As preparation of the IPCC's Third Assessment Report takes place, one of the many observed climate variables of key interest is cloud amount. For several nations of the world, there exist records of surface-observed cloud amount dating back to the middle of the 20th Century or earlier, offering valuable information on variations and trends. Studies using such databases include Sun and Groisman (1999) and Kaiser and Razuvaev (1995) for the former Soviet Union, Angel1 et al. (1984) for the United States, Henderson-Sellers (1986) for Europe, Jones and Henderson-Sellers (1992) for Australia, and Kaiser (1998) for China. The findings of Kaiser (1998) differ from the other studies in that much of China appears to have experienced decreased cloudiness over recent decades (1954-1994), whereas the other land regions for the most part show evidence of increasing cloud cover. This paper expands on Kaiser (1998) by analyzing trends in additional meteorological variables for Chi na [station pressure (p), water vapor pressure (e), and relative humidity (rh)] and extending the total cloud amount (N) analysis an additional two years (through 1996).

This project demonstrated that treated drill cuttings derived from oil and gas operations could be used as source material for rebuilding eroding wetlands in Louisiana. Planning to supply a restoration site, drill a source well, and provide part of the funding. Scientists from southeastern Louisiana University's (SLU) Wetland Biology Department were contracted to conduct the proposed field research and to perform mesocosm studies on the SLU campus. Plans were to use and abandoned open water drill slip as a restoration site. Dredged material was to be used to create berms to form an isolated cell that would then be filled with a blend of dredged material and drill cuttings. Three elevations were used to test the substrates ability to support various alternative types of marsh vegetation, i.e., submergent, emergent, and upland. The drill cuttings were not raw cuttings, but were treated by either a dewatering process (performed by Cameron, Inc.) or by a stabilization process to encapsulate undesirable constituents (performed by SWACO, Division of Smith International).

Magnesium aryloxides were prepared in a variety of solvents through the reaction of dibutyl magnesium with sterically varied aryl alcohols: 2,6-dimethylphenol (H-DMP), 2,6-diisopropylphenol (H-DIP), and 2,4,6-trichlorophenol (H-TCP). Upon using a sufficiently strong Lewis-basic solvent, the monomeric species Mg(DMP){sub 2}(py){sub 3} (1, py = pyridine), Mg(DIP){sub 2}(THF){sub 3}, (2a, THF = tetrahydrofuran) Mg(TCP){sub 2}(THF){sub 3} (3) were isolated. Each of these complexes possesses a five-coordinate magnesium that adopts a trigonal bipyramidal geometry. In the absence of a Lewis base, the reaction with H-DIP yields a soluble trinuclear complex, [Mg(DIP){sub 2}]{sub 3} (2b). The Mg metal centers in 2b adopt a linear arrangement with a four-coordinate central metal while the outer metal centers are reduced to just three-coordinate. Solution spectroscopic methods suggest that while 2b remains intact, the monomeric species (1, 2a, and 3) are involved in equilibria, which facilitate intermolecular ligand transfer.

The syntheses, crystal structures and some properties of {alpha}- and {beta}-ZnHPO{sub 3}{center_dot}N{sub 4}C{sub 2}H{sub 4} are reported. These two polymorphs are the first organically-templated hydrogen phosphites. They are built up from vertex-sharing HPO{sub 3} pseudo pyramids and ZnO{sub 3}N tetrahedra, where the Zn-N bond represents a direct link between zinc and the neutral 2-cyanoguanidine template. {alpha}-ZnHPO{sub 3}{center_dot}N{sub 4}C{sub 2}H{sub 4} is built up from infinite layers of vertex-sharing ZnO{sub 3}N and HPO{sub 3} groups forming 4-rings and 8-rings. {beta}-ZnHPO{sub 3}{center_dot}N{sub 4}C{sub 2}H{sub 4} has strong one-dimensional character, with the polyhedral building units forming 4-ring ladders. Similarities and differences to related zinc phosphates are discussed. Crystal data: {alpha}-ZnHPO{sub 3}{center_dot}N{sub 4}C{sub 2}H{sub 4}, M{sub r} = 229.44, monoclinic, P2{sub 1}/c, a = 9.7718 (5) {angstrom}, b = 8.2503 (4) {angstrom}, c = 9.2491 (5) {angstrom}, {beta} = 104.146 (1){sup 0}, V = 723.1 (1) {angstrom}{sup 3}, R(F) = 2.33%, wR(F) = 2.52%. {beta}-ZnHPO{sub 3}{center_dot}N{sub 4}C{sub 2}H{sub 4}, M{sub r} = 229.44, monoclinic, C2/c, a = 14.5092 (9) {angstrom}, b = 10.5464 (6) {angstrom}, c = 10.3342 (6) {angstrom}, {beta} = 114.290 (1){sup 0}, V = 1441.4 (3) {angstrom}{sup 3}, R(F) = 3.01%, wR(F) = 3.40%.

Sensitivity/uncertainty analyses are not commonly performed on complex, finite-element engineering models because the analyses are time consuming, CPU intensive, nontrivial exercises that can lead to deceptive results. To illustrate these ideas, an analytical sensitivity/uncertainty analysis is used to determine the standard deviation and the primary factors affecting the burn velocity of polyurethane foam exposed to firelike radiative boundary conditions. The complex, finite element model has 25 input parameters that include chemistry, polymer structure, and thermophysical properties. The response variable was selected as the steady-state burn velocity calculated as the derivative of the burn front location versus time. The standard deviation of the burn velocity was determined by taking numerical derivatives of the response variable with respect to each of the 25 input parameters. Since the response variable is also a derivative, the standard deviation is essentially determined from a second derivative that is extremely sensitive to numerical noise. To minimize the numerical noise, 50-micron elements and approximately 1-msec time steps were required to obtain stable uncertainty results. The primary effect variable was shown to be the emissivity of the foam.

The Information Resources Catalog describes publications, videos, software, and other products available from OIT. These resources can help industrial firms improve energy efficiency and competitiveness, while reducing waste and pollution. Because many OIT resources have applications in multiple areas, the index is organized as a matrix.

Titanate ceramics have been selected as the preferred waste form for the immobilization of excess plutonium. Corrosion tests are underway to try to understand the long-term behavior of this material. In this paper, results from PCT-B static dissolution tests are used to provide an explanation of the observed corrosion behavior of a zirconolite-based ceramic. Two important observations are made. First, Ca is released at a constant rate [7 x 10{sup {minus}5} g/(m{sup 2} day)] in PCT-B tests for up to two years. Second, the release rates for Pu and Gd increase with time (up to two years) in PCT-B tests. The first observation suggests that the ceramics continue to corrode at a low rate for at least two years in PCT-B tests. The second observation suggests that the release rates of Pu and Gd are controlled by some process or processes that do not affect the release rate of other elements. Evidence indicates that this is due to the preferential dissolution of brannerite from the ceramic.

This paper describes the evolution of the process for assessing the hazards of a geologic disposal system for radioactive waste and, similarly, nuclear power reactors, and the relationship of this process with other assessments of risk, particularly assessments of hazards from manufactured carcinogenic chemicals during use and disposal. This perspective reviews the common history of scientific concepts for risk assessment developed to the 1950s. Computational tools and techniques developed in the late 1950s and early 1960s to analyze the reliability of nuclear weapon delivery systems were adopted in the early 1970s for probabilistic risk assessment of nuclear power reactors, a technology for which behavior was unknown. In turn, these analyses became an important foundation for performance assessment of nuclear waste disposal in the late 1970s. The evaluation of risk to human health and the environment from chemical hazards is built upon methods for assessing the dose response of radionuclides in the 1950s. Despite a shared background, however, societal events, often in the form of legislation, have affected the development path for risk assessment for human health, producing dissimilarities between these risk assessments and those for nuclear facilities. An important difference is the regulator's interest in accounting for uncertainty and the …

A 1.5 cm long, 1.2 g specimen of the Eltanin meteorite was found at 10.97 m depth in Polarstern piston core PS2704-1. The early studies indicated that the small fragments of the Eltanin meteorite was debris from a km-sized asteroid which impacted into the deep-ocean basin. In this study, the authors measured {sup 39}Ar-{sup 40}Ar age, noble gases, and cosmogenic radionuclides in splits of specimen as a part of consortium studies of Eltanin meteorite. They concluded that the specimen was about 3 m deep from the asteroid surface. The exposure age of the Eltanin asteroid was about 20 Myr.

Uranium and its fission product Tc in aerobic environment will be in the forms of UO{sub 2}{sup 2+} and TcO{sub 4}{sup {minus}}. Reduced forms of tetravalent U and Tc are sparingly soluble. As determined by transmission electron microscopy, the reduction of uranyl acetate by immobilized cells of Desulfovibrio desulfuricans results in the production of black uraninite nanocrystals precipitated outside the cell. Some nanocrystals are associated with outer membranes of the cell as revealed from cross sections of these metabolic active sulfate-reducing bacteria. The nanocrystals have an average diameter of 5 nm and have anhedral shape. The reduction of Re{sup 7+} by cells of Desulfovibrio desulfuricans is fast in media containing H{sub 2} an electron donor, and slow in media containing lactic acid. It is proposed that the cytochrome in these cells has an important role in the reduction of uranyl and Re{sup 7+} is (a chemical analogue for Tc{sup 7+}) through transferring an electron from molecular hydrogen or lactic acid to the oxyions of UO{sub 2}{sup 2+} and TcO{sub 4}{sup {minus}}.

Terrestrial ages of Antarctic meteorites are one of the few parameters that will help us to understand the meteorite concentration mechanism on blue-ice fields. Traditionally, terrestrial ages were determined on the basis of {sup 36}Cl in the metal phase, which has an uncertainty of about 70 ky. For young meteorites (< 40 ky), the terrestrial age is usually and most accurately determined using {sup 14}C in the stone phase. In recent years two methods have been developed which are independent of shielding effects, the {sup 10}Be-{sup 36}Cl/{sup 10}Be method and the {sup 41}Ca/{sup 36}Cl method. These methods have reduced the typical uncertainties in terrestrial ages by a factor of 2, to about 30 ky. The {sup 10}Be-{sup 36}Cl/{sup 10}Be method is quite dependent on the exposure age, which is unknown for most Antarctic meteorites. The authors therefore also attempt to use the relation between {sup 26}Al and {sup 36}Cl/{sup 26}Al to derive a terrestrial age less dependent on the exposure age. The authors have measured the concentrations of cosmogenic {sup 10}Be, {sup 26}Al and {sup 36}Cl in the metal phase of {approximately} 70 Antarctic meteorites, from more than 10 different ice-fields, including many new ones. They then discuss the trends …

A key uncertainty in models of the global carbonate-silicate cycle and long-term climate is the way that silicates weather under different climatologic conditions, and in the presence or absence of organic activity. Digital imaging of basalts in Hawaii resolves the coupling between temperature, rainfall, and weathering in the presence and absence of lichens. Activation energies for abiotic dissolution of plagioclase (23.1{+-} 2.5 kcal/mol) and olivine (21.3 {+-} 2.7 kcal/mol) are similar to those measured in the laboratory, and are roughly double those measured from samples taken underneath lichen. Abiotic weathering rates appear to be proportional to rainfall. Dissolution of plagioclase and olivine underneath lichen is far more sensitive to rainfall.

Compaction bands are thin, tabular zones of grain breakage and reduced porosity that are found in sandstones. These structures may form due to tectonic stresses or as a result of local stresses induced during production of fluids from wells, resulting in barriers to fluid (oil, gas, water) movement in sandstone reservoirs. To gain insight into the formation of compaction bands the authors have produced them in the laboratory. Acoustic emission locations were used to define and track the thickness of compaction bands throughout the stress history during axisymmetric compression experiments. Narrow zones of intense acoustic emission, demarcating the boundaries between the uncompacted and compacted regions were found to develop. Unexpectedly, these boundaries moved at velocities related to the fractional porosity reduction across the boundary and to the imposed specimen compression stress. This appears to be a previously unrecognized, fundamental mode of deformation of a porous, granular material subjected to compressive loading with significant implications for the production of hydrocarbons.

Electrode gap is a very important parameter for the safe and successful control of vacuum arc remelting (VAR), a process used extensively throughout the specialty metals industry for the production of nickel base alloys and aerospace titanium alloys. Optimal estimation theory has been applied to the problem of estimating electrode gap and a filter has been developed based on a model of the gap dynamics. Taking into account the uncertainty in the process inputs and noise in the measured process variables, the filter provides corrected estimates of electrode gap that have error variances two-to-three orders of magnitude less than estimates based solely on measurements for the sample times of interest. This is demonstrated through simulations and confined by tests on the VAR furnace at Sandia National Laboratories. Furthermore, the estimates are inherently stable against common process disturbances that affect electrode gap measurement and melting rate. This is not only important for preventing (or minimizing) the formation of solidification defects during VAR of nickel base alloys, but of importance for high current processing of titanium alloys where loss of gap control can lead to a catastrophic, explosive failure of the process.

Probing processes are used intermittently and not effectively as an on-line measurement device. This project was needed to evolve machine probing from merely a setup aid to an on-the-machine inspection system. Use of probing for on-machine inspection would significantly decrease cycle time by elimination of the need for first-piece inspection (at a remote location). Federal Manufacturing and Technologies (FM and T) had the manufacturing facility and the ability to integrate the system into production. The Contractor had a system that could optimize the machine tool to compensate for thermal growth and related error.

The structures of the high and low-density amorphous phases of ice are studied using several techniques. The diffraction patterns of high and low density amorphous ice are analyzed using reverse Monte Carlo methods and compared with molecular dynamics simulations of these phases. The spectra of crystalline and amorphous phases of ice obtained by Raman and incoherent inelastic neutron scattering are analyzed to yield structural features for comparison with the results of molecular dynamics and Reverse Monte Carlo analysis. The structural details obtained indicate that there are significant differences between the structure of liquid water and the amorphous phases of ice.

Quantitative measurements of the diffusion of adsorbed mixed Ge-Si dimers on the Si(100) surface have been made as a function of temperature using atom-tracking scanning tunneling microscopy. These mixed dimers are distinguishable from pure Si-Si dimers by their characteristic kinetics--a 180-degree rotation between two highly buckled configurations. At temperatures at which the mixed dimers diffuse, atomic-exchange events occur, in which the Ge atom in the adsorbed dimer exchanges with a substrate Si atom. Re-exchange can also occur when the diffusing Si-Si dimer revisits the original site of exchange.

An array of ultrasonic transducers was constructed consisting of three identical arrays at various depths in an air intake shaft at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). Each array consists of transducers permanently installed in three holes arranged in an L shape. An active array, created by appropriate arrangement of the transducers and selection of transmitter-receiver pairs, allows the measurement of transmitted signal velocities and amplitudes (for attenuation studies) along 216 paths parallel, perpendicular and tangential to the shaft walls. Transducer positions were carefully surveyed, allowing absolute velocity measurements. Installation occurred over a period of about two years beginning in early 1989, with nearly continuous operation since that time, resulting in a rare, if not unique, record of the spatial and temporal variability of damage development around an underground opening. This paper reports results from the last two years of operation, updating the results reported by Holcomb, 1999. Results will be related to the damage, due to microcracking, required to produce the observed changes. It is expected that the results will be useful to other studies of the long-term deformation characteristics of salt.

The objective of this study is to examine, by small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), the formation of soot from individual coal particle combustion in a methane flat flame burner. The SAXS instrument at the Basic Energy Sciences Synchrotron Radiation Center (BESSRC) at the Advanced Photon Source (APS) can be used to observe both the formation of spherules and clusters since it can access length scales of 6--6000 {angstrom}. The high X-ray flux enables rapid acquisition of scattering data of various regions of the flame. SAXS data reveal particle size, shape, surface areas, and surface roughness.

Crystalline phases of pyrochlore (e.g., CaPuTi{sub 2}O{sub 7}, CaUTi{sub 2}O{sub 7}) have been proposed as a durable ceramic waste form for disposal of high level radioactive wastes including surplus weapons-usable plutonium. In this paper, the authors use a linear free energy relationship to predict the Gibbs free energies of formation of pyrochlore phases (CaMTi{sub 2}O{sub 7}). The Pu-pyrochlore phase is predicted to be stable with respect to PuO{sub 2}, CaTiO{sub 3}, and TiO{sub 2} at room temperatures. Pu-pyrochlore is expected to be stable in a geologic repository where silica and carbonate components are absent or limited. The authors suggest that a repository in a salt formation be an ideal environment for disposal of high level, pyrochlore-based ceramic wastes. In such environment, adding CaO as a backfill will make pyrochlore minerals thermodynamically stable and therefore effectively prevent actinide release from these mineral phases.

The goal of this project is to develop inorganic metal oxide clusters known as polyoxoanions (POAs) as complexants for the immobilization of actinide (An) ions from high-level waste (HLW). A diverse array of rugged isopolyoxoanions, [M{sub x}O{sub y}]{sup z{minus}}, and heteropolyoxoanions, [X{sub a}M{sub b}O{sub c}]{sup d{minus}}, comprised of M = V, Mo, W and X = Si, P polyhedra will be investigated for their ability to incarcerate An ions. The research combines two objectives--An-POA coordination and An-POA containment. The first involves the synthesis, isolation, and characterization of POAs that can selectively bind An ions to form stable An-POA complexes in alkaline and acidic solutions. The second involves investigations of the thermochemistry of the An-POA complexes under vitrification conditions germane to the formation of proposed HLW forms, such as borosilicate glass. The approach is envisioned to provide two levels of An encapsulation for maximum stability and durability as well as the potential to incorporate higher levels of An ions (particularly Pu) in waste forms than now possible. Such versatility bodes well for the potential application of POAs as An complexants in technology of significance to the environmental management of HLW. This report summarizes work performed since the commencement of the project …

Validation of nuclear power reactor signals is often performed by comparing signal prototypes with the actual reactor signals. The signal prototypes are often computed based on empirical data. The implementation of an estimation algorithm which can make predictions on limited data is an important issue. A new machine learning algorithm called support vector machines (SVMS) recently developed by Vladimir Vapnik and his coworkers enables a high level of generalization with finite high-dimensional data. The improved generalization in comparison with standard methods like neural networks is due mainly to the following characteristics of the method. The input data space is transformed into a high-dimensional feature space using a kernel function, and the learning problem is formulated as a convex quadratic programming problem with a unique solution. In this paper the authors have applied the SVM method for data-based state estimation in nuclear power reactors. In particular, they implemented and tested kernels developed at Argonne National Laboratory for the Multivariate State Estimation Technique (MSET), a nonlinear, nonparametric estimation technique with a wide range of applications in nuclear reactors. The methodology has been applied to three data sets from experimental and commercial nuclear power reactor applications. The results are promising. The combination of …

The study of a homologous series of silsesquioxane monomers has uncovered striking discontinuities in gelation behavior. An investigation of the chemistry during the early stages of the polymerization has provided a molecular basis for these observations. Monomers containing from one to four carbon atoms exhibit a pronounced tendency to undergo inter or intramolecular cyclization. The cyclic intermediates have been characterized by {sup 29}Si NMR, chemical ionization mass spectrometry and isolation from the reaction solution. These carbosiloxanes are local thermodynamic sinks that produce kinetic bottlenecks in the production of high molecular weight silsesquioxanes. The formation of cyclics results in slowing down or in some cases completely shutting down gelation. An additional finding is that the cyclic structures are incorporated intact into the final xerogel. Since cyclization alters the structure of the building block that eventually makes up the xerogel network, it is expected that this will contribute importantly to the bulk properties of the xerogel as well.

Commercialization and transfer of technology from laboratories in academia, government, and industry has only met a fraction of its potential and is currently an art not a science. The line of sight approach developed and in use at Sandia National Laboratories, is used to better understand commercialization and transfer of technology. The line of sight process integrates technology description, the dual process model of innovation and the product introduction model. The model, that the line of sight is based OR is presented and the application of the model to both disruptive and sustaining technologies is illustrated. Work to date suggests that the differences between disruptive and sustaining technologies are critical to quantifying the level of risk and choosing the commercialization path. The applicability of the line of sight to both disruptive and sustaining technologies is key to the success of the model and approach.