State-dependence of climate sensitivity: attractor constraints and palaeoclimate regimes

Equilibrium climate sensitivity (ECS) is a key predictor of climate change. However, it is not very well constrained, either by climate models or by observational data. The reasons for this include strong internal variability and forcing on many time scales. In practise this means that the 'equilibrium' will only be relative to fixing the slow feedback processes before comparing palaeoclimate sensitivity estimates with estimates from model simulations. In addition, information from the late Pleistocene ice age cycles indicates that the climate cycles between cold and warm regimes, and the climate sensitivity varies considerably between regime because of fast feedback processes changing relative strength and time scales over one cycle. In this paper we consider climate sensitivity for quite general climate dynamics. Using a conceptual Earth system model of Gildor and Tziperman (2001) (with Milankovich forcing and dynamical ocean biogeochemistry) we explore various ways of quantifying the state-dependence of climate sensitivity from unperturbed and perturbed model time series. Even without considering any perturbations, we suggest that climate sensitivity can be usefully thought of as a distribution that quantifies variability within the 'climate attractor' and where there is a strong dependence on climate state and more specificially on the 'climate regime' where fast processes are approximately in equilibrium. We also consider perturbations by instantaneous doubling of CO$_2$ and similarly find a strong dependence on the climate state using our approach.Comment: 32 pages, 10 figure

Extreme sensitivity and climate tipping points

A climate state close to a tipping point will have a degenerate linear response to perturbations, which can be associated with extreme values of the equilibrium climate sensitivity (ECS). In this paper we contrast linearized (`instantaneous') with fully nonlinear geometric (`two-point') notions of ECS, in both presence and absence of tipping points. For a stochastic energy balance model of the global mean surface temperature with two stable regimes, we confirm that tipping events cause the appearance of extremes in both notions of ECS. Moreover, multiple regimes with different mean sensitivities are visible in the two-point ECS. We confirm some of our findings in a physics-based multi-box model of the climate system.Comment: 11 figure

Engineering analysis of ERTS data for southeast Asian agriculture

The present program focuses on rice because of its importance world-wide as a food. Specifically, the focus is on rice fields in the Philippines. Two primary program objectives are: (1) to establish the feasibility of extracting from ERTS imagery the areas where rice is grown, and (2) to determine those measurements on the imagery which enable the assessment of crop condition. Achieving these objectives with procedures which can be cost-effective can lead the way toward yield prediction, irrigation system management, and similar functions which are known to be important needs in Southeast Asia

Response maxima in modulated turbulence

Isotropic and homogeneous turbulence driven by an energy input modulated in time is studied within a variable range mean-field theory. The response of the system, observed in the second order moment of the large-scale velocity difference D(L,t)=>~Re(t)^2$, is calculated for varying modulation frequencies w and weak modulation amplitudes. For low frequencies the system follows the modulation of the driving with almost constant amplitude, whereas for higher driving frequencies the amplitude of the response decreases on average 1/w. In addition, at certain frequencies the amplitude of the response either almost vanishes or is strongly enhanced. These frequencies are connected with the frequency scale of the energy cascade and multiples thereof.Comment: 11 pages, 6 figure

Elasticity of cross-linked semiflexible biopolymers under tension

Aiming at the mechanical properties of cross-linked biopolymers, we set up and analyze a model of two weakly bending wormlike chains subjected to a tensile force, with regularly spaced inter-chain bonds (cross-links) represented by harmonic springs. Within this model, we compute the force-extension curve and the differential stiffness exactly and discuss several limiting cases. Cross-links effectively stiffen the chain pair by reducing thermal fluctuations transverse to the force and alignment direction. The extra alignment due to cross-links increases both with growing number and with growing strength of the cross-links, and is most prominent for small force f. For large f, the additional, cross-link-induced extension is subdominant except for the case of linking the chains rigidly and continuously along their contour. In this combined limit, we recover asymptotically the elasticity of a weakly bending wormlike chain without constraints, stiffened by a factor four. The increase in differential stiffness can be as large as 100% for small f or large numbers of cross-links.Comment: 11 pages, 6 figures, submitted to PR

Complex regulation of the aflatoxin biosynthesis gene cluster of Aspergillus flavus in relation to various combinations of water activity and temperature

A microarray analysis was performed to study the effect of varying combinations of water activity and temperature on the activation of aflatoxin biosynthesis genes in Aspergillus flavus grown on YES medium. Generally A. flavus showed expression of the aflatoxin biosynthetic genes at all parameter combinations tested. Certain combinations of aw and temperature, especially combinations which imposed stress on the fungus resulted in a significant reduction of the growth rate. At these conditions induction of the whole aflatoxin biosynthesis gene cluster occurred, however the produced aflatoxin B1 was low. At all other combinations (25 °C/0.95 and 0.99; 30 °C/0.95 and 0.99; 35 °C/0.95 and 0.99) a reduced basal level of cluster gene expression occurred. At these combinations a high growth rate was obtained as well as high aflatoxin production. When single genes were compared, two groups with different expression profiles in relation to water activity/temperature combinations occurred. These two groups were co-ordinately localized within the aflatoxin gene cluster. The ratio of aflR/aflJ expression was correlated with increased aflatoxin biosynthesis

On the sound of snapping shrimp

Fluid dynamics video: Snapping shrimp produce a snapping sound by an extremely rapid closure of their snapper claw. Our high speed imaging of the claw closure has revealed that the sound is generated by the collapse of a cavitation bubble formed in a fast flowing water jet forced out from the claws during claw closure. The produced sound originates from the cavitation collapse of the bubble. At collapse a short flash of light is emitted, just as in single bubble sonoluminescence. A model based on the Rayleigh-Plesset equation can quantitatively account for the visual and acoustical observations.Comment: Fluid dynamics vide

On the sound of snapping shrimp

Snapping shrimp produce a snapping sound by an extremely rapid closure of their snapper claw. Source levels reported for Alpheus heterochaelis are as high as 220 dB (peak-to-peak) re. 1 µPa at 1 m distance. The loud snap has been attributed to the mechanical contact made when the snapper claw contracts. The recent ultra-high-speed imaging of the snapper claw closure at 40500 frames per second has revealed that the sound is, in fact, generated by the collapse of a cavitation bubble formed in a fast flowing water jet forced out from between the claws during claw closure. A temporal analysis of the sound recordings and the high-speed images shows that no sound is associated with the claw closure, while a very prominent signal is observed during the collapse of the cavitation bubble. Gallery of Fluid Motion\ud Award-winning entry 200