Abstract: Recent studies have statistically shown that the magnetic reconnection site at substorm expansion onset is located in the magnetotail at X ? ?20 R E on average. For a substorm event that occurred at ?0153 UT on 2 July 1996, however, Geotail observed a series of tailward but slow flows with southward magnetic fields fairly close to the Earth at (X, Y) ? (?7, 9) R E
. The flows had enhancements of the total pressure and the total magnetic field as well as bidirectional field-aligned low-energy electrons in their central part. We interpret these as signatures for tailward moving small plasmoids with scales of ?0.5–3 R E
. Considering that GOES-8 observed a dipolarization at (X, Y) ? (?4, 5) R E after the expansion onset, we estimate that the magnetic reconnection occurred between the Geotail and GOES-8 positions. UVI auroral images from Polar and ground magnetic field data show that this substorm, initiated at ?20 hours MLT and ?64° magnetic latitude, was not very intense, and the period examined was not during an intense storm. The southward interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) was not very large, while the large duskward IMF persisted for more than 12 hours before the onset as well as the somewhat large solar wind dynamic pressure. It seems likely that the global ionospheric convection was not very strong. Locally enhanced convection and auroral oval expansion due to the large IMF B y and the solar wind dynamic pressure might lead to the initiation of the magnetic reconnection much closer to the Earth than usual.

Abstract: Gaseous elemental mercury (GEM, Hg°) was measured in the snowpack interstitial air on the Kongsvegen Glacier (Svalbard) between the surface and 190 cm depth. A rapid depletion of GEM from ?5 to 0.4 ng.m?3 in the snowpack air was measured in less than 8 hours at a calculated depletion rate of ?0.5–0.7 ng.m?3.h?1 while concentration of GEM above the snow stayed constant about 1.7 ng.m?3. This depletion could only be explained by chemical processes and this study suggests that Br. could be the most important reactant for the oxidation of GEM in the interstitial snow air. The lifetime of GEM was estimated to be ?10 minutes with second order reaction rate constant between GEM and Br. of about ?2 × 10?11 cm?3.molecule?1.s?1. These first experimental kinetic values for GEM oxidation in the snow air are in good agreement with both theoretical and modelling studies previously reported.

Abstract: The GRACE twin satellites reveal large inter-annual terrestrial water-storage variations between 2002 and 2003 for central Europe. GRACE observes a negative trend in regional water storage from 2002 to 2003 peaking at ?7.8 cm in central Europe with an accuracy of 1 cm. The 2003 excess terrestrial water storage depletion observed from GRACE can be related to the record-breaking heat wave that occurred in central Europe in 2003. We validate the measurements from GRACE using two independent hydrological estimates and direct gravity observations from superconducting gravimeters in Europe. All datasets agree well with the GRACE measurements despite the disparity of the employed information; the difference between datasets tends to be within GRACE margin of error. The April-to-August terrestrial water storage depletion is found to be significantly larger in 2003 than in 2002 from both models and observations.

Abstract: The surface area of snow that is accessible to gases is an essential parameter for quantifying the exchange of trace gases between the snowpack and the atmosphere and is called the specific surface area (SSA). Snow SSA decreases during metamorphism, but this is not described in current snow models owing to the complexity of the physics and geometry of snow. In this paper, we test whether it is possible to model snow SSA changes during isothermal metamorphism without accounting for all the complexity of the three-dimensional (3-D) structure of real snow. We have developed a mean field model of snow metamorphism under isothermal conditions, grounded in the theoretical framework of transient Ostwald ripening and representing snow as a distribution of spherical particles. Analytical expressions of the growth rates of these spheres are obtained, and the evolution of two measurable parameters that characterize snow geometry, the SSA and the distribution of radii of curvature (DRC), are simulated and compared to experimental data obtained by X-ray tomography. The qualitative effects of temperature, snow density, and the condensation coefficient on the rate of SSA decrease are examined. The model predicts very well the rate of evolution of the particle size distribution, which validates our physical description of isothermal metamorphism. In particular, we find that vapor phase diffusion is rate limiting. However, the calculation of the SSA from the DRC appears delicate and evidences too crude approximations in our description of the 3-D geometry of snow. Finally, it is stressed that the initial DRC can greatly influence the rate of SSA decrease, while experimental measurements of the rate of SSA decrease suggest that all snow types evolve in a similar way. It is thus proposed that most natural fresh snows have similar DRCs.

Abstract: We use observations of the mass-independent oxygen isotopic composition (?17O) of sulfate in the marine boundary layer (MBL) to quantify the sulfate source from aqueous SO2 (S(IV)) oxidation by O3 in alkaline sea-salt aerosols. Oxidation by O3 imparts a large ?17O signature to the resulting sulfate (8.8‰) relative to oxidation by H2O2 (0.9‰) or by OH or O2 (0‰). Ship data from two Indian Ocean Experiment (INDOEX) cruises in the Indian Ocean indicate ?17O values usually <1‰ in the submicron sulfate aerosol but considerable variability in the supermicron sulfate with frequent occurrences above 1‰ and up to 6.7‰. The large ?17O values are associated with high concentrations of sea-salt aerosols, providing evidence for the S(IV) + O3 pathway. We use a global chemical transport model (GEOS-CHEM) to interpret quantitatively the INDOEX observations and to assess the global importance of sulfate production in sea-salt aerosols. The model accounts for titration of sea-salt alkalinity in the MBL by uptake of acid gases (SO2, H2SO4, and HNO3), shutting down the S(IV) + O3 pathway. We find that this titration occurs rapidly over much of the oceans except at high latitudes (strong sea-salt emission) and is due to both the S(IV) + O3 reaction and HNO3 (g) condensation; that is, sulfate formation in sea-salt aerosols is limited by the alkalinity flux from the ocean and by competition for this alkalinity supply from HNO3 (g). The model is consistent with the ?17O magnitudes and patterns in the INDOEX data. Titration of alkalinity is critical for the success of the model simulation. Regeneration of sea-salt aerosol alkalinity by OH uptake is inconsistent with the ?17O observations in INDOEX. Model results indicate that sulfate production in sea-salt aerosols decreases MBL SO2 concentrations and gas phase H2SO4 production rates by typically 10–30% (up to >70%) and increases MBL sulfate concentrations by typically >10% (up to 30%). Globally, this mechanism contributes 9% of atmospheric sulfate production and 1% of the sulfate burden. The impact on H2SO4 (g) formation and implications for the potential formation of new particles in the MBL warrants inclusion in models examining the radiative effects of sulfate aerosols.