Vertical Layering Research Articles

Profiling of fine and coarse particle mass: case studies of Saharan dust and Eyjafjallajökull/Grimsvötn volcanic plumes

Abstract. The polarization lidar photometer networking (POLIPHON) method introduced to separate coarse-mode and fine-mode particle properties of Eyjafjallajökull volcanic aerosols in 2010 is extended to cover Saharan dust events as well. Furthermore, new volcanic dust observations performed after the Grimsvötn volcanic eruptions in 2011 are presented. The retrieval of particle mass concentrations requires mass-specific extinction coefficients. Therefore, a review of recently published mass-specific extinction coefficients for Saharan dust and volcanic dust is given. Case studies of four different scenarios corroborate the applicability of the profiling technique: (a) Saharan dust outbreak to central Europe, (b) Saharan dust plume mixed with biomass-burning smoke over Cape Verde, and volcanic aerosol layers originating from (c) the Eyjafjallajökull eruptions in 2010 and (d) the Grimsvötn eruptions in 2011. Strong differences in the vertical aerosol layering, aerosol mixing, and optical properties are observed for the different volcanic events.

The ocean's internal motion: A short overview of NIOZ thermistor string observations

Detailed observations of the variability in space and time of motions that dominate redistribution of material and heat are rare. However, these motions are vital for life in seas and ocean. Modern electronics have allowed the manufacturing of 1-Hz high-sampling rate, <1-mK precision, 6000-m depth-rated temperature sensors with the potential of 1-year uninterrupted stand-alone operation. These sensors have been specifically developed for use in a vertical array of many O(100), to study dynamic processes like fronts and internal waves in shallow seas and deep ocean. Under conditions of sufficient spatial vertical resolution, O(0.1–1m), and temperature acting as a proper tracer for density variations, the sensors are excellent in estimating turbulence parameters generated by such processes. In the ocean interior, they reveal continuous internal wave variability and step-like vertical layering in temperature, but very little turbulence. Above sloping topography, small- and large-scale overturnings yield turbulence parameter values which vary by up to four orders of magnitude as a function of time. Largest values are observed in bursts lasting typically 500–1000s and associated with nonlinear internal wave passages. These bursts occur irregularly in a tidal phase. When extrapolated to the ocean at large, sufficient mixing is observed above sloping boundaries to maintain the overall vertical density stratification.

Stratified flows with vertical layering of density: experimental and theoretical study of flow configurations and their stability

AbstractA vertically moving boundary in a stratified fluid can create and maintain a horizontal density gradient, or vertical layering of density, through the mechanism of viscous entrainment. Experiments to study the evolution and stability of axisymmetric flows with vertically layered density are performed by towing a narrow fibre upwards through a stably stratified viscous fluid. The fibre forms a closed loop and thus its effective length is infinite. A layer of denser fluid is entrained and its thickness is measured by implementing tracking analysis of dyed fluid images. Thickness values of up to 70 times that of the fibre are routinely obtained. A lubrication model is developed for both a two-dimensional geometry and the axisymmetric geometry of the experiment, and shown to be in excellent agreement with dynamic experimental measurements once subtleties of the optical tracking are addressed. Linear stability analysis is performed on a family of exact shear solutions, using both asymptotic and numerical methods in both two dimensions and the axisymmetric geometry of the experiment. It is found analytically that the stability properties of the flow depend strongly on the size of the layer of heavy fluid surrounding the moving boundary, and that the flow is neutrally stable to perturbations in the large-wavelength limit. At the first correction of this limit, a critical layer size is identified that separates stable from unstable flow configurations. Surprisingly, in all of the experiments the size of the entrained layer exceeds the threshold for instability, yet no unstable behaviour is observed. This is a reflection of the small amplification rate of the instability, which leads to growth times much longer than the duration of the experiment. This observation illustrates that for finite times the hydrodynamic stability of a flow does not necessarily correspond to whether or not that flow can be realised from an initial-value problem. Similar instabilities that are neutral to leading order with respect to long waves can arise under the different physical mechanism of viscous stratification, as studied by Yih (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 27, 1967, pp. 337–352), and we draw a comparison to that scenario.

Photo-polarimetric sensitivities to layering and mixing of absorbing aerosols

We investigate to what extent multi-angle polarimetric measurements are sensitive to vertical mixing/layering of absorbing aerosols, adopting calibration uncertainty of 1.5% in intensity and 0.5% in the degree of linear polarization of Multiangle SpectroPolarimetric Imager (MSPI). Employing both determinstic and Monte Carlo radiative transfer codes with polarization, we conduct modeling experiments to determine how the measured Stokes vector elements are affected at UV and short visible wavelengths by the vertical distribution, mixing and layering of smoke and dust aerosols for variety of microphysical parameters. We find that multi-angular polarimetry holds the potential to infer dust-layer heights and thicknesses at blue visible channel due to its lesser sensitivity to changes in dust coarse mode optical properties, but higher sensitivity to the dust vertical profiles. Our studies quantify requirements for obtaining simultaneous information on aerosol layer height and absorption under MSPI measurement uncertainties.

Seismic anisotropy in microseismic event location analysis

Seismic velocity anisotropy has been known for many years to be an important factor in correctly imaging subsurface structures with reflection seismic methods (Alkhalifah et al., 1996). Fine vertical velocity layering naturally gives rise to VTI (vertical transverse isotropic) velocity in which seismic-wave velocity is faster in the horizontal direction than in the vertical direction. Similarly, vertically oriented natural fractures and stress fields influence seismic velocities in an azimuthal or compass direction which is described as HTI (horizontal transverse isotropic) velocity variation (Schoenberg and Sayers, 1995). HTI velocity analysis in seismic reflection imaging commonly has two main objectives: placing geologic features in the correct spatial location and characterizing fracture orientation and density to optimize oil and gas production strategy.

Sensitivity of multi-angle photo-polarimetry to vertical layering and mixing of absorbing aerosols: Quantifying measurement uncertainties

The impact of tropospheric aerosols on climate can vary greatly based upon relatively small variations in aerosol properties, such as composition, shape and size distributions, as well as vertical layering. Polarimetric measurements have been advocated in recent years as an additional tool to better understand and retrieve the aerosol properties needed for improved predictions of aerosol radiative forcing on climate. The goal of this study is to introduce a formal approach to assessing the sensitivity of both intensity and polarization signals to absorbing aerosol layering, explicitly accounting for instrument measurement uncertainties. If ignored, sensitivity to aerosol height can introduce biases in aerosol property retrievals at short (ultraviolet or blue) wavelengths; if properly exploited, it may enable the extraction of some basic information on aerosol profiles. Employing a vector successive-orders-of-scattering (SOS) radiative transfer code, we conducted modeling experiments to determine how the measured Stokes vector elements are affected at 446 nm (blue band) by the vertical distribution, mixing and layering of smoke and dust aerosols under the assumption of a simple Lambertian surface and predefined aerosol microphysical properties. We find that smoke and dust vertical layering, if ignored, can introduce biases in radiometric and polarimetric aerosol property retrievals for aerosol optical depth ( AOD) above 0.3 (polarimetric) and AOD above 0.5 (radiometric), and should, therefore, be accounted for in retrievals at high aerosol loadings.

Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis analyses of the vertical distribution and diversity of Vibrio spp. populations in the Cariaco Basin

The Cariaco system is the second largest permanently anoxic marine water body in the world. Its water column is characterized by a pronounced vertical layering of microbial communities. The goal of our study was to investigate the vertical distribution and diversity of Vibrio spp. present in the Cariaco Basin waters using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) of PCR-amplified 16S rDNA fragments. Representatives of the Vibrio genus were detected by nested and direct PCR in seawater at 10 depths. Sequence analyses of 55 DGGE bands revealed that only 11 different operational taxonomic units (OTU) are identified as Vibrio species. Between one and five OTUs were detected at each depth and the most common OTUs were OTU 1 and OTU 2, which phylogenetically clustered with Vibrio chagasii and Vibrio fortis, respectively. OTUs 3 and 4 were only found in the anoxic zone and were identified as Vibrio orientalis and Vibrio neptunius, respectively. Several Vibrio species detected are potentially pathogenic to human, prawns and corals such as Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Vibrio fischeri and Vibrio shilonii. In the Cariaco Basin, different Vibrio species were found to be specific to specific depths strata, suggesting that this genus is a natural component of the microbial communities in this marine redox environment.

Pic 2005, a field campaign to investigate low-tropospheric ozone variability in the Pyrenees

The Pic 2005 field campaign took place from 13 June to 7 July 2005 close to the high-altitude permanent atmospheric observatory Pic-du-Midi (PDM), situated at 2875 m asl in the French Pyrenees. The experimental set-up combined in situ ground-based observations at PDM with ozone lidar measurements at two lower sites in close vicinity (600 m asl/28 km away, and 2380 m asl/500 m away). Such an experimental configuration is appropriate to address the question of the vertical layering of the chemical atmosphere in a mountain area and above the plain nearby, and how this influences measurements conducted on a mountain summit under the influence of horizontal transport at regional scale, and vertical transport at local scale. Forecast tools made it possible to plan and carry out 6 one-day Intensive Observation Periods (IOPs), mostly in anticyclonic conditions favoring local thermally induced circulations, with and without local pollution in the lower troposphere. It was thus possible to document i) ozone diurnal variations at PDM; ii) correlation between ozone measurements at PDM and their counterparts at the same altitude in the free troposphere; iii) ozone variability in the vicinity of PDM. The field campaign provided direct experimental evidence that at daytime in the encountered conditions (mostly anticyclonic), PDM failed in a large extent to be representative of the troposphere above the surrounding flat areas at similar altitude. First, ozone daily averages at PDM were found lower than their free-tropospheric counterpart. Thermally induced circulations and convection pumping clean air from the rural boundary layer can account qualitatively for ozone depletion observed at PDM during daytime. However the surface measurements do not support the hypothesis of direct lifting of near-surface air masses up to PDM. Thus, mixing with free-tropospheric air, photochemistry and surface deposition in the valleys appear to be needed ingredients to account quantitatively for the observed variations (in proportions that further studies should determine). Second, ozone variability was found to be much lower at PDM than in the free troposphere—again an indication of atmospheric mixing. In particular at daytime, the PDM observatory did not allow for detection of ozone-rich layers simultaneously visible above the plain. Beyond these first results, the data set presented here paves way to detailed studies of the IOPs.

Synergetic monitoring of Saharan dust plumes and potential impact on surface: a case study of dust transport from Canary Islands to Iberian Peninsula

Abstract. The synergetic use of meteorological information, remote sensing both ground-based active (lidar) and passive (sun-photometry) techniques together with backtrajectory analysis and in-situ measurements is devoted to the characterization of dust intrusions. A case study of air masses advected from the Saharan region to the Canary Islands and the Iberian Peninsula, located relatively close and far away from the dust sources, respectively, was considered for this purpose. The observations were performed over three Spanish geographically strategic stations within the dust-influenced area along a common dust plume pathway monitored from 11 to 19 of March 2008. A 4-day long dust event (13–16 March) over the Santa Cruz de Tenerife Observatory (SCO), and a linked short 1-day dust episode (14 March) in the Southern Iberian Peninsula over the Atmospheric Sounding Station "El Arenosillo" (ARN) and the Granada station (GRA) were detected. Meteorological conditions favoured the dust plume transport over the area under study. Backtrajectory analysis clearly revealed the Saharan region as the source of the dust intrusion. Under the Saharan air masses influence, AERONET Aerosol Optical Depth at 500 nm (AOD500) ranged from 0.3 to 0.6 and Ångström Exponent at 440/675 nm wavelength pair (AE440/675) was lower than 0.5, indicating a high loading and predominance of coarse particles during those dusty events. Lidar observations characterized their vertical layering structure, identifying different aerosol contributions depending on altitude. In particular, the 3-km height dust layer transported from the Saharan region and observed over SCO site was later on detected at ARN and GRA stations. No significant differences were found in the lidar (extinction-to-backscatter) ratio (LR) estimation for that dust plume over all stations when a suitable aerosol scenario for lidar data retrieval is selected. Lidar-retrieved LR values of 60–70 sr were obtained during the main dust episodes. These similar LR values found in all the stations suggest that dust properties were kept nearly unchanged in the course of its medium-range transport. In addition, the potential impact on surface of that Saharan dust intrusion over the Iberian Peninsula was evaluated by means of ground-level in-situ measurements for particle deposition assessment together with backtrajectory analysis. However, no connection between those dust plumes and the particle sedimentation registered at ground level is found. Differences on particle deposition processes observed in both Southern Iberian Peninsula sites are due to the particular dust transport pattern occurred over each station. Discrepancies between columnar-integrated and ground-level in-situ measurements show a clear dependence on height of the dust particle size distribution. Then, further vertical size-resolved observations are needed for evaluation of the impact on surface of the Saharan dust arrival to the Iberian Peninsula.

Velocity Anisotropy in the Crust and Upper Mantle of North China

AbstractThis paper presents the result of a surface wave study on azimuthal anisotropy in the crust and upper mantle of North China, and makes a preliminary comparison with the result of S‐wave splitting in the region. The anisotropy pattern of Rayleigh waves of different periods exhibits obvious lateral variation, which is closely related with the tectonic divisions and vertical layering of the crust and upper mantle of North China. In the stable blocks of Ordos and Alxa significant anisotropy is rather uniform in the lithospheric mantle down to 160 km; while in the eastern part of the North China Craton, where lithosphere thinning occurred in Meso‐Cenozoic time, no azimuthal anisotropy is detected in the depth range of 80~150 km, which may indicate that no significant horizontal tectonic movement occurred during the process of lithospheric thinning. The anisotropy in the study region is characterized by obvious layering, as evidenced by the inversion result from surface waves. On the other hand the remarkable scatter of apparent splitting parameters may also be attributed to multi‐layering and/or slanting symmetry axis of the anisotropy. Assuming a multi‐layer anisotropy model, the differences between surface wave and S‐wave splitting in most cases can be qualitatively explained. In the future study the detecting depth and resolving power of surface wave should be increased and more splitting measurements are needed in order to establish a quantitative or semi‐quantitative 3D anisotropy model.

Pre-explosive conduit conditions of the 1997 Vulcanian explosions at Soufrière Hills Volcano, Montserrat: II. Overpressure and depth distributions

A type example of Vulcanian eruptive dynamics is the series of 88 explosions that occurred between August and October 1997 at Soufrière Hills volcano on Montserrat Island. These explosions are interpreted to be caused by the pressurization of a conduit by a shallow highly crystalline and degassed magma plug. We test such an interpretation by combining the pressures and porosities of the pre-explosive magma column proposed by Burgisser et al. (2010, doi:10.1016/j.jvolgeores.2010.04.008) into a physical model that reconstructs a depth-referenced density profile of the column for four mechanisms of pressure buildup. Each mechanism yields a different overpressure profile: 1) gas accumulation, 2) conduit wall elasticity, 3) microlite crystallization, and 4) magma flowage. For the first three mechanisms, the three-part vertical layering of the conduit prior to explosion was spatially distributed as a dense cap atop the conduit with a thickness of a few tens of meters, a transition zone of 400–700 m with heterogeneous vesicularities, and, at greater depth, a more homogeneous, low-porosity zone that brings the total column length to ~ 3.5 km. A shorter column can be obtained with mechanism 4: a dense cap of less than a few meters, a heterogeneous zone of 200–500 m, and a total column length as low as 2.5 km. Inflation/deflation cycles linked to a periodic overpressure source offer a dataset that we use to constrain the four overpressure mechanisms. Magma flowage is sufficient to cause periodic edifice deformation through semi-rigid conduit walls and build overpressures able to trigger explosions. Gas accumulation below a shallow plug is also able to build such overpressures and can occur regardless of magma flowage. The concurrence of these three mechanisms offers the highest likelihood of building overpressures leading to the 1997 explosion series. We also explore the consequences of sudden (eruptive) overpressure release on our magmatic columns to assess the role of syn-explosive vesiculation and pre-fragmentation column expansion. We find that large shallow overpressures and efficient syn-explosive vesiculation cause the most dramatic pre-fragmentation expansion. This leads us to depict two end-member pictures of a Vulcanian explosion. The first case corresponds to the widely accepted view that the downward motion of a fragmentation front controls column evacuation. In the second case, syn-explosive column expansion just after overpressure release brings foamed-up magma up towards an essentially stationary and shallow fragmentation front.

Pre-explosive conduit conditions of the 1997 Vulcanian explosions at Soufrière Hills Volcano, Montserrat: I. Pressure and vesicularity distributions

An authoritative case of Vulcanian eruptive dynamics is the series of 88 explosions that occurred between August and October 1997 at Soufrière Hills volcano on Montserrat Island. The state of the magmatic column just before a Vulcanian explosion is still poorly understood, but conditions the eruptive style. This study establishes such a pre-explosive stratigraphy by 1) documenting the textures covering the range of the 1997 products, 2) quantitative analysis of H 2O content in interstitial glass measured by Karl–Fischer Titration, and 3) combining these data with a simple model linking pre- and post-explosive vesicularities. The model shows that syn-explosive degassing affects greatly the way porosity evolves by decompression during an explosion. The stratigraphy reconstruction shows a three-part vertical layering of the conduit prior to explosion with overall denser values than those previously suggested. A dense and strongly degassed plug caps the column. It is underlain by a shallow transition zone featuring complex mingling between vesicular and dense magma up to 10 MPa. At higher pressure, up to 80 MPa, lies a more homogeneous zone of relatively dense (10–20 vol.%) magma, which was emplaced under partly open-system degassing. This conduit stratigraphy gives the vision of a strongly heterogeneous magma column immediately prior to its disruption. Our analysis suggests that fragmenting such a composite magma cannot happen in a single coherent pulse, but rather as stages. The transition zone contains heterogeneous amounts of exsolved gas that could explain the pulsatory nature of the Vulcanian jets at the beginning of the explosions. This contrasts with the nearly constant vesicularities of the deeper part of the pre-explosive magma column, which are propitious to a general, short-lived disruption.

Comparing Microleakage and the Layering Methods of Silorane-based Resin Composite in Wide Class II MOD Cavities

This in vitro study compared the effects of different layering techniques and different monomer-based composites on microleakage. Thirty-two freshly extracted caries-free human third molars were used. A wide mesio-occlusal-distal (MOD) cavity was prepared in each third molar, with the occlusal dimension being approximately two-thirds of the intercuspal dimension, and the cervical limit of one proximal box was stopped 1 mm below and the other 1 mm above the cementoenamel junction. The cavities were filled with a methacrylate-based nanohybrid composite (Grandio, VoCo) and a silorane-based microhybrid composite (Filtek Silorane, 3M ESPE). All samples were subjected to 1000 thermal cycles of 5 degrees C/55 degrees C in water with a 30-second dwell time and, after the procedure, the teeth were immersed in a 0.5% basic fuchsin dye at 23 degrees C for 24 hours. Sectioned samples were examined under a stereomicroscope (Leica MZ12, Leica Microsystems), and microleakage scores were statistically analyzed using the Kruskal-Wallis and the Mann-Whitney U tests. No microleakage was observed for silorane-based resin composite restorations. The nanohybrid-based resin composite restorations showed different levels of leakage. Statistical analysis of microleakage scores showed differences only at the enamel margins for nanohybrid material for both layering techniques (p < 0.05). The nanohybrid-based resin composite restorations showed better results with the vertical layering technique for enamel margins.

Characteristics of light nonaqueous phase liquid recovery in the presence of fine‐scale soil layering

The effects of fine‐scale layering of soil properties on light nonaqueous phase liquid (LNAPL) recovery using pumped groundwater drawdown were investigated using a Monte Carlo approach. Three‐dimensional simulations were performed to study the characteristics of a variety of measures describing LNAPL recovery in heterogeneous sandy aquifers. Heterogeneity models included both uncorrelated and correlated vertical permeability distributions, with both permeability‐scaled and unscaled retention characteristics. Lognormal permeability variances of 0.594 and 1.188 were considered. The Monte Carlo ensemble mean LNAPL recovery rates and cumulative recovery volumes differ significantly from homogeneous soil models. The ensemble variances are large, and confidence intervals on recovery measures are wide. Generally, lognormality is not preserved; recovery rates and volumes display asymmetric densities with standard deviations of the order of the means. Overall recovery efficiency depends critically on the layer permeability at specific elevations. Practical outcomes for field practitioners are discussed including the degree to which substantially increased times may be required for LNAPL recovery and the increased occurrence of situations where larger than expected volumes will remain unrecovered. Guidance is also given for the key measurements of layer permeabilities and their expected influence on recovery performance. It is concluded that moderate vertical layering of soil properties is sufficient to render homogeneous recovery models inappropriate.

Fault-induced seismic anisotropy by hydration in subducting oceanic plates

In subduction zones, the anisotropic fast shear-wave component is generally observed to be orientated parallel to the strike of the trench. The interpretation of this shear-wave splitting above subduction zones has, however, been controversial and none of the inferred models appears to be explain the whole range of anisotropic patterns observed worldwide. Manuele Faccenda and colleagues now show that the amount and geometry of seismic anisotropy measured in the forearc regions of subduction zones strongly depend on the preferred orientation of hydrated faults in the subducting oceanic plate. The anisotropy originates from the crystallographic preferred orientation of highly anisotropic hydrous minerals formed along steeply dipping faults and from the larger scale vertical layering consisting of dry and hydrated crust-mantle sections whose spacing is several times smaller than teleseismic wavelengths. Faults orientations and estimated delay times are consistent with the observed shear-wave splitting patterns in most subduction zones. It is shown that the amount and geometry of seismic anisotropy measured in the forearc regions of subduction zones strongly depend on the preferred orientation of hydrated faults in the subducting oceanic plate. The anisotropy originates from the crystallographic preferred orientation of highly anisotropic hydrous minerals formed along steeply dipping faults and from the larger-scale vertical layering consisting of dry and hydrated crust–mantle sections, the spacing of which is several times smaller than teleseismic wavelengths. The variation of elastic-wave velocities as a function of the direction of propagation through the Earth’s interior is a widely documented phenomenon called seismic anisotropy. The geometry and amount of seismic anisotropy is generally estimated by measuring shear-wave splitting, which consists of determining the polarization direction of the fast shear-wave component and the time delay between the fast and slow, orthogonally polarized, waves. In subduction zones, the teleseismic fast shear-wave component is oriented generally parallel to the strike of the trench1, although a few exceptions have been reported (Cascadia2 and restricted areas of South America3,4). The interpretation of shear-wave splitting above subduction zones has been controversial and none of the inferred models seems to be sufficiently complete to explain the entire range of anisotropic patterns registered worldwide1. Here we show that the amount and the geometry of seismic anisotropies measured in the forearc regions of subduction zones strongly depend on the preferred orientation of hydrated faults in the subducting oceanic plate. The anisotropy originates from the crystallographic preferred orientation of highly anisotropic hydrous minerals (serpentine and talc) formed along steeply dipping faults and from the larger-scale vertical layering consisting of dry and hydrated crust–mantle sections whose spacing is several times smaller than teleseismic wavelengths. Fault orientations and estimated delay times are consistent with the observed shear-wave splitting patterns in most subduction zones.

The 7–13 March 2006 dust storm over West Africa: Generation, transport, and vertical stratification

Several studies have shown the importance of desert dust aerosols in weather forecast models. Nevertheless, desert dust has been poorly represented in such models and is the source of some prediction errors, in particular for tropical and subtropical regions. The purpose of this paper is to illustrate the formation and the three‐dimensional transport of a severe dust storm which occurred in March 2006 over West Africa. An intense dust haze was transported southward over the Gulf of Guinea thereby generating an aerosol optical thickness (AOT) greater than 4 over Nigeria. The MesoNH mesoscale atmospheric model coupled with new dust parameterization schemes has been used to illustrate the three‐dimensional transport of the dust plume and the vertical layering of this desert air mass above the lower atmosphere monsoon flux layer. It is modeled that more than 50 g m−2 of dust was emitted during this event from the surface by a strong Harmattan wind over the Sahel region. It is also shown that when the dust layer is located over the boundary layer, it can modify the atmospheric stability by as much as 9.5 K in terms of potential temperature in the lowest 2000 m of the atmosphere.

The effect of layering on the definition of aquifer dispersivity

When analyzing solute transport in groundwater, it is necessary to introduce a variable coefficient of dispersion. It has been established that dispersion is affected by the medium, filtration rate and the size of the area. It has also been determined that an increasing travel distance increases the value of the coefficient of dispersion in the model/calculation applied. Horizontal heterogeneity and vertical layering of an aquifer make the definition of dispersion more difficult. This is particularly true of alluvial sediments, where sedimentation occurs under varying conditions and results in layering within a single lithofacial unit. In the analysis of substance migration through a layered aquifer using the conventional dispersion equation, a model of the hydraulically equivalent homogeneous aquifer was applied, including the concepts of hydraulically equivalent aquifer and coefficient of equivalent geometric dispersivity. This procedure is often applied in practice. Calculation results indicate that if a real layered aquifer is substituted in this manner by an equivalent homogeneous aquifer, it is necessary to increase dispersivity with increasing model size, in order to achieve calibration. It was concluded that increasing transverse dispersion in a layered medium increases the possibility of an effective substitution of a real multi-layered aquifer by an equivalent homogeneous aquifer. The justifiability of this approach should be evaluated for every case study.

In situ observation of nanoparticle ordering at the air-water-substrate boundary in colloidal solutions using x-ray nanobeams

The nanoscale structuring during evaporation of a droplet consisting of an aqueous colloidal solution of 2nm gold nanoparticles in water on a silicon substrate is followed in real time. The authors investigated the transfer of lateral order and vertical layering as a function of time at the three-phase contact line air-solution substrate combining a nanometer-sized x-ray beam with a grazing incidence geometry. A pronounced retardation of vertical ordering is observed with respect to lateral ordering. While individual layers are deposited during evaporation of the solvent, the growth parallel to the substrate shows a strongly nondiffusive behavior.

Water tank studies of atmospheric boundary layer structure and air pollution transport in upslope flow systems

Heated mountain slopes sometimes vent air pollutants out of the boundary layer over the slope top and at other times trap pollutants in closed circulations. Field, numerical, and water tank studies of fair weather atmospheric conditions over complex terrain have shown more complicated vertical distributions of temperature, moisture, and aerosols than over horizontal terrain. To study these phenomena, we analyze flow fields, densities, and dye distributions in a bottom‐heated salt‐stratified water tank over a 19° slope with adjacent plain and plateau and compare with field and numerical model data. Vertical layering of dye results from upslope and plain‐plateau circulations. The thermal boundary layer (TBL, the bottom layer up to neutral buoyancy height), coincides with the lower branches of these circulations. The return flow branches form elevated layers (EL) with properties intermediate between the TBL and environmental background. As heating continues, the TBL rapidly entrains the ELs, leading to deeper circulations with new ELs at greater heights. Field data suggest that successive formation and entrainment of ELs occurs at multiple scales in the atmosphere. If the aerosol loading of an EL is too high to distinguish it from the underlying TBL on lidar backscatter scans, then both layers and the associated closed circulation appear embedded in one deep backscatter boundary layer. The findings suggest defining the atmospheric boundary layer in complex terrain on the diurnal heating timescale rather than the commonly used 1‐hour timescale, which is more appropriate for flat terrain. We discuss conditions leading to venting versus trapping of air pollutants.

Influence of aerosol multiple scattering of ultraviolet radiation on martian atmospheric sensing

The ultraviolet (UV) radiative transfer problem in the martian atmosphere is dominated by multiple scattering of photons with the micron-sized aerosols that are suspended in the thin atmosphere. By implementing a multiple stream, vertical fine layering description of the radiative transfer equation that is able to cope with the strong vertical variations of the atmospheric properties, we estimate the resulting upwelling and downwelling UV irradiances under different martian scenarios in equatorial and close to equatorial latitudes. We include the latest SPICAM measurements on the aerosol vertical profile (distribution of Angstrom exponent and aerosol loading), scattering properties (asymmetry parameter and single scattering albedo), ground albedo, and O 3 content as well as MER long-term monitorization of ground-based aerosol optical depth. We show that due to the fact that the distributions of absorbing (ozone) and scattering (aerosols) agents are vertically coincident, the probability to absorb a photon following a multiple scattered trajectory is increased. One can thus best detect weak ozone absorption signatures in the upwelling and downwelling diffuse irradiances. However as it is later shown, the absorption signature in the diffuse irradiance field and for a given total ozone column, changes with the total aerosol content and its vertical profile. This must be taken into account in order not to overestimate the total ozone column. It is shown that typical dust scenarios such as those seen by the MER long-term monitorization of ground-based aerosol optical depth, τ ≈ 0.45 and 0.9, produce UV nadir viewing reflectance values of the order of 0.02 and 0.04, respectively, which are comparable with those actually measured by Mars Express. For these scenarios, more than 75% of the upwelling irradiance at the top of the atmosphere (TOA) is backscattered by atmospheric aerosols alone, the rest being reflected by the low albedo ground. Depending on the aerosol vertical distribution, the ozone absorption signature may be changed by a factor of two. Finally we also show that the upwelling irradiance depends also on the ground altitude. In the future, this work may be useful to link in situ, ground-based UV measurements, with simultaneous satellite nadir measurements as well as to extract relevant atmospheric information from the irradiance measurements.