The continuous, over two-decade data record from the Multi-Filter Rotating Shadowband Radiometer (MFRSR) is ideal for climate research which requires timely and accurate information of important atmospheric components such as gases, aerosols, and clouds. Except for parameters derived from MFRSR measurement ratios, which are not impacted by calibration error, most applications require accurate calibration factor(s), angular correction, and spectral response function(s) from calibration. Although a laboratory lamp (or reference) calibration can provide all the information needed to convert the instrument readings to actual radiation, in situ calibration methods are implemented routinely (daily) to fill the gaps between lamp calibrations. In this paper, the basic structure and the data collection and pretreatment of the MFRSR are described. The laboratory lamp calibration and its limitations are summarized. The cloud screening algorithms for MFRSR data are presented. The in situ calibration methods, the standard Langley method and its variants, the ratio-Langley method, the general method, Alexandrov’s comprehensive method, and Chen’s multi-channel method, are outlined. The reason that all these methods do not fit for all situations is that they assume some properties, such as aerosol optical depth (AOD), total optical depth (TOD), precipitable water vapor (PWV), effective size of aerosol particles, or angstrom coefficient, are invariant over time. These properties are not universal and some of them rarely happen. In practice, daily calibration factors derived from these methods should be smoothed to restrain error.
A new data assimilation algorithm (Quasi-EnKF) in ocean modeling, based on the Ensemble Kalman Filter scheme, is proposed in this paper. This algorithm assimilates not only surface measurements (sea surface height), but also deep (~2000 m) temperature observations from the Gulf of Mexico into regional ocean models. With the use of the Princeton Ocean Model (POM), integrated for approximately two years by assimilating both surface and deep observations, this new algorithm was compared to an existing assimilation algorithm (Mellor-Ezer Scheme) at different resolutions. The results show that, by comparing the observations, the new algorithm out-performs the existing one.
Greenhouse gas data collected by different institutions throughout the world have significant scientific values for global climate change studies. Due to the diversity of data formats and different specifications of data access interfaces, most of those data should be first downloaded onto a local machine before they can be used. To overcome this limitation, we present a geospatial web portal for sharing and analyzing greenhouse gas data derived from remote sensing images. As a proof-of-concept, a prototype has also been designed and implemented. The workflow of the web portal contains four processes: data access, data analysis, results visualization, and results output. A large volume of greenhouse gas data have been collected, described, and indexed in the portal, and a variety of data analysis services, such as calculating the temporal variation of regionally averaged column CO2 values and analyzing the latitudinal variations of globally averaged column CO2 values, are integrated into this portal. With the integrated geospatial data and services, researchers can collect and analyze greenhouse gas data online, and can preview and download the analysis results directly from the web portal. The geospatial web portal has been implemented as a web application, and we also used a study case to illustrate this framework.
A groundwater flow and solute transport model was developed using Visual Modflow for forecasting contaminant transport and assessing effects of remedial alternatives based on a case study of an unregulated landfill leachate-contaminated groundwater in eastern China. The results showed that arsenic plume was to reach the pumping well in the downstream farmland after eight years, and the longest lateral and longitudinal distance of arsenic plume was to reach 200 m and 260 m, respectively. But the area of high concentration region of arsenic plume was not to obviously increase from eight years to ten years and the plume was to spread to the downstream river and the farmland region after 20 years; while the landfill’s ground was hardened, the plume was not to reach the downstream farmland region after eight years; when the pumping well was installed in the plume downstream and discharge rate was 200 m3/d, the plume was to be effectively restrained; for leakage-proof barriers, it might effectively protect the groundwater of sensitive objects within an extent time range. But for the continuous point source, the plume was still to circle the leakage-proof barrier; when discharge rate of drainage ditches was 170.26 m3/d, the plume was effectively controlled; the comprehensive method combining ground-harden with drainage ditches could get the best effect in controlling contaminant diffusion, and the discharge rate was to be reduced to 111.43 m3/d. Therefore, the comprehensive remedial alternative combining ground-harden with drainage ditch will be recommended for preventing groundwater contamination when leachate leakage has happened in unregulated landfills.
To improve the energetics in the life cycle of an ideal baroclinic instability case, we develop a Physical Conserving Fidelity model (F-model), and we compare the simulations from the F-model to those of the traditional global spectral semi-implicit model (control model). The results for spectral kinetic energy and its budget indicate different performances at smaller scales in the two models. A two-way energy flow emerges in the generation and rapid growth stage of the baroclinic disturbance in the F-model. However, only a downscale mechanism dominates in the control model. In the F-model, the meso- and smaller scales are energized initially, and then an active upscale nonlinear cascade occurs. Thus, disturbances at prior scales are forced by both downscale and upscale energy cascades and by conversion from potential energy. An analysis of the eddy kinetic energy budget also shows remarkable enhancement of the energy conversion rate in the F-model. As a result, characteristics of the ideal baroclinic wave are greatly improved in the F-model, in terms of both intensity and time of formation.
Currently, most rivers worldwide have been intensively impounded. River damming becomes a big problem, not only in inducing the physical obstruction between upstream and downstream, but also in destroying the natural continuity of river. But the discontinuity of water quality was often neglected, which presents a challenge to traditional river geochemistry research. To understand the changes in basic chemistry of water upstream and downstream of the dam, we investigated the Miaotiao River reservoirs in series in the Wujiang River Basin, and the Hongjiadu, Dongfeng Reservoir on the upper reaches of the Wujiang River. Chemical weathering rates were calculated using the water chemistry data of the reservoir surface and downstream of the dam, in each reservoir, respectively. The results showed that the difference between the chemical weathering rates calculated from reservoir surface water and water downstream of the dam was greater in reservoirs with a longer water retention time. In Hongjiadu Reservoir with the longest water retention time among the studied reservoirs, this difference reaches 9%. As a result, the influence of river damming, especially the influence of reservoirs in series, should be taken into account when calculating the chemical weathering rate of a river basin.
The relationship between process and form has been at the core of research in fluvial geomorphology. Form-process relationships of a natural river basin are strongly influenced by its hydrologic and sedimentologic processes as basin morphometric properties of length, shape, and relief, change in response to various hydrologic stimuli from the environment, but usually in line with well established laws. In the four river basins (Orashi, Otamiri, Sombreiro, New Calabar) examined in this study, however, empirical evidence does not conform neatly with theoretical postulates. Remarkable variations are noted in the morphometric properties of the catchments, when compared with established morphometric laws. The most varied in conformity are the Orashi and New Calabar basins, although the Sombreiro and Otamiri catchments also show some level of variation. Prime explanation for the morphometric and topographic non-conformity is caused by the nature of surficial material and the profoundly shallow relief of much of the study area, especially the alluvial flood and deltaic plains to the south and south-west of the study area.
Biogeochemical processes are fundamental to sustain the ecosystem in subsurface caves, but to date they are still far from well understood. To investigate microbially mediated phosphorus and zinc cycles, we isolated three bacterial strains from the dripping water in Heshang cave, central China, identified as
Isoprenoid and branched glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers (GDGTs) lipids were studied in flooded and non-flooded paddy soil in Wuhan, central China, to examine the response of the GDGTs distribution to the soil flooding. Samples were collected before and after the soil flooding in four specific months. Both core (CL) and intact polar (IPL) GDGTs were quantified. Increase in the abundance of archaeol and caldarchaeol may be indicative of the occurrence of methanogens in the flooded soil. A negative correlation was observed between the ratio of IPL branched GDGT-IIa to GDGT-Ia and the soil pH. The rise of the soil pH in the acid soil is known to be controlled by the redox conditions resulting from flooding. Thus, the branched GDGTs distribution may be controlled by the water content in the paddy soil. In addition, we suggest that the anoxic conditions resulting from flooding may also control the abundance of branched GDGTs relative to crenarchaeol, which in turn results in the increase of branched and isoprenoidal tetraethers (BIT) values, the index for the terrestrial input to the marine sediments.