A precisely controlled, low range humidity system
Development of environmental control system for determining effects of relative humidity and dry heat on inactivation of microorganisms
Garst, D. M.↗
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The Global Seasonal Relationship Between Satellite-Observed Cold Pools and Rainfall
Convective cold pools are important modulators of the onset and evolution of deep convection in the tropics. This work leverages a dataset derived from the Advanced Scatterometer (ASCAT) satellite instrument by Garg et al. (2020) to quantify seasonal variations in cold pool activity and their relationship to deep convection across tropical ocean basins. The dataset identifies gradient features (GFs) in the surface wind field, which have been shown to serve as reliable proxies for the boundaries of atmospheric cold pools. We examine the relationship between GFs and climatologies of precipitation, column relative humidity (CRH), and bulk vertical wind shear. We also collocate GFs with precipitation and CRH. High GF frequency, precipitation, and CRH coincide in many regions of the tropics, consistent with our understanding of the physical connections between precipitation and cold pool generation. On the other hand, climatological bulk wind shear is often low in convective regions, and there is a weak inverse correlation between GF frequency and bulk wind shear, while our prior expectation might have been that shear promotes cold pool formation. Compared to GF frequency, GF size shows a weaker relationship with the convective environment, with some of the largest GF sizes occurring at lower CRH values for a given rainfall rate. In a few exceptional regions and seasons, such as the Indian Ocean in northern hemisphere summer, the region of greatest precipitation does not coincide with the region of greatest GF frequency. These cases also have very high seasonal mean CRH, suggesting that in these regions cold pool formation is suppressed by reduced evaporation of precipitation.
Convective cold pools↗
The Historical Greenland Climate Network (GC-Net) Curated and Augmented Level-1 Dataset
The Greenland Climate Network (GC-Net) consists of 31 automatic weather stations (AWSs) at 30 sites across the Greenland Ice Sheet. The first site was initiated in 1990, and the project has operated almost continuously since 1995 under the leadership of the late Konrad Steffen. The GC-Net AWS measured air temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, atmospheric pressure, downward and reflected shortwave irradiance, net radiation, and ice and firn temperatures. The majority of the GC-Net sites were located in the ice sheet accumulation area (17 AWSs), while 11 AWSs were located in the ablation area, and two sites (three AWSs) were located close to the equilibrium line altitude. Additionally, three AWSs of similar design to the GC-Net AWS were installed by Konrad Steffen's team on the Larsen C ice shelf, Antarctica. After more than 3 decades of operation, the GC-Net AWSs are being decommissioned and replaced by new AWSs operated by the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS). Therefore, making a reassessment of the historical GC-Net AWS data is necessary. We present a full reprocessing of the historical GC-Net AWS dataset with increased attention to the filtering of erroneous measurements, data correction and derivation of additional variables: continuous surface height, instrument heights, surface albedo, turbulent heat fluxes, and 10 m ice and firn temperatures. This new augmented GC-Net level-1 (L1) AWS dataset is now available at https://doi.org/10.22008/FK2/VVXGUT (Steffen et al., 2023) and will continue to be refined. The processing scripts, latest data and a data user forum are available at https://github.com/GEUS-Glaciology-and-Climate/GC-Net-level-1-data-processing (last access: 30 November 2023). In addition to the AWS data, a comprehensive compilation of valuable metadata is provided: maintenance reports, yearly pictures of the stations and the station positions through time. This unique dataset provides more than 320 station years of high-quality atmospheric data and is available following FAIR (findable, accessible, interoperable, reusable) data and code practices.
Greenland Climate Network↗
Second generation PMR polyimide/fiber composites
A second generation polymerization monomeric reactants (PMR) polyimdes matrix system (PMR 2) was characterized in both neat resin and composite form with two different graphite fiber reinforcements. Three different formulated molecular weight levels of laboratory prepared PMR 2 were examined, in addition to a purchased experimental fully formulated PMR 2 precurser solution. Isothermal aging of graphite fibers, neat resin samples and composite specimens in air at 316 C were investigated. Humidity exposures at 65 C and 97 percent relative humidity were conducted for both neat resin and composites for eight day periods. Anaerobic char of neat resin and fire testing of composites were conducted with PMR 15, PMR 2, and an epoxy system. Composites were fire tested on a burner rig developed for this program. Results indicate that neat PMR 2 resins exhibit excellent isothermal resistance and that PMR 2 composite properties appear to be influenced by the thermo-oxidative stability of the reinforcing fiber.
Cavano, P. J.↗
Preparation of silicon carbide-silicon nitride fibers by the pyrolysis of polycarbosilazane precursors
The development of silicon carbide-silicon nitride fibers (SiC-Si3N4) by the pyrolysis of polycarbosilazane precursors is reviewed. Precursor resin, which was prepared by heating tris(N-methylamino)methylsilane or tris(N-methylamino)phenylsilane to about 520 C, was drawn into fibers from the melt and then made unmeltable by humidity conditioning at 100 C and 95 percent relative humidity. The humidity treated precursor fibers were pyrolyzed to ceramic fibers with good mechanical properties and electrical resistivity. For example, SiC-Si3N4 fibers derived from tris(N-methylamino)methylsilane had a tensile rupture modulus of 29 million psi and electrical resistivity of 6.9 x ten to the 8th power omega-cm, which is ten to the twelfth power times greater than that obtained for graphite fibers.
Penn, B. G.↗
Environmental tests of metallization systems for terrestrial photovoltaic cells
Seven different solar cell metallization systems were subjected to temperature cycling tests and humidity tests. Temperature cycling excursions were -50 deg C to 150 deg C per cycle. Humidity conditions were 70 deg C at 98% relative humidity. The seven metallization systems were: Ti/Ag, Ti/Pd/Ag, Ti/Pd/Cu, Ni/Cu, Pd/Ni/Solder, Cr/Pd/Ag, and thick film Ag. All metallization systems showed a slight to moderate decrease in cell efficiencies after subjection to 1000 temperature cycles. Six of the seven metallization systems also evidenced slight increases in cell efficiencies after moderate numbers of cycles, generally less than 100 cycles. The copper based systems showed the largest decrease in cell efficiencies after temperature cycling. All metallization systems showed moderate to large decreases in cell efficiencies after 123 days of humidity exposure. The copper based systems again showed the largest decrease in cell efficiencies after humidity exposure. Graphs of the environmental exposures versus cell efficiencies are presented for each metallization system, as well as environmental exposures versus fill factors or series resistance.
Alexander, P., Jr.↗
Preparation of silicon carbide-silicon nitride fibers by the pyrolysis of polycarbosilazane precursors - A review
The development of silicon carbide-silicon nitride fibers (SiC-Si3N4) by the pyrolysis of polycarbosilazane precursors is reviewed. Precursor resin, which was prepared by heating tris(N-methylamino)methylsilane or tris(N-methylamino)phenylsilane to about 520 C, was drawn into fibers from the melt and then made unmeltable by humidity conditioning at 100 C and 95 percent relative humidity. The humidity treated precursor fibers were pyrolyzed to ceramic fibers with good mechanical properties and electrical resistivity. For example, SiC-Si3N4 fibers derived from tris(N-methylamino)methylsilane had a tensile rupture modulus of 29 million psi and electrical resistivity of 6.9 x ten to the 8th power omega-cm, which is ten to the twelfth power times greater than that obtained for graphite fibers.
Penn, B. G.↗
Real-Time Assimilation of Goes-Derived Products into A Mesoscale Model and It's Impact on Short-Term (06-36hr) Forecasts from 17 October 1998 through the Present
As the parameterizations of surface energy budgets in regional models have become more complete physically, models have the potential to be much more realistic in simulations of coupling between surface radiation, hydrology, and surface energy transfer. Realizing the importance of properly specifying the surface energy budget, many institutions are using land-surface models to represent the lower boundary forcing associated with biophysical processes and soil hydrology. However, the added degrees of freedom due to inclusion of such land-surface schemes require the specification of additional parameters within the model system such as vegetative resistances, green vegetation fraction, leaf area index, soil physical and hydraulic characteristics, stream flow, runoff, and the vertical distribution of soil moisture. Spatial heterogeneity of these parameters makes correct specification problematic since measurements are not routinely available. A technique has been developed for assimilating GOES-IR skin temperature tendencies, solar insolation, and surface albedo into the surface energy budget equation of a mesoscale model so that the simulated rate of temperature change closely agrees with the satellite observations. The technique has been successfully employed in a number of mesoscale models in case-study mode. We have taken the next step and developed a study to determine if assimilating these types of data into mesoscale models in real-time can improve short-term (648h) forecasts of temperature, relative humidity, and QPF on a daily basis over relatively large regions. Therefore, an operational modeling/assimilation system has been developed at the GHCC during the past summer that allows us to produce simulations out to 48 hours in a timely manor. The PSU/NCAR MM5 is used in a nested configuration with a 25 km grid covering the southeastern third of the US. The model has been on-line since 1 July 1998 and forecast products are posted on our web site. The satellite algorithms that generate data to be assimilated came on-line 17 October 1998. Quantitative assessment of the forecast quality is performed via traditional verification statistics. In addition, invaluable qualitative information is obtained through close collaboration with several NWSFO's who are using the MM5 products in real-time on a daily basis. The assimilation technique has been applied in an off-line mode since 17 October. Results based on bulk statistical verification of surface meteorology over the entire Southeastern US show that assimilating the GOES-derived land surface tendencies and solar radiation results in a significant reduction of the shelter air temperature and RH bias on a daily basis. In fact, the assimilation technique has produced improved temperature and RH forecasts for 97% of the 100 simulations performed to date. Work is currently underway to determine the sensitivity of the assimilation procedure to the availability of satellite data, length of assimilation period, model initialization, and synoptic-scale meteorological conditions. In addition, results from a detailed energy budget analysis using the Early Eta, our operational MM5, and the assimilation runs will help us to better understand the satellite assimilation the land-surface energy budge. Research during the spring-summer of 1999 will focus on the impact of the assimilation technique during the warm season where it is hypothesized that it can have a positive impact on QPF during conditions of weak synoptic-scale forcing.
Lapenta, William M.↗
Humidity profiles over the ocean
The variabilities of atmospheric humidity profile over oceans from daily to interannual time scales were examined using 9 years of daily and semidaily radiosonde soundings at island stations extending from the Arctic to the South Pacific. The relative humidity profiles were found to have considerable temporal and geographic variabilities, contrary to the prevalent assumption. Principal component analysis on the profiles of specific humidity were used to examine the applicability of a relation between the surface-level humidity and the integrated water vapor; this relation has been used to estimate large-scale evaporation from satellite data. The first principal component was found to correlate almost perfectly with the integrated water vapor. The fractional variance represented by this mode increases with increasing period. It reaches approximately 90 percent at two weeks and decreases sharply, below one week, down to approximately 60 percent at the daily period. At low frequencies, the integrated water vapor appeared to be an adequate estimator of the humidity profile and the surface-level humidity. At periods shorter than a week, more than one independent estimator is needed.
Liu, W. T.↗
The sensitivity of latent heat flux to the air humidity approximations used in ocean circulation models
In deriving the surface latent heat flux with the bulk formula for the thermal forcing of some ocean circulation models, two approximations are commonly made to bypass the use of atmospheric humidity in the formula. The first assumes a constant relative humidity, and the second supposes that the sea-air humidity difference varies linearly with the saturation humidity at sea surface temperature. Using climatological fields derived from the Marine Deck and long time series from ocean weather stations, the errors introduced by these two assumptions are examined. It is shown that the errors reach above 100 W/sq m over western boundary currents and 50 W/sq m over the tropical ocean. The two approximations also introduce erroneous seasonal and spatial variabilities with magnitudes over 50 percent of the observed variabilities.
Liu, W. Timothy↗
Dry-heat resistance of selected psychrophiles
The dry-heat resistance characteristics of spores of psychrophilic organisms isolated from soil samples from the Viking spacecraft assembly areas at Cape Kennedy Space Flight Center, Cape Canaveral, Fla., were studied. Spore suspensions were produced, and dry-heat D values were determined for the microorganisms that demonstrated growth or survival under a simulated Martian environment. The dry-heat tests were carried out by using the planchet-boat-hot plate system at 110 and 125 C with an ambient relative humidity of 50% at 22 C. The spores evaluated had a relatively low resistance to dry heat. D (110 C) values ranged from 7.5 to 122 min, whereas the D (125 C) values ranged from less than 1.0 to 9.8 min.
Winans, L.↗
Hydrochloric acid aerosol and gaseous hydrogen chloride partitioning in a cloud contaminated by solid rocket exhaust
Partitioning of hydrogen chloride between hydrochloric acid aerosol and gaseous HCl in the lower atmosphere was experimentally investigated in a solid rocket exhaust cloud diluted with humid ambient air. Airborne measurements were obtained of gaseous HCl, total HCl, relative humidity and temperature to evaluate the conditions under which aerosol formation occurs in the troposphere in the presence of hygroscopic HCl vapor. Equilibrium predictions of HCl aerosol formation accurately predict the measured HCl partitioning over a range of total HCl concentrations from 0.6 to 16 ppm.
Sebacher, D. I.↗
Intercomparison of Aerosol Volume Size Distributions Derived from AERONET Ground-Based Remote Sensing and LARGE in Situ Aircraft Profiles During the 2011–2014 DRAGON and DISCOVER-AQ Experiments
Aerosol volume size distribution (VSD) retrievals from the Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) aerosol monitoring network were obtained during multiple DRAGON (Distributed Regional Aerosol Gridded Observational Network) campaigns conducted in Maryland, California, Texas and Colorado from 2011 to 2014. These VSD retrievals from the field campaigns were used to make comparisons with near-simultaneous in situ samples from aircraft profiles carried out by the NASA Langley Aerosol Group Experiment (LARGE) team as part of four campaigns comprising the DISCOVER-AQ (Deriving Information on Surface conditions from Column and Vertically Resolved Observations Relevant to Air Quality) experiments. For coincident (1 h) measurements there were a total of 91 profile-averaged fine-mode size distributions acquired with the LARGE ultra-high sensitivity aerosol spectrometer (UHSAS) instrument matched to 153 AERONET size distributions retrieved from almucantars at 22 different ground sites. These volume size distributions were characterized by two fine-mode parameters, the radius of peak concentration (rpeak_conc) and the VSD fine-mode width (widthpeak_conc). The AERONET retrievals of these VSD fine-mode parameters, derived from ground-based almucantar sun photometer data, represent ambient humidity values while the LARGE aircraft spiral profile retrievals provide dried aerosol (relative humidity; RH< 20 %) values. For the combined multiple campaign dataset, the average difference in rpeak_conc was 0:0330:035 μm (ambient AERONET values were 15.8% larger than dried LARGE values), and the average difference in widthpeak_conc was 0:0420:039 μm (AERONET values were 25.7% larger). For a subset of aircraft data, the LARGE data were adjusted to account for ambient humidification. For these cases, the AERONET–LARGE average differences were smaller, with rpeak_conc differing by 0:0110:019 μm (AERONET values were 5.2% larger) and widthpeak_conc average differences equal to 0:0300:037 μm (AERONET values were 15.8% larger).
Schafer, Joel S.↗
Does The Earth Have an Adaptive Infrared Iris?
Observations and analyses of water vapor and clouds in the tropics over the past decade suggest a different approach to radiative climate feedbacks: namely, that high clouds and high free-tropospheric relative humidity are largely tied to each other, and that the main feedback consists in changing the relative areas of cloudy/moist regions vis a vis clear/dry regions in response to the surface temperature of the cloudy/moist regions - as opposed to altering the humidity in either of the regions. This is an intrinsically 2-dimensional (horizontal and vertical) effect which does not readily enter simple 1-dimensional (vertical) radiative-convective schemes which emphasize average humidity, etc. Preliminary analyses of cloud data for the eastern part of the Western Pacific from the Japanese GMS-5(Geostationary Meteorological Satellite), are supportive of this suggestion - pointing to a 15% reduction in cloudy/moist area for a 1C increase of the sea surface temperature as measured by the cloud-weighted SST (sea surface temperature). The implication of this result is examined using a simple 2-dimensional radiative-convective model. The calculations show that such a change in the tropics would lead to a strong negative feedback in the global climate, with a feedback factor of about -1.7, which, if correct, would easily dominate the positive water vapor feedback found in current models. This new feedback mechanism, in effect, constitutes an adaptive infrared iris that opens and closes in order to control the OLR (outgoing longwave radiation) in response to changes in surface temperature in a manner similar to the way in which an eye's iris opens and closes in response to changing light levels. The climate sensitivity resulting from this thermostatic mechanism is consistent with the independent determination by Lindzen and Giannitisis (1998). Preliminary attempts to replicate observations with GCMs (General Circulation Models) suggest that models lack such a negative cloud/moist areal feedback.
Lindzen, Richard S.↗
Tropospheric Ozone Over a Tropical Atlantic Station in the Northern Hemisphere: Paramaribo, Surinam (6 deg N, 55 deg W)
We present an analysis of 2.5 years of weekly ozone soundings conducted at a new monitoring station in Paramaribo, Surinam (6 deg N,55 deg W). This is currently one of only three ozone sounding stations in the northern hemisphere (NH) tropics, and the only one in the equatorial Atlantic region. Paramaribo is part of the Southern Hemisphere ADditional Ozone Sounding program (SHADOZ). Due to its position close to the equator, the Inter Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) passes over Paramaribo twice per year, which results in a semi-annual seasonality of many parameters including relative humidity and ozone. The dataset from Paramaribo is used to: (1) evaluate ozone variability relative to precipitation, atmospheric circulation patterns and biomass burning; (2) contrast ozone at the NH equatorial Atlantic with that at nearby southern hemisphere (SH) stations Natal (6 deg S,35 deg W) and Ascension (8 deg S,14 deg W); (3) compare the seasonality of tropospheric ozone with a satellite-derived ozone product: Tropical Tropospheric Ozone Columns from the Modified Residual method (MR-TTOC). We find that Paramaribo is a distinctly Atlantic station. Despite its position north of the equator, it resembles nearby SH stations during most of the year. Transport patterns in the lower and middle troposphere during February and March differ from SH stations, which leads to a seasonality of ozone with two maxima. MR-TTOC over Paramaribo does not match the observed seasonality of ozone due to the use of a SH ozone sonde climatology in the MR method. The Paramaribo ozone record is used to suggest an improvement for northern hemisphere MR-TTOC retrievals. We conclude that station Paramaribo shows unique features in the region, and clearly adds new information to the existing SHADOZ record.
Peters, W.↗
Effect of humidity on fretting wear of several pure metals
Fretting wear experiments with several pure metals were conducted in air at various relative humidity levels. The materials used were iron, aluminum, copper, silver, chromium, titanium, and nickel. Each pure metal had a maximum fretting wear volume at a specific humidity level RH sub max that was not dependent on mechanical factors such as contact load, fretting amplitude, and frequency in the ranges studied. The weight loss due to fretting wear at RH sub max for each pure metal decreased with increasing heat of oxygen adsorption on the metal, indicating that adhesive wear dominated at RH sub max.
Goto, H.↗
An empirical approach to predicting long term behavior of metal particle based recording media
Alpha iron particles used for magnetic recording are prepared through a series of dehydration and reduction steps of alpha-Fe2O3-H2O resulting in acicular, polycrystalline, body centered cubic (bcc) alpha-Fe particles that are single magnetic domains. Since fine iron particles are pyrophoric by nature, stabilization processes had to be developed in order for iron particles to be considered as a viable recording medium for long term archival (i.e., 25+ years) information storage. The primary means of establishing stability is through passivation or controlled oxidation of the iron particle's surface. A study was undertaken to examine the degradation in magnetic properties as a function of both temperature and humidity on silicon-containing iron particles between 50-120 C and 3-89 percent relative humidity. The methodology to which experimental data was collected and analyzed leading to predictive capability is discussed.
Hadad, Allan S.↗
Temperature, Humidity, And Polymer Aging
Report presents analysis of experimental data on electrical resistivity of polymer (polyvinyl butyral) as function of temperature and relative humidity. Resulting theoretical expression for electrical resistivity resembles generally accepted empirical law for the corrosion rate.
Cuddihy, Edward F.↗