Observed Response of the Ionospheric F2–Layer and Lower Thermosphere to Geomagnetic Storms during High Solar Activity

The response of the critical frequency of the ionosphere F2–layer, described by its main Fourier components (daily constant, diurnal and semidiurnal waves) and the lower thermosphere dynamics to the geomagnetic storms in July 1991 and February 1992 is studied. The daily constant displays a negative response, however, the magnitude of reaction depends on the season and latitude. The amplitudes of diurnal and semidiurnal waves increase during a geomagnetic storm, as this enhancement is very strong at high latitudes in winter. The prevailing neutral wind, especially the zonal wind, shows an inclination to decrease during the geomagnetic storm (the effect is more distinct in summer). The amplitudes of diurnal and semidiurnal tides also demonstrate a tendency toward reduction during high geomagnetic activity.     

Deterministic Variability of the Ionosphere on the Eve of Strong (M ≥ 6) Earthquakes in the Regions of Greece and Italy According to Long-Term Measurements Data

Geomagnetism and Aeronomy - Abstract—Specific features of the variation in the electron concentration in the ionosphere in front of strong (M ≥ 6) earthquakes in the most seismically...     

Study of the Activity and Segmentation of Active Faults Using Measurements of Radon and Mercury Gases

In this paper,measurements of gaseous radon and gaseous mercury densities were conducted for the first time along the Haiyuan active fault zone,including three longer secondary shear faults from Biangou to Shaokou,faults in the Ganyanchi pull-apart basin,and the Biangou push-up structure as well as the thrust fault at the eastern pediment of Liupanshan Mountain in the terminal compressional area.Then relations between fracture gas densities and faulting activity were analyzed.The results show that there is a distinct corresponding relation between gaseous radon and gaseous mercury densities and faulting activity,when the measurement conditions are basically the same,and it proves that the fault gasmetry method is an effective technique for study the activity and segmentation of active faults.     

Preface to the Special Issue on Thunderstorm Effects in the Atmosphere–Ionosphere System

The first summer school of the “Thunderstorm Effects in the Atmosphere–Ionosphere System” (TEA–IS) funded by the European Science Foundation through its Research Network Programme took place in Torremolinos (Spain) on June 17–22, 2012. The meeting gathered almost 100 scientists with different backgrounds (plasma physics, electrical and signal engineering, geophysics, space physics and computational science) coming from 20 countries, both from inside and outside TEA–IS member countries. We very briefly comment here on the five review papers included in this Special Issue of Surveys in Geophysics devoted to the 2012 TEA–IS summer school.     

Does the QBO and the Mt. Pinatubo Volcanic Eruption Affect the Gravity Wave Activity in the Lower Ionosphere ?

All existing data (6 years) on gravity wave activity, inferred from the nighttime A3 (oblique incidence on the ionosphere) radio wave absorption measurements in the lower ionosphere on 270 kHz at Prhonice in Central Europe, have been exploited to get information on the effects of QBO phases and the Mt. Pinatubo volcanic eruption on the gravity wave activity in the winter half of the year. There appears to be an enhancement of gravity wave activity in the two winters just after the strong volcanic eruption of Mt. Pinatubo. This enhancement is remarkable for long-period waves (T=2–3 hours). No clear effect of the phase of QBO on the level of gravity wave activity has been found; a possible effect of QBO on the correlations between gravity wave activities in individual period bands is indicated. The results are limited by a relatively short data series; however, no more data will he available.     

On the generation,propagation and radiation of magneto–acoustic–gravity waves with application to stars

Abstract

The study of the mechanisms controlling the stratification in closed fluid regions is an important branch of geophysical fluid dynamics. Part of this subject can be handled with a simple linear model, consisting of a buoyancy layer at the non-horizontal boundaries of a container and an advective-diffusive interior coupled by volume continuity. The model is valid under the following conditions: firstly, the buoyancy-frequency characterizing the solution must be sufficiently large to give rise to a flow pattern of boundary layer type and, secondly, the non-horizontal walls must not have too large thermal conductivity.

The main purpose of the present paper is to summarise previous work done by the authors in this field and to present some consequences of their theory not previously discussed.

Three important cases are discussed; certain stationary solutions, the decay of a given stratification and the build up of a stratification in a homogeneous fluid. The experimental results concerning the afore-mentioned cases are presented.     

The State and Dynamics of the Ionosphere from Synchronous Records of ULF/VLF and HF/VHF Radio Signals at Geophysical Observatory “Mikhnevo”

Izvestiya, Physics of the Solid Earth - Abstract—Studying the spatiotemporal dynamics of the disturbances in the atmosphere, upper, and lower ionosphere requires integrated investigation of...     

Effects of Energetic Solar Emissions on the Earth–Ionosphere Cavity of Schumann Resonances

Schumann resonances (SR) are the electromagnetic oscillations of the spherical cavity bounded by the electrically conductive Earth and the conductive but dissipative lower ionosphere (Schumann in Z Naturforsch A 7:6627–6628, 1952). Energetic emissions from the Sun can exert a varied influence on the various parameters of the Earth’s SR: modal frequencies, amplitudes and dissipation parameters. The SR response at multiple receiving stations is considered for two extraordinary solar events from Solar Cycle 23: the Bastille Day event (July 14, 2000) and the Halloween event (October/November 2003). Distinct differences are noted in the ionospheric depths of penetration for X-radiation and solar protons with correspondingly distinct signs of the frequency response. The preferential impact of the protons in the magnetically unshielded polar regions leads to a marked anisotropic frequency response in the two magnetic field components. The general immunity of SR amplitudes to these extreme external perturbations serves to remind us that the amplitude parameter is largely controlled by lightning activity within the Earth–ionosphere cavity.     

On the reality of the 56-year cycle and the increased probability of large earthquakes for Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskii during the period 2008–2011 according to lunar cyclicity

A 56-year cyclicity in the occurrence of large Kamchatka earthquakes has been previously detected. This is another manifestation of the tendency for the timing of large Kamchatka earthquakes to be synchronized to the cycles related to the period T _o of rotation of the lunar nodes found by V.A. Shirokov in 1974. He identified cycles of 18.6 years = T _o and 6.2 years = T _o/3, while the period of the 56-year cycle is 3T _o. The genuineness of that phenomenon had to be revised in connection with the occurrence of a large (M _w = 7.8) earthquake in Kamchatka at the end of 1997, in violation of the 56-year cyclicity. It turned out that, even though the 56-year cycle has become less distinct after the 1997 event, the cyclicity itself has remained statistically significant. A byproduct is an updated forecast of earthquake hazard for Kamchatka. The update is necessary in view of the approaching hazardous period of 2008–2011. It is found that, assuming the validity of these empirical tendencies, the expected rate of large earthquakes off Kamchatka for the period of August 2008 to October 2011 will be four times as high as the long-term mean. We derive the first-ever estimate of future hazard in terms of felt intensity for specified soil conditions (the so-called average soil) at a specified site (the town of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskii). For these soil conditions, the estimated probability of at least one shock of intensity VII or greater during the period specified above is equal to 0.39 ± 0.15. The expected rate of single events or sets of events with M _w ≥ 7.6 in Kamchatka during this period is 0.76 ± 0.25.     

On the Connection between the 2008–2009 Activation of the Koryakskii Volcano and Deep Magmatic Processes

Izvestiya, Physics of the Solid Earth - Abstract—The last activation of the Koryakskii volcano in 2008–2009 was accompanied by intense fumarolic and seismic activity. Volcanic activity...     

A Preliminary Study on the Use of NCEP Temperature Images and Additive Tectonic Stress from Astro- Tidal- Triggering to Forecast Short-Impending Earthquakes

Taking the three earthquakes which occurred in Tibet, China during the period of July 12 to August 25, 2004 as an example,the paper analyses the M_S≥6.0 earthquakes that occurred in China and M_S≥7.0 earthquakes that occurred overseas since May of 2003 by combining the image data from the National Center for Environmental Prediction of America(NCEP)with the additive tectonic stress from astro-tidal-triggering (ATSA) and makes the following conclusions: The abnormal temperature image data of NCEP can better reflect the spatial-temporal evolution process of tectonic earthquake activity; The ATSA has an evident triggering effect on the activity of a fault when the terra stress is in critical status; using the NCEP images and the ATSA to forecast short-impending earthquake is a new concept; The three earthquakes occurred during the same phase of the respective ATSA cycle, i.e. that occurred at the time when the ATSA reached the relatively steady end of a peak, rather than at the time when the variation rate was maximal. In addition, the author discovered that the occurrence time of other earthquake cases during 2003～2004 in Tibet was also in the same phase of the above-mentioned cycles, and therefore, further study of this feature is needed with more earthquake cases in other areas over longer periods of time.     

On the use of mean monthly runoff to predict the flow–duration curve in ungauged catchments

ABSTRACT

We examine the applicability of predicting the daily flow–duration curve (FDC) using mean monthly runoff represented in its stochastic form (MM_FDC) to aid in predictions in ungauged basins, using long-term hydroclimatic data at 73 catchments of humid climate, in the eastern USA. The analysis uses soil hydrological properties, soil moisture storage capacity and the predominant runoff generation mechanism. The results show that MM_FDC did not distinguish the shapes of the upper and lower thirds of the FDC. The upper third is where the precipitation pattern and the antecedent moisture conditions are dominant, while the lower third is where drought-induced low flows and the evapotranspiration effect are prevalent. It is possible to use the MM_FDC to predict the middle third of the FDC (exceedence probabilities between 33% and 66%). The method is constrained by the catchment flow variability (slope of FDC), which changes in accordance with landscape properties and the predominant runoff generation mechanism.     

Ecological–Microbiological Studies of Lake Beloe in Winter and Spring with the Use of Innovation Test-Systems

Water Resources - Chlorophyll a concentration, the total abundance of bacteria, the number of bacterial cells with active metabolism, and the abundance of saprotrophic bacteria were studied in the...     

Very low-grade metamorphism of the Meso-Neoproterozoic and the Lower Paleozoic along the profile from Huangtudian to Xianxi in the central-northern part of Hunan Province,China

The Lengjiaxi and Banxi groups of the Meso-Neoproterozoic and the Sinian to the Lower Paleozoic occur along the profile from Huangtudian to Xianxi in the central-northern Hunan Province, China. Previous studies on the metamorphism around the area did not …     

On the relationships of water-level variations in the E-1 well, Kamchatka to the 2008–2009 resumption of activity on Koryakskii volcano and to large (M ≥ 5) earthquakes

We discuss the water-level variations in the E-1 well for the time period between May 2006 and 2010, inclusive. A trend towards an increasing level at an abnormally high rate occurred from mid-2006 to December 2009. This increase is regarded as the response of the aquifer of gas-saturated ground water that exists in the volcanogenic-sedimentary deposits of the Avacha volcano-tectonic depression to volumetric compression strain changes during the precursory period and the occurrence of a swarm of small earthquakes $\left( {K_{S_{\max } } = 8.3} \right)$ in the area of Koryakskii Volcano and to its phreatic eruption. We estimated the volumetric compression as ??? = ?(4.1 × 10^?6?1.5 × 10^?5) from the amplitude of water-level rise using the elastic parameters of the water-saturated rocks. While the strain source was active, we observed a decreasing sensitivity of the hydrodynamic regime in the well to the precursory processes before large (M ?? 5.0) tectonic earthquakes.     

Localization of the sources of narrow-band noise VLF emissions in the range 4–10 kHz from simultaneous ground-based and Van Allen Probes satellite observations

This paper presents the results of simultaneous observations of narrow-band noise VLF emissions in the frequency range 4–10 kHz at Kannuslehto ground station in Northern Finland and by Van Allen Probes (previously RBSP) in the equatorial part of the magnetosphere. The event of December 25, 2015, is considered. During the event, narrow-band noise VLF emissions were detected on the Earth in two frequency ranges, f = 3.5–6 kHz and f = 8–10 kHz, between 1100 and 1300 UT. Narrow-band VLF emissions in the equatorial zone were also observed during that time by the RBSP-B satellite; their frequency was close to the electron equatorial half-gyrofrequency and gradually increased from 3 to 11 kHz during the satellite motion from L = 5.0 to L = 3.0. Analysis of the fine structure of the emissions on the ground showed that their spectral and temporal characteristics corresponded to emissions by the satellites in localized zones at different L-shells. The ground-based observations at lower frequencies correlated with the satellite observations at larger L-shells. In order to localize the regions of the generation of the VLF emissions observed at Kannuslehto auroral station at different frequencies, we calculated the ray trajectories of waves from the equator for the plasma density distributions detected by Van Allen Probes. The calculations of the trajectories showed that the VLF waves detected at Kannuslehto station could travel to the ground only if they propagated in the large-scale density ducts (700–900 km) observed by Van Allen Probes.     

Paleogeographic evolution of the Lower Yangtze region and the break of the “platform-slope-basin” pattern during the Late Ordovician

Wide distribution of the black shales and diversification of the graptolite fauna in South China during the Late Ordovician resulted from its unique paleogeographic pattern, which was significantly affected by the paleogeographic evolution of the Lower Yangtze region. In the study, 120 Upper Ordovician sections from the Lower Yangtze region were collected, and a unified biostratigraphic framework has been applied to these sections to establish a reliable stratigraphic subdivision and correlation. Under the unified time framework, we delineate the distribution area of each lithostratigraphic unit, outline the boundary between the sea and land, and reconstruct the paleogeographic pattern for each graptolite zone. The result indicates that, with the uplift and expansion of the ‘Jiangnan Oldland' in the beginning of the late Katian, the oldland extended into the Yangtze Sea gradually from south to north, which finally separate the Jiangnan Slope and the Yangtze Platform. Consequently,the longstanding paleogeographic pattern of "platform-slope-basin" in South China was broken. The paleogeographic change led to sedimentary differentiation among the two sides of the ‘Jiangnan Oldland' during the Late Ordovician. This event also led to the closure of the eastern exit of the Upper Yangtze Sea, and formed a semi-closed, limited and stagnant environment for the development of the organic-rich black shales during the Late Ordovician. The major controlling factors of these paleogeographic changes in the Lower Yangtze region were not consistent from the Katian to the Hirnantian. In the late Katian, the sedimentary differentiation between the east and west sides mostly resulted from regional tectonic movement-the Kwangsian Orogeny.However, during the Hirnantian, the whole Yangtze region became shallower, which was mostly influenced by the concentration of the Gondwana ice sheet and the consequent global sea level drop.     

Time–frequency analysis of VLF for seismic-ionospheric precursor detection: Evaluation of Zhao-Atlas-Marks and Hilbert-Huang Transforms

This work investigates the application of two post-processing methods of extracting spectra from VLF signals in order to detect disturbances that could be attributed to seismic-ionospheric precursory phenomena. Although precursory phenomena have been investigated in detail in past studies, a different application of time–frequency analysis methods may produce distinct patterns, which reveal disturbances in the VLF spectra received from stations that are in the propagation path over preparation zones, and also pinpoint disturbances that could be attributed to seismic-ionospheric precursors.To this purpose, three different methods of post processing are compared. These are the Wavelet Transform as a benchmark method in the form of the Continuous Wavelet Transform, a noise-assisted variant of the Hilbert-Huang Transform and the Zhao-Atlas-Marks Distribution. Comparative diagrams are presented and the advantages and weaknesses of each method are presented.     

On precursors to the Italy earthquake M.6.2 using VLF signal of NSY(45.9 kHz) received at Kiel Longwave Monitor

On August 24, 2016, an earthquake of magnitude 6.2 struck Central Italy (42.706°N and 13.223°E) at 1:36 UT. We present the results obtained from the US Navy VLF Transmitter’s NSY signal of 45.9 kHz transmitted from Niscemi, in the province of Sicily, Italy and received at the Kiel Longwave Monitor, Germany for 2016. We analysed the terminator times and their individual differences. We also analysed trends, dispersion and night time fluctuation which gave us a possible precursor the Italy earthquake. We found ionospheric perturbations in these parameters on 14th, 19th and 22nd of August, few days prior. Moreover, we filtered the possible effects due to lightning, storms and auroras if any.