Thick and thin models of the evolution of carbon dioxide on Mars     

Curtis V. Manning  Christopher P. McKay 《Icarus》2006,180(1):38-59

We present results from a new simulation code that accounts for the evolution of the reservoirs of carbon dioxide on Mars, from its early years to the present. We establish a baseline model parameter set that produces results compatible with the present (i.e., Patm?6.5 mbar with permanent CO₂ ice cap) for a wide range of initial inventories. We find that the initial inventory of CO₂ broadly determines the evolutionary course of the reservoirs of CO₂. The reservoirs include the atmosphere, ice cap, adsorbed CO₂ in the regolith, and carbonate rocks. We track the evolution of the free inventory: the atmosphere, ice cap and regolith. Simulations begin at 4.53 Gyr before present with a rapid loss of free inventory to space in the early Noachian. Models that assume a relatively small initial inventory (?5 bar) have pronounced minima in the free inventory of CO₂ toward the end of the Noachian. Under baseline parameters, initial inventories below ∼4.5 bar result in a catastrophic loss of the free inventory to space. The current free inventory would be then determined by the balance between outgassing, sputtering losses and chemical weathering following the end of the late bombardment. We call these “thin” models. They generically predict small current free inventories in line with expectations of a small present CO₂ ice cap. For “thick” models, with initial inventories ?5 bar, a surplus of 300-700 mbar of free CO₂ remains during the late-Noachian. The histories of free inventory in time for thick models tend to converge within the last 3.5 Gyr toward a present with an ice cap plus atmospheric inventory of about 100 mbar. For thick models, the convergence is largely due to the effects of chemical weathering, which draws down higher free inventories more rapidly than the low. Thus, thick models have ?450 mbar carbonate reservoirs, while thin models have ?200 mbar. Though both thick and thin scenarios can reproduce the current atmospheric pressure, the thick models imply a relatively large current CO₂ ice cap and thin models, little or none. While the sublimation of a massive cap at a high obliquity would create a climate swing of greenhouse warming for thick models, under the thin model, mean temperatures and pressures would be essentially unaffected by increases in obliquity.  相似文献   

Seasonal variations in prey selection by estuarine black-headed gulls (Larus ridibundus)     

D.J. Curtis  C.G. Galbraith  J.C. Smyth  D.B.A. Thompson 《Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science》1985,21(1):75-90

The number of black-headed gulls (Larus ridibundus) in the Clyde Estuary is large. In summer the average density has reached 1350 gulls km^?2 and in winter 180 gulls km^?2. This paper compares prey selection and feeding efficiency in gulls during summer and winter on tidal flats, and considers how seasonal differences may be adaptations to cope with seasonal changes in prey availability.Gross and net rates of energy intake were highest in summer because gulls captured more of the polychaete N. diversicolor than the amphipod C. volutator. In winter, gulls selected for C. volutator and therefore an energetically less profitable diet. Throughout the year gulls selected more C. volutator relative to N. diversicolor than expected on energetic grounds and so apparently did not maximize potential net rate of energy intake.Gulls used three techniques to capture prey and made most intensive use of the ‘crouch’ technique. Crouching gulls attained a much higher net rate of energy intake than ‘upright’ or ‘paddling’ gulls.A log-linear model showed that (a) season, water depth and gull density determined feeding technique and (b) feeding technique and season independently determined foraging success and prey selection. Thus gull density and water depth acted on prey selection through imposed variations in feeding technique.Reasons for gulls selecting energetically unprofitable C. volutator and for the use of several distinct feeding techniques are discussed.  相似文献   

Screening and ranking framework for geologic CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> storage site selection on the basis of health,safety, and environmental risk   总被引：2，自引：0，他引：2  

Curtis M. Oldenburg 《Environmental Geology》2008,54(8):1687-1694

A screening and ranking framework (SRF) has been developed to evaluate potential geologic carbon dioxide (CO₂) storage sites on the basis of health, safety, and environmental (HSE) risk arising from CO₂ leakage. The approach is based on the assumption that CO₂ leakage risk is dependent on three basic characteristics of a geologic CO₂ storage site: (1) the potential for primary containment by the target formation; (2) the potential for secondary containment if the primary formation leaks; and (3) the potential for attenuation and dispersion of leaking CO₂ if the primary formation leaks and secondary containment fails. The framework is implemented in a spreadsheet in which users enter numerical scores representing expert opinions or published information along with estimates of uncertainty. Applications to three sites in California demonstrate the approach. Refinements and extensions are possible through the use of more detailed data or model results in place of property proxies.  相似文献   

Lagrangian diffusion equation and its application to oceanic dispersion     

Akira Okubo  Curtis C. Ebbesmeyer  Brian G. Sanderson 《Journal of Oceanography》1983,39(5):259-266

The Lagrangian diffusion equation appropriate for the dispersion of current followers (e. g., floats, drogues, drifters) is proposed. The analytical solution to the equation is obtained for a uniform deformation field, characterized by Lagrangian deformations and anisotropic eddy diffusivities both varying with time. Expressions are derived for the patch area and its elongation and rotation. For small values of elapsed time after the initial release the patch area can be accounted for by the exponential of the cumulative value of the horizontal divergence; the relative rate of change of the patch area can be accounted for by the horizontal divergence.  相似文献   

An experimental study of anorthosite dissolution in lunar picritic magmas: Implications for crustal assimilation processes     

Zachary Morgan  Yan Liang  Paul Hess 《Geochimica et cosmochimica acta》2006,70(13):3477-3491

Experiments characterizing the kinetics of anorthosite dissolution in lunar picritic magmas (very low-Ti, low-Ti, and high-Ti picritic glasses) were conducted at 0.6 GPa and 1250-1400 °C using the dissolution couple method. Reaction between the anorthosite and lunar picritic magmas at 1250-1300 °C produced a spinel + melt layer. Reaction between the anorthosite and an olivine-saturated low-Ti magma at 1250-1300 °C produced a crystal-free region between the spinel + melt layer and the olivine-saturated magma. The anorthosite dissolution experiments conducted at 1400 °C simply dissolved anorthosite and did not result in a crystal-bearing region. The rate of anorthosite dissolution strongly depends on temperature and composition of the reacting melt. Concentration profiles that develop during anorthosite dissolution are nonlinear and extend from the picritic glass compositions to anorthite. These profiles feature a large and continuous variation in melt density and viscosity from the anorthosite-melt interface to the initial picritic magmas. In both the low-Ti and high-Ti magmas the diffusive fluxes of TiO₂, Al₂O₃, and SiO₂ are strongly coupled to the concentration gradients of CaO and FeO. Anorthosite dissolution may play an important role in producing the chemical variability of the lunar picritic magmas, the origin of spinel in the lunar basalts and picritic glasses, and the petrogenesis of the high-Al basalts.  相似文献   

Using Spatial Data to Explore Landholder Awareness and Concern about Dryland Salinity     

Allan Curtis  Jacinta MacKay  Simon McDonald 《The Australian geographer》2002,33(2):159-171

This paper draws upon research in Victoria's Goulburn Broken Catchment exploring landholder responses to dryland salinity. It has been assumed that part of the explanation for limited adoption of recommended practices was that landholders were unaware of the extent of dryland salinity. Socio-economic data from a mail survey was combined in a Geographic Information System (GIS) with other layers, including the location of discharge sites and depth to saline ground water. Comparisons of expert maps and landholder identified salinity sites suggested that landholders in the upper catchment had excellent knowledge of the current extent of salinity on their property. At the same time, the expert maps failed to predict half of the saline-affected sites identified by landholders. It seems that the extensive community education effort undertaken in this region had been successful in raising salinity awareness. Our research also highlighted that most landholders were not concerned about the impacts of dryland salinity and appear to believe they can 'live with salt'. This is an important issue because the small, diffused amounts of salt exported from these properties in the upper catchment are/will have a substantial impact downstream. The research methodology and findings have important policy and management implications, and these are discussed.  相似文献   

Shear wave statics using receiver functions   总被引：1，自引：0，他引：1  

D. van Manen  J. O. A. Robertsson  A. Curtis  R. Ferber  H. Paulssen 《Geophysical Journal International》2003,153(3):F1-F5

  相似文献   

Web-Based interrogation of large-scale geophysical data sets from handheld devices     

Zachary A. Garbow  Gordon Erlebacher  David A. Yuen  John M. Boggs  Fabien W. Dubuffet 《Visual Geosciences》2003,8(1):1-20

This paper describes the issues related to using handheld devices to interrogate wirelessly large-scale geophysical data over the Web using a client–server configuration. A modification of our current Web-based data interrogation program addresses specifically the limitations of current handheld devices with wireless access, such as processor speed, screen size and resolution, memory, and network speeds. The system uses a combination of Java, Python, and C in order to run remotely from the handheld device, while incorporating the power and memory capacity of a large workstation server.  相似文献   

Oxygen isotope heterogeneity in chondrules from the Mokoia CV3 carbonaceous chondrite     

Rhian H Jones  Laurie A Leshin  Zachary D Sharp  Alan J Schilk 《Geochimica et cosmochimica acta》2004,68(16):3423-3438

We report a study of the oxygen isotope ratios of chondrules and their constituent mineral grains from the Mokoia, oxidized CV3 chondrite. Bulk oxygen isotope ratios of 23 individual chondrules were determined by laser ablation fluorination, and oxygen isotope ratios of individual grains, mostly olivine, were obtained in situ on polished mounts using secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS). Our results can be compared with data obtained previously for the oxidized CV3 chondrite, Allende. Bulk oxygen isotope ratios of Mokoia chondrules form an array on an oxygen three-isotope plot that is subparallel to, and slightly displaced from, the CCAM (carbonaceous chondrite anhydrous minerals) line. The best-fit line for all CV3 chondrite chondrules has a slope of 0.99, and is displaced significantly (by δ¹⁷O ∼ −2.5‰) from the Young and Russell slope-one line for unaltered calcium-aluminum-rich inclusion (CAI) minerals. Oxygen isotope ratios of many bulk CAIs also lie on the CV-chondrule line, which is the most relevant oxygen isotope array for most CV chondrite components. Bulk oxygen isotope ratios of most chondrules in Mokoia have δ¹⁸O values around 0‰, and olivine grains in these chondrules have similar oxygen isotope ratios to their bulk values. In general, it appears that chondrule mesostases have higher δ¹⁸O values than olivines in the same chondrules. Our bulk chondrule data spread to lower δ¹⁸O values than any ferromagnesian chondrules that have been measured previously. Two chondrules with the lowest bulk δ¹⁸O values (−7.5‰ and −11.7‰) contain olivine grains that display an extremely wide range of oxygen isotope ratios, down to δ¹⁷O, δ¹⁸O around -50‰ in one chondrule. In these chondrules, there are no apparent relict grains, and essentially no relationships between olivine compositions, which are homogeneous, and oxygen isotopic compositions of individual grains. Heterogeneity of oxygen isotope ratios within these chondrules may be the result of incorporation of relict grains from objects such as amoeboid olivine aggregates, followed by solid-state chemical diffusion without concomitant oxygen equilibration. Alternatively, oxygen isotope exchange between an ¹⁶O-rich precursor and an ¹⁶O-poor gas may have taken place during chondrule formation, and these chondrules may represent partially equilibrated systems in which isotopic heterogeneities became frozen into the crystallizing olivine grains. If this is the case, we can infer that the earliest nebular solids from which chondrules formed had δ¹⁷O and δ¹⁸O values around -50‰, similar to those observed in refractory inclusions.  相似文献   

Channel adjustments of the lower Trinity River,Texas, downstream of Livingston Dam     

Jonathan D. Phillips  Michael C. Slattery  Zachary A. Musselman 《地球表面变化过程与地形》2005,30(11):1419-1439

Channel cross‐sectional changes since construction of Livingston Dam and Lake Livingston in 1968 were studied in the lower Trinity River, Texas, to test theoretical models of channel adjustment, and to determine controls on the spatial extent of channel response. High and average flows were not significantly modified by the dam, but sediment transport is greatly reduced. The study is treated as an opportunistic experiment to examine the effects of a reduction in sediment supply when discharge regime is unchanged. Channel scour is evident for about 60 km downstream, and the general phenomena of incision, widening, coarsening of channel sediment and a decrease in channel slope are successfully predicted, in a qualitative sense, by standard models of channel response. However, there is no consistent channel response within this reach, as various qualitatively different combinations of increases, decreases or no change in width, depth, slope and roughness occur. These multiple modes of adjustment are predicted by the unstable hydraulic geometry model. Between about 60 km and the Trinity delta 175 km downstream of the dam, no morphological response to the dam is observed. Rather than a diminution of the dam's effects on fluvial processes, this is due to a fundamental change in controls of the fluvial system. The downstream end of the scour zone corresponds to the upstream extent of channel response to Holocene sea level rise. Beyond 60 km downstream, the Trinity River is characterized by extensive sediment storage and reduced conveyance capacity, so that even after dam construction sediment supply still exceeds transport capacity. The channel bed of much of this reach is near or below sea level, so that sea level rise and backwater effects from the estuary are more important controls on the fluvial system than upstream inputs. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.  相似文献