired structural materials, in particular advanced materials such as composites, where a higher level of control over the structure is required.

  8. Enhancing Seasonal Water Outlooks: Needs and Opportunities in the Critical Runoff Season

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ray, A. J.; Barsugli, J. J.; Yocum, H.; Stokes, M.; Miskus, D.

    2017-12-01

    The runoff season is a critical period for the management of water supply in the western U.S., where in many places over 70% of the annual runoff occurs in the snowmelt period. Managing not only the volume, but the intra-seasonal timing of the runoff is important for optimizing storage, as well as achieving other goals such as mitigating flood risk, and providing peak flows for riparian habitat management, for example, for endangered species. Western river forecast centers produce volume forecasts for western reservoirs that are key input into many water supply decisions, and also short term river forecasts out to 10 days. The early volume forecasts each year typically begin in December, and are updated throughout the winter and into the runoff season (April-July for many areas, but varies). This presentation will discuss opportunities for enhancing this existing suite of RFC water outlooks, including the needs for and potential use for "intraseasonal" products beyond those provided by the Ensemble Streamflow Prediction system and the volume forecasts. While precipitation outlooks have little skill for many areas and seasons, and may not contribute significantly to the outlook, late winter and spring temperature forecasts have meaningful skill in certain areas and sub-seasonal to seasonal time scales. This current skill in CPC temperature outlooks is an opportunity to translate these products into information about the snowpack and potential runoff timing, even where the skill in precipitation is low. Temperature is important for whether precipitation falls as snow or rain, which is critical for streamflow forecasts, especially in the melt season in snowpack-dependent watersheds. There is a need for better outlooks of the evolution of snowpack, conditions influencing the April-July runoff, and the timing of spring peak or shape of the spring hydrograph. The presentation will also discuss a our work with stakeholders of the River Forecast Centers and the NIDIS

  9. A dynamic response model for pressure sensors in continuum and high Knudsen number flows with large temperature gradients

    Science.gov (United States)

    Whitmore, Stephen A.; Petersen, Brian J.; Scott, David D.

    1996-01-01

    This paper develops a dynamic model for pressure sensors in continuum and rarefied flows with longitudinal temperature gradients. The model was developed from the unsteady Navier-Stokes momentum, energy, and continuity equations and was linearized using small perturbations. The energy equation was decoupled from momentum and continuity assuming a polytropic flow process. Rarefied flow conditions were accounted for using a slip flow boundary condition at the tubing wall. The equations were radially averaged and solved assuming gas properties remain constant along a small tubing element. This fundamental solution was used as a building block for arbitrary geometries where fluid properties may also vary longitudinally in the tube. The problem was solved recursively starting at the transducer and working upstream in the tube. Dynamic frequency response tests were performed for continuum flow conditions in the presence of temperature gradients. These tests validated the recursive formulation of the model. Model steady-state behavior was analyzed using the final value theorem. Tests were performed for rarefied flow conditions and compared to the model steady-state response to evaluate the regime of applicability. Model comparisons were excellent for Knudsen numbers up to 0.6. Beyond this point, molecular affects caused model analyses to become inaccurate.

  10. Spatial and Seasonal Variability of Temperature in CO2 Emission from Mars' Mesosphere

    Science.gov (United States)

    Livengood, Timothy A.; Kostiuk, Theodor; Hewagama, Tilak; Kolasinski, John R.; Henning, Wade; Fast, Kelly Elizabeth; Sonnabend, Guido; Sornig, Manuela

    2017-10-01

    We have observed non-local thermodynamic equilibrium (non-LTE) emission of carbon dioxide that probes Mars’ mesosphere in 2001, 2003, 2007, 2012, 2014, and 2016. These measurements were conducted at 10.6 μm wavelength using the Goddard Space Flight Center Heterodyne Instrument for Planetary Winds and Composition (HIPWAC) from the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF) at resolving power (1-33)×106. The Maxwellian broadening of the emission line can be measured at this resolution, providing a direct determination of temperature in the mesosphere. The nonLTE line appears as a narrow emission core within a broad absorption formed by tropospheric CO2, which provides temperature information reaching down to the martian surface, while the mesospheric line probes temperature at about 60-80 km altitude. We will report on the spatial distribution of temperature and emission line strength with local solar time on Mars, with latitude, as well as long-term variability including seasonal effects that modify the overall thermal structure of the atmosphere. These remote measurements complement results from orbital spacecraft through access to a broad range of local solar time on each occasion.This work has been supported by the NASA Planetary Astronomy and Solar Systems Observations Programs

  11. Increased temperatures negatively affect Juniperus communis seeds: evidence from transplant experiments along a latitudinal gradient.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gruwez, R; De Frenne, P; Vander Mijnsbrugge, K; Vangansbeke, P; Verheyen, K

    2016-05-01

    With a distribution range that covers most of the Northern hemisphere, common juniper (Juniperus communis) has one of the largest ranges of all vascular plant species. In several regions in Europe, however, populations are decreasing in size and number due to failing recruitment. One of the main causes for this failure is low seed viability. Observational evidence suggests that this is partly induced by climate warming, but our mechanistic understanding of this effect remains incomplete. Here, we experimentally assess the influence of temperature on two key developmental phases during sexual reproduction, i.e. gametogenesis and fertilisation (seed phase two, SP2) and embryo development (seed phase three, SP3). Along a latitudinal gradient from southern France to central Sweden, we installed a transplant experiment with shrubs originating from Belgium, a region with unusually low juniper seed viability. Seeds of both seed phases were sampled during three consecutive years, and seed viability assessed. Warming temperatures negatively affected the seed viability of both SP2 and SP3 seeds along the latitudinal gradient. Interestingly, the effect on embryo development (SP3) only occurred in the third year, i.e. when the gametogenesis and fertilisation also took place in warmer conditions. We found strong indications that this negative influence mostly acts via disrupting growth of the pollen tube, the development of the female gametophyte and fertilisation (SP2). This, in turn, can lead to failing embryo development, for example, due to nutritional problems. Our results confirm that climate warming can negatively affect seed viability of juniper. © 2015 German Botanical Society and The Royal Botanical Society of the Netherlands.

  12. Upper-Level Mediterranean Oscillation index and seasonal variability of rainfall and temperature

    Science.gov (United States)

    Redolat, Dario; Monjo, Robert; Lopez-Bustins, Joan A.; Martin-Vide, Javier

    2018-02-01

    The need for early seasonal forecasts stimulates continuous research in climate teleconnections. The large variability of the Mediterranean climate presents a greater difficulty in predicting climate anomalies. This article reviews teleconnection indices commonly used for the Mediterranean basin and explores possible extensions of one of them, the Mediterranean Oscillation index (MOi). In particular, the anomalies of the geopotential height field at 500 hPa are analyzed using segmentation of the Mediterranean basin in seven spatial windows: three at eastern and four at western. That is, different versions of an Upper-Level Mediterranean Oscillation index (ULMOi) were calculated, and monthly and annual variability of precipitation and temperature were analyzed for 53 observatories from 1951 to 2015. Best versions were selected according to the Pearson correlation, its related p value, and two measures of standardized error. The combination of the Balearic Sea and Libya/Egypt windows was the best for precipitation and temperature, respectively. The ULMOi showed the highest predictive ability in combination with the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation index (AMOi) for the annual temperature throughout the Mediterranean basin. The best model built from the indices presented a final mean error between 15 and 25% in annual precipitation for most of the studied area.

  13. Seasonality and Management Affect Land Surface Temperature Differences Between Loblolly Pine and Switchgrass Ecosystems in Central Virginia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ahlswede, B.; Thomas, R. Q.; O'Halloran, T. L.; Rady, J.; LeMoine, J.

    2017-12-01

    Changes in land-use and land management can have biogeochemical and biophysical effects on local and global climate. While managed ecosystems provide known food and fiber benefits, their influence on climate is less well quantified. In the southeastern United States, there are numerous types of intensely managed ecosystems but pine plantations and switchgrass fields represent two biogeochemical and biophysical extremes; a tall, low albedo forest with trees harvested after multiple decades vs. a short, higher albedo C4 grass field that is harvested annually. Despite the wide spread use of these ecosystems for timber and bioenergy, a quantitative, empirical evaluation of the net influence of these ecosystems on climate is lacking because it requires measuring both the greenhouse gas and energy balance of the ecosystems while controlling for the background weather and soil environment. To address this need, we established a pair of eddy flux towers in these ecosystems that are co-located (1.5 km apart) in Central Virginia and measured the radiative energy, non-radiative energy and carbon fluxes, along with associated biometeorology variables; the paired site has run since April 2016. During the first 1.5 years (two growing seasons), we found strong seasonality in the difference in surface temperature between the two ecosystems. In the growing seasons, both sites had similar surface temperature despite higher net radiation in pine. Following harvest of the switchgrass in September, the switchgrass temperatures increased relative to pine. In the winter, the pine ecosystem was warmer. We evaluate the drivers of these intra-annual dynamics and compare the climate influence of these biophysical differences to the differences in carbon fluxes between the sites using a suite of established climate regulation services metrics. Overall, our results show tradeoffs exist between the biogeochemical and biophysical climate services in managed ecosystems in the southeastern United

  14. Rainbow refractometry on particles with radial refractive index gradients

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Saengkaew, Sawitree [CNRS/Universite et INSA de Rouen, UMR 6614/CORIA, BP12, 76 800, Saint Etienne du Rouvray CEDEX (France); Chulalongkorn University, Center of Excellence in Particle Technology, Faculty of Engineering, Bangkok (Thailand); Charinpanitkul, Tawatchai; Vanisri, Hathaichanok; Tanthapanichakoon, Wiwut [Chulalongkorn University, Center of Excellence in Particle Technology, Faculty of Engineering, Bangkok (Thailand); Biscos, Yves; Garcia, Nicolas; Lavergne, Gerard [ONERA/DMAE, Toulouse (France); Mees, Loic; Gouesbet, Gerard; Grehan, Gerard [CNRS/Universite et INSA de Rouen, UMR 6614/CORIA, BP12, 76 800, Saint Etienne du Rouvray CEDEX (France)

    2007-10-15

    The rainbow refractrometry, under its different configurations (classical and global), is an attractive technique to extract information from droplets in evaporation such as diameter and temperature. Recently a new processing strategy has been developed which increases dramatically the size and refractive index measurements accuracy for homogeneous droplets. Nevertheless, for mono component as well as for multicomponent droplets, the presence of temperature and/or of concentration gradients induce the presence of a gradient of refractive index which affects the interpretation of the recorded signals. In this publication, the effect of radial gradient on rainbow measurements with a high accuracy never reached previously is quantified. (orig.)

  15. Seasonal quantitative dynamics and ecology of pelagic rotifers in an acidified boreal lake

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Svein Birger Wærvågen

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Lake Gjerstadvann is a dimictic, oligotrophic, slightly acidified boreal lake in southern Norway (northwest Europe. The planktonic rotifer community of this lake was studied quantitatively during one year in order to investigate the impacts of the local environment and biotic interactions on seasonal succession and habitat selection. Pure suspension feeders (mainly Keratella spp., Conochilus spp., and Kellicottia longispina together with raptorial graspers or specialised feeders (mainly Polyarthra spp. and Collotheca spp. dominated the rotifer community over prolonged periods, whereas carnivorous/omnivorous species (mainly Asplanchna priodonta were extremely uncommon. Low bicarbonate buffering capacity resulted in a distinctive seasonal oscillating pH between 5.0 and 5.6, defining a special acid-transition lake category. The pH values were highest in the productive period during summer, and lowest during ice break-up coinciding with the peak reactive aluminium concentrations of 250-300 mg L-1. As in typical Norwegian boreal perch lakes, the most abundant cladoceran was Bosmina longispina due to perch predation on the genus Daphnia. Rotifer community structure was significantly related to temperature and oxygen (P=0.001 and P=0.022, illustrating the important effects of the seasonal cycle and vertical density stratification. The most significant competition indicator species were B. longispina and Eudiaptomus gracilis (both with P=0.001. A variance partitioning indicated that 14% of the total community composition variance could only be explained by biotic interactions, while 19% of the variance could be attributed to environmental gradients. Of the variance, 23% could not be resolved between biotic interactions and environmental gradients, while a residual of 44% was not explainable by any of the variables. Acid conditions alone cannot account for all the observed changes in the rotifer community of this lake with low humic content, since

  16. A self-organized criticality model for ion temperature gradient mode driven turbulence in confined plasma

    Science.gov (United States)

    Isliker, H.; Pisokas, Th.; Strintzi, D.; Vlahos, L.

    2010-08-01

    A new self-organized criticality (SOC) model is introduced in the form of a cellular automaton (CA) for ion temperature gradient (ITG) mode driven turbulence in fusion plasmas. Main characteristics of the model are that it is constructed in terms of the actual physical variable, the ion temperature, and that the temporal evolution of the CA, which necessarily is in the form of rules, mimics actual physical processes as they are considered to be active in the system, i.e., a heating process and a local diffusive process that sets on if a threshold in the normalized ITG R /LT is exceeded. The model reaches the SOC state and yields ion temperature profiles of exponential shape, which exhibit very high stiffness, in that they basically are independent of the loading pattern applied. This implies that there is anomalous heat transport present in the system, despite the fact that diffusion at the local level is imposed to be of a normal kind. The distributions of the heat fluxes in the system and of the heat out-fluxes are of power-law shape. The basic properties of the model are in good qualitative agreement with experimental results.

  17. A self-organized criticality model for ion temperature gradient mode driven turbulence in confined plasma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Isliker, H.; Pisokas, Th.; Vlahos, L.; Strintzi, D.

    2010-01-01

    A new self-organized criticality (SOC) model is introduced in the form of a cellular automaton (CA) for ion temperature gradient (ITG) mode driven turbulence in fusion plasmas. Main characteristics of the model are that it is constructed in terms of the actual physical variable, the ion temperature, and that the temporal evolution of the CA, which necessarily is in the form of rules, mimics actual physical processes as they are considered to be active in the system, i.e., a heating process and a local diffusive process that sets on if a threshold in the normalized ITG R/L T is exceeded. The model reaches the SOC state and yields ion temperature profiles of exponential shape, which exhibit very high stiffness, in that they basically are independent of the loading pattern applied. This implies that there is anomalous heat transport present in the system, despite the fact that diffusion at the local level is imposed to be of a normal kind. The distributions of the heat fluxes in the system and of the heat out-fluxes are of power-law shape. The basic properties of the model are in good qualitative agreement with experimental results.

  18. Dynamics of size-fractionated phytoplankton biomass in a monsoonal estuary: Patterns and drivers for seasonal and spatial variability

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rajaneesh, K. M.; Mitbavkar, Smita; Anil, Arga Chandrashekar

    2018-07-01

    Phytoplankton size-fractionated biomass is an important determinant of the type of food web functioning in aquatic ecosystems. Knowledge about the effect of seasonal salinity gradient on the size-fractionated biomass dynamics is still lacking, especially in tropical estuaries experiencing monsoon. The phytoplankton size-fractionated chlorophyll a biomass (>3 μm and 3 μm size-fraction was the major contributor to the total phytoplankton chlorophyll a biomass with the ephemeral dominance of biomass concentration of both size-fractions showed signs of recovery with increasing salinity downstream towards the end of the monsoon season. In contrast, the chlorophyll a biomass response was size-dependent during the non-monsoon seasons with the sporadic dominance (>50%) of biomass during high water temperature episodes from downstream to middle estuary during pre-monsoon and at low salinity and high nutrient conditions upstream during post-monsoon. These conditions also influenced the picophytoplankton community structure with picoeukaryotes dominating during the pre-monsoon, phycoerythrin containing Synechococcus during the monsoon and phycocyanin containing Synechococcus during the post-monsoon. This study highlights switching over of dominance in size-fractionated phytoplankton chlorophyll a biomass at intra, inter-seasonal and spatial scales which will likely govern the estuarine trophodynamics.

  19. Effects of age and season on haematological parameters of donkeys during the rainy and cold-dry seasons

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zakari, Friday Ocheja; Ayo, Joseph Olusegun; Rekwot, Peter Ibrahim; Kawu, Mohammed Umar

    2015-12-01

    The aim of the study was to investigate the effects of age and season on haematological parameters of donkeys at rest during the rainy and cold-dry seasons. Thirty healthy donkeys divided into three groups based on their age served as the subjects. During each season, blood sample was collected from each donkey thrice, 2 weeks apart, for haematological analysis, and the dry-bulb temperature (DBT), relative humidity (RH) and temperature-humidity index (THI) were obtained thrice each day during the experimental period using standard procedures. During the rainy season, the mean DBT (33.05 ± 0.49 °C), RH (73.63 ± 1.09 %) and THI (84.39 ± 0.71) were higher ( P donkeys were higher ( P donkeys were higher ( P < 0.05) in the rainy than in the cold-dry season. In conclusion, PCV, RBC, Hb and LYM were considerably higher in foals than yearlings or adults during the rainy season, while erythrocytic indices and platelet counts were higher in adults or yearlings than in foals in both seasons. Erythrocytic indices, PLT and N/L were higher in the rainy than the cold-dry season in adults, yearlings and foals.

  20. Enhanced seasonal predictability of the summer mean temperature in Central Europe favored by new dominant weather patterns

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hoffmann, P.

    2018-04-01

    In this study two complementary approaches have been combined to estimate the reliability of the data-driven seasonal predictability of the meteorological summer mean temperature (T_{JJA}) over Europe. The developed model is based on linear regressions and uses early season predictors to estimate the target value T_{JJA}. We found for the Potsdam (Germany) climate station that the monthly standard deviations (σ) from January to April and the temperature mean ( m) in April are good predictors to describe T_{JJA} after 1990. However, before 1990 the model failed. The core region where this model works is the north-eastern part of Central Europe. We also analyzed long-term trends of monthly Hess/Brezowsky weather types as possible causes of the dynamical changes. In spring, a significant increase of the occurrences for two opposite weather patterns was found: Zonal Ridge across Central Europe (BM) and Trough over Central Europe (TRM). Both currently make up about 30% of the total alternating weather systems over Europe. Other weather types are predominantly decreasing or their trends are not significant. Thus, the predictability may be attributed to these two weather types where the difference between the two Z500 composite patterns is large. This also applies to the north-eastern part of Central Europe. Finally, the detected enhanced seasonal predictability over Europe is alarming, because severe side effects may occur. One of these are more frequent climate extremes in summer half-year.

  1. Weak turbulence theory of ion temperature gradient modes for inverted density plasmas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hahm, T.S.; Tang, W.M.

    1989-09-01

    Typical profiles measured in H-mode (''high confinement'') discharges from tokamaks such as JET and DIII-D suggest that the ion temperature gradient instability threshold parameter η i (≡dlnT i /dlnn i ) could be negative in many cases. Previous linear theoretical calculations have established the onset conditions for these negative η i -modes and the fact that their growth rate is much smaller than their real frequency over a wide range of negative η i values. This has motivated the present nonlinear weak turbulence analysis to assess the relevance of such instabilities for confinement in H-mode plasmas. The nonlinear eigenmode equation indicates that the 3-wave coupling to shorter wavelength modes is the dominant nonlinear saturation mechanism. It is found that both the saturation level for these fluctuations and the magnitude of the associated ion thermal diffusivity are considerably smaller than the strong turbulence mixing length type estimates for the more conventional positive-η i -instabilities. 19 refs., 3 figs

  2. Leaf development and demography explain photosynthetic seasonality in Amazon evergreen forests

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Jin; Albert, Lauren; Lopes, Aline; Restrepo-Coupe, Natalia; Hayek, Matthew; Wiedemann, Kenia T.; Guan, Kaiyu; Stark, Scott C.; Christoffersen, Bradley; Prohaska, Neill; Tavares, Julia V.; Marostica, Suelen; Kobayashi, Hideki; Ferreira, Maurocio L.; Campos, Kleber Silva; da Silva, Rodrigo; Brando, Paulo M.; Dye, Dennis G.; Huxman, Travis E.; Huete, Alfredo; Nelson, Bruce; Saleska, Scott

    2016-01-01

    In evergreen tropical forests, the extent, magnitude, and controls on photosynthetic seasonality are poorly resolved and inadequately represented in Earth system models. Combining camera observations with ecosystem carbon dioxide fluxes at forests across rainfall gradients in Amazônia, we show that aggregate canopy phenology, not seasonality of climate drivers, is the primary cause of photosynthetic seasonality in these forests. Specifically, synchronization of new leaf growth with dry season litterfall shifts canopy composition toward younger, more light-use efficient leaves, explaining large seasonal increases (~27%) in ecosystem photosynthesis. Coordinated leaf development and demography thus reconcile seemingly disparate observations at different scales and indicate that accounting for leaf-level phenology is critical for accurately simulating ecosystem-scale responses to climate change.

  3. Investigation of Comfort Temperature and Occupant Behavior in Japanese Houses during the Hot and Humid Season

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hom B. Rijal

    2014-08-01

    Full Text Available In order to clarify the comfort temperature and to investigate the behavioral adaptation in Japanese houses, we have conducted a thermal comfort survey and occupant behavior survey in 30 living rooms during the hot and humid season in the Kanto region of Japan. We collected 3991 votes from 52 subjects. The comfort temperature was predicted by Griffiths’ method. They are analyzed according to humidity levels and compared with the adaptive model. The logistic regression analysis was conducted in order to understand occupant behavior. The mean comfort temperature in naturally ventilated mode is 27.6 °C which is within the acceptable zone of the adaptive model. The comfort temperature is related with skin moisture sensation. The results showed that the residents adapt to the hot and humid environments by increasing the air movement using behavioral adaptation such as window opening and fan use.

  4. Electron temperature gradient mode instability and stationary vortices with elliptic and circular boundary conditions in non-Maxwellian plasmas

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Haque, Q. [Theoretical Physics Division, PINSTECH, P.O. Nilore, Islamabad (Pakistan); Zakir, U. [Department of Physics, University of Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtun Khwa 25000 (Pakistan); Department of Physics, University of Malakand, Khyber Pakhtun Khwa 18800 (Pakistan); Qamar, A. [Department of Physics, University of Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtun Khwa 25000 (Pakistan)

    2015-12-15

    Linear and nonlinear dynamics of electron temperature gradient mode along with parallel electron dynamics is investigated by considering hydrodynamic electrons and non-Maxwellian ions. It is noticed that the growth rate of η{sub e}-mode driven linear instability decreases by increasing the value of spectral index and increases by reducing the ion/electron temperature ratio along the magnetic field lines. The eigen mode dispersion relation is also found in the ballooning mode limit. Stationary solutions in the form of dipolar vortices are obtained for both circular and elliptic boundary conditions. It is shown that the dynamics of both circular and elliptic vortices changes with the inclusion of inhomogeneity and non-Maxwellian effects.

  5. Electron temperature gradient mode instability and stationary vortices with elliptic and circular boundary conditions in non-Maxwellian plasmas

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haque, Q.; Zakir, U.; Qamar, A.

    2015-12-01

    Linear and nonlinear dynamics of electron temperature gradient mode along with parallel electron dynamics is investigated by considering hydrodynamic electrons and non-Maxwellian ions. It is noticed that the growth rate of ηe-mode driven linear instability decreases by increasing the value of spectral index and increases by reducing the ion/electron temperature ratio along the magnetic field lines. The eigen mode dispersion relation is also found in the ballooning mode limit. Stationary solutions in the form of dipolar vortices are obtained for both circular and elliptic boundary conditions. It is shown that the dynamics of both circular and elliptic vortices changes with the inclusion of inhomogeneity and non-Maxwellian effects.

  6. Using soil moisture forecasts for sub-seasonal summer temperature predictions in Europe

    Science.gov (United States)

    Orth, René; Seneviratne, Sonia I.

    2014-12-01

    Soil moisture exhibits outstanding memory characteristics and plays a key role within the climate system. Especially through its impacts on the evapotranspiration of soils and plants, it may influence the land energy balance and therefore surface temperature. These attributes make soil moisture an important variable in the context of weather and climate forecasting. In this study we investigate the value of (initial) soil moisture information for sub-seasonal temperature forecasts. For this purpose we employ a simple water balance model to infer soil moisture from streamflow observations in 400 catchments across Europe. Running this model with forecasted atmospheric forcing, we derive soil moisture forecasts, which we then translate into temperature forecasts using simple linear relationships. The resulting temperature forecasts show skill beyond climatology up to 2 weeks in most of the considered catchments. Even if forecasting skills are rather small at longer lead times with significant skill only in some catchments at lead times of 3 and 4 weeks, this soil moisture-based approach shows local improvements compared to the monthly European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting (ECMWF) temperature forecasts at these lead times. For both products (soil moisture-only forecast and ECMWF forecast), we find comparable or better forecast performance in the case of extreme events, especially at long lead times. Even though a product based on soil moisture information alone is not of practical relevance, our results indicate that soil moisture (memory) is a potentially valuable contributor to temperature forecast skill. Investigating the underlying soil moisture of the ECMWF forecasts we find good agreement with the simple model forecasts, especially at longer lead times. Analyzing the drivers of the temperature forecast skills we find that they are mainly controlled by the strengths of (1) the soil moisture-temperature coupling and (2) the soil moisture memory. We

  7. Elemental gradients in macrophytes from a reactor effluent gradient

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Grace, J.B.; Tilly, L.J.

    1978-01-01

    The tissues of submersed macrophtes from along the thermal gradient were analyzed for phosphorus to determine whether any pattern correspondent to standing crop distributions could be detected. Although water concentrations of phosphorus showed no detectable relationship to the thermal effluent, tissue concentrations of this element in submersed macrophytes declined with distance from the effluent entry point. The occurrence of this concentration pattern suggests that phosphorus availability is greater near the discharge. Because phosphorus is the element most often determined to limit aquatic productivity, its greater availability may partially account for the apparent enhancement of macrophte growth near the thermal discharge. A patter of macrophyte abundance which indicated enchancement related to the discharge gradient in the reactor-cooling reservoir, Par Pond is reported. Correlative data tended to implicate light and temperature as important in influencing the differential abundance pattern

  8. Complex Surface Concentration Gradients by Stenciled "Electro Click Chemistry"

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, Thomas Steen; Lind, Johan Ulrik; Daugaard, Anders Egede

    2010-01-01

    Complex one- or two-dimensional concentration gradients of alkynated molecules are produced on azidized conducting polymer substrates by stenciled "electro click chemistry". The latter describes the local electrochemical generation of catalytically active Cu(I) required to complete a "click...... reaction" between alkynes and azides at room temperature. A stencil on the counter electrode defines the shape and multiplicity of the gradient(s) on the conducting polymer substrate, while the specific reaction conditions control gradient steepness and the maximum concentration deposited. Biologically...

  9. Flexoelectricity: strain gradient effects in ferroelectrics

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ma Wenhui [Department of Physics, Shantou Unversity, Shantou, Guangdong 515063 (China)

    2007-12-15

    Mechanical strain gradient induced polarization effect or flexoelectricity in perovskite-type ferroelectric and relaxor ferroelectric ceramics was investigated. The flexoelectric coefficients measured at room temperature ranged from about 1 {mu} C m{sup -1} for lead zirconate titanate to 100 {mu} C m{sup -1} for barium strontium titanate. Flexoelectric effects were discovered to be sensitive to chemical makeup, phase symmetry, and domain structures. Based on phenomenological discussion and experimental data on flexoelectricity, the present study proposed that mechanical strain gradient field could influence polarization responses in a way analogous to electric field. Flexoelectric coefficients were found to be nonlinearly enhanced by dielectric permittivity and strain gradient. Interfacial mismatch in epitaxial thin films can give rise to high strain gradients, enabling flexoelectric effects to make a significant impact in properly engineered ferroelectric heterostructure systems.

  10. The Exit Gradient As a Measure of Groundwater Dependency of Watershed Ecosystem Services

    Science.gov (United States)

    Faulkner, B. R.; Canfield, T. J.; Justin, G. F.

    2014-12-01

    Flux of groundwater to surface water is often of great interest for the determination of the groundwater dependency of ecosystem services, such as maintenance of wetlands and of baseflow as a contributor to stream channel storage. It is difficult to measure. Most methods are based on coarse mass balance estimates or seepage meters. One drawback of these methods is they are not entirely spatially explicit. The exit gradient is commonly used in engineering studies of hydraulic structures affected by groundwater flow. It can be simply defined in the groundwater modeling context as the ratio of the difference between the computed head and the land surface elevation, for each computational cell, to the thickness of the cell, as it varies in space. When combined with calibrated groundwater flow models, it also has the potential to be useful in watershed scale evaluations of groundwater dependency in a spatially explicit way. We have taken advantage of calibrated models for the Calapooia watershed, Oregon, to map exit gradients for the watershed. Streams in the Calapooia are hydraulically well connected with groundwater. Not surprisingly, we found large variations in exit gradients between wet and dry season model runs, supporting the notion of stream expansion, as observed in the field, which may have a substantial influence on water quality. We have mapped the exit gradients in the wet and dry seasons, and compared them to regions which have been mapped in wetland surveys. Those classified as Palustrine types fell largest in the area of contribution from groundwater. In many cases, substantially high exit gradients, even on average, did not correspond to mapped wetland areas, yet nutrient retention ecosystem services may still be playing a role in these areas. The results also reinforce the notion of the importance of baseflow to maintenance of stream flow, even in the dry summer season in this Temperate/Mediterranean climate. Exit gradient mapping is a simple, yet

  11. Simulation of atmospheric temperature inversions over greater cairo using the MM5 Meso-Scale atmospheric model

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kandil, H.A.; Elhadidi, B.M.; Kader, A. A.; Moaty, A.A.; Sherif, A.O.

    2006-01-01

    Air pollution episodes have been recorded in Cairo, during the fall season, since 1999, as a result of specific meteorological conditions combined with large quantity of pollutants created by several ground-based sources. The main reason for the smog-like episodes (black clouds) is adverse weather conditions with low and variable winds, high humidity and strong temperature inversions in the few-hundred meters above the ground. The two important types of temperature inversion affecting the air pollution are surface or ground (radiation) inversion and subsidence (elevated) inversion. The surface temperature inversion is associated with a rapid decrease in the ground surface temperature with the simultaneous existence of warm air in the lower troposphere. The inversion develops at dusk and continues until the surface warms again the following day. Pollutants emitted during the night are caught under this i nversion lid. S ubsidence inversion forms when warm air masses move over colder air masses. The inversion develops with a stagnating high-pressure system (generally associated with fair weather). Under these conditions, the pressure gradient becomes progressively weaker so that winds become light. These light winds greatly reduce the horizontal transport and dispersion of pollutants. At the same time, the subsidence inversion acts as a barrier to the vertical dispersion of the pollutants. In this study, the Penn State/NCAR meso -scale model (MM5) is used to simulate the temperature inversion phenomenon over Greater Cairo region during the fall season of 2004. Accurate computations of the heat transfer at the surface are needed to capture this phenomenon. This can only be achieved by high-resolution simulations in both horizontal and vertical directions. Hence, for accurate simulation of the temperature inversion over Greater Cairo, four nested domains of resolutions of 27 km, 9 km, 3 km and 1 km, respectively, were used in the horizontal planes. Furthermore, 42

  12. Microinstabilities in weak density gradient tokamak systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tang, W.M.; Rewoldt, G.; Chen, L.

    1986-04-01

    A prominent characteristic of auxiliary-heated tokamak discharges which exhibit improved (''H-mode type'') confinement properties is that their density profiles tend to be much flatter over most of the plasma radius. Depsite this favorable trend, it is emphasized here that, even in the limit of zero density gradient, low-frequency microinstabilities can persist due to the nonzero temperature gradient

  13. Jupiter's evolution with primordial composition gradients

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vazan, Allona; Helled, Ravit; Guillot, Tristan

    2018-02-01

    Recent formation and structure models of Jupiter suggest that the planet can have composition gradients and not be fully convective (adiabatic). This possibility directly affects our understanding of Jupiter's bulk composition and origin. In this Letter we present Jupiter's evolution with a primordial structure consisting of a relatively steep heavy-element gradient of 40 M⊕. We show that for a primordial structure with composition gradients, most of the mixing occurs in the outer part of the gradient during the early evolution (several 107 yr), leading to an adiabatic outer envelope (60% of Jupiter's mass). We find that the composition gradient in the deep interior persists, suggesting that 40% of Jupiter's mass can be non-adiabatic with a higher temperature than the one derived from Jupiter's atmospheric properties. The region that can potentially develop layered convection in Jupiter today is estimated to be limited to 10% of the mass. Movies associated to Figs. 1-3 are available at http://https://www.aanda.org

  14. Study of thermal-gradient-induced migration of brine inclusions in salt. Final report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Olander, D.R.

    1984-08-01

    Natural salt deposits, which are being considered for high-level waste disposal, contain a small volume fraction of water in the form of brine inclusions distributed throughout the salt. Radioactive decay heating of the nuclear wastes will impose a temperature gradient on the surrounding salt which mobilizes the brine inclusions. Inclusions filled completely with brine (the all-liquid inclusions) migrate up the temperature gradient and eventually accumulate brine near the buried waste forms. The brine may slowly corrode or degrade the waste forms, which is undesirable. Therefore it is important to consider the migration of brine inclusions in salt under imposed temperature gradients to properly evaluate the performance of a future salt repository for nuclear wastes. The migration velocities of the inclusions were found to be dependent on temperature, temperature gradient, and inclusion shape and size. The velocities were also dictated by the interfacial mass transfer resistance at brine/solid interface. This interfacial resistance depends on the dislocation density in the crystal, which in turn, depends on the axial compressive loading of the crystal. At low axial loads, the dependence between the velocity and temperature gradient is nonlinear. At high axial loads, the interfacial resistance is reduced and the migration velocity depends linearly on the temperature gradient. All-liquid inclusions filled with mixed brines were also studied. For gas-liquid inclusions, helium, air and argon were compared. Migration studies were also conducted on single crystallites of natural salt as well as in polycrystalline natural salt samples. The behavior of the inclusions at large-ange grain boundaries was observed

  15. Study of thermal-gradient-induced migration of brine inclusions in salt. Final report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Olander, D.R.

    1984-08-01

    Natural salt deposits, which are being considered for high-level waste disposal, contain a small volume fraction of water in the form of brine inclusions distributed throughout the salt. Radioactive decay heating of the nuclear wastes will impose a temperature gradient on the surrounding salt which mobilizes the brine inclusions. Inclusions filled completely with brine (the all-liquid inclusions) migrate up the temperature gradient and eventually accumulate brine near the buried waste forms. The brine may slowly corrode or degrade the waste forms, which is undesirable. Therefore it is important to consider the migration of brine inclusions in salt under imposed temperature gradients to properly evaluate the performance of a future salt repository for nuclear wastes. The migration velocities of the inclusions were found to be dependent on temperature, temperature gradient, and inclusion shape and size. The velocities were also dictated by the interfacial mass transfer resistance at brine/solid interface. This interfacial resistance depends on the dislocation density in the crystal, which in turn, depends on the axial compressive loading of the crystal. At low axial loads, the dependence between the velocity and temperature gradient is nonlinear. At high axial loads, the interfacial resistance is reduced and the migration velocity depends linearly on the temperature gradient. All-liquid inclusions filled with mixed brines were also studied. For gas-liquid inclusions, helium, air and argon were compared. Migration studies were also conducted on single crystallites of natural salt as well as in polycrystalline natural salt samples. The behavior of the inclusions at large-ange grain boundaries was observed.

  16. Continuous spray forming of functionally gradient materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    McKechnie, T.N.; Richardson, E.H.

    1995-01-01

    Researchers at Plasma Processes Inc. have produced a Functional Gradient Material (FGM) through advanced vacuum plasma spray processing for high heat flux applications. Outlined in this paper are the manufacturing methods used to develop a four component functional gradient material of copper, tungsten, boron, and boron nitride. The FGM was formed with continuous gradients and integral cooling channels eliminating bondlines and providing direct heat transfer from the high temperature exposed surface to a cooling medium. Metallurgical and x-ray diffraction analyses of the materials formed through innovative VPS (vacuum plasma spray) processing are also presented. Applications for this functional gradient structural material range from fusion reactor plasma facing components to missile nose cones to boilers

  17. The isolation of the temperature effect on branched GDGT distribution in an elevation transect of the Eastern Cordillera, Colombia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anderson, V. J.; Shanahan, T. M.; Saylor, J.; Horton, B. K.

    2012-12-01

    Recently, the distribution of branched GDGT's (glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers) has been proposed as a proxy for temperature and pH in soils via the MBT/CBT index, and has been used to reconstruct past temperature variations in a number of settings ranging from marine sediments to loess deposits and paleosols. However, empirical calibrations of the MBT/CBT index against temperature show significant scatter, leading to uncertainties as large as ±2 degrees C . In this study we seek to add to and improve upon the existing soil calibration using a new set of samples spanning a large elevation (and temperature) gradient in the Eastern Cordillera of Colombia. At each site we buried temperature loggers to constrain the diurnal and seasonal temperature experienced by each soil sample. Located only 5 degrees north of the equator, our sites experience a very small seasonal temperature variation - most sites display an annual range of less than 4 degrees C. In addition, the pH of all of the soils is almost invariant across the transect, with the vast majority of samples having pH's between 4 and 5. This dataset represents a "best-case" scenario - small variations in seasonal temperature, pH, and well-constrained instrumental data - which allow us to examine the brGDGT-temperature relationship in the absence of major confounding factors such as seasonality and soil chemistry. Interestingly, the relationship between temperature and the MBT/CBT index is not improved using this dataset, suggesting that these factors are not the cause of the anomalous scatter in the calibration dataset. However, we find that using other parameterizations for the regression equation instead of the MBT and CBT indices, the errors in our temperature estimates are significantly reduced.

  18. Thermal gradients caused by the CANDU moderator circulation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mohindra, V.K.; Vartolomei, M.A.; Scharfenberg, R.

    2008-01-01

    The heavy water moderator circulation system of a CANDU reactor, maintains calandria moderator temperature at power-dependent design values. The temperature differentials between the moderator and the cooler heavy water entering the calandria generate thermal gradients in the reflector and moderator. The resultant small changes in thermal neutron population are detected by the out-of-core ion chambers as small, continuous fluctuations of the Log Rate signals. The impact of the thermal gradients on the frequency of the High Log Rate fluctuations and their amplitude is relatively more pronounced for Bruce A as compared to Bruce B reactors. The root cause of the Log Rate fluctuations was investigated using Bruce Power operating plant information data and the results of the investigation support the interpretation based on the thermal gradient phenomenon. (author)

  19. Seasonal changes in caddis larvae assemblages in river-floodplain habitats along a hydrological connectivity gradient

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Van den Brink, F.W.B.; Van der Velde, G.; Wijnhoven, S.

    2013-01-01

    In order to assess the impact of seasonality versus connectivity on the ecological quality of the Lower Rhine river-floodplain habitats, we studied the seasonal variation in diversity and species assemblages of caddis larvae by monthly sampling of the littoral zone of four water bodies over a

  20. Seasonal latitudinal and secular variations in temperature trend - evidence for influence of anthropogenic sulfate

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hunter, D E; Schwartz, S E; Wagener, R; Benkovitz, C M [University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, CA (United States). Scripps Institute of Oceanography

    1993-11-19

    Tropospheric aerosols increase the shortwave reflectivity of the Earth-atmosphere system both by scattering light directly, in the absence of clouds, and by enhancing cloud reflectivity. The radiative forcing of climate exerted by anthropogenic sulfate aerosols, derived mainly from SO[sub 2] emitted from fossil fuel combustion, is opposite that due to anthropogenic greenhouse gases and is estimated to be of comparable average magnitude in Northern Hemisphere midlatitudes. However, persuasive evidence of climate response to this forcing has thus far been lacking. Here we examine patterns of seasonal and latitudinal variations in temperature anomaly trend for evidence of such a response. Pronounced minima in the rate of temperature increase in summer months in Northern Hemisphere midlatitudes are consistent with the latitudinal distribution of anthropogenic sulfate and changes in the rate of SO[sub 2] emissions over the industrial era.

  1. In-season heat stress compromises postharvest quality and low-temperature sweetening resistance in potato (Solanum tuberosum L.).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zommick, Daniel H; Knowles, Lisa O; Pavek, Mark J; Knowles, N Richard

    2014-06-01

    The effects of soil temperature during tuber development on physiological processes affecting retention of postharvest quality in low-temperature sweetening (LTS) resistant and susceptible potato cultivars were investigated. 'Premier Russet' (LTS resistant), AO02183-2 (LTS resistant) and 'Ranger Russet' (LTS susceptible) tubers were grown at 16 (ambient), 23 and 29 °C during bulking (111-164 DAP) and maturation (151-180 DAP). Bulking at 29 °C virtually eliminated yield despite vigorous vine growth. Tuber specific gravity decreased as soil temperature increased during bulking, but was not affected by temperature during maturation. Bulking at 23 °C and maturation at 29 °C induced higher reducing sugar levels in the proximal (basal) ends of tubers, resulting in non-uniform fry color at harvest, and abolished the LTS-resistant phenotype of 'Premier Russet' tubers. AO02183-2 tubers were more tolerant of heat for retention of LTS resistance. Higher bulking and maturation temperatures also accelerated LTS and loss of process quality of 'Ranger Russet' tubers, consistent with increased invertase and lower invertase inhibitor activities. During LTS, tuber respiration fell rapidly to a minimum as temperature decreased from 9 to 4 °C, followed by an increase to a maximum as tubers acclimated to 4 °C; respiration then declined over the remaining storage period. The magnitude of this cold-induced acclimation response correlated directly with the extent of buildup in sugars over the 24-day LTS period and thus reflected the effects of in-season heat stress on propensity of tubers to sweeten and lose process quality at 4 °C. While morphologically indistinguishable from control tubers, tubers grown at elevated temperature had different basal metabolic (respiration) rates at harvest and during cold acclimation, reduced dormancy during storage, greater increases in sucrose and reducing sugars and associated loss of process quality during LTS, and reduced ability to improve

  2. Continuous gradient temperature Raman spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry of N-3DPA and DHA from -100 to 10°C

    Science.gov (United States)

    Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6n-3) is exclusively utilized in fast signal processing tissues such as retinal, neural and cardiac. N-3 docosapentaenoic acid (n-3DPA, 22:5n-3), with just one less double bond, is also found in the marine food chain yet cannot substitute for DHA. Gradient Temperature R...

  3. Seasonal and diel variability in dissolved DNA and in microbial biomass and activity in a subtropical estuary

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Paul, J.H.; Deflaun, M.F.; Jeffrey, W.H.; David, A.W.

    1988-01-01

    Dissolved DNA and microbial biomass and activity parameters were measured over a 15-month period at three stations along a salinity gradient in Tampa Bay, Fla. Dissolved DNA showed seasonal variation, with minimal values in December and January and maximal values in summer months (July and August). This pattern of seasonal variation followed that of particulate DNA and water temperature and did not correlate with bacterioplankton (direct counts and [ 3 H] thymidine incorporation) or phytoplankton (chlorophyll α and 14 CO 2 fixation) biomass and activity. Microautotrophic populations showed maxima in the spring and fall, whereas microheterotrophic activity was greatest in late summer (September). Both autotrophic and heterotrophic microbial activity was greatest at the high estuarine (low salinity) station and lowest at the mouth of the bay (high salinity station), irrespective of season. Dissolved DNA carbon and phosphorus constituted 0.11 +/- 0.05% of the dissolved organic carbon and 6.6 +/- 6.5% of the dissolved organic phosphorus, respectively. Strong diel periodicity was noted in dissolved DNA and in microbial activity in Bayboro Harbor during the dry season. A noon maximum in primary productivity was followed by an 8 p.m. maximum in heterotrophic activity and a midnight maximum in dissolved DNA. This diel periodicity was less pronounced in the wet season, when microbial parameters were strongly influenced by episodic inputs of freshwater

  4. Geographic and seasonal patterns and limits on the adaptive response to temperature of European Mytilus spp. and Macoma balthica populations

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Jansen, J.M.; Pronker, A.E.; Kube, S.; Sokolowski, A.; Sola, J.C.; Marquiegui, M.A.; Scheidek, D.; Bonga, W.S.; Wolowicz, M.; Hummel, H.

    2007-01-01

    Seasonal variations in seawater temperature require extensive metabolic acclimatization in cold-blooded organisms inhabiting the coastal waters of Europe. Given the energetic costs of acclimatization, differences in adaptive capacity to climatic conditions are to be expected among distinct

  5. Effects of seasonal operation on the quality of water produced by public-supply wells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bexfield, Laura M.; Jurgens, Bryant C.

    2014-01-01

    Seasonal variability in groundwater pumping is common in many places, but resulting effects of seasonal pumping stress on the quality of water produced by public-supply wells are not thoroughly understood. Analysis of historical water-quality samples from public-supply wells completed in deep basin-fill aquifers in Modesto, California (134 wells) and Albuquerque, New Mexico (95 wells) indicates that several wells have seasonal variability in concentrations of contaminants of concern. In Modesto, supply wells are more likely to produce younger groundwater with higher nitrate and uranium concentrations during the summer (high) pumping season than during the winter (low) pumping season. In Albuquerque, supply wells are more likely to produce older groundwater with higher arsenic concentrations during the winter pumping season than during the summer pumping season. Seasonal variability in contaminant concentrations in Modesto is influenced primarily by effects of summer pumping on vertical hydraulic gradients that drive migration of shallow groundwater through the aquifer to supply wells. Variability in Albuquerque is influenced primarily by the period of time that a supply well is idle, allowing its wellbore to act as a conduit for vertical groundwater flow and contaminant migration. However, both processes are observed in each study area. Similar findings would appear to be likely in other alluvial basins with stratified water quality and substantial vertical head gradients. Results suggest that even in aquifers dominated by old groundwater, changes to seasonal pumping patterns and/or to depth of well completion can help reduce vulnerability to selected contaminants of either natural or anthropogenic origin.

  6. Latitudinal Patterns in European Seagrass Carbon Reserves: Influence of Seasonal Fluctuations versus Short-Term Stress and Disturbance Events

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Laura M. Soissons

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Seagrass meadows form highly productive and valuable ecosystems in the marine environment. Throughout the year, seagrass meadows are exposed to abiotic and biotic variations linked to (i seasonal fluctuations, (ii short-term stress events such as, e.g., local nutrient enrichment, and (iii small-scale disturbances such as, e.g., biomass removal by grazing. We hypothesized that short-term stress events and small-scale disturbances may affect seagrass chance for survival in temperate latitudes. To test this hypothesis we focused on seagrass carbon reserves in the form of starch stored seasonally in rhizomes, as these have been defined as a good indicator for winter survival. Twelve Zostera noltei meadows were monitored along a latitudinal gradient in Western Europe to firstly assess the seasonal change of their rhizomal starch content. Secondly, we tested the effects of nutrient enrichment and/or biomass removal on the corresponding starch content by using a short-term manipulative field experiment at a single latitude in the Netherlands. At the end of the growing season, we observed a weak but significant linear increase of starch content along the latitudinal gradient from south to north. This agrees with the contention that such reserves are essential for regrowth after winter, which is more severe in the north. In addition, we also observed a weak but significant positive relationship between starch content at the beginning of the growing season and past winter temperatures. This implies a lower regrowth potential after severe winters, due to diminished starch content at the beginning of the growing season. Short-term stress and disturbances may intensify these patterns, because our manipulative experiments show that when nutrient enrichment and biomass loss co-occurred at the end of the growing season, Z. noltei starch content declined. In temperate zones, the capacity of seagrasses to accumulate carbon reserves is expected to determine carbon

  7. Latitudinal Patterns in European Seagrass Carbon Reserves: Influence of Seasonal Fluctuations versus Short-Term Stress and Disturbance Events

    Science.gov (United States)

    Soissons, Laura M.; Haanstra, Eeke P.; van Katwijk, Marieke M.; Asmus, Ragnhild; Auby, Isabelle; Barillé, Laurent; Brun, Fernando G.; Cardoso, Patricia G.; Desroy, Nicolas; Fournier, Jerome; Ganthy, Florian; Garmendia, Joxe-Mikel; Godet, Laurent; Grilo, Tiago F.; Kadel, Petra; Ondiviela, Barbara; Peralta, Gloria; Puente, Araceli; Recio, Maria; Rigouin, Loic; Valle, Mireia; Herman, Peter M. J.; Bouma, Tjeerd J.

    2018-01-01

    Seagrass meadows form highly productive and valuable ecosystems in the marine environment. Throughout the year, seagrass meadows are exposed to abiotic and biotic variations linked to (i) seasonal fluctuations, (ii) short-term stress events such as, e.g., local nutrient enrichment, and (iii) small-scale disturbances such as, e.g., biomass removal by grazing. We hypothesized that short-term stress events and small-scale disturbances may affect seagrass chance for survival in temperate latitudes. To test this hypothesis we focused on seagrass carbon reserves in the form of starch stored seasonally in rhizomes, as these have been defined as a good indicator for winter survival. Twelve Zostera noltei meadows were monitored along a latitudinal gradient in Western Europe to firstly assess the seasonal change of their rhizomal starch content. Secondly, we tested the effects of nutrient enrichment and/or biomass removal on the corresponding starch content by using a short-term manipulative field experiment at a single latitude in the Netherlands. At the end of the growing season, we observed a weak but significant linear increase of starch content along the latitudinal gradient from south to north. This agrees with the contention that such reserves are essential for regrowth after winter, which is more severe in the north. In addition, we also observed a weak but significant positive relationship between starch content at the beginning of the growing season and past winter temperatures. This implies a lower regrowth potential after severe winters, due to diminished starch content at the beginning of the growing season. Short-term stress and disturbances may intensify these patterns, because our manipulative experiments show that when nutrient enrichment and biomass loss co-occurred at the end of the growing season, Z. noltei starch content declined. In temperate zones, the capacity of seagrasses to accumulate carbon reserves is expected to determine carbon-based regrowth

  8. Composition gradients across spiral galaxies II. The stellar mass limit

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shields, G.A.; Tinsley, B.M.

    1976-01-01

    The equivalent width of the Hβ emission from H ii regions in spiral galaxies increases with distance from the nucleus. This W (Hβ) gradient is interpreted in terms of a radial gradient in the temperature of the hottest exciting stars. (T/subu/). From Searle's observations of M101, an increase Δ log T/subu/=0.02--0.13 from the intermediate to outermost spiral arms of M101 is inferred. There is also a radial decrease in the metal abundance (Z) across M101, and the T/subu/ gradient is consistent with the prediction of Kahn's recent theory that the upper mass limit for star formation should be smaller in regions of high Z. It is noted also that, even in the absence of changes in the upper mass limit, a T/subu/ gradient is expected because metal-rich stars of given mass have smaller effective temperatures. Several observational and theoretical improvements are needed before firm conclusions can be drawn, but it is clear that the presence of a T/subu/ gradient may lead to several important systematic changes in the interpretation of gradients in the properties of H ii regions across galaxies. A T/subu/ gradient reduces the Z gradient that is inferred from emission-line ratios, and it may help to explain why O ii is strong in the innermost regions where O iii is weak. A T/subu/ gradient may also partly camouflage a helium abundance gradient

  9. Global characteristics of zonal flows generated by ion temperature gradient driven turbulence in tokamak plasmas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Miyato, Naoaki; Kishimoto, Yasuaki; Li, Jiquan

    2004-08-01

    Global structure of zonal flows driven by ion temperature gradient driven turbulence in tokamak plasmas is investigated using a global electromagnetic Landau fluid code. Characteristics of the coupled system of the zonal flows and the turbulence change with the safety factor q. In a low q region stationary zonal flows are excited and suppress the turbulence effectively. Coupling between zonal flows and poloidally asymmetric pressure perturbations via a geodesic curvature makes the zonal flows oscillatory in a high q region. Also we identify energy transfer from the zonal flows to the turbulence via the poloidally asymmetric pressure perturbations in the high q region. Therefore in the high q region the zonal flows cannot quench the turbulent transport completely. (author)

  10. Explanation of L→H mode transition based on gradient stabilization of edge thermal fluctuations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stacey, W.M.

    1996-01-01

    A linear analysis of thermal fluctuations, using a fluid model which treats the large radial gradient related phenomena in the plasma edge, leads to a constraint on the temperature and density gradients for stabilization of edge temperature fluctuations. A temperature gradient, or conductive edge heat flux, threshold is identified. It is proposed that the L→H transition takes place when the conductive heat flux to the edge produces a sufficiently large edge temperature gradient to stabilize the edge thermal fluctuations. The consequences following from this mechanism for the L→H transition are in accord with observed phenomena associated with the L→H transition and with the observed parameter dependences of the power threshold. First, a constraint is established on the edge temperature and density gradients that are sufficient for the stability of edge temperature fluctuations. A slab approximation for the thin plasma edge and a fluid model connected to account for the large radial gradients present in the plasma edge are used. Equilibrium solutions are characterized by the value of the density and of its gradient L n -1 double-bond - n -1 , etc. Temperature fluctuations expanded about the equilibrium value are then used in the energy balance equation summed over plasma ions, electrons and impurities to obtain, after linearization, an expression for the growth rate ω of edge localized thermal fluctuations. Thermal stability of the equilibrium solution requires ω ≤ 0, which establishes a constraint that must be satisfied by L n -1 and L T -1 . The limiting value of the constraint (ω = 0) leads to an expression for the minimum value of that is sufficient for thermal stability, for a given value of L T -1. It is found that there is a minimum value of the temperature gradient, (L T -1 ) min that is necessary for a stable solution to exist for any value of L n -1

  11. Thermal dependence of sprint performance in the lizard Psammodromus algirus along a 2200-meter elevational gradient: Cold-habitat lizards do not perform better at low temperatures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zamora-Camacho, Francisco Javier; Rubiño-Hispán, María Virtudes; Reguera, Senda; Moreno-Rueda, Gregorio

    2015-08-01

    Sprint speed has a capital relevance in most animals' fitness, mainly for fleeing from predators. Sprint performance is maximal within a certain range of body temperatures in ectotherms, whose thermal upkeep relies on exogenous thermal sources. Ectotherms can respond to diverse thermal environments either by shifting their thermal preferences or maintaining them through different adaptive mechanisms. Here, we tested whether maximum sprint speed of a lizard that shows conservative thermal ecology along a 2200-meter elevational gradient differs with body temperature in lizards from different elevations. Lizards ran faster at optimum than at suboptimum body temperature. Notably, high-elevation lizards were not faster than mid- and low-elevation lizards at suboptimum body temperature, despite their low-quality thermal environment. This result suggests that both preferred body temperature and thermal dependence of speed performance are co-adapted along the elevational gradient. High-elevation lizards display a number of thermoregulatory strategies that allow them to achieve high optimum body temperatures in a low thermal-quality habitat and thus maximize speed performance. As for reproductive condition, we did not find any effect of it on sprint speed, or any significant interaction with elevation or body temperature. However, strikingly, gravid females were significantly slower than males and non-gravid females at suboptimum temperature, but performed similarly well at optimal temperature. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Ecological studies of neritic phytoplankton of Southern California: seasonal variations, associations, and responses to temperature elevations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Briand, F.J.P.

    1974-01-01

    The first part of this study investigates the seasonal variations and associations of the nearshore phytoplankton communities at Seal Beach, Orange County, California. A total of 90 species was recorded in samples taken weekly from June 1972 to May 1973. On a yearly basis, the two dominant algal groups were diatoms (46 species) and dinoflagellates (36 species), accounting respectively for 64.1 percent and 30.4 percent of the total cell number, and for 20.2 percent and 79.2 percent of the total cell volume. The species diversity index (H') remained relatively stable during the year, showing no distinct seasonal pattern. The major group, composed mainly of dinoflagellates, was correlated with warm water conditions at Seal Beach. At this location, two electric power plants use sea-water for cooling purposes at the rate of six million l/min, which subjects the planktonic organisms entrained in the condenser systems to appreciable temperature increases. This problem is general in southern California, where 14 coastal power plants draw presently no less than 20 billion l/day from the ocean. The large quantities of marine phytoplankton passing through the cooling systems of the two power plants studied were found greatly reduced in numbers (41.7 percent) and in volume (33.7 percent). There was no apparent reduction in phytoplankton stocks when the intake water was cooler than 15 0 C. Species diversity (H') in the effluent was consistently lower than in the influent. Temperature elevations up to 10 0 C increased the gross primary productivity by 37 percent when intake water temperatures were 19 0 C or cooler, and reduced productivity by 22 percent when ambient water temperatures were warmer than 21.5 0 C. Since heating was consistently less damaging when applied to relatively cold water, use by coastal power plants of deep sea-water for cooling is strongly advocated. (U.S.)

  13. HNO3 fluxes to a deciduous forest derived using gradient and REA methods

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pryor, S.C.; Barthelmie, R.J.; Jensen, B.

    2002-01-01

    Summertime nitric acid concentrations over a deciduous forest in the midwestern United States are reported, which range between 0.36 and 3.3 mug m(-3). Fluxes to the forest are computed using the relaxed eddy accumulation technique and gradient methods. In accord with previous studies, the results...... indicate substantial uncertainties in the gradient-based calculations. The relaxed eddy accumulation (REA) derived fluxes are physically reasonable and are shown to be of similar magnitude to dry deposition estimates from gradient sampling. The REA derived mean deposition velocity is approximately 3 cm s......(-1), which is also comparable to growing season estimates derived by Meyers et al. for a similar deciduous forest. Occasional inverted concentration gradients and fluxes are observed but most are not statistically significant. Data are also presented that indicate substantial through canopy...

  14. Temperature sensitivity differences with depth and season between carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus cycling enzyme activities in an ombrotrophic peatland system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Steinweg, J. M.; Kostka, J. E.; Hanson, P. J.; Schadt, C. W.

    2017-12-01

    Northern peatlands have large amounts of soil organic matter due to reduced decomposition. Breakdown of organic matter is initially mediated by extracellular enzymes, the activity of which may be controlled by temperature, moisture, and substrate availability, all of which vary seasonally throughout the year and with depth. In typical soils the majority of the microbial biomass and decomposition occurs within the top 30cm due to reduced organic matter inputs in the subsurface however peatlands by their very nature contain large amounts of organic matter throughout their depth profile. We hypothesized that potential enzyme activity would be greatest at the surface of the peat due to a larger microbial biomass compared to 40cm and 175cm below the surface and that temperature sensitivity would be greatest at the surface during winter but lowest during the summer due to high temperatures and enzyme efficiency. Peat samples were collected in February, July, and August 2012 from the DOE Spruce and Peatland Responses Under Climatic and Environmental Change project at Marcell Experimental Forest S1 bog. We measured potential activity of hydrolytic enzymes involved in three different nutrient cycles: beta-glucosidase (carbon), leucine amino peptidase (nitrogen), and phosphatase (phosphorus) at 15 temperature points ranging from 3°C to 65°C. Enzyme activity decreased with depth as expected but there was no concurrent change in activation energy (Ea). The reduction in enzyme activity with depth indicates a smaller pool which coincided with a decreased microbial biomass. Differences in enzyme activity with depth also mirrored the changes in peat composition from the acrotelm to the catotelm. Season did play a role in temperature sensitivity with Ea of β-glucosidase and phosphatase being the lowest in August as expected but leucine amino peptidase (a nitrogen acquiring enzyme) Ea was not influenced by season. As temperatures rise, especially in winter months, enzymatic

  15. Regulation of electron temperature gradient turbulence by zonal flows driven by trapped electron modes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Asahi, Y.; Ishizawa, A.; Watanabe, T.-H.; Tsutsui, H.; Tsuji-Iio, S.

    2014-05-01

    Turbulent transport caused by electron temperature gradient (ETG) modes was investigated by means of gyrokinetic simulations. It was found that the ETG turbulence can be regulated by meso-scale zonal flows driven by trapped electron modes (TEMs), which are excited with much smaller growth rates than those of ETG modes. The zonal flows of which radial wavelengths are in between the ion and the electron banana widths are not shielded by trapped ions nor electrons, and hence they are effectively driven by the TEMs. It was also shown that an E × B shearing rate of the TEM-driven zonal flows is larger than or comparable to the growth rates of long-wavelength ETG modes and TEMs, which make a main contribution to the turbulent transport before excitation of the zonal flows.

  16. Assessment of the performance of CORDEX-SA experiments in simulating seasonal mean temperature over the Himalayan region for the present climate: Part I

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nengker, T.; Choudhary, A.; Dimri, A. P.

    2018-04-01

    The ability of an ensemble of five regional climate models (hereafter RCMs) under Coordinated Regional Climate Downscaling Experiments-South Asia (hereafter, CORDEX-SA) in simulating the key features of present day near surface mean air temperature (Tmean) climatology (1970-2005) over the Himalayan region is studied. The purpose of this paper is to understand the consistency in the performance of models across the ensemble, space and seasons. For this a number of statistical measures like trend, correlation, variance, probability distribution function etc. are applied to evaluate the performance of models against observation and simultaneously the underlying uncertainties between them for four different seasons. The most evident finding from the study is the presence of a large cold bias (-6 to -8 °C) which is systematically seen across all the models and across space and time over the Himalayan region. However, these RCMs with its fine resolution perform extremely well in capturing the spatial distribution of the temperature features as indicated by a consistently high spatial correlation (greater than 0.9) with the observation in all seasons. In spite of underestimation in simulated temperature and general intensification of cold bias with increasing elevation the models show a greater rate of warming than the observation throughout entire altitudinal stretch of study region. During winter, the simulated rate of warming gets even higher at high altitudes. Moreover, a seasonal response of model performance and its spatial variability to elevation is found.

  17. Seasonal Patterns of Soil Respiration and Related Soil Biochemical Properties under Nitrogen Addition in Winter Wheat Field.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liang, Guopeng; Houssou, Albert A; Wu, Huijun; Cai, Dianxiong; Wu, Xueping; Gao, Lili; Li, Jing; Wang, Bisheng; Li, Shengping

    2015-01-01

    Understanding the changes of soil respiration under increasing N fertilizer in cropland ecosystems is crucial to accurately predicting global warming. This study explored seasonal variations of soil respiration and its controlling biochemical properties under a gradient of Nitrogen addition during two consecutive winter wheat growing seasons (2013-2015). N was applied at four different levels: 0, 120, 180 and 240 kg N ha(-1) year(-1) (denoted as N0, N12, N18 and N24, respectively). Soil respiration exhibited significant seasonal variation and was significantly affected by soil temperature with Q10 ranging from 2.04 to 2.46 and from 1.49 to 1.53 during 2013-2014 and 2014-2015 winter wheat growing season, respectively. Soil moisture had no significant effect on soil respiration during 2013-2014 winter wheat growing season but showed a significant and negative correlation with soil respiration during 2014-2015 winter wheat growing season. Soil respiration under N24 treatment was significantly higher than N0 treatment. Averaged over the two growing seasons, N12, N18 and N24 significantly increased soil respiration by 13.4, 16.4 and 25.4% compared with N0, respectively. N addition also significantly increased easily extractable glomalin-related soil protein (EEG), soil organic carbon (SOC), total N, ammonium N and nitrate N contents. In addition, soil respiration was significantly and positively correlated with β-glucosidase activity, EEG, SOC, total N, ammonium N and nitrate N contents. The results indicated that high N fertilization improved soil chemical properties, but significantly increased soil respiration.

  18. Seasonal timing in a warming world : plasticity of seasonal timing of growth and reproduction

    OpenAIRE

    Salis, L.

    2015-01-01

    In seasonal environments the timing of various biological processes is crucial for growth, survival and reproductive success of an individual. Nowadays, rapid large-scale climate change is altering species’ seasonal timing (phenology) in many eco¬systems. In this thesis Lucia Salis focuses on the study of seasonal timing in the food chain of the oak-winter moth-great tit. As temperature increased over the last decades, both phenologies of the host plant, the oak, and the herbivorous insect, t...

  19. Evapotranspiration seasonality across the Amazon Basin

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eiji Maeda, Eduardo; Ma, Xuanlong; Wagner, Fabien Hubert; Kim, Hyungjun; Oki, Taikan; Eamus, Derek; Huete, Alfredo

    2017-06-01

    Evapotranspiration (ET) of Amazon forests is a main driver of regional climate patterns and an important indicator of ecosystem functioning. Despite its importance, the seasonal variability of ET over Amazon forests, and its relationship with environmental drivers, is still poorly understood. In this study, we carry out a water balance approach to analyse seasonal patterns in ET and their relationships with water and energy drivers over five sub-basins across the Amazon Basin. We used in situ measurements of river discharge, and remotely sensed estimates of terrestrial water storage, rainfall, and solar radiation. We show that the characteristics of ET seasonality in all sub-basins differ in timing and magnitude. The highest mean annual ET was found in the northern Rio Negro basin (˜ 1497 mm year-1) and the lowest values in the Solimões River basin (˜ 986 mm year-1). For the first time in a basin-scale study, using observational data, we show that factors limiting ET vary across climatic gradients in the Amazon, confirming local-scale eddy covariance studies. Both annual mean and seasonality in ET are driven by a combination of energy and water availability, as neither rainfall nor radiation alone could explain patterns in ET. In southern basins, despite seasonal rainfall deficits, deep root water uptake allows increasing rates of ET during the dry season, when radiation is usually higher than in the wet season. We demonstrate contrasting ET seasonality with satellite greenness across Amazon forests, with strong asynchronous relationships in ever-wet watersheds, and positive correlations observed in seasonally dry watersheds. Finally, we compared our results with estimates obtained by two ET models, and we conclude that neither of the two tested models could provide a consistent representation of ET seasonal patterns across the Amazon.

  20. Study on the temperature gradient evolution of large size nonlinear crystal based on the fluid-solid coupling theory

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, F. Z.; Zhang, P.; Liang, Y. C.; Lu, L. H.

    2014-09-01

    In the non-critical phase-matching (NCPM) along the Θ =90° direction, ADP and DKDP crystals which have many advantages, including a large effective nonlinear optical coefficient, a small PM angular sensitivity and non beam walk-off, at the non-critical phase-matching become the competitive candidates in the inertial confinement fusion(ICF) facility, so the reasonable temperature control of crystals has become more and more important .In this paper, the fluid-solid coupling models of ADP crystal and DKDP crystal which both have anisotropic thermal conductivity in the states of vacuum and non-vacuum were established firstly, and then simulated using the fluid analysis software Fluent. The results through the analysis show that the crystal surface temperature distribution is a ring shape, the temperature gradients in the direction of the optical axis both the crystals are 0.02°C and 0.01°C due to the air, the lowest temperature points of the crystals are both at the center of surface, and the temperatures are lower than 0.09°C and 0.05°C compared in the vacuum and non-vacuum environment, then propose two designs for heating apparatus.