Electrification of volcanic plumes     

T. A. Mather  R. G. Harrison 《Surveys in Geophysics》2006,27(4):387-432

Volcanic lightning, perhaps the most spectacular consequence of the electrification of volcanic plumes, has been implicated in the origin of life on Earth, and may also exist in other planetary atmospheres. Recent years have seen volcanic lightning detection used as part of a portfolio of developing techniques to monitor volcanic eruptions. Remote sensing measurement techniques have been used to monitor volcanic lightning, but surface observations of the atmospheric electric Potential Gradient (PG) and the charge carried on volcanic ash also show that many volcanic plumes, whilst not sufficiently electrified to produce lightning, have detectable electrification exceeding that of their surrounding environment. Electrification has only been observed associated with ash-rich explosive plumes, but there is little evidence that the composition of the ash is critical to its occurrence. Different conceptual theories for charge generation and separation in volcanic plumes have been developed to explain the disparate observations obtained, but the ash fragmentation mechanism appears to be a key parameter. It is unclear which mechanisms or combinations of electrification mechanisms dominate in different circumstances. Electrostatic forces play an important role in modulating the dry fall-out of ash from a volcanic plume. Beyond the local electrification of plumes, the higher stratospheric particle concentrations following a large explosive eruption may affect the global atmospheric electrical circuit. It is possible that this might present another, if minor, way by which large volcanic eruptions affect global climate. The direct hazard of volcanic lightning to communities is generally low compared to other aspects of volcanic activity.  相似文献   

Do stratocumulus clouds detrain? FIRE I data revisited     

Stephan R. de Roode  Qing Wang 《Boundary-Layer Meteorology》2007,122(2):479-491

Analyses of aircraft observations of the stratocumulus-topped boundary layer during the First ISCCP (International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project) Regional Experiment (FIRE I) show the frequent presence of clear, but relatively moist, air patches near the stratocumulus cloud-top interface. A conditional sampling of measurements in these clear air patches shows that their thermodynamic properties do more resemble boundary-layer air characteristics than those of free troposphere air. From an aircraft leg through cloud tops it is demonstrated that turbulent mixing across the cloud-top interface can lead to the local dissipation of the cloud top. Analogous to the terminology used for shallow cumulus parameterizations this process can be considered as detrainment, with which we mean that after a mixing event across the cloud-top boundaries, mixed unsaturated parcels become part of the clear environment of the cloud.  相似文献   

Euv Spectroscopy of the Sunspot Region Noaa 7981 Using Soho – II. Velocities and Line Profiles     

Brynildsen  N.  Brekke  P.  Fredvik  T.  Haugan  S. V. H.  Kjeldseth-Moe  O.  Maltby  P.  Harrison  R. A.  Pike  C. D.  Rimmele  T.  Thompson  W. T.  Wilhelm  K. 《Solar physics》1998,179(2):279-312

We have studied the dynamics in the sunspot transition region between the chromosphere and the corona and investigated the extension of the flow field into the corona. Based on EUV spectra of a medium size sunspot and its surroundings, NOAA 7981, observed with CDS and SUMER on SOHO, we derive line-of-sight velocities and study the line profiles for a series of emission lines.The flow field in the low corona is found to differ markedly from that in the transition region. In the transition region the relative line-of-sight velocity shows an upflow in the umbra and relatively large areas with downflow that cover part of the penumbra. The spatial extent of these areas with upflow and downflow increases with increasing temperature in the transition region, but the whole flow field changes character as the temperature increases from the upper transition region to the low corona. Based on a calibration of the SUMER wavelength scale we find that the entire sunspot transition zone appears to be moving downwards towards the chromosphere. The relation between this finding and the general tendency for transition-region lines to show a net red shift is discussed.Several of the transition-region spectral line profiles are observed to show two line components with Gaussian shape and line-of-sight velocities that differ markedly. Several of the line profiles that are composed of two spectral line components occur close to the dividing line between up- and downflow. A discussion of this observation is presented. In small regions with spatial extent of a few arc sec we detect enhanced continuum emission underlying explosive events. The similarities between explosive events with continuum emission and the moustaches observed in H close to sunspots are so striking that we are tempted to introduce the notation transition-region moustaches.  相似文献   

The ortho- to para- ratio of H₂ in the starburst of NGC 253     

Andrew Harrison  Phil Puxley  Adrian Russell  & Peter Brand 《Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society》1998,297(2):624-632

We present measurements of several near-infrared emission lines from the nearby galaxy NGC 253. We have been able to measure four H₂ lines across the circumnuclear starburst, from which we estimate the ortho- to para- ratio of excited H₂ to be ∼2. This indicates that the bulk of the H₂ emission arises from photodissociation regions (PDRs), rather than from shocks. This is the case across the entire region of active star formation.
As the H₂ emission arises from PDRs, it is likely that the ratio of H₂ to Brγ (the bright hydrogen recombination line) is a measure of the relative geometry of O and B stars and PDRs. Towards the nucleus of NGC 253 the geometry is deduced to be tightly clustered O and B stars in a few giant H  II regions that are encompassed by PDRs. Away from the nuclear region, the geometry becomes that of PDRs bathed in a relatively diffuse ultraviolet radiation field.
The rotation curves of 1–0 S(1) and Brγ suggest that the ionized gas is tracing a kinetic system different from that of the molecular gas in NGC 253, particularly away from the nucleus.  相似文献   

Heavy metal residues in Laysan Duck feathers     

D.L. Stoneburner  C.S. Harrison 《Marine pollution bulletin》1981,12(10):354-355

The heavy metal data presented herein indicate that the wild Laysan Duck population may not be contaminated with metal-laden industrial wates. It is therefore possible that the food chain which supports the duck population is uncontaminated, with the possible exception of prey taken from pelagic sea bird carcasses. Such a short, geographically isolated food chain, involving a non-migratory avian carnivore, could be an ideal system for the investigation of bio-concentration, bio-accumulation and bio-magnification of naturally occurring heavy metals.  相似文献