Satellite microwave observations of the Utah Great Salt Lake Desert

Microwave data acquired over the Great Salt Lake Desert by sensors aboard Skylab and Nimbus 5 indicate that microwave emission and backscatter were strongly influenced by contributions from subsurface layers of sediment saturated with brine. This phenomenon was observed by Skylab's S-194 radiometer operating at 1.4 GHz, S-193 RADSCAT (Radiometer-Scatterometer) operating at 13.9 GHz and the Nimbus 5 ESMR (Electrically Scanning Microwave Radiometer) operating at 19.35 GHz. The availability of ESMR data over an 18 month period allowed an investigation of temporal variations. Aircraft 1.4 GHz radiometer data acquired two days after one of the Skylab passes confirm the satellites observations. Data from the ESMR revealed similar responses over the Bolivian deserts, which have geologic features similar to those of the Utah desert

Active microwave users working group program planning

A detailed programmatic and technical development plan for active microwave technology was examined in each of four user activities: (1) vegetation; (2) water resources and geologic applications, and (4) oceanographic applications. Major application areas were identified, and the impact of each application area in terms of social and economic gains were evaluated. The present state of knowledge of the applicability of active microwave remote sensing to each application area was summarized and its role relative to other remote sensing devices was examined. The analysis and data acquisition techniques needed to resolve the effects of interference factors were reviewed to establish an operational capability in each application area. Flow charts of accomplished and required activities in each application area that lead to operational capability were structured

A 1500-year multiproxy record of coastal hypoxia from the northern Baltic Sea indicates unprecedented deoxygenation over the 20th century

The anthropogenically forced expansion of coastal hypoxia is a major environmental problem affecting coastal ecosystems and biogeochemical cycles throughout the world. The Baltic Sea is a semi-enclosed shelf sea whose central deep basins have been highly prone to deoxygenation during its Holocene history, as shown previously by numerous paleoenvironmental studies. However, long-term data on past fluctuations in the intensity of hypoxia in the coastal zone of the Baltic Sea are largely lacking, despite the significant role of these areas in retaining nutrients derived from the catchment. Here we present a 1500-year multiproxy record of near-bottom water redox changes from the coastal zone of the northern Baltic Sea, encompassing the climatic phases of the Medieval Climate Anomaly (MCA), the Little Ice Age (LIA), and the Modern Warm Period (MoWP). Our reconstruction shows that although multicentennial climate variability has modulated the depositional conditions and delivery of organic matter (OM) to the basin the modern aggravation of coastal hypoxia is unprecedented and, in addition to gradual changes in the basin configuration, it must have been forced by excess human-induced nutrient loading. Alongside the anthropogenic nutrient input, the progressive deoxygenation since the beginning of the 1900s was fueled by the combined effects of gradual shoaling of the basin and warming climate, which amplified sediment focusing and increased the vulnerability to hypoxia. Importantly, the eutrophication of coastal waters in our study area began decades earlier than previously thought, leading to a marked aggravation of hypoxia in the 1950s. We find no evidence of similar anthropogenic forcing during the MCA. These results have implications for the assessment of reference conditions for coastal water quality. Furthermore, this study highlights the need for combined use of sedimentological, ichnological, and geochemical proxies in order to robustly reconstruct subtle redox shifts especially in dynamic, non-euxinic coastal settings with strong seasonal contrasts in the bottom water quality.</p

Adsorption and reaction of CO on (Pd–)Al2O3 and (Pd–)ZrO2: vibrational spectroscopy of carbonate formation

γ-Alumina is widely used as an oxide support in catalysis, and palladium nanoparticles supported by alumina represent one of the most frequently used dispersed metals. The surface sites of the catalysts are often probed via FTIR spectroscopy upon CO adsorption, which may result in the formation of surface carbonate species. We have examined this process in detail utilizing FTIR to monitor carbonate formation on γ-alumina and zirconia upon exposure to isotopically labelled and unlabelled CO and CO2. The same was carried out for well-defined Pd nanoparticles supported on Al2O3 or ZrO2. A water gas shift reaction of CO with surface hydroxyls was detected, which requires surface defect sites and adjacent OH groups. Furthermore, we have studied the effect of Cl synthesis residues, leading to strongly reduced carbonate formation and changes in the OH region (isolated OH groups were partly replaced or were even absent). To corroborate this finding, samples were deliberately poisoned with Cl to an extent comparable to that of synthesis residues, as confirmed by Auger electron spectroscopy. For catalysts prepared from Cl-containing precursors a new CO band at 2164 cm−1 was observed in the carbonyl region, which was ascribed to Pd interacting with Cl. Finally, the FTIR measurements were complemented by quantification of the amount of carbonates formed via chemisorption, which provides a tool to determine the concentration of reactive defect sites on the alumina surface

CO adsorption on Ni(100) and Pt(111) studied by infrared–visible sum frequency generation spectroscopy: design and application of an SFG-compatible UHV–high-pressure reaction cell

Infrared–visible sum frequency generation (SFG) surface vibrational spectroscopy was applied to monitor CO stretching vibrations on Ni(100) and Pt(111) in the range from submonolayer coverages up to 200 mbar. Since SFG can operate in a pressure range from ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) to ambient conditions, it is particularly suited for in situ studies of adsorbates at elevated pressure or during a catalytic reaction. At high coverages, a compressed overlayer was formed on Ni(100) at 100 K that can be modeled by a coincidence structure. On Pt(111), terminally bonded (on-top) CO was the only species observed at 230 K, independent of gas pressure. At low pressure the SFG spectra were complemented by LEED, AES and TPD. The experiments were carried out in an SFG-compatible elevated pressure reactor that is attached to a UHV surface analysis chamber. After preparation and characterization in UHV, model catalysts can be transferred in vacuo into the reaction cell. The reactor is separated from the UHV chamber by an arrangement of differentially pumped spring-loaded teflon seals and can be pressurized to 1 bar without degrading the vacuum in the UHV analysis system

High-Pressure Carbon Monoxide Adsorption on Pt(111) Revisited: A Sum Frequency Generation Study

The adsorption of CO on Pt(111) was studied by picosecond infrared−visible sum frequency generation (SFG) vibrational spectroscopy in a pressure range from 10-7 to 500 mbar and in a temperature range of 160−400 K. At low pressure the experiments were complemented by TPD, LEED, and AES. Terminally bonded (on-top) CO was the only species observed between 160 and 400 K, independent of gas pressure. The CO stretching frequency was blue-shifted by about 15 cm-1 with increasing pressure (up to 2097 cm-1), but no evidence for high-pressure CO species or surface roughening was found. The influence of defects was also investigated. CO adsorption on a defective (nonannealed) Pt(111) surface yielded peaks that were slightly broadened but otherwise identical to the defect-free surface. At 160 K, a second peak at 2085 cm-1 evolved above 50 mbar of CO. TPD revealed that under these conditions residual (contaminant) water adsorbs on the surface. The coadsorption of water and CO red-shifted the terminal CO peak by about 15 cm-1, resulting from the substrate-mediated interaction of CO and water