ALBERT

Description: Spur and groove (SAG) formations are found on the forereefs of many coral reefs worldwide. Modeling results have shown that SAG formations together with shoaling waves induce a nearshore Lagrangian circulation pattern of counter-rotating circulation cells, but these have never been observed in the field. We present results from two separate field studies of SAG formations on Palmyra Atoll which show their effect on waves to be small, but reveal a persistent order 1 cm/s depth-averaged Lagrangian offshore flow over the spur and onshore flow over the grooves. This circulation was stronger for larger, directly-incident waves and low alongshore flow conditions, consistent with predictions from modeling. Favorable forcing conditions must be maintained on the order of one hour to accelerate and develop the SAG circulation cells. The primary cross- and alongshore depth-averaged momentum balances were between the pressure gradient, radiation stress gradient and nonlinear convective terms, and the bottom drag was similar to values found on other reefs. The vertical structure of these circulation cells was previously unknown and the results show a complex horizontal offshore Lagrangian flow over the spurs near the surface driven by alongshore variability in radiation stress gradients. Vertical flow was downward over the spur and upward over the groove, likely driven by alongshore differences in bottom stress and not by vortex forcing. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Description: Shipboard current measurements in the equatorial Indian Ocean in October and November of 2011 revealed oscillations in the meridional velocity with amplitude ~ 0.10m/s. These were clearest in a layer extending from ~300 to 600 m depth and had periods near 3 weeks. Phase propagation was upward. Measurements from two sequential time series at the equator, four meridional transects and one zonal transect are used to identify the oscillation as a Yanai wave packet and to establish its dominant frequency and vertical wavelength. The Doppler shift is accounted for, so that measured wave properties are translated into the reference frame of the mean zonal flow. We take advantage of the fact that, in the depth range where the wave signal was clearest, the time-averaged current and buoyancy frequency were nearly uniform with depth, allowing application of the classical theoretical representation of vertically propagating plane waves. Using the theory, we estimate wave properties that are not directly measured, such as the group velocity and the zonal wavelength and phase speed. The theory predicts a vertical energy flux that is comparable to that carried by midlatitude near-inertial waves. We also quantify the wave-driven meridional heat flux and the Stokes drift. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Description: Understanding variability in the chlorophyll-specific absorption of marine phytoplankton, a ph * Chl (λ) , is essential for primary production modelling, calculation of underwater light field characteristics, and development of algorithms for remote sensing of chlorophyll concentrations. Previous field and laboratory studies have demonstrated significant apparent variability in a ph * Chl (λ) for natural samples and algal cultures. However, the potential impact of measurement uncertainties on derived values of a ph * Chl (λ) has received insufficient study. This study presents an analysis of measurement uncertainties for a data set collected in the Ligurian Sea in Spring and assesses the impact on estimates of a ph * Chl (λ) . It is found that a large proportion of apparent variability in this set of a ph * Chl (λ) can be attributed to measurement errors. Application of the same analysis to the global NOMAD data set suggests that a significant fraction of variability in a ph * Chl (λ) may also be due to measurement errors. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Description: The South Atlantic is an important pathway for the inter-basin exchanges of heat and freshwater with strong influence on the global meridional overturning stability and variability. Along the 34°S parallel, a quarterly, high resolution XBT transect (AX18) samples the temperature structure in the upper ocean. The AX18 transect has been shown to be a useful component of a meridional overturning monitoring system of the region. However, a feasible, cost-effective design for an XBT-based system has not yet been developed. Here we use a high-resolution ocean assimilation product to simulate an XBT-based observational system across the South Atlantic. The sensitivity of the meridional heat transport, meridional overturning circulation, and geostrophic velocities to key observational and methodological assumptions is studied. Key assumptions taken into account are horizontal and temporal sampling of the transect, salinity and deep temperature inference, as well as the level of reference for geostrophic velocities. With the current sampling strategy, the largest errors in the meridional overturning and heat transport estimations are the reference (barotropic) velocity and the western boundary resolution. We show how altimetry can be used along with hydrography to resolve the barotropic component of the flow. We use the results obtained by the state estimation under observational assumptions to make recommendations for potential improvements in the AX18 transect implementation. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Description: Observations of the nearbed velocity field over a rippled sediment bed under asymmetric wave forcing conditions were collected using a submersible particle image velocimetry (PIV) system. To examine the role of bedform-induced dynamics in the total momentum transfer, a double-averaging technique was implemented on the two-dimensional time-dependent velocity field by means of the full momentum equation. This approach allows for direct determination of the bedform-induced stresses, ie. stresses that arise due to the presence of bedforms, which are zero in flat bed conditions. This analysis suggests that bedform-induced stresses are closely related to the presence of coherent motions and may be partitioned from the turbulent stresses. Inferences of stress provided by a bedload transport model suggest that total momentum transfer obtained from the double-averaging technique is capable of reproducing bedform mobilization. Comparisons between the total momentum transfer and stress estimates obtained from local velocity profiles show significant variability across the ripple, and suggest that an array of sensors is necessary to reproduce bedform evolution. The imbalance of momentum obtained by resolving the different terms constituting the near-bed momentum balance (i.e. acceleration deficit, stress gradient, and bedform-induced skin friction) provides an estimate of the bedform-induced pressure that is consistent with flow separation. This analysis reveals three regions in the flow: the free-stream, where all terms are relatively balanced; the near-bed, where momentum imbalance is significant during flow weakening; and below ripple crests, where bedform-induced pressure is the leading order mechanism.

Description: An analysis is presented for the spatial and intensity distributions of North Atlantic extreme atmospheric events crossing the buoyant Amazon-Orinoco freshwater plume. The sea surface cooling amplitude in the wake of an ensemble of storm tracks travelling in that region is estimated from satellite products for the period 1998-2012. For the most intense storms, cooling is systematically reduced by ~50% over the plume area compared to surroundings open ocean waters. Historical salinity and temperature observations from in situ profiles indicate that salt-driven vertical stratification, enhanced oceanic heat content and barrier-layer presence within the plume waters are likely key oceanic factors to explain these results. Satellite SMOS surface salinity data combined with in situ observations are further used to detail the oceanic response to Category 4 hurricane Igor in 2010. Argo and satellite measurements confirm the haline stratification impact on the cooling inhibition as the hurricane crossed the river plume. Over this region, the SSS mapping capability is further tested and demonstrated to monitor the horizontal distribution of the vertical stratification parameter. SMOS SSS data can thus be used to consistently anticipate the cooling inhibition in the wake of TCs travelling over the Amazon-Orinoco plume region.

Description: The mixed layer salinity (MLS) budget of the tropical Pacific is investigated using results from a model of the Consortium for Estimating the Circulation and Climate of the Ocean (ECCO). The results focusing on the western Pacific freshwater pool indicate that the long-term averaged surface freshwater flux is well balanced by ocean dynamics, in which the subsurface processes account for the major part. The MLS budget shows significant seasonal and interannual variability, as a consequence of interplay among surface freshwater flux, advection, mixing, and vertical entrainment. On seasonal time scale, both the MLS and mixed layer depth are largely controlled by surface freshwater flux. The opposite phase between the subsurface processes and the barrier layer thickness confirms the important influence of the barrier layer on vertical mixing and entrainment from below. On interannual time scale, all the MLS budget terms show significant ENSO signal, which in turn is highly correlated with the salinity front and barrier layer thickness in the equatorial Pacific.

Description: To study the relationship of solar heat input into the Arctic open water and the variations of sea ice extent, improved satellite based estimates of shortwave radiative (SWR) fluxes and most recent observations of ice extent are used. The SWR flux estimates are based on observations from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and from the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) for the period of 1984-2009. Ice extent information at 25-km resolution comes from Nimbus-7 SMMR and DMSP SSM/I Passive Microwave Data as generated with the NASA Team algorithm developed by the Oceans and Ice Branch, Laboratory for Hydrospheric Processes, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. The trends of the solar heat input into the ocean and the open water fraction for 1984-2009 are found to be positive: 0.3%/year and 0.8% / year respectively at a 99% confidence level. There is an obvious transition region separating the 26 years into two periods: one with moderate change: 1984-2002; one with an abrupt growth in both solar heat input and open water fraction: 2003-2009. The impact of the observed changes on the reduction of winter ice growth in 2007 is estimated to be about 44 cm, and a delay in fall freeze-up as about 10~36 days.

Description: Numerous studies have shown the primary importance of wind stress curl in coastal upwelling dynamics. The main goal of this new analysis is to describe the QuikSCAT surface wind stress curl at various scales in the Benguela and Canary upwelling systems. The dominant spatial pattern is characterized by cyclonic curl near continental boundaries and anticyclonic curl offshore, in association with equatorward alongshore (upwelling favorable) wind stress. At a smaller scale, we demonstrate the sensitivity of the QuikSCAT wind stress curl to coastal processes related to sea surface temperature (SST) mesoscale fluctuations by presenting a linear relationship between the curl and crosswind SST gradients. Despite the spatial and temporal sensitivity of the underlying thermal coupling coefficient, a local analysis of the fraction of the curl ascribed to SST variability shows that SST is a main driver of the wind stress curl variability and magnitude over the upwelling extension zone (~100 to 300 km from the coast) in both the Canary and Benguela systems. Closer to the shore, the curl patterns derived from QuikSCAT observations are only loosely related to SST-wind interactions. As a working hypothesis, they can also be associated with the coastline geometry and orographic effects that are likely to play an important role in local cooling processes.

Description: To provide a probable explanation on the field observed rapid sedimentation process near river mouths, we investigate the convective sedimentation in stably stratified saltwater using 3D numerical simulations. Guided by the linear stability analysis (Yu et al. 2013, J. Geophys. Res. Oceans, 118, 256-272), this study focuses on the nonlinear interactions of several mechanisms, which lead to various sediment finger patterns, and the effective settling velocity for sediment ranging from clay (single-particle settling velocity V 0 = 0.0036 and 0.0144 mm/s, or particle diameter d = 2 and 4 μ m) to silt ( V 0 =0.36 mm/s, or d =20 μ m). For very fine sediment with V 0 =0.0036 mm/s, the convective instability is dominated by double diffusion, characterized by millimeter-scale fingers. Gravitational settling slightly increases the growth rate; however, it has notable effect on the downward development of vertical mixing shortly after the sediment interface migrates below the salt interface. For sediment with V 0 = 0.0144 mm/s, Rayleigh-Taylor instabilities become dominant before double-diffusive modes grow sufficiently large. Centimeter-scale and highly asymmetric sediment fingers are obtained due to nonlinear interactions between different modes. For sediment with V 0 = 0.36 mm/s, Rayleigh-Taylor mechanism dominates and the resulting centimeter-scale sediment fingers show a plume-like structure. The flow pattern is similar to that without ambient salt stratification. Rapid sedimentation with effective settling velocity on the order of 1 cm/s is likely driven by convective sedimentation for sediment with V 0 greater than 0.1 mm/s at concentration greater than 10 to 20 g/L.

Description: The surface layer of the southeast Pacific Ocean (SEP) requires an input of cold, fresh water to balance heat gain and evaporation from air-sea fluxes. Models typically fail to reproduce the cool sea surface temperatures (SST) of the SEP, limiting our ability to understand the variability of this climatically important region. We estimate the annual heat budget of the SEP for the period 2004 - 2009, using data from the upper 250 m of the Stratus mooring, located at 85°W 20°S, and from Argo floats. The surface buoy measures meteorological conditions and air-sea fluxes; the mooring line is heavily instrumented, measuring temperature, salinity, and velocity at more than 15 depth levels. We use a new method for estimating the advective component of the heat budget that combines Argo profiles and mooring velocity data, allowing us to calculate monthly profiles of heat advection. Averaged over the 6 year study period, we estimate a cooling advective heat flux of -41 ± 29 W m-2, accomplished by a combination of the mean gyre circulation, Ekman transport, and eddies. This compensates for warming fluxes of 32 ± 4 W m-2 due to air-sea fluxes and 7 ± 9 W m-2 due to vertical mixing and Ekman pumping. A salinity budget exhibits a similar balance, with advection of freshwater (-60 psu m) replenishing the freshwater lost through evaporation (47 psu m) and Ekman pumping (14 psu m).

Description: ABSTRACT With the objective to understand the generation, propagation and nonlinear evolution of ion cyclotron waves (ICWs) in the corona and solar wind, we use electromagnetic hybrid (kinetic ions, fluid electrons) simulations with a non-uniform magnetic field. ICWs are generated by the temperature anisotropy of O 5+ ions as minority species in a proton-electron plasma with uniform density. A number of magnetic field models are used including radial and spiral with field strength decreasing linearly or with the square of the radial distance. O 5+ ions with perpendicular temperature larger than parallel are initially placed in the high magnetic field regions. These ions are found to expand outward along the magnetic field. Associated with this expansion, ion cyclotron waves propagating along the magnetic field are also seen to expand outward. These waves are generated at frequencies below the local gyro-frequency of O 5+ ions propagating parallel and anti-parallel to the magnetic field. Through analysis of the simulation results we demonstrate that wave generation and absorption takes place at all radial distances. Comparing the simulation results to observations of ICWs in the solar wind shows some of the observed wave characteristics may be explained by the mechanism discussed in this paper.

Description: The characteristics of nighttime medium-scale travelling ionospheric disturbance (MSTID) features observed over Yonaguni (24.5 o N, 123.0 o E; 19.3 o N dip latitude), Japan are studied using all-sky imaging of OI 630.0 nm airglow emission. The uniqueness of these observations is that the area observed by the imager covers the transition region between low to middle latitudes in the ionosphere. Typical low latitude limit of mid-latitude type nighttime MSTIDs possessing phase front alignments along the northwest to the southeast occurs in this region. These MSTID features are rarely sighted at dip latitudes below 15 o . We selected two year period for analysis in which one year corresponded to the solar minimum conditions and another year to the solar maximum conditions. The MSTIDs were observed to extend to farther lower latitudes during the solar minimum conditions than during the solar maximum periods. Their observed range of wavelengths, phase velocities, phase front alignment and propagation directions are similar to those observed at typical mid-latitude sites. However, on many occasions the phase fronts of the observed MSTIDs did not extend over the whole field of view of the imager indicating that some process inhibits their extension to further lower latitudes. Detailed investigation suggests that the poleward propagating enhancement of airglow intensity, probably associated with the midnight pressure bulge, causes the MSTID features to disappear when they reach lower latitudes later in the night. When the MSTIDs reach lower latitudes well before midnight, they are found to be inhibited by the equatorial ionization anomaly crest region.

Description: We study a magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling at low-latitudes during a moderate (CIR/HSS-driven) geomagnetic storm on 22 July 2009. Recently, it has been shown that during major (CME-driven) storms, quasi-trapped 〉30 keV electrons largely enhance below the radiation belt in the forbidden zone and produce an additional ionization in the topside ionosphere. In this work, we examine a case of the recurrent storm when the magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling through the quasi-trapped electrons also may take place. Data from NOAA/POES and Japanese GOSAT satellites were used to identify the forbidden electron enhancement (FEE). We find a positive vertical gradient of the electron fluxes that indicates to the radiation belt as a source of FEE. Using global ionospheric maps (GIM), radiotomography reconstructions from beacon data and COSMIC/FS3 radio occultation measurements, we have observed an unusually large area in the night-time ionosphere with increased total electron content (TEC) and prominent elevation of the F-layer at low-latitudes that coincides with FEEs spatially and temporarily. Ionizing particles are considered as an addition source of ionization along with generally accepted mechanisms for storm time TEC increase (a positive ionospheric storm). We discuss relative contributions of the FEE and disturbance dynamo electric field in the TEC increases during the storm recovery phase.

Description: Acoustic-gravity waves are compression-type waves propagating with amplitudes governed by the restoring force of gravity. They are generated, among others, by wind-wave interactions, surface waves interactions, and submarine earthquakes. We show that acoustic-gravity waves contribute to deep ocean currents and circulation; they cause chaotic flow trajectories of individual water parcels, which can be transported by a few centimetres per second.

Description: Bursty bulk flow (BBF) events, frequently observed in the magnetotail, carry significant energy and mass from the tail region at distances that are often greater than 20 R E into the near-Earth plasma sheet at ~10 R E where the flow is slowed and/or diverted. This region at ~10 R E is referred to as the BBF braking region. A number of possible channels are available for the transfer or dissipation of energy in BBF events including adiabatic heating of particles, the propagation of Alfvén waves out of the BBF braking region and into the auroral region, diverted flow out of the braking region, and energy dissipation within the braking region itself. This study investigates the generation of intense high-frequency electric field activity observed within the braking region. When present, these intense electric fields have power above the ion cyclotron frequency and almost always contain nonlinear structures such as electron phase space holes and double layers, which are often associated with field-aligned currents. A hypothesis in which the observed high-frequency electric field activity is generated by field-aligned currents resulting from turbulence in the BBF braking region is considered. Although linear Alfvén waves can generate field-aligned currents, based on theoretical calculations, the required currents are likely not the result of linear waves. Observations from the THEMIS satellites support the picture of a turbulent plasma leading to the generation of nonlinear kinetic structures. This work provides a possible mechanism for energy dissipation in turbulent plasmas.

Description: Dipolarization fronts (DFs) are often associated with the leading edge of Earthward bursty bulk flows in the magnetotail plasma sheet. Here multi-spacecraft THEMIS observations are used to show that a spatially limited region of counter-propagating ion beams, whose existence is not evident in either the plasma moments or the electric field, is observed on the low density side of DFs. The THEMIS magnetic field data are used to establish appropriate comparison cuts through a particle-in-cell (PIC) simulation of reconnection, and very good agreement is found between the observed and simulated ion distributions on both sides of the DF. Self-consistent back-tracing shows that the ion beams originate from the thermal component of the pre-existing high density plasma into which the DF is propagating; they do not originate from the inflow region in the traditional sense. Forward tracing shows that some of these ions can subsequently overtake the DF and pass back into the high density pre-existing plasma sheet with an order-of-magnitude increase in energy; this process is distinct from other ion reflection processes that occur directly at the DF. The interaction of the reconnection jet with the pre-existing plasma sheet therefore occurs over a macroscopic region, rather than simply being limited to the thin DF interface. A more general consequence of this study is the conclusion that reconnection jets are not simply fed by plasma inflow across the separatrices, but are also fed by plasma from the region into which the jet is propagating; the implications of this finding are discussed.

Description: Low energy (1-10 MeV) neutrons emanating from the Sun provide unique information about accelerated ions with steep energy spectra that may be produced in weak solar flares. However, observation of these solar neutrons can only be made in the inner heliosphere where measurement is difficult due to high background rates from neutrons produced by energetic ions interacting in the spacecraft. These ions can be from solar energetic particle events or produced in passing shocks associated with fast coronal mass ejections. Therefore, it is of the utmost importance that investigators rule out these secondary neutrons before making claims about detecting neutrons from the Sun. The MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging ( tect MESSENGER ) Neutron Spectrometer recorded an hour-long neutron transient beginning at 15:45 UTC on 2011 June 4 for which [13] claim there is “strong evidence" that the neutrons were produced by the interaction of ions in the solar atmosphere. We studied this event in detail using data from the MESSENGER neutron spectrometer, gamma-ray spectrometer, X-ray Spectrometer, and Energetic Particle Spectrometer, and from the particle spectrometers on STEREO A . We demonstrate that the transient neutrons were secondaries produced by energetic ions, probably accelerated by a passing shock, that interacted in the spacecraft. We also identify significant faults with the authors’ arguments in favor of a solar neutron origin for the transient.

Description: The response of the D-region low latitude ionosphere has been examined for extreme space weather event of 14-16 December 2006 associated with a X1.5 solar flare and an intense geomagnetic storm ( Dst  = -146 nT) using VLF signals from NWC (19.8 kHz) and NPM (21.4 kHz) transmitters monitored at Suva (Geog. 18.10 ο S, 178.40 ο E), Fiji. Modeling of flare associated amplitude and phase enhancements of NWC (3.6 dB, 223 o ) and NPM (5 dB, 153 o ) using Long Wave Propagation Capability code shows reduction in the D-region reflection height ( H ') by 11.1 km and 9.4 km, and enhancement in ionization gradients described by increases in the exponential sharpness factor ( β ) by 0.122 and 0.126 km -1 , for the NWC and NPM paths, respectively. During the storm the daytime signal strengths of the NWC and NPM signals were reduced by 3.2 dB on 15 and 16 December (for about 46 hrs) and recovered by 17 December. Modelling for the NWC path shows that storm-time values of H ' and β were reduced by 1.2 km and 0.06 km -1 , respectively. Morlet wavelet analysis of signals amplitudes shows no clearly strong signatures of gravity wave propagation to low latitudes during the main and recovery phases. The reduction in VLF signal strength is due to increased signal attenuation and absorption by the Earth-ionosphere waveguide due to storm-induced D-region ionization changes and hence changes in D-region parameters. The long duration of the storm effect results from the slow diffusion of changed composition/ionization at D-region altitudes compared with higher altitudes in the ionosphere.

Description: We study the ion density and temperature in the pre- and post-dipolarization plasma sheets in the Earth's magnetotail, using 9 years (2001–2009) of Cluster data. For our study we selected cases when Cluster observed dipolarization fronts (DFs) with an earthward plasma flow greater than 150 km/s. We perform a statistical study of the temperature and density variations during the DF crossings. Earlier studies concluded that on average the temperature increases while the densitydecreases across the DF. Our statistical results show a more diverse picture: While ~53% of the DFs follow this pattern (category A), for ~28% the temperature decreases while the density increases across the DF (category B). We found an overall decrease in thermal pressure for category A DFs with a more pronounced decrease at the DF duskside, while DFs of the category B showed no clear pattern in the pressure change. Both categories are associated with earthward plasma flows, but with some difference: (1) Category A flows are faster than category B flows. (2) The observations indicate that category B flows are directed perpendicular to the current in the near-Earth current sheet while category A flows are tilted slightly duskward from this direction. (3) The background B z of category B is higher than that of category A. Based on these results we hypothesize that after reconnection takes place, a BBF emerges with category A characteristics, and as it travels earthward it further evolves into category B characteristics, which is in a more dipolarized region with slower plasma flow (closer to the flow braking region).

Description: The Berau Continental Shelf is located close to the Equator in the Indonesian Archipelago, hosting a complex of coral reefs along its oceanic edge. The Berau coral reefs have a very high biodiversity, but the area is under serious risk due to river-derived nutrients and sediments. The region is characterized by weak winds, moderate tides and almost absent Coriolis forcing. Existing knowledge about river plume behaviour in tropical environments is limited. The aim of this paper is to investigate the influence of the subtle physical forcing on the dynamics of the Berau river plume. A three-dimensional model (ECOMSED) was calibrated with observational data. The model was forced by freshwater input from the Berau river distributaries, tides at the open boundaries and measured hourly wind. The model reproduces the freshwater dynamics on the shelf adequately and highlights that the river plume spreads symmetrically for river forcing only. Tides cause vertical mixing and suppress the cross-shelf spreading of the river plume. However, the spreading of the river plume over the shelf is mainly controlled by the weak monsoonal winds, resulting in a seasonal development. During the Southeast Monsoon, the southerly winds push the plume northeastward and cause a stratified water column in the northern part of the continental shelf. Northerly winds during the Northwest Monsoon disperse the plume to the south, promoting a vertically well-mixed water column. The results can be used to predict the possible impact of land-use changes in the steadily developing Berau region on coral reef health. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Description: This study investigates the effect of adaptive (or targeted) observation on improving the mid-range (30 days) forecast skill of ocean state of the South China Sea (SCS). A region associated with the South China Sea Western Boundary Current (SCSWBC) is chosen as the “target” of the adaptive observation. The Conditional Nonlinear Optimal Perturbation (CNOP) approach is applied to a 3-dimensional ocean model and its adjoint model for determining the sensitive region. Results show that the initial errors in the sensitive region determined by the CNOP approach have significant impacts on the forecast of ocean state in the target region; thus, reducing these initial errors through adaptive observation can lead to a better 30-day prediction of ocean state in the target region. Our results suggest that implementing adaptive observation is an effective and cost-saving way to improve an ocean model's forecast skill over the SCS. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Description: We present a year-round assessment of the hydrographic variability within the East Greenland Coastal Current on the Greenland shelf from five synoptic crossings and four years of moored hydrographic data. From the five synoptic sections the current is observed as a robust, surface intensified flow with a total volume transport of 0.66 ± 0.18 Sv and a freshwater transport of 42 ± 12 mSv. The moorings showed heretofore unobserved variability in the abundance of Polar and Atlantic water masses in the current on synoptic scales. This is exhibited as large vertical displacement of isotherms (often greater than 100 m). Seasonally, the current is hemmed into the coast during the fall by a full depth Atlantic Water layer that has penetrated onto the inner shelf. The Polar Water layer in the current then thickens through the winter and spring seasons increasing the freshwater content in the current; the timing implies that this is probably driven by the seasonally varying export of freshwater from the Arctic and not the local runoff from Greenland. The measured synoptic variability is enhanced during the winter and spring period due to a lower halocline and a concurrent enhancement in the along-coast wind speed. The local winds force much of the high-frequency variability in a manner consistent with downwelling, but variability distinct from downwelling is also visible. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Description: The performance of several numerical ocean models is assessed with respect to their simulation of sea surface height (SSH) in the Arctic Ocean, and the main patterns of SSH variability and their causes over the past 40 years (1970-2009) are analyzed. In comparison to observations, all tested models broadly reproduce the mean SSH in the Arctic and reveal a good correlation with both tide gauge data and SSH anomalies derived from satellite observations. Although the models do not represent the positive Arctic SSH trend observed over the last two decades, their interannual-to-decadal SSH variability is in reasonable agreement with available measurements. Focusing on results from one of the models for a detailed analysis it is shown that the decadal-scale SSH variability over shelf areas and deep parts of the Arctic Ocean have pronounced differences that are determined mostly by salinity variations. A further analysis of the three time periods 1987-1992, 1993-2002 and 2003-2009, corresponding to the transition times between cyclonic and anticyclonic regimes of the atmospheric circulation over the Arctic, revealed an unusual increase of SSH in the Amerasian basin during 2003-2009. Results from this model support the recent finding that the increase is caused mainly by changes in freshwater content brought about by the freshwater export through the Canadian Arctic Archiplago and increased Ekman pumping in the Amerasian basin and partly by lateral freshwater transport changes, leading to a re-distribution of low-salinity shelf water. Overall we show that present day models can be used for investigating the reasons for low-frequency SSH variability in the region. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Description: In this study, a neural network-based four-band model (NNFM) for the global oceanic and coastal waters has been developed in order to retrieve the total absorption coefficients a ( λ ). The applicability of the quasi-analytical algorithm (QAA) and NNFM models is evaluated by five independent datasets. Based on the comparison of a ( λ ) predicted by these two models with the field measurements taken from the global oceanic and coastal waters, it was found that both the QAA and NNFM models had good performances in deriving a ( λ ), but that the NNFM model works better than the QAA model. The results of the QAA model-derived a ( λ ), especially in highly turbid waters with strong backscattering properties of optical activity, was found to be lower than the field measurements. The QAA and NNFM models-derived a ( λ ) could be obtained from the MODIS data after atmospheric corrections. When compared with the field measurements, the NNFM model decreased by a 0.86 to 24.15% uncertainty (root mean square relative error) of the estimation from the QAA model in deriving a ( λ ) from the Bohai, Yellow, and East China seas. Finally, the NNFM model was applied to map the global climatological seasonal mean a (443) for the time range of July, 2002 to May, 2014. As expected, the a (443) value around the coastal regions was always larger than the open ocean around the equator. Viewed on a global scale, the oceans at a high latitude exhibited higher a (443) values than those at a low latitude. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Description: In this study, we investigate the interannual variability of the sea surface temperature (SST) in the South China Sea (SCS) associated with two types of El Niño, namely, the eastern Pacific (EP) El Niño and the central Pacific (CP) El Niño. First, double warm peaks can occur during both types of El Niño events in the SCS. However, the strong warm basin mode can only develop in the EP El Niño, while the warm semi-basin mode exists during the CP El Niño. Associated with an anomalous positive (negative) net surface heat flux in the EP (CP) El Niño, along with a shallower thermocline with weaker (stronger) northeasterly wind anomalies, the SST anomalies become warmer (cooler) in the developing autumn. Over the background of cooling SST in autumn of CP El Niño, therefore, only a weak warming can occur in the subsequent years, which is limited in the western boundary area under the forcing of warm ocean advection. Second, the SST oscillation periods are different in these two types of El Niño. The SST evolution in the EP El Niño is negative-positive with a quasi-biennial oscillation, but that in the CP El Niño is positive-negative-positive-negative with an annual oscillation. It seems that the double cooling in the CP El Niño is phase-locked to the late autumn season. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Description: Following the idea that analysis of in-situ information in the salt budget could be used as a surrogate for global “ocean rain gauge”, the annual mean oceanic net freshwater flux (E-P) was estimated from the Argo profiles and the wind stress data on a global scale. The comparison between the independent E-P estimation from Argo and the E-P product sets, including the combination of precipitation from TRMM, GPCP, CMAP and evaporation from OAFlux, GSSTF3 and IFREMER and E-P set from NEWS formed from satellite, generally show similar spatial patterns, particularly on the larg scale. However, there are differences among the different satellite-based E-P estimates and between satellite estimates and independent in-situ estimates. Based on the pattern correlation and the RMSD, the evaporation and precipitation from OAFlux and TRMM agrees best with the E-P estimated from the independent Argo-based estimates.

Description: The rapidly changing East Siberian Arctic Shelf (ESAS) receives large amounts of terrestrial organic carbon (OC) from coastal erosion and Russian-Arctic rivers. Climate warming increases thawing of coastal Ice Complex Deposits (ICD) and can change both the amount of released OC, as well as its propensity to be converted to greenhouse gases (fueling further global warming) or to be buried in coastal sediments. This study aimed to unravel the susceptibility to degradation, and transport and dispersal patterns of OC delivered to the ESAS. Bulk and molecular radiocarbon analyses on surface particulate matter (PM), sinking PM and underlying surface sediments illustrate the active release of old OC from coastal permafrost. Molecular tracers for recalcitrant soil OC showed ages of 3.4-13 14 C-ky in surface PM and 5.5-18 14 C-ky in surface sediments. The age difference of these markers between surface PM and surface sediments is larger (i) in regions with low OC accumulation rates, suggesting a weaker exchange between water column and sediments, and (ii) with increasing distance from the Lena River, suggesting preferential settling of fluvially-derived old OC nearshore. A dual-carbon end-member mixing model showed that (i) contemporary terrestrial OC is dispersed mainly by horizontal transport while being subject to active degradation, (ii) marine OC is most affected by vertical transport and also actively degraded in the water column, and (iii) OC from ICD settles rapidly and dominates surface sediments. Preferential burial of ICD-OC released into ESAS coastal waters might therefore lower the suggested carbon cycle climate feedback from thawing ICD permafrost. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Description: The Arctic sea ice cover undergoes large changes over an annual cycle. In winter and spring the ice cover consists of large, snow-covered plate-like ice floes, with very little open water. By the end of summer the snow cover is gone and the large floes have broken into a complex mosaic of smaller, rounded floes surrounded by a lace of open water. This evolution strongly affects the distribution and fate of the solar radiation deposited in the ice-ocean system and consequently the heat budget of the ice cover. In particular, increased floe perimeter can result in enhanced lateral melting. We attempt to quantify the floe evolution process through the concept of a floe size distribution that is modified by lateral melting and floe breaking. A time series of aerial photographic surveys made during the SHEBA field experiment is analyzed to determine evolution of the floe size distribution from spring through summer. Based on earlier studies, we assume the floe size cumulative distribution could be represented by a power law D -α where D is the floe diameter. The exponent α as well as the number density of floes N tot are estimated from measurements of total ice area and perimeter. As summer progressed, there was an increase in α as the size distribution shifted towards smaller floes and the number of floes increased. Lateral melting causes the distribution to deviate from a power law for small floe sizes. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Description: The responses of the ocean planktonic ecosystem to finite-amplitude perturbations are investigated using an ocean planktonic ecosystem model. Through changing the higher predation rate on zooplankton, multiple equilibria of the model, namely “high-nutrient” and “low-nutrient” states, are obtained under certain parameter values. Based on these states, the perturbations with maximum nonlinear growth are determined using the conditional nonlinear optimal perturbation (CNOP) method. The linear and nonlinear evolutions of the CNOP perturbation are compared. The results show that the nonlinear evolution of the perturbation leads to predator–prey oscillations with larger amplitude than the linear evolution. Besides, after the perturbation amplitude exceeds a critical value, the nonlinear evolution of the perturbation will induce the linearly stable ecosystem state to lose the stability and become nonlinearly unstable. This implies that nonlinear processes have important impacts on the stability of the ecosystem. Specifically, we identify the nonlinear processes related to zooplankton grazing to impact the stability most for the high-nutrient state, while for the low-nutrient state the main nonlinear process affecting the stability is the uptake process. These results help to improve our understanding of the sensitivity of the oceanic ecosystem model to finite-amplitude perturbations and the underlying nonlinear stability properties. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Description: We evaluated the impacts of summertime mesoscale convective systems (MCS) on the heat balance and diel surface mixed layer (SML) dynamics of the Brazilian Amazon's Tucuruí Hydroelectric Reservoir (THR). We used a synergistic approach that combines in situ data, remote sensing data and three-dimensional (3D) modeling to investigate the typical behavior of the components of the heat balance and the SML dynamics. During the study period (the austral summer of 2012-2013), 22 days with MCS activity were identified. These events occurred approximately every 4 days, and they were most frequent during January (50% of the observations). An analysis of local meteorological data showed that when MCS occur, the environmental conditions at THR change significantly ( p-value 〈 0.01). The net longwave flux, which was the heat balance component most strongly impacted by MCS, increased more than 32% on days with MCS activity. The daily integrated heat balance became negative (-54 W m -2 ) on MCS days, while the balance was positive (19 W m -2 ) on non MCS days. In response to the changes in the heat balance, the SML dynamics changed when a MCS was over the THR. The SML depth was typically 28% higher on the days with MCS (~1.6 m) compared with the days without MCS (~1.3 m). The results indicate that MCS are one of the main meteorological disturbances driving the heat balance and the mixing dynamics of Amazonian hydroelectric reservoirs during the summer. These events may have implications for the water quality and greenhouse gas emissions of Amazonian reservoirs. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Description: Ice cores are archives of climate change and possibly large solar proton events (SPEs). Wolff et al . [2012] used a single event, a nitrate peak in the GISP2-H core, which McCracken et al . [2001a] time associated with the poorly quantified 1859 Carrington event, to discredit SPE-produced, impulsive nitrate deposition in polar ice. This is not the ideal test case. We critique the Wolff et al. analysis and demonstrate that the data they used cannot detect impulsive nitrate events because of resolution limitations. We suggest re-examination of the top of the Greenland ice sheet at key intervals over the last two millennia with attention to fine resolution and replicate sampling of multiple species. This will allow further insight into polar depositional processes on a sub-seasonal scale, including atmospheric sources, transport mechanisms to the ice sheet, post-depositional interactions, and a potential SPE association.

Description: Severe geomagnetic storms have a strong impact on space communication and satellite navigation systems. Forecasting the appearance of geomagnetically induced disturbances in the ionosphere is one of the urgent goals of the space weather community. The challenge is that the processes governing the distribution of the crucial ionospheric parameters has a rather poor quantitative description and the models, built using the empirical parameterisations, have limited capabilities for operational purposes. On the other hand, data assimilation techniques are becoming more and more popular for nowcasting the state of the large-scale geophysical systems. We present an example of an ionospheric data assimilation system performance assessment during a strong geomagnetic event, which took place on 26 September 2011. The first-principle model has assimilated slant total electron content measurements from a dense network of ground stations, provided by the Norwegian Mapping Authority. The results have shown satisfactory agreement with independent data and demonstrate that the assimilation model is accurate to about 2–4 TEC units, and can be used for operational purposes in high-latitude regions. The operational system performance assessment is the subject of future work.

Description: [1]  The last solar minimum period was anomalously extended and low in EUV irradiance compared with previous solar minima. It can readily be expected that the thermosphere and ionosphere must be correspondingly affected by this low solar activity. While there have been unanimous reports on the thermospheric changes, being cooler and lower in its density as expected, the ionospheric responses to low solar activity in previous studies were not consistent with each other, probably due to the limited ionospheric observations used for them. In this study, we utilized the measurements of total electron content (TEC) from TOPEX and JASON-1 satellites during the periods of 1992 to 2010, which includes both the last two solar minimum periods, in order to investigate how the ionosphere responded to the extremely low solar activity during the last solar minimum compared with previous solar minimum. Although the global daily mean TECs show negligible differences between the two solar minimum periods, the global TEC maps reveal that there are significant systematic differences ranging from about -30% to +50% depending on local time, latitude and season. The systematic variations of the ionospheric responses seem to mainly result from the relative effects of reduced solar EUV production and reduced recombination rate due to thermospheric changes during the last solar minimum period.

Description: Deep water circulation in the Luzon Strait, which connects the Pacific deep circulation with the South China Sea throughflow, is investigated using a set of oceanographic observations combined with results from three numerical experiments. Both the in situ observations and the model show a deep water overflow in the Luzon Strait. Their results suggest that the deep Pacific water first flows into the Luzon Strait through the Bashi Channel (1.2 Sv, 1 Sv = 1×10 6 m 3 s -1 ) and the Taltung Canyon (0.4 Sv), then turns southward along the Luzon Trough, and finally enters the South China Sea primarily through two gaps in the Heng-Chun Ridge. Overall, the mean transport of the Luzon Strait overflow is about 1.5 Sv. Results from numerical experiments suggest that strong diapycnal mixing in the South China Sea and Luzon Strait, which sustains the baroclinic pressure gradient across the Luzon Strait, is the primary driving mechanism of the deep circulation in the Luzon Strait.

Description: [1]  Some of the potentially most destructive effects of severe space weather storms are caused by the Geomagnetically Induced Currents. GICs can cause failures of electric transformers and result in wide-spread blackouts. GICs are induced by the time variability of the magnetic field, and are closely related to the time derivative of the local magnetic field perturbation. Predicting dB/dt is rather challenging, since the local magnetic perturbations and their time derivatives are both highly fluctuating quantities, especially during geomagnetic storms. The currently available first-principles based and empirical models cannot predict the detailed minute-scale or even faster time variation of the local magnetic field. On the other hand, Pulkkinen et al. [2013] demonstrated recently that several models can predict with positive skill scores whether the horizontal component of dB/dt at a given magnetometer station will exceed some threshold value in a 20-minute time interval. In this paper we investigate if one can improve the efficiency of the prediction further. We find that the Space Weather Modeling Framework, the best performing among the five models compared by Pulkkinen et al. [2013], shows significantly better skill scores in predicting the magnetic perturbation than predicting its time derivative, especially for large deviations. We also find that there is a strong correlation between the magnitude of dB/dt and the magnitude of the horizontal magnetic perturbation itself. Combining these two results one can devise an algorithm that gives better skill scores for predicting dB/dt exceeding various thresholds in 20-minute time intervals than the direct approach.

Description: Earlier studies indicate that during El Niño events the iceberg concentration increases in the east of the Pacific sector and in the west of the Atlantic sector of Southern Ocean, but decreases in the center of the Pacific sector. During La Niña the pattern of the iceberg concentration anomalies in these regions reverses. This iceberg redistribution is explained by anomalous winds and currents around an extensive positive atmospheric pressure anomaly that typically develops in the South-East Pacific during the warm El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) phase. In this study the results of iceberg observations during two cruises of the r/v “Akademik Fedorov” in Antarctica in January-February of 2008 (La Niña) and 2010 (El Niño) have been used to examine the consistency of changes in the iceberg distribution in the Southern Ocean related to El Niño events. The analysis of these observations has shown that in the Pacific Sector of Antarctica changes in the iceberg distribution between 2008 and 2010 followed the scenario outlined above and thus could be associated with the ENSO phase change. Contrary to earlier observations, the iceberg concentration in the Atlantic sector of Antarctica did not increase during 2010 El Niño. The latter is explained by a non-canonical type of 2010 El Niño, El Niño Modoki and associated atmospheric circulation pattern different from the canonical El Niño. Further analysis has shown that a more frequent occurrence of El Niño Modoki in recent years have resulted in weaker links between El Niño events and the Antarctic iceberg distribution.

Description: [1]  As a weakly magnetized planet, Mars ionosphere/atmosphere interacts directly with the shocked solar wind plasma flow. Even though many numerical studies have been successful in reproducing numerous features of the interaction process, these earlier studies focused mainly on interaction under steady solar wind conditions. Recent observations suggest that plasma escape fluxes are significantly enhanced in response to solar wind dynamic pressure pulses. In this study, we focus on the response of the ionosphere to pressure enhancements in the solar wind. Through modeling of two idealized events using a magnetohydrodynamics model, we find that the upper ionosphere of Mars responds almost instantaneously to solar wind pressure enhancements, while the collision dominated lower ionosphere (below ~150 km) does not have noticeable changes in density. We also find that ionospheric perturbations in density, magnetic field and velocity can last more than an hour after the solar wind returns to the quiet conditions. The topside ionosphere forms complicated transient shapes in response, which may explain unexpected ionospheric behaviors in recent observations. We also find that ionospheric escape fluxes do not correlate directly with simultaneous solar wind dynamic pressure. Rather, their intensities also depend on the earlier solar wind conditions. It takes a few hours for the ionospheric/atmospheric system to reach a new quasi-equilibrium state.

Description: [1]  Combining THEMIS wave and particle observations and a quantitative calculation of linear wave growth rate, we demonstrate that magnetosonic (MS) waves can be locally excited by ion ring distributions in the Earth's magnetosphere when the ion ring energy is comparable to the local Alfven energy. MS waves in association with ion ring distributions were observed by THEMIS A on 24 November 2010 in the afternoon sector, both outside the plasmapause where the wave spectrum varied with f LHR and inside the plasmapause where the wave frequency band remained nearly constant. Our plasma instability analysis in three different regions shows that higher and narrow frequency band MS waves are excited locally outside the plasmapause, and lower and broad frequency band MS waves are excited in the region where the density slightly increases. However, there is no evidence for wave excitation inside the plasmapause, and wave propagation from a distant source is needed to explain their existence. The simulation of the MS wave growth rate spectra during this event agrees reasonably well with the observed wave magnetic field power spectra. We also simulated a MS wave event on 19 October 2011 in the dusk sector, and found that the ion ring distribution with an ion ring energy slightly higher than the local Alfven energy can excite the typical broad band MS waves outside the plasmapause.

Description: [1]  The second Radio Aurora Explorer (RAX-2) satellite has completed more than 30 conjunction experiments with the AMISR chain of incoherent scatter radars in Alaska, and Resolute Bay, Canada. Coherent radar echoing occurred during four of the passes: three when E region electron drifts exceeded the ion acoustic speed threshold and one during HF heating of the ionosphere by the HAARP heater. In this paper, we present the results for the first three passes associated with backscatter from natural irregularities. We analyze, in detail, the largest drift case because the plasma turbulence was the most intense and because the corresponding ground-to-space bi-static scattering geometry was the most favorable for magnetic aspect sensitivity analysis. A set of data analysis procedures including interference removal, autocorrelation analysis, and the application of a radar beam deconvolution algorithm mapped the distribution of E region backscatter with 3 km resolution in altitude and ∼ 0.1 ∘ in magnetic aspect angle. To our knowledge, these are the highest resolution altitude-resolved magnetic aspect sensitivity measurements made at UHF frequencies in the auroral region. In this paper, we show that, despite the large electron drift speed of ∼ 1500 m/s, the magnetic aspect sensitivity of sub-meter scale irregularities is much higher than previously reported. The root-mean-square of the aspect angle distribution varied monotonically between 0.5-0.1 ∘ for the altitude range 100-110 km. Findings from this single but compelling event suggest that sub-meter scale waves propagating at larger angles from the main E  ×  B flow direction (secondary waves) have parallel electric fields that are too small to contribute to E region electron heating. It is possible anomalous electron heating in the auroral electrojet can be explained by (a) the dynamics of those sub-meter scale waves propagating in the E  ×  B direction (primary waves) or (b) the dynamics of longer wavelengths.

Description: A numerical model of the northern California Current System along the coasts of Washington and British Columbia is used to quantify the impact of submarine canyons on upwelling from the continental slope onto the shelf. Comparisons with an extensive set of observations show that the model adequately represents the seasonal development of near-bottom density, as well as along-shelf currents that are critical in governing shelf-slope exchange. Additional model runs with simplified coastlines and bathymetry are used to isolate the effects of submarine canyons. Near submarine canyons, equatorward flow over the outer shelf is correlated with dense water at canyon heads and subsequent formation of closed cyclonic eddies, which are both associated with cross-shelf ageostrophic forces. Lagrangian particles tracked from the slope to mid shelf show that canyons are associated with upwelling from depths of ~140-260 m. Source depths for upwelling are shallower than 150 m at locations away from canyons and in a model run with bathymetry that is uniform in the along-shelf direction. Water upwelled through canyons is more likely to be found near the bottom over the shelf. Onshore fluxes of relatively saline water through submarine canyons are large enough to increase volume-averaged salinity over the shelf by 0.1--0.2 psu during the early part of the upwelling season. The nitrate input from the slope to the Washington shelf associated with canyons is estimated to be 30–60% of that upwelled to the euphotic zone by local wind-driven upwelling.

Description: The flow north of warm subtropical water though the northeastern Atlantic is known to have many pathways that vary over time. Here we use a combination of upper ocean current measurements between Greenland and Scotland near 60°N and satellite altimetry to examine the space-time variability of poleward transport. The high-resolution scans of currents in the top 400 m show that the Reykjanes Ridge serves as a very effective separator of flow towards the Nordic and Labrador Seas, respectively. Whereas the Labrador Sea branch exhibits two mean flows to the north on the western slope of the Reykjanes Ridge, the eastern branch flows north in roughly equal amounts over the deep Maury channel and east of Hatton Bank including the Slope Current. There is also a well-defined southward flow along the eastern slope of the Reykjanes Ridge. The satellite altimetric sea surface height (SSH) data show good overall agreement with geostrophically determined sea level difference from the repeat ADCP sections (1999-2002), but are unable to resolve the fine structure of the topographically defined mean circulation. The altimetric data show that variations in poleward flow west and east of the Reykjanes Ridge are strongly anticorrelated. They further reveal that the two eastern sub-branches also exhibit anticorrelated variability, but offset in time with respect to the Labrador Sea branch. Remarkably, all these variations cancel out for the entire Greenland-Scotland section leaving a gradual decrease in sea level difference of about 0.06 m over the 1993 to the end of 2010 observation period.

Description: [1]  Working toward a physical understanding of how solar-wind/magnetosphere coupling works, four arguments are presented indicating that the solar-wind electric field v sw  × B sw does not control the rate of reconnection between the solar wind and the magnetosphere. Those four arguments are (1) that the derived rate of dayside reconnection is not equal to solar-wind electric field, (2) that electric-field driver functions can be improved by a simple modification that disallows their interpretation as the solar-wind electric field, (3) that the electric field in the magnetosheath is not equal to the electric field in the solar wind, and (4) that the magnetosphere can mass load and reduce the dayside reconnection rate without regard for the solar-wind electric field. The data is more consistent with a coupling function based on local control of the reconnection rate than the Axford conjecture that reconnection is controlled by boundary conditions irrespective of local parameters. Physical arguments that the solar-wind electric field controls dayside reconnection are absent; it is speculated that it is a coincidence that the electric field does so well at correlations with geomagnetic indices.

Description: [1]  This paper presents a case study from a single, six-hour observing period to illustrate the application of techniques developed for interferometric radio telescopes to the spectral analysis of observations of ionospheric fluctuations with sparse arrays. We have adapted the deconvolution methods used for making high dynamic range images of cosmic sources with radio arrays to making comparably high dynamic range maps of spectral power of wavelike ionospheric phenomena. In the example presented here, we have used observations of the total electron content (TEC) gradient derived from Very Large Array (VLA) observations of synchrotron emission from two galaxy clusters at 330 MHz as well as GPS-based TEC measurements from a sparse array of 33 receivers located within New Mexico near the VLA. We show that these techniques provide a significant improvement in signal to noise (S/N) of detected wavelike structures by correcting for both measurement inaccuracies and wavefront distortions. This is especially true for the GPS data when combining all available satellite/receiver pairs, which probe a larger physical area and likely have a wider variety of measurement errors than in the single-satellite case. In this instance, we found the peak S/N of the detected waves was improved by more than an order of magnitude. The data products generated by the deconvolution procedure also allow for a reconstruction of the fluctuations as a two-dimensional waveform/phase screen that can be used to correct for their effects.

Description: [1]  In this paper, we test whether time periods with hot proton temperature anisotropy are associated with EMIC waves, and whether the plasma conditions during the observed waves satisfy the linear theory threshold condition. We identify 865 events observed by the Composition DIstribution Function (CODIF) instrument onboard Cluster spacecraft 4 (SC4) during 1 January 2001 – 1 January 2011 that exhibit a positive temperature anisotropy ( A hp  =  T ⊥  h / T ∥  h  − 1) in the 10-40 keV protons. The events occur over an L range from 4 to 10 in all magnetic local times and at magnetic latitudes (MLAT) within ±50°. Of these Hot Proton Temperature Anisotropy (HPTA) events, only 68 events have electromagnetic ion cyclotron (EMIC) waves. In these 68 HPTA events, for those at 3.8〈 L  ≤ 5 and |MLAT| ≤ 10 ° , the EMIC waves with powers 〉1.0 nT 2 /Hz mainly appear in the region with f EMIC / f H , eq  〈 0.8. Two stop bands are present, one near the region with f EMIC / f H , eq  ≈ 0.33, the other in the region with 0.8 〈  f EMIC / f H , eq  〈 0.9. Most of the EMIC waves in the He, H, and 〉 H bands satisfy A hp /( A hp  + 1) 〉  f EMIC / f H , lo , A hp /( A hp  + 1) 〉 0.45 *  f EMIC / f H , lo , and A hp /( A hp  + 1) 〈 0.45 *  f EMIC / f H , lo .   f EMIC , f H , eq   and f H , lo are the EMIC wave frequency, the magnetic equatorial and the local proton gyrofrequencies. We also find that the EMIC waves predominantly occur with A hp  〉 0.25. By testing a threshold equation for the EMIC instability based on linear theory, we find that for EMIC waves with |MLAT| ≤ 10 ° in the He, H and 〉 H bands the percentages that satisfy the predicted conditions for wave growth by the threshold equation are 15.2%, 24.6% and 25.6%. For the EMIC waves with |MLAT| 〉 10 ° the percentages that satisfy the wave growth predicted conditions are only 2.8%, 2.6% and 0.0%. Finally, possible reasons for the low forecast accuracies of EMIC waves are suggested.

Description: Bubble size distributions ranging from 0.5 to 125 μm radius were measured optically during high winds of 13 m s -1 and large-scale wave breaking as part of the Southern Ocean Gas Exchange Experiment. Very small bubbles with radii less than 60 µm were measured at 6-9 m depth using optical measurements of the near forward volume scattering function and critical scattering angle for bubbles (˜80°). The bubble size distributions generally followed a power law distribution with mean slope values ranging from 3.6 to 4.6. The steeper slopes measured here were consistent with what would be expected near the base of the bubble plume. Bubbles, likely stabilized with organic coatings, were present for time periods on the order of 10-100 s at depths of 6-9 m. Here, relatively young seas, with an inverse wave age of approximately 0.88 and shorter characteristic wave scales, produced lower bubble concentrations, shallower bubble penetration depths, and steep bubble size distribution slopes. Conversely, older seas, with an inverse wave age of 0.70 and longer characteristic wave scales, produced relatively higher bubble concentrations penetrating to 15 m depth, larger bubble sizes and shallower bubble size distribution slopes. When extrapolated to 4 m depth using a previously published bubble size distribution, our estimates suggest that the deeply-penetrating small bubbles measured in the Southern Ocean supplied ˜36% of the total void fraction and likely contributed to the transfer and supersaturation of low solubility gases.

Description: [1]  The simultaneous onset of the preliminary impulse (PI) of the geomagnetic sudden commencement at high latitude and dayside dip equator is explained by means of the TM 0 mode waves propagating at the speed of light in the Earth-ionosphere waveguide (EIW) [Kikuchi et al., 1978]. A couple of issues remain to be addressed in the EIW model: (1) How is the TM 0 mode wave is excited by the field-aligned currents in the polar region? (2) How are the quasi-steady ionospheric currents are achieved by the TM 0 mode waves? (3) How simultaneous or delayed are the onset and peak of the equatorial PI with respect to the high latitude PI? To address these issues, we examine the TEM (TM 0 ) mode wave propagation in the finite-length transmission lines replacing the pair of FACs (magnetosphere-ionosphere (MI) transmission line) and the Earth-ionosphere waveguide (ionosphere-ground (IG) transmission line). The issue (1) is addressed by showing that a fraction of the TEM mode wave is transmitted from the MI to IG transmission lines through the polar ionosphere. To address the issues (2) and (3), we examine the properties of the finite-length IG transmission line with finite ionospheric conductivity. It is shown that the ionospheric currents start to grow instantaneously and continue to grow gradually with time constants of 1-10 sec depending on the ionospheric conductivity. The MIG transmission line enables us to explain the instantaneous onset and delayed peak time of the equatorial PI and quick electric field response of the low latitude ionosphere and inner magnetosphere.

Description: [1]  Plasmoids and other reconnection-related signatures have been observed in Jupiter's magnetotail through analysis of magnetic field and energetic particle data. Previous studies have established the spatial distribution and recurrence period of tail reconnection events, and identified the location of a statistical x-line separating inward and outward flow. Here we present new analysis focusing specifically on 43 plasmoid signatures observed in magnetometer data in order to establish the average properties and internal structure of Jovian plasmoids. We present statistics on the observed plasmoid length scale, duration, radial position, and local time distribution. On average, the observed plasmoids have a ~3 R J radial extent and ~7 minute duration, and result in the closure of ~4-8 GWb of open flux from reconnection of open field lines in the post-plasmoid plasma sheet. We also determine the amount of mass released and the magnetic flux closed in order to understand the role of tail reconnection in the transport of mass and flux in Jupiter's magnetosphere. The observed plasmoid properties are consistent with a mass loss rate of ~0.7-120 kg/s and a flux closure rate of ~7-70 GWb/day. We conclude that tail reconnection and plasmoid release is an important method of flux transport at Jupiter but likely cannot account for the mass input from Io, suggesting that additional mass loss mechanisms may be significant. Finally, we examine the plasmoid interior structure through minimum variance analysis and find that most plasmoids lack a core field and are better described by magnetic loops rather than flux ropes.

Description: [1]  Hot flow anomalies (HFAs) represent a subset of solar wind discontinuities interacting with collisionless bow shocks. They are typically formed when the normal component of the motional (convective) electric field points toward the embedded current sheet on at least one of its sides. The core region of an HFA contains hot and highly deflected ion flows and rather low and turbulent magnetic field. In this paper, we report observations of possible HFA-like events at Mercury identified over a course of two planetary years. Using data from the orbital phase of the MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging (MESSENGER) mission, we identify a representative ensemble of active current sheets magnetically connected to Mercury's bow shock. We show that some of these events exhibit magnetic and particle signatures of HFAs similar to those observed at other planets, and present their key physical characteristics. Our analysis suggests that Mercury's bow shock does not only mediate the flow of supersonic solar wind plasma but also provides conditions for local particle acceleration and heating as predicted by previous numerical simulations. Together with earlier observations of HFA activity at Earth, Venus, Mars, and Saturn, our results suggest that hot flow anomalies could be a common property of planetary bow shocks, and show that the characteristic size of these events is controlled by the bow shock standoff distance and/or local solar wind conditions.

Description: [1]  This paper investigates the influence of two solar eclipses on the ionosphere complexity measures: Tsallis entropy, Renyi entropy, Hurst exponent, beta exponent, fractal dimension. The study used GPS TEC measured at 3 locations in Japan during the solar eclipses of 22 July 2009 and 21 May 2012.This is the first effort to compare the complexity measures by comparing TEC time series of the eclipse day with those from the day before and day after the eclipse. It was found from analysis of the TEC observations that there were no abnormal variations of the complexity parameters from their expected values for either eclipse. Model calculations also show that TEC deviations during the eclipses are small.

Description: Wave interferometry is a remote sensing technique, which is increasingly employed in helioseismology, seismology, and acoustics to retrieve parameters of the propagation medium from two-point cross-correlation functions of random wave fields. Here, we apply interferometry to yearlong records of seafloor pressure at 28 locations off New Zealand's South Island to investigate propagation and directivity properties of infragravity waves away from shore. A compressed cross-correlation function technique is proposed to make the interferometry of dispersive waves more robust, decrease the necessary noise averaging time, and simplify retrieval of quantitative information from noise cross-correlations. The emergence of deterministic wave arrivals from cross-correlations of random wave fields is observed up to the maximum range of 692 km between the pressure sensors in the array. Free, linear waves with a strongly anisotropic distribution of power flux density are found to be dominant in the infragravity wave field. Lowest-frequency components of the infragravity wave field are largely isotropic. The anisotropy has its maximum in the middle of the spectral band and decreases at the high-frequency end of the spectrum. Highest anisotropy peaks correspond to waves coming from portions of the New Zealand's shoreline. Significant contributions are also observed from waves propagating along the coastline and probably coming from powerful sources in the northeast Pacific. Infragravity wave directivity is markedly different to the east and to the west of the South Island. The northwest coast of the South Island is found to be a net source of the infragravity wave energy.

Description: The Indonesian Throughflow (ITF) is the only open pathway for inter-ocean exchange between the Pacific and Indian Ocean basins at tropical latitudes. A proxy time series of ITF transport variability is developed using remotely-sensed altimeter data. The focus is on the three outflow passages of Lombok, Ombai and Timor that collectively transport the entire ITF into the Indian Ocean, and where direct velocity measurements are available to help ground-truth the transport algorithm. The resulting 18-year proxy time series shows strong interannual ITF variability. Significant trends of increased transport are found in the upper layer of Lombok Strait, and over the full depth in Timor Passage that are likely related to enhanced Pacific trade winds since the early 1990s. The partitioning of the total ITF transport through each of the major outflow passage varies according to the phase of the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) or El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO). In general, Pacific ENSO variability is strongest in Timor Passage, most likely through the influence of planetary waves transmitted from the Pacific along the Northwest Australian shelf pathway. Somewhat surprisingly, concurrent El Niño and positive IOD episodes consistently show contradictory results from those composites constructed for purely El Niño episodes. This is particularly evident in Lombok and Ombai Straits, but also at depth in Timor Passage. This suggests that Indian Ocean dynamics likely win out over Pacific Ocean dynamics in gating the transport through the outflow passages during concurrent ENSO and IOD events.

Description: Time series of ice draft from 2003-2012 from moored sonar data are used to investigate variability and describe the reduction of the perennial sea ice cover in the Beaufort Gyre (BG), culminating in the extreme minimum in 2012. Negative trends in median ice drafts and most ice fractions are observed, while open water and thinnest ice fractions (〈0.3 m) have increased, attesting to the ablation or removal of the older sea ice from the BG over the nine year period. Monthly anomalies indicate a shift occurred toward thinner ice after 2007, in which the thicker ice evident at the northern stations was reduced. Differences in the ice characteristics between all of the stations also diminished, so that the ice cover throughout the region became statistically homogenous. The moored data are used in a relationship with satellite radiometer data to estimate ice volume changes throughout the BG. Summer solid fresh water content decreased drastically in consecutive years from 730 km 3 in 2006 to 570 km 3 in 2007, and to 240 km 3 in 2008. After a short rebound, solid fresh water fell below 220 km 3 in 2012. Meanwhile hydrographic data indicate that liquid fresh water in the BG in summer increased 5410 km 3 from 2003 to 2010 and decreased at least 210 km 3 by 2012. The reduction of both solid and liquid fresh water components indicates a net export of approximately 320 km 3 of fresh water from the region occurred between 2010 and 2012, suggesting that the anticyclonic atmosphere-ocean circulation has weakened.

Description: The effects of water level variations on breaking wave setup over fringing reefs are assessed using field measurements obtained at three study sites in the Republic of the Marshall Islands and the Mariana Islands in the western tropical Pacific Ocean. At each site, reef flat setup varies over the tidal range with weaker setup at high tide and stronger setup at low tide for a given incident wave height. The observed water level dependence is interpreted in the context of radiation stress gradients specified by an idealized point break model generalized for non-normally incident waves. The tidally varying setup is due in part to depth-limited wave heights on the reef flat, as anticipated from previous reef studies, but also to tidally dependent breaking on the reef face. The tidal dependence of the breaking is interpreted in the context of the point break model in terms of a tidally varying wave height to water depth ratio at breaking. Implications for predictions of wave-driven setup at reef-fringed island shorelines are discussed.

Description: The distribution and thickness of sea ice in the Arctic is changing rapidly, resulting in changes to Arctic marine ecosystems. Seabirds are widely regarded as indicators of marine environmental change, and understanding their distribution patterns can serve as a tool to monitor and elucidate biological changes in the Arctic seas. We examined the at-sea distribution of seabirds in the North American Arctic in July and August, 2007-2012, and marine areas of high density were identified based on bird densities for four foraging guilds. Short-tailed shearwaters ( Puffinus tenuirostris ) were the most abundant species observed. Northern fulmars ( Fulmarus glacialis ), thick-billed murres ( Uria lomvia ) and dovekies ( Alle alle ) were also sighted in large numbers. Few birds were sighted between Dolphin and Union Strait and King William Island. Areas of high density over multiple years were found throughout the entire western portion of the study area (Bering Sea, Bering Strait, Chukchi Sea), Lancaster Sound, Baffin Bay, Davis Strait and the low-arctic waters off Newfoundland. These waters are characterized by high primary productivity. This study is the first to document the marine distribution of seabirds across the entire North American Arctic within the same time period, providing a critical baseline for monitoring the distribution and abundance of Arctic seabirds in a changing Arctic seascape.

Description: [1]  We have analyzed the data of the world neutron monitor network for the first ground level enhancement of solar cycle 24, the GLE on May 17, 2012. A newly computed neutron monitor yield function and an inverse method are applied to estimate the energy spectrum, anisotropy axis direction and pitch-angle distribution of the high-energy solar particles in interplanetary space. The method includes the determination of the asymptotic viewing cones of neutron monitor stations through computations of trajectories of cosmic rays in a model magnetosphere. The cosmic ray particle trajectories are determined with the MAGNETOCOSMICS code using Tsyganenko 1989 and IGRF models. Subsequent calculation of the neutron monitor responses with the model function is carried out, that represents an initial guess of the inverse problem. Derivation of the solar energetic particle characteristics is fulfilled by fitting the data of the global neutron monitor network using the Levenberg-Marquardt method over the nine-dimensional parameter space. The pitch-angle distribution and rigidity spectrum of high-energy protons are obtained as function of time in the course of the GLE. The angular distribution appears quite complicated. It comprises a focused beam along the interplanetary magnetic field line from the Sun and a loss-cone feature around the opposite direction, possibly indicative of the particle transport in interplanetary magnetic field structures associated with previous coronal mass ejections.

Description: [1]  Geomagnetic activity is strongly controlled by solar wind and Interplanetary Magnetic Field (IMF) conditions, especially the southward component of IMF (IMF Bs). We analyze the statistical properties of IMF Bs at 1 AU using in situ observations for more than a solar cycle (1995 - 2010). IMF Bs-events are defined as continuous IMF Bs intervals with varying thresholds of Bs magnitude and duration, and categorized by different solar wind structures, such as magnetic cloud (MC), interplanetary small-scale magnetic flux rope (ISMFR), interplanetary coronal mass ejection (ICME) without MC signature (ejecta), stream interacting region (SIR), and shock, as well as events unrelated with well-defined solar wind structures. The statistical properties of IMF Bs-events and their geoeffectiveness are investigated in detail based on satellite and ground measurements. We find that the integrated duration and number of Bs-events follow the sunspot number when Bz 〈 -5 nT. We also find that in extreme Bs-events (t 〉 6 hours, Bz 〈 -10 nT), a majority (53 %) are related to MC and 10 % are related with ejecta, but nearly a quarter are not associated with any well-defined solar wind structure. We find different geomagnetic responsesfor Bs-events with comparable duration and magnitude depending on what type of solar wind structures they are associated with. We also find that great Bs-events (t 〉 3 hours, Bz 〈 -10 nT) do not always trigger magnetic storms.

Description: [1]  This technique paper describes a novel method for quantitatively and routinely identifying auroral breakup following substorm onset using the Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions During Substorms (THEMIS) all-sky imagers (ASIs). Substorm onset is characterised by a brightening of the aurora that is followed by auroral poleward expansion and auroral breakup. This breakup can be identified by a sharp increase in the auroral intensity i(t) and the time derivative of auroral intensity i'(t) . Utilising both i(t) and i'(t) we have developed an algorithm for identifying the time interval and spatial location of auroral breakup during the substorm expansion phase within the field of view of ASI data based solely on quantifiable characteristics of the optical auroral emissions. We compare the time interval determined by the algorithm to independently identified auroral onset times from three previously published studies. In each case the time interval determined by the algorithm is within error of the onset independently identified by the prior studies. We further show the utility of the algorithm by comparing the breakup intervals determined using the automated algorithm to an independent list of substorm onset times. We demonstrate that up to 50% of the breakup intervals characterised by the algorithm are within the uncertainty of the times identified in the independent list. The quantitative description and routine identification of an interval of auroral brightening during the substorm expansion phase provides a foundation for unbiased statistical analysis of the aurora to probe the physics of the auroral substorm as a new scientific tool for aiding the identification of the processes leading to auroral substorm onset.

Description: [1]  We applied the Grad-Shafranov (GS) reconstruction technique to Martian magnetic flux ropes observed by Mars Global Surveyor in order to estimate their spatial structures. This technique can provide a magnetic field map of their cross section from single spacecraft data, under the assumption that the structure is two-dimensional, magneto-hydrostatic, and time-independent. We succeeded in recovering the spatial structure for 70 events observed between April 1999 and November 2006. The reconstruction results indicate that the flux rope axes were mostly oriented horizontal to the Martian surface, and were randomly distributed with respect to the typical plasma streamline. A subset of events with duration longer than 240 sec was observed at solar zenith angles larger than 75 deg. These events all occur downstream from strong crustal magnetic field in the southern hemisphere, indicating an association between the crustal fields and the detected flux ropes. Using the shape and size of the flux ropes obtained from the GS reconstruction, we estimate lower limits on their volume that span 2–3 orders of magnitude, with larger flux ropes observed downstream from strong crustal magnetic fields. Estimated ion escape rates associated with flux ropes are of the order of 10 22 –10 23 ion/sec, being approximately 10% of previously estimated escape rates during solar minimum.

Description: Radiative transfer in sea ice is subject to anisotropic, multiple scattering. The impact of anisotropy on the light field under sea ice was found to be substantial and has been quantified. In this study, a large dataset of irradiance and radiance measurements under sea ice has been acquired with a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) in the central Arctic. Measurements are interpreted in the context of numerical radiative transfer calculations, laboratory experiments, and microstructure analysis. The ratio of synchronous measurements of transmitted irradiance to radiance shows a clear deviation from an isotropic under-ice light field. We find that the angular radiance distribution under sea-ice is more downward directed than expected for an isotropic light field. This effect can be attributed to the anisotropic scattering coefficient within sea ice. Assuming an isotropic radiance distribution under sea ice leads to significant errors in light-field modeling and the interpretation of radiation measurements. Quantification of the light field geometry is crucial for correct conversion of radiance data acquired by Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) and ROVs.

Description: In comparison to the deep ocean, the upper mixed layer is a region typically characterized by substantial vertical gradients in water properties. Within the Tropics, the rich variability in the vertical shapes and forms that these structures can assume through variation in the atmospheric forcing results in a differential effect in terms of the temperature and salinity stratification. Rather than focusing on the strong halocline above the thermocline, commonly referred to as the salinity barrier layer, the present study takes into account the respective thermal and saline dependencies in the Brunt-Väisälä frequency (N 2 ) in order to isolate the specific role of the salinity stratification in the layers above the main pycnocline. We examine daily vertical profiles of temperature and salinity from an ocean reanalysis over the period 2001-2007. We find significant seasonal variations in the Brunt-Väisälä frequency profiles are limited to the upper 300 m depth. Based on this we determine the ocean salinity stratification (OSS) to be defined as the stabilizing effect (positive values) due to the haline part of N 2 averaged over the upper 300m. In many regions of the tropics the OSS contributes 40 to 50% to N 2 as compared to the thermal stratification and, in some specific regions, exceeds it for a few months of the seasonal cycle. Away from the tropics, for example near the centers of action of the subtropical gyres, there are regions characterized by the permanent absence of OSS. In other regions previously characterized with salinity barrier layers the OSS obviously shares some common variations: however, we show that where temperature and salinity are mixed over the same depth, the salinity stratification can be significant. In addition, relationships between the OSS and the sea surface salinity are shown to be well defined and quasi-linear in the tropics, providing some indication that in the future, analyses that consider both satellite surface salinity measurements at the surface and vertical profiles at depth will result in a better determination of the role of the salinity stratification in climate prediction systems.

Description: [1]  From a survey of Polar plasma waves conducted over the interval 1 April, 1996 to 4 April, 1997 (during solar minimum) at and inside the plasmasphere, magnetosonic waves were detected at all local times with a slight preference of occurrence in the midnight-postmidnight sector at L = 3 to 4. The waves occurred primarily during heightened geomagnetic (AE) activity. Wave occurrence (and intensities) peaked at ~ ±5° of the magnetic equator, with half-maxima at ~ ±10°. For other wave events, magnetosonic waves were also detected as far from the equator as +20° and -60° MLAT, but at lower intensities. An extreme magnetosonic wave intensity event of amplitude B w  = ~ ± 1 nT and E w  = ~ ± 25 mV/m was detected during the survey period. The event occurred near local midnight (0022 MLT), at the magnetic equator (MLAT = -0.5°), at the plasmapause (L = 3.5), and during an intense substorm/convection event (AE = 624 nT; SYM-H = -33 nT). If more stringent requirements (| MLAT| ≤ 5° and AE 〉 300 nT) are imposed, the wave occurrence rate approaches ~50% for the 23 to 00 MLT bin at L = 3 to 4. This strong local time anisotropy in the location of magnetosonic wave occurrence rate supports the idea of generation by protons injected from the plasmasheet into the midnight sector magnetosphere by substorm electric fields. Magnetosonic waves were also detected near late morning (1031 MLT) during relative geomagnetic quiet (low AE). We mention that one possible generation mechanism is a recovering/expanding plasmasphere engulfing preexisting energetic ions, which in turn leads to an ion instability. The wave magnetic component oscillations are aligned along B 0 , the ambient magnetic field direction, and the electric component oscillations are orthogonal to B 0 , indicating linear polarization. The magnetosonic wave amplitudes decreased at locations further from the magnetic equator, while transverse whistler mode wave amplitudes increased. We argue that intense magnetosonic waves are always present somewhere in the magnetosphere during strong substorm/convection events. We thus suggest that modelers use dynamic particle tracing codes and the maximum (rather than average) wave amplitudes to simulate wave-particle interactions.

Description: Impacts of extreme Barents Sea air-sea exchanges are examined using the HadCM3 coupled ocean-atmosphere model. Variability in the Barents Sea winter air-sea density flux is found to be a potentially significant factor in determining changes in the southward transport of dense water through Fram Strait. The density flux variability is primarily driven by the thermal term, F T , due to heat loss to the atmosphere. The other two terms (haline flux and ice formation) play a relatively minor role. The difference in ocean circulation between winters with extreme strong and weak Barents Sea surface density flux anomalies is analysed. This reveals an increase in strong winters of both the north-westwards intermediate depth flow out of the basin and the east-west deep flows north of Spitsbergen and south through the Fram Strait. A linear fit yields a Fram Strait southward transport increase of 1.22 Sv for an increase in F T of 1x10 -6 kg m -2 s -1 . For the ten strongest Barents Sea surface density flux winters, the Fram Strait winter southward transport increases by 2.4 Sv. This compares with a reduction of 1.0 Sv for the corresponding weakest winters. Furthermore, the properties of the southwards flowing water are modified in strong density flux winters. In such winters, the Fram Strait water below 250 m is colder by up to 0.5 ° C and fresher by 0.05 than the climatological winter mean.

Description: In viscous-plastic (VP) sea-ice models, small deformations are approximated by irreversible viscous deformations, introducing a non-physical energy sink. As the spatial resolution and the degree of numerical convergence of the models increase, linear kinematic features (LKFs) are better resolved and more states of stress lie in the viscous regime. Energy dissipation in this non-physical viscous regime therefore increases. We derive a complete kinetic energy (KE) balance for sea ice, including plastic and viscous energy sinks to study energy dissipation. The main KE balance is between the energy input by the wind and the dissipation by the water drag and the internal stresses (dissipating respectively 87% and 13% of the energy input on an annual average). The internal stress term is mostly important in winter when ice-ice interactions are dominant. The energy input that is not dissipated locally is redistributed laterally by the internal stresses in regions of dissipation by small scale deformations (LKFs). Of the 13% dissipated annually by the internal stress term, 93% is dissipated in friction along LKFs (14% in ridging, 79% in shearing) and 7% is stored as potential energy in ridges. For all time and spatial scales tested, the frictional viscous dissipation is negligible in the KE balance. This conclusion remains valid when the spatial resolution and the numerical convergence of the simulations are increased. Overall, the results confirm the validity, from an energetical point of view, of the VP approximation.

Description: [1]  On January 9, 2002 and November 14, 2001, the São Luís 30 MHz coherent backscatter radar observed unusual day-time echoes scattered from the equatorial electrojet. The electrojet echoing layers on these days, as seen in the range time intensity (RTI) maps, exhibited quasi-periodic oscillations. Time-frequency decomposition of the magnetic field perturbations ΔH , measured simultaneously by the ground-based magnetometers, also showed evidence of short period waves. The ground-based observations were aided by measurements of the brightness temperature in the water vapor and infrared bands made by the GOES 8 satellite. The GOES 8 satellite measurements indicated evidence of deep tropospheric convection activities, which are favorable for the launch of atmospheric gravity waves (AGW) near São Luís. Our multi-technique investigation, combined with an analysis of the equatorial electric field and current density, indicates that AGW forcing could have been responsible, via coupling with E-region electric fields, for the short-period electrojet oscillations observed over São Luís.

Description: [1]  The diurnal variation of the global electric circuit is investigated using the World Wide Lightning Location Network (WWLLN), which has been shown to identify nearly all thunderstorms ( [16], using WWLLN data from 2005). To create an estimate of global electric circuit activity, a clustering algorithm is applied to the WWLLN dataset to identify global thunderstorms from 2010 – 2013. Annual, seasonal, and regional thunderstorm activity is investigated in this new WWLLN thunderstorm dataset in order to estimate the source behavior of the global electric circuit. Through the clustering algorithm, the total number of active thunderstorms are counted every 30 minutes creating a measure of the global electric circuit source function. The thunderstorm clusters are compared to precipitation radar data from the Tropical Rainfall Measurement Mission satellite and with case studies of thunderstorm evolution. [2]  The clustering algorithm reveals an average of 660 ± 70 thunderstorms active at any given time with a peak-to-peak variation of 36%. The highest number of thunderstorms occurs in November (720 ± 90) and the lowest number occurs in January (610 ± 80). Thunderstorm cluster and electrified storm cloud activity are combined with thunderstorm overflight current measurements to estimate the global electric circuit thunderstorm contribution current to be 1090 ± 70 A with a variation of 24%. By utilizing the global coverage and high time resolution of WWLLN, the total active thunderstorm count and current is shown to be less than previous estimates based on compiled climatologies.

Description: [1]  Dynamics of the dayside magnetosphere and proton radiation belt was analyzed during unusual magnetic storm on 21 January 2005. We have found that during the storm from 1712 to 2400 UT, the subsolar magnetopause was continuously located inside geosynchronous orbit due to strong compression. The compression was found to be extremely strong from 1846 to 2035 UT when the dense plasma of fast erupting filament produced the solar wind dynamic pressure Pd peaked up to 〉100 nPa and, in the first time, the upstream solar wind was observed at geosynchronous orbit during almost 2 hours. Under the extreme compression, the outer magnetosphere at L  〉 5 was pushed inward and the outer radiation belt particles with energies of several tens of keV moved earthward, became adiabatically accelerated and accumulated in the inner magnetosphere at L  〈 4 that produced the intensified ring current with an exceptionally long lifetime. The observations were compared with predictions of various empirical and first principles models. All the models failed to predict the magnetospheric dynamics under the extreme compression when the minimal magnetopause distance was estimated to be ~3 Re. The inconsistencies between the model predictions and observations might result from distortions of plasma measurements by extreme heliospheric conditions consisting in very fast solar wind streams (~1000 km/s) and intense fluxes of solar energetic particles. We speculated that anomalous dynamics of the magnetosphere could be well described by the models if the He abundance in the solar wind was assumed to be 〉20%, which is well appropriate for erupting filaments and which is in agreement with the upper 27% threshold for the He/H ratio obtained from Cluster measurements.

Description: Based on a long term simulation of an ocean-biogeochemical coupled model, we investigate the biogeochemical response to the two types of El Niño events, a Cold Tongue (CT)-El Niño and a Warm Pool (WP)-El Niño, in which a local maximum of anomalous sea surface temperature (SST) is located in the eastern and central tropical Pacific. Our model is able to reasonably simulate the characteristics of the biological variables in a way comparable to the observations. During the developing period, anomalous low chlorophyll appears in the eastern Pacific, while it appears in the central Pacific in the WP-El Niño. The difference in the spatial-temporal response of chlorophyll for the two types of El Niño events is mainly due to the eastward zonal advection of upper ocean currents, which plays a role in bringing nutrient-poor water from the western Pacific. During the decaying period of the WP-El Niño, anomalous high chlorophyll appears concurrently with anomalous low SST in the eastern Pacific. Conversely, anomalous high chlorophyll appears in the central Pacific prior to the decaying period of the CT-El Niño. In particular, the anomalous low sea level from the northwestern Pacific shifts to the southern equatorial region during the decaying period of the CT-El Niño. This drives anti-cyclonic boundary currents which enhance the Equatorial Undercurrent, playing a role in the supply of nutrients to the central equatorial Pacific, resulting in an increase in chlorophyll concentration in the same region.

Description: The barrier layer, the layer between the bottom of the density-defined mixed layer and the isothermal layer in the upper ocean, may play a role in air-sea dynamics. In the present study, data from Argo profiling floats in the tropical Indian Ocean and a mooring at 90°E, 0°N are used to examine subseasonal variations in upper ocean salinity and barrier-layer thickness (BLT) during boreal winter. In the eastern equatorial Indian Ocean, subseasonal variations in BLT are energetic. However, composites used to isolate the Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO) component of the subseasonal signal reveal that, on average, the MJO anomaly in BLT is negligible despite large swings in both the mixed-layer depth and the isothermal-layer depth. This discrepancy is likely due to (a) noise from other subseasonal processes; and (b) the diversity of individual MJO events: the thickness of the mixed layer and the isothermal layer are sensitive to wind and rain forcing, so even subtle differences in the phasing and strength of MJO-related atmospheric anomalies can produce a very different effect on upper ocean stratification and hence on the thickness of the barrier layer. The effect of the barrier layer on the upper ocean response to MJO forcing is also evaluated. When the barrier layer is thick, entrainment cooling during the MJO is reduced, so the MJO drives a weaker sea surface temperature anomaly. This suggests that modulation of BLT can have significant consequences for the response of the upper ocean to the MJO, and hence, potentially, for feedbacks of the ocean onto the atmosphere on MJO timescales.

Description: The variability of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) system is largely linked to atmospheric forcing. The objective of this work is to assess the link between local wind forcing mechanisms and the variability of the upper-ocean temperature and the dynamics of the different fronts in the ACC region south of South Africa. To accomplish this, in situ and satellite-derived observations are used between 1993-2010. The main finding of this work is that meridional changes in the westerlies linked with the Southern Annular Mode (SAM) drive temperature anomalies in the Ekman layer and changes in the Subantarctic Front (SAF) and Antarctic Polar Front (APF) transports through Ekman dynamics. The development of easterly anomalies between 35 o S-45 o S during positive SAM is linked to reduced (increased) SAF (APF) transports and a warmer mixed layer in the ACC. The link between the changes in the wind stress and the SAF and APF transport variations occurs through the development of Ekman pumping anomalies near the frontal boundaries, driving an opposite response on the SAF and APF transports. The observed wind-driven changes in the frontal transports suggest small changes to the net ACC transport. In addition, observations indicate that the SAF and APF locations in this region are not linked to the local wind forcing, emphasizing the importance of other factors (e.g. baroclinic instabilities generated by bottom topography) to changes in the frontal location. Results obtained here highlight the importance of repeat XBT temperature sections and their combined analysis with other in situ and remote sensing observations.

Description: [1]  Type III radio bursts are produced near the local electron plasma frequency and/or near its harmonic by fast electrons ejected from the solar active regions and moving through the corona and solar wind. These bursts have dynamic spectra with frequency rapidly falling with time. This paper presents two new methods developed to detect type III bursts automatically in the data from High Frequency Receiver (HFR) of the STEREO/WAVES (S/WAVES) radio instrument onboard the STEREO spacecraft. The first technique is applicable to the low frequency band (HFR-1: 125 kHz to 1.975 MHz) only. This technique can possibly be implemented in on-board satellite software aimed at preliminary detection of bursts and identification of time intervals with relatively high solar activity. In the second technique the bursts are detected in both the low frequency band and the high frequency band (HFR-2: 2.025 MHz to 16.025 MHz), with the computational burden being higher by one order of magnitude as compared with that for the first technique. Preliminary tests of the method show that the performance of the first technique is quite high, P dL  = 72 % ± 3 %. The performance of the second technique is considerably higher, P dL  +  H  = 81 % ± 1%, while the number of false alarms does not exceed 10% for one daily spectrum.

Description: [1]  A dipolarizing flux bundle (DFB) is a small magnetotail flux tube (typically 〈 ~3 R E in X GSM and Y GSM ) with a significantly more dipolar magnetic field than its background. Dipolarizing flux bundles typically propagate earthward at a high speed from the near-Earth reconnection region. Knowledge of a DFB's flux transport properties leads to better understanding of near-Earth (X = -6 to -30 R E ) magnetotail flux transport and thus conversion of magnetic energy to kinetic and thermal plasma energy following magnetic reconnection. We explore DFB properties with a statistical study using data from the Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms (THEMIS) mission. To establish the importance of DFB flux transport, we compare it with transport by bursty bulk flows (BBFs) that typically envelop DFBs. Because DFBs coexist with flow bursts inside BBFs, they contribute 〉65% of BBF flux transport, even though they last only ~30% as long as BBFs. The rate of DFB flux transport increases with proximity to Earth and to the pre-midnight sector, as well as with geomagnetic activity and distance from the neutral sheet. Under the latter two conditions the total flux transport by a typical DFB also increases. Dipolarizing flux bundles appear more often during increased geomagnetic activity. Since BBFs have been previously shown to be the major flux transporters in the tail, we conclude that DFBs are the dominant drivers of this transport. The occurrence rate of DFBs as a function of location and geomagnetic activity informs us about processes that shape global convection and energy conversion

Description: [1]  The substorm current wedge (SCW) is a fundamental component of geomagnetic substorms. Models tend to describe the SCW as a simple line current flowing into the ionosphere towards dawn and out of the ionosphere towards dusk, linked by a westward electrojet. We use multi-spacecraft observations from perigee passes of the Cluster 1 and 4 spacecraft during a substorm on 15 Jan 2010, in conjunction with ground-based observations, to examine the spatial structuring and temporal variability of the SCW. At this time, the spacecraft travelled east-west azimuthally above the auroral region. We show that the SCW has significant azimuthal sub-structure on scales of 100 km at altitudes of 4,000-7,000 km. We identify 26 individual current sheets in the Cluster 4 data and 34 individual current sheets in the Cluster 1 data, with Cluster 1 passing through the SCW 120-240 s after Cluster 4 at 1,300-2,000 km higher altitude. Both spacecraft observed large-scale regions of net upward and downward field-aligned current, consistent with the large-scale characteristics of the SCW, although sheets of oppositely directed currents were observed within both regions. We show that the majority of these current sheets were closely aligned to a north-south direction,in contrast to the expected east-west orientation of the pre-onset aurora. Comparing our results with observations of the field-aligned current associated with bursty bulk flows (BBFs) we conclude that significant questions remain for the explanation of SCW structuring by BBF driven “wedgelets”. Our results therefore represent constraints on future modelling and theoretical frameworks on the generation of the SCW.

Description: [1]  Large horizontal winds and wind shears have been measured in the lower thermosphere by rockets, lidars, and non-specular meteor radars. This paper describes a detailed analysis of 3 multi-hour non-specular meteor radar data sets collected at the Jicamarca Radio Observatory. This provides some of the highest resolution sustained measurements in this part of the atmosphere. These show: (1) intense wind speeds, maintaining 180 m/s for half an hour and 160 m/s for another half an hour; (2) winds structured in layers that move up or, more commonly, down in the pre-dawn hours at rates of a few km/hr; (3) intense wind shears that typically persist at around 50 m/s/km but, in one instance, sustains values approaching 100 m/s/km for a few hours.

Description: [1]  We present results from an analysis of high-latitude ionosphere-thermosphere (IT) coupling to the solar wind during a moderate magnetic storm which occurred on 5-6 August 2011. During the storm, a multi-point set of observations of the ionosphere and thermosphere was available. We make use of ionospheric measurements of electromagnetic and particle energy made by the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP), and neutral densities measured by the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellite to infer: (1) the energy budget and (2) timing of the energy transfer process during the storm. We conclude that the primary location for energy input to the IT system may be the extremely high latitude region. We suggest that the total energy available to the IT system is not completely captured either by observation or empirical models.

Description: [1]  The level of solar activity varies from cycle to cycle. This variability is probably caused by a combination of nonlinear and random effects. Based on surface flux transport simulations, we show that the observed inflows into active regions and towards the activity belts provide an important nonlinearity in the framework of Babcock-Leighton model for the solar dynamo. Inclusion of these inflows also leads to a reproduction of the observed proportionality between the open heliospheric flux during activity minima and the maximum sunspot number of the following cycle. A substantial component of the random variability of the cycle strength is associated with the cross-equatorial flux plumes that occur when large, highly-tilted sunspot groups emerge close to the equator. We show that the flux transported by these events is important for the amplitude of the polar fields and open flux during activity minima. The combined action of inflows and cross-equatorial flux plumes provides an explanation for the weakness of the polar fields at the end of solar cycle 23 (and hence for the relative weakness of solar cycle 24).

Description: [1]  We present the first direct measurement of neutral oxygen in the lunar exosphere, detected by the Chandrayaan-1 Energetic Neutral Analyzer (CENA). With the lunar surface consisting of about 60% of oxygen in number, the neutral oxygen detected in CENA's energy range (11 eV – 3.3 keV) is attributed to have originated from the lunar surface, where it is released through solar wind ion sputtering. We verify this proposition by comparing the measured oxygen content in two different mass spectra groups with ion sputtering theory. One group contains mass spectra that were recorded when the solar wind consisted of almost pure hydrogen and the other group contains mass spectra that were recorded when the helium content in the solar wind was very high (〉3.5%). Since helium is a much more effective sputtering agent than hydrogen (5% of alpha particles present in the solar wind typically contribute 30% of the total sputter yield), these two groups should show clear differences in the oxygen sputter yield. Fitting of CENA's mass spectra with calibration spectra from ground and in-flight data resulted in the detection of a robust oxygen signal, with a flux of 0.2 to 0.4 times the flux of backscattered hydrogen, depending, as expected, on the solar wind helium content and particle velocity. These measurements present the first in-situ detection of oxygen in the lunar exosphere. For the two solar wind types observed, we derive sub-solar surface oxygen atom densities of N 0  = (1.1 ± 0.3) ⋅ 10 7 m − 3 and (1.4 ± 0.4) ⋅ 10 7 m − 3 , respectively, which agree well with earlier model predictions and measured upper limits. From these surface densities we derive, by modeling, column densities of N C  = (1.5 ± 0.5) ⋅ 10 13 m − 2 and (1.6 ± 0.5) ⋅ 10 13 m − 2 . [2]  In addition, in the CENA mass spectra, we identified for the first time a helium component. This helium is attributed to backscattering of solar wind helium (alpha particles) from the lunar surface as neutral energetic helium atoms, which has been observed for the first time. This identification is supported by the characteristic energy of the measured helium atoms, which is roughly four times the energy of reflected solar wind hydrogen, and the correlation with solar wind helium content.

Description: [1]  The diffuse aurora is an almost permanent feature in the Earth's upper polar atmosphere, providing the major source of ionizing energy input into the high-latitude region. Previous theoretical and observational studies have demonstrated that whistler-mode chorus scattering primarily accounts for intense nightside diffuse auroral precipitation within ~ 8 R E , but what causes the dayside diffuse aurora remains poorly understood. Using conjugate satellite wave and particle observations on 13 August 2009 from the THEMIS spacecraft and ground-based all-sky imager measurements at the South Pole on the dayside, we perform a quantitative analysis of wave driven diffusion and electron precipitation. Our results demonstrate that the dayside chorus scattering was the dominant contributor to the observed dayside diffuse auroral precipitation and that the chorus wave intensity primarily controlled its brightness, indicating that dayside chorus can be the major driver of the Earth's dayside diffuse aurora. While further investigations are required to bring closure to the origin of the dayside diffuse aurora under differing solar wind conditions and geomagnetic situations, our finding is an important complement to recent work on the formation mechanism of the diffuse aurora and provides improved understanding of the roles of resonant wave-particle interactions in diffuse auroral precipitation pattern on a global scale.

Description: [1]  Ultra Low Frequency (ULF: 0.001-5 Hz) magnetic records have recently been used in the search for short term earthquake prediction methods. The separation of local and global effects in the magnetic records is the greatest challenge in this research area. Geomagnetic indices are often used to predict global ULF magnetic behavior where it is assumed that increases in a geomagnetic index correspond with an increase in ULF power. This paper examines the relationships between geomagnetic indices and ULF power, spectral polarization ratio and the relationship between the spectral polarization ratio and solar wind parameters. The power in the ULF, Pc3-5 bands (10-600 s) shows a linear correlation coefficient of  0.2 with the Kp magnetic activity index. The correlation varies with magnetic local time (MLT) and latitude. The correlation coefficient is inversely related to the integrated power in the ULF Pc3 band (10-45 s) over MLT and magnetic latitude. The ratio of spectral powers Z ( ω )/ G ( ω ) is discussed and shown to be a promising parameter in the search for earthquake precursor signals in ULF records.

Description: [1]  Recent testing of a quantitative model describing the classical (region-1-sense, referred to as the R1 current loop) substorm current wedge (SCW) revealed systematic discrepancies between the observed and predicted amplitudes, which suggested us to include additional region-2-sense currents (R2-loop) earthward of the dipolarized region (SCW2L model). In this paper we discuss alternative circuit geometries of the 3d substorm current system and interpret simultaneous observations of the magnetic field dipolarizations by NOAA Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) and by NASA Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms (THEMIS) spacecraft, to quantitatively investigate the SCW2L model parameters. During two cases of a dipole-like magnetotail configuration, the dipolarization/injection front fortuitously stopped at r  ∼ 9 Re for the entire duration of ∼ 30 min-long SCW-related dipolarization within a unique, radially-distributed multi-spacecraft constellation, which allowed us to determine the locations and total currents of both SCW2L loops. In addition, we conducted a survey of the dipolarization amplitudes in events, simultaneously observed at 6.6 Re (GOES) and 11 Re (THEMIS) under a wide range of magnetotail conditions. We infer that the ratio I 2 / I 1 varies in the range 0.2 to 0.6 (median value 0.4) and that the equatorial part of the R2 current loop stays at the distance r  〉 6.6 Re in the case of a dipole-like field geometry ( BZ 0  〉 75 nT at 6.6 Re prior to the onset), but it is located at r  〈 6.6 Re in the case of a stretched magnetic field configuration (with BZ 0  〈 60 nT). Since the ground midlatitude perturbations are sensitive to the combined effect of the R1- and R2-sense current loops with the total current roughly equal to I 1  −  I 2 , the ratio I 2 / I 1 becomes an important issue when attempting to monitor the current disruption intensity from ground observations.

Description: We investigate the role of deep-ocean topography in scattering energy from the large spatial scales of the low mode internal tide to the smaller spatial scales of higher modes. The complete Green function method, which is not subject to the restrictions of the WKB approximation, is used for the first time to study the two-dimensional scattering of a mode-1 internal tide incident on subcritical and supercritical topography of any form in arbitrary stratifications. For an isolated Gaussian ridge in a uniform stratification, large amplitude critical topography is the most efficient at mode-1 scattering and small amplitude topography scatters with an efficiency on the order of 5-10%. In a nonuniform stratification with a pycnocline, the results are qualitatively the same as for a constant stratification, albeit with the key features shifted to larger height ratios. Having validated these results by direct comparison with the results of nonlinear numerical simulations, and in the process demonstrated that WKB results are not appropriate for reasonable ocean predictions, we proceed to use the Green function approach to quantify the role of topographic scattering for the region of the Pacific ocean surrounding the Hawaiian Islands chain. To the south, the Line Islands ridge is found to scatter ~ 40% of a mode-1 internal tide coming from the Hawaiian Ridge. To the north, realistic, small-amplitude, rough topography scatters ~ 5-10% of the energy out of mode-1 for transects of length 1000-3000km. A significant finding is that compared to large extents of small-amplitude, rough topography a single large topographic feature along the path of a mode-1 internal tide plays the dominant role in scattering the internal tide.

Description: The downslope descent of dense shelf water in the northwestern part of the Sea of Japan is investigated from a dynamical point of view, paying attention to the formation of bottom water in the Winter of 2001. It is supposed that before 1980, the shelf water in Peter the Great Bay sometimes descended far down the continental slope, at least partly reaching depths in excess of 3000 m (the foot of the continental slope). After 1980, however, the shelf water did not descend as far; it either descended only moderately or not at all. In Winter 2001, however, the dense shelf water again descended to depths greater than 3000 m, resulting in the formation of bottom water. Descents of more than 3000 m are due to low temperatures coupled with high salinities, whereas the moderate descents of the late 20th century were purely related to the low temperature of the shelf water. It is estimated that over the continental slope the shelf water becomes mixed with the ambient water in a ratio of about 1:9 for deep descents, whereas the ratio is about 1:5 for moderate descents. The formation of bottom water is greatly influenced by interannual atmospheric variability; thus in Winter 2001 a combination of the strengthened Siberian High (especially in its northern part) and the Aleutian Low advected very cold air into northeast Asia, producing dense shelf water and resulting in the formation of bottom water.

Description: The transports of water, heat and salt between the northwestern shelf and deep interior of the Black Sea are investigated using a high-resolution three-dimensional primitive equation model. From April to August, 2005, both onshore and offshore cross-shelf break transports in the top 20 m were 0.24 Sv on average, which is equivalent to the replacement of 60% of the volume of surface shelf waters (0 – 20 m) per month. Two main exchange mechanisms are studied: Ekman transport, and transport by mesoscale eddies and associated meanders of the Rim Current. The Ekman drift causes nearly uniform onshore or offshore flow over a large section of the shelf break, but it is confined to the upper layers. In contrast, eddies and meanders penetrate deep down to the bottom, but they are restricted laterally. During the strong wind events of April 15 – 22 and July 1 – 4, some 0.66×10 12 and 0.44×10 12 m 3 of water were removed from the northwestern shelf respectively. In comparison, the single long-lived Sevastopol Eddy generated a much larger offshore transfer of 2.84×10 12 m 3 over the period April 23 to June 30, which is equivalent to 102% of the volume of northwestern shelf waters. Over the study period, salt exchanges increased the average density of the shelf waters by 0.67 kg m -3 and reduced the density contrast between the shelf and deep sea, while lateral heat exchanges reduced the density of the shelf waters by 0.16 kg m -3 and sharpened the shelf break front.

Description: We present Cluster observations of wave-particle interactions during an earthward-propagating dipolarization front (DF) and associated fast plasma bulk flows detected at the central current sheet in Earth's magnetotail. During this period, flux tubes behind the DF frequently contain more energetic or hotter ions than did the pre-existing flux tubes ahead of the DF. On the other hand, electrons within the DF flux tubes heat less, or are even colder, than were the pre-existing populations, and are often accompanied by superposed isolated beams. At the same time, electrostatic emissions are strongly enhanced over a wide range of frequencies (up to several times the electron cyclotron frequency) behind the DFs. This low-frequency electrostatic wave power is well correlated with ion energization. From linear theory, we find two wave modes: a high-frequency beam mode and a low-frequency whistler mode that are associated with the electron beam component. We attribute the generation of whistlers to electron beams that persist for a while before undergoing rapid thermalization. The existence of isolated beam components behind DFs detected during the 4-sec Cluster spin period indicates that DFs either provide a continuous source of electron beams or facilitate a physical process that maintains the beams against rapid thermalization. Our analysis suggests that the earthward motion of the DF flux tube, via Fermi acceleration as the magnetic field lines behind the DF shorten, can lead to the persistent electron beams that generate whistler mode waves, which in turn can heat ions. This scenario, by which free energy in electron beams generates waves that then heat ions, accounts for the Cluster observations of different energization behaviors between electrons and ions behind DFs.

Description: We examine a unique data set from seven Hubble Space Telescope (HST) ‘visits’ that imaged Saturn's northern dayside ultraviolet emissions exhibiting usual circumpolar ‘auroral oval’ morphologies, during which Cassini measured the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) upstream of Saturn's bow shock over intervals of several hours. The auroras generally consist of a dawn arc extending towards noon centered near ~15º co-latitude, together with intermittent patchy forms at ~10º co-latitude and poleward thereof, located between noon and dusk. The dawn arc is a persistent feature, but exhibits variations in position, width, and intensity, which have no clear relationship with the concurrent IMF. However, the patchy post-noon auroras are found to relate to the (suitably lagged and averaged) IMF B z , being present during all four visits with positive B z and absent during all three visits with negative B z . The most continuous such forms occur in the case of strongest positive B z . These results suggest that the post-noon forms are associated with reconnection and open flux production at Saturn's magnetopause, related to the similarly-interpreted bifurcated auroral arc structures previously observed in this LT sector in Cassini UVIS data, whose details remain unresolved in these HST images. One of the intervals with negative IMF B z , however, exhibits a pre-noon patch of very high latitude emission extending poleward of the dawn arc to the magnetic/spin pole, suggestive of the occurrence of lobe reconnection. Overall, these data provide evidence of significant IMF-dependence in the morphology of Saturn's dayside auroras.

Description: A three-dimensional (3D) particle-in-cell (PIC) simulation of the whistler anisotropy instability is carried out for a collisionless, homogeneous, magnetized plasma with β e  = 0.10. This is the first 3D PIC simulation of the evolution of enchanced fluctuations from this growing mode driven by an anisotropic electron velocity distribution with T ⊥  e / T ‖ e  〉 1 where ⊥ and ∥ represent directions perpendicular and parallel to the background magnetic field B o , respectively. The early-time magnetic fluctuation spectrum grows with properties reflecting the predictions of linear theory with narrowband maxima at kc / ω e  ≃ 1 and k  ×  B o  = 0, and a wavevector anisotropy in the sense of k ⊥  〈 〈  k ∥ . Here ω e represents the electron plasma frequency. At later times the fluctuations undergo both a forward transfer to shorter wavelengths, also with k ⊥  〈 〈  k ∥ , and an inverse transfer to longer wavelengths with wavevector anisotropy k ⊥  〉 〉  k ∥ . The inverse transfer is consistent with a prediction of nonlinear three-wave coupling theory.

Description: Auroral ionospheric F-region density depletions observed by PFISR (Poker Flat Incoherent Scatter Radar) during the MICA (Magnetosphere-Ionosphere Coupling in the Alfvén Resonator) sounding rocket campaign are critically examined alongside complementary numerical simulations. Particular processes of interest include cavity formation due to intense frictional heating and Pedersen drifts, evolution in the presence of structured precipitation, and refilling due to impact ionization and downflows. Our analysis uses an ionospheric fluid model which solves conservation of mass, momentum, and energy equations for all major ionospheric species. These fluid equations are coupled to an electrostatic current continuity equation to self-consistently describe auroral electric fields. Energetic electron precipitation inputs for the model are specified by inverting optical data, and electric field boundary conditions are obtained from direct PFISR measurements. Thus, the model is driven in as realistic a manner as possible. Both ISR data and simulations indicate that the conversion of the F-region plasma to molecular ions and subsequent recombination is the dominant process contributing to the formation of the observed cavities, all of which occur in conjuction with electric fields exceeding ∼ 90 mV/m. Furthermore, the cavities often persist several minutes past the point when the frictional heating stops. Impact ionization and field-aligned plasma flows modulate the cavity depth in a significant way, but are of secondary importance to the molecular generation process. Informal comparisons of the ISR density and temperature fits to the model verify that the simulations reproduce most of the observed cavity features to a reasonable level of detail.

Description: Energetic particle injections in the near-Earth plasma sheet are critical for supplying particles and energy to the inner magnetosphere. Recent case studies have demonstrated a good correlation between injections and transient, narrow, fast flow channels as well as earthward reconnection (dipolarization) fronts in the magnetotail, but statistical observations beyond geosynchronous orbit (GEO) to verify the findings were lacking. By surveying trans-geosynchronous injections using THEMIS, we show that their likely origin is the earthward-traveling, dipolarizing flux bundles following near-Earth reconnection. The good correlation between injections and fast flows, reconnection fronts and impulsive, dawn-dusk electric field increases is not limited to within 12 R E , but extends out to 30 R E . Like near-Earth reconnection, both ion and electron injections are most probable in the pre-midnight sector. Similar to bursty bulk flows (BBFs), injection-time flow speeds are faster with increasing distance from Earth. With faster flows, injection intensity generally increases and extends to higher energy channels. With increased geomagnetic activity, injection occurrence rate increases (akin to that of BBFs) and spectral hardening occurs (κ decreases). The occurrence rate increase within the inner magnetosphere suggests that injections populate the radiation belts more effectively under enhanced geomagnetic activity. Our results are inconsistent with the classical concept of an azimuthally wide injection boundary moving earthward from ~9-12 R E to GEO under an enhanced cross-tail electric field. Rather, particle injection and transport occur along a large range of radial distances due to effects from earthward-penetrating, azimuthally localized, transient, strong electric fields of recently reconnected, dipolarizing flux bundles.

Description: A method for estimating the vector neutral wind profiles in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere (MLT) region of the upper atmosphere from Arecibo dual-beam incoherent scatter radar data is presented. The method yields continuous estimates of both the altitude-averaged F -region plasma drifts and all three components of the altitude-resolved neutral wind profiles in the MLT using data taken while the Arecibo feed system swings in azimuth. The problem is mixed determined, and its solution is not inherently unique. Second order Tikhonov regularization is used to find solutions consistent with the available data while being minimally structured, additional structure being unsupported by the data. The solution is found using the method of conjugate gradient least squares and sparse matrix mathematics. Example data acquired during an interval of midlatitude spread F are used to illustrate the method. The estimated wind profiles exhibit characteristics broadly consistent with gravity waves but are impulsive, with features that generally persist for less than one and a half wave periods.

Description: We report the peculiar interaction of two type III bursts observed in the solar wind. As electrons beams propagating on the same magnetic field lines cross, a spectacular depletion of the type III radio emission is observed. We combine observations from the WAVES experiment on board the STEREO mission together with kinetic plasma simulations to study the extinction of type III radio emission resulting from the interaction between two electron beams. The remote observations enable to follow the electron beams in the interplanetary medium and show that the level of radiated radio waves is recovered after the beam crossing. The in situ observations of beam-driven Langmuir waves give evidence for Langmuir decay. The density fluctuations are extracted from in situ observations. The velocity of the beams is independently evaluated from in situ observations of decaying Langmuir waves and remote radio observations. The kinetic simulations show that the level of beam-driven Langmuir waves is reduced as the two beams cross. We show that the slow beam induced a strong reduction of the quasilinear relaxation of the fast beam, limiting the amplitude of the generated Langmuir waves. Moreover, in the case of two electron beams, the lack of Langmuir waves coherence reduces the efficiency of the Langmuir parametric decay. We thus conclude that the observed depletion of the type III radio 5 is independent of the radio emission mechanism, as long as it depends on the Langmuir amplitude and coherence.

Description: The solar minimum period between solar cycles 23 and 24 was the longest since the beginning of space-based measurements, and many manifestations of solar activity were unusually low. Thermospheric neutral density was about 30% lower than during the previous solar minimum, but changes in the ionosphere between the two solar minima are more controversial. Solar radiation, geomagnetic activity, and anthropogenic increases in greenhouse gases, can all play a role in these changes. In this paper, we address the latter of these potential contributions, the degree to which secular change driven by greenhouse gases, primarily CO 2 , could be responsible for the observed changes. New 3D model simulations find a global mean density decrease at 400 km of 5.8% between the two recent solar minima, which is larger than earlier 1D model results, and in better agreement with observations. From these model simulations and from other observational work, we estimate that the contribution of secular change to global mean neutral density decrease between the two recent solar minima is less than ~6%. The contribution of secular change to the global average decrease of F-region ionosphere peak density ( N m F 2 ) and altitude ( h m F 2 ), near mid-day, is estimated to be 1.5% and 1.5 km, respectively. However, secular changes in the ionosphere exhibit large variations with local time, geographic location, and season. The mid-day change of N m F 2 seen in the model simulations ranged between +6% and -9%, and the change of h m F 2 ranged between +11 km and -11 km, depending on geographic location.

Description: In this paper we study the planetary magnetic disturbance during the magnetic storm occurring on 05 April 2010 associated with high speed solar wind stream due to a coronal hole following a CME. We separate the magnetic disturbance associated to the ionospheric disturbance dynamo (Ddyn) from the magnetic disturbance associated to the prompt penetration of magnetospheric electric field (DP2). This event exhibits different responses of ionospheric disturbance dynamo in the different longitude sectors (European-African, Asian and American). The strongest effect is observed in the European-African sector. The Ddyn disturbance reduces the amplitude of the daytime H-component at low latitudes during four consecutive days in agreement with the Blanc and Richmond's model of ionospheric disturbance dynamo. The amplitude of Ddyn decreased with time during the four days. We discuss its diverse worldwide effects. The observed signature of magnetic disturbance process in specific longitude sector is strongly dependent on which Earth's side faces the magnetic storms (i.e., there is a different response depending on which longitude sector is at noon when the SSC hits).Finally we determined an average period of 22 hours for Ddyn using wavelet analysis.

Description: Complex magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling mechanisms result in high latitude irregularities that are difficult to characterize using only Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) scintillation measurements. However, GNSS observations combined with physical parameters derived from modeling can be used to study the physics of these irregularities. We have developed a full three dimensional (3D) electromagnetic (EM) wave propagation model called “Satellite-beacon Ionospheric-scintillation Global Model ofthe upper Atmosphere" (SIGMA), to simulate GNSS scintillations. This model eliminates the most significant approximation made by the previous simulation approaches about the correlation length of the irregularity. Thus, for the first time, using SIGMA wecan accomplish scintillation simulations of significantly high fidelity. While the model is global, it is particularly applicable at high latitudes as it accounts for the complicated geometry of the magnetic field lines in these regions. Using SIGMA wesimulate the spatial and temporal variations in the GNSS signal phase and amplitude on the ground. In this paper, we present the model and results from a study to determine the sensitivity of the SIGMA outputs to different input parameters. We have deduced from our sensitivity study that the peak to peak (P2P) power gets most affected by the spectral index and line of sight (LOS) direction, while the P2P phase and standard deviation of the phase ( σ φ ) are more sensitive to the anisotropy of the irregularity. The sensitivity study of SIGMA narrows the parametric space to investigate when comparing the modeled results to the observations.

Description: The attenuation of VLF signals from lightning and ground-based VLF transmitters during transionospheric propagation has been the subject of recent interest, as discrepancies have been found between satellite data and model calculations. Previous modeling efforts, however, have not considered the self-absorption effect due to nonlinear heating and ionization in the lower ionosphere. A self-consistent model of ionospheric heating is presented here using a time-domain model of VLF wave propagation through the ionosphere. The model is able to estimate the attenuation of signals due to heating below ~100 km altitude. In this model, the ionospheric state is updated as the fields propagate, leading to changes in collision frequency and electron density, which in turn affect the wave propagation. We use this model for ground-based VLF transmitters at different frequencies, amplitudes, and latitudes (i.e., magnetic dip angle), and for lightning-generated sferics with different amplitudes, at different latitudes, and using a variety of ionospheric density profiles. We find that the inclusion of self-consistent heating causes a change in the transionospherically propagating wave amplitude that varies considerably with the source amplitude and other parameters. Typical values for the heating contribution to wave attenuation are 1-2 dB for VLF transmitters, but greater than 10 dB for large amplitude lightning discharges. An interesting effect is observed for VLF transmitters and low-amplitude lightning, where the signal is actually enhanced due to heating, rather than attenuated, in the direction propagating across the Earth's magnetic field.

Description: The present work has investigated the configuration of field-aligned currents (FACs) during a long period of radial interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) on 19 May 2002 by using high-resolution and precise vector magnetic field measurements of the CHAMP satellite. During the interest period IMF B y and B z are weakly positive and B x keeps pointing to the Earth for almost 10 hours. The geomagnetic indices Dst is about -40 nT and AE about 100 nT on average. The cross polar cap potential calculated from Assimilative Mapping of Ionospheric Electrodynamics and derived from DMSP observations have average values of 10-20 kV. Obvious hemispheric differences are shown in the configurations of FACs on the day and nightside. At the south pole FACs diminish in intensity to magnitudes of about 0.1  μA/m 2 , the plasma convection maintains two cell flow pattern, and the thermospheric density is quiet low. However, there are obvious activities in the northern cusp region. One pair of FACs with a downward leg toward the pole and upward leg on the equatorward side emerge in the northern cusp region, exhibiting opposite polarity to FACs typical for duskward IMF orientation. An obvious sunward plasma flow channel persists during the whole period. These ionospheric features might be manifestations of an efficient magnetic reconnection process occurring in the northern magnetospheric flanks at high latitude. The enhanced ionospheric current systems might deposit large amount of Joule heating into the thermosphere. The air densities in the cusp region get enhanced and subsequently propagate equatorward on the dayside. Although geomagnetic indices during the radial IMF indicate low level activity, the present study demonstrates that there are prevailing energy inputs from the magnetosphere to both the ionosphere and thermosphere in the northern polar cusp region.

Description: The interaction of planetary bodies with their surrounding magnetized plasma can often be described with the magneto-hydrodynamic (MHD) equations, which are commonly solved by numerical models. For these models it is necessary to define physically correctboundary conditions for the plasma mass and energy density, the plasma velocity and the magnetic field. Many planetary bodies have electrically non-conductive surfaces, which do not allow electric current to penetrate their surfaces. Magnetic boundary conditions, which consider that the associated radial electric current at the planetary surface is zero are difficult to implement because they include the curl of the magnetic field. Here we derive new boundary conditions by a decomposition of the magnetic field in poloidal and toroidal parts. We find that the toroidal part of the magnetic field needs to vanish at the surface of the insulator. For the spherical harmonics coefficients of the poloidal part we derive a Cauchy boundary condition, whichalso matches a possible intrinsic field by including its Gauss coefficients. Thus we can additionally include planetary dynamo fields as well as time-variable induction fields within electrically conductive subsurface layers. We implement the non-conducting boundary condition in the MHD simulation code ZEUS-MP using spherical geometry and provide a numerical implementation in Fortran 90 as auxiliary-material on the JGR website. We apply it to a model for Ganymede's plasma environment. Our model also includes a consistent set of boundary conditions for the other MHD variables density, velocity and energy. With this model we can describe Galileo spacecraft observations in and around Ganymede's mini-magnetosphere very well.

Description: Identifying sources and sinks of N 2 O can illuminate N cycling processes in marine systems, particularly where changes in dissolved O 2 can lead to changes in N cycling pathways (i.e., nitrification vs. denitrification). We measured N 2 O and NO 3 - concentration and their stable isotope ratios (δ 15 N and δ 18 O) in the water column and sediments of the oxygen minimum zone in the near-shore eastern subtropical North Pacific (23º to 34º N). Atmospheric efflux of N 2 O ranged from 2.2 to 17.9 μmol m -2 d -1 , or about 2 to 20 times higher than in oxygenated regions of the north Pacific. Surface waters were a source of 15 N-depleted and 18 O-enriched N 2 O to the atmosphere, indicating a bacterial, not archaeal, nitrification N 2 O source. Stable isotopes indicated that nitrification in both surface and intermediate waters (~ 0 to 200 m) was the major source of N 2 O in this study area, with denitrification acting as a small N 2 O sink in strongly O 2 -depleted waters. Denitrification had a larger impact on observed patterns of N 2 O and NO 3 - concentrations and isotope ratios in the southern oxygen minimum zone. Sediments were generally neutral or a weak sink for N 2 O, with only one site (Soledad basin) showing a positive efflux of +3.5 ± 1.0 μmol N 2 O-N m -2 d -1 . Sediment fluxes of N 2 O at all sites were several orders of magnitude smaller than fluxes of dinitrogen, nitrate, and ammonium measured in previous studies and did not appear to impact water column N 2 O concentrations. N 2 O was less than 0.1% of the N 2 efflux from sedimentary denitrification.

Description: Typhoon Megi passed between two subsurface moorings in the northern South China Sea in October 2010 and the upper ocean thermal and dynamical response with strong internal tides present was examined in detail. The entire observed water column (60-360 m) was cooled due to strong Ekman-pumped upwelling (up to 50 m in the thermocline) by Megi, with maximum cooling of 4.2 °C occurring in thermocline. A relatively weak (maximum amplitude of 0.4 m s -1 ) and quickly damped (e-folding timescale of 2 inertial periods) near-inertial oscillation (NIO) was observed in the mixed layer. Power spectrum and wavelet analyses both indicated an energy peak appearing at exactly the sum frequency fD1 (with maximum amplitude up to 0.2 m s -1 ) of NIO ( f ) and diurnal tide ( D1 ), indicating enhanced nonlinear wave-wave interaction between f and D1 during and after typhoon. Numerical experiments suggested that energy transfer from NIO to fD1 via nonlinear interaction between f and D1 may have limited the growth and accelerated the damping of mixed layer NIO generated by Megi. The occurrence of fD1 had a high correlation with NIO; the vertical nonlinear momentum term, associated with the vertical shear of NIO and vertical velocity of D1 or vertical shear of D1 and vertical velocity of NIO, was more than 10 times larger than the horizontal terms and was responsible for forcing fD1 . After Megi, surface-layer diurnal energy was enhanced by up to 100%, attributed to the combined effect of the increased surface-layer stratification and additional Megi-forced diurnal current.