ALBERT

Description: Solar variability is examined in search of implications for global change. The topics covered include the following: solar variation modification of global surface temperature; the significance of solar variability with respect to future climate change; and methods of reducing the uncertainty of the potential amplitude of solar variability on longer time scales.

Description: The 3.0-micrometers water of hydration absorption feature observed in the IR photometry of many low-albedo and some medium-albedo asteroids strongly correlates with the 0.7-micrometers Fe(+2) to Fe(+3) oxidized iron absorption feature observed in narrowband spectrophotometry of these asteroids. Using this relationship, an empirical algorithm for predicting the presence of water of hydration in the surface material of a Solar System body using photometry obtained through the Eight-Color Asteroid Survey nu (0.550 micrometers), w (0.701 micrometers), and x (0.853 micrometers) filters was developed and applied to the ECAS photometry of asteroids and outer planet satellites. The percentage of objects in low-albedo, outer main-belt asteroid classes that test positively for water of hydration increases from P to B to C to G class and correlates linearly with the increasing mean albedos of those objects testing positively. The medium-albedo M-class asteroids do not test positively in large number using this algorithm. Aqueously altered asteroids dominate the Solar System population between heliocentric distances of 2.6 to 3.5 AU, bracketing the Solar System region where the aqueous alteration mechanism operated most strongly. One jovian satellite, J VI Himalia, and one saturnian satellite. Phoebe, tested positively for water of hydration, supporting the hypothesis that these may be captured C-class asteroids from a postaccretional dispersion. The proposed testing technique could be applied to an Earth-based survey of asteroids or a space-probe study of an asteroid's surface characteristic in order to identify a potential water source.

Description: The infrared transmission spectra and photochemical behavior of various organic compounds isolated in solid N2 ices, appropriate for applications to Triton ad Pluto, are presented. It is shown that excess absorption in the surface spectra of Triton and Pluto, i.e., absorption not explained by present models incorporating molecules already identified on these bodies (N2, CH4, CO, and CO2), that starts near 4450/cm (2.25 microns) and extends to lower frequencies, may be due to alkanes (C(n)H(2n+2)) and related molecules frozen in the nitrogen. Branched and linear alkanes may be responsible. Experiments in which the photochemstry of N2: CH4 and N2: CH4: CO ices was explored demonsrtrate that the surface ices of Triton and Pluto may contain a wide variety of additional species containing H, C, O, and N. Of these, the reactive molecule diazomethane, CH2N2, is particularly important since it may be largely responsible for the synthesis of larger alkanes from CH4 and other small alkanes. Diazomethane would also be expected to drive chemical reactions involving organics in the surface ices of Triton and Pluto toward saturation, i.e., to reduce multiple CC bonds. The positions and intrinsic strengths (A values) of many of the infrared absorption bands of N2 matrix-isolated molecules of relevance to Triton and Pluto have also been determined. These can be used to aid in their search and to place constraints on their abundances.

Description: This report presents the most recent spherical harmonic topography model of Venus developed at Jet Propulsion Laboratory. It was produced by a spherical harmonic analysis of the most complete set of Magellan altimetry data, augmented by Pioneer Venus and Venera data. The harmonic coefficients of the topography were computed to degree and order 360. Compared to previous topography models, this one has the highest correlation with the gravity field of Venus.

Description: The 500-Myr average crater retention age for Venus has raised questions about the present-day level of tectonic activity. In this study we examine the relationship between the gravity and topography of four large volcanic swells, Beta, Atla, Bell, and Western Eistla Regiones, for clues about their stage evolution. The Magellan line-of-sight gravity data are inverted using a point mass model of the anomalous mass to solve for the local vertical gravity field. Spectral admittance calculated from both the local gravity inversions and a spherical harmonic model is compared to three models of compensation: local compensation, a 'flexural' model with local and regional compensation of surface and subsurface loads, and a 'hotspot' model of compensation that includes top loading by volcanoes and subsurface loading due to a deep, low density mass anomaly. The coherence is also calculated in each region, but yields an elastic thickness estimate only at Bell Regio. In all models, the long wavelengths are compensated locally. Our results may indicate a relatively old, possibly inactive plume.

Description: We determined the infrared optical constants of nitric acid trihydrate, nitric acid dihydrate, nitric acid monohydrate, and solid amorphous nitric acid solutions which crystallize to form these hydrates. We have also found the infrared optical constants of H2O ice. We measured the transmission of infrared light throught thin films of varying thickness over the frequency range from about 7000 to 500/cm at temperatures below 200 K. We developed a theory for the transmission of light through a substrate that has thin films on both sides. We used an iterative Kramers-Kronig technique to determine the optical constants which gave the best match between measured transmission spectra and those calculated for a variety of films of different thickness. These optical constants should be useful for calculations of the infrared spectrum of polar stratospheric clouds.

Description: Meteorological conditions, extremely conducive to fire development and spread in the spring of 1987, resulted in forest fires burning over extremely large areas in the boreal forest zone in northeastern China and the southeastern region of Siberia. The great China fire, one of the largest and most destructive forest fires in recent history, occurred during this period in the Heilongjiang Province of China. Satellite imagery is used to examine the development and areal distribution of 1987 forest fires in this region. Overall trace gas emissions to the atmosphere from these fires are determined using a satellite-derived estimate of area burned in combination with fuel consumption figures and carbon emission ratios for boreal forest fires.

Description: In November to December 1991, a substantial number of remote sensors and in situ instruments were operated together in Coffeyville, Kansas, during the climate experiment First ISCCP Regional Experiment Phase 2 (FIRE 2). Includede in the suite of instruments were (1) the NOAA Environmental Technology Laboratory (ETL) three-channel microwave radiometer, (2) the NASA GSFC Raman lidar, (3) ETL radio acoustic sounding system (RASS), and (4) frequent, research-quality radiosondes. The Raman lidar operated only at night and the focus of this portion of the experiment concentrated on clear conditions. The lidar data, together with frequent radiosondes and measurements of temperature profiles (every 15 min) by RASS allowed profiles of temperature and absolute humidity to be estimated every minute. We compared 20 min measurements of brightness temperature (T(sub b) with calculations of T(sub b) that were based on the Liebe and Layton (1987) and Liebe et al. (1993) microwave propagation models, as well as the Waters (1976) model. The comparisons showed the best agreement at 20.6 GHz with the Waters model, with the Liebe et al. (1993) model being best at 31.65 GHz. The results at 90 GHz gave about equal success with the Liebe and Layton (1987) and Liebe et al. (1993) models. Comparisons of precipitable water vapor derived independently from the two instruments also showed excellent agreement, even for averages as short as 2 min. The rms difference between Raman and radiometric determinations of precipitable water vapor was 0.03 cm which is roughly 2%. The experiments clearly demonstrate the potential of simultaneous operation of radiometers and Raman lidars for fundamental physical studies of water vapor.

Description: This paper describes the validation of the International Satellite Cloud Climatology project (ISCCP)cloud detections by verifying the accuracy of the infrared clear-sky radiances. Comparison of retrieved surface temperatures to other measurements shows that bias errors are less than 2 K and random errors are about 2 K for sea surface (monthly means at 280-km scales) and that bias errors are less than 2 K and random errors are about 4 K for land surfaces (3 hourly at 280-km scales). Bias errors over a few persistently cloudy locations are sometimes -(2-4) K and over winter sea ice may be about +2 K. Surface reflectances are confirmed to be within 3% of other measurements and models for ocean, except for sun glint geometries, and to be within 3%-5% for land surfaces. Sufficiently accurate validation data are not avilable for visible reflectances of sea ice and snow-covered land, but some tests of specific cases suggest that errors are approximately 10%. These errors in clear-sky radiances suggest uncertainties in the ISCCP cloud detections of about 10% with a small (3%-6%) negative bias over land. Some specific regions exhibit both larger rms uncertainties and somewhat larger biases in cloud amount approaching 10%. ISCCP cloud detections are more in error over the polar regions than anywhere else. Based on comparisons with an anlysis of radiances measured at other wavelengths, the ISCCP analysis appears to miss 15%-25% of the clouds in summer but only 5%-10% of the winter clouds.

Description: Water vapor concentrations obtained by the Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment 2 (SAGE 2) and collocated temperatures provided by the National Meteorological Center (NMC) from 1986 to 1990 are used to deduce seasonally and zonally averaged acidity, density, and refractive index of stratospheric aerosols. It is found that the weight percentage of sulfuric acid in the aerosols increases from about 60 just above the tropopause to about 86 at 35 km. The density increases from about 1.55 to 1.85 g/cu cm between the same altitude limits. Some seasonal variations of composition and density are evident at high latitudes. The refractive indices at 1.02, 0.694, and 0.532 micrometers increase, respectively, from about 1.425, 1.430, and 1.435 just above the tropopause to about 1.445, 1.455, and 1.458 at altitudes above 27 km, depending on the season and latitude. The aerosol properties presented can be used in models to study the effectiveness of heterogeneous chemistry, the mass loading of stratospheric aerosols, and the extinction and backscatter of aerosols at different wavelengths. Computed aerosol surface areas, rate coefficients for the heterogeneous reaction ClONO2 + H2O yields HOCl + HNO3 and aerosol mass concentrations before and after the Pinatubo eruption in June 1991 are shown as sample applications.

Description: The global distribution of ozone during the October 31, 1978, to May 6, 1993, observing lifetime of the Nimbus 7 total ozone mapping spectrometer (TOMS) is described, with emphasis on the low ozone amounts observed during 1992 and 1993. Ozone amount time series are extended beyong May 6, 1993, to the end of July 1993 using preliminary Meteor 3 TOMS data. Time series for zonally averaged ozone amounts show that there has not been a significant shift in the seasonal patterns of ozone maxima and minima caused by the Mount Pinatubo eruption or by the onset of very low ozone values during 1992 and 1993. There has been a relatively slow, nearly linear decrease in the amount of ozone over the entire globe from 1979 to the end of 1991, with rates ranging from no change at the equator to a 4 - 6% decrease per decade at midlatitudes and a 10 - 12% decrease per decade at higher latitudes. After the eruption of Mount Pinatubo during June 1991, the ozone amount decreased in the equatorial latitudes (10 deg S to 10 deg N) for about 6 months (-10 Dobson units (DU) between 0 deg and 10 deg S and -3 DU between 0 deg and 10 deg N). During 1992 and continuing into 1993, the rate of ozone decrease deviated from the previously linear trend with the onset of changes that were large in comparison with the historical range of ozone values from 1979 to 1991. The first of the large decreases in ozone amount occurred earlier, in February 1990 to May 1990, at 50 deg - 70 deg N. At high northern latitudes, the 1993 decreased ozone amounts were about 12.5% below the envelope of historical values; at midlatitudes they were about 7% lower; and at low latitudes they were about 4% lower. Area-weighted averages in the northern and southern hemispheres show that most of the 1992 - 1993 ozone losses have occurred in the northern hemisphere. The 1993 global average (70 deg S to 70 deg N) ozone amount is 3% below the 1979 to 1991 minimum, 5% below the historical envelope in the northern hemisphere, and near the lower boundary of the historical envelope in the southern hemisphere. In the 70 deg - 60 deg S latitude band, the ozone losses between 1979 and 1993 have reduced the annual minimum amount to values below those seen in the equatorial regions.

Description: A new 8-year global cloud climatology has been produced by the International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP) that provides information every 3 h at 280-km spatial resolution covering the period from July 1983 through June 1991. If cloud detection errors and differences in area sampling are neglected, individual ISCCP cloud amounts agree with individual surface observations to within 15% rms with biases of only a few percent. When measurements of small-scale, broken clouds are isolated in the comparison, the rms differences between satellite and surface cloud amounts are about 25%, similar to the rms difference between ISCCP and Landsat determinations of cloud amount. For broken clouds, the average ISCCP cloud amounts are about 5% smaller than estimated by surface observers (difference between earth cover and sky cover), but about 5% larger than estimated from very high spatial resolution satellite observations (overestimate due to low spatial resolution offset by underestimate due to finite radiance thresholds). Detection errors caused by errors in the ISCCP clear-sky radiances or incorrect radiance threshold magnitudes, are the dominant source of error in monthly average cloud amounts. The ISCCP cloud amounts appear to be too low over land by about 10%, somewhat less in summer and somewhat more in winter, and about right (maybe slightly low) over oceans. In polar regions, ISCCP cloud amounts are probably too low by about 15%-25% in summer and 5%-10% in winter. Comparison of the ISCCP climatology to three other cloud climatologies shows excellent agreement in the geographic distribution and seasonal variation of cloud amounts; there is little agreement about day/night contrasts in cloud amount. Notable results from ISCCP are that the gobal annual mean cloud amount is about 63%, being about 23% higher over oceans than over land, that it varies by less than 1% rms from month to month, and that it has varied by about 4% on a time scale approximately equal to 2-4 years. The magnitude of interannual variations of local (280-km scale) monthly mean cloud amounts is about 7%-9%. Longitudinal contrasts in cloud amount are just as large as latitudinal contrasts. The largest seasonal variation of cloud amount occurs in the tropics, being larger in summer than in winter; the seasonal variation in the middle latitudes has the opposite phase. Polar regions may have little seasonable variability in cloud amount. The ISCCP results show slightly more nightime than daytime cloud amount over oceans and more daytime than nightime cloud amount over land.

Description: This paper, the first of three, describes the cloud detection part of the International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP) analysis. Key features of the cloud detection alogrithm are (1) use of space and time radiance variation tests over several different space and time domains to account for the global variety of cloudy and clear characteristics, (2) estimation of clear radiance values for every time and place, and, (3) use of radiance thresholds that vary with the type of surface and climate regime. Design of the detection algorithm was supported by global, multiyear surveys of the statistical behavior of satellite-measured infrared and visible radiances to determine those characteristics that differentiate cloudy and clear scenes and how these characteristics vary among climate regimes. A summary of these statistical results is presented to illustrate how the cloud detection method works in a variety of circumstances. The sensitivity of the results to changing test parameter values is determined to provide a first estimate of the uncertainty of ISCCP cloud amounts. These test results (which exclude polar regions) suggest detection uncertainties of about 10% with possible negative biases of 5% (especially at night).

Description: The Chicxulub impact crater in Mexico is the site of the impact purported to have caused mass extinctions at the Cretaceous/Tertiary (K/T) boundary. 2-D hydrocode modeling of the impact, coupled with studies of the impact site geology, indiate that between 0.4 and 7.0 x 10(exp 17) g of sulfur were vaporized by the impact into anhydrite target rocks. A small portion of the sulfur was released as SO3 or SO4, which converted rapidly into H2SO4 aerosol and fell as acid rain. A radiative transfer model, coupled with a model of coagulation indicates that the aerosol prolonged the initial blackout period caused by impact dust only if the aerosol contained impurities. A larger portion of sulfur was released as SO2, which converted to aerosol slowly, due to the rate-limiting oxidation of SO2. Our radiative transfer calculations, combined with rates of acid production, coagulation, and diffusion indicate that solar transmission was reduced to 10-20% of normal for a period of 8-13 yr. This reduction produced a climate forcing (cooling) of -300 W/sq.m, which far exceeded the +8 W/sq.m greenhouse warming, caused by the CO2 released through the vaporization of carbonates, and therefore produced a decade of freezing and near-freezing temperatures. Several decades of moderate warming followed the decade of severe cooling due to the long residence time of CO2. The prolonged impact winter may have been a major cause of the K/T extinctions.

Description: Recent mapping studies west of Elysium Mons, Mars, have pinpointed subice features that suggest the existence of a frozen paleolake in Utopia Planitia as recently as 1.8 billion years ago. The subice features are interpreted to be hyaloclastic ridges and hills, table moutains, associated joekulhalaup deposits, and fluvial channels. Photoclinometric studies of these features and of a basal scarp around the northwest flank of Elysium Mons interpreted to have been an ice-sheet boundary indicate that the maximum thickness of ice within the basin may have been about 180 m. This thickness of ice during a relatively late stage of Martian geologic history would have important implications concerning the atmospheric, the climatic, and possibly the exobiologic history of the planet.

Description: During the final, low solar activity phase of the Pioneer Venus (PV) mission, the Orbiter Ion Mass Spectrometer (OIMS) measurements found all ion species, in the midnight-dusk sector, reduced in concentration relative to that observed at solar maximum. Molecular ion species comprised a greater part of the total ion concentration as O(+) and H(+) had the greatest depletions. The nightside ionospheric states were strikingly similar to the isolated solar maximum 'disappearing' ionospheres. Both are very dynamic states characterized by a rapidly drifting plasma and 30-100 eV superthermal O(+) ions.

Description: In October, 1992 the Pioneer Venus Orbiter entered the atmosphere of Venus, ending nearly 14 years of observations at Venus. Prior to the entry into the atmosphere and subsequent loss of the spacecraft careful management of spacecraft resources had allowed the acquisition of much low altitude data over the nightside of the planet. The long duration of the Pioneer Venus mission has enabled us to study the ionosphere and atmosphere of Venus under different levels of solar activity.

Description: Atmospheric drag measurements from the orbital decay of the Pioneer Venus Orbiter and Magellan spacecraft have recently been obtained of the Venus dayside and nightside atmosphere between 130 and 210 km during a period of low solar activity. These new measurements, combined with the earlier Pioneer Venus drag measurements (1978-80) obtained near the maximum of the 11-year solar cycle, have allowed the detection of the detailed response of temperature, atomic oxygen and carbon dioxide to solar variations. We have found a weak but detectable temperature response on the dayside which is in accord with the response predicted by Keating and Bougher when they assumed very strong CO2 radiative cooling resulting from atomic oxygen exciting CO2 into 15 micron emission. This same radiative process may cause strong cooling in the Earth's upper atmosphere with the doubling of CO2 in the future. With decreasing solar activity, the O/CO2 ratio in the lower thermosphere is found to decrease, apparently due to decreased photodissociation of CO2 and lower temperatures. The percent decrease in atomic oxygen with decreasing solar activity on the dayside is found to be approximately the same as the percent decreases of atomic oxygen transported to the nightside. A very weak response of nightside temperatures to solar activity variations has also been detected.

Description: Clear-sky albedos and outgoing longwave radiation (OLR) determined from Earth Radiation Budget Experiment (ERBE) scanners on board the earth radiation budget satellite and NOAA-9 spacecraft were analyzed for three target sites for the months February 1985-January 1987. The targets were oceans, deserts, and a multiscene site covering half the earth's surface. Year-to-year ratios of the monthly albedos and OLR were within the 0.98-1.02 range with a standard error of about 1%. The data indicate that ERBE scanner measurements were stable to within a few tenths of a percent for the two-year periods.

Description: A set of system simulations has been performed to evaluate candidate scanner designs for an Earth Radiation Budget Instrument (ERBI) for the Earth Observing System (EOS) of the late 1990s. Five different instruments are considered: (1) the Active Cavity Array (ACA), (2) the Clouds and Earth's Radiant Energy System-Instrument (CERES-I), (3) the Conically Scanning Radiometer (CSR), (4) the Earth Radiation Budget Experiment Cross-Track Scanner (ERBE), and (5) the Nimbus-7 Biaxial Scanner (N7). Errors in instantaneous, top-of-the-atmosphere (TOA) satellite flux estimates are assumed to arise from two measurement problems: the sampling of space over a given geographic domain, and sampling in angle about a given spatial location. When angular sampling errors vanish due to the application of correct angular dependence models (ADMs) during inversion, the accuracy of each scanner design is determined by the instrument's ability to map the TOA radiance field in a uniform manner. In this regard, the instruments containing a cross-track scanning component (CERES-I and ERBE) do best. As errors in ADMs are encountered, cross-track instruments incur angular sampling errors more rapidly than biaxial instruments (N7, ACA, and CSR) and eventually overtake the biaxial designs in their total error amounts. A latitude bias (north-south error gradient) in the ADM error of cross-track instruments also exists. This would be objectionable when ADM errors are systematic over large areas of the globe. For instantaneous errors, however, cross-track scanners outperform biaxial or conical scanners for 2.5 deg latitude x 2.5 deg longitude target areas, providing that the ADM error is less than or equal to 30%. A key issue is the amount of systematic ADM error (departures from the mean models) that is present at the 2.5 deg resolution of the ERBE target areas. If this error is less than 30%, then the CERES-I, ERBE, and CSR, in order of increasing error, provide the most accurate instantaneous flux estimates, within 2-3 W/sq m of each other in reflected shortwave flux. The magnitude of this error is near the 10 W/sq m accuracy requirement of the user community. Longwave flux errors have been found to have the same space and time characteristics as errors in shortwave radiation, but only about 25% as large.

Description: This paper briefly reviews several single-frequency rain profiling methods for an airborne or spaceborne radar. The authors describe the different methods from a unified point of view starting from the basic differential equation. This facilitates the comparisons between the methods and also provides a better understanding of the physical and mathematical basis of the methods. The application of several methods to airborne radar data taken during the Convective and Precipitation/Electrification Experiment is shown. Finally, the authors consider a hybrid method that provides a smooth transition between the Hitschfeld-Bordan method, which performs well at low attenuations, and the surface reference method, for which the relative error decreases with increasing path attenuation.

Description: An analysis of a spontaneous sudden stratospheric warming that occurred during a 2-year integration of the Langley Research Center (LaRC) Atmospheric Simulation Model is presented. The simulated warming resembles observed 'wave 1' warmings in the Northern Hemisphere stratosphere and provides an opportunity to investigate the radiative and dynamical processes occurring during the warming event. Isentropic analysis of potential vorticity sources and sinks indicates that dynamically induced departures from radiative equilibrium play an important role in the warming event. Enhanced radiative cooling associated with a series of upper stratospheric warm pools leads to radiative dampening within the polar vortex. Within the 'surf zone' large-scale radiative cooling leads to diabatic advection of high potential vorticity air from aloft. Lagrangian area diagnostics of the simulated warming agree well with Limb Infrared Monitor of the Stratosphere (LIMS) analyses. Dynamical mixing is shown to account for the majority of the decrease in the size of the polar vortex during the simulated warming. An investigation of the nonlinear deformation of material lines that are initially coincident with diagnosed potential vorticity isopleths is conducted to clarify the relationship between the Lagrangian area diagnostics and potential vorticity advection during wave breaking events.

Description: The ion and electron momentum equations, along with Ampere's law, are solved for the ion and electron drift velocities and the electric field in the subsolar Venus ionosphere, assuming a partially ionized gas and a single ion species having the ion mean mass. All collision terms among the ions, electrons and neutral particles are retained in the equations. A general expression for the evolution of the magnetic field is derived and compared with earlier expressions. Subsolar region data in the altitude range 150-300 km from the Pioneer Venus Orbiter are used to calculate altitude profiles of the components of the current due to the electric field, gradients of pressure, and gravity. Altitude profiles of the ion and electron velocities as well as the electric field, electrodynamic heating, and the energy density are determined. Only orbits having a complete set of measured plasma temperatures and densities, neutral densities, and magnetic field were considered for analysis; the results are shown only for orbit 202. The vertical velocity at altitudes above 220 km is upgoing for orbit 202. This result is consistent with observations of molecular ions at high altitudes and of plasma flow to the nightside, both of which require upward velocity of ions from the dayside ionosphere. Above about 230 km the momentum equations are extremely sensitive to the altitude profiles of density, temperature, and magnetic field.

Description: Calculations of the quasi biennial oscillation (QBO) signal in Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment (SAGE) II O3 and NO2 data between 1984 and 1991 are presented and have been investigated by using a two-dimensional model. The isentropic 2D model is a fully interactive radiative-dynamical-chemical model in which the eddy fluxes of chemical species are calculated in a consistent manner. The QBO in the model has been forced by relaxing the equatorial zonal wind toward the observations at Singapore allowing the comparison of the model with observations from specific years. The model reproduces the observed vertical structure of the equatorial ozone anomaly with the well-known transition from dynamical to photochemical control at around 28km. The model also reproduces the observed vertical structure of the SAGE II observed NO2 anomaly. The model studies have shown that it is the QBO modulation of NO2 which the main cause of QBO signal in O3 above 30 km. The model also reproduces the observed latitudinal structure of the QBO signals in O3 and NO2. Due to the differing horizontal distribution of O3 and NO(y) the ozone signal shows a distinct phase change in the subtropics whereas the NO2 anomaly gives a broader signal.

Description: A generalized form of the second-order van Leer transport scheme is derived. Several constraints to the implied subgrid linear distribution are discussed. A very simple positive-definite scheme can be derived directly from the generalized form. A monotonic version of the scheme is applied to the Goddard Laboratory for Atmospheres (GLA) general circulation model (GCM) for the moisture transport calculations, replacing the original fourth-order center-differencing scheme. Comparisons with the original scheme are made in idealized tests as well as in a summer climate simulation using the full GLA GCM. A distinct advantage of the monotonic transport scheme is its ability to transport sharp gradients without producing spurious oscillations and unphysical negative mixing ratio. Within the context of low-resolution climate simulations, the aforementioned characteristics are demonstrated to be very beneficial in regions where cumulus convection is active. The model-produced precipitation pattern using the new transport scheme is more coherently organized both in time and in space, and correlates better with observations. The side effect of the filling algorithm used in conjunction with the original scheme is also discussed, in the context of idealized tests. The major weakness of the proposed transport scheme with a local monotonic constraint is its substantial implicit diffusion at low resolution. Alternative constraints are discussed to counter this problem.

Description: We report here analyses of olivines and pyroxenes, and petrofabrics of 27 chondritic interplanetary dust particles (IDPs), comparing those from anhydrous and hydrous types. Approximately 40% of the hydrous particles contain diopside, a probable indicator of parent body thermal metamorphism, while this mineral is rarely present in the anhydrous particles. Based on this evidence, we find that hydrous and anhydrous IDPs are, in general, not directly related, and we conclude that olivine and pyroxene major-element compositions can be used to help discriminate between IDPs that are (1) predominantly nebular condensates, and lately resided in anhydrous or icy (no liquids) primitive parent bodies, and (2) those originating from more geochemically active parent bodies (probably hydrous and anhydrous asteroids).

Description: A model is presented to compute the turbulent kinetic energy dissipation length scale l(sub epsilon) in a stably stratified shear flow. The expression for l(sub epsilon) is derived from solving the spectral balance equation for the turbulent kinetic energy. The buoyancy spectrum entering such equation is constructed using a Lagrangian timescale with modifications due to stratification. The final result for l(sub epsilon) is given in algebraic form as a function of the Froude number Fr and the flux Richardson number R(sub f), l(sub epsilon) = l(sub epsilon)(Fr, R(sub f). The model predicts that for R(sub f) less than R(sub fc), l(sub epsilon) decreases with stratification. An attractive feature of the present model is that it encompasses, as special cases, some seemingly different models for l(sub epsilon) that have been proposed in the past by Deardorff, Hunt et al., Weinstock, and Canuto and Minotti. An alternative form for the dissipation rate epsilon is also discussed that may be useful when one uses a prognostic equation for the heat flux. The present model is applicable to subgrid-scale models, which are needed in large eddy simulations (LES), as well as to ensemble average models. The model is applied to predict the variation of l(sub epsilon) with height z in the planetary boundary layer. The resulting l(sub epsilon) versus z profile reproduces very closely the nonmonotonic profile of l(sub epsilon) exhibited by many LES calculations, beginning with the one by Deardorff in 1974.

Description: Two stratospheric warmings during February and March 1993 are described using United Kingdom Meteorological Office (UKMO) analyses, calculated potential vorticity (PV) and diabetic heating, and N2O observed by the Cryogenic Limb Array Etalon Spectrometer (CLAES) instrument on the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS). The first warming affected temperatures over a larger region, while the second produced a larger region of reversed zonal winds. Tilted baroclinic zones formed in the temperature field, and the polar vortex tilted westward with height. Narrow tongues of high PV and low N2O were drawn off the polar vortex, and irreversibly mixed. Tongues of material were drawn from low latitudes into the region between the polar vortex and the anticyclone; diabatic descent was also strongest in this region. Increased N2O over a broad region near the edge of the polar vortex indicates the importance of horizontal transport. N2O decreased in the vortex, consistent with enhanced diabatic descent during the warmings.

Description: This paper reports on a magnetic field phenomenon, hereafter referred to as null fields, which were discovered during the inbound pass of the recent flyby of Jupiter by the Ulysses spacecraft. These null fields which were observed in the outer dayside magnetosphere are characterised by brief but sharp decreases of the field magnitude to values less than 1 nT. The nulls are distinguished from the current sheet signatures characteristic of the middle magnetosphere by the fact that the field does not reverse across the event. A field configuration is suggested that accounts for the observed features of the events.

Description: In this paper, preliminary results in using orthogonal and continuous wavelet transform (WT) to identify period doubling and time-frequency localization in both synthetic and real data are presented. First, the Haar WT is applied to synthetic time series derived from a simple nonlinear dynamical system- a first-order quadratic difference equation. Second, the complex Morlet WT is used to study the time-frequency localization of tropical convection based on a high-resolution Japanese Geostationary Meteorological Satellite infrared (IR) radiance dataset. The Haar WT of the synthetic time series indicates the presence and distinct separation of multiple frequencies in a period-doubling sequence. The period-doubling process generates a multiplicity of intermediate frequencies, which are manifested in the nonuniformity in time with respect to the phase of oscillations in the lower frequencies. Wavelet transform also enables the detection of extremely weak signals in high-order subharmonics resulting from the period-doubling bifurcations. These signals are either undetected or considered statistically insignificant by traditional Fourier analysis. The Morlet WT of the IR radiance dataset indicates the presence of multiple timescales, which are localized in both frequency and time. There are two regimes in the variation of IR radiance, corresponding to the wet and dry periods. Multiple timescales, ranging from semidiurnal, diurnal, synoptic, to intraseasonal with embedding structures, are active in the wet regime. In particular, synoptic variability is more prominent during the wet phase of an intensive intraseasonal cycle. These are not only consistent with, but also show more details than, previous findings by using other techniques. The phase-locking relationships among the oscillations with different time-scales suggest that both synoptic and intraseasonal variations may be mixed oscillations due to the interaction of self-excited oscillations in the tropical atmosphere and external forcings such as annual and diurnal solar radiation variations. Both examples show that WT is a powerful tool for analysis of phenomena involving multiscale interactions that exhibit localization in both frequency and time. A discussion on the caveats in the use of WT in geophysical data analysis is also presented.

Description: The analysis of balloon envelopes by the finite element (FE) method is plagued by convergence problems. A pratical FE analysis approach is based on the fact that in thin shells with non-zero Gaussian curvature the membrane solution component is essentially decoupled from the bending solution component. A proxy-problem is solved by using a small artificial bending stiffness that assures convergence without significantly affecting the membrane solution component. This approach has been previously validated on slightly overpressurized balloon envelopes. Extensions of this approach to more difficult problems in the structural analysis of balloon envelopes are presented. The convergence forcing modelling measures are discussed. Implications of the findings of the analysis results to future balloon designs are also discussed.

Description: Observations of upper tropospheric relative humidity obtained from Raman lidar and Cross-chain Loran Atmospheric Sounding System (CLASS) sonde instruments obtained during the First ISCCP Regional Experiment (FIRE) Cirrus-II field program are compared with satellite measurements from the GOES 6.7-micron channel. The 6.7-micron channel is sensitive to water vapor integrated over a broad layer in the upper troposphere (roughly 500-200 mbar). Instantaneous measurements of the upper tropospheric relative humidity from GOES are shown to agree to within roughly 6% of the nearest lidar observations and 9% of the nearest CLASS observations. The CLASS data exhibit a slight yet systematic dry bias in upper tropospheric humidity, a result which is consistent with previous radiosonde intercomparisons. Temporal stratification of the CLASS data indicates that the magnitude of the bias is dependent upon the time of day, suggesting a solar heating effect in the radiosonde sensor. Using CLASS profiles, the impact of vertical variability in relative humidity upon the GOES upper tropospheric humidity measurements is also examined. The upper tropospheric humidity inferred from the GOES 6.7-micron channel is demonstrated to agree to within roughly 5% of the relative humidity vertically averaged over the depth of atmosphere to which the 6.7-micron channel is sensitive. The results of this study encourage the use of satellite measurements in the 6.7-micron channel to quantitatively describe the distribution and temporal evolution of the upper tropospheric humidity field.

Description: Published estimates of cloud liquid water path (LWP) from satellite-measured microwave radiation show little agreement, even about the relative magnitudes of LWP in the tropics and midlatitudes. To understand these differences and to obtain more reliable estimate, optical and microwave LWP retrieval methods are compared using the International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP) and special sensor microwave/imager (SSM/I) data. Errors in microwave LWP retrieval associated with uncertainties in surface, atmosphere, and cloud properties are assessed. Sea surface temperature may not produce great LWP errors, if accurate contemporaneous measurements are used in the retrieval. An uncertainty of estimated near-surface wind speed as high as 2 m/s produces uncertainty in LWP of about 5 mg/sq cm. Cloud liquid water temperature has only a small effect on LWP retrievals (rms errors less than 2 mg/sq cm), if errors in the temperature are less than 5 C; however, such errors can produce spurious variations of LWP with latitude and season. Errors in atmospheric column water vapor (CWV) are strongly coupled with errors in LWP (for some retrieval methods) causing errors as large as 30 mg/sq cm. Because microwave radiation is much less sensitive to clouds with small LWP (less than 7 mg/sq cm) than visible wavelength radiation, the microwave results are very sensitive to the process used to separate clear and cloudy conditions. Different cloud detection sensitivities in different microwave retrieval methods bias estimated LWP values. Comparing ISCCP and SSM/I LWPs, we find that the two estimated values are consistent in global, zonal, and regional means for warm, nonprecipitating clouds, which have average LWP values of about 5 mg/sq cm and occur much more frequently than precipitating clouds. Ice water path (IWP) can be roughly estimated from the differences between ISCCP total water path and SSM/I LWP for cold, nonprecipitating clouds. IWP in the winter hemisphere is about 3 times the LWP but only half the LWP in the summer hemisphere. Precipitating clouds contribute significantly to monthly, zonal mean LWP values determined from microwave, especially in the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ), because they have almost 10 times the liquid water (cloud plus precipitation) of nonprecipitating clouds on average. There are significant differences among microwave LWP estimates associated with the treatment of precipitating clouds.

Description: Cloud radiative forcing (CRF) is the radiative impact of clouds on the Earth's radiation budget. This study examines the diurnal variations of CRF using the Earth Radiation Budget Experiment (ERBE) monthly hourly flux data and the flux data derived from the International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP) using the Goddard Institute for Space Studies general circulation model radiation code. The results for the months of April, July, and October 1985 and January 1986 are analyzed. We found that, in general, two data sets agreed. For longwave (LW) CRF the diurnal range over land is generally greater than that observed over oceans. For the 4-month averages the ERBE values are 15.8 W/sq m and 6.8 W/sq m for land and ocean, respectively, compared with the ISCCP calculated values of 18.4 W/sq m and 8.0 W/sq m, respectively. The land/ocean contrast is largely associated with changes in cloud amount and the temperature difference between surface and cloud top. It would be more important to note that the clear-sky flux (i.e., surface temperature) variabilities are shown to be a major contributor to the large variabilities over land. The maximum diurnal range is found to be in the summer hemisphere, and the minimum values in the winter hemisphere. It is also shown that the daytime maximum and the nighttime minimum are seen over large portions of land, whereas they occur at any local hour over most oceans. For shortwave (SW) CRF the daytime maximum values are about twice as large as monthly averages, and their highest frequency occurs at local noon, indicating that solar insolation is a primary factor for the diurnal variation of SW CRF. However, the comparison of the ERBE data with the ISCCP results demonstrated that the largest differences in the diurnal range and monthly mean of LW CRF were associated with tropical convergence zones, where clear-sky fluxes could be easily biased by persistent cloudiness and the inadequate treatment of the atmospheric water vapor.

Description: Temperature variations in the stratosphere from 1979 to 1992 are investigated using 365-day running mean of the National Meteorological Center gridded analysis temperature data. Significant variations are seen at all levels between 70 and 1 mbar. The middle stratosphere shows temperature peaks during 1982 and 1983. The upper stratosphere has significant temperature declines between 1 and 10 mbar from 1981 to 1984. Temperatures at all levels recover to near their prior values after 1984, with the 5-mbar temperatures requiring the greatest time to fully recover. The temperature declines at 1 mbar occur in both hemispheres, over all longitudes, and in every month of the year. The decreases are largest in the middle latitudes and the polar regions and during the fall and the winter months. Such temperature variations, which appear to be of natural origin, must be taken into consideration when searching for temperature trends caused by the increase of CO2 or other greenhouse gases which affect the radiative balance of the Earth-atmosphere system or stratospheric ozone.

Description: This paper presents a comparison of the water vapor distribution obtained from two general circulation models, the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) model and the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) Community Climate Model (CCM), with satellite observations of total precipitable water (TPW) from Special Sensor Microwave/Imager (SSM/I) and upper tropospheric relative humidity (UTH) from GOES. Overall, both models are successful in capturing the primary features of the observed water vapor distribution and its seasonal variation. For the ECMWF model, however, a systematic moist bias in TPW is noted over well-known stratocumulus regions in the eastern subtropical oceans. Comparison with radiosonde profiles suggests that this problem is attributable to difficulties in modeling the shallowness of the boundary layer and large vertical water vapor gradients which characterize these regions. In comparison, the CCM is more successful in capturing the low values of TPW in the stratocumulus regions, although it tends to exhibit a dry bias over the eastern half of the subtropical oceans and a corresponding moist bias in the western half. The CCM also significantly overestimates the daily variability of the moisture fields in convective regions, suggesting a problem in simulating the temporal nature of moisture transport by deep convection. Comparison of the monthly mean UTH distribution indicates generally larger discrepancies than were noted for TPW owing to the greater influence of large-scale dynamical processes in determining the distribution of UTH. In particular, the ECMWF model exhibits a distinct dry bias along the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) and a moist bias over the subtropical descending branches of the Hadley cell, suggesting an underprediction in the strength of the Hadley circulation. The CCM, on the other hand, demonstrates greater discrepancies in UTH than are observed for the ECMWF model, but none that are as clearly correlated with well-known features of the large-scale circulation.

Description: In this paper we describe fundamental properties of an 'off-line' three-dimensional transport model, that is, a model which uses prescribed rather than predicted winds. The model is currently used primarily for studying problems of the middle atmosphere because we have not (yet) incorporated a formulation for the convective transport of trace species, a prerequisite for many tropospheric problems. The off-line model is simpler and less expensive than a model which predicts the wind and mass evolution (an 'on-line' model), but it is more complex than the two-dimensional (2-D) zonally averaged transport models often used in the study of chemistry and transport in the middle atmosphere. It thus serves as a model of intermediate complexity and can fill a useful niche for the study of transport and chemistry. We compare simulations of four tracers, released in the lower stratosphere, in both the on- and off-line models to document the difference resulting from differences in modeling the same problem with this intermediate model. These differences identify the price to be paid in going to a cheaper and simpler calculation. The off-line model transports a tracer in three dimensions. For this reason, it requires fewer approximations than 2-D transport model, which must parameterize the effects of mixing by transient and zonally asymmetric wind features. We compare simulations of the off-line model with simulations of a 2-D model for two problems. First, we compare 2-D and three-dimensional (3-D) models by simulating the emission of an NO(x)-like tracer by a fleet of high-speed aircraft. The off-line model is then used to simulate the transport of C-14 and to contrast its simulation properties to that of the host of 2-D models which participated in an identical simulation in a recent NASA model intercomparison. The off-line model is shown to be somewhat sensitive to the sampling strategy for off-line winds. Simulations with daily averaged winds are in very good qualitative agreement but are less diffusive than when driven with instantaneous winds sampled at half-hour intervals. Simulations with the off-line and 2-D models are quite similar in the middle and upper stratosphere but behave quite differently in the lower stratosphere, where the 3-D model has a substantially more vigorous circulation. The off-line model is quite realistic in its simulation of C-14. While there are still systematic differences between the 3-D calculation and the observations, the differences seem to be substantially reduced when compared with the body of 2-D simulations documented in the above mentioned NASA intercomparison, particularly at 31 deg N.

Description: SEASAT synthetic aperture radar (SAR) echoes from the sea have previously been shown to be the result of rain and winds produced by convective stroms; rain damps the surface waves and causes ech-free holes, while the diverging winds associated with downdraft generate waves and associated echoes surrounding the holes. Gust fronts are also evident. Such a snapshot from 8 July 1978 has been examined in conjunction with ground-based radar. This leads to the conclusion that the SAR storm footprints resulted from storm processes that occurred up to an hour or more prior to the snapshot. A sequence of events is discerned from the SAR imagery in which new cell growth is triggered in between the converging outflows of two preexisting cells. In turn, the new cell generates a mini-squall line along its expanding gust front. While such phenomena are well known over land, the spaceborne SAR now allows important inferences to be made about the nature and frequency of convective storms over the oceans. The storm effects on the sea have significant implications for spaceborne wind scatterometry and rainfall measurements. Some of the findings herein remain speculative because of the great distance to the Miami weather radar-the only source of corroborative data.

Description: Time average climatology and low-frequency variabilities of the global hydrologic cycle (GHC) in the Goddard Laboratory for Atmospheres (GLA) general circulation model (GCM) were investigated in the present work. A 730-day experiment was conducted with the GLA GCM forced by insolation, sea surface temperature, and ice-snow undergoing climatological annual cycles. Ifluences of interactive soil moisture on time average climatology and natural variability of the GHC were also investigated by conducting 365-day experiments with and without interactive soil moisture. Insolation, sea surface temperature, and ice-snow were fixed at their July levels in the latter two experiments. Results show that the model's time average hydrologic cycle variables for July in all three experiments agree reasonably well with observations. Except in the case of precipitable water, the zonal average climates of the annual cycle experiment and the two perpetual July experiments are alike, i.e., their differences are within limits of the natural variability of the model's climate. Statistics of various components of the GHC, i.e., water vapor, evaporation, and precipitation, are significantly affected by the presence of interactive soil moisture. A long-term trend is found in the principal empirical modes of variability of ground wetness, evaporation, and sensible heat. Dominant modes of variability of these quantities over land are physically consistent with one another and with land surface energy balance requirements. The dominant mode of precipitation variability is found to be closely related to organized convection over the tropical western Pacific Ocean. The precipitation variability has timescales in the range of 2 to 3 months and can be identified with the stationary component of the Madden-Julian Oscillation. The precipitation mode is not sensitive to the presence of interactive soil moisture but is closely linked to both the rotational and divergent components of atmospheric moisture transport. The present results indicate that globally coherent natural variability of the GHC in the GLA GCM has two basic timescales in the absence of annual cycles of external forcings: a long-term trend associated with atmosphere-soil moisture interaction which affects the model atmosphere mostly over midlatitude continental regions and a large-scale 2- to 3-month variability associated with atmospheric moist processes over the western Pacific Ocean.

Description: Climatologies of convective precipitation were derived from passive microwave observations from the Special Sensor Microwave Imager using a scattering-based algorithm of Adler et al. Data were aggregated over periods of 3-5 months using data from 4 to 5 years. Data were also stratified by satellite overpass times (primarily 06 00 and 18 00 local time). Four regions (Mexico, Amazonia, western Africa, and the western equatorial Pacific Ocean (TOGA COARE area) were chosen for their meteorological interest and relative paucity of conventional observations. The strong diurnal variation over Mexico and the southern United States was the most striking aspect of the climatologies. Pronounced morning maxima occured offshore, often in concativities in the coastline, the result of the increased convergence caused by the coastline shape. The major feature of the evening rain field was a linear-shaped maximum along the western slope of the Sierra Madre Occidental. Topography exerted a strong control on the rainfall in other areas, particularly near the Nicaragua/Honduras border and in Guatemala, where maxima in excess of 700 mm/month were located adjacent to local maxima in terrain. The correlation between the estimates and monthly gage data over the southern United States was low (0.45), due mainly to poor temporal sampling in any month and an inadequate sampling of the diurnal cycle. Over the Amazon Basin the differences in morning versus evening rainfall were complex, with an alternating series of morning/evening maxima aligned southwest to northeast from the Andes to the northeast Brazilian coast. A real extent of rainfall in Amazonia was slightly higher in the evening, but a maximum in morning precipitation was found on the Amazon River just east of Manaus. Precipitation over the water in the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) north of Brazil was more pronounced in the morning, and a pronounced land-/sea-breeze circulation was found along the northeast coast of Brazil. Inter-comparison of four years revealed 1992 to be the driest over Amazonia, with about a 23% decrease in mean rate compared to the 4-year mean estimated rain rate.

Description: Geochemical profiles of surface units, impact, and volcanic features are studied in detail to determine the underlying structure in an area of extensive mare/highland interface, Sinus Amoris. This study region includes and surrounds the northeastern embayment of Mare Tranquillitatis. The concentrations of two major rock-forming elements (Mg and Al), which were derived from the Apollo 15 orbital geochemical measurements, were used in this study. Mapped units and deposits associated with craters in the northwestern part of the region tend to have correlated low Mg and Al concentrations, indicating the presence of Potassium (K)-Rare Earth Elements (REE)-Phosphorus (P) (KREEP)-enriched basalt. Found along the northeastern rim of Tranquillitatis were areas with correlated high Mg and Al concentration, indicating the presence of troctolite. Distinctive west/east and north/south trends were observed in the concentrations of Mg and Al, and, by implication, in the distribution of major rock components on the surface. Evidence for a systematic geochemical transition in highland or basin-forming units may be observed here in the form of distinctive differences in chemistry in otherwise similar units in the western and eastern portions of the study region.

Description: Ample evidence supports the significance of the high-latitude ionospheric contribution to magnetospheric plasma. Assuming flux conservation along a flux tube, the upward field-aligned ion flows observed in the magnetosphere require high-latitude ionospheric field-aligned ion upflows of the order of 10(exp 8) to 10(exp 9)/sq cm/s. Since radar and satellite observations of high-latitude F region flows at times exceed this flux requirement by an order of magnitude, the thermal ionospheric upflows are not simply the ionospheric response to a magnetospheric flux requirement. Several ionospheric ion upflow mechanisms have been proposed, but simulations based on fluid theory do not reproduce all the observed features of ionospheric ion upflows. Certain asymmetries in the statistical morphology of high-latitude F region ion upflows suggest that the ion upflows may be generated by ion-neutral frictional heating. We developed a single-component (O(+)), time-dependent gyro-kinetic model of the high-latitude F region response to frictional heating in which the neutral exobase is a discontinuous boundary between fully collisional and collisionless plasmas. The concept of a discontinuous neutreal exobase and the assumption of a constant and uniform polarization electric field reduce the ion velocity distribution function, from which we can compute the ion density, parallel velocity, parallel and perpendicular temperature, and parallel flux. Using our model, we simulated the response of a convecting flux tube between 500 km and 2500 km to various frictional heating inputs; the results were both qualitatively and quantitatively different from fluid model results, which may indicate an inadequacy of the fluid theory approach. The gyro-kinetic frictional heating model responses to the various simulations were qualitatively similar: (1) initial perturbations of all the modeled parameters propagated rapidly up the flux tube, (2) transient values of the ion parallel velocity, temperature, and flux exceeded 3 km/s, 2 x 10(exp 4) K, and 10(exp 9)/sq cm/s, respectively, (3) a second transient regime developed wherein the parallel temperature drops to very low values (a few hundred Kelvins), and (4) well after heating ceased, large parallel temperatures and large downward parallel velocities and fluxes developed as the flux tube slowly returned to diffusive equilibrium. The ion velocity distributions during the simulation are often non-Maxwellian and are sometimes composed of two distinct ion populations.

Description: The meteorological satellite program began in the United States as the result of the actions taken by a very small but dedicated group of people from the late 1940s to 1960. This paper provides firsthand accounts by two of these dedicated individuals. Their remarks provide an insight into the trials and tribulations they and the program encountered during these very early years. Those now active in the program, many of whom do not recall this time, might appreciate the effort of these pioneers and the legacy they left for us.

Description: The aerobraking orbital activities of Magelland during the gravity mapping of Venus are discussed. The goal of aerobraking was to circularize Magellan's orbit. By aerobraking the spacecraft into a nearly circula orbit, the Magellan team was able to provide scientists with a different data set to deepen their understanding of what is going on beneath Venus' surface. Before undertaking its gravity-mapping mission, Magellan completed three cycles of radar mapping. This repeated coverage allowed the spacecraft to see some of Venus' geologic features from different viewing angles. Various aspects of the mission are discussed, and maps of Venus are presented.

Description: We have combined the most recent Pioneer Venus Orbiter (PVO) and Magellan (MGN) data with the earlier 1978-1982 PVO data set to obtain a new 60th degree and order spherical harmonic gravity model and a 120th degree and order spherical harmonic topography model. Free-air gravity maps are shown over regions where the most marked improvement has been obtained (Ishtar-Terra, Alpha, Bell and Artemis). Gravity versus topography relationships are presented as correlations per degree and axes orientation.

Description: The Experimental Cloud Lidar Pilot Study (ECLIPS) was initiated to obtain statistics on cloud-base height, extinction, optical depth, cloud brokenness, and surface fluxes. Two observational phases have taken place, in October-December 1989 and April-July 1991, with intensive 30-day periods being selected within the two time intervals. Data are being archived at NASA Langley Research Center and, once there, are readily available to the international scientific community. This article describes the scale of the study in terms of its international involvement and in the range of data being recorded. Lidar observations of cloud height and backscatter coefficient have been taken from a number of ground-based stations spread around the globe. Solar shortwave and infrared longwave fluxes and infrared beam radiance have been measured at the surface wherever possible. The observations have been tailored to occur around the overpass times of the NOAA weather satellites. This article describes in some detail the various retrieval methods used to obtain results on cloud-base height, extinction coefficient, and infrared emittance, paying particular attention to the uncertainties involved.

Description: In this paper, we investigate the relative importance of local vs remote control on cloud radiative forcing using a cumulus ensemble model. It is found that cloud and surface radiation forcings are much more sensitive to the mean vertical motion assoicated with large scale tropical circulation than to the local SST (sea surface temperature). When the local SST is increased with the mean vertical motion held constant, increased surface latent and sensible heat flux associated with enhanced moisture recycling is found to be the primary mechanism for cooling the ocean surface. Large changes in surface shortwave fluxes are related to changes in cloudiness induced by changes in the large scale circulation. These results are consistent with a number of earlier empirical studies, which raised concerns regarding the validity of the cirrus-thermostat hypothesis (Ramanathan and Collins, 1991). It is argued that for a better understanding of cloud feedback, both local and remote controls need to be considered and that a cumulus ensemble model is a powerful tool that should be explored for such purpose.

Description: The probability of polar stratospheric cloud (PSC) occurrence in the Antarctic and Arctic has been estimated using Stratospheric Aerosol Measurement (SAM) II aerosol extinction data from 1978 to 1989. Antarctic PSCs are typically observed by SAM II from mid-May to early November, with a maximum zonal average probability of about 0.6 at 18-20 km in August. The typical Arctic PSC season extends only from late November to early March, with a peak zonal average probability of about 0.1 in early February at 20-22 km. There is considerable year-to-year variability in Arctic PSC sightings because of changes in the dynamics of the northern polar vortex. Year-to-year variability in Antarctic sightings is most prominent in the number of late season clouds. Maximum PSC sighting probabilities in both polar regions occur in the region from 90 deg W through the Greenwich meridian to 90 deg E, where temperatures are coldest on average. Arctic sighting probabilities approach zero outside this region, but clouds have been sighted in the Antarctic at all longitudes during most months. Inferred PSC formation temperatures remain constant throughout the Arctic winter and are similar to those in early Antarctic winter. PSC formation temperatures in the Antarctic drop markedly in the 15 to 20-km region by September, a pattern consistent with the irreversible loss of HNO3 and H2O vapor in sedimenting PSC particles.

Description: A one-speed Boltzmann transport theory, with diffusion approximations, is applied to study the radiative transfer properties of lightning in optically thick thunderclouds. Near-infrared (lambda = 0.7774 micrometers) photons associated with a prominent oxygen emission triplet in the lightning spectrum are considered. Transient and spatially complex lightning radiation sources are placed inside a rectangular parallelepiped thundercloud geometry and the effects of multiple scattering are studied. The cloud is assumed to be composed of a homogeneous collection of identical spherical water droplets, each droplet a nearly conservative, anisotropic scatterer. Conceptually, we treat the thundercloud like a nuclear reactor, with photons replaced by neutrons, and utilize standard one-speed neutron diffusion techniques common in nuclear reactor analyses. Valid analytic results for the intensity distribution (expanded in spherical harmonics) are obtained for regions sufficiently far from sources. Model estimates of the arrival-time delay and pulse width broadening of lightning signals radiated from within the cloud are determined and the results are in good agreement with both experimental data and previous Monte Carlo estimates. Additional model studies of this kind will be used to study the general information content of cloud top lightning radiation signatures.

Description: We report infrared heterodyne spectroscopy (lambda/delta lambda is approximately 10(exp 6)) of C2H6 emission at 11.9 microns from the northern Jovian auroral region, in observations conducted over December 2-7, 1989. Accurately measured line shapes provide information on C2H6 abundance as well as temperature and permit retrieval of the source pressure region. Enhanced emission was observed in the longitude range approximately 150-180 deg at approximately 60 deg north latitude, approximately corresponding to the CH4 7.8 micron hot spot and the region of brightest UV aurora. Significant brightness variations were observed in the hot spot emissions on a time scale of approximately 20 hours. Analysis of the brightest hot spot spectra indicates C2H6 mole fractions of approximately (6.3-6.8) x 10(exp -6) at temperatures of approximately 182-184 K at 1 mbar, compared to mole fractions of (3.8 +/- 1.4) x 10(exp -6) averaged over spectra outside the hot spot at a temperature of approximately 172 K at the same pressure. Fixing the mole fraction to the lower limit retrieved in the quiescent (non-hot spot) region allows the temperature at 1 mbar to be as high as approximately 200 K within the hot spot. These results provide upper limits to the temperature increase near the source of the C2H6 thermal infrared emission. Combined with results from similar measurements of ethylene emission probing the approximately 10-microbar region (Kostiuk et al., this issue), altitude information on the thermal structure of the Jovian auroral stratosphere can be obtained for the first time.

Description: Doppler tracking data of three orbiting spacecraft have been reanalyzed to develop a new gravitational field model for the planet Mars, Goddard Mars Model 1 (GMM-1). This model employs nearly all available data, consisting of approximately 1100 days of S band tracking data collected by NASA's Deep Space Network from the Mariner 9 and Viking 1 and Viking 2 spacecraft, in seven different orbits, between 1971 and 1979. GMM-1 is complete to spherical harmonic degree and order 50, which corresponds to a half-wavelength spatial resolution of 200-300 km where the data permit. GMM-1 represents satellite orbits with considerably better accuracy than previous Mars gravity models and shows greater resolution of identifiable geological structures. The notable improvement in GMM-1 over previous models is a consequence of several factors: improved computational capabilities, the use of otpimum weighting and least squares collocation solution techniques which stabilized the behavior of the solution at high degree and order, and the use of longer satellite arcs than employed in previous solutions that were made possible by improved force and measurement models. The inclusion of X band tracking data from the 379-km altitude, nnear-polar orbiting Mars Observer spacecraft should provide a significant improvement over GMM-1, particularly at high latitudes where current data poorly resolve the gravitational signature of the planet.

Description: A series of surface-modified clays containing nanophase (np) iron/oxyhydroxides of extremely small particle sizes, with total iron contents as high as found in Mars soil, were prepared by iron deposition on the clay surface from ferrous chloride solution. Comprehensive studies of the iron mineralogy in these 'Mars-soil analogs' were conducted using chemical extractions, solubility analyses, pH and redox, x ray and electron diffractometry, electron microscopic imaging specific surface area and particle size determinations, differential thermal analyses, magnetic properties characterization, spectral reflectance, and Viking biology simulation experiments. The clay matrix and the procedure used for synthesis produced nanophase iron oxides containing a certain proportion of divalent iron, which slowly converts to more stable, fully oxidized iron minerals. The noncrystalline nature of the iron compounds precipitated on the surface of the clay was verified by their complete extractability in oxalate. Lepidocrocite (gamma-FeOOH) was detected by selected area electron diffraction. It is formed from a double iron Fe(II)/Fe(III) hydroxyl mineral such as 'green rust', or ferrosic hydroxide. Magnetic measurements suggested that lepidocrocite converted to the more stable meaghemite (gamma-Fe203) by mild heat treatment and then to nanophase hematite (aplha-Fe203) by extensive heat treatment. Their chemical reactivity offers a plausible mechanism for the somewhat puzzling observations of the Viking biology experiments. Their unique chemical reactivities are attributed to the combined catalytic effects of the iron oxide/oxyhydroxide and silicate phase surfaces. The mode of formation of these (nanophase) iron oxides on Mars is still unknown.

Description: Spatial correlation among densely packed particles can substantially change their single-scattering properties, thus making questionable the applicability of the independent scattering approximation in calculations of light scattering by planetary regoliths. The same problem arises in geophysics in light scattering computations for snow, frosts, and bare soil. In this paper, we use a dense-medium light-scattering theory based on the introduction of the static structure factor to calculate asymmetry parameters of the phase function for densely packed particles with real refractive indices 1.31 and 1.66, approximating water ice and soil particles, respectively, and imaginary refractive indices 0, 0.01, and 0.3. For sparsely distributed, independently scattering grains, the calculated asymmetry parameters are always positive and always larger than those for densely packed particles. For densely packed grains, the asymmetry parameters may be negative but only for radius-to-wavelength ratios from about 0.1 to about 0.4. With decreasing particle size, the calculated asymmetry parameters tend to zero independently of the compaction state. In the geometrical optics regime, the asymmetry parameters for densely packed scatterers are positive and very close to those for independently scattering grains. These results may have important implications for remote sensing of the Earth and solid planetary surfaces. In particular, it is demonstrated that negative asymmetry parameters derived with some approximate multiple-scattering theories may be physically irrelevant and can be the result of using an inaccurate bidirectional reflection function combined with the ill-conditionally of the inverse scattering problem.

Description: The 3-5 micrometer thermal emission of the nightside of Venus, recorded by the Near-Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (NIMS) instrument at the time of the Galileo flyby of Venus, is analysed to infer the properties of the upper cloud boundary. From the global maps of Venus at fixed wavelengths, the limb darkening of the flux is measured at several latitudes, within each infrared channel. By using the nominal Pioneer Venus thermal profile, these data give access to two parameters: the cloud deck temperature and the cloud scale height. It is verified independently, from the NIMS spectra, that this thermal profile is consistent with all the NIMS observations, and that the thermal structure does not vary significantly in the latitude range (25 deg S, 30 deg N). Within this range, the cloud scale height is found to be constant with latitude, and is H = 5.2 km, with an accuracy of about 15%, taking into account the various sources of theoretical and observational uncertainties. At higher latitudes, the temperature profile becomes more isothermal and the presented method to retrieve H is no longer valid.

Description: A large number of i.r. spectra of Venus was obtained using the Near-Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (NIMS) on the Galileo spacecraft, during the February 1990 encounter. Preliminary results show an apparent increase in the tropospheric CO volume mixing ratio (vmr) in the northern polar region. Other possible explanations of the observations are examined and rejected and an increase of the CO abundance north of 47 deg N of (35 +/- 15)% is inferred. Some possible causes of this enhancement are suggested.

Description: The spectroscopic data of the Near-Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (NIMS), recorded during the Galileo flyby of Venus, are analysed to retrieve the water vapor abundance variations in the lower atmosphere of Venus at night. The 1.18 micrometer spectral window, which probes altitude levels below 20 km, is used for this purpose. Constraints on the CO2 continuum and far-wing opacity from existing ground-based high-resolution observations are included in the modelling of the NIMS spectra. The NIMS measurements can be fitted with a water vapor mixing ratio of 30 +/- 15 ppm, in agreement with analyses of ground-based nightside observations. The water vapor abundance shows no horizontal variations exceeding 20% over a wide latitude range (40 deg S, 50 deg N) on the nightside of Venus. Within the same selection of NIMS spectra, a large enhancement in the O2 fluorescence emission at 1.27 micrometer is observed at a latitude of 40 deg S, over a spatial area about 100 km wide.

Description: Using Venus nightside data obtained by the Galileo Near-Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (NIMS), we have studied the correlation of 1.74 and 2.30 micrometer radiation which is transmitted through the clouds. Since the scattering and absorption properties of the cloud particles are different at these two wavelengths, one can distinguish between abundance variations and variations in the properties of the cloud particles themselves. The correlation of intensities shows a clustering of data into five distinct branches. Using radiative transfer calculations, we interpret these branches as regions of distinct but different mixes of Mode 2' and 3 particles. The data and calculations indicate large differences in these modal ratios, the active cloud regions varying in content from nearly pure Mode 2' particles to almost wholly Mode 3. The spatial distribution of these branches shows large scale sizes and both hemispheric symmetries and asymmetries. High-latitude concentrations of large particles are seen in both hemispheres and there is banded structure of small particles seen in both the North and South which may be related. The mean particle size in the Northern Hemisphere is greater than found in the South. If these different branch regions are due to mixing of vertically stratified source regions (e.g. photochemical and condensation source mechanisms), then the mixing must be coherent over very large spatial scales.

Description: Five years of meteorological and hydrological data from a typical New England watershed where winter snow cover is significant were used to drive and validate two off-line land surface schemes suitable for use in the Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) general circulation model (GCM): a baseline scheme that does not model the physics of a snowpack and therefore, neglects the insulating properties of snow cover; and a modified scheme in which a three-layer snowpack is modeled. Comparing baseline model results with validation data reveals several model deficiencies. Surface radiation temperatures could not adequately be modeled and the ground froze to unreasonable depths. Furthermore, because of ground cooling resulting from large surface heat fluxes to the atmosphere from the uninsulated surface, deeper model layers did not unfreeze until midsummer. As such, the normal hydrologic processes of runoff, ground water infiltration, and movement, etc., are compromised for a good part of the year. With the inclusion of a simple three-layer snow model into the baseline model, not only are the ground and surface radiation temperatures adequately modeled but all the features of snowpack ripening that characterize pack growth/ablation are simulated.

Description: The Radio and Plasma Wave Science (RPWS) experiment being built for the Cassini spacecraft will study a wide range of plasma and radio wave phenomena in the magnetosphere of Saturn and will also make valuable measurements during the cruise phase and at other encounters. A feature of data from wave receivers is the capability of producing vastly more data than the spacecraft telemetry link is capable of transmitting back to the Earth. Thus, techniques of on-board data compression and data reduction are important. The RPWS instrument has one processor dedicated to data compression tasks.

Description: A three-year climatology of satellite-estimated rainfall for the warm season for the southwest United States and Mexico has been derived from data from the Special Sensor Microwave Imager (SSM/I). The microwave data have been stratified by month (June, July, August), year (1988, 1989, 1990), and time of day (morning and evening orbits). A rain algorithm was employed that relates 86-GHz brightness temperatures to rain rate using a coupled cloud-radiative transfer model. Results identify an early evening maximum in rainfall along the western slope of the Sierra Madre Occidental during all three months. A prominent morning rainfall maximum was found off the western Mexican coast near Mazatlan in July and August. Substantial differences between morning and evening estimates were noted. To the extent that three years constitute a climatology, results of interannual variability are presented. Results are compared and contrasted to high-resolution (8 km, hourly) infrared cloud climatologies, which consist of the frequency of occurrence of cloud colder than -38 C and -58 C. This comparison has broad implications for the estimation of rainfall by simple (cloud threshold) techniques. By sampling the infrared data to approximate the time and space resolution of the microwave, we produce ratios (or adjustment factors) by which we can adjust the infrared rain estimation schemes. This produces a combined microwave/infrared rain algorithm for monthly rainfall. Using a limited set of raingage data as ground truth, an improvement (lower bias and root-mean-square error) was demonstrated by this combined technique when compared to either method alone. The diurnal variability of convection during July 1990 was examined using hourly rain estimates from the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) precipitation index and the convective stratiform technique, revealing a maximum in estimated rainfall from 1800 to 2100 local time. It is in this time period when the SSM/I evening orbit occurs. A high-resolution topographic database was available to aid in interpreting the influence of topography on the rainfall patterns.

Description: An advanced Microwave Precipitation Radiometer (AMPR) has been developed and flown in the NASA ER-2-high-altitude aircraft for imaging various atmospheric and surface processes, primarily the internal structure of rain clouds. The AMPR is a scanning four-frequency total power microwave radiometer that is externally calibrated with high-emissivity warm and cold loads. Separate antenna systems allow the sampling of the 10.7- and 19.35-GHz channels at the same spatial resolution, while the 37.1- and 85.5-GHz channels utilize the same multifrequency feedhorn as the 19.35-GHz channel. Spatial resolutions from an aircraft altitude of 20-km range from 0.6 km at 85.5 GHz to 2.8 km at 19.35 and 10.7 GHz. All channels are sampled every 0.6 km in both along-track and cross-track directions, leading to a contiguous sampling pattern of the 85.5-GHz 3-dB beamwidth footprints, 2.3X oversampling of the 37.1-GHz data, and 4.4X oversampling of the 19.35- and 10.7-GHz data. Radiometer temperature sensitivities range from 0.2 to 0.5 C. Details of the system are described, including two different calibration systems and their effect on the data collected. Examples of oceanic rain systems are presented from Florida and the tropical west Pacific that illustrate the wide variety of cloud water, rainwater, and precipitation-size ice combinations that are observable from aircraft altitudes.

Description: A general circulation model (GCM) is used to model global lightning distributions and frequencies. Both total and cloud-to-ground lightning frequencies are modeled using parameterizations that relate the depth of convective clouds to lightning frequencies. The model's simulations of lightning distributions in time and space show good agreement with available observations. The model's annual mean climatology shows a global lightning frequency of 77 flashes per second, with cloud-to-ground lightning making up 25% of the total. The maximum lightning activity in the GCM occurs during the Northern Hemisphere summer, with approximately 91% of all lightning occurring over continental and coastal regions.

Description: The first comprehensive discussion of the south seasonal polar cap spectra obtained by the Mariner 7 infrared spectrometer in the short-wavelength region (2-4 microns) is presented. The infrared spectra is correlated with images acquired by the wide-angle camera. Significant spectral variation is noted in the cap interior and regions of varying water frost abundance, CO2 ice/frost cover, and CO2-ice path length can be distinguished. Many of these spectral variations correlate with heterogeneity noted in the camera images, but certain significant infrared spectral variations are not discernible in the visible. Simple reflectance models are used to classify the observed spectral variations into four regions. Region I is at the cap edge, where there is enhanced absorption beyond 3 microns inferred to be caused by an increased abundance of water frost. The increase in water abundance over that in the interior is on the level of a few parts per thousand or less. Region II is the typical cap interior characterized by spectral features of CO2 ice at grain sizes of several millimeters to centimeters. These spectra also indicate the presence of water frost at the parts per thousand level. A third, unusual region (III), is defined by three spectra in which weak CO2 absorption features are as much as twice as strong as in the average cap spectra and are assumed to be caused by an increased path length in the CO2. Such large paths are inconsistent with the high reflectance in the visible and at 2.2 microns and suggest layered structures or deposition conditions that are not accounted for in current reflectance models. The final region (IV) is an area of thinning frost coverage or transparent ice well in the interior of the seasonal cap. These spectra are a combination of CO2 and ground signatures.

Description: We report new measurements of the sodium emission intensity seen in a line of sight just above the surface of the Moon. These data show a strong dependence on lunar phase. The emission intensity decreases from a maximum around first quarter (phase angle 90 deg) to very small values near full Moon (phase angle 0 deg). This suggests that the rate of sodium vapor production from the lunar surface is largest at the subsolar point and becomes small near the terminator. However, the sodium emission near full Moon falls below that which would be expected for solar photon-driven processes. Since the solar wind flux decreases substantially when the Moon enters the Earth's magnetotail near full Moon, while the global solar photon flux is undiminished, we suggest that solar wind sputtering is the dominant process for sodium production.

Description: This work is directed toward approximating the evolution of forecast error covariances for data assimilation. The performance of different algorithms based on simplification of the standard Kalman filter (KF) is studied. These are suboptimal schemes (SOSs) when compared to the KF, which is optimal for linear problems with known statistics. The SOSs considered here are several versions of optimal interpolation (OI), a scheme for height error variance advection, and a simplified KF in which the full height error covariance is advected. To employ a methodology for exact comparison among these schemes, a linear environment is maintained, in which a beta-plane shallow-water model linearized about a constant zonal flow is chosen for the test-bed dynamics. The results show that constructing dynamically balanced forecast error covariances rather than using conventional geostrophically balanced ones is essential for successful performance of any SOS. A posteriori initialization of SOSs to compensate for model - data imbalance sometimes results in poor performance. Instead, properly constructed dynamically balanced forecast error covariances eliminate the need for initialization. When the SOSs studied here make use of dynamically balanced forecast error covariances, the difference among their performances progresses naturally from conventional OI to the KF. In fact, the results suggest that even modest enhancements of OI, such as including an approximate dynamical equation for height error variances while leaving height error correlation structure homogeneous, go a long way toward achieving the performance of the KF, provided that dynamically balanced cross-covariances are constructed and that model errors are accounted for properly. The results indicate that such enhancements are necessary if unconventional data are to have a positive impact.

Description: Infrared diffuse reflectance spectra (2.53-25 microns) of some carbonaceous (C) chondrites were measured. The integrated intensity of the absorption bands near 3 microns caused by hydrous minerals were compared with the modal content of hydrous minerals for the meteorites. The CM and CI chondrites show larger values of the intergated intensity than those of the unique C chondrites Y82162, Y86720 and B7904, suggesting that the amount of hydrous minerals in the CM and CI chondrites is larger, which supports the contention that hydrous minerals were dehydrated by thermal metamorphism in the unique chondrites. Orgueil (CI) has the largest value of the integrated intensity among the C chondrites we measured and shows a sharp absorption band at 3685/cm (2.71 microns) that is not seen in the spectra of the CM chondrites. There is an excellent correlation between the observed hydrogen content in C chondrites and the integrated intensity. The CM chondrites show a wide variation in the strength of absorption bands at 1470/cm (6.8 microns), despite the similarity in absorption features near 3 micron for all CM chondites. The 1470/cm band could be due to the presence of some hydrocarbons but may also be a result of terrestrial alteration processes.

Description: A cumulus ensemble model is used to study the tropical water and energy cycles and their role in the climate system. The model includes cloud dynamics, radiative processes, and microphysics that incorporate all important production and conversion processes among water vapor and five species of hydrometeors. Radiative transfer in clouds is parameterized based on cloud contents and size distributions of each bulk hydrometeor. Several model integrations have been carried out under a variety of imposed boundary and large-scale conditions. In Part 1 of this paper, the primary focus is on the water and heat budgets of the control experiment, which is designed to simulate the convective - radiative equilibrium response of the model to an imposed vertical velocity and a fixed sea surface temperature at 28 C. The simulated atmosphere is conditionally unstable below the freezing level and close to neutral above the freezing level. The equilibrium water budget shows that the total moisture source, M(sub s), which is contributed by surface evaporation (0.24 M(sub s)) and the large-scale advection (0.76 M(sub s)), all converts to mean surface precipitation bar-P(sub s). Most of M(sub s) is transported verticaly in convective regions where much of the condensate is generated and falls to surface (0.68 bar-P(sub s)). The remaining condensate detrains at a rate of 0.48 bar-P(sub s) and constitutes 65% of the source for stratiform clouds above the melting level. The upper-level stratiform cloud dissipates into clear environment at a rate of 0.14 bar-P(sub s), which is a significant moisture source comparable to the detrained water vapor (0.15 bar-P(sub s)) to the upper troposphere from convective clouds. In the lower troposphere, stratiform clouds evaporate at a rate of 0.41 bar-P(sub s), which is a more dominant moisture source than surface evaporation (0.22 bar-P(sub s)). The precipitation falling to the surface in the stratiform region is about 0.32 bar-P(sub s). The associated latent heating in the water cycle is the dominant source in the heat budget that generates a net upward motion in convective regions, upper stratiform regions (above the freezing level), and a downward motion in the lower stratiform regions. The budgets reveal a cycle of water and energy resulted from radiation-dynamic-convection interactions that maintain equilibrium of the atmosphere.

Description: Radar or satellite observations of an area generate sequences of rain-rate maps. From a gridded map a histogram of rain rates can be obtained representing the relative areas occupied by rain rates of various strengths. The histograms vary with time as precipitating systems in the area evolve and decay and amounts of convective and stratiform rain in the area change. A method of decomposing the histograms into linear combinations of a few empirical distributions with time-dependent coefficients is developed, using principal component analysis as a starting point. When applied to a tropical Atlantic dataset (GATE), two distributions emerge naturally from the analysis, resembling stratiform and convective rain-rate distributions in that they peak at low and high rain rates, respectively. The two 'modes' have different timescales and only the high-rain-rate mode has a statistically significant diurnal cycle. The ability of just two modes to describe rain variabiltiy over an area can explain why methods of estimating area-averaged rain rate from the area covered by rain rates above a certain threshold are so successful.

Description: Carbon monoxide (CO) and methane (CH4) were measured in the 0.15- to 6-km portion of the troposphere over subarctic and boreal landscapes of midcontinent and eastern Canada during July - August 1990. In the mid-continent region, Arctic air entering the region was characterized by relatively uniform CO concentrations (86-108 parts per billion by volume (ppbv)) and CH4 concentrations (1729-1764 ppbv). Local biomass burning and long-range transport of CO into the area from industrial/urban sources and distant fires did frequently produce enhanced and variable concentrations. Emissions of CH4 from the Hudson Bay lowlands was the primary source for enhanced and variable concentrations, especially at altitudes of 0.15-1 km. In eastern Canada, most of the observed variability in CO and CH4 was similar in origin to the phenomena described for the midcontinent region. However, unexpectedly low concentrations of CO (51 ppbv) and CH4 (1688 ppbv) were measured in the midtroposphere on several flights. Combined meteorological and chemical data indicated that the low CO-CH4 events were the result of long-range transport of tropical Pacific marine air to subarctic latitudes.

Description: We report features of acidic gases in the troposphere from 9 to 5000 m altitude above ground over the Canadian taiga in the summer of 1990. The measurements were conducted at a 30-m meteorological tower and from the NASA Wallops Electra aircraft as part of the joint U.S.-Canadian Arctic Boundary Layer Expedition (ABLE) 3B Northern Wetland Studies (NOWES). We sampled air for acidic gases using the mist chamber collector coupled with subsequent analysis using ion chromatography. At the tower we collected samples at two heights during a 13-day period, including diurnal studies. Using eddy flux and profile data, we estimated the biosphere/troposphere fluxes of nitric, formic, and acetic acids and sulfur dioxide. For the organic acids, emissions from the taiga in the afternoon hours and deposition during the predawn morning hours were observed. The flux intensities alone were however not high enough to explain the observed changes in mixing ratios. The measured deposition fluxes of nitric acid were high enough to have a significant influence on its mixing ratio in the boundary layer. On three days we measured vertical profiles of nitric, formic, and acetic acids through the lower to midtroposphere. We found that the chemical composition of the troposphere was extremely heterogenous. Pronounced layers of polluted air were readily apparent from our measurements. Local photochemical production and episodic long-range transport of trace components, originating from biomass burning and possibly industrial emissions, appear to have a strong influence on the composition of the troposphere and biosphere/troposphere fluxes of acidic gases at this site.

Description: In this study we perform an error analysis for cloud-top pressure retrieval using the High-Resolution Infrared Radiometric Sounder (HIRS/2) 15-microns CO2 channels for the two-layer case of transmissive cirrus overlying an overcast, opaque stratiform cloud. This analysis includes standard deviation and bias error due to instrument noise and the presence of two cloud layers, the lower of which is opaque. Instantaneous cloud pressure retrieval errors are determined for a range of cloud amounts (0.1-1.0) and cloud-top pressures (850-250 mb). Large cloud-top pressure retrieval errors are found to occur when a lower opaque layer is present underneath an upper transmissive cloud layer in the satellite field of view (FOV). Errors tend to increase with decreasing upper-cloud effective cloud amount and with decreasing cloud height (increasing pressure). Errors in retrieved upper-cloud pressure result in corresponding errors in derived effective cloud amount. For the case in which a HIRS FOV has two distinct cloud layers, the difference between the retrieved and actual cloud-top pressure is positive in all cases, meaning that the retrieved upper-cloud height is lower than the actual upper-cloud height. In addition, errors in retrieved cloud pressure are found to depend upon the lapse rate between the low-level cloud top and the surface. We examined which sounder channel combinations would minimize the total errors in derived cirrus cloud height caused by instrument noise and by the presence of a lower-level cloud. We find that while the sounding channels that peak between 700 and 1000 mb minimize random errors, the sounding channels that peak at 300-500 mb minimize bias errors. For a cloud climatology, the bias errors are most critical.

Description: We examine the influence of aggregation errors on developing estimates of regional soil-CO2 flux from temperate forests. We find daily soil-CO2 fluxes to be more sensitive to changes in soil temperatures (Q(sub 10) = 3.08) than air temperatures (Q(sub 10) = 1.99). The direct use of mean monthly air temperatures with a daily flux model underestimates regional fluxes by approximately 4%. Temporal aggregation error varies with spatial resolution. Overall, our calibrated modeling approach reduces spatial aggregation error by 9.3% and temporal aggregation error by 15.5%. After minimizing spatial and temporal aggregation errors, mature temperate forest soils are estimated to contribute 12.9 Pg C/yr to the atmosphere as carbon dioxide. Georeferenced model estimates agree well with annual soil-CO2 fluxes measured during chamber studies in mature temperate forest stands around the globe.

Description: This study examines the role of synoptic-scale eddies during the development of persistent anticyclonic height anomalies over the central North Pacific in a general circulation model under perpetual January conditions. The General Circulation Model (GCM) replicates the basic characteristics of the evolution of the anomaly patterns found in observations. The life cycle is characterized by the rapid establishment of the major anomaly center and considerably longer maintenance and decay phases, which include the development of downstream anomaly centers. The simulation also shows a realistic evolution of synoptic-scale activity beginning with enhanced activity off the east coast of Asia prior to onset, followed by a northward shift of the Pacific storm track, which lasts throughout the maintenance phase. The initial enhancement of synoptic-scale eddy activity is associated with a large-scale cyclonic anomaly that developes over Siberia several days prior to the onset of the main anticyclonic anomaly over the central North Pacific. The observations, however, show considerable interdecadel variability in the details of the composite onset behavior; it is unclear whether this variability is real or whether it reflects differences in the data assimilation systems. The role of the time mean flow and synoptic-scale eddies in the development of the persistent Pacific anomalies is studied within the context of a kinetic energy budget in which the flow is decomposed into the time-mean, low-frequency (timescales longer than 10 days), and synoptic (timescales less than 6 days) components. The budget, which is carried out for the simulation at 500 mb, shows that the initial growth of the persistent anticyclonic anomalies is associated with barotropic conversions of energy, with approximately equal contributions coming from the mean flow and the synoptic-scale eddies. After onset the barotropic conversion from the mean flow dominates, whereas the decay phase is associated with baroclinic processes within the low-frequency flow.

Description: Winds derived from a stratospheric and tropospheric data assimilation system (STRATAN) are compared with balance winds derived from National Meteorological Center/Climate Analysis Center (NMC/CAC) heights. At middle latitudes in the lower stratosphere, the results show that STRATAN winds are comparable to the balance winds. In addition STRATAN winds provide useful horizontal divergence analyses, and hence, vertical velocity fields. More generally, the STRATAN winds are useful in a more extended domain than the balanced winds. In particular, they are useful in the Tropics and the upper stratosphere where the balanced winds fail. The assimilation also captures the quasi-biennial oscillation, but does not do a good job of representing tropical waves.

Description: The Institute for Naval Oceanography, in cooperation with Naval Research Laboratories and universities, executed the Data Assimilation and Model Evaluation Experiment (DAMEE) for the Gulf Stream region during fiscal years 1991-1993. Enormous effort has gone into the preparation of several high-quality and consistent datasets for model initialization and verification. This paper describes the preparation process, the temporal and spatial scopes, the contents, the structure, etc., of these datasets. The goal of DAMEE and the need of data for the four phases of experiment are briefly stated. The preparation of DAMEE datasets consisted of a series of processes: (1) collection of observational data; (2) analysis and interpretation; (3) interpolation using the Optimum Thermal Interpolation System package; (4) quality control and re-analysis; and (5) data archiving and software documentation. The data products from these processes included a time series of 3D fields of temperature and salinity, 2D fields of surface dynamic height and mixed-layer depth, analysis of the Gulf Stream and rings system, and bathythermograph profiles. To date, these are the most detailed and high-quality data for mesoscale ocean modeling, data assimilation, and forecasting research. Feedback from ocean modeling groups who tested this data was incorporated into its refinement. Suggestions for DAMEE data usages include (1) ocean modeling and data assimilation studies, (2) diagnosis and theoretical studies, and (3) comparisons with locally detailed observations.

Description: A new framework for interpreting the origin of the tropical intraseasonal oscillation (TISO), which avoids the speed and scale selection problems in the previous theories, is proposed in this study. In this interpretation TISO is viewed as an oscillation driven by an eastward moving convective region. This convective region consists of one or more super cloud clusters originating in the Indian Ocean and terminating in mid-Pacific, and is then followed by another convective region arising in the Indian Ocean in a period of 40-50 days. Additionally, a formal analogy is pointed out between super cloud clusters and the middle-latitude baroclinic wave packets. This study includes a simulation of TISO in a 2D model to support our interpretation. Experiments were conducted with four different convection schemes. The authors advocate that the successful simulation of TISO depends on the successful simulation of super clouds cluster, which in turn depends on the successful simulation of the life cycle of cloud clusters, which further in turn depends on the choice of cumulus convection scheme. What makes a cumulus convection scheme successful in simulating TISO is discussed.

Description: Oxygen production from a lunar rock has been experimentally demonstrated for the first time. A 10 g sample of high-Ti basalt 70035 was reduced with hydrogen in seven experiments at temperatures of 900-1050 C and pressures of 14.7-150 psia. In all experiments, water evolution began almost immediately and was essentially complete in tens of minutes. Oxygen yields ranged from 2.93 to 4.61% of the starting sample weight, and showed weak dependence on temperature and pressure. Analysis of the solid samples demonstrated total reduction of Fe(2+) in ilmenite and small degrees of reduction in olivine and pyroxene. Ti O2 was also partially reduced to one or more suboxides. Data from these experiments provide a basis for predicting the yield of oxygen from lunar basalt as well as new constraints on natural reduction in the lunar regolith.

Description: The ORBSIM program was developed for the accurate extraction of geophysical model parameters from Doppler radio tracking data acquired from orbiting planetary spacecraft. The model of the proposed planetary structure is used in a numerical integration of the spacecraft along simulated trajectories around the primary body. Using line of sight (LOS) Doppler residuals, ORBSIM applies fast and efficient modelling and optimization procedures which avoid the traditional complex dynamic reduction of data. ORBSIM produces quantitative geophysical results such as size, depth, and mass. ORBSIM has been used extensively to investigate topographic features on the Moon, Mars, and Venus. The program has proven particulary suitable for modelling gravitational anomalies and mascons. The basic observable for spacecraft-based gravity data is the Doppler frequency shift of a transponded radio signal. The time derivative of this signal carries information regarding the gravity field acting on the spacecraft in the LOS direction (the LOS direction being the path between the spacecraft and the receiving station, either Earth or another satellite). There are many dynamic factors taken into account: earth rotation, solar radiation, acceleration from planetary bodies, tracking station time and location adjustments, etc. The actual trajectories of the spacecraft are simulated using least squares fitted to conic motion. The theoretical Doppler readings from the simulated orbits are compared to actual Doppler observations and another least squares adjustment is made. ORBSIM has three modes of operation: trajectory simulation, optimization, and gravity modelling. In all cases, an initial gravity model of curved and/or flat disks, harmonics, and/or a force table are required input. ORBSIM is written in FORTRAN 77 for batch execution and has been implemented on a DEC VAX 11/780 computer operating under VMS. This program was released in 1985.

Description: The Composite Plate Buckling Analysis Program (COMPPAP) was written to help engineers determine buckling loads of orthotropic (or isotropic) irregularly shaped plates without requiring hand calculations from design curves or extensive finite element modeling. COMPPAP is a one element finite element program that utilizes high-order displacement functions. The high order of the displacement functions enables the user to produce results more accurate than traditional h-finite elements. This program uses these high-order displacement functions to perform a plane stress analysis of a general plate followed by a buckling calculation based on the stresses found in the plane stress solution. The current version assumes a flat plate (constant thickness) subject to a constant edge load (normal or shear) on one or more edges. COMPPAP uses the power method to find the eigenvalues of the buckling problem. The power method provides an efficient solution when only one eigenvalue is desired. Once the eigenvalue is found, the eigenvector, which corresponds to the plate buckling mode shape, results as a by-product. A positive feature of the power method is that the dominant eigenvalue is the first found, which is this case is the plate buckling load. The reported eigenvalue expresses a load factor to induce plate buckling. COMPPAP is written in ANSI FORTRAN 77. Two machine versions are available from COSMIC: a PC version (MSC-22428), which is for IBM PC 386 series and higher computers and compatibles running MS-DOS; and a UNIX version (MSC-22286). The distribution medium for both machine versions includes source code for both single and double precision versions of COMPPAP. The PC version includes source code which has been optimized for implementation within DOS memory constraints as well as sample executables for both the single and double precision versions of COMPPAP. The double precision versions of COMPPAP have been successfully implemented on an IBM PC 386 compatible running MS-DOS, a Sun4 series computer running SunOS, an HP-9000 series computer running HP-UX, and a CRAY X-MP series computer running UNICOS. COMPPAP requires 1Mb of RAM and the BLAS and LINPACK math libraries, which are included on the distribution medium. The COMPPAP documentation provides instructions for using the commercial post-processing package PATRAN for graphical interpretation of COMPPAP output. The UNIX version includes two electronic versions of the documentation: one in LaTex format and one in PostScript format. The standard distribution medium for the PC version (MSC-22428) is a 5.25 inch 1.2Mb MS-DOS format diskette. The standard distribution medium for the UNIX version (MSC-22286) is a .25 inch streaming magnetic tape cartridge (Sun QIC-24) in UNIX tar format. For the UNIX version, alternate distribution media and formats are available upon request. COMPPAP was developed in 1992.

Description: The Composite Plate Buckling Analysis Program (COMPPAP) was written to help engineers determine buckling loads of orthotropic (or isotropic) irregularly shaped plates without requiring hand calculations from design curves or extensive finite element modeling. COMPPAP is a one element finite element program that utilizes high-order displacement functions. The high order of the displacement functions enables the user to produce results more accurate than traditional h-finite elements. This program uses these high-order displacement functions to perform a plane stress analysis of a general plate followed by a buckling calculation based on the stresses found in the plane stress solution. The current version assumes a flat plate (constant thickness) subject to a constant edge load (normal or shear) on one or more edges. COMPPAP uses the power method to find the eigenvalues of the buckling problem. The power method provides an efficient solution when only one eigenvalue is desired. Once the eigenvalue is found, the eigenvector, which corresponds to the plate buckling mode shape, results as a by-product. A positive feature of the power method is that the dominant eigenvalue is the first found, which is this case is the plate buckling load. The reported eigenvalue expresses a load factor to induce plate buckling. COMPPAP is written in ANSI FORTRAN 77. Two machine versions are available from COSMIC: a PC version (MSC-22428), which is for IBM PC 386 series and higher computers and compatibles running MS-DOS; and a UNIX version (MSC-22286). The distribution medium for both machine versions includes source code for both single and double precision versions of COMPPAP. The PC version includes source code which has been optimized for implementation within DOS memory constraints as well as sample executables for both the single and double precision versions of COMPPAP. The double precision versions of COMPPAP have been successfully implemented on an IBM PC 386 compatible running MS-DOS, a Sun4 series computer running SunOS, an HP-9000 series computer running HP-UX, and a CRAY X-MP series computer running UNICOS. COMPPAP requires 1Mb of RAM and the BLAS and LINPACK math libraries, which are included on the distribution medium. The COMPPAP documentation provides instructions for using the commercial post-processing package PATRAN for graphical interpretation of COMPPAP output. The UNIX version includes two electronic versions of the documentation: one in LaTex format and one in PostScript format. The standard distribution medium for the PC version (MSC-22428) is a 5.25 inch 1.2Mb MS-DOS format diskette. The standard distribution medium for the UNIX version (MSC-22286) is a .25 inch streaming magnetic tape cartridge (Sun QIC-24) in UNIX tar format. For the UNIX version, alternate distribution media and formats are available upon request. COMPPAP was developed in 1992.

Description: Structural flaws and cracks may grow under fatigue inducing loads and, upon reaching a critical size, cause structural failure to occur. The growth of these flaws and cracks may occur at load levels well below the ultimate load bearing capability of the structure. The Fatigue Crack Growth Computer Program, NASA/FLAGRO, was developed as an aid in predicting the growth of pre-existing flaws and cracks in structural components of space systems. The earlier version of the program, FLAGRO4, was the primary analysis tool used by Rockwell International and the Shuttle subcontractors for fracture control analysis on the Space Shuttle. NASA/FLAGRO is an enhanced version of the program and incorporates state-of-the-art improvements in both fracture mechanics and computer technology. NASA/FLAGRO provides the fracture mechanics analyst with a computerized method of evaluating the "safe crack growth life" capabilities of structural components. NASA/FLAGRO could also be used to evaluate the damage tolerance aspects of a given structural design. The propagation of an existing crack is governed by the stress field in the vicinity of the crack tip. The stress intensity factor is defined in terms of the relationship between the stress field magnitude and the crack size. The propagation of the crack becomes catastrophic when the local stress intensity factor reaches the fracture toughness of the material. NASA/FLAGRO predicts crack growth using a two-dimensional model which predicts growth independently in two directions based on the calculation of stress intensity factors. The analyst can choose to use either a crack growth rate equation or a nonlinear interpolation routine based on tabular data. The growth rate equation is a modified Forman equation which can be converted to a Paris or Walker equation by substituting different values into the exponent. This equation provides accuracy and versatility and can be fit to data using standard least squares methods. Stress-intensity factor numerical values can be computed for making comparisons or checks of solutions. NASA/FLAGRO can check for failure of a part-through crack in the mode of a through crack when net ligament yielding occurs. NASA/FLAGRO has a number of special subroutines and files which provide enhanced capabilities and easy entry of data. These include crack case solutions, cyclic load spectrums, nondestructive examination initial flaw sizes, table interpolation, and material properties. The materials properties files are divided into two types, a user defined file and a fixed file. Data is entered and stored in the user defined file during program execution, while the fixed file contains already coded-in property value data for many different materials. Prompted input from CRT terminals consists of initial crack definition (which can be defined automatically), rate solution type, flaw type and geometry, material properties (if they are not in the built-in tables of material data), load spectrum data (if not included in the loads spectrum file), and design limit stress levels. NASA/FLAGRO output includes an echo of the input with any error or warning messages, the final crack size, whether or not critical crack size has been reached for the specified stress level, and a life history profile of the crack propagation. NASA/FLAGRO is modularly designed to facilitate revisions and operation on minicomputers. The program was implemented on a DEC VAX 11/780 with the VMS operating system. NASA/FLAGRO is written in FORTRAN77 and has a memory requirement of 1.4 MB. The program was developed in 1986.

Description: Delaminations near the outer surface of a laminate are susceptible to local buckling and buckling-induced delamination propagation when the laminate is subjected to transverse impact loading. This results in a loss of stiffness and strength. TRBUCKL is an unique dynamic delamination buckling and delamination propagation analysis capability that can be incorporated into the structural analysis program, NASTRAN. This capability will aid engineers in the design of structures incorporating composite laminates. The capability consists of: (1) a modification of the direct time integration solution sequence which provides a new analysis algorithm that can be used to predict delamination buckling in a laminate subjected to dynamic loading; and (2) a new method of modeling the composite laminate using plate bending elements and multipoint constraints. The capability now exists to predict the time at which the onset of dynamic delamination buckling occurs, the dynamic buckling mode shape, and the dynamic delamination strain energy release rate. A procedure file for NASTRAN, TRBUCKL predicts both impact induced buckling in composite laminates with initial delaminations and the strain energy release rate due to extension of the delamination. In addition, the file is useful in calculating the dynamic delamination strain energy release rate for a composite laminate under impact loading. This procedure simplifies the simulation of progressive crack extension. TRBUCKL has been incorporated into COSMIC NASTRAN. TRBUCKL is a DMAP Alter for NASTRAN. It is intended for use only with the COSMIC NASTRAN Direct Transient Analysis (RF 9) solution sequence. The program is available as a listing only. TRBUCKL was developed in 1987.

Description: Predictions of fatigue crack growth behavior can be made with the Fatigue Crack Growth Structural Analysis (FASTRAN II) computer program. As cyclic loads are applied to a selected crack configuration with an initial crack size, FASTRAN II predicts crack growth as a function of cyclic load history until either a desired crack size is reached or failure occurs. FASTRAN II is based on plasticity-induced crack-closure behavior of cracks in metallic materials and accounts for load-interaction effects, such as retardation and acceleration, under variable-amplitude loading. The closure model is based on the Dugdale model with modifications to allow plastically deformed material to be left along the crack surfaces as the crack grows. Plane stress and plane strain conditions, as well as conditions between these two, can be simulated in FASTRAN II by using a constraint factor on tensile yielding at the crack front to approximately account for three-dimensional stress states. FASTRAN II contains seventeen predefined crack configurations (standard laboratory fatigue crack growth rate specimens and many common crack configurations found in structures); and the user can define one additional crack configuration. The baseline crack growth rate properties (effective stress-intensity factor against crack growth rate) may be given in either equation or tabular form. For three-dimensional crack configurations, such as surface cracks or corner cracks at holes or notches, the fatigue crack growth rate properties may be different in the crack depth and crack length directions. Final failure of the cracked structure can be modelled with fracture toughness properties using either linear-elastic fracture mechanics (brittle materials), a two-parameter fracture criterion (brittle to ductile materials), or plastic collapse (extremely ductile materials). The crack configurations in FASTRAN II can be subjected to either constant-amplitude, variable-amplitude or spectrum loading. The applied loads may be either tensile or compressive. Several standardized aircraft flight-load histories, such as TWIST, Mini-TWIST, FALSTAFF, Inverted FALSTAFF, Felix and Gaussian, are included as options. FASTRAN II also includes two other methods that will help the user input spectrum load histories. The two methods are: (1) a list of stress points, and (2) a flight-by-flight history of stress points. Examples are provided in the user manual. Developed as a research program, FASTRAN II has successfully predicted crack growth in many metallic materials under various aircraft spectrum loading. A computer program DKEFF which is a part of the FASTRAN II package was also developed to analyze crack growth rate data from laboratory specimens to obtain the effective stress-intensity factor against crack growth rate relations used in FASTRAN II. FASTRAN II is written in standard FORTRAN 77. It has been successfully compiled and implemented on Sun4 series computers running SunOS and on IBM PC compatibles running MS-DOS using the Lahey F77L FORTRAN compiler. Sample input and output data are included with the FASTRAN II package. The UNIX version requires 660K of RAM for execution. The standard distribution medium for the UNIX version (LAR-14865) is a .25 inch streaming magnetic tape cartridge in UNIX tar format. It is also available on a 3.5 inch diskette in UNIX tar format. The standard distribution medium for the MS-DOS version (LAR-14944) is a 5.25 inch 360K MS-DOS format diskette. The contents of the diskette are compressed using the PKWARE archiving tools. The utility to unarchive the files, PKUNZIP.EXE, is included. The program was developed in 1984 and revised in 1992. Sun4 and SunOS are trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc. IBM PC is a trademark of International Business Machines Corp. MS-DOS is a trademark of Microsoft, Inc. F77L is a trademark of the Lahey Computer Systems, Inc. UNIX is a registered trademark of AT&T Bell Laboratories. PKWARE and PKUNZIP are trademarks of PKWare, Inc.

Description: The Panel Analysis and Sizing Code (PASCO) was developed for the buckling and vibration analysis and sizing of prismatic structures having an arbitrary cross section. PASCO is primarily intended for analyzing and sizing stiffened panels made of laminated orthotropic materials and is of particular value in analyzing and sizing filamentary composite structures. When used in the analysis mode, PASCO calculates laminate stiffnesses, lamina stress and strains (including the effects of temperature and panel bending), buckling loads, vibration frequencies, and overall panel stiffness. When used in the sizing mode, PASCO adjusts sizing variables to provide a low-mass panel design that carries a set of specified loadings without exceeding buckling or material strength allowables and that meets other design requirements such as upper and lower bounds on sizing variables, upper and lower bounds on overall bending, extensional and shear stiffnesses, and lower bounds on vibration frequencies. Although emphasis in PASCO is placed on flat panels having several identical bays, the only restriction on configuration modeling is that the structure is assumed to be prismatic. In addition, it is assumed that loads and temperatures do not vary along the length of a panel. Because of their wide application in aerospace structures, stiffened panels are readily handled by PASCO. The panel cross section may be composed of an arbitrary assemblage of thin, flat, rectangular plate elements that are connected together along their longitudinal edges. Each plate element consists of a balanced symmetric laminate of any number of layers of orthotropic material. Any group of element widths, layer thicknesses, and layer orientation angles may be selected as sizing variables. Substructuring is available to increase the efficiency of the analysis and to simplify the modeling of complicated structures. The Macintosh version of PASCO includes an interactive, graphic preprocessor called MacPASCO. The main objective of MacPASCO is to make the use of PASCO faster, simpler, and less error-prone. By using a graphical user interface (GUI), MacPASCO simplifies the specification of panel geometry and reduces user input errors, thus making the modeling and analysis of panel designs more efficient. The user draws the initial structural geometry on the computer screen, then uses a combination of graphic and text inputs to: refine the structural geometry, specify information required for analysis such as panel load conditions, and define design variables and constraints for minimum-mass optimization. Composite panel design is an ideal application because the graphical user interface can: serve as a visual aid, eliminate the tedious aspects of text-based input, and eliminate many sources of input errors. The current version of MacPASCO does not implement all the modeling features of PASCO, but has been found to be sufficient for many users. Many difficulties common to text-based inputs are avoided because MacPASCO uses a GUI. First, the graphic displays eliminate syntax errors, like misplaced commas and incorrect command names, because there is no text-based syntax. Second, graphic displays allow the user to see the geometry as it is created and immediately detect and correct any errors. Third, MacPASCO's drawing tools have been designed to avoid modeling errors. Fourth, the graphic displays make revisions to existing structural designs much easier and less error-prone by eliminating the need for the user to conceptualize the text input as geometry. The user can work directly with the geometry displayed on the screen. Finally, MacPASCO automatically generates the correct PASCO input from the geometry displayed on the screen. This input file can be used with any machine version of PASCO to actually perform the analysis and sizing and to output results. The DEC VAX version of PASCO is written in FORTRAN IV for batch execution and has been implemented on a DEC VAX series computer. The Macintosh version of PASCO was developed for Macintosh II series computers with at least 2Mb of RAM running MPW Pascal 3.0 and Language Systems FORTRAN 2.0 under the MPW programming environment. It includes MPW compatible makefiles for compiling the source code. The Macintosh version uses input files compatible with versions of PASCO running on different platforms. MacPASCO is written in Macintosh Programmers Workbench 3.0, MPW Pascal 3.0, and MacAPP 2.0. The Pascal source code is included on the distribution diskette. MacAPP is a development library which is not included. MacPASCO requires a Mac Plus, SE/30, or MacII, IIx, IIcx, IIci, or IIfx running System 6.0 or greater. MacPASCO is System 7.0 compatible. A minimum of 2Mb of RAM is required for execution. The Macintosh version of PASCO is distributed on four 3.5 inch 800K Macintosh format diskettes. The DEC VAX version is distributed on a 9-track 1600 BPI magnetic tape. The PASCO program was developed in 1981, adapted to the DEC VAX in 1983 and to the Macintosh in 1991. MacPASCO was released in 1992.

Description: GEMPAK is a general meteorological software package developed at NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center. It includes programs to analyze and display surface, upper-air, and gridded data, including model output. There are very general programs to list, edit, and plot data on maps, to display profiles and time series, to draw and fill contours, to draw streamlines, to plot symbols for clouds, sky cover, and pressure tendency, and draw cross sections in the case of gridded data and sounding data. In addition, there are Barnes objective analysis programs to grid surface and upper-air data. The programs include the capabilities to derive meteorological parameters from those found in the dataset, to perform vertical interpolations of sounding data to different coordinate systems, and to compute an extensive set of gridded diagnostic quantities by specifying various nested combinations of scalars and vector arithmetic, algebraic, and differential operators. The GEMPAK 5.1 graphics/transformation subsystem, GEMPLT, provides device-independent graphics. GEMPLT also has the capability to display output in a variety of map projections or overlaid on satellite imagery. GEMPAK 5.1 is written in FORTRAN 77 and C-language and has been implemented on VAX computers under VMS and on computers running the UNIX operating system. During installation and normal use, this package occupies approximately 100Mb of hard disk space. The UNIX version of GEMPAK includes drivers for several graphic output systems including MIT's X Window System (X11,R4), Sun GKS, PostScript (color and monochrome), Silicon Graphics, and others. The VMS version of GEMPAK also includes drivers for several graphic output systems including PostScript (color and monochrome). The VMS version is delivered with the object code for the Transportable Applications Environment (TAE) program, version 4.1 which serves as a user interface. A color monitor is recommended for displaying maps on video display devices. Data for rendering regional maps is included with this package. The standard distribution medium for the UNIX version of GEMPAK 5.1 is a .25 inch streaming magnetic tape cartridge in UNIX tar format. The standard distribution medium for the VMS version of GEMPAK 5.1 is a 6250 BPI 9-track magnetic tape in DEC VAX BACKUP format. The VMS version is also available on a TK50 tape cartridge in DEC VAX BACKUP format. This program was developed in 1985. The current version, GEMPAK 5.1, was released in 1992. The package is delivered with source code. An extensive collection of subroutine libraries allows users to format data for use by GEMPAK, to develop new programs, and to enhance existing ones.

Description: PLAN2D is a FORTRAN computer program for the plastic analysis of planar rigid frame structures. Given a structure and loading pattern as input, PLAN2D calculates the ultimate load that the structure can sustain before collapse. Element moments and plastic hinge rotations are calculated for the ultimate load. The location of hinges required for a collapse mechanism to form are also determined. The program proceeds in an iterative series of linear elastic analyses. After each iteration the resulting elastic moments in each member are compared to the reserve plastic moment capacity of that member. The member or members that have moments closest to their reserve capacity will determine the minimum load factor and the site where the next hinge is to be inserted. Next, hinges are inserted and the structural stiffness matrix is reformulated. This cycle is repeated until the structure becomes unstable. At this point the ultimate collapse load is calculated by accumulating the minimum load factor from each previous iteration and multiplying them by the original input loads. PLAN2D is based on the program STAN, originally written by Dr. E.L. Wilson at U.C. Berkeley. PLAN2D has several limitations: 1) Although PLAN2D will detect unloading of hinges it does not contain the capability to remove hinges; 2) PLAN2D does not allow the user to input different positive and negative moment capacities and 3) PLAN2D does not consider the interaction between axial and plastic moment capacity. Axial yielding and buckling is ignored as is the reduction in moment capacity due to axial load. PLAN2D is written in FORTRAN and is machine independent. It has been tested on an IBM PC and a DEC MicroVAX. The program was developed in 1988.

Description: Predictions of fatigue crack growth behavior can be made with the Fatigue Crack Growth Structural Analysis (FASTRAN II) computer program. As cyclic loads are applied to a selected crack configuration with an initial crack size, FASTRAN II predicts crack growth as a function of cyclic load history until either a desired crack size is reached or failure occurs. FASTRAN II is based on plasticity-induced crack-closure behavior of cracks in metallic materials and accounts for load-interaction effects, such as retardation and acceleration, under variable-amplitude loading. The closure model is based on the Dugdale model with modifications to allow plastically deformed material to be left along the crack surfaces as the crack grows. Plane stress and plane strain conditions, as well as conditions between these two, can be simulated in FASTRAN II by using a constraint factor on tensile yielding at the crack front to approximately account for three-dimensional stress states. FASTRAN II contains seventeen predefined crack configurations (standard laboratory fatigue crack growth rate specimens and many common crack configurations found in structures); and the user can define one additional crack configuration. The baseline crack growth rate properties (effective stress-intensity factor against crack growth rate) may be given in either equation or tabular form. For three-dimensional crack configurations, such as surface cracks or corner cracks at holes or notches, the fatigue crack growth rate properties may be different in the crack depth and crack length directions. Final failure of the cracked structure can be modelled with fracture toughness properties using either linear-elastic fracture mechanics (brittle materials), a two-parameter fracture criterion (brittle to ductile materials), or plastic collapse (extremely ductile materials). The crack configurations in FASTRAN II can be subjected to either constant-amplitude, variable-amplitude or spectrum loading. The applied loads may be either tensile or compressive. Several standardized aircraft flight-load histories, such as TWIST, Mini-TWIST, FALSTAFF, Inverted FALSTAFF, Felix and Gaussian, are included as options. FASTRAN II also includes two other methods that will help the user input spectrum load histories. The two methods are: (1) a list of stress points, and (2) a flight-by-flight history of stress points. Examples are provided in the user manual. Developed as a research program, FASTRAN II has successfully predicted crack growth in many metallic materials under various aircraft spectrum loading. A computer program DKEFF which is a part of the FASTRAN II package was also developed to analyze crack growth rate data from laboratory specimens to obtain the effective stress-intensity factor against crack growth rate relations used in FASTRAN II. FASTRAN II is written in standard FORTRAN 77. It has been successfully compiled and implemented on Sun4 series computers running SunOS and on IBM PC compatibles running MS-DOS using the Lahey F77L FORTRAN compiler. Sample input and output data are included with the FASTRAN II package. The UNIX version requires 660K of RAM for execution. The standard distribution medium for the UNIX version (LAR-14865) is a .25 inch streaming magnetic tape cartridge in UNIX tar format. It is also available on a 3.5 inch diskette in UNIX tar format. The standard distribution medium for the MS-DOS version (LAR-14944) is a 5.25 inch 360K MS-DOS format diskette. The contents of the diskette are compressed using the PKWARE archiving tools. The utility to unarchive the files, PKUNZIP.EXE, is included. The program was developed in 1984 and revised in 1992. Sun4 and SunOS are trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc. IBM PC is a trademark of International Business Machines Corp. MS-DOS is a trademark of Microsoft, Inc. F77L is a trademark of the Lahey Computer Systems, Inc. UNIX is a registered trademark of AT&T Bell Laboratories. PKWARE and PKUNZIP are trademarks of PKWare, Inc.

Description: GEMPAK is a general meteorological software package developed at NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center. It includes programs to analyze and display surface, upper-air, and gridded data, including model output. There are very general programs to list, edit, and plot data on maps, to display profiles and time series, to draw and fill contours, to draw streamlines, to plot symbols for clouds, sky cover, and pressure tendency, and draw cross sections in the case of gridded data and sounding data. In addition, there are Barnes objective analysis programs to grid surface and upper-air data. The programs include the capabilities to derive meteorological parameters from those found in the dataset, to perform vertical interpolations of sounding data to different coordinate systems, and to compute an extensive set of gridded diagnostic quantities by specifying various nested combinations of scalars and vector arithmetic, algebraic, and differential operators. The GEMPAK 5.1 graphics/transformation subsystem, GEMPLT, provides device-independent graphics. GEMPLT also has the capability to display output in a variety of map projections or overlaid on satellite imagery. GEMPAK 5.1 is written in FORTRAN 77 and C-language and has been implemented on VAX computers under VMS and on computers running the UNIX operating system. During installation and normal use, this package occupies approximately 100Mb of hard disk space. The UNIX version of GEMPAK includes drivers for several graphic output systems including MIT's X Window System (X11,R4), Sun GKS, PostScript (color and monochrome), Silicon Graphics, and others. The VMS version of GEMPAK also includes drivers for several graphic output systems including PostScript (color and monochrome). The VMS version is delivered with the object code for the Transportable Applications Environment (TAE) program, version 4.1 which serves as a user interface. A color monitor is recommended for displaying maps on video display devices. Data for rendering regional maps is included with this package. The standard distribution medium for the UNIX version of GEMPAK 5.1 is a .25 inch streaming magnetic tape cartridge in UNIX tar format. The standard distribution medium for the VMS version of GEMPAK 5.1 is a 6250 BPI 9-track magnetic tape in DEC VAX BACKUP format. The VMS version is also available on a TK50 tape cartridge in DEC VAX BACKUP format. This program was developed in 1985. The current version, GEMPAK 5.1, was released in 1992. The package is delivered with source code. An extensive collection of subroutine libraries allows users to format data for use by GEMPAK, to develop new programs, and to enhance existing ones.

Description: A meteorological overview of the Arctic Boundary Layer Expedition (ABLE 3A) flight series is presented. Synoptic analyses of mid-tropospheric circulation patterns are combined with isentropic back trajectory calculations to describe the long-range (400-3000 km) atmospheric transport mechanisms and pathways of air masses to the Arctic and sub-Arctic regions of North America during July and August 1988. Siberia and the northern Pacific Ocean were found to be the two most likely source areas for 3-day transport to the study areas in Alaska. Transport to the Barrow region was frequently influenced by polar vortices and associated short-wave troughs over the Arctic Ocean, while the Bethel area was most often affected by lows migrating across the Bering Sea and the Gulf of Alaska, as well as ridges of high pressure which built into interior Alaska. July 1988 was warmer and dryer than normal over much of Alaska. As a result, the 1988 Alaska fire season was one of the most active of the past decade. Airborne lidar measurements verified the presence of biomass burning plumes on many flights, often trapped in thin subsidence layer temperature inversions. Several cases of stratosphere/troposphere exchange were noted, based upon potential vorticity analyses and aircraft lidar data, especially in the Barrow region and during transit flights to and from Alaska.

Description: The aerosol optical depth over the Konza Prairie, near Manhattan, Kansas, was recorded at various locations by five separate teams. These measurements were made in support of the First ISLSCP Field Experiment (FIFE) and used to correct imagery from a variety of satellite and aircraft sensors for the effects of atmospheric scattering and absorption. The results from one instrument are reported here for 26 days in 1987 and for 7 in 1989. Daily averages span a range of 0.05 to 0.28 in the midvisible wavelengths. In addition, diurnal variations are noted in which the afternoon optical depths are greater than those of the morning by as much as 0.07. A comparison between instruments and processing techniques used to determine these aerosol optical depths is provided. The first comparisons are made using summer 1987 data. Differences of as much as 0.05 (midvisible) are observed. Although these data allow reasonable surface reflectance retrievals, they do not agree to within the performance limits typically associated with these types of instruments. With an accuracy goal of 0.02 a preseason calibration/comparison experiment was conducted at a mountain site prior to the final field campaign in 1989. Good calibration data were obtained, and good agreement (0.01, midvisible) was observed in the retrieved optical depth acquired over the Konza. By comparing data from the surface instruments at different locations, spatial inhomogeneities are determined. Then, data from the airborne tracking sunphotometer allow one to determine variations as a function of altitude. Finally, a technique is proposed for using the in situ data to establish an instrument calibration.

Description: The underlying mean and variance properties of surface net radiation, sensible-latent heat fluxes and soil heat flux are studied over the densely instrumented grassland region encompassing FIFE. Flux variability is discussed together with the problem of scaling up to area-averaged fluxes. Results are compared and contrasted for cloudy and clear situations and examined for the influence of surface-induced biophysical controls (burn and grazing treatments) and topographic controls (aspect ratios and slope factors).

Description: Airborne measurements of flux densities of carbon dioxide CO2, sensible heat, and latent heat (H2O) obtained over the First ISLSCP Field Experiment (FIFE) site during three intensive field campaigns in 1987 and one in 1989 are examined to characterize the spatial and temporal variations of CO2 and energy transfer processes. These data were collected by the National Research Council Twin Otter using low-level flight patterns, all flown at constant pressure altitude during relatively clear days. The spatial variations are larger in 1989 than in 1987 and a higher correlation is observed between the fluxes and the surface features. The temporal patterns are easier to characterize with the relatively homogeneous situation of 1987. Functional relationships obtained between fluxes of CO2 and latent heat, CO2 fluxes and greenness index, latent heat fluxes and greenness index, and between sensible heat fluxes and surface air temperature differences are presented for one day in 1987 and one in 1989 as an example of the kind of information that can be obtained from grid flights at constant pressure altitude.

Description: Radiometric measurements at 90 GHz and three sideband frequencies near the peak water vapor absorption line of 183.3 GHz were made with Advanced Microwave Moisture Sounder (AMMS) aboard the NASA DC-8 aircraft during the Global Aerosol Backscatter Experiment (GLOBE) mission over the Pacific Ocean in November 1989. Some of the measurements over the high-latitude regions (greater than 50 deg N or 50 deg S) were analyzed for the retrieval of total precipitable water less than 0.5 g/sq cm both over land and ocean surfaces. The results show that total precipitable water from a relatively dry atmosphere could be estimated with high sensitivity from these radiometric measurements. The retrieved values over ocean surface show a decrease toward the polar region as expected. The retrieved total precipitable water over land correlates positively with the aircraft radar altitude. This positive correlation is expected because the aircraft radar altitude provides a measure of atmospheric water vapor burden above the surface. Retrieved high reflectivities over land surface at 90 GHz and 183 GHz are presumably related to snow cover on the ground. This suggests that radiometric measurements at these frequencies could be used to map snow at high-latitude regions.

Description: A three-bay, space, cantilever truss is probabilistically evaluated for adaptive/smart/intelligent behavior. For each behavior, the scatter (ranges) in buckling loads, vibration frequencies, and member axial forces are probabilistically determined. Sensitivities associated with uncertainties in the structure, material and load variables that describe the truss are determined for different probabilities. The relative magnitude for these sensitivities are used to identify significant truss variables that control/classify its behavior to respond as an adaptive/smart/intelligent structure. Results show that the probabilistic buckling loads and vibration frequencies increase for each truss classification, with a substantial increase for intelligent trusses. Similarly, the probabilistic member axial forces reduce for adaptive and intelligent trusses and increase for smart trusses.

Description: The effects of different fabrication procedures to increase the damage tolerance of sandwich panels were studied. Baseline panels consisted of a 25.4 mm premolded core, surfaced with 177 C cure film adhesive and carbon-bismaleimide prepreg which were subsequently cocured onto the core. It was found that panels with a prefabricated skin, which was subsequently bonded onto the core with room temperature cure adhesive, showed greatly increased damage tolerance.

Description: A novel modeling technique is developed and applied to the long-wavelength gravity, topography, and internal density structure of Venus. The focus of this study is to employ data on the gravity and topography of Venus, which are obtained from the Pioneer Venus Orbiter mission, to enhance understanding some key aspects of the internal structure of the planet. A modeling strategy utilizing 'stokeslets' or basic units of slow viscous flow (governed by the Stokes equations) to duplicate the observed gravity and topography is implemented.

Description: The SNIP program is a FORTRAN computer code that generates NASTRAN structural model thermal loads when given SINDA (or similar thermal model) temperature results. SNIP correlates thermal nodes to structural elements to interface SINDA finite difference thermal models with NASTRAN finite element structural models. Node-to-element correlation includes determining which SINDA nodes should be related to each NASTRAN element and calculating a weighing factor for temperatures associated with each element-related thermal node. SNIP provides structural model thermal loads that accurately reflect thermal model results while reducing the time required to interface thermal and structural models as compared to other methods. SNIP uses thermal model geometry to search the three-dimensional space around each structural element for the nearest thermal nodes. Thermal model geometry is the combination of standard thermal model temperature results from SINDA and structural model geometry from NASTRAN. Thermal and structural models must both be defined in the same, single Cartesian coordinate system. The thermal nodes located nearest each element are used to determine element temperature for thermal distortion and stress analysis. The program shapes the three-dimensional search region while the user controls the size. With these region specifications, the numerical coding of thermal nodes, and the structural element numbers; the code can provide for the separation of substructures during correlation. The input to SNIP contains a file of thermal model temperature results and a physical location of each thermal node in three-dimensional space, combined in a SNIP-unique format. The input also contains a standard NASTRAN input deck for a model made up of plate, shell, beam, and bar elements. SNIP supports the CTRIA, CQUAD, CBAR, and CBEAM elements of NASTRAN. The user adjusts the input parameters in the source code which control the node-to-element correlation. The program outputs NASTRAN element temperature load cards for each element and NASTRAN case control cards for each temperature load set. SNIP also outputs a list of elements that contains the numbers of the SINDA nodes related to each NASTRAN element and the weight that is given to each node in temperature calculations. SNIP is written in ANSI standard FORTRAN 77. The PC version requires a PC FORTRAN compiler and has compiled successfully using Lahey FORTRAN v. 3.0. A core memory of 300k is recommended. The program was developed in 1987.

Description: This study is based on the NCAR King Air aircraft and radiosonde observations on 31 October 1986 during the FIRE in Wisconsin over Oshkosh. Aircraft step-up and spiral descent flights are used to obtain kinematic and thermodynamic data. In the step-up maneuver, six different penetrations were made between 1528 and 1616 UTC. Each penetration was about 30 km long separated in the vertical by about 300 m. The time difference between the two spiral soundings was about 43 min. The aircraft descended at a rate of 1.5 m/s during these spiral soundings. Kinematic, cloud physical, and radiometric observations from various instruments are used to estimate the different terms in the moisture- and heat-budget equations. The results show that the advection terms, estimated using the mean longitudinal wind and vertical velocities, and radiative fluxes are important in forming budgets for the cirrus layers. Ice-crystal growth is significant in the upper layers. The maintenance of cirrus can be attributed to relatively warm and moist air advection, radiative cooling at upper levels, and moisture advection in the vertical. Turbulent heat and moisture fluxes are found to be significant in the low levels of cirrus.

Description: NPLOT is an interactive computer graphics program for plotting undeformed and deformed NASTRAN finite element models (FEMs). Although there are many commercial codes already available for plotting FEMs, these have limited use due to their cost, speed, and lack of features to view BAR elements. NPLOT was specifically developed to overcome these limitations. On a vector type graphics device the two best ways to show depth are by hidden line plotting or haloed line plotting. A hidden line algorithm generates views of models with all hidden lines removed, and a haloed line algorithm displays views with aft lines broken in order to show depth while keeping the entire model visible. A haloed line algorithm is especially useful for plotting models composed of many line elements and few surface elements. The most important feature of NPLOT is its ability to create both hidden line and haloed line views accurately and much more quickly than with any other existing hidden or haloed line algorithms. NPLOT is also capable of plotting a normal wire frame view to display all lines of a model. NPLOT is able to aid in viewing all elements, but it has special features not generally available for plotting BAR elements. These features include plotting of TRUE LENGTH and NORMALIZED offset vectors and orientation vectors. Standard display operations such as rotation and perspective are possible, but different view planes such as X-Y, Y-Z, and X-Z may also be selected. Another display option is the Z-axis cut which allows a portion of the fore part of the model to be cut away to reveal details of the inside of the model. A zoom function is available to terminals with a locator (graphics cursor, joystick, etc.). The user interface of NPLOT is designed to make the program quick and easy to use. A combination of menus and commands with help menus for detailed information about each command allows experienced users greater speed and efficiency. Once a plot is on the screen the interface becomes command driven, enabling the user to manipulate the display or execute a command without having to return to the menu. NPLOT is also able to plot deformed shapes allowing it to perform post-processing. The program can read displacements, either static displacements or eigenvectors, from a MSC/NASTRAN F06 file or a UAI/NASTRAN PRT file. The displacements are written into a unformatted scratch file where they are available for rapid access when the user wishes to display a deformed shape. All subcases or mode shapes can be read in at once. Then it is easy to enable the deformed shape, to change subcases or mode shapes and to change the scale factor for subsequent plots. NPLOT is written in VAX FORTRAN for DEC VAX series computers running VMS. As distributed, the NPLOT source code makes calls to the DI3000 graphics package from Precision Visuals; however, a set of interface routines is provided to translate the DI3000 calls into Tektronix PLOT10/TCS graphics library calls so that NPLOT can use the standard Tektronix 4010 which many PC terminal emulation software programs support. NPLOT is available in VAX BACKUP format on a 9-track 1600 BPI DEC VAX BACKUP format magnetic tape (standard media) or a TK50 tape cartridge. This program was developed in 1991. DEC, VAX, VMS, and TK50 are trademarks of Digital Equipment Corporation. Tektronix, PLOT10, and TCS are trademarks of Tektronix, Inc. DI3000 is a registered trademark of Precision Visuals, Inc. NASTRAN is a registered trademark of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. MSC/ is a trademark of MacNeal-Schwendler Corporation. UAI is a trademark of Universal Analytics, Inc.

Description: The threshold method for estimation of area-average rain rate relies on determination of the fractional area where rain rate exceeds a preset level of intensity. Previous studies have shown that the optimal threshold level depends on the climatological rain-rate distribution (RRD). It has also been noted, however, that the climatological RRD may be composed of an aggregate of distributions, one for each of several distinctly different synoptic conditions, each having its own optimal threshold. In this study, the impact of RRD variations on the threshold method is shown in an analysis of 1-min rainrate data from a network of tipping-bucket gauges in Darwin, Australia. Data are analyzed for two distinct regimes: the premonsoon environment, having isolated intense thunderstorms, and the active monsoon rains, having organized convective cell clusters that generate large areas of stratiform rain. It is found that a threshold of 10 mm/h results in the same threshold coefficient for both regimes, suggesting an alternative definition of optimal threshold as that which is least sensitive to distribution variations. The observed behavior of the threshold coefficient is well simulated by assumption of lognormal distributions with different scale parameters and same shape parameters.