0000000000547924

AUTHOR

Geoff Wadge

G-CLASS: geosynchronous radar for water cycle science – orbit selection and system design

The mission geosynchronous – continental land atmosphere sensing system (G-CLASS) is designed to study thediurnal water cycle, using geosynchronous radar. Although the water cycle is vital to human society, processes on timescalesless than a day are very poorly observed from space. G-CLASS, using C-band geosynchronous radar, could transform this. Itsscience objectives address intense storms and high resolution weather prediction, and significant diurnal processes such assnow melt and soil moisture change, with societal impacts including agriculture, water resource management, flooding, andlandslides. Secondary objectives relate to ground motion observations for earthquake, volcano, and subs…

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Chapter 16 Pre-eruptive vapour and its role in controlling eruption style and longevity at Soufrière Hills Volcano

We use volatiles in melt inclusions and nominally anhydrous phenocrysts, with volcanic gas flux and composition, and textural analysis of mafic inclusions to estimate the mass of exsolved vapour prior to eruption at Soufriere Hills Volcano (SHV). Pre-eruptive andesite coexists with exsolved vapour comprising 1.6–2.4 wt% of the bulk magma. The water content of orthopyroxenes indicates a zone of magma storage at pressures of approximately 200–300 MPa, whereas melt inclusions have equilibrated at shallower pressures. Inclusions containing >3 wt% H2O are enriched in CO2, suggesting flushing with CO2-rich gases. Intruding mafic magma contains >8 wt% H2O at 200–300 MPa. Rapid quenching is accompa…

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