arXiv subjects

W. Woelfli

Publications and source records attributed to W. Woelfli.

9 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2009

Interpretation of the small grains in the inclusions of ice cores

The origin of the grains with diameters less than 4 micron from the inclusions in Antarctic ice cores is discussed. It is proposed that these grains were initiated by ions stopped in the upper atmosphere. The ions form molecules, which coagulate and diffuse downwards. These processes give rise to a characteristic mass spectrum of the small grains. Inclusions in ice were abundant during cold periods of the Pleistocene. This supports a model in which the influx of particles is large when Earth's orbit stays within a disk shaped cloud around the Sun. The production of such a cloud may favor light atoms. This should e.g. be apparent in the isotope distribution of Magnesium from the small grains. The large grains, which have a variable mass distribution, are terrestrial.

physics.geo-ph↗

arXiv2009

Thera als Angelpunkt der aegyptischen und isrealitischen Chronologien

The Exodus was causally connected to the eruption of Thera. The time of this geological event is determined by C14 dating as 1627-1600 BC. The chaos that followed this catastrophe led to upheavals which distorted the chronologies. Taking periods of foreign domination into account leads to an agreement between the chronologies of Egypt and Israel. ----- Der Exodus wurde durch den Ausbruch von Thera ermoeglicht, welcher als geologisches Ereignis durch C14 Datierungen auf die Zeit 1627-1600 BC festgelegt ist. Das durch die Katastrophe bewirkte Chaos fuerte zu Umwaelzungen, welche die Chronologien verzerrten. Die Beruecksichtigung der Zeiten der Fremdherrschaft fuehrt zu einer Uebereinstimmung der aegyptischen und israelischen Chronologien.

physics.geo-ph↗

arXiv2007

On the change of latitude of Arctic East Siberia at the end of the Pleistocene

Mammoths lived in Arctic East Siberia. In this region there is not sufficient sunlight over the year for the growth of the plants on which these animals feed. Therefore the latitude of this region was lower before the end of the Pleistocene. As the cause of this geographic pole shift, we postulate a massive object, which moved in an extremely eccentric orbit and was hot from tidal work and solar radiation. Evaporation produced a disk-shaped cloud of ions around the Sun. This cloud partially shielded the solar radiation, producing the cold and warm periods that characterize the Pleistocene. The shielding depends on the inclination of Earth's orbit, which has a period of 100'000 years. The cloud builds up to a density at which inelastic particle collisions induce its collapse The resulting near-periodic time dependence resembles that of Dansgaard-Oeschger events. During cold periods fine grained inclusions were deposited into the ice. The Pleistocene ended when the massive object had a close encounter with the Earth, which suffered a one per mil stretching deformation. While the deformation relaxed to an equilibrium shape in one to several years, the globe turned relative to the rotation axis: The North Pole moved from Greenland to the Arctic Sea. The massive object was torn to pieces, which evaporated.

physics.geo-ph↗

arXiv2006

Arctic East Siberia had a lower latitude in the Pleistocene

In Arctic East Siberia many remains of mammoths have been found. In this region there is not sufficient sunlight over the year to allow for the growth of the plants on which these animals feed. Consequently the latitude of these regions must have been lower before the end of the Pleistocene than at present. It is a challenge to reconstruct this geographic shift of the poles in a manner compa- tible with known facts. A possible sequence of events is described here. It as- sumes an additional planet, which must since have disappeared. This is possible, if it moved in an extremely eccentric orbit and was hot as a result of tidal work and solar radiation. During a few million years evaporation of this planet led to a disk-shaped cloud of ions moving around the Sun. This cloud partially shielded the Earth from the solar radiation, producing the alteration of cold and warm periods characterizing the Pleistocene. The degree of shielding is sensitive to the inclination of Earth's orbit, which has a period of 100000 years. Two cloud structures are discussed. The first is small and steady. The other builds up to a point where inelastic collisions between particles induce its collapse The resulting near-periodic time dependence of the shielding re- sembles that of Dansgaard-Oeschger events. The Pleistocene came to an end when the additional planet had a close encounter with the Earth, whereby the Earth suffered a one permil extensional deformation. While this deformation relaxed to an equilibrium shape in a time of one to several years, the globe turned relative to the rotation axis: The North Pole moved from Greenland to the Arctic Sea. The additional planet split into fragments, which subsequently evaporated. Simple estimates are used here for the characterization of the complex processes; more elaborate studies are required.

physics.geo-ph↗

arXiv2004

A link between an ice age era and a rapid polar shift

The striking asymmetry of the ice cover during the Last Global Maximum suggests that the North Pole was in Greenland and then rapidly shifted to its present position in the Arctic See. A scenario which causes such a rapid geographic polar shift is physically possible. It involves an additional planet, which disappeared by evaporation within the Holocene. This is only possible within such a short period, if the planet was in an extremely eccentric orbit and hot. Then, since this produced an interplanetary gas cloud, the polar shift had to be preceded by a cold period with large global temperature variations during several million years.

physics.ao-ph↗

arXiv2002

A correlation between Earth's inclinations and the times of the cold events recorded in Devils Hole climate data

The calculated values of Earth's inclinations during the cold events in the 500 kyr climate record of Devils Hole show a correlation: they cluster in the regions around 1 and 2 degrees. The Devils Hole record has been chosen, since it was dated by absolute methods. Other climate records covering the same period also have a reduced number of cold events between the two regions. The correlation lends support to the proposal of R. A. Muller and G.J. MacDonald that the observed 100 kyr climate cycle is due to the varying inclination of Earth's orbit and to material located near the invariant plane which shields off the solar radiation.

physics.geo-ph↗

arXiv2002

An additional planet as a model for the Pleistocene Ice Age

We propose a model for the Pleistocene Ice Age, assuming the following scenario: Between 3 Myr and 11.5 kyr BP a Mars-sized object existed which moved in a highly eccentric orbit. Originating from this object, gas clouds with a complex dynamics reduced Earth's insolation and caused a drop in the global temperature. In a close encounter, 11.5 kyr ago, tidal forces deformed the Earth. While the shape of the gyroscope Earth relaxed, the North Pole moved geographically from Greenland to its present position. During this close encounter, the object was torn to pieces, each of which subsequently evaporated or plunged into the sun. These events terminated the Ice Age Epoch.

physics.geo-ph↗

arXiv1999

A possible explanation for Earth's climatic changes in the past few million years

The astronomical theory of Milankovitch relates the changes of Earth' past climate to variations in insolation caused by oscillations of the orbital parameters. However, this theory has problems to account for some major observed phenomena of the past few million years. Here, we present an alternative explanation for these phenomena. It is based on the idea that the solar system until quite recently contained an additional massive object of planetary size. This object, called Z, is assumed to have moved on a highly eccentric orbit bound to the sun. It influenced Earth's climate through a gas cloud of evaporated material. Calculations show that more than once during the last 3.2 Myr it even approached the Earth close enough to provoke a significant shift of the geographic position of the poles. The last of these shifts terminated Earth's Ice Age epoch about 11.5 kyr ago. The origin and fate of Z is also discussed.

physics.ao-ph↗

arXiv1999

Long term behavior of a hypothetical planet in a highly eccentric orbit

For a hypothetical planet on a highly eccentric orbit, we have calculated the osculating orbital parameters and its closest approaches to Earth and Moon over a period of 750 kyr. The approaches which are close enough to influence the climate of the Earth form a pattern comparable to that of the past climatic changes, as recorded in deep sea sediments and polar ice cores.

astro-ph↗