Processes controlling rapid temperature variations on rock surfaces     

Jamie L. Molaro  Christopher P. McKay 《地球表面变化过程与地形》2010,35(5):501-507

In arid environments, thermal oscillations are an important source of rock weathering. Measurements of temperature have been made on the surface of rocks in a desert environment at a sampling interval of 0·375 s, with simultaneous measurements of wind speed, air temperature, and incoming shortwave radiation. Over timescales of hours, the temperature of the rock surface was determined primarily by shortwave radiation and air temperature, while rapid temperature variations, high dT/dt, at intervals of seconds or less, were determined by wind speed. The maximum values of temperature change and time spent above 2°C min^?1 increased at high measurement rates and were much higher than previously reported. The maximum recorded value of dT/dt was 137°C min^?1 and the average percentage time spent above 2°C min^?1 was ～70 ± 13%. Maximum values of dT/dt did not correlate with the maximum values of time spent above 2°C min^?1. Simultaneous measurements of two thermocouples 5·5 cm apart on a single rock surface had similar temperature and dT/dt values, but were not correlated at sampling intervals of less than 10 s. It is suggested that this is resulting from rapid fluctuations due to small spatial and timescale wind effects that are averaged out when data is taken at longer sampling intervals, ～10 s or greater. Published in 2010 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.  相似文献   

Origins of magnetite nanocrystals in Martian meteorite ALH84001     

K.L. Thomas-Keprta  S.J. Clemett  D.S. McKay  S.J. Wentworth 《Geochimica et cosmochimica acta》2009,73(21):6631-5335

The Martian meteorite ALH84001 preserves evidence of interaction with aqueous fluids while on Mars in the form of microscopic carbonate disks. These carbonate disks are believed to have precipitated 3.9 Ga ago at beginning of the Noachian epoch on Mars during which both the oldest extant Martian surfaces were formed, and perhaps the earliest global oceans. Intimately associated within and throughout these carbonate disks are nanocrystal magnetites (Fe₃O₄) with unusual chemical and physical properties, whose origins have become the source of considerable debate. One group of hypotheses argues that these magnetites are the product of partial thermal decomposition of the host carbonate. Alternatively, the origins of magnetite and carbonate may be unrelated; that is, from the perspective of the carbonate the magnetite is allochthonous. For example, the magnetites might have already been present in the aqueous fluids from which the carbonates were believed to have been deposited. We have sought to resolve between these hypotheses through the detailed characterization of the compositional and structural relationships of the carbonate disks and associated magnetites with the orthopyroxene matrix in which they are embedded. Extensive use of focused ion beam milling techniques has been utilized for sample preparation. We then compared our observations with those from experimental thermal decomposition studies of sideritic carbonates under a range of plausible geological heating scenarios. We conclude that the vast majority of the nanocrystal magnetites present in the carbonate disks could not have formed by any of the currently proposed thermal decomposition scenarios. Instead, we find there is considerable evidence in support of an alternative allochthonous origin for the magnetite unrelated to any shock or thermal processing of the carbonates.  相似文献   

The role of organic haze in Titan's atmospheric chemistry: II. Effect of heterogeneous reaction to the hydrogen budget and chemical composition of the atmosphere     

Yasuhito Sekine  Sébastien Lebonnois  Takafumi Matsui  Christopher P. McKay  Seiji Sugita 《Icarus》2008,194(1):201-211

One of the key components controlling the chemical composition and climatology of Titan's atmosphere is the removal of reactive atomic hydrogen from the atmosphere. A proposed process of the removal of atomic hydrogen is the heterogeneous reaction with organic aerosol. In this study, we investigate the effect of heterogeneous reactions in Titan's atmospheric chemistry using new measurements of the heterogeneous reaction rate [Sekine, Y., Imanaka, H., Matsui, T., Khare, B.N., Bakes, E.L.O., McKay, C.P., Sugita, S., 2008. Icarus 194, 186-200] in a one-dimensional photochemical model. Our results indicate that 60-75% of the atomic hydrogen in the stratosphere and mesosphere are consumed by the heterogeneous reactions. This result implies that the heterogeneous reactions on the aerosol surface may predominantly remove atomic hydrogen in Titan's stratosphere and mesosphere. The results of our calculation also indicate that a low concentration of atomic hydrogen enhances the concentrations of unsaturated complex organics, such as C₄H₂ and phenyl radical, by more than two orders in magnitude around 400 km in altitude. Such an increase in unsaturated species may induce efficient haze production in Titan's mesosphere and upper stratosphere. These results imply a positive feedback mechanism in haze production in Titan's atmosphere. The increase in haze production would affect the chemical composition of the atmosphere, which might induce further haze production. Such a positive feedback could tend to dampen the loss and supply cycles of CH₄ due to an episodic CH₄ release into Titan's atmosphere.  相似文献   

Experimental impact shock chemistry on planetary icy satellites     

Delphine Nna-Mvondo  Bishun Khare  Tomoko Ishihara  Christopher P. McKay 《Icarus》2008,194(2):822-835

We present new experimental results on impact shock chemistry into icy satellites of the outer planets. Icy mixtures of pure water ice with CO₂, Na₂CO₃, CH₃OH, and CH₃OH/(NH₄)₂SO₄ at 77 K were ablated with a powerful pulsed laser—a new technique used to simulate shock processes which can occur during impacts. New products were identified by GC-MS and FTIR analyses after laser ablation. Our results show that hydrogen peroxide is formed in irradiated H₂O/CO₂ ices with a final concentration of 0.23%. CO and CH₃OH were also detected as main products. The laser ablation of frozen H₂O/Na₂CO₃ generates only CO and CO₂ as destruction products from the salt. Pulsed irradiation of water ice containing methanol leads also to the formation of CO and CO₂, generates methane and more complex molecules containing carbonyl groups like acetaldehyde, acetone, methyl formate, and a diether, dimethyl formal. The last three compounds are also produced when adding ammonium sulfate to H₂O/CH₃OH ice, but acetone is more abundant. The formation of two hydrocarbons, CH₄ and C₂H₆ is observed as well as the production of three nitrogen compounds, nitrous oxide, hydrogen cyanide, and acetonitrile.  相似文献   

The nitrogen cycle on Mars: Impact decomposition of near-surface nitrates as a source for a nitrogen steady state     

Curtis V. Manning  Christopher P. McKay  Kevin J. Zahnle 《Icarus》2008,197(1):60-64

Nitrogen isotopes appear to be escaping from Mars at approximately the primordial ratio ¹⁴N/¹⁵N ≈ 275 and to have an atmospheric nitrogen depletion time scale of about 800 Myr. For the standard model of a progressive decline of an initial inventory of atmospheric nitrogen, having no source of N, the agreement of the isotopic ratio of escaping N with primitive nitrogen would be coincidental. Here we propose a steady state model in which nitrates, produced early in Mars' history, are later decomposed by the current impact flux. The detection of near-surface nitrates can discriminate between the standard and the steady state models. Based on current estimates of N loss to space, we predict a quantity of nitrates equivalent to 60 ± 30 mbars for a steady state, or a global layer of about 3 m of pure NaNO₃.  相似文献   

Observations on mass media reporting and individual motivation to obtain a flood inundation map—River Torrens,Adelaide, South Australia     

Jennifer M. McKay  Brian Finlayson 《Applied geography (Sevenoaks, England)》1982,2(2):143-153

A four-sheet set of flood inundation maps of the River Torrens floodplain in Adelaide, prepared as part of the River Torrens Flood Mitigation Study, was made available by the government in an attempt to inform the public about the flood risk. Prior levels of awareness were low, there not having been a significant flood in the area since 1931.Announcement of the Flood Mitigation Study and the maps' availability was made by news release, ministerial press conference and paid advertisements in the local press. A content analysis of the various news media's coverage of this event shows that the media generally ignored the floodplain maps and concentrated on other aspects of the news release.The maps were available free from state and local government offices, and records were kept of all persons requesting maps. In the first three months only 277 persons requested maps. Approximately two-thirds of these collected maps for personal reasons and the other one-third for occupational reasons. There was no relationship between the numbers of each sheet collected and the number of flood-prone premises on the sheet. One of the sheets shows no flood-affected premises but has been requested as much as any other sheet.The results are compared with sales figures of floodplain maps prepared for Brisbane, Queensland, after a disastrous flood there in 1974. The effect of experience of a flood is evident on both the population and the media in Brisbane when compared to Adelaide. In addition to low prior awareness of flood risk, the low prominence of the story in the mass media, the content of the media reports and the positions of the paid advertisements in the press all contributed to the poor community response to the maps.  相似文献   

Mechanical balance-electrical readout weighing lysimeter     

E. I. Mukammal  G. A. McKay  V. R. Turner 《Boundary-Layer Meteorology》1971,2(2):207-217

As part of the research programme of the Atmospheric Environment Service, a large, sensitive weighing lysimeter was constructed on the Atmospheric Environment Service research site north of Toronto. Features of the instrument include: measurement of runoff, percolation, drainage of water held in tension, addition of water from below during dry conditions, equalization of soil temperature profile inside with that outside the lysimeter, humidity control to eliminate condensation, low area of discontinuity at the rim to reduce edge effects, and quasimonolith filling. This paper describes the construction and installation of the lysimeter, the problems encountered and some infrequently considered sources of error.  相似文献   

Analysis of the Time-Dependent Chemical Evolution of Titan Haze Tholin     

Bishun N. KhareE.L.O. Bakes  Hiroshi ImanakaChristopher P. McKay  Dale P. CruikshankEdward T. Arakawa 《Icarus》2002,160(1):172-182

Haze particles exert a significant influence over the thermodynamics and radiation absorption properties of the Titan haze, as well as its complex organic chemistry. Characterization of both the molecular and the submicrometer components of the haze is therefore vital for understanding the global properties of Titan. We have carried out a Titan tholin synthesis experiment and measured the time variation of the infrared spectrum of the product as a thin film developed. Also, to examine the possibility of oxygen contamination, we compared the infrared spectrum of the tholin film with that of a tholin film exposed to dry air and laboratory air. The objective of this study is to understand the chemical processes related to how simple organic molecules are processed into more complex haze particles. The progressive development of features characteristic of amines, aromatic and aliphatic hydrocarbons, and nitriles in the experimental mixture is clear. Of particular interest is the formation of aromatic rings after only a few seconds of glow discharge, indicating that these compounds appear to be intermediates between simple haze molecules and microphysical aerosols. The early dominance of aromatic ring structures is accompanied during the later stages of the experiment by the appearance of nitrile and amine compounds. This time-dependent succession of chemical structures provides vital clues to the possible chemical formation pathways of Titan haze aerosols.  相似文献   

Titan's Atmosphere in Late Southern Spring Observed with Adaptive Optics on the W. M. Keck II 10-Meter Telescope     

Henry G. RoeImke de Pater  Bruce A. MacintoshSeran G. Gibbard  Claire E. MaxChris P. McKay 《Icarus》2002,157(1):254-258

Using adaptive optics on the W. M. Keck II telescope, we imaged Titan several times during 1999 to 2001 in narrowband near-infrared filters selected to probe Titan's stratosphere and upper troposphere. We observed a bright feature around the south pole, possibly a collar of haze or clouds. Further, we find that solar phase angle explains most of the observed east-west brightness asymmetry of Titan's atmosphere, although the data do not preclude the presence of a “morning fog” effect at small solar phase angle.  相似文献   

Observations of eruption clouds from Sakura-zima volcano,Kyushu, Japan from Skylab 4     

Jules D. Friedman  Grant Heiken  Darryl Randerson  David S. McKay 《Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research》1976,1(4):305-329

Hasselblad and Nikon stereographic photographs taken from Skylab between 9 June 1973 and 1 February 1974 give synoptic plan views of several entire eruption clouds emanating from Sakura-zima volcano in Kagoshima Bay, Kyushu, Japan. Analytical plots of these stereographic pairs, studied in combination with meteorological data, indicate that the eruption clouds did not penetrate the tropopause and thus did not create a stratospheric dust veil of long residence time. A horizontal eddy diffusivity of the order of 10⁶ cm² s^?1 and a vertical eddy diffusivity of the order of 10⁵ cm² s^?1 were calculated from the observed plume dimensions and from available meteorological data. These observations are the first, direct evidence that explosive eruption at an estimated energy level of about 10¹⁸ ergs per paroxysm may be too small under atmospheric conditions similar to those prevailing over Sakura-zima for volcanic effluents to penetrate low-level tropospheric temperature inversions and, consequently, the tropopause over northern middle latitudes. Maximum elevation of the volcanic clouds was determined to be 3.4 km. The cumulative thermal energy release in the rise of volcanic plumes for 385 observed explosive eruptions was estimated to be 10²⁰ to 10²¹ ergs (10¹³ to 10¹⁴ J), but the entire thermal energy release associated with pyroclastic activity may be of the order of 2.5 × 10²² ergs (2.5 × 10¹⁵ J).Estimation of the kinetic energy component of explosive eruptions via satellite observation and meteorological consideration of eruption clouds is thus useful in volcanology as an alternative technique to confirm the kinetic energy estimates made by ground-based geological and geophysical methods, and to aid in construction of physical models of potential and historical tephra-fallout sectors with implications for volcano-hazard prediction.  相似文献