AT THE ORIGINS OF A NEW OCEAN SCIENCE. ON THE CENTENARY OF THE BIRTH OF ACADEMICIAN A.S. MONIN (1921–2007)

July 2, 2021 marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of Andrei S. Monin, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, corresponding member of the USSR Academy of Sciences (since 1972), Director of the P.P. Shirshov Institute of Oceanology of the Russian Academy of Sciences in 1965–1987, a world-famous outstanding Soviet and Russian scientist in the field of Earth and Ocean sciences. The article highlights the main fundamental scientific results obtained by this scientist as a result of his many years of research on a wide range of problems of hydromechanics, dynamics of the earth's interior, planetology, atmospheric physics, and first of all, gives a high assessment of his capital contribution to domestic and world oceanology.

Deep Exploration of the Planets HR 8799 b, c, and d with Moderate-resolution Spectroscopy

The four directly imaged planets orbiting the star HR 8799 are an ideal laboratory to probe atmospheric physics and formation models. We present more than a decade’s worth of Keck/OSIRIS observations of these planets, which represent the most detailed look at their atmospheres to date by its resolution and signal-to-noise ratio. We present the first direct detection of HR 8799 d, the second-closest known planet to the star, at moderate spectral resolution with Keck/OSIRIS (K band; R ≈ 4000). Additionally, we uniformly analyze new and archival OSIRIS data (H and K band) of HR 8799 b, c, and d. First, we show detections of water (H2O) and carbon monoxide (CO) in the three planets and discuss the ambiguous case of methane (CH4) in the atmosphere of HR 8799 b. Then, we report radial-velocity (RV) measurements for each of the three planets. The RV measurement of HR 8799 d is consistent with predictions made assuming coplanarity and orbital stability of the HR 8799 planetary system. Finally, we perform a uniform atmospheric analysis on the OSIRIS data, published photometric points, and low-resolution spectra. We do not infer any significant deviation from the stellar value of the carbon-to-oxygen ratio (C/O) of the three planets, which therefore does not yet yield definitive information about the location or method of formation. However, constraining the C/O for all the HR 8799 planets is a milestone for any multiplanet system, and particularly important for large, widely separated gas giants with uncertain formation processes.

Disturbances of the Thermosphere and the Ionosphere during a Meteorological Storm

Determination of the physical mechanisms of energy transfer of tropospheric disturbances to the ionosphere is one of the fundamental problems of atmospheric physics. This article presents the results of observations carried out using two-wavelength lidar sensing at tropospheric altitudes and satellite GPS measurements during a meteorological storm in Kaliningrad (Russia, 54.7° N, 20.5° E) on 1 April 2016. During lidar sensing, it was found that the amplitudes of variations in atmospheric parameters with periods of acoustic (AWs) and internal gravity (IGWs) waves significantly increased. As a result of numerical modeling using the AtmoSym software package, it was shown that there is a noticeable increase in the period of temperature disturbances from 6–12 min to 10–17 min at altitudes from 150 km up to 230 km during the vertical propagation of acoustic waves and internal gravity waves from the troposphere. Nonlinear and dissipative processes in this layer lead to the formation of sources of secondary waves in the thermosphere with periods longer than those of primary ones. In this case, the unsteady nature of the wave source and the short duration of its operation does not lead to significant heating of the thermosphere. Simultaneous satellite observations demonstrate the response of the ionosphere (total electron content (TEC) disturbance) to tropospheric disturbances. Analysis of the time series of the amplitudes of the reflected lidar signal and TEC made it possible to determine that the response time of the ionosphere to tropospheric disturbances is 30–40 min.

The Influence of Tropospheric Processes on Disturbances in the D and E Ionospheric Layers

Determination of the physical mechanisms of the energy transfer of tropospheric disturbances to the ionosphere is one of the fundamental problems of atmospheric physics. This article presents the observational results of tropospheric and ionospheric disturbances during the passages of the solar terminator and solar eclipse. Lidar observations showed the occurrence of tropospheric regions with noticeably increased amplitudes of density, pressure, and temperature variations with periods corresponding to acoustic and internal gravity waves, which were generated in the troposphere during the development of these events. Simultaneous satellite measurements demonstrate the response of the ionosphere to these tropospheric disturbances. Based on the experimental data, we determine the typical periods and spatial scales of variations. It is shown that the response time of the ionosphere to tropospheric disturbances is 30–40 min.

Extreme exoplanets as a tool to understand trends in exoplanets atmospheres.

<div>The interpretation of general trends in exoplanet atmospheres is challenging because they exhibit a wide range of diverse properties in terms of composition, structure, and overall atmospheric physics. In this context exoplanet’s in extreme regimes can help to understand global planetary properties.</div> <div><strong> </strong></div> <div>In this project, we focus on a few exoplanets that are outliers in their atmospheric properties and discuss what we can learn about the overall population of hot-jupiters from these peculiar objects.  We present studies of exo-atmospheric processes in extreme regimes of temperature, of entropy, of radiative and advective timescales, and of formation stages. This project combines these various physical properties in a unique and innovative manner to understand the most crucial properties of hot-Jupiters.</div> <div><strong> </strong></div> <p>Practically, we leverage the unique capabilities of Hubble Space Telescope Wide Field Camera 3 together with novel data analysis techniques to understand the nature of a set of exoplanets that reside under these extreme conditions. Ultimately, this project enable us to improve our understanding of exo-atmospheric processes and planet formation that ultimately shape the atmospheres of hot Jupiters that are observed today. </p>

Study of the electric field variation based on preliminary observations at the ENU cosmophysical complex in 2020

The atmospheric electric field Ez is the most urgent problem of study of the physics of the atmosphere and the processes occurring in it. The conducted studies show the relationship of the electric field with atmospheric processes. Monitoring its changes is necessary to solve practical problems. This article presents brief characteristics of the installation of the EFM-100 electrostatic fluxmeter of the scientific cosmophysical experimental complex at the L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University (ENU) and its experimental data obtained in 2020. The article presents the results of observation of atmospheric-electrical characteristics near the Earth's surface and monitoring of the electric field of the atmosphere of the city of Nur-Sultan, in particular, estimates of the variation of the electric field of the surface layer of the atmosphere during sunrise and sunset based on data obtained by the EFM-100 fluxmeter. The comparison of meteorological data with the data of the electric field strength of the atmosphere is given. The analysis of the days and months in September and October 2020, when the conditions of “good weather” were manifested, was carried out. The series of electric field data obtained at other measuring stations show the characteristic periodicity of the electric field behavior. It is established that the value of the atmospheric electric field increases during sunrise with the manifestation of the solar terminator effect. It is interesting to study the relationship between the magnitude of the electric field of the atmosphere and the intensity of the cosmic ray flux, especially in the case of Forbush effects. The data of the ENU ground-based experimental complex allows us to conduct research on the study of atmospheric physics, including atomic electricity, as well as their interaction with cosmic rays and meto-conditions.

Accurate analytic approximation for the Chapman grazing incidence function

A new analytical approximation for the Chapman mapping integral, $${\text {Ch}}$$ Ch , for exponential atmospheres is proposed. This formulation is based on the derived relation of the Chapman function to several classes of the incomplete Bessel functions. Application of the uniform asymptotic expansion to the incomplete Bessel functions allowed us to establish the precise analytical approximation to $${\text {Ch}}$$ Ch , which outperforms established analytical results. In this way the resource consuming numerical integration can be replaced by the derived approximation with higher accuracy. The obtained results are useful for various branches of atmospheric physics such as the calculations of optical depths in exponential atmospheres at large grazing angles, physical and chemical aeronomy, atmospheric optics, ionospheric modeling, and radiative transfer theory.

Steffen K, Abdalati W and Stroeve J (1993) Climate sensitivity studies of the Greenland ice sheet using satellite AVHRR, SMMR SSM/I and in situ data. Meteorology and Atmospheric Physics 51(3–4): 239–258. DOI:10.1007/bf01030497

Physical geographer Konrad “Koni” Steffen, lost 8 August 2020 in a crevasse on the Greenland ice sheet, was a pioneer in satellite remote sensing and field observations of the Greenland ice sheet. This Classics Revisited piece honors the memory of Koni Steffen and examines the impact of a work which laid the foundation for numerous studies that made the Greenland ice sheet and the man global icons of climate change.

Atmospheric and Ocean Optics: Atmospheric Physics

The Atmosphere Special Issue entitled “Atmospheric and Ocean Optics: Atmospheric Physics” comprises seven original papers [...]