14,165 research outputs found

    Testing hypotheses of the cause of peripheral thinning of the Greenland Ice Sheet: is land-terminating ice thinning at anomalously high rates?

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    Recent observations have shown that the periphery of the Greenland ice sheet (GrIS) is thinning rapidly and that this thinning is greatest around marine-terminating outlet glaciers. Several theories have been proposed which provide a link between climate and ice thinning. We present surface elevation change (<i>dh/dt</i>) data from NASA's Program for Arctic Regional Climate Assessment (PARCA) laser altimetry surveys for fourteen and eleven of the largest outlet glaciers in Southern Greenland from 1993 to 1998 and 1998 to 2006 respectively to test the applicability of these theories to the GrIS. <br><br> Initially, outlet glacier <i>dh/dt</i> data are compared with data from concurrent surveys over inland ice (slow flowing ice that is not obviously draining into an outlet glacier) to confirm the effect of ice flow on surface thinning rates. Land-terminating and marine-terminating outlet glacier <i>dh/dt</i> data are then compared from 1993 to 1998 and from 1998 to 2006. Finally, ablation anomalies (the difference between the "normal" ablation rate from 1970 to 2000 and the ablation rate in the time period of interest) calculated with a positive degree day model are compared to both marine-terminating and land-terminating outlet glacier <i>dh/dt</i> data. <br><br> Our results support earlier conclusions that certain marine-terminating outlet glaciers have thinned much more than land-terminating outlet glaciers during both time periods. Furthermore we show that these differences are not limited to the largest, fastest-flowing outlet glaciers – almost all marine-terminating outlet glaciers are thinning more than land-terminating outlet glaciers. There was a four fold increase in mean marine-terminating outlet glacier thinning rates below 1000 m elevation between the periods 1993 to 1998 and 1998 to 2006, while thinning rates of land-terminating outlet glaciers remained statistically unchanged. This suggests that a change in a controlling mechanism specific to the thinning rates of marine-terminating outlet glaciers occurred in the late 1990s and that this change did not affect thinning rates of land-terminating outlet glaciers. <br><br> Thinning rates of land-terminating outlet glaciers are statistically the same as ablation anomalies, while thinning rates of marine-terminating outlet glaciers are not. Thinning of land-terminating outlet glaciers therefore seems to be a response to changes in local mass balance (principally increases in air temperature) while thinning of marine-terminating outlet glaciers is principally controlled by ice dynamics. The mechanism by which this dynamic thinning occurs is still not clear although its association with marine-terminating outlet glaciers suggests perturbations at marine termini (calving) as the likely cause

    Variable-camber systems integration and operational performance of the AFTI/F-111 mission adaptive wing

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    The advanced fighter technology integration, the AFTI/F-111 aircraft, is a preproduction F-111A testbed research airplane that was fitted with a smooth variable-camber mission adaptive wing. The camber was positioned and controlled by flexing the upper skins through rotary actuators and linkages driven by power drive units. The wing camber and control system are described. The measured servoactuator frequency responses are presented along with analytical predictions derived from the integrated characteristics of the control elements. A mission adaptive wing system chronology is used to illustrate and assess the reliability and dependability of the servoactuator system during 1524 hours of ground tests and 145 hours of flight testing

    Magnetism and Magnetic Isomers in Free Chromium Clusters

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    We have used the Stern-Gerlach deflection technique to study magnetism in chromium clusters of 20-133 atoms. Between 60 K and 100 K, we observe that these clusters have large magnetic moments and respond superparamagnetically to applied magnetic fields. Using superparamagnetic theory, we have determined the moment per atom for each cluster size and find that it often far exceeds the moment per atom present anywhere in the bulk antiferromagnetic lattice. Remarkably, our cluster beam contains two magnetically distinguishable forms of each cluster size with >= 34 atoms. We attribute this observation to structural isomers

    Absolute rate of the reaction of hydrogen atoms with ozone from 219-360 K

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    Absolute rate constants for the reaction of atomic hydrogen with ozone were obtained over the temperature range 219-360 K by the flash photolysis-resonance fluorescence technique. The results can be expressed in Arrhenius form by K = (1.33 plus or minus 0.32)x10 to the minus 10 power exp (-449 plus or minus 58/T) cu cm/molecule/s (two standard deviations). The present work is compared to two previous determinations and is discussed theoretically

    Absolute rate of the reaction of bromine atoms with ozone from 200-360 K

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    The rate constant for the reaction Br + O3 yields BrO + O2 was measured from 200 to 360 K by the technique of flash photolysis coupled to time resolved detection of bromine atoms by resonance fluorescence (FP-RF). Br atoms were produced by the flash photolysis of CH3Br at lambda 165nm.O3 was monitored continuously under reaction conditions by absorption at 253.7 nm. At each of five temperatures the results were independent of substantial variations in O3, total pressure and limited variations in flash intensity. The measured rate constants obeyed the Arrhenius expression, where the error quoted is two standard deviations. Results are compared with previous determinations which employed the discharge flow-mass spectrometric technique

    Rate constant for the reaction of hydroxyl radical with formaldehyde over the temperature range 228-362 K

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    Absolute rate constants for the reaction OH ? H2CO measured over the temperature range 228-362 K using the flash photolysis-resonance fluorescence technique are given. The results are independent of variations in H2CO concentration, total pressure Ar concentration, and flash intensity (i.e., initial OH concentration). The rate constant is found to be invariant with temperature in this range, the best representation being k sub 1 = (1.05 ? or - 0.11) x 10 to the 11th power cu cm molecule(-1) s(-1) where the error is two standard deviations. This result is compared with previous absolute and relative determinations of k sub 1. The reaction is also discussed from a theoretical point of view

    Absolute rate of the reaction of C l(2P) with methane from 200-500 K

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    Rate constants for the reaction of atomic chlorine with methane have been measured from 200-500K using the flash photolysis-resonance fluorescence technique. When the results from fourteen equally spaced experimental determinations are plotted in Arrhenius form a definite curvature is noted. The results are compared to previous work and are theoretically discussed

    Absolute rate of the reaction of Cl(p-2) with molecular hydrogen from 200 - 500 K

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    Rate constants for the reaction of atomic chlorine with hydrogen are measured from 200 - 500 K using the flash photolysis-resonance fluorescence technique. The results are compared with previous work and are discussed with particular reference to the equilibrium constant for the reaction and to relative rate data for chlorine atom reactions. Theoretical calculations, using the BEBO method with tunneling, give excellent agreement with experiment

    Absolute rate constant for the reaction of atomic chlorine with hydrogen peroxide vapor over the temperature range 265-400 K

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    Rate constants for the reaction of atomic chlorine with hydrogen peroxide were measured from 265-400 K using the flash photolysis-resonance fluorescence technique. Analytical techniques were developed to measure H2O2 under reaction conditions. Due to ambiguity in the interpretation of the analytical results, the data combine to give two equally acceptable representations of the temperature dependence. The results are compared to previous work at 298 K and are theoretically discussed in terms of the mechanism of the reaction. Additional experiments on the H + H2O2 reaction at 298 and 359 K are compared with earlier results from this laboratory and give a slightly revised bimolecular rate constant
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