Crater clusters on Mars: Shedding light on martian ejecta launch conditions

We have identified two classes of crater clusters on Mars. One class is “small clusters” (crater diameter D∼ tens m, spread over few hundred m), fitting our earlier calculations for the breakup of weak stone meteoroids in the martian atmosphere [Popova, O.P., Nemtchinov, I.V., Hartmann, W.K., 2003. Meteorit. Planet. Sci. 38, 905-925]. The second class is “large clusters” (D∼ few hundred m, spread over 2 to 30 km), which do not fit any predictions for breakup of known meteoroid types. We consider a range of possible explanations. The best explanation relates to known, high-speed ejection of large, semi-coherent, fractured rock masses from the surface, as secondary debris from primary impacts. The clusters are probably due to breakup of partly fracture, few-hundred-meter scale weak blocks, especially during ascent (producing moderate lateral spreading velocities among the fragments during sub-orbital flight), and also during descent of the resulting swarm. These conclusions illuminate the launch conditions of martian meteorites, including fragmentation processes, although more work is needed on the lateral separation of fragments (during either atmosphere descent or ascent) due to the effects of volatiles in the projectiles. Martian meteorites probably come from smaller martian craters than the clusters' source craters. The latter probably have D?85 km, although we have not ruled out diameters as small as 15 km.     

Using SNAP for Galactic &; extragalactic astronomy

SNAP, the SuperNova Acceleration Probe, is planned as a space-based telescope designed specifically to search for and monitor cosmological supernovae and weak lensing. In this paper we propose some other mission objectives which are of great importance in the fields of Galactic and extragalactic astronomy and which can be done as by-products with the same instrumentation and survey strategy as currently proposed for the main SNAP mission.     

An Investigation of the Reliability of HF Acid Mixtures in the Bomb Digestion of Silicate Rocks for the Determination of Trace Elements by ICP‐MS

The influence of the mixtures HF‐HNO₃ and HF‐NH₄F‐HNO₃ in bomb digestion for trace element determination from different rock types was studied using ICP‐MS. It is shown that the HF concentration, not the ratio of reagents in the decomposing mixture, controls the digestion process of a rock. Data for Zr in the granite G‐2 as a function of HF concentration gave the same results as reaction mixtures of various compositions. A complete digestion in 50‐mg sample bombs was achieved by 1.0 ml of HF alone, or with a mixture of other acids at a HF concentration of at least 35% m/m at 196 °C over 18 h. The results of the analysis of basalts BCR‐1, BIR‐1, mica schist SDC‐1, shale SBC‐1, granites G‐2, SG‐1A, garnet‐biotite plagiogneiss GBPg‐1, rhyolite RGM‐1, granodiorite GSP‐1, trachyandesite MTA‐1 and rhyolite MRh‐1 are given and compared against available data. The reproducibility of the element determinations by ICP‐MS and XRF as an independent non‐destructive analysis for a quality check in the range of concentrations typical for routine rock samples is given.     

REGIONAL CLIMATE CHANGE SCENARIOS UNDER GLOBAL WARMING IN KAZAKHSTAN

The aim of this paper is to report on the development of regional climate change scenarios for Kazakhstan as the result of increasing of CO₂ concentration in the global atmosphere. These scenarios are used in the assessment of climate change impacts on the agricultural, forest and water resources of Kazakhstan. Climate change scenarios for Kazakhstan to assess both long-term (2× CO₂ in 2075) and short-term (2000, 2010 and 2030) impacts were prepared. The climate conditions under increasing CO₂ concentration were estimated from three General Circulation Models (GCM) outputs: the model of the Canadian Climate Center Model (CCCM), the model of the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory (GFDL) and the 1% transient version of the GFDL model (GFDL-T). The near-term climate scenarios were obtained using the probabilistic forecast model (PFM) to the year 2010 and the results of GFDL-T for years 2000 and 2030. A baseline scenario representing the current climate conditions based on observations from 1951 to 1980 was developed. The assessment of climate change in Kazakhstan based on the analysis of 100-years observations is given too. As a result of comparisons of the current climate (based on observed climate) the 1× CO₂ output from GCMs showed that the GFDL model best matches the observed climate. The GFDL model suggests that the minimum increase in temperature is expected in winter, when most of the territory is expected to have temperatures 2.3–4.5 °C higher. The maximum (4.3 to 8.2 °C) is expected to be in spring. CCCM scenario estimates an extreme worming above 11 °C in spring months. GFDL-T outputs provide an intermediate scenario.     

Body size–abundance distributions of nano- and micro-phytoplankton guilds in coastal marine ecosystems

This study focuses on body size–abundance distributions of nano- and micro-phytoplankton guilds in coastal marine areas of the Southern Adriatic–Ionian region. The aim of the study was to evaluate the occurrence of common patterns of body size–abundance distributions in relation to physical, chemical and biological environmental forcing factors and to taxonomic composition of phytoplankton guilds. This paper is based on data collected during four oceanographic cruises carried out seasonally along the Southern Apulian coast (Adriatic and Ionian Seas, SE Italy) as a part of the INTERREG II Italy–Greece Program. The study was performed at 21 stations located on 7 transects perpendicular to the coastline, with 3 stations per transect at a distance of 3, 9 and 15 NM from the coastline. At each station, profiles of the major physical features of the water were determined and water samples were collected for phytoplankton and nutrient analysis. Overall, 320 nano- and micro-phytoplankton taxa were identified, 76% of which at species level, with phytoplankton cells ranging in size from 0.008 to 4697.54 ng. Body size–abundance distributions showed some common features: they were relatively invariant (average similarity 65%) with respect to taxonomic composition (average similarity 32%), right skewed (90%), leptokurtic (77%) and log normal (76%). Moreover, abiotic, biotic and spatial ecosystem components accounted for up to 75% of body size–abundance distribution variation. The results of this study suggest that body size–abundance distributions are an intrinsic property of marine phytoplankton communities, emphasising functional dependence on ecological constraints related to trophic factors and intra-guild coexistence relationships.     

Impact of the brine from a desalination plant on a shallow seagrass (Posidonia oceanica) meadow

Although seawater desalination has increased significantly over recent decades, little attention has been paid to the impact of the main by-product (hypersaline water: brine) on ecosystems. In the Mediterranean, potentially the most affected ecosystems are meadows of the endemic seagrass Posidonia oceanica. We studied the effect of brine on a shallow P. oceanica meadow exposed to reverse osmosis brine discharge for more than 6 years. P. oceanica proved to be very sensitive to both eutrophication and high salinities derived from the brine discharge. Affected plants showed high epiphyte load and nitrogen content in the leaves, high frequencies of necrosis marks, low total non-structural carbohydrates and low glutamine synthetase activity, compared to control plants. However, there was no indication of extensive decline of the affected meadow. This is probably due to its very shallow situation, which results in high incident radiation as well as fast dilution and dispersion of the brine plume.     

Sedimentary geochemistry of core PG1351 from Lake El’gygytgyn—a sensitive record of climate variability in the East Siberian Arctic during the past three glacial–interglacial cycles

The ca. 13 m long sediment core PG1351, recovered in 1998 from the central part of Lake El’gygytgyn, NE Siberia, was investigated for lithostratigraphy, water content, dry bulk density (DBD), total organic carbon (TOC), total nitrogen (TN), total sulphur (TS) and biogenic silica (opal) contents, and for TOC stable isotope ratios (δ¹³C_TOC). The event stratigraphy recorded in major differences in sediment composition match variations in regional summer insolation, thus confirming a new age model for this core, which suggests that it spans the last 250 ka BP. Four depositional units of contrasting lithological and biogeochemical composition have been distinguished, reflecting past environmental conditions associated with relatively warm, peak warm, cold and dry, and cold but more moist climate modes. A relatively warm climate, resulting in complete summer melt of the lake ice cover and seasonal mixing of the water column, prevailed during the Holocene and Marine Isotope Stages (MIS) 3, 5.1, 5.3, 6.1, 6.3, 6.5, 7.1–7.3, 7.5, 8.1 and 8.3. MIS 5.5 (Eemian) was characterized by significantly enhanced aquatic primary production and organic matter supply from the catchment, indicating peak warm conditions. During MIS 2, 5.2, 5.4, 6.2 and 6.4 the climate was cold and dry, leading to perennial lake ice cover, little regional snowfall, and a stagnant water body. A cold but more moist climate during MIS 4, 6.6, 7.4, 8.2 and 8.4 is thought to have produced more snow cover on␣the perennial ice, strongly reducing light penetration and biogenic primary production in␣the lake. While the cold–warm pattern during␣the past three glacial–interglacial cycles is probably controlled by changes in regional summer insolation, differences in the intensity of the warm phases and in the degree of aridity (changing snowfall) during cold phases likely were due to changes in atmospheric circulation patterns. This is the seventh in a series of eleven papers published in this special issue dedicated to initial studies of El'gygytgyn Crater Lake and its catchment in NE Russia. JulieBrigham-Grette, Martin Melles, Pavel Minyuk were guest editors of this special issue.     

The simulation of heat and water exchange in the boreal spruce forest by the land-surface model SWAP

All previous versions of a physically based land-surface model SWAP have assumed for simplicity that vegetation is fully covered by snow during the cold season. Such assumption is reasonable only for the regions dominated by short vegetation or for warm climates where snow processes are absent. The major goals of this paper are (i) modification of the latest version of SWAP by incorporation of tall vegetation into the cold-season parameterizations to make the model applicable for simulating heat and water transfer within a boreal forest biome and (ii) validation of the modified version using the data from a forested catchment located in the boreal zone. Modification of SWAP required to parameterize radiative and turbulent exchange between the forest crown and forest floor, partitioning snowfall between interception by the canopy (in doing so, snow interception differs from rain interception) and falling to the ground, formation of snow cover on the forest crown and forest floor including snow accumulation (both in solid and liquid fractions), snow evaporation, and snowmelt. The advanced model was validated using a set of hydrometeorological data measured during 18 years (1966–1983) at the Tayozhniy catchment (covered by boreal spruce forest), Valdai, Russia. Simulations of annual and monthly snow/rain interception, daily runoff at the catchment outlet, snow density, snow depth, snow water equivalent, soil water storage in three layers (0–20, 0–50 and 0–100 cm), and monthly evapotranspiration from the catchment were compared with observations. Analysis of the results of validation shows that the new version of the model SWAP reproduces the heat and water exchange processes occurring in mid-latitude boreal forest quite reasonable.     

Geochemistry of the Kola River, northwestern Russia

The Kola River in the northern part of the Kola Peninsula, northwestern Russia, flows into the Barents Sea via the Kola Bay. The river is a unique place for reproduction of salmon and an important source of drinking water for more than 500,000 people in Murmansk and the surrounding municipalities. To evaluate the environmental status of the Kola River water, sampling of the dissolved (<0.22 μm) and suspended (>0.22 μm) phases was performed at 12 sites along the Kola River and its tributaries during 2001 and 2002. Major (Ca, K, Mg, Na, S, Si, HCO₃ and Cl) and trace (Al, As, Ba, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Sr, Ti, and Zn) elements, total and particulate organic C (TOC and POC), N and P were analysed. Comparison with the boreal pristine Kalix River, Northern Sweden, shows that, except for Na, Cl, Al, Cu and Ni, which exceed the concentrations in the Kalix River by as much as 2–3 times, the levels of other major and trace elements are close to or even below the levels in the Kalix River. However, the results also demonstrate that pollutants from the three major sources: (1) the Cu–Ni smelter in Monchegorsk, (2) the open-pit Fe mine and ore concentration plant in Olenegorsk, and (3) the Varlamov, the Medveziy and the Zemlanoy creeks, draining the area of the large agricultural enterprises in the lower part of the watershed, have a major influence on the water quality of the Kola River.     

Assessing Vulnerability to Agricultural Drought: A Nebraska Case Study

Recent drought events in the United States and the magnitude of drought losses indicate the continuing vulnerability of the country to drought. Until recently, drought management in many states, including Nebraska, has been largely response oriented with little or no attention to mitigation and preparedness. In 1998, Nebraska began to revise its drought plan in order to place more emphasis on mitigation. One of the main aspects of drought mitigation and planning is the assessment of who and what is vulnerable and why. This paper presents a method for spatial, Geographic Information Systems-based assessment of agricultural drought vulnerability in Nebraska. It was hypothesized that the key biophysical and social factors that define agricultural drought vulnerability were climate, soils, land use, and access to irrigation. The framework for derivation of an agricultural drought vulnerability map was created through development of a numerical weighting scheme to evaluate the drought potential of the classes within each factor. The results indicate that the most vulnerable areas to agricultural drought were non-irrigatedcropland and rangeland on sandy soils, located in areas with a very high probability of seasonal crop moisture deficiency. The identification of drought vulnerability is an essential step in addressing the issue of drought vulnerability in the state and can lead to mitigation-oriented drought management.