ALBERT

Description: A search was conducted for the signatures of Birkeland currents in the Earth's magnetic tail, using observed values of B(sub x) and B(sub y) from large sets of spacecraft data. The data were binned by x and y for -10 greater than x(sub GSM) greater than -35 and absolute value of y(sub GSM) less than or equal to 20 R(sub E) (less than or equal to 30 R(sub E) for x(sub GSM) less than or equal to -25 R(sub E)) and in each bin their distribution in the (B(sub x), B(sub y)) plane was fitted by least squares to a piecewise linear function. That gave average x-y distributions of the flaring angle between B(sub xy) and the x direction, as well as that angle's variation across the thickness of the plasma sheet. Angles obtained in the central plasma sheet differed from those derived near the lobe boundary. That is the expected signature if earthward or tailward Birkeland current sheets are embedded in the plasma sheet, and from this dfiference we derived the dawn-dusk profiles of the tail Birkeland currents for several x(sub GSM) intervals. It was found that (1) the Birkeland currents have the sense of region 1 currents, when mapped to the ionosphere; (2) both the linear current density (kiloamperes/R(sub E)) and the net magnitude of the field-aligned currents decrease rapidly down the tail; (3) the total Birkeland current at x approximately equals -10 R(sub E) equals approximately equals 500-700 kA, which is approx. 30% of the net region 1 current observed at ionospheric altitudes, in agreement with model mapping results; and (4) the B(sub z) and B(sub y) components of the interplanetary magnetic field influence the distribution of Birkeland currents in the tail.

Description: Observations of stratospheric column amounts of nitrogen dioxide (NO2), nitric oxide (NO) and nitric acid (HNO3) have been made following major eruptions of the El Chichon and Mt. Pintatubo volcanoes. Midlatitude abundances of NO2 and NO were reduced by as much as 70% in the months following the appearance of the volcanic aerosols as compared to volcanically quite periods. There are heterogeneous reactions which could occur on the volcanic aerosols to convert NO2 into HNO3 but no commensurate increase in HNO3 column amounts was observed at the times of NO2 decrease.

Description: The benefits of using a hypersonic waverider for spacecraft trajectory modification are presented. A waverider is a hypersonic vehicle specifically designed so that the undersurface bow shock is attached to the leading edge, which provides for the highest known lift-to-drag ratios achievable at high Mach number flight. Several viable space missions are suggested which could use such configurations for low-drag aero-assisted maneuvers in planetary atmospheres. It is shown that large changes in the spacecraft velocity vector can be accomplished with acceptably small losses in energy due to drag using a waverider aeroshell. The primary advantage of an aero-assist maneuver is suggested by comparison to a traditional gravity-assist trajectory. Some scaling laws are presented for comparing waveriders designed for different planetary atmospheres, and it is shown that the compositional differences between the terrestrial planets has a minimal impact on waverider design.

Description: Radiometric (K-Ar and Ar-40/Ar-39) age determinations of volcanic and volcaniclastic rocks, combined with structural, gravity, and seismic reflection data, are used to constrain the age of sedimentary strata contained within the seismically and volcanically active northern Malawi (Nyasa) rift and to characterize changes in basin and flank morphologies with time. Faulting and volcanism within the Tukuyu-Karonga basin began at approximately 8.6 Ma, when sediments were deposited in abroad, initially asymmetric lake basin bounded on its northeastern side by a border fault system with minor topographic relief. Extensions, primarily by a slip along the border fault, and subsequent regional isostatic compensation led to the development of a 5-km-deep basin bounded by broad uplifted flanks. Along the low-relief basin margin opposite border fault, younger stratigraphic sequences commonly onlap older wedge-shaped sequences, although their internal geometry is often progradational. Intrabasinal faulting, flankuplift, and basaltic and felsic volcanism from centers at the northern end of the basin became more important at about 2.5 Ma when cross-rift transfer faults developed to link the Tukuyu-Karonga basin to the Rukwa basin. Local uplift and volcanic construction at the northern end of the basin led to a southeastward shift in the basin's depocenter. Sequence boundaries are commonly erosional along this low-relief (hanging wall) margin and conformable in the deep lake basin. The geometry of stratigraphic sequences and the distribution of the erosion indicate that horizontal and vertical crustal movements both across and along the length of the rift basin led to changes in levels of the lake, irrespective of paleoclimatic fluctuations.

Description: In this paper we report radiometric measurements of tropospheric brightness temperatures obtained during the AASE 2 experiment. These measurements represent the first attempt to characterize effective radiative temperatures as seen from above the troposphere during the Arctic winter. The reported measurements include brightness temperatures at 6.7 and 10.5 microns as seen from the NASA DC-8 aircraft flying at about 11 km altitude. We also present radiative transfer calculations to estimate the effect of tropospheric brightness temperature on the lower stratospheric heating rates. Because of the recent massive eruption of the Pinatubo volcano, we also discuss the effects of a volcanic aerosol layer. It is concluded that small particles like the volcanic aerosol or polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs) type 1 do not affect stratospheric heating rates by much; on the other hand, larger particles, PSCs types 2 and 3, may have significant effects on heating rates and consequently on dynamics of the lower stratosphere. The dynamical effects of local stratospheric temperature variations are briefly discussed.

Description: We report tropospheric (altitudes greater than 5 km) observations of CO2, CO, CH4, and light hydrocarbons (C2-C4) over the latitude range from 90 deg N to 23 deg S recorded onboard the NASA DC-8 aircraft during the winter 1992 Second Airborne Arctic Stratospheric Expedition (AASE-2). Mixing ratios for these species exhibited significant north-south gradients with maximum values in subpolar and arctic regions and minima over the southern tropics. At latitudes greater than 40 deg N, the mixing ratios of most species increased significantly over the course of the 3-month measurement period. Also at high northern latitudes, the variations of all relatively long-lived reactive carbon species were linearly correlated with fluctuations of CO2 with CO, CH4, C2H6, C2H2, C3H8, and n-C4H10 exhibiting average enhancement ratios in terms of ppbv(X)/ppmb(CO2) of 13.8, 8.4, 0.21, 0.075, 0.085, and 0.037, respectively.

Description: Vertical column measurements of the gaseous composition of the tropical stratosphere were made from the NASA DC-8 aircraft early in 1992. As anticipated, the burdens of the stratospheric source gases (e.g., O3, HF, HCl, ClNO3, HNO3) were reduced from their mid-latitude values due to increased uplift and photolysis. The tracers revealed considerably more uplift near the equator than the sub-tropics. For example, the HF burdens at +/- 20 deg latitude were nearly double those at 5 deg N. This, together with results obtained from other long-lived gases (e.g. N2O, CH4, CF2Cl2) indicates that volume mixing ratios found at 22 km altitude at mid-latitudes occurred at 26 km in the sub-tropics and at 30 km in the equatorial zone. This zone of uplift was symmetrical about the equator even though the sun was overhead at 20 deg S.

Description: We welcome this opportunity which Drs. Ricard, Sabadini and Spada (RSS) have offered us to elaborate on some points concerning the connection between convective circulations and rotational dynamics. The relationship of the linear viscoelastic normal-mode theory to other approaches, such as viscous and the non-linear viscoelastic treatments, can be found in Moser et al. (1993). We will address the issues raised by RSS by first going over the reference system. This will be followed by a discussion concerning long-term polar wander and relative angular momentum. We will also go over the issues concerning the off-diagonal terms in the total moment of inertia and polar wander.

Description: In late July and early August of 1991, a major suborbital scientific campaign (NLC-91) involving scientists from eight countries was conducted as ESRANGE, Kiruna, Sweden and at Heiss Island, Russia. The purpose of the program was to investigate the chemical, dynamical, and electrodynamical properties of the polar summer mesosphere. Thirty one rocket flights were coordinated with two coherent radar facilities, EISCAT and CUPRI, and with other ground-based observatories and facilities. This permitted direct comparison between the in situ measurements and those obtained by remote sensing of the mesosphere via continuous ground-based monitoring. The primary objectives of the campaign were to study noctilucent clouds (NLCs) and polar mesospheric summer echoes (PMSEs), including their possible relationship to local aerosols and/or small scale turbulence. This overview describes the scientific program, discusses the geophysical conditions during launch activities, and reviews some of the preliminary results. More detailed results can be found in the papers which follow.

Description: The International Sun-Earth Explorer 3 (ISEE-3) magnetic field and plasma electron data from Jan - March 1983 have been searched to study thin current sheets in the deep tail region. 33 events were selected where the spacecraft crossed through the current sheet from lobe to lobe within 15 minutes. The average thickness of the observed current sheets was 2.45 R(sub E), and in 24 cases the current sheet was thinner than 3.0 R(sub E); 6 very thin current sheets (thickness lambda less than 0.5 R(sub E) were found. The electron data show that the very thin current sheets are associated with considerable temperature anisotropy. On average, the electron gradient current was about 17% of the total current, whereas the current arising from the electron temperature anisotropy varied between 8-45% of the total current determined from the lobe field magnitude.

Description: Global distributions of surface and atmospheric cloud radiative forcing parameters have been derived using parameterized radiation models with satellite meteorological data from the International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project, and directly measured top-of-atmosphere radiative fluxes from the Earth Radiation Budget Experiment. Specifically, shortwave, longwave, and total cloud forcing at the surface, and column-averaged values of longwave cloud forcing of the atmosphere were derived for the midseasonal months of April, July, and October 1985 and January 1986, covering a complete annual cycle. Seasonal variability is illustrated by comparing the results for July 1985 and January 1986, which represent the seasonal extremes. Surface shortwave cloud forcing is always negative, representing a cooling of the surface, with strongest cooling (-120 to -180 W/sq m) occurring over midlatitude storm tracks of the summer hemisphere. Surface longwave cloud forcing is always positive, representing a warming of the surface, with strongest warming (60 to 75 W/sq m) occurring over storm tracks of the winter hemisphere. Zonal averages show the entire summer hemisphere dominated by shortwave cooling, the middle and high latitudes of the winter hemisphere dominated by longwave warming, and a broad zone of transition in between. The globally averaged total cloud forcing amounts to a cooling throughout the year, ranging from a low of about -12 W/sq m for July 1985 to a high of about -25 W/sq m for January 1986. The longwave cloud forcing of the atmosphere shows a strong warming over deep convective regions in the tropics and a moderate cooling outside the tropics, amounting to a weak cooling (-2 to -5 W/sq m) in the global average. Comparisons of the results with general circulation model simulations show broad qualitative agreement regarding the locations of prominent warming and cooling regions. Quantitative comparisons, on the other hand, show significant differences between the magnitudes of warming and cooling in these regions. Most of the larger differences can be attributed to known deficiences of the general circulation model simulations. Comparisons with satellite-derived results of other investigators show much better agreement.

Description: The most important investigations leading to the International Reference Ionosphere 1990 (IRI-90) are overviewed, and the latest version of the model is described. The shortcomings and limitations of the IRI-90 are pointed out, together with the ways of overcoming them. The list of studies that the IRI group has yet to carry out includes the investigations of magnetic storm effects as the highest priority. This paper discusses determinations of and the available data on the electron density, plasma temperatures, ion composition, and ion drift in the ionosphere, together with future improvements needed on these parameters.

Description: Newell and Meng (1992) present maps of the occurrence probability of various classifications of particle precipitation as seen in the dayside topside ionosphere. It is argued that these are maps of the magnetospheric regions, a contention with which their critics disagree. The latter conclude that, because of convection, any one population of particles seen at low altitudes will have originated from a wide variety of locations, and particle characteristics cannot be mapped back to those in the magnetosphere without detailed knowledge of both the convection and magnetic field. Steplike boundaries between the regions will arise from nonsteady-state conditions and cannot be envisaged as steady-state magnetospheric boundaries between two plasma populations. In their reply Newell and Meng contend that convection does not move plasma from the LLBL into the cusp. Most of the LLBL plasma comes from the magnetosheath, so the direction of plasma transfer is in the other direction.

Description: Unsteady flow behavior and load characteristics of a 2D VR-7 airfoil with and without a leading-edge slat were studied in the water tunnel of the Aeroflightdynamics Directorate, NASA Ames Research Center. Both airfoils were oscillated sinusoidally between 5 and 25 deg at Re = 200,000 to obtain the unsteady lift, drag, and pitching moment data. A fluorescent dye was released from an orifice located at the leading edge of the airfoil for the purpose of visualizing the boundary layer and wake flow. The flowfield and load predictions of an incompressible Navier-Stokes code based on a velocity-vorticity formulation were compared with the test data. The test and predictions both confirm that the slatted VR-7 airfoil delays both static and dynamic stall as compared to the VR-7 airfoil alone.

Description: To monitor future global temperature trends, it would be extremely useful if parameters nonlinearly related to surface temperature could be found, thereby amplifying any warming signal that may exist. Evidence that global thunderstorm activity is nonlinearly related to diurnal, seasonal and interannual temperature variations is presented. Since global thunderstorm activity is also well correlated with the earth's ionospheric potential, it appears that variations of ionospheric potential, that can be measured at a single location, may be able to supply valuable information regarding global surface temperature fluctuations. The observations presented enable a prediction that a 1 percent increase in global surface temperatures may result in a 20 percent increase in ionospheric potential.

Description: The largest known effusive eruptions during the Cenozoic and Mesozoic Eras, the voluminous flood basalts, have long been suspected as being associated with major extinctions of biotic species. Despite the possible errors attached to the dates in both time series of events, the significance level of the suspected correlation is found here to be 1 percent to 4 percent. Statistically, extinctions lag eruptions by a mean time interval that is indistinguishable from zero, being much less than the average residual derived from the correlation analysis. Oceanic flood basalts, however, must have had a different biological impact, which is still uncertain owing to the small number of known examples and differing physical factors. Although not all continental flood basalts can have produced major extinction events, the noncorrelating eruptions may have led to smaller marine extinction events that terminated at least some of the less catastrophically ending geologic stages. Consequently, the 26 Myr quasi-periodicity seen in major marine extinctions may be only a sampling effect, rather than a manifestation of underlying periodicity.

Description: The monthly and daily samples of the Ap index for the interval from 1932 through 1982 were studied using the power spectrum technique. Results obtained for Bartel's period (about 27 days), the semiannual period, the dual-peak solar cycle distribution of geomagnetic storms, and certain other medium-scale periodicities are examined in detail. In addition, results on the cumulative occurrence number of storms per decade as a function of the Ap and Dst indices for the storm are presented.

Description: The circulation of polar wind ions from the high-latitude ionosphere to the plasma sheet is investigated. Single-particle trajectory simulations for the geomagnetic tail show, in addition to the breaking of adiabaticity, the possible creation of new high-altitude mirror points. This trajectory feature results from an intense parallel deceleration imparted by the magnetic field rotation during fast ExB transport. This centrifugal deceleration yields a critical parallel velocity which depends on the magnitude of the convection electric field and below which ions remain trapped inside the neutral sheet.

Description: High resolution in situ measurements of reactive nitrogen (NO(y)) and O3 were made in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere at a variety of latitudes and seasons. In the lower stratosphere, NO(y) and O3 are very highly positively correlated at all times and spatial scales sampled. The ratio NO(y)/NO3 is much less variable than either species measured separately. The ratio has a much weaker gradient with altitude than the mixing ratios of O3 or NO(y). The ratio is smaller and decreases more rapidly with altitude in the tropics than at midlatitudes. In the upper troposphere NO(y) and O3 are only weakly correlated. Their ratio in the tropical upper troposphere is about 0.005-0.025 and the ratio in the midlatitude upper troposphere is about 0.004-0.010. The NO(y) in the upper troposhere is probably partly due to lightning.

Description: The chemistry and dynamics of a convective system observed on February 2, 1987 in the EMEX and STEP campaigns are analyzed. Chemical and thermodynamic profiles in undisturbed air near the EMEX 9 system indicate that the troposphere was well mixed by previous convection. As a consequence there was little direct transport from the boundary layer to the upper troposphere and air transported upward was detrained throughout the middle and upper troposphere. There was minimal effect on O3 production. Other convective complexes located 800-900 km upstream produced greater perturbations on trace gas profile immediately below the tropopause. Ozone production was reduced by about 0.25 ppbv/d at these altitudes, representing a reduction in P(O3) of 15-20 percent over the column from 14.5 to 17 km. P(O3) from 12 to 17 km in a region distant from active convection and subject to lightning was 2-3 times higher than it would have been without lightning.

Description: Lateral variations of the temperature field in the lower mantle have been reconstructed using new results in mineral physics and seismic tomographic data. We show that, with the application of high-pressure experimental values of thermal expansivity and of sound velocities, the slow seismic anomalies in the lower mantle under the Pacific and Africa can be converted into realistic-looking plume structures with large dimensions of 0(1000 km). The outer fringes of the plumes have an excess temperature of around 400 K. In the core of the plumes are found tonguelike structures with extremely high thermal anomalies. These values can exceed 1200 K and are too high to be explained on the basis of thermal anomalies alone. We suggest that these major plumes in the deep mantle may be driven by both thermal and chemical buoyancies or that enhanced conductive heat-transfer may be important there.

Description: The largest known Cenozoic impact craters with the most accurately measured ages are found to correlate very closely with geologic stage boundaries. The level of confidence in this result is 98-99 percent even under the most pessimistic assumptions concerning dating errors. One or more large impacts may have led, in at least some cases, to the extinctions and first appearances of biotic species that mark many of the geologic stage boundaries.

Description: Ozone profiles obtained with the Differential Absorption Lidar (DIAL) system at the National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES) (Tsukuba, Japan) were compared with data provided by the satellite sensor SAGE II. The SAGE II data were selected based on criteria of spatial and temporal differences between the DIAL and the SAGE II measurements: five degrees in latitude and 15 degrees in longitude, within a latitudinal band from 31 deg to 41 deg N, and within one, three and five days after or before the DIAL measurements. Results show very good agreement for the individual and the zonal-mean profiles. The average mean difference between the DIAL and the SAGE II measurements over the altitudes 15-50 km was about 10 percent.

Description: A quantitative model is developed of the magnetic field produced by the electric current system of region 2 Birkeland currents, closed via the partial ring current. The distribution of j-perpendicular is computed from a given axially asymmetric spatial distribution of hot isotropic magnetospheric plasma over an infinitely thin L shell in an axisymmetric purely dipolar geomagnetic field, while the field-aligned current density is found from the continuity of the net electric current. The magnetic field distribution is derived by a Biot-Savart integral over the electric current system. An assumed cosine dependence of the plasma pressure on local time makes it possible to reduce the problem of analytical representation of the B field to two dimensions. The obtained numerical fits for the partial ring current/region 2 Birkeland current magnetic field are relatively simple, continuous, and valid throughout the whole extraterrestrial space from ionospheric heights up to tens of earth radii.

Description: The effects of multiple phase transitions on mantle convection are investigated by numerical simulations that are based on three-dimensional models. These simulations show that cold sheets of mantle material collide at junctions, merge, and form a strong downflow that is stopped temporarily by the transition zone. The accumulated cold material gives rise to a strong gravitational instability that causes the cold mass to sink rapidly into the lower mantle. This process promotes a massive exchange between the lower and upper mantles and triggers a global instability in the adjacent plume system. This mechanism may be cyclic in nature and may be linked to the generation of superplumes.

Description: Analytic expressions have been derived for estimating the nonablating laminar and turbulent boundary-layer convective heating rates on inclined flat surfaces for the Martian atmosphere in thermochemical equilibrium. The equations are valid in the speed and altitude regime where aerobraking would occur at Mars. Comparisons with limited experimental measurements and calculations for CO2 (the Martian atmosphere is 95.6 percent CO2) yielded reasonably good agreement, especially for the ratios of heating rates in CO2 to those in air at the same conditions. In the aerobraking speed regime, the laminar flat surface boundary layer heating rates are 15-25 percent greater at Mars than in air. The differences between the turbulent heating rates are even more pronounced. The turbulent heating rates can be over 50 percent greater at Mars than in air at the same flight conditions.

Description: A new method has been developed to provide a direct test of the error calibrations of gravity models based on actual satellite observations. The basic approach projects the error estimates of the gravity model parameters onto satellite observations, and the results of these projections are then compared with data residual computed from the orbital fits. To allow specific testing of the gravity error calibrations, subset solutions are computed based on the data set and data weighting of the gravity model. The approach is demonstrated using GEM-T3 to show that the gravity error estimates are well calibrated and that reliable predictions of orbit accuracies can be achieved for independent orbits.

Description: An incompressible three-dimensional laminar boundary-layer flow over a swept wing is used as a model to study both the wall-curvature and streamline-curvature effects on the stationary crossflow instability. The basic state is obtained by solving the full Navier-Stokes (N-S) equations numerically. The linear disturbance equations are cast on a fixed, body-intrinsic, curvilinear coordinate system. Those nonparallel terms which contribute mainly to the streamline-curvature effect are retained in the formulation of the disturbance equations and approximated by their local finite difference values. The resulting eigenvalue problem is solved by a Chebyshev collocation method. The present results indicate that the convex wall curvature has a stabilizing effect, whereas the streamline curvature has a destabilizing effect. A validation of these effects with an N-S solution for the linear disturbance flow is provided.

Description: The paper presents a general approach to constructing mean velocity profiles for compressible turbulent boundary layers with isothermal or adiabatic walls. The theory is based on a density-weighted transformation that allows the extension of the incompressible similarity laws of the wall to the compressible regions. The velocity profile family is compared to a range of experimental data, and excellent agreement is obtained. A self-consistent skin friction law, which satisfies the proposed velocity profile family, is derived and compared with the well-known Van Driest II theory for boundary layers in zero pressure gradient. The results are found to be at least as good as those obtained by using the Van Driest II transformation.

Description: The stability of TIROS-N Microwave Sounding Unit (MSU) channel 4, which monitors the deep-layer averaged temperature of the lower stratosphere, is tested by intercalibrating MSU channel 4 data from the NIROS-N series of NOAA satellites during 1979-1991. The monthly gridpoint anomalies are validated with 10 years of radiosonde data during 1979-1988. The results demonstrated that the satellite sensors are very stable in their calibration and that the previously reported uncertainties in the stratospheric temperature information produced by NOAA are not the result of calibration changes in the MSUs. It was found that the largest globally averaged temperature variations during 1979-1991 occur after the El Chichon (1982) and Pinatubo (1991) volcanic eruptions. These warm events are superimposed upon a net downward trend in temperatures during the period. The cooling trend is strongest in polar regions and the Northern Hemisphere middle latitudes.

Description: An MHD simulation was performed to obtain a self-consistent model of magnetic field and plasma density near the X point reconnection region. The MHD model was used to perform extensive ray tracing calculations in order to clarify the propagation characteristics of the plasma waves near the X point reconnection region. The dynamic wave spectra possibly observed by the Geotail spacecraft during a typical cross-tail trajectory are reconstructed. By comparing the extensive ray tracing calculations with the plasma wave data from Geotail, it is possible to perform a kind of 'remote sensing' to identify the location and structure of potential X point reconnection regions.

Description: A number of chemical-kinetic problems related to phenomena occurring behind a shock wave surrounding an object flying in the earth atmosphere are discussed, including the nonequilibrium thermochemical relaxation phenomena occurring behind a shock wave surrounding the flying object, problems related to aerobraking maneuver, the radiation phenomena for shock velocities of up to 12 km/sec, and the determination of rate coefficients for ionization reactions and associated electron-impact ionization reactions. Results of experiments are presented in form of graphs and tables, giving data on the reaction rate coefficients for air, the ionization distances, thermodynamic properties behind a shock wave, radiative heat flux calculations, Damkoehler numbers for the ablation-product layer, together with conclusions.

Description: The 1992 global average total ozone, measured by the Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) on the Nimbus-7 satellite, was 2 to 3 percent lower than any earlier year observed by TOMS (1979 to 1991). Ozone amounts were low in a wide range of latitudes in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, and the largest decreases were in the regions from 10 to 20 deg S and 10 to 60 deg N. Global ozone in 1992 is at least 1.5 percent lower than would be predicted by a statistical model that includes a linear trend and accounts for solar cycle variation and the quasi-biennial oscillation. These results are confirmed by comparisons with data from other ozone monitoring instruments: the SBUV/2 instrument on the NOAA-11 satellite, the TOMS instrument on the Russian Meteor-3 satellite, the World Standard Dobson Instrument 83, and a collection of 22 ground-based Dobson instruments.

Description: Activities at the NASA Langley Research Center's distributed active archive centers (DAACs) intended to capitalize on existing centers of scientific expertise and to prevent a single point of failure are described. A Version 0 Langley DAAC, a prototype of an Earth Observing System Data and Information System, started archiving and distributing existing datasets on the earth's radiation budget, clouds, aerosols, and tropospheric chemistry in late 1992. The major goals of the LaRC Version 0 effort include to enhance scientific use of existing data; to develop institutional expertise in maintaining and distributing data; to encourage cooperative interagency and international involvement with datasets and research; and to use institutional capability for processing data from previous missions to prepare for processing the future EOS satellite data.

Description: Space geodetic data from very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) was used to estimate velocity relative to the plate interiors of two sites on the deforming leading edge at the Japan trench. Elastic models of interseismic deformation and results obtained were used to put constraints on the slip rate along the main thrust of the Japan subduction zone. Observed velocities reflect the sum of permanent west-northwest shortening in Honshu, elastic deformation due to locking of the main thrust fault at the Japan trench, and deformation associated with the subducting Phillipine plate. These velocities limit the locked segment of the main thrust at the Japan trench to 27 km vertically and 100 km along the dip. This indicates that the main Pacific plate thrust fault is not strongly coupled and probably does not generate strong earthquakes.

Description: Monthly values of the J2 and J3 earth gravitational coefficients were estimated using LAGEOS satellite laser ranging data collected between 1980 and 1989. Monthly variations in gravitational coefficients caused by atmospheric mass redistribution were calculated using measurements of variations in surface atmospheric pressure. Results for correlation studies of the two time series are presented. The LAGEOS and atmospheric J2 time series agree well and it appears that variations in J2 can be attributed to the redistribution of atmospheric mass. Atmospheric and LAGEOS estimates for J3 show poorer agreement, J3 estimates appear to be very sensitive to unmodeled forces acting on the satellite. Results indicate that the LAGEOS data can be used to detect small variations in the gravitational field.

Description: The development of implicit upwind algorithms for the solution of the three-dimensional, time-dependent Euler equations on unstructured tetrahedral meshes is described. The implicit temporal discretization involves either a two-sweep Gauss-Seide relaxation procedure, a two-sweep Point-Jacobi relaxation procedure, or a single-sweep Point-Implicit procedure; the upwind spatial discretization is based on the flux-difference splitting of Roe. Detailed descriptions of the three implicit solution algorithms are given, and calculations for the Boeing 747 transport configuration are presented to demonstrate the algorithms. Advantages and disadvantages of the implicit algorithms are discussed. A steady-state solution for the 747 configuration, obtained at transonic flow conditions using a mesh of over 100,000 cells, required less than one hour of CPU time on a Cray-2 computer, thus demonstrating the speed and robustness of the general capability.

Description: In his paper, Aikin investigates the hypothesis that high latitude O3 distributions near 1 mbar are modified by the precipitation of relativistic electrons. The authors of this comment believe that Aikin's results are based on an incomplete analysis and contain misperceptions regarding studies done by the authors. Aikin's reply follows this comment.

Description: HALOE observations of O3, CH4, HF, H2O, NO, NO2, and HCl collected during the October 1991 Antarctic spring period are reported. The data show a constant CH4 mixing ratio of about 0.25 ppmv for the altitude range from 65 km down to about 25 km at the position of minimum wind speed in the vortex: i.e., the vortex center, and depressions in pressure versus longitude contours of NO, NO2, HF, and HCl in this same region. Water vapor, HF, and HCl enhancement are also observed in the vortex center region above about 25 km. Between 10 and 20 km, the expected mixing ratio signatures exist within the vortex, i.e., low ozone and dehydration. The water vapor increased by 50 percent, and the ozone level doubled inside the vortex between October 11 and 24 in the 15-20 km layer. These changes imply a time constant for recovery from ozone hole conditions of 19 and 30 days for O3 and H2O, respectively. The data further show the presence of air inside the vortex between 3 and 30 mb which has mixing ratios characteristic of midlatitudes.

Description: The paper develops a simple representation of the global circuit of Birkeland currents on the basis of a representation of the current density (j) in terms of Euler potentials (alpha, chi). The underlying magnetic field, which shares the potential alpha with j, is assumed to be dipolar, making the model applicable chiefly to region 2 Birkeland currents. A form of j is chosen that gives a current sheet with peak outflow at dawn and peak inflow at dusk (or vice versa), connected across a flat polar cap sheet. The superposition of harmonics of the same type, centered at different 'foci', are found to provide a flexible and powerful representation of harmonic functions, accurate within less than 1 percent. An interpolation formula by which current sheets of finite width could be consistently represented is developed.

Description: Two-dimensional CFD analyses are presented related to the ground testing of hypersonic, air-breathing models which feature scramjet exhaust flow simulation. CFD analysis indicates that it is possible to test aftbody powered hypersonic airbreather configurations in a static, pumped-down environment to obtain aftbody aerodynamic performance data.

Description: Experimental studies have been conducted to assess Reynolds and Mach number effects on a supercritical multielement airfoil. The airfoil is representative of the stall-critical station of an advanced transport wing design. The experimental work was conducted as part of a cooperative program between the Douglas Aircraft Company and the NASA Langley Research Center to improve current knowledge of high-lift flows and to develop a validation data base with practical geometries/conditions for emerging computational methods. This article describes results obtained for both landing and takeoff multielement airfoils (four- and three-element configurations) for a variety of Mach/Reynolds number combinations up to flight conditions. Effects on maximum lift are considered for the landing configurations, and effects on both lift and drag are reported for the takeoff geometry. The present test results revealed considerable maximum lift effects on the three-element landing configuration for Reynolds number variations, and significant Mach number effects on the four-element airfoil.

Description: The JPL MkIV interferometer, a Fourier Transform Infra-Red (FTIR) spectrometer designed specifically for atmospheric remote sensing, made measurements of the composition of the Arctic stratosphere in January, February and March 1992. These measurements were made from the NASA DC-8 aircraft as part of the AASE2 campaign. The data reveal that despite 5 to 6 km of subsidence inside the vortex, which more than doubled the vertically integrated column amounts (burdens) of HF and HNO3 with respect to outside the vortex, considerable losses of NO2, HCl and ClNO3 were evident by mid-January. Temporary freeze-out of HNO3 was observed only on one occasion, Jan. 19, and was accompanied by substantial reductions in HCl and ClNO3. During February and March, ClNO3 and NO2 amounts increased dramatically. HCl also recovered but at a much slower rate, so that by March ClNO3 was the major reservoir of inorganic chlorine, at times exceeding HCl by a factor 2.

Description: Using a comprehensive ionospheric data set comprised of all available ion composition and plasma temperature measurements from satellites, the vertical distributions of ion composition and plasma temperatures are defined from middle latitudes up into the polar cap for summer conditions for altitudes below about 1200 km. These data are sufficient to allow a numerical estimation of the latitudinal variation of the light ion outflows from within the plasmasphere to the polar wind regions. The altitude at which significant light ion outflow begins is found to be lower during solar minimum conditions than during solar maximum. The H(+) outward speeds are of the order of 1 km/s near 1100 km during solar maximum but attain several km/s speeds for solar minimum. He(+) shows a similar altitude development of flow but attains polar cap speeds much less than 1 km/s at altitudes below 1100 km, particularly under solar maximum conditions. Outward flows are also found in the topside F-region for noontime magnetic flux tubes within the plasmasphere.

Description: An extended version of the Nimbus 7/TOMS ozone data set from the period January 1, 1979 to December 31, 1991 is presented. It is shown that the ozone-trend data indicate that regions of enhanced ozone depletion rates have formed at middle and high latitudes during recent years. The seasonal dependence and geographical extent of the enhanced ozone-depletion rates for the Northern and Southern hemispheres are examined. The variability of the long-term ozone trend determination is discussed via consideration of the differences among 11-, 12-, and 13-yr trend calculations. The effects of the Mount Pinatubo eruption and other volcanic eruptions on the TOMS equatorial zonal average ozone measurements, and its influence on long-term trend determinations are discussed. On the basis of a determination of the aerosol phase function using TOMS data, the effect of stratospheric aerosols on determination of ozone amounts from TOMS are shown to be less than 1 percent.

Description: The HALOE experiment measures vertical profiles of aerosol extinction at five infrared wavelengths. Four of these observations are obtained using a combination of gas filter and broadband radiometer measurements in bands of HF, HCl, CH4, and NO centered at wavelengths of 2.45, 3.40, 3.45, and 5.26 microns, respectively. The fifth is obtained using broadband radiometer measurements of CO2 transmission at 2.79 microns. Error analysis shows that the random extinction uncertainties are generally less than 10 percent in the aerosol layer, increasing to over 20 percent at the profile tops. HALOE spectral extinction measurements are shown to be consistent with predicted spectral extinction for stratospheric sulfate aerosol. Profile comparisons between HALOE and independent sources result in generally good agreement in the shape and magnitude of peak extinction and the altitude where the peak extinction occurs. In addition, global aerosol distributions obtained from the data are consistent with expected aerosol morphology. Although the validation is preliminary, the HALOE aerosol data appear to be of excellent quality and to accurately represent optical characteristics and distribution of the aerosols.

Description: Regular measurements of stratospheric ozone concentration profiles have been made at Table Mountain, California, since February 1988. During the period up to the end of December 1991, 435 independent profiles were measured by the differential absorption lidar technique. These long-term results and an evaluation of their quality are presented in this paper. The large number of measurements made allowed the development of a short-term, 4-year, climatology of the ozone concentration profile at this specific location (34.4 deg N, - 117.7 deg W). The effects of the eruption of Mount Pinatubo were not observed in the lidar measurements until August 1991, so that the results presented here can essentially be considered as the pre-Pinatubo climatology.

Description: The mass and number relationships occurring within the atmospheric dimethylsulfide/cloud condensation nuclei (CCN)/climate system, using simultaneous measurements of particulate phase mass size distributions of nss SO4(2-), methanesulfonic acid (MSA), and NH4(+); number size distributions of particles having diameters between 0.02 and 9.6 microns; CCN concentrations at a supersaturation of 0.3 percent; relative humidity; and temperature, obtained for the northeastern Pacific Ocean in April and May 1991. Based on these measurements, particulate nss SO4(2-), MSA, and NH4(+) mass appeared to be correlated with both particle effective surface area and number in the accumulation mode size range (0.16 to 0.5 micron). No correlations were found in the size range below 0.16 micron. A correlation was also found between nss SO4(2-) mass and the CCN number concentration, such that a doubling of the SO4(2-) mass corresponded to a 40 percent increase in the CCN number concentration. However, no correlation was found between MSA mass and CCN concentration.

Description: This paper presents an alternate approach for the generation of volumetric grids for supersonic and hypersonic flows about complex configurations. The method uses parametric two-dimensional block-face grid definitions, within the framework of GRIDGEN2D. The incorporation of a face decomposition reduces complex surfaces to simple shapes. These simple shapes are recombined to obtain the final face definition. The advantages of this method include the reduction of overall grid generation time through the use of vectorized computer code, the elimination of generating matching block faces, and simplified boundary conditions.

Description: An algorithm is described that calculates inviscid, laminar, and turbulent flows on triangular meshes with an upwind discretization. A brief description of the base solver and the multigrid implementation is given, followed by results that consist mainly of convergence rates for inviscid and viscous flows over a NACA four-digit airfoil section. The results show that multigrid does accelerate convergence when the same relaxation parameters that yield good single-grid performance are used; however, larger gains in performance can be realized by doing less work in the relaxation scheme.

Description: The published ocean tidal angular momentum results of Seiler (1991) are used to predict the effects of the most important semidiurnal, diurnal, and long period ocean tides on the earth's rotation. The separate, as well as combined, effects of ocean tidal currents and sea level height changes on the length-of-day, UT1, and polar motion are computed. The predicted polar motion results reported here account for the presence of the free core nutation and are given in terms of the motion of the celestial ephemeris pole so that they can be compared directly to the results of observations. Outside the retrograde diurnal tidal band, the summed effect of the semidiurnal and diurnal ocean tides studied here predict peak-to-peak polar motion amplitudes as large as 2 mas. Within the retrograde diurnal tidal band, the resonant enhancement caused by the free core nutation leads to predicted polar motion amplitudes as large as 9 mas.

Description: We compute the polar-motion excitation function due to the atmospheric angular momentum (AAM) for both IB (inverted-barometer) and non-IB cases, as well as the excitation function from geodetically observed Earth orientation data for the period 1980-1990. The two are then compared in studying the AAM contribution to the polar motion excitation. The polar drifts with periods longer than about two years have similar characteristics, but the comparison is inconclusive because of data uncertainties. For the seasonal wobble excitation, the agreement is poor except for the prograde annual wobble, indicating the influence of other geophysical excitations than AAM. For the Chandler wobble excitation, a correlation coefficient of 0.53 for non-IB and 0.58 for IB are found for 1986-1990. Together with a coherence spectral analysis, they clearly demonstrate a strong contribution of AAM to the Chandler wobble excitation.

Description: It is contended that statistical data do not support the claim of Gosling et al. (1991) to the effect that the initial speed of a solar wind driver gas close to the sun appears to be the most crucial factor in determining if an earthward direct event will be effective in exciting a large geomagnetic disturbance. It is argued that the time intervals are much too large to observe the storm-time B sub Z dependence. Gosling et al. reply that this comment is based on a serious misunderstanding of their conclusions.

Description: Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) measurements of equatorial total ozone following the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo show a decrease of up to 6 percent over climatology. Ozone losses begin approximately a month following the eruption, consistent with the time required for the SO2 to convert to sulfuric acid aerosol. The thick aerosol layer interferes with the TOMS retrieval, but this interference is small and easily accounted for in the retrieval. Ozone values remain below climatology until December, 1991. Ozonesonde data from Natal, Brazil taken before and two months after the eruption support TOMS observations of ozone loss. These sondes show that the ozone loss region is confined to a 2-3 km thick layer between 24 and 28 km.

Description: Paleomagnetic data from the Mojave Desert around Barstow, California, suggest 55 to 75 deg of clockwise rotation of this area in earliest Miocene time, followed by 23 deg of counterclockwise rotation in the Early Miocene, and no rotation after 18 Ma. Earliest Miocene clockwise rotation of the Barstow area is suggested by data from nine sites in the Oligocene-Miocene Lane Mountain Quartz Latite and Jackhammer Formation and may be related to oroclinal bending of the southern Sierra Nevada batholith. Data from 13 sites in the Early Miocene Pickhandle Formation indicate counterclockwise rotation, which coincides with Early Miocene E-NE - W-SW extension and detachment faulting in the Mojave Desert. These results suggest that Miocene extension in the Mojave Desert is related to similarly oriented extension in the Colorado River extensional corridor. Early Miocene to Pliocene rocks of the Andesite and Dacite of the Calico Mountains, Barstow Formation, Andesite of Murphy's Well, and Black Mountain Basalt show no evidence for significant rotation of the Barstow area after 18 Ma. Most other paleomagnetic data from elsewhere in the Mojave are consistent with a lack of significant post-18 Ma rotations, suggesting that post-10 Ma right-lateral faulting there has produced relatively little crustal rotation.

Description: The interaction of a turbulent boundary layer with rarefaction and shock waves in flows past inclined steps was investigated experimentally and theoretically. The experiments were carried out in supersonic wind tunnels with test sections of 0.6 x 0.6 m and 0.2 x 0.2 m, with adiabatic conditions on the surface model. Based on detailed measurements of pressure fields, velocity, and surface friction, combined with results of optical visualization and analysis of limiting flow lines, three characteristic flow regimes are identified. These are (1) nonseparated flow at small step angles, (2) formation of a local separation zone with a free separation point at moderate step angles, and (3) formation of a large-scale separated flow with a fixed separation point at sufficiently large step angles. The quantitative gasdynamic schemes and surface pressure distributions for these flow regimes are shown for Mach 2.85.

Description: An account is given of experimental and computational results on the mixing of single, double, and opposed rows of jets characterized by an either isothermal or variable temperature mainstream in a confined subsonic crossflow; these flow configurations are typical of gas turbine combustor dilution chambers. It is established that the momentum-flux ratio is the most significant flow variable. Combinations of flow and geometry yielding optimum mixing were identified from experimental and computational results. The orifice spacing and momentum-flux relationships affected jet structure, which was significantly different between jets injected from the inner wall of a turn and those injected from the outer wall.

Description: The essential elements of a computational fluid dynamics analysis of the HL-20/personnel launch system aerothermal environment at hypersonic speeds including surface definition, grid generation, solution techniques, and visual representation of results are presented. Examples of solution technique validation through comparison with data from ground-based facilities are presented, along with results from computations at flight conditions. Computations at flight points indicate that real-gas effects have little or no effect on vehicle aerodynamics and, at these conditions, results from approximate techniques for determining surface heating are comparable with those obtained from Navier-Stokes solutions.

Description: Definition of the aerothermal environment is critical to any vehicle such as the HL-20 Personnel Launch System that operates within the hypersonic flight regime. Selection of an appropriate thermal protection system design is highly dependent on the accuracy of the heating-environment prediction. It is demonstrated that the entry environment determines the thermal protection system design for this vehicle. The methods used to predict the thermal environment for the HL-20 Personnel Launch System vehicle are described. Comparisons of the engineering solutions with computational fluid dynamic predictions, as well as wind-tunnel test results, show good agreement. The aeroheating predictions over several critical regions of the vehicle, including the stagnation areas of the nose and leading edges, windward centerline and wing surfaces, and leeward surfaces, are discussed. Results of predictions based on the engineering methods found within the MINIVER aerodynamic heating code are used in conjunction with the results of the extensive wind-tunnel tests on this configuration to define a flight thermal environment. Finally, the selection of the thermal protection system based on these predictions and current technology is described.

Description: This study investigates the energy budget in the current disruption region of the magnetotail, coincident with a pre-onset thin current sheet, around substorm onset time using published observational data and theoretical estimates. We find that the current disruption/dipolarization process typically requires energy inflow into the primary disruption region. The disruption dipolarization process is therefore endoenergetic, i.e., requires energy input to operate. Therefore we argue that some other simultaneously operating process, possibly a large scale magnetotail instability, is required to provide the necessary energy input into the current disruption region.

Description: The rate at which molecular oxygen absorbs radiation in the O2(X3Sigma-g - b1Sigma-g) transition is calculated using a line-by-line radiative transfer model. This rate is critical to the determination of the population of the O2(b1Sigma-g) state required for studies of the O2(b1Sigma-g - X3Sigma-g) dayglow, the O2(a1Delta-g - X3Sigma-g) dayglow, and possibly the rates of oxidation of H2 and N2O. Previous evaluations of this rate (which is sometimes called the g-factor) have significantly overestimated its value. The rate is tabulated as a function of altitude, pressure, and solar zenith angle.

Description: Experiments were conducted to observe the cross-sectional structure and streamwise growth of round transverse liquid jets injected into a highly accelerated boundary layer in supersonic flow. The accompanying shock structure was also visualized. In one case, a round jet of acetone was injected into a fully turbulent Mach 2.5 boundary layer that was subsequently accelerated and partially laminarized through a sharp Prandtl-Meyer expansion corner. In the second case, a jet was injected into the laminarized Mach 3.2 boundary layer downstream of the expansion corner at the same jet-to-freestream momentum ratio. The jet and shock structure in both cases were visualized using schlieren optics. Wall-flow patterns were visualized using paints. It was found that the lateral spreading of jets injected downstream of the expansion fan was augmented close to the wall and had a cross-sectional structure significantly different from that of the jet injected upstream: the upstream jet spreads rapidly at the expansion corner in both the lateral and vertical directions.

Description: Computational results are presented to illustrate the powered aftbody effects of representing the scramjet inlet on a generic hypersonic vehicle with a fairing, to divert the external flow, as compared to an operating flow-through scramjet inlet. This study is pertinent to the ground testing of hypersonic, airbreathing models employing scramjet exhaust flow simulation in typical small-scale hypersonic wind tunnels. The comparison of aftbody effects due to inlet representation is well-suited for computational study, since small model size typically precludes the ability to ingest flow into the inlet and perform exhaust simulation at the same time. Two-dimensional analysis indicates that, although flowfield differences exist for the two types of inlet representations, little, if any, difference in surface aftbody characteristics is caused by fairing over the inlet.

Description: Turbulence in stably and unstably stratified media is studied, and the results are used to construct a subgrid simulation (SGS) model for use in large eddy simulation (LES). It was found that, although the assumption of inertiality of the subgrid scales is reasonable for the case of unstable stratification, it ceases to be so in the case of stable stratification, where gravity removes kinetic energy from the eddies: the generation of gravity waves becomes the dominant physical process, with dissipation relegated to higher wavenumbers. Preliminary results show that the total kinetic energy dissipation length scale increases with stability, in accordance with LES results but in disagreement with Deardorff's model that suggests a decrease of all dissipation scales in presence of stratification.

Description: Data obtained from the Wind and Temperature Spectrometer on the Dynamics Explorer during high solar activity show new evidence for the presence of vertical winds of a significant magnitude in the equatorial thermosphere. They reveal a latitudinal structure that can be related to the recently discovered equatorial temperature and wind anomaly (ETWA). In the local evening hours, the vertical winds usually are downward around the dip equator and collocated with the temperature minimum of ETWA. In general, they are upward at about 24 deg dip latitude away from the dip equator and are collocated with the ETWA temperature crests. The magnitude of the vertical winds is in the 10-40 m/s range. It is proposed that the temperature and pressure ridges, formed by the excess ion drag on the zonal winds around the two crests and ordered by the relatively lower ion drag at the trough of the well known equatorial ionization anomaly, drive a new wind system in the meridional plane and that the measured vertical winds form part of this wind system.

Description: The Halogen Occultation Experiment (HALOE) uses solar occultation to measure vertical profiles of O3, HCl, HF, CH4, H2O, NO, NO2, aerosol extinction, and temperature versus pressure with an instantaneous vertical field of view of 1.6 km at the earth limb. Latitudinal coverage is from 80 deg S to 80 deg N over the course of 1 year and includes extensive observations of the Antarctic region during spring. The altitude range of the measurements extends from about 15 km to about 60-130 km, depending on channel. Experiment operations have been essentially flawless, and all performance criteria either meet or exceed specifications. Internal data consistency checks, comparisons with correlative measurements, and qualitative comparisons with 1985 atmospheric trace molecule spectroscopy (ATMOS) results are in good agreement. Examples of pressure versus latitude cross sections and a global orthographic projection for the September 21 to October 15, 1992, period show the utility of CH4, HF, and H2O as tracers, the occurrence of dehydration in the Antarctic lower stratosphere, the presence of the water vapor hygropause in the tropics, evidence of Antarctic air in the tropics, the influence of Hadley tropical upwelling, and the first global distribution of HCl, HF, and NO throughout the stratosphere. Nitric oxide measurements extend through the lower thermosphere.

Description: Literature data on mid-latitude balloon soundings of CO2 and aircraft sampling in the lower polar stratosphere during the winter are used as a fundamental test of tracer transport in the middle atmospheric version of the GISS GCM (Rind et al., 1990) to predict the propagation into the stratosphere of the annual increase and annual cycle of CO2. The results predict significant propagation of the CO2 annual cycle into the lower stratosphere, an effect which must be accounted for when interpreting observations.

Description: The role of airglow losses in reducing the efficiency of solar heating in the Hartley, Huggins, and Chappuis bands of ozone in the Herzberg, Ly alpha, Schumann-Runge continuum, and in Schumann-Runge bands of molecular oxygen is investigated together with the role of heating due to seven chemical reactions in the middle atmosphere. The results of calculations of bulk efficiencies demonstrate that airglow and chemiluminescent emission significantly reduce the amount of energy available for heat throughout the mesosphere and lower thermosphere.