Synthesis and Integration of Energy Related Tropospheric Chemistry Research

This is a final report of work done in support of DOE interests in air quality assessment or managemnt and tropospheric aerosol chemistry. A central focus for the activities was support for the North American cooperative, NARSTO. Leaderrship and oversight was provided for NARSTO products including two major state-of-science assessments on airborne particles (particulate matter) and the fundamentals of pollutant emissions characterization. In addition, review sof so-called 'policy related air quality science were prepared addressing multi-scale atmospheric phenomena, snowpack chemistry and pollution, and North American aerosol baseline or background conditions. The relationship between the identification of pollution sourcees and human exposure to outdoor particles was investigated, and results critiqued. This work led to a major review of the integration of atmospheric chemistry, epedimiology and toxicology in linking airborne particles with human health effects. The last topical area of work in the project related to the carbon component of tropospheric aerosols. Work was done in support of a project to obtain samples of power plant effluents to estimate the carbon present in palnt emissions. The results suggsted only a minor amount of ambient particles were carbon from coal-fired plants. Another studied provided a conceptual plan for using isotopic carbon data to provide a vapor and condensed phase carbon balance for particles, including fossil and biogenic sources

Biogeochemical cycling in the Bering Sea over the onset of major Northern Hemisphere glaciation

The Bering Sea is one of the most biologically productive regions in the marine system and plays a key role in regulating the flow of waters to the Arctic Ocean and into the subarctic North Pacific Ocean. Cores from IODP Expedition 323 to the Bering Sea provide the first opportunity to obtain reconstructions from the region that extend back to the Pliocene. Previous research at Bowers Ridge, south Bering Sea, has revealed stable levels of siliceous productivity over the onset of major Northern Hemisphere Glaciation (NHG) (c. 2.85-2.73 Ma). However, diatom silica isotope records of oxygen (δ18Odiatom) and silicon (δ30Sidiatom) presented here demonstrate that this interval was associated with a progressive increase in the supply of silicic acid to the region, superimposed on shift to a more dynamic environment characterized by colder temperatures and increased sea ice. This concluded at 2.58 Ma with a sharp increase in diatom productivity, further increases in photic zone nutrient availability and a permanent shift to colder sea surface conditions. These transitions are suggested to reflect a gradually more intense nutrient leakage from the subarctic northwest Pacific Ocean, with increases in productivity further aided by increased sea-ice and wind-driven mixing in the Bering Sea. In suggesting a linkage in biogeochemical cycling between the south Bering Sea and subarctic Northwest Pacific Ocean, mainly via the Kamchatka Strait, this work highlights the need to consider the inter-connectivity of these two systems when future reconstructions are carried out in the region

Where it All Began: Lending of Last Resort and the Bank of England During the Overend, Gurney Panic of 1866

The National Monetary Commission was deeply concerned with importing best practice. One important focus was the connection between the money market and international trade. It was said that Britain's lead in the market for acceptances originating in international trade was the basis of its sterling predominance. In this article, we use a so-far unexplored source to document the portfolio of bills that was brought up to the Bank of England for discount and study the behavior of the Bank of England during the crisis of 1866 (the so-called Overend-Gurney panic) when the Bank began adopting lending of last resort policies (Bignon, Flandreau and Ugolini 2011). We compare 1865 (a normal year) to 1866. Important findings include: (a) the statistical predominance of foreign bills in the material brought to the Bank of England; (b) the correlation between the geography of bills and British trade patterns; (c) a marked contrast between normal times lending and crisis lending in that main financial intermediaries and the shadow banking system only showed up at the Bank's window during crises; (d) the importance of money market investors (bills brokers) as chief conduit of liquidity provision in crisis; (e) the importance of Bank of England's supervisory policies in ensuring lending-of-lastresort operations without enhancing moral hazard. An implication of our findings is that Bank of England's ability to control moral hazard for financial intermediaries involved in acceptances was another reason for the rise of sterling as an international currency

Urban Air Chemistry in Changing Times

Urban air chemistry is characterized by measurements of gas and aerosol composition. These measurements are interpreted from a long history for laboratory and theoretical studies integrating chemical processes with reactant (or emissions) sources, meteorology and air surface interaction. The knowledge of these latter elements and their changes have enabled chemists to quantitatively account for the averages and variability of chemical indicators. To date, the changes are consistent with dominating energy-related emissions for more than 50 years of gas phase photochemistry and associated reactions forming and evolving aerosols. Future changes are expected to continue focusing on energy resources and transportation in most cities. Extreme meteorological conditions combined with urban surface exchange are also likely to become increasingly important factors affecting atmospheric composition, accounting for the past leads to projecting future conditions. The potential evolution of urban air chemistry can be followed with three approaches using observations and chemical transport modeling. The first approach projects future changes using long term indicator data compared with the emission estimates. The second approach applies advanced measurement analysis of the ambient data. Examples include statistical modeling or evaluation derived from chemical mechanisms. The third method, verified with observations, employs a comparison of the deterministic models of chemistry, emission futures, urban meteorology and urban infrastructure changes for future insight

Laboratory studies of wind action on water standing in a channel

CER65GMH-EJP22.Includes bibliographical references (pages 323-325).The processes of wave and current development resulting from wind action on initially standing water have been investigated in a wind-water tunnel. The mean air flow over wavy water was examined along with the variation of speed. Measurements of phase speed and length of significant waves, the standard deviation of the water surface, the average surface drift, the auto-correlation of surface displacement and the frequency spectra are reported. The experimental results indicate that (a) the air motion in the channel follows a three-dimensional pattern characteristic of wind tunnels of rectangular cross-section; (b) wind waves generated in the channel travel downstream at approximately the same speed as gravity waves of small amplitude, provided the effect of the drift current is taken into account; (c) the average drag coefficients for the action of the wind on the water surface increase with increasing wind speed, and these data are reasonably consistent with results of previous investigators; (d) the autocorrelations and frequency spectra indicate that the wind waves in the channel consist of nearly regular primary waves on which are superimposed smaller ripples; (e) energy in the high frequency range in the spectra tends to approach an equilibrium distribution while the lower frequency components continue to grow with increasing fetch; and (f) a similarity shape for the frequency spectra develops. The experiments in this study were not intended to model the processes of interaction between the ocean and the atmosphere. Neverless the small waves generated in the channel appear to be at least qualitatively related to the development of waves on much larger bodies of water

On the frequency spectrum wind generated waves

CER65GMH-EJP10.Includes bibliographical references (page 6)