Magnetic anomalies in east Pacific using MAGSAT data

Methods for solving problems encountered in separating the core field from the crustal field are summarized as well as those methods developed for inverting total magnetic field data to obtain source functions for oceanic areas. Accounting for magnetization contrasts and the magnetization values measured in rocks of marine origin are also discussed

The source of the intermediate wavelength component of the Earth's magnetic field

The intermediate wavelength component of the Earth's magnetic field has been well documented by observations made by MAGSAT. It has been shown that some significant fraction of this component is likely to be caused within the core of the Earth. Evidence for this comes from analysis of the intermediate wavelength component revealed by spherical harmonics between degrees 14 and 23, in which it is shown that it is unlikely that all of this signal is crustal. Firstly, there is no difference between average continental source strength and average oceanic source strength, which is unlikely to be the case if the anomalies reside within the crust, taking into account the very different nature and thickness of continental and oceanic crust. Secondly, there is almost no latitudinal variation in the source strength, which is puzzling if the sources are within the crust and have been formed by present or past magnetic fields with a factor of two difference in intensity between the equator and the poles. If however most of the sources for this field reside within the core, then these observations are not very surprising

Investigations of medium wavelength magnetic anomalies in the eastern Pacific using MAGSAT

Progress in study of the details of spherical harmonic representations of the Earth's magnetic field is reported. The first of the Investigator B quiet time tapes were received and determined to be error free

Ultrastructural alteration of mouse lung by prolonged exposure to mixtures of helium and oxygen

Observed changes consist mainly of blebbing of capillary endothelium and alveolar epithelium, which is quite possibly indicative of cellular edema; also, there can be observed highly-convoluted basement membrane, alveolar debris, and increased numbers of platelets

Experimental determination of layer cloud edge charging from cosmic ray ionisation

The cloud-air transition zone at stratiform cloud edges is an electrically active region where droplet charging has been predicted. Cloud edge droplet charging is expected from vertical flow of cosmic ray generated atmospheric ions in the global electric circuit. Experimental confirmation of stratiform cloud edge electrification is presented here, through charge and droplet measurements made within an extensive layer of supercooled stratiform cloud, using a specially designed electrostatic sensor. Negative space charge up to 35 pC m−3 was found in a thin (<100 m) layer at the lower cloud boundary associated with the clear air-cloud conductivity gradient, agreeing closely with space charge predicted from the measured droplet concentration using ion-aerosol theory. Such charge levels carried by droplets are sufficient to influence collision processes between cloud droplets

Observations of Saharan dust layer electrification

Electrification of atmospheric dust influences the coagulation, wet removal and fall speeds of dust particles. Alignment of dust particles can also occur in fair weather atmospheric electrical conditions if the particles are charged. However, very few electrical measurements made in elevated dust layers exist. Balloon-borne charge and particle instrumentation have been used to investigate the electrical properties of elevated Saharan dust layers. Soundings from the Cape Verde Islands, which experience frequent Saharan dust outbreaks, intercepted several dust layers. Two balloon soundings during summer 2009 detected dust particles in layers up to 4 km altitude. Simultaneous electrical measurements showed charge inside the dust layers, with a maximum measured charge density of 25 pC m − 3, sufficient to influence wet removal processes

Domestic UK retrofit challenge: Barriers, incentives and current performance leading into the green deal

Copyright @ 2012 Elsevier - The official published version can be accessed from the link below.This paper reviews the thermal performance of the existing UK housing stock, the main fabric efficiency incentive schemes and the barriers to obtaining deep energy and CO2 savings throughout the stock. The UK faces a major challenge to improve the thermal performance of its existing housing stock. Millions of dwellings possess ‘hard-to-treat’ solid walls and have glazing which is not cost effective to improve. A range of fabric efficiency incentive schemes exist, but many do not target the full range of private and social housing. From now on, the Green Deal will be the UK's key energy efficiency policy. However, the scheme is forecasted to have low consumer appeal and low incentives for investors. Moreover, calculated Green Deal loan repayments will be reliant upon estimated energy savings, yet it is claimed that retrofit measures may only be half as effective as anticipated due to a lack of monitoring, poor quality installation and the increased use of heating following refurbishment. Looking to Germany, there has been success through the Passivhaus standard, but the UK currently lacks appropriate skills and cost effective components to replicate this approach. In addition, the embodied energy in retrofit products and materials threatens to counter operational savings.This study is funded by the EPSRC, Brunel University and Buro Happold Ltd

Plate tectonics from VLBI and SLR global data

This study is based on data derived from fifteen years of observations of the SLR (side-looking radar) network and six years of the VLBI (very long baseline interferometry) network. In order to use all available information VLBI and SLR global data sets were combined in a least squares fashion to calculate station horizontal velocities. All significant data pertaining to a single site contribute to the station horizontal motion. The only constraint on the solution is that no vertical motion is allowed. This restriction does not greatly affect the precision of the overall solution given the fact that the expected vertical motion for most stations, even those experiencing post glacial uplift, is well under 1 cm/yr. Since the average baseline is under 4,000 km, only a small fraction of the station vertical velocity is translated into baseline rates so that the error introduced in the solution by restricting up-down station movement is minimal. As a reference, station velocities were then compared to the ones predicted by the NUVEL-1 geological model of DeMets et al. (1990). The focus of the study is on analyzing these discrepancies for global plate tectonics as well as regional tectonic settings. The method used also allows us not only to derive horizontal motion for individual stations but also to calculate Euler vectors for those plates that have enough stations located on the stable interior like North America, Pacific, Eurasia, and Australia

Continental and oceanic crustal magnetization modelling

Inversion of magnetic data from the MAGSAT satellite, to arrive at intensities of magnetization of the Earth's crust, was performed by two different methods. The first method uses a spherical harmonic model of the magnetic field. The coefficients believed to represent sources in the Earth's crust can then be inverted to arrive at vertical dipole moments per unit area at the Earth's surface. The spherical harmonic models contain coefficients of degrees of harmonics up to 23. The dipole moment per unit area for a surface element can then be determined by summing the contribution for each individual degree of harmonic. The magnetic moments were calculated for continental and oceanic areas separately as well as over certain latitudinal segments. Of primary concern was to determine whether there are any differences between continental and oceanic areas. The second analysis with magnetization intensities was made using narrower ranges of degrees of harmonics, assuming that higher degrees are present in the core field signal