scholarly journals Atmospheric moisture controls far-red irradiation: a probable impact on the phytochrome

2015 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 283-289 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrzej Doroszewski ◽  
Tadeusz Górski ◽  
Jerzy Kozyra

Abstract It is commonly accepted that an important role of the phytochrome lies in signalling the proximity of competing plants. However, not all photoresponses conveyed by the phytochrome can be explained by the competition only. Because a better description of the natural variability of solar spectral irradiance is necessary to recognize the other roles of the phytochrome, long-lasting spectroradiometric measurements have been performed. Special attention has been paid to the relations between the far-red and red bands of the solar spectrum, which have an impact on the phytochrome. The effect of atmospheric moisture on far-red irradiance (attenuated in the 720 nm band of water vapour absorption) is described. The far-red irradiance, active in the ‘high irradiance response’ of the phytochrome, and the red/far-red ratio, important for the ‘low fluence response’, may vary very strongly relative to the atmospheric moisture. Together with other facts known from photophysiology, the results of the measurements enabled us to formulate a thesis that the phytochrome monitors the amount of water vapour and opens appropriate metabolic pathways to cope with the danger of drought. The recognition of this novel role of the phytochrome might broaden the knowledge in the area of plant photomorphogenesis and ecology.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Snow ◽  
Stephane Beland ◽  
Odele Coddington ◽  
Steven Penton ◽  
Don Woodraska

<p>The GOES-R series of satellites includes a redesigned instrument for solar spectral irradiance: the Extreme ultraviolet and X-ray Irradiance Sensor (EXIS).  Our team will be using a high-cadence broadband visible light diode to construct a proxy for Total Solar Irradiance (TSI).  This will have two advantages over the existing TSI measurements:  measurements are taken at 4 Hz, so the cadence of our TSI proxy is likely faster than any existing applications, and the observations are taken from geostationary orbit, so the time series of measurements is virtually uninterrupted.  Calibration of the diode measurements will still rely on the standard TSI composites.  </p><p>The other measurement from EXIS that will be used is the Magnesium II core-to-wing ratio.  The MgII index is a proxy for chromospheric activity, and is measured by EXIS every 3 seconds.  The combination of the two proxies can be used to generate a model of the full solar spectrum similar to the NRLSSI2 empirical model.</p><p>We are in the first year of a three-year grant to develop the TSI proxy and the SSI model, so only very preliminary findings will be discussed in this presentation.</p>


2014 ◽  
Vol 14 (5) ◽  
pp. 731-737 ◽  
Author(s):  
Naoya Kataoka ◽  
Shota Yoshida ◽  
Seiya Ueno ◽  
Takashi Minemoto

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nuno Pereira ◽  
David Bolsée ◽  
Peter Sperfeld ◽  
Sven Pape ◽  
Dominique Sluse ◽  
...  

Abstract. The near infrared (NIR) part of the solar spectrum is of prime importance for the solar physics and climatology, directly intervening in the Earth's radiation budget. Despite its major role, available solar spectral irradiance (SSI) NIR datasets, space-borne or ground based, present discrepancies caused by instrumental or methodological reasons. We present new results obtained from the PYR-ILIOS campaign, which is a replication of the previous IRSPERAD campaign which took place in 2011 at the Izaña Observatory (IZO). We used the same instrument and primary calibration source of spectral irradiance. A new site was chosen for PYR-ILIOS: the Mauna-Loa observatory in Hawaii (3397 m asl), approximately 1000 m higher than IZO. Relatively to IRSPERAD, the methodology of monitoring the traceability to the primary calibration source was improved. The results as well as a detailed error budget are presented. We demonstrate that the most recent results, from PYR-ILIOS and other space-borne and ground-based experiments show an NIR SSI lower than ATLAS3 for wavelengths above 1.6 μm.


HortScience ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 41 (4) ◽  
pp. 1076C-1076
Author(s):  
Nihal Rajapakse

Numerous recent epidemiological studies have reconfirmed the old wisdom that consumption of fruits and vegetables play an important role in maintaining a healthy life. As a result, the role of fruits and vegetables in preventing the onset of chronic diseases is being established in the wake of epidemic-level health problems. The majority of evidence links various antioxidant phytochemicals in fruits and vegetables to the reduction in chronic diseases. Various methods are being investigated to enhance functional phytochemicals in fruits and vegetables, but, our knowledge on how these methods affect functionally important phytochemicals is relatively limited at this point. Environmental factors have been shown to affect certain phytochemicals and we are investigating if changing the spectral irradiance and composition in the growing environment can improve functional phytochemicals in food crops. In the present work, we investigated the role of irradiance on functionally important phytochemicals in selected lettuce (green and red) and tomato cultivars. Preliminary results show that in lettuce, high irradiance (500 vs. 250 μmol·m-2·s-1) increased total phenolic content, anthocyanin content, red coloration, and over all antioxidant capacity. Irradiance levels used in this study did not affect functional phytochemical levels in tomato fruit. High irradiance decreased the ß-carotene content in lettuce cultivars, but lycopene levels in tomato were not affected by irradiance.


1994 ◽  
Vol 143 ◽  
pp. 70-71
Author(s):  
Gerard Thuillier ◽  
Michel Herse ◽  
Dietrich Labs ◽  
Paul C. Simon ◽  
Didier Gillotay ◽  
...  

For the ATLAS and EURECA missions, we have used two identical instruments to measure the absolute solar spectral irradiance from 180 to 3200 nm. These instruments are calibrated by use of a blackbody and a set of lamp standards. The measurements are carried out with 1 nm bandpass up to 800 nm and 20 nm above. The instruments and calibration procedures are described by Thuillier et al. (1981). The platform capability of instruments retrieval after measurements allows a post-flight calibration which is essential for accurate measurements. The main results obtained up to now are:- In the UV, the ATLAS-1 and EURECA-1 solar spectral irradiance are consistent with the SpaceLab 1 data obtained in 1983 (Labs et al. 1987). Figure 1 shows the ATLAS 1 and SL 1 spectra. The origin of the existing differences is presently under investigation.- In the visible domain, our measurements agree with the solar spectrum from Neckel & Labs (1984) within a few percent difference at certain wavelength.- In the IR domain, the preliminary processing shows a spectrum close to the one obtained by Thekaekara (1974).


2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 6605-6615 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nuno Pereira ◽  
David Bolsée ◽  
Peter Sperfeld ◽  
Sven Pape ◽  
Dominique Sluse ◽  
...  

Abstract. The near-infrared (NIR) part of the solar spectrum is of prime importance for solar physics and climatology, directly intervening in the Earth's radiation budget. Despite its major role, available solar spectral irradiance (SSI) NIR datasets, space-borne or ground-based, present discrepancies caused by instrumental or methodological reasons. We present new results obtained from the PYR-ILIOS SSI NIR ground-based campaign, which is a replication of the previous IRSPERAD campaign which took place in 2011 at the Izaña Atmospheric Observatory (IZO). We used the same instrument and primary calibration source of spectral irradiance. A new site was chosen for PYR-ILIOS: the Mauna Loa Observatory (MLO) in Hawaii (3397 m a.s.l.), approximately 1000 m higher than IZO. Relatively to IRSPERAD, the methodology of monitoring the traceability to the primary calibration source was improved. The results as well as a detailed error budget are presented. We demonstrate that the most recent results, from PYR-ILIOS and other space-borne and ground-based experiments, show an NIR SSI lower than the previous reference spectrum, ATLAS3, for wavelengths above 1.6 µm.


Author(s):  
Chengzhi Ye ◽  
Huqiang Zhang ◽  
Aurel Moise ◽  
Ruping Mo

The name ‘atmospheric river’ (AR) could easily be misinterpreted to mean rivers flowing in the sky. But, ARs actually refer to narrow bands of strong horizontal water vapour transport that are concentrated in the lower troposphere. These bands are called ‘atmospheric rivers’ because the water vapour flux they carry is close to the volume of water carried by big river systems on the ground. ARs can cause heavy rainfall events if some physical mechanisms, such as orographic enhancement, exist to set up the moisture convergence and vertical motions necessary to produce condensation. In recent decades, these significant moisture plumes have attracted increasing attention from scientific communities, especially in North America and western Europe, to further understand the connections between ARs and extreme precipitation events which can trigger severe natural disasters such as floods, mudslides and avalanches. Yet very limited research has been conducted in the Australia-Asian (A-A) region, where the important role of atmospheric moisture transport has long been recognised for its rainfall generation and variations. In this paper, we introduce a collaborative project between the Australian Bureau of Meteorology and China Meteorological Administration, which was set up to explore the detailed AR characteristics of atmospheric moisture transport embedded in the A-A monsoon system. The project in China focused on using AR analysis to explore connections between moisture transport and extreme rainfall mainly during the boreal summer monsoon season. In Australia, AR analysis was used to understand the connections between the river-like Northwest Cloud Band and rainfall in the region. Results from this project demonstrate the potential benefits of applying AR analysis to better understand the role of tropical moisture transport in rainfall generation in the extratropics, thus achieve better rainfall forecast skills at NWP (Numerical Weather Prediction), sub-seasonal and seasonal time scales. We also discuss future directions of this collaborative research, including further assessing potential changes in ARs under global warming.


1993 ◽  
Vol 176 (1) ◽  
pp. 233-246 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. C. Wright ◽  
M. J. O'Donnell

Ammonia levels and pH were studied in body fluids of Porcellio scaber with special reference to ambient humidity and the timing of pleon fluid secretion and pleopodal ventilation. In high humidity (approximately 96.7 %), concentrations of total ammonia (NH3+NH4+) in haemolymph display pronounced episodic changes, ranging from less than 1 mmol l-1 to more than 50 mmol l-1. Elevated concentrations (>5 mmol l-1) occur in discrete bouts lasting from 40 min to more than 2 h. Concomitant changes in total ammonia levels are seen in pleon fluid and maxillary urine. Overall, mean ammonia concentrations in pleon fluid, but not maxillary urine, are significantly higher than in the haemolymph, which may indicate active secretion of NH4+ in the pleon. Elevated ammonia concentrations are not observed in reduced ambient humidities (85 % and 30 %). Evidence supports a physiological coupling between pleon NH3 volatilization and active water vapour absorption. Pleon fluid and haemolymph pH values are similar, discounting a role of alkalization in NH3 volatilization. Published rates of ammonia excretion are compatible with intermittent volatilization from pleon fluid and with measured NH3 levels during elevations in ammonia concentration.


2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julian Gröbner ◽  
Ingo Kröger ◽  
Luca Egli ◽  
Gregor Hülsen ◽  
Stefan Riechelmann ◽  
...  

Abstract. A high resolution extraterrestrial solar spectrum has been determined from ground-based measurements of direct solar spectral irradiance over the range 300 nm to 500 nm using the Langley-plot technique. The measurements were obtained at the Iza\\`na Atmospheric Research Center from AEMET, Tenerife, Spain during the period 12 to 24 September 2016. This solar spectrum (QASUMEFTS) was combined from medium resolution (bandpass of 0.86 nm) measurements of the QASUME spectroradiometer in the range 300 nm to 500 nm and high resolution measurements (0.025 nm) from a fourier transform spectroradiometer over the range 305 nm to 380 nm. The KittPeak solar atlas was used to extend this high resolution solar spectrum to 500 nm. The expanded uncertainties of this solar spectrum are 2 % between 310 nm and 500 nm and 4 % at 300 nm. The comparison of this solar spectrum with solar spectra measured in space (top of the atmosphere) gives very good agreements in some cases, while in some other cases discrepancies of up to 5 % could be observed. The QASUMEFTS solar spectrum represents a benchmark dataset with uncertainties lower than anything previously published. The metrological traceability of the measurements to the International System of Units (SI) is assured by an unbroken chain of calibrations leading to the primary spectral irradiance standard of the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt in Germany.


2001 ◽  
Vol 203 ◽  
pp. 66-77 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. K. Solanki ◽  
M. Fligge ◽  
Y. C. Unruh

The relative variation of the solar irradiance depends strongly on the wavelength band, with the shortest wavelengths exhibiting the largest variations over the solar cycle. This means that not only the total irradiance varies with solar activity but also the shape of the solar spectrum. These measured effects have been successfully modelled. The models indicate that more than 90% of the total and spectral irradiance variations over the solar cycle are due to the magnetic field at the solar surface. The solar spectral irradiance variations play an important part in constraining the models, since they can directly distinguish between changes in the solar effective temperature and changes produced by variations of solar surface magnetic flux. They also help to determine what fraction of the total solar radiative input to Earth is absorbed by the Earth's atmosphere.


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