Permafrost distribution and temperature in the Elkon Horst,Russia

The Elkon Horst is a geological structure that consists of heterogeneous strata with highly variable geocryological and temperature conditions. Gaining accurate knowledge of permafrost distribution patterns within this structure is of both scientific and practical importance. In mountainous terrain, the ground thermal regime is controlled by both surface and subsurface conditions. Surface conditions include snow cover characteristics, the presence or absence of vegetation, vegetation density, etc.. In contrast, subsurface conditions involve rock lithology or petrography, density, quantity and depth of fissures, groundwater, etc.. This article examines ground thermal regimes in various geomorphological settings based on temperature measurement data from geotechnical boreholes. The occurrence and extent of permafrost were evaluated for the entire horst area using direct and indirect methods. The maximum permafrost thickness measured in the Elkon Horst is 330 m, and the estimated maximum is 450 m at higher elevations. Thermophysical properties were determined for the major rock types, and the geothermal heat flux was estimated for the study area. The thermal conductivities were found to vary from 1.47 to 4.20 W/(m·K), and the dry bulk densities to range between 2,236 kg/m~3 and 3,235 kg/m~3. The average geothermal heat flux was estimated to be 44 mW/m~2.     

Artemia cyst production in Russia

In Western Siberia(Russia) there are about 100 Artemia lakes with total area over 1 600 km 2.Geographically these lakes are located between 51°–56°N and 61°–82°E.In general these lakes are shallow(depth less than 1.5 m),small or medium size(0.1 to 10 km 2);they are chloride;their total salinity is from 40 to 250 g/L.The harvesting of cysts per year is only in 20–40 lakes.In Russia 550 tons of dry Artemia cysts(14%–18% of the world production) were harvested annually.This includes about 350 tons in the Altai region and 200 tons in other regions.During our regular 20-year study period the cyst harvest was:95 tons in Kurgan;65 tons in Omsk,20 tons in Novosibirsk,20 tons in Tyumen.Ways of increasing cyst harvest in Russia are considered in this article.During the last 30 years the harvest of cysts in Russia has increased from 7–20 to 500–600 tons.A significant influence of dryness of the year was found on productivity in selected lakes,but taken for all the lakes together,the relationship was not significant.The optimal salinity for productivity of cysts in the lakes was determined.Analysis of productivity of the lakes and the harvesting results showed that the stocks of cysts are underutilized by approximately 1.7 times.     

Geochemistry of natural and contaminated subsurface waters in fissured bed rocks of the Lake Karachai area, Southern Urals, Russia

Hydrogeochemical investigations of natural and contaminated subsurface waters were conducted between 1992–94 in an area where liquid radioactive waste (RAW) was impounded in a small lake, and subsequently leaked into an underlying water bearing horizon. The waste was discharged from the radiochemical plant of the Mayak Amalgamated Industry near Chelyabinsk, Russia. The underlying water-bearing horizon in fissured metavolcanic rocks was penetrated by uncased observation wells in order to log the hydrogeochemistry. Logging was carried out using a specially designed hydrogeochemical probe, which contained 8 channels to measure continuously the temperature, pressure, electric conductivity, pH, Eh, the dissolved O₂ concentration, and the activities of Na, and NO₃ in the wells. The logging technique enabled the natural hydrogeochemical setting to be characterized and permitted delineation of bodies of contaminated waters of different origins using measurements of pH, pNa and pNO₃. The technique also permitted an evaluation of variations in the chemical composition of the RAW solutions due to radiolytic processes and to chemical interactions with the geologic medium. A conceptual model is proposed for the chemical evolution of the migrating contaminated subsurface waters in the area investigated.     

Development of a terrestrial reference frame in the Russian Federation

The present article is written in response to the recent call of the United Nations for the enhanced international cooperation of different countries on global geodesy to build the Global Geodetic Reference Frame (GGRF). It reviews historical landmarks in the development of the State Geodetic Reference Frame on the territory of Russia over the last two centuries. It discusses major steps in creating the Russian terrestrial reference frame by both the ground-based and space geodesy methods relying upon the satellite observation techniques. Currently the State Geodetic Reference Frame undergoes a radical improvement in order to effectively implement the potential of modern satellite technologies through the use of the Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS). We outline the current status of the National Geodetic Network in Russia, its hierarchical structure and accuracy. We pay a particular attention to the high-precision State Geodetic Coordinate System (GSK-2011), created simultaneously along with the global reference-ellipsoid, and designed for various types of users to conduct the land surveying and mapping in Russia. We also present the geocentric coordinate system (PZ-90.11) used for navigating space missions, solving various problems of global geodesy, and supporting the continuous operation of GLONASS.     

Submesoscale eddies in Peter the Great Bay of the Japan/East Sea in winter

Ocean Dynamics - Cold-core (T < 0 °C) domes of dense water σθ > 27.24 kg/m3 were observed in the near-bottom layer at the...     

A high spatial resolution synchrotron Mössbauer study of the Tazewell IIICD and Esquel pallasite meteorites

Metallic phases in the Tazewell IIICD iron and Esquel pallasite meteorites were examined using ⁵⁷Fe synchrotron Mössbauer spectroscopy. Spatial resolution of ~10–20 μm was achieved, together with high throughput, enabling individual spectra to be recorded in less than 1 h. Spectra were recorded every 5–10 μm, allowing phase fractions and hyperfine parameters to be traced along transects of key microstructural features. The main focus of the study was the transitional region between kamacite and plessite, known as the “cloudy zone.” Results confirm the presence of tetrataenite and antitaenite in the cloudy zone as its only components. However, both phases were also found in plessite, indicating that antitaenite is not restricted exclusively to the cloudy zone, as previously thought. The confirmation of paramagnetic antitaenite as the matrix phase of the cloudy zone contrasts with recent observations of a ferromagnetic matrix phase using X‐ray photoemission electron spectroscopy. Possible explanations for the different results seen using these techniques are proposed.     

Radiation belt storm probes: Resolving fundamental physics with practical consequences

The fundamental processes that energize, transport, and cause the loss of charged particles operate throughout the universe at locations as diverse as magnetized planets, the solar wind, our Sun, and other stars. The same processes operate within our immediate environment, the Earth's radiation belts. The Radiation Belt Storm Probes (RBSP) mission will provide coordinated two-spacecraft observations to obtain understanding of these fundamental processes controlling the dynamic variability of the near-Earth radiation environment. In this paper we discuss some of the profound mysteries of the radiation belt physics that will be addressed by RBSP and briefly describe the mission and its goals.     

Research of Cross-borehole Section Based on Seismic and Well-logging Data using the “AZERI” Software Package to Determine the Well-placement

This paper is devoted to the study of a cross-borehole section based on seismic and well-logging data using the “AZERI” software package to determine the well-placement. The main objective was verification of the algorithm and the software on the currently active wells. Overall, the study was conducted on two wells, one of them is reference and the other is the projected well which enabled us to compare the two results.There are several approaches to determine the pay zone heterogeneity in cross-borehole section using the seismic data. Despite various applications, currently there is no application of the filtration properties determination methodology of pay zones in cross-borehole section based on seismic data. Completely different approach to the solution of this problem is considered in this paper. Especially the study of reservoir porosity and permeability of pay zone, as well as the prediction of the producibility of cross-borehole section based on seismic and welllogging data. Thus, the necessary knowledge about porosity and permeability of pay intervals and their producibility is obtained, i.e. the quantitative estimation of the parameters mentioned above is derived.As a result, the accuracy of the achieved results is closely linked to the exploration field’s seismic-geological conditions, depth and the level of seismic data processing as well as the level of similarity of two seismic traces that are picked near the reference and projected wells, not to mention the accuracy of the interpretation of log data.In conclusion, the production well placement determination was carried out by PANGEA Company of Moscow. The selected position of well No.1867 is matching well with the geological results of PANGEA. Therefore, “AZERI” software, constructed based on the algorithms developed by authors, shows that the future well placement risks for the deep drilling are significantly reduced.     

Geochemistry and zircon U–Pb geochronology constrains late cretaceous plagiogranite intrusions in Mersin ophiolite complex (southern Turkey).

In this study, LA-ICP-MS U–Pb zircon dating were used to determine the age of the newly discovered plagiogranite suite intruding gabbro and volcanic units of Mersin ophiolites from the Inner Tauride Belt. Obtained U–Pb zircon ages from the plagiogranite yielded crystallization ages of 93.0?±?1.5 to 94.2?±?2.4 Ma (Turonian–Cenomanian) supporting the idea of Late Cretaceous active subduction factory in the Tauride Suture Zone. The plagiogranites are mainly granodioritic, and tonalitic in composition, and contain mafic microgranular enclaves (MME) ranging from 10 to 45 cm in size. The plagiogranites are geochemically defined by low K₂O (0.02–1.03 wt%) and TiO₂ (0.17–1.88 wt%) and comparatively high Na₂O (2.3–10.2 wt%) and SiO₂ (70–78 wt%) compositions together with depletion in Ti, Ta, and Nb. The tectonomagmatic discrimination diagrams, trace, and REE-normalized multi-element patterns indicate that the plagiogranites are distinctive calc-alkaline, I-type volcanic arc granites. Plagiogranites are furthermore characterized by the diffuse presence of isotropic pseudomorphic growth of secondary calcic-amphibole (edenite and actinolite) over a pristine not preserved Ca-inosilicate. Inverse geothermobarometry models indicate a secondary amphibole genesis at ca. 600 °C and 1.5–1.7 kbar, suggesting HT-metasomatism affecting the already intruded plagiogranites. While it is already accepted that Mersin ophiolite complex is generated in a supra-subduction zone, this study represents a new contribution on the evolution of the Mersin ophiolite during the Late Cretaceous Neotethys subduction and could shed light on the genesis of plagiogranites in arc-environments.     

The dynamics of rupture in porous media

This paper presents a laboratory investigation of electric resistivity parameter for samples subject to loading in automatic press of INOVA type. The procedure of automatic quasi-continuous measurements of resistivity is briefly outlined. The distribution of mini-electrodes within the sample is described. Also shown is the manner in which reliability can be improved by increasing the repetition of resistivity measurements (every 7–16 s).