Livestock productivity as indicator of vulnerability to climate hazards: a Mongolian case study

Mongolia is subject to regular peaks of livestock winter mortality called dzuds. Several kinds of dzud exist and the ‘white dzud’, characterized by heavy stochastic snowfalls preventing livestock to access forage, is considered the most common. Droughts and high livestock densities are thought to be part of the dzud process by affecting body condition, which increases vulnerability to snowfalls. Guided by the equilibrium/nonequilibrium framework, we studied how rainfall, animal numbers and pasture health (defined as the integrity of ecological processes sustaining grass growth) impact livestock body condition in a case study of West Mongolia. We studied this parameter through livestock productivity (LP) as a proxy, defined as the annual number of newborns per breeding-age female. We found no significant impact of rainfall or livestock numbers, alone or combined. We found through the study of pasture use, defined as the ratio forage consumed/forage available, an impact of the combined effect of rainfall, animal numbers and pasture health. We observed in addition sharp LP decreases prior to dzuds, which suggests that the above-mentioned drivers interact to weaken livestock which increases its vulnerability to winter hazards. This tends to show that in our case study, dzuds are not the simple consequence of stochastic hazards striking randomly, but instead, the final stage of a chain of events that involves dry years, high livestock densities and pasture degradation. This also indicates that dzud early warning indicators could be designed based on LP monitoring.     

Mongolian herders’ vulnerability to <Emphasis Type="Italic">dzud</Emphasis>: a study of record livestock mortality levels during the severe 2009/2010 winter

The livelihoods of people inhabiting inland Eurasia have long been jeopardized by repeated natural hazards associated with a harsh environment and a cold, arid climate. Dzud is a Mongolian word indicating harsh winter conditions. In the present study, we considered dzud damage (e.g., livestock loss) to result from a combination of climate hazard (e.g., cold surges) and herders’ socioeconomic vulnerability. For this study, we integrated crucial socioeconomic factors accounting for major spatiotemporal variations in Mongolia by applying principal component analysis (PCA) to a comprehensive province-level, multiyear dataset. We subsequently characterized the regionality of herders’ vulnerability to the dzud event that occurred during the 2009/2010 winter by conducting a cluster analysis of the provincial principal component (PC) scores for the pre-dzud year (2009). Our results revealed a distinct geographical pattern of vulnerability. Herding households in the northern and northeastern (relatively wet and plain) areas were found to be well prepared for harsh winters, with shelters against wind and availability of forage, including hay, as well as easy access to major urban markets. By contrast, herding households in the southern and southwestern (arid and mountainous) areas were poorly prepared, with inadequate circumstances that facilitate pursuing of otor (movement of nomadic herders in search of better pastures) and lack of access to markets and dzud relief support because of their remote locations. The time coefficients of PC 2, related to winter preparedness, indicated that vulnerability increased between 2003 and 2009 (the pre-dzud year). This was partly responsible for the record-level mortality observed in 2010 across the southern and southwestern rural region, in conjunction with harsh winter weathers.     

Herders and hazards: covariate <Emphasis Type="Italic">dzud</Emphasis> risk and the cost of risk management strategies in a Mongolian subdistrict

Studies of mobile pastoralist livelihoods have shown that a variety of socio-technical practices have been developed to achieve reliable outputs from livestock in variable arid and semi-arid environments. This paper builds upon the concept of pastoralists as high-reliability seekers rather than risk-averse and makes a case for understanding Mongolian herders as well adapted to livestock production in highly variable climatic conditions within a certain threshold of risk and uncertainty. This system fails, however, during instances of high uncertainty and covariate risk such as in cases of the natural hazard dzud, which requires individual households to make significant cash investments in risk management. It forwards the idea that investing in local government—soum and bag level—administrative capacity and infrastructure is needed to build system resilience to covariate risk. Based on ethnographic research in rural Bayankhongor, this paper interrogates how dzud interfaces with socio-economic factors amongst pastoralists in central west Mongolia.     

Seasonal Factors Influencing Copepod Abundance in the Maryland Coastal Bays

Maryland Coastal Bays differ in hydrography from river-dominated estuaries because of limited freshwater inflow from tributary creeks and more marine influence. Consequently, the copepod community structure may be different from that of the coastal ocean and river-dominated estuaries in the mid-Atlantic region. A 2-year study was conducted to describe copepod species composition and seasonal patterns in abundance and factors influencing the community structure. Seven copepod genera, Acartia, Centropages, Pseudodiaptomus, Parvocalanus, Eurytemora, Oithona, and Temora, in addition to harpacticoids were found. The copepod community was dominated by Acartia spp. (64%), followed by Centropages spp. (30%), unlike in river-dominated estuaries in the region where the copepod community is usually dominated by Acartia spp. followed by Eurytemora affinis. Acartia tonsa was the most abundant in summer and fall whereas Centropages spp., Temora sp., Oithona similis, E. affinis, and harpacticoids were most abundant in winter and early spring. Parvocalanus crassirostris and Pseudodiaptomus pelagicus were present in fall and winter but at relatively low densities. The highest mean density of copepods occurred in winter 2012 (36,437 m^?3) and the lowest in spring 2013 (347 m^?3). Low densities occurred through early summer (614 m^?3) coinciding with peak spawning by bay anchovy (Anchoa mitchilli). Bottom-up control via low phytoplankton biomass coupled with top-down control by ctenophores (Mnemiopsis sp.), mysids (Neomysis americana), and bay anchovy was probably responsible for the low copepod densities in spring and early summer. Temperature and salinity were also important factors that influenced the seasonal patterns of copepod species occurrence. The observed seasonal differences in the abundance of copepods have important implications for planktivorous fishes as they may experience lower growth rates and survival due to food limitation in spring/early summer when copepod densities are relatively low than in late summer/fall when copepod abundance is higher.     

Influence of climatic teleconnections on the temporal isotopic variability as recorded in a firn core from the coastal Dronning Maud Land,East Antarctica

Ice and firn core studies provide one of the most valuable tools for understanding the past climate change. In order to evaluate the temporal isotopic variability recorded in ice and its relevance to environmental changes, stable isotopes of oxygen and hydrogen were studied in a firn core from coastal Dronning Maud Land, East Antarctica. The annual δ ¹⁸O profile of the core shows a close relation to the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) variability. The ENSO indices show significant correlation with the surface air temperatures and δ ¹⁸O values of this region during the austral summer season and support an additional influence related to the Southern Annular Mode (SAM). The correlation between the combined ENSO-SAM index and the summer δ ¹⁸O record seems to have been caused through an atmospheric mechanism. Snow accumulation in this region illustrates a decreasing trend with opposite relationships with δ ¹⁸O data and surface air temperature prior and subsequent to the year 1997. A reorganization of the local water cycle is further indicated by the deuterium excess data showing a shift around 1997, consistent with a change in evaporation conditions. The present study thus illustrates the utility of ice-core studies in the reconstruction of past climate change and suggests possible influence of climatic teleconnections on the snow accumulation rates and isotopic profiles of snow in the coastal regions of east Antarctica.     

Quantifying land use influences on event-based flow frequency,timing, magnitude,and rate of change in an urbanizing watershed of the central USA

There is a need for research that advances understanding of flow alterations in contemporary watersheds where natural and anthropogenic interactions can confound mitigation efforts. Event-based flow frequency, timing, magnitude, and rate of change were quantified at five-site nested gauging sites in a representative mixed-land-use watershed of the central USA. Statistically independent storms were paired by site (n = 111 × 5 sites) to test for significant differences in event-based rainfall and flow response variables (n = 17) between gauging sites. Increased frequency of small peak flow events (i.e., 64 more events less than 4.0 m³ s^?1) was observed at the rural–urban interface of the watershed. Differences in flow response were apparent during drier periods when small rainfall events resulted in increased flow response at urban sites in the lower reaches. Relationships between rainfall and peak flow were stronger with decreased pasture/crop land use and increased urban land use by approximately 20%. Event-based total rainfall explained 40–68% of the variance in peak flow (p < 0.001). Coefficients of determination (r²) were negatively correlated with pasture/crop land use (r² = 0.92; p = 0.007; n = 5) and positively correlated with urban land use (r² = 0.90; p = 0.008; n = 5). Significant differences in flow metrics were observed between rural and urban sites (p < 0.05; n = 111) that were not explained by differences in rainfall variables and drainage area. An urban influence on flow timing was observed using median time lag to peak centroid and time of maximum precipitation to peak flow. Results highlight the need to establish manageable flow targets in rapidly urbanizing mixed-land-use watersheds.     

Evaluation of Plecoptera (Insecta) community composition using multivariate technics in a biodiversity hotspot

Eastern Black Sea Region of Turkey is a sub-ecoregion of the Caucasus Ecoregion, and its Plecoptera fauna is similar to fauna of Caucasus with unique endemic species of the region. The Caucasus Ecoregion is one of the “WWF Global 200 Ecoregions,” and it is also included in the list of top 25 hotspots in the World. Running water ecosystems of Eastern Black Sea sub-ecoregion are the most sensitive to land use change and global climate change. High-altitude aquatic ecosystems are more strongly threatened by global climate change in the region. Plecoptera constitute the most important part of the biodiversity of running waters in the region. Among the benthic macroinvertebrate taxa, Plecoptera is the best indicator of ecological conditions of running waters. The influence of environmental variables on the distribution of twenty Plecoptera species in running water ecosystems (headwaters, crenon, epirhithron, metarhithron) was assessed using canonical correspondence analysis. Sampling was carried out in 2009 and 2011. Eleven end groups were generated from the TWINSPAN analysis. Isoperla rhododendri, Isoperla grammatica, Protonemura bifida, Protonemura eumontana and Perla caucasica were closely related to pH, dissolved oxygen and riparian vegetation. Brachyptera transcaucasica transcaucasica, Nemoura martynovia, Nemoura taurica and Protonemura eumontana were related to Mg and Cu. The results show that the Plecoptera assemblage composition was affected by DO, pH, EC, temperature, nitrite, Ca, Mg, Fe, Cu, Zn, Al, riparian vegetation, altitude and stream width.     

Stability and phase relations of nonstoichiometric clinopyroxenes in the join diopside-Ca-Eskola component at high pressures

The stability of nonstoichiometric clinopyroxenes in the Di-CaEsk join was experimentally studied, and phase diagrams were constructed for this join at pressures of 2.0 and 3.0 GPa. It was found that melting in the diopside part of the join occurs at anomalously low temperatures, and nonstoichiometric clinopyroxene coexists with a phase approaching diopside in composition. Phase relations along the Di-CaEsk join can be described and consistently interpreted only assuming that the diopside phase (α-diopside) is thermodynamically stable. The following phase volumes were observed along the solidus of the join at a pressure of 3.0 GPa: Cpx, αDi+Cpx, αDi+Cpx+Qtz, αDi+Cpx+Grt+Qtz, Cpx+Grt+Qtz, Cpx+Grt+Ky+Qtz, Grt+Ky+Qtz. Melting occurs via the eutectic reaction αDi+Cpx+Grt+Qtz=L at a temperature of about 1200°C in the diopside part of the system and via the eutectic reaction Cpx+Grt+Ky+Qtz=L at a temperature of 1400°C in the calcium-rich part of the system. At a pressure of 2.0 GPa, melting occurs at temperatures of 1200–1300°C via the eutectic reaction αDi+Cpx+ An + Qtz=L. The invariant equilibrium (L, An, Cpx, Grt, αDi, Qtz) lies within the pressure range 2.0–3.0 GPa. Nonstoichiometric clinopyroxenes form complex solid solutions, the compositions of which are not strictly confined to the Di-CaEsk join and depend on temperature, pressure, and phase association. Grossular garnets coexist with nonstoichiometric clinopyroxenes and α-diopside.     

Seasonal evaluation habitat of Asian Houbara in the Central and East Iran

The Asian Houbara is vulnerable species, the population of which is dwindling. Its protection must be prioritized in conservation programs. In this study, maximum entropy models were developed in four seasons to evaluate habitat suitability and factors affecting Asian Houbara in the Center and East Iran. Environmental variables used in modeling and evaluating the niche consisted of 24 environmental and climate variables for Gharetapeh hunting prohibited region and 36 environmental and climate variables for Petregan protected area. Also, seasonal overlap area was obtained using the ENM TOOLS software. The results showed that the most important factors affecting habitat suitability of the Asian Houbara in all seasons included the ratio of distance to the type of Artemisia sieberi–Zygophyllum eurypterum, distance to the slope 2–5%, distance to the type of Seidlitzia rosmarinus in the Gharetapeh hunting prohibited region, distance to the type of Artemisia aucheri, distance to the land passion, and distance to the dry land farming in the Petregan region. In summer and fall–winter, the most suitable habitat is Gharetapeh but is Petergan during fall–winter. There is maximum overlap in fall and winter, and the least overlap in the spring in these areas.     

Campanian-Lower Paleogene gastropods from the Kharga Oasis,south Western Desert,Egypt

The Campanian-Lower Paleogene successions exposed at the Kharga Oasis contain well-preserved gastropods. Nineteen gastropod species are identified and described in detail. Two new species are established: Gisortia khargaensis from the lower Eocene El Rufuf Formation and Ornopsis? barisensis from the lower Paleocene Kurkur Formation. In addition to, Turritella (Torquesia) derbesi Coquand is recorded herein for the first time from Egypt. The studied gastropods belonging to four clades: Sorbeoconcha (Metacerithium abictiforme (Wanner), Mesalia hofana Mayer-Eymar, Mesalia sp., Turritella (Torquesia) derbesi Coquand, Turritella (Torquesia) forgemoli Coquand, Turritella kaserensis Hewaidy and Azab, Turritella sp.), Littorinimorpha (Cypraedia bullina Oppenheim, Gisortia khargaensis nov. sp., Natica farafrensis Wanner, Aporrhais schweinfurthi (Quaas), Drepanocheilus bicarinatus Abbass, Drepanocheilus? sp., Anchura? unicarinatus (Abbass), Epitonium sp.), Neogastropoda (Ornopsis? barisensis nov. sp., Rostellana daniensis (Quaas), Vouta sp.), and Heterobranchia (Avellana cretacea Quaas).     

Paleoweathering and Paleoclimatic Reconstructions using Neoproterozoic Paleosol in the Eastern Margin of the Pranhita-Godavari Basin,India

Paleogene sediments of the inner fold belt, Naga hills, have very well preserved ichnofossils. 16 ichnospecies have been documented among 13 ichnogenera such as Arenicolites isp., Chondrites targionii, Cylindrichnus isp., Diplocraterion parallelum, Gyrochorte isp., Ophiomorpha annulata, O. irregulaire, O. nodosa, O. rudis, Palaeophycus tubularis, Planolites beverleyensis, Scolicia palaeobullia, Skolithos linearis, Trypinites weisei, Thalassinoides horizontalis and Zoophycos isp. The ichnofossil assemblages comprise mostly domichnia and fodinichnia benthos of the Skolithos and Cruziana ichnofacies. A shallow marine nearshore to offshore marine environment with fluctuating energy condition has been envisaged.     

Development of a technique for IR spectroscopic determination of nitrogen content and aggregation degree in diamond crystals

A technique for IR spectroscopic determination of the total nitrogen content N _S in the form of A-and B ₁-defects is suggested. It provides for the computer processing and decomposition of IR spectra into constituent bands, calculation of the total absorption band area S _N and individual areas S _A and S _B1 and their normalization with respect to the total area of the diamond intrinsic absorption S ₀, with the normalization coefficients K _S , K _A , and K _B1 being calculated. Based on the analysis of the IR spectra of 60 octahedral diamond crystals from the Mir and Yubileinaya pipes (Sakha-Yakutiya), the empirical functions N _S = 911.85 K _S ^0.9919 ppm (R ² = 0.9859), N _A = 1185.6 K _A ^1.1511 ppm (R ² = 0.8703), and N _B1 = 911.85 K _S ^0.9919 ? 1185.6 K _A ^1.1511 ppm have been defined.     

Masses of the visual components and black holes in X-ray novae: Effects of proximity of the components

It is shown that the approximation of the complex, tidally distorted shape of a star as a circular disc with local line profiles and a linear limb-darkening law, which is usually applied when deriving equatorial stellar rotation velocities from line profiles, leads to overestimation of the equatorial velocity V _rot sin i and underestimation of the component mass ratio q = M _x /M _v . A formula enabling correction of the effect of these simplifying assumptions on the shape of a star is used to re-determine the mass ratios q and the masses of the black holes M _x and visual components M _v in low-mass X-ray binary systems containing black holes. Taking into account the tidal–rotational distortion of the stellar shape can significantly increase the mass ratios q = M _x /M _v , reducing M _v , while M _x changes only slightly. The resulting distribution of M _v attains its maximum near M _v ? 0.35M _⊙, in disagreement with the results of population synthesis computations realizing standard models for Galactic X-ray novae with black holes. Possible ways to overcome this inconsistency are discussed. The derived distribution of M _x also differs strongly from the mass distribution for massive stars in the Galaxy.     

Fracture evolution and energy mechanism of deep-buried carbonaceous slate

In order to study the influence of confining pressure and water content on the mechanical properties, fracture evolution and energy damage mechanism of deep-buried carbonaceous slate, uniaxial and triaxial compression tests were carried out under natural and saturated states and acoustic emission monitored. The deep-buried carbonaceous slate samples were obtained at a depth of 1020 m from the Lanjiayan tunnel in Sichuan province, China, where the maximum in situ stress has been measured at 44.2 MPa. The results suggest that water has a significant softening effect on the strength and deformation characteristics of carbonaceous slate, but the effect decreases with an increase in the confining pressure. When both the confining pressure and water content are increased, the acoustic emission events and dissipated energy gradually increase at the pre-peak and post-peak stages. Thus, the AE evolution type seen in the natural state under low confining pressure usually presents as a main shock-type event, and it changes to a foreshock–main shock–after shock event when saturated and at high confining pressures. Based on the S-shaped energy evolution law, the damage evolution process of carbonaceous slate was analyzed. The damage stress thresholds σ _ea and σ _eb were obtained, which can be considered as the thresholds of the rock entering the energy-hardening and energy-softening stages. Finally, a new brittleness energy index BDE is proposed to describe the influence of confining pressure and water content on the damage mechanism of deep-buried carbonaceous slate.     

Microbiostratigraphy of the Upper Paleocene to Middle Eocene Jahrum Formation in the Folded Zagros Zone,SW Iran

The Jahrum Formation (Upper Paleocene to Middle Eocene) is composed of carbonate and dolomitic carbonate rocks in the Zagros Basin. The Zagros is located at the boundary between the Arabian and Eurasian lithosphere plates and represent the orogenic response to a collision between Eurasia and advancing Arabia during the Cenozoic. The study area is located in the northern part of Kuh-E-Tudej, ~175 km southeast of Shiraz in the Folded Zagros Zone. The Jahrum Formation at Kuh-E-Tudej, with a thickness of 190 m, consists of medium to massive bedded limestone. The following foraminiferal index species are identified in the studied section: Fallotella alavensis, Kathina sp., Miscellanea sp., Lockhartia sp.,Orbitolites shirazeinsis, Nummulites sp., Opertorbitolites sp., Dictyoconus cf. egyptiensis, Orbitolites cf. complanatus, Dictyoconus sp., Coskinolina sp., Somalina stefaninii, Discocyclina sp., Praerhapydionina sp., Coskinolina cf. liburnica, Nummulites cf. globulus, Nummulites cf. aturicus, and Alveolina sp. The age of the studied sediments ranges from Upper Paleocene to Middle Eocene. The microbiostratigraphic studies revealed four biozones based on the foraminifers identified in the studied section.     

Combined effects of particulates dispersion and elemental analysis in desert plants: a modeling tool to air pollution

Multidimensional assessment of air pollution was carried out on trace metals in particulates, desert plant parts and soil collected from the six sites to validate air pollution tolerance index, translocation and bioaccumulation factors. A map indicating the sampled sites was superimposed on the Disper 5.2 software graphical interface to track the particulate dispersion route during the summer and winter seasons. This study showed site-wise orientation of particulates dispersed in the ambient air. Observations indicated the high concentrations of dispersed coarse > fine > ultra-fine particulates in trace metals analyzed from selected desert plants and in the soil especially during winter than in the summer seasons. High air pollution tolerance index was observed in the sequence of Calatropis gigantean > Portulaca oleracea > Citrullus collocynthis > Rumex vesicarius > Bienertia sinuspersici > Tribulus terrestris. Assessment of translocation and bioaccumulation factors labeled these desert plants as hyper-accumulators. The synergistic effect of the translocation and bioaccumulation factor in the various plants and the pollution levels for a given geographical location provides insight management to mitigate air pollution and landscape designers to grow tolerant species and protect sensitive plants from air pollution.     

A new Jurassic cow shark (Chondrichthyes,Hexanchiformes) with comments on Jurassic hexanchiform systematics

A new taxon, ?Crassodontidanus gen. nov. of Hexanchiformes (cow sharks) from the Jurassic of Germany is described. It is characterized by peculiar teeth combining apomorphic (serrated mesial cutting edge of the main cusp) and plesiomorphic features (deep root with convex mesial and distal margins in labial and lingual views; protruding lingual root bulge). This character combination readily distinguishes members of the new taxon from all other known extant (Heptranchias, Hexanchus, Notorynchus) and extinct (?Gladioserratus, ?Notidanodon, ?Notidanoides, ?Pachyhexanchus, ?Paraheptranchias, ?Weltonia) hexanchiforms. Currently, two species, ?C. serratus (type species; Late Jurassic, Late Kimmeridgian of Nusplingen, South Germany) and ?C. wiedenrothi (Early Jurassic, Early Pliensbachian of Gretenberg (Hanover), North Germany) are assigned to this taxon. ?Crassodontidanus gen. nov. is member of ?Crassonotidae fam. nov. and sister to ?Notidanoides Maisey, 1986 and ?Pachyhexanchus Cappetta, 1990. We consider ?Notidanus amalthei Oppel, 1854 from the Pliensbachian of South Germany, ?Notidanus insignis Seguenza, 1887 from the Oxfordian of Sicily (Italy) and ?Notidanus wagneri Agassiz, 1843 from the Early Tithonian of Solnhofen (South Germany) nomina dubia and nomina nuda, respectively. The family ?Crassonotidae comprises plesiomorphic hexanchiforms ranging from the Sinemurian (Early Jurassic) to the Hauterivian (Early Cretaceous).     

New models to predict rock failure by linking the volume dilatant point with the peak stress point

The rock mass failure process can be divided into several distinct deformation stages: the compaction stage, elastic stage, stable failure stage, accelerated failure stage, and post-peak stage. Although each stage has been well studied, the relationship among the stages has not been established. Here, we establish two models which are the Strain model Q and Energy density model S by using the renormalization group theory and investigate the mechanical relationship between the volume dilatant point and peak stress point on the rock stress-strain curve. Our models show that the strain ratio (ε _f /ε _c ) and energy ratio (E _f /E _c ) at the volume dilatant point and peak stress point are solely functions of the shape parameter m. To verify our models, we further studied the failure process of rock specimens through several uniaxial compression experiments and found that the relationship between ε _f /ε _c or E _f /E _c and m shares a notably similar pattern to that from our theoretical model. However, the ε _f /ε _c and E _f /E _c values in our experiments are slightly smaller than those predicted by the models. In brief, we demonstrate that our models can be used to predict the failure process of the laboratory-scale hard brittle rock samples.     

Spatial and decadal variations in satellite-based terrestrial evapotranspiration and drought over Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of China during 1982–2009

Evapotranspiration (ET) plays an important role in exchange of water budget and carbon cycles over the Inner Mongolia autonomous region of China (IMARC). However, the spatial and decadal variations in terrestrial ET and drought over the IMARC in the past was calculated by only using sparse meteorological point-based data which remain quite uncertain. In this study, by combining satellite and meteorology datasets, a satellite-based semi-empirical Penman ET (SEMI-PM) algorithm is used to estimate regional ET and evaporative wet index (EWI) calculated by the ratio of ET and potential ET (PET) over the IMARC. Validation result shows that the square of the correlation coefficients \((R^{2})\) for the four sites varies from 0.45 to 0.84 and the root-mean-square error (RMSE) is  \(0.78\) mm. We found that the ET has decreased on an average of 4.8 mm per decade (\(p=0.10\)) over the entire IMARC during 1982–2009 and the EWI has decreased on an average of 1.1% per decade (\(p=0.08\)) during the study period. Importantly, the patterns of monthly EWI anomalies have a good spatial and temporal correlation with the Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI) anomalies from 1982 to 2009, indicating EWI can be used to monitor regional surface drought with high spatial resolution. In high-latitude ecosystems of northeast region of the IMARC, both air temperature \((T_{a})\) and incident solar radiation \((R_{s})\) are the most important parameters in determining ET. However, in semiarid and arid areas of the central and southwest regions of the IMARC, both relative humidity (RH) and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) are the most important factors controlling annual variation of ET.     

Physicochemical model for the crystallization of rocks of the calc-alkaline series

The Al-rich region of the CaO-MgO-Al₂O₃-SiO₂ system was experimentally studied at pressures of 1.0–2.8 GPa and temperatures of 1300–1535°C. The slopes of the lines of the monovariant reactions An + Sp = Cpx + Cor + (Ga) and L = Cpx + Ga + Cor + Sp and the compositions of the phases involved in these reactions are determined. The results are utilized in the topological analysis of the aluminous region of the CaO-MgO-Al₂O₃-SiO₂ system. On this basis, the principal structure of the phase diagram is analyzed, and a phase diagram is constructed for the junction region of the quaternary system and the CaO-Al₂O₃-SiO₂ ternary system. A continuous series of the monovariant eutectic: L = Cpx + Opx + Fo + An, L = Cpx + Opx + An + Sp, L = Cpx + (Ga) + An + Sp, L = Cpx + Cor + (Ga) + An, L = An + Ga + Cpx + Ky and L = Ga + Cpx + Ky + Qz is examined within the pressure range from atmospheric to 3.0 GPa and higher. Analogous “telescoped” eutectic series are of fundamental character for interpreting the evolution of magmatic melts. A physicochemical model is suggested for the evolution of magmatic melts that produce rocks of the calc-alkaline series, with this model underlain by the fact that a change in the composition of magmatic melt at a pressure decrease should correspond to the minimum melting temperatures, i.e., to melts in the fundamental series of eutectic reactions. The comparison of our physicochemical model and rocks of the calc-alkaline series shows that the compositions of rocks of the calc-alkaline series are close to the compositions determined for the eutectic equilibria, and the mineralogical composition of xenoliths and megacrysts in volcanic and dike varieties of the rocks are similar to the subsolidus phases of the established fundamental eutectic system.