Sedimentogenesis in the White Sea: Vertical Fluxes of Suspended Particulate Matter and Absolute Masses of Bottom Sediments

Oceanology - A new approach has been applied to studying marine sedimentation using dispersed sedimentary material in sediment traps compared to the surface layer of bottom sediments. Based on...     

Anomalous Decimeter Radio Noise from the Region of the Atmospheric Front: I. Characteristics of the Detected Radio Noise and Meteorological Parameters of the Frontal Cloudiness

An extraordinary experimental fact is presented and analyzed, namely, a rather intense broadband radio noise detected during the passage of an atmospheric front through the field of view of UHF antennas. Local atmospheric properties and possible sources of the extraordinary noise, including the thermal noise from cloudiness and extra-atmospheric sources, are considered. A conclusion is made about the presence of an additional nonthermal source of radio noise in the frontal cloudiness. According to the proposed hypothesis, these are multiple electric microdicharges on hydrometeors in the convective cloud.     

Critical Latitude in Tidal Dynamics Using the Kara Sea as an Example

It is well known that, within the linear nonviscous equations of tidal dynamics, the amplitudes of oscillations of the barotropic and baroclinic tidal velocity components unlimitedly increase when approaching the critical latitude. It is also known that the linear equations of tidal dynamics with a constant and specified vertical eddy viscosity indicate the occurrence of significant tidal velocity shears in the near-bottom layer, which are responsible for increasing the baroclinic tidal energy dissipation, the turbulent kinetic energy, and the thickness of the bottom boundary layer. The first circumstance—the growth of the amplitudes of oscillations of the barotropic and baroclinic tidal velocity components—is due to the elimination in the original equations of small terms, which are small everywhere except for the critical latitude zone. The second circumstance—the occurrence of significant tidal velocity shears—is due to the fact that internal tidal waves, which induce the dissipation of the baroclinic tidal energy and the diapycnal diffusion, are either not taken into account or described inadequately. It is suggested that diapycnal diffusion can lead to the degeneration (complete or partial) of tidal velocity shears, with all the ensuing consequences. The aforesaid is confirmed by simulation results obtained using the QUODDY-4 high-resolution three-dimensional finite-element hydrostatic model along the 66.25° E section, which passes in the Kara Sea across the critical latitude.     

Using Models of the Deep Structure of the Earth’s Crust and Upper Mantle Based on GOCE Gravity Data in Metallogenic Analysis

Izvestiya, Atmospheric and Oceanic Physics - Gravimetric data obtained by the GOCE spacecraft contributes to the development of global models of the deep structure of the Earth’s crust and...     

Ekman Convective Layer Flow of a Viscous Incompressible Fluid

Analytical solutions for generalizing the Ekman stationary flow of a viscous incompressible fluid in an infinite layer are obtained. The solution of an overdetermined system of the Oberbeck–Boussinesq equations is considered. It is suggested to use a class of exact solutions for this problem. It is shown that the structure of the solutions allows one to preserve the advective derivative in the heat-conductivity equation; this makes it possible to model the stratification of the temperature and pressure fields and describe the oceanic countercurrents.     

Comprehensive Geological–Geophysical and Botanic Study of the Tectonic Junction Zone between the Katun Ridge and Uimon Depression (Altai Mountains)

Izvestiya, Atmospheric and Oceanic Physics - Areas with large gradients and anomalous variations in geomagnetic and radiation fields have been revealed and mapped at the northwestern foot of the...     

The most primitive mesosiderite Northwest Africa 1878, subgroup 0

All mesosiderites previously reported were subjected to thermal metamorphism and/or partial melting on the parent body. Therefore, their primordial features have been mostly lost. Here, we report detailed petrological and mineralogical features on a mesosiderite, Northwest Africa (NWA) 1878. This meteorite comprises silicate lithology and aggregates of small spheroidal Fe‐Ni metal grains. Silicate lithology typically shows igneous texture without recrystallization features, and mainly consists of low‐Ca pyroxene and plagioclase. Pyroxenes often show normal zoning. Exsolution lamella of augite is rarely noticed and very thin in width, compared with other mesosiderites. A few magnesian olivine grains are encountered without typical corona texture around them. They are not equilibrated with pyroxene on a large scale. Plagioclase shows a wide compositional range. These results show that NWA 1878 hardly experienced thermal metamorphism, distinguished from mesosiderites of subgroups 1–4. Therefore, we propose that this is classified as subgroup 0 mesosiderite. Nevertheless, NWA 1878 was locally subjected to secondary reactions, such as weak reduction of pyroxene and Fe‐Mg diffusion between olivine and pyroxene, on the parent body.     

Extreme Climatic Events in the Altai-Sayan Region as an Indicator of Powerful Volcanic Eruptions

Izvestiya, Atmospheric and Oceanic Physics - Analytic data on anomalies of the tree-ring structure of Siberian larch on the transect, passing through the Russian part of the Altai-Sayan Mountain...     

Factors influencing biodeposit production by the New Zealand freshwater mussel Echyridella menziesii

Laboratory experiments on the New Zealand freshwater mussel Echyridella menziesii were used to investigate the short-term effects (7–8 days) of food type on rates of biodeposition and benthic substrate respiration. Post-feeding biodeposition rates ranged from 0.34 to 1.52?mg?g^?1?h^?1 (mean?=?0.50?mg g^?1?h^?1) and were unaffected by the addition of toxin-producing Microcystis. Addition of suspended sediment (30?mg?L^?1) visibly altered substrate composition, and increased total and inorganic biodeposit production rates by 24–33% compared to mussels fed commercial phytoplankton stock. Biodeposition rates of mussels in lake bed substrates were 38% higher than those in silica sand for identical feeding regimes, suggesting that a significant proportion of material produced in this experiment could have been derived from feeding on organic matter in the lake bed sediments. Respiration rates were higher in treatments with Microcystis but were unaffected by the presence of mussels. This laboratory study suggests that biodeposition by E. menziesii is resilient to short-term exposure to Microcystis, and highlights the ability of mussels to alter benthic substrate composition by incorporating suspended sediment into substrates.