scholarly journals Cornice dynamics and meteorological control at Gruvefjellet, Central Svalbard

2011 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 2279-2318
Author(s):  
S. Vogel ◽  
M. Eckerstorfer ◽  
H. H. Christiansen
Keyword(s):  
Air Temperature ◽  
Meteorological Data ◽  
Crack Opening ◽  
Time Lapse ◽  
High Arctic ◽  
Storm Events ◽  
Winter Climate ◽  
Wind Speeds ◽  
Prevailing Wind Direction ◽  
Wide Range

Abstract. Cornice fall avalanches endanger life and infrastructure in Nybyen, a part of Svalbard's main settlement Longyearbyen, located at 78° N in the High Arctic. Thus, cornice dynamics – accretion, cracking and eventual failure – and their controlling meteorological factors were studied along the ridgeline of the Gruvefjellet plateau mountain above Nybyen in the period 2008–2010. Using two automatic time-lapse cameras and hourly meteorological data in combination with intensive field observations on the Gruvefjellet plateau, cornice process dynamics were investigated for larger detail than previously possible. Cornice accretion starts directly following the first snowfall in late September and October, and proceeds throughout the entire snow season under a wide range of air temperature conditions that the maritime winter climate of Svalbard provides. Cornice accretion is particularly controlled by distinct storm events, with a prevailing wind direction perpendicular to the ridge line and average wind speeds from 12 m s−1. Particularly high wind speeds in excess of 30 m s−1 towards the plateau ridgeline lead to cornice scouring and reduce the cornice mass both vertically and horizontally. Induced by pronounced air temperature fluctuations, tension cracks develop between the cornice mass and the plateau. Our measurements indicate a linear crack opening due to snow creep and tilt of the cornice around a pivot point. Four to five weeks elapsed between the first observations of a cornice crack until cornice failure. Throughout the two snow seasons studied, 180 cornice failures were recorded, of which 70 failures were categorized as distinctive cornice fall avalanches. A clear temporal pattern with the majority of cornice failures in June was found. Thus only daily air temperature could determine avalanche from non-avalanche days. Seven large cornice fall avalanches reached the avalanche fans on which the Nybyen settlement is located. The size of the avalanches was primarily determined by the size of the cornice that detached. The improved understanding of the cornice dynamics process provides a first step towards a better predictability of this natural hazard.

scholarly journals Cornice dynamics and meteorological control at Gruvefjellet, Central Svalbard

2012 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 157-171 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Vogel ◽  
M. Eckerstorfer ◽  
H. H. Christiansen
Keyword(s):  
Air Temperature ◽  
Meteorological Factors ◽  
Meteorological Data ◽  
Crack Opening ◽  
Time Lapse ◽  
Storm Events ◽  
Winter Climate ◽  
Wind Speeds ◽  
Prevailing Wind Direction ◽  
Wide Range

Abstract. Cornice fall avalanches endanger life and infrastructure in Nybyen, a part of Svalbard's main settlement Longyearbyen, located at 78° N in the High Arctic. Thus, cornice dynamics – accretion, cracking and eventual failure – and their controlling meteorological factors were studied along the ridgeline of the Gruvefjellet plateau mountain above Nybyen in the period 2008–2010. Using two automatic time-lapse cameras and hourly meteorological data in combination with intensive field observations on the Gruvefjellet plateau, cornice process dynamics were investigated in larger detail than previously possible. Cornice accretion starts directly following the first snowfall in late September and October, and proceeds throughout the entire snow season under a wide range of air temperature conditions that the maritime winter climate of Svalbard provides. Cornice accretion is particularly controlled by distinct storm events, with a prevailing wind direction perpendicular to the ridge line and average wind speeds from 12 m s−1. Particularly high wind speeds in excess of 30 m s−1 towards the plateau ridgeline lead to cornice scouring and reduce the cornice mass both vertically and horizontally. Induced by pronounced air temperature fluctuations which might reach above freezing and lead to midwinter rainfall events, tension cracks develop between the cornice mass and the plateau. Our measurements indicate a linear crack opening due to snow creep and tilt of the cornice around a pivot point. Four to five weeks elapsed between the first observations of a cornice crack until cornice failure. Throughout the two snow seasons studied, 180 cornice failures were recorded, of which 70 failures were categorized as distinctive cornice fall avalanches. A clear temporal pattern with the majority of cornice failures in June was found. Thus only daily air temperature could determine avalanche from non-avalanche days. Seven large cornice fall avalanches reached the avalanche fans on which the Nybyen settlement is located. The size of the avalanches was primarily determined by the size of the cornice that detached. The improved process understanding of the cornice dynamics provides a first step towards a better predictability of this natural hazard, but also highlights that any type of warning based on meteorological factors is not an adequate measure to ensure safety of the housing at risk.

scholarly journals UTCI applications in practice (methodological questions)

2021 ◽  
Vol 94 (2) ◽  
pp. 153-165
Author(s):  
Krzysztof Błażejczyk ◽  
Magdalena Kuchcik
Keyword(s):  
Wind Speed ◽  
Human Health ◽  
Air Temperature ◽  
Meteorological Data ◽  
Mean Radiant Temperature ◽  
Change Analysis ◽  
Complex Index ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Radiant Temperature

UTCI, although it was developed with the participation of scientists from 22 countries, it has shortcomings and people using it face various obstacles. The difficulties include wide range of issues: from different availability of meteorological data in individual countries, through the kind of air temperature which should be properly used in calculations, or the need of recalculation of wind speed. However the biggest subject concern algorithms for mean radiant temperature (Mrt) calculations, different models and programs which simplify calculations of this complex index though introduce different approximations and, as a result, many false results. The paper presents also wide range of UTCI applications in urban bioclimate studies and bioclimatic mapping, climate-human health researches and biometeorological forecasts which were the primary purpose of the index creation, but also applications in tourism and recreation or even in bioclimate change analysis.

scholarly journals Spatial and Temporal Variations in the Incidence of Dust Storms in Saudi Arabia Revealed from In Situ Observations

Geosciences ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 162 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Albugami ◽  
Steven Palmer ◽  
Jonathan Cinnamon ◽  
Jeroen Meersmans
Keyword(s):  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Dust Storm ◽  
Meteorological Data ◽  
Temporal Trends ◽  
Dust Storms ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Storm Events ◽  
The West ◽  
Wind Speeds ◽  
Over Time

Monthly meteorological data from 27 observation stations provided by the Presidency of Meteorology and Environment (PME) of Saudi Arabia were used to analyze the spatial and temporal distribution of atmospheric dust in Saudi Arabia between 2000 and 2016. These data were used to analyze the effects of environmental forcing on the occurrence of dust storms across Saudi Arabia by considering the relationships between dust storm frequency and temperature, precipitation, and wind variables. We reveal a clear seasonality in the reported incidence of dust storms, with the highest frequency of events during the spring. Our results show significant positive relationships (p < 0.005) between dust storm occurrence and wind speed, wind direction, and precipitation. However, we did not detect a significant relationship with temperature. Our results reveal important spatial patterns, as well as seasonal and inter-annual variations, in the occurrence of dust storms in Saudi Arabia. For instance, the eastern part of the study area experienced an increase in dust storm events over time, especially in the region near Al-Ahsa. Similarly, an increasing trend in dust storms was also observed in the west of the study area near Jeddah. However, the occurrence of dust storm events is decreasing over time in the north, in areas such as Hail and Qaisumah. Overall, the eastern part of Saudi Arabia experiences the highest number of dust storms per year (i.e., 10 to 60 events), followed by the northern region, with the south and the west having fewer dust storm events (i.e., five to 15 events per year). In addition, our results showed that the wind speeds during a dust storm are 15–20 m/s and above, while, on a non-dust day, the wind speeds are approximately 10–15 m/s or lower. Findings of this study provide insight into the relationship between environmental conditions and dust storm occurrence across Saudi Arabia, and a basis for future research into the drivers behind these observed spatio-temporal trends.

scholarly journals Astroclimatic Conditions at the Hoa Lac and Nha Trang Astronomical Observatories

Atmosphere ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (12) ◽  
pp. 1680
Author(s):  
Artem Y. Shikhovtsev ◽  
Pavel G. Kovadlo ◽  
Evgeniy A. Kopylov ◽  
Mansur A. Ibrahimov ◽  
Huy Le Xuan
Keyword(s):  
Wind Speed ◽  
Air Temperature ◽  
Probability Distributions ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Wind Speeds ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Hourly Data ◽  
First Results ◽  
Weak Winds ◽  
High Level

The paper presents the first results of astroclimatic studies at the sites of the Hoa Lac and Nha Trang astronomical observatories. Our study employs Era-5 data covering a 10-yr time period (2011–2020). An analysis of the main astroclimatic characteristic, namely, the wind speed in the upper layers of the atmosphere, was performed. We calculated space distributions of the wind speed averaged in the height bin from 100 to 200 hPa. Using hourly data on pressure levels we analyzed probability distributions of the wind speed at high-level maxima at the sites of the observatories. At the Nha Trang observatory the period with a potentially high astroclimatic conditions falls on the spring when high recurrence of weak winds is observed. At the Hoa Lac observatory the best conditions are observed in the summer and the autumn. In this period, the median wind speeds are low. Additionally, we calculated spectra of the air temperature using the Fast Fourier Transform. We analyzed the deformations of the spectra with heights in a wide range of scales. At the site of the Nha Trang Astronomical Observatory, the amplitude of daily air temperature variations in the surface layer is approximately 1.5–2.5 times smaller compared to the Hoa Lac Observatory. We showed that the low-frequency maximum in the spectra is pronounced only in the lower layers of the atmosphere.

scholarly journals Using Satellite Data for CBRN (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear) Threat Detection, Monitoring, and Modelling

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gary Sutlieff ◽  
Lucy Berthoud ◽  
Mark Stinchcombe
Keyword(s):  
Satellite Data ◽  
Meteorological Data ◽  
Atmospheric Composition ◽  
Chemical Detection ◽  
List Type ◽  
Data Types ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Future Technologies ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Near Future

Abstract CBRN (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear) threats are becoming more prevalent, as more entities gain access to modern weapons and industrial technologies and chemicals. This has produced a need for improvements to modelling, detection, and monitoring of these events. While there are currently no dedicated satellites for CBRN purposes, there are a wide range of possibilities for satellite data to contribute to this field, from atmospheric composition and chemical detection to cloud cover, land mapping, and surface property measurements. This study looks at currently available satellite data, including meteorological data such as wind and cloud profiles, surface properties like temperature and humidity, chemical detection, and sounding. Results of this survey revealed several gaps in the available data, particularly concerning biological and radiological detection. The results also suggest that publicly available satellite data largely does not meet the requirements of spatial resolution, coverage, and latency that CBRN detection requires, outside of providing terrain use and building height data for constructing models. Lastly, the study evaluates upcoming instruments, platforms, and satellite technologies to gauge the impact these developments will have in the near future. Improvements in spatial and temporal resolution as well as latency are already becoming possible, and new instruments will fill in the gaps in detection by imaging a wider range of chemicals and other agents and by collecting new data types. This study shows that with developments coming within the next decade, satellites should begin to provide valuable augmentations to CBRN event detection and monitoring. Article Highlights There is a wide range of existing satellite data in fields that are of interest to CBRN detection and monitoring. The data is mostly of insufficient quality (resolution or latency) for the demanding requirements of CBRN modelling for incident control. Future technologies and platforms will improve resolution and latency, making satellite data more viable in the CBRN management field

Effects of Air Temperature on Combustion Characteristics of LPG Diffusion Flame

2020 ◽  
Vol 1008 ◽  
pp. 128-138
Author(s):  
Ahmed M. Salman ◽  
Ibrahim A. Ibrahim ◽  
Hamada M. Gad ◽  
Tharwat M. Farag
Keyword(s):  
Air Temperature ◽  
Diffusion Flame ◽  
Nitrogen Addition ◽  
Flame Length ◽  
Combustion Characteristics ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Low Oxygen ◽  
Air Temperatures ◽  
Air Stream ◽  
Wide Range

In the present study, the combustion characteristics of LPG gaseous fuel diffusion flame at elevated air temperatures were experimentally investigated. An experimental test rig was manufactured to examine a wide range of operating conditions. The investigated parameters are the air temperatures of 300, 350, 400, 450, and 500 K with constant percentage of nitrogen addition in combustion air stream of 5 % to give low oxygen concentration of 18.3 % by mass at constant air swirl number, air to fuel mass ratio, and thermal load of 1.5, 30, and 23 kW, respectively. The gaseous combustion characteristics were represented as axial and radial temperatures distributions, temperatures gradient, visible flame length and species concentrations. The results indicated that as the air temperature increased, the chemical reaction rate increased and flame volume decreased, the combustion time reduced leading to a reduction in flame length. The NO concentration reaches its maximum values near the location of the maximum centerline axial temperature. Increasing the combustion air temperature by 200 K, the NO consequently O2 concentrations are increased by about % 355 and 20 % respectively, while CO2 and CO concentrations are decreased by about % 21 and 99 % respectively, at the combustor end.

scholarly journals The effect of air temperature on hospital admission of adults with community acquired pneumonia in Baotou, China

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Wenfang Guo ◽  
Letai Yi ◽  
Peng Wang ◽  
Baojun Wang ◽  
Minhui Li
Keyword(s):  
Hospital Admission ◽  
Air Temperature ◽  
Meteorological Data ◽  
Community Acquired Pneumonia ◽  
Adult Patients ◽  
Distributed Lag ◽  
Specific Effects ◽  
Lower Temperature Range ◽  
Lower Temperature ◽  
Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region

AbstractThe relationship between air temperature and the hospital admission of adult patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) was analyzed. The hospitalization data pertaining to adult CAP patients (age ≥ 18 years) in two tertiary comprehensive hospitals in Baotou, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China from 2014 to 2018 and meteorological data there in the corresponding period were collected. The exposure–response relationship between the daily average temperature and the hospital admission of adult CAP patients was quantified by using a distributed lag non-linear model. A total of 4466 cases of adult patients with CAP were admitted. After eliminating some confounding factors such as relative humidity, wind speed, air pressure, long-term trend, and seasonal trend, a lower temperature was found to be associated with a higher risk of adult CAP. Compared to 21 °C, lower temperature range of 4 to –12 °C was associated with a greater number of CAP hospitalizations among those aged ≥ 65 years, and the highest relative risk (RR) was 2.80 (95% CI 1.15–6.80) at a temperature of − 10 °C. For those < 65 years, lower temperature was not related to CAP hospitalizations. Cumulative lag RRs of low temperature with CAP hospitalizations indicate that the risk associated with colder temperatures appeared at a lag of 0–7 days. For those ≥ 65 years, the cumulative RR of CAP hospitalizations over lagging days 0–5 was 1.89 (95% CI 1.01–3. 56). In brief, the lower temperature had age-specific effects on CAP hospitalizations in Baotou, China, especially among those aged ≥ 65 years.

scholarly journals A multi-site, year-round turbulence microstructure atlas for the deep perialpine Lake Garda

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sebastiano Piccolroaz ◽  
Bieito Fernández-Castro ◽  
Marco Toffolon ◽  
Henk A. Dijkstra
Keyword(s):  
Turbulent Mixing ◽  
Meteorological Data ◽  
Time Of Day ◽  
Monthly Basis ◽  
Lake Garda ◽  
Standardized Protocol ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Buoyancy Driven Convection ◽  
Monitoring Activity ◽  
Additional Monitoring

AbstractA multi-site, year-round dataset comprising a total of 606 high-resolution turbulence microstructure profiles of shear and temperature gradient in the upper 100 m depth is made available for Lake Garda (Italy). Concurrent meteorological data were measured from the fieldwork boat at the location of the turbulence measurements. During the fieldwork campaign (March 2017-June 2018), four different sites were sampled on a monthly basis, following a standardized protocol in terms of time-of-day and locations of the measurements. Additional monitoring activity included a 24-h campaign and sampling at other sites. Turbulence quantities were estimated, quality-checked, and merged with water quality and meteorological data to produce a unique turbulence atlas for a lake. The dataset is open to a wide range of possible applications, including research on the variability of turbulent mixing across seasons and sites (demersal vs pelagic zones) and driven by different factors (lake-valley breezes vs buoyancy-driven convection), validation of hydrodynamic lake models, as well as technical studies on the use of shear and temperature microstructure sensors.

scholarly journals Seasonal Surface Subsidence and Frost Heave Detected by C-Band DInSAR in a High Arctic Environment, Cape Bounty, Melville Island, Nunavut, Canada

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (13) ◽  
pp. 2505
Author(s):  
Greg Robson ◽  
Paul Treitz ◽  
Scott F. Lamoureux ◽  
Kevin Murnaghan ◽  
Brian Brisco
Keyword(s):  
Meteorological Data ◽  
Surface Displacement ◽  
High Arctic ◽  
Surface Subsidence ◽  
Freeze And Thaw ◽  
Thaw Cycle ◽  
Displacement Maps ◽  
Vertical Displacements ◽  
Negative Surface ◽  
Steep Slopes

Differential interferometry of synthetic aperture radar (DInSAR) can be used to generate high-precision surface displacement maps in continuous permafrost environments, capturing isotropic surface subsidence and uplift associated with the seasonal freeze and thaw cycle. We generated seasonal displacement maps using DInSAR with ultrafine-beam Radarsat-2 data for the summers of 2013, 2015, and 2019 at Cape Bounty, Melville Island, and examined them in combination with a land-cover classification, meteorological data, topographic data, optical satellite imagery, and in situ measures of soil moisture, soil temperature, and depth to the frost table. Over the three years studied, displacement magnitudes (estimated uncertainty ± 1 cm) of up to 10 cm per 48-day DInSAR stack were detected. However, generally, the displacement was far smaller (up to 4 cm). Surface displacement was found to be most extensive and of the greatest magnitude in low-lying, wet, and steeply sloping areas. The few areas where large vertical displacements (>2.5 cm) were detected in multiple years were clustered in wet, low lying areas, on steep slopes or ridges, or close to the coast. DInSAR also captured the expansion of two medium-sized retrogressive thaw slumps (RTS), exhibiting widespread negative surface change in the slump floor.

Hydro-meteorological data preparation for ecosystem hydrological modelling in the riparian forest of Hidegvíz Valley experimental catchment

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Csenge Nevezi ◽  
Tamás Bazsó ◽  
Zoltán Gribovszki ◽  
Előd Szőke ◽  
Péter Kalicz
Keyword(s):  
Air Temperature ◽  
Meteorological Parameters ◽  
Extreme Event ◽  
Riparian Forest ◽  
Meteorological Data ◽  
Rain Gauge ◽  
Hydrological Modelling ◽  
Data Preparation ◽  
Air Humidity ◽  
Groundwater Levels

&lt;p&gt;In the Hidegv&amp;#237;z Valley experimental catchment in Hungary the meteorological data have been collected since the 1990s and used for various purposes including hydrological studies. Current research began in 2018&amp;#8211;19, that aimed to reveal the connections between the hydrological and botanical characteristics in riparian forests and a wet meadow. Changes that occurred in both ecosystems in the groundwater levels, soil moisture and vegetation, showed that the local meteorological events influence these factors. Therefore we decided to analyse longer periods in which meteorological extremes&lt;br&gt;strongly influenced hydrological conditions and so status of ecosystems. Further measurements and their analysis were also required because more accuracy and detail were needed for future water balance modelling.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The measured data between 2017&amp;#8211;2020 were chosen as a starting database. For the first analysis we selected three meteorological parameters, i. e. the precipitation, the air temperature, and the air humidity. These parameters were measured by automated instruments, except for the precipitation. We found that the automated tipping-bucket rain gauge needs validation by a manual measurement (Hellmann-type rain gauge), because the data that collected by the automated device will be invalid if the rain intensity is too high.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In 2017 and 2018, the annual precipitation was distributed evenly, but in the following two years we observed some extremes. In 2019 and&lt;br&gt;2020, the spring was especially dry, the lowest monthly sum was 1.2 mm in 2020 April. 2019 April was similar (19.5 mm), but after the drought&lt;br&gt;period intense rainfall events arrived in May, resulted a monthly total of 214.1 mm. Air temperature and air humidity has not been showed such extremes as the precipitation.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;This study showed that detailed analysis of meteorological parameters is crucial for hydrological modelling data preparation because errors and extreme event can cause serious problems during modelling process and, also in case of evaluation of model results.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The research has been supported by the Ministry of Agriculture in Hungary.&lt;/p&gt;

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