On conditions of initiation of electric discharges in the middle atmosphere

This work is devoted to a study of the conditions of initiation of two types of high-altitude discharges: sprites and halos. A quasi-electrostatic model of generation of the electric field in the middle atmosphere is developed; it takes into account the specific features of charge distribution and charge dynamics in the thundercloud, as well as real profile of the atmospheric conductivity. We take into consideration the nonlinear effects associated with the heating of electrons in the electric field. It is shown that the region where the electric field of the lightning flash exceeds the breakdown field is concentrated around an altitude of about 75 km, which is in agreement with the sprite observations. It is found that the dynamics of the current and discharge of the lightning flash plays a significant role in the initiation of high-altitude discharges in the atmosphere.     

Input of river-derived sediment to the New Zealand continental shelf: I. Mass

The input of river-borne sediments to the New Zealand continental shelf has been calculated for all the major rivers and basins in New Zealand. South Island yields 284 ± 40 × 10⁶ tonnes per year of sediment from a land area of 152 977 km² and North Island yields 105 ± 9·4 × 10⁶ tonnes per year from a land area of 114 621 km². Particularly high discharges are noted off the west coast of South Island and east coast of North Island and result in higher offshore sedimentation there. The data are compatible with measured sedimentation rates on the New Zealand continental shelf. The specific sediment yield from South Island is amongst the highest previously recorded.     

Parameters of radio pulses of cloud-to-ground multiple-stroke lightning discharges in Northeast Asia

Parameters of radio pulses from multiple-stroke lightning discharges arising on the territory of Yakutia and in Transbaikalia are estimated. The number of cloud-to-ground return strokes per lightning reaches 11, on average, 4.2 (without allowance for the cases of single lightnings) for Yakutia and up to 15 for Transbaikalia. The time interval between the subsequent strokes was on average 43 ms. A peak value of signals of subsequent strokes averages 0.5 of the value for the first stroke.     

Reproduction of the large-scale state of water and sea ice in the Arctic Ocean from 1948 to 2002: Part II. The state of ice and snow cover

This paper presents the results of reconstructing the state of ice and snow covers on the Arctic Ocean from 1948 to 2002 obtained with a couplod model of ocean circulation and sea-ice evolution. The area of the North Atlantic and Arctic Ocean north of 65° N, excluding Hudson Bay, is considered. The monthly mean ice areas and extents are analyzed. The trends of these areas are calculated separately for the periods of 1970–1979, 1979–1990, and 1990–2002. A systematic slight underestimation by the model is observed for the ice extent. This error is estimated to fit the error of 100 km in determining the position of the ice edge (i.e., close to the model resolution). In summer the model fails to reproduce many observed polynias: by observational data, the ice concentration in the central part of the Arctic Ocean constitutes around 0.8, while the model yields around 0.99. The average trend for the area of ice propagation in 1960–2002 is 13931 km²/year (or approximately 2% per decade); the trend of the ice area is 17643 km²/year (or approximately 3% per decade). This is almost three times lower than satellite data. The calculated data for ice thickness in the late winter varies from 3.5 to 4.8 m, with a clear indication of periods of thick ice (the 1960s–1970s) and relatively thin ice (the 1980s); 1995 is the starting point for quick ice-area reduction. The maximum ice accumulation is in 1977 and 1988; here, the average trend is negative: −121 km³/year (or approximately 5.5% per decade). In 1996–2002, the average change in the ice thickness constituted +1.7 cm/year. This speaks to the relatively fast disappearance of thin-ice fractions. This model also slightly underestimates the snow mass with a trend of −2.5 km³/year (almost 0.35 mm of snow per year or 0.1 mm of liquid water per year). An analysis of the monthly mean ice-drift velocity indicates the good quality of the model. Data on the average drift velocity and the results of comparisons between the calculated and satellite data for individual months are presented. A comparison with observational data from 1990–1996 in the Fram Strait shows that the model yields 3.28 m for the average ice thickness against the observed value of approximately 3.26 m. For the same period, the model yields a monthly mean transport of 291.29 km³ as compared to the observed value of 237.17 km³. A comparison between the measured and calculated drift velocities in the Fram Strait indicates that the model value is around 9.78 cm/s, which is comparable to the measured value of 10.2 cm/s. The existing problems with describing the ice redistribution by thickness gradations are illustrated by comparing data on ice thickness in the Fram Strait.     

New Zealand’s deepwater frontier

The islands of New Zealand cover an area of approximately 250,000 km², but the New Zealand Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) extends to around 4 million km² and recent confirmation of New Zealand’s Extended Continental Shelf (ECS) has added a further 1.7 million km² to the country’s marine estate. Within the 5.7 million km² of New Zealand’s marine territory, approximately 1.2 million km² are underlain by sedimentary accumulations which may be thick enough to expel petroleum.     

Atmospheric Perturbations during the Flow around Mountain Groups

A nonlinear stationary two-dimensional theoretical model of the flow around the northwestern Caucasus mountains, taking the features of the real mountain terrain into account, is presented. The results of the calculations of the field of air-flow velocities and the general patterns of occurrence and the scale of the rotary-wave deformation of the air flow over the mountains are discussed. The model calculations are used to obtain the motion trajectories and fields of velocity perturbation in the troposphere for the real range of Lira scale values in the atmosphere. Based on the data, the safety indices of flights over the mountains in the Republic of Adygea are calculated for aircraft of two types: light and high-speed. The location of the major-hazard areas above the mountains and how they depend on the properties of the free-stream flow are determined. It is shown that, in certain parts of the area, this hazard can be critical.     

Architecture of lacustrine mass-transport complexes in the Mesozoic Songliao Basin,China

3-D seismic data and wireline log profiles of the Central Depression in the Songliao Basin exhibit four lacustrine mass-transport complexes (MTCs) in the second and the third members of the Upper Cretaceous Nenjiang Formation. The mass-transport complex named MTC-A lies in the north of the Daqing Anticline with an area of approximately 95 km² and a maximum thickness of 62 m. It consists of five laterally and vertically stacked blocks striking E-W and has a convex-downslope front. The mass-transport complex named MTC-C is located in the south of the Daqing Anticline consisting of seven blocks. This MTC strikes NNE-SSW and has an area of approximately 61.5 km² and a maximum thickness of 55 m. MTC-B, the mass-transport complex lying in the middle of the Daqing Anticline, consists of three vertically stacked blocks and has a semi-circular outline striking E-W. MTC-B has an area of approximately 24 km² and a maximum thickness of 92 m. Along the Daqing Anticline from north to south, the three MTCs distribute in lacustrine facies in the NNE direction. The mass-transport complex named MTC-D located in the southeast of the Daqing Anticline has an area of approximately 150 km² with a maximum thickness of 135 m striking E-W, which is rich in mudstones. MTC-D is characterized by the three-layer architecture vertically consisting of a dragged layer at the bottom, a slumped layer in the middle, and a stable layer at the top. Besides, in the plane view, MTC-D can be divided into three parts according to the sliding distance and stacking pattern of the slip blocks: the detaching area, the stacking area and the drifting area. The MTCs are characterized by thickening upslope and thin-out downslope. Siltstones and very fine sandstones occur in 2–4 beds that are cumulatively 0.8–7 m thick in the upslope and central parts of the MTCs. The edges of the blocks are composed of mudstone. Seismic amplitude slices reveal arcuate or straight ridges on the block surfaces with a spacing density of 4–10 per kilometer and a height ranging from 25 to 40 m. The arcuate ridge paleo-morphology on the MTC surfaces suggests that blocks are slump bodies. The estimated minimum water depth at the time of the MTC emplacement is 30–70 m, and the sliding distance is 2–10 km. From 3-D seismic amplitude slices, no feeding channel connected to the mass-transport complexes is found. Besides, coupled with the continuous ridges on blocks and the clear and flat lateral edges suggest that mass-transport complexes belong to the prodelta slump bodies. Thus, the triggering mechanism of the MTCs may be closely related to earthquakes caused by volcanic activities with the evidence of three cinerite layers shown in the well cores.     

1973 年以来射阳河口附近海岸蚀淤变化遥感分析

以射阳河口北部扁担港口和射阳河口南部斗龙港口之间的海岸作为研究区,基于1973,1987,2000和2013年四期Landsat影像提取了该岸段岸线,并进行了时空变化分析。结果表明,射阳河口以北的扁担港口—射阳河口岸段仍处于侵蚀状态,呈现侵蚀—淤积—缓慢侵蚀的变化格局,40 a间侵蚀面积为12.6 km2,淤积面积为1.0 km2;射阳河口以南的射阳河口—斗龙港口岸段处于淤积的态势,呈现淤积—快速淤积—缓慢淤积的格局,40 a间淤积的面积为223.1 km2,仅在2000~2013年间该岸段北部出现了侵蚀。结论是虽然射阳河口以南岸段仍总体处于淤积的过程中,但是近年来江苏海岸的侵蚀范围已经扩展到了射阳河口以南,这证明了江苏海岸侵蚀岸段有进一步扩大的趋势。     

Areal and lateral changes in a major trailing margin turbidite—The Black Shell Turbidite

The Black Shell Turbidite on the Hatteras Abyssal Plain covers at least 50,000 km², with a volume over 100 km³. It was initiated by failure on the upper continental slope and was channeled southeast through Hatteras Canyon to the plain. Provenance related shape studies indicate that on the plain the current separated into a sandy Phase which flowed S-SE and a lutitic phase, which traveled E-SE and then veered to the south. A change in the direction of slope caused the sandy phase to be deflected to the SE, where it merged with the lutitic phase on the eastern margin of the plain.     

Volcanism and Settlement of the Northern Slope of the Central Caucasus in the Middle Paleolithic: New Data from Saradj-Chuko Grotto

Izvestiya, Atmospheric and Oceanic Physics - The problem of the settlement of the territory of the Northern Caucasus in the Paleolithic and its dependence on volcanic activity factors, climate, and...     

Transient Atmospheric Events Measured by Detectors on the Vernov Satellite

In this paper, data obtained by the Vernov satellite are discussed in comparison with the data obtained by Universitetsky–Tatiana-1, 2 satellites. The advanced instrumentation onboard the Vernov satellite improved the capabilities of the data-transmission system, providing an opportunity to acquire more detailed information on transient atmospheric events (TAEs), including a wider range of TAE photon numbers (event brightness) down to lower photon numbers, the opportunity to observe the events in ultraviolet range without the considerable inclusion of red–infrared photons (which indicates the substantial contribution of electric discharges, lightning precursors, at the altitudes of thunderstorm clouds), and the observation of TAE series at a rate of about 10–100 occurrences per second with a period from tens of seconds to several minutes.     

金山三岛滩涂水下地形演变浅析

文章采用GPS-RTK技术进行2016年金山三岛滩涂水下地形测量,绘制金山三岛滩涂水下地形云图,并与2014年和2015年滩涂水下地形测量结果进行对比,得出以下结论:金山三岛连线左右1km之内的地形起伏变化大,小金山岛南北侧各有一条深坑,大小金山岛之间有一条贯穿东西向的深槽,它的形成与涨落潮流不一致以及人为活动有关,大金山岛与浮山岛之间有一类似山脊样的地形,浮山岛南侧也有一深坑存在。近3年金山三岛滩涂水下地形变化不大,局部小范围内有淤积和冲刷。定期对三岛滩涂水下地形进行测量可以掌握其变化规律,为管理部门提供管理基础资料。     

地球系统模式FIO-ESM对北极海冰的模拟和预估

评估了地球系统模式FIO-ESM(First Institute of Oceanography-Earth System Model)基于CMIP5(Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5)的历史实验对北极海冰的模拟能力,分析了该模式基于CMIP5未来情景实验在不同典型浓度路径(RCPs,Representative Concentration Pathways)下对北极海冰的预估情况。通过与卫星观测的海冰覆盖范围资料相比,该模式能够很好地模拟出多年平均海冰覆盖范围的季节变化特征,模拟的气候态月平均海冰覆盖范围均在卫星观测值±15%范围以内。FIO-ESM能够较好地模拟1979-2005年期间北极海冰的衰减趋势,模拟衰减速度为每年减少2.24×104 km2,但仍小于观测衰减速度(每年减少4.72×104 km2)。特别值得注意的是:不同于其他模式所预估的海冰一直衰减,FIO-ESM对21世纪北极海冰预估在不同情景下呈现不同的变化趋势,在RCP2.6和RCP4.5情景下,北极海冰总体呈增加趋势,在RCP6情景下,北极海冰基本维持不变,而在RCP8.5情景下,北极海冰呈现继续衰减趋势。     

1982-2016年北极开阔水域变化

近30年来,北极海冰覆盖范围大幅缩减,开阔水域也相应地发生显著变化。本文利用美国雪冰中心的海冰密集度产品以及美国海洋和大气科学管理局的海水表面温度数据产品,分析了1982-2016年北极开阔水域面积以及开阔水域季节长度的年际变化,并进一步探讨了海水表面温度对开阔水域时空变化的影响。结果表明北极开阔水域面积平均每年增加55.89×103 km2,海冰消退时间以平均0.77 d/a的速度在提前,海冰出现时间以平均0.82 d/a的速度在延迟,导致开阔水域季节长度以平均1.59 d/a的速度在增加。2016年达到了有遥感观测资料以来开阔水域面积和开阔水域季节长度的最大值,分别为13.52×106 km2和182 d。9个海区的开阔水域变化特征有一定的差异,对开阔水域变化贡献最大的有北冰洋核心区、喀拉海和巴伦支海。海水表面温度对开阔水域的变化有着重要影响,且影响的程度与纬度相关,即高纬度地区的海水表面温度对开阔水域的影响高于低纬度地区。     

Tropospheric lapse rate and its relation to surface temperature from reanalysis data

Estimates of the tropospheric lapse rate γ and analysis of its relation to the surface temperature T _s in the annual cycle and interannual variability have been made using the global monthly mean data of the NCEP/NCAR reanalysis (1948–2001). The tropospheric lapse rate γ is about 6.1 K/km in the Northern Hemisphere (NH) as a whole and over the ocean and about 6.2 K/km over the continents. The value of γ decreases from 6.5 K/km at low latitudes to 4.5 K/km at polar latitudes. The values of dγ/dT _s, the parameter of sensitivity of γ to the variation of T _s for the NH in the interannual variability, are found to be about 0.04 km^?1 (0.041 km^?1 for the NH as a whole, 0.042 km^?1 over the ocean, and 0.038 km^?1 over the continents). This corresponds to an increase in γ of approximately 0.7% when the surface temperature of the NH is increased by 1 K. Estimates of dγ/dT _s vary from about 0.05 km^?1 in the subtropics to 0.10 km^?1 at polar latitudes. When dγ/dT _s is positive, the surface and tropospheric warming means a temperature decrease above a certain critical level H _cr. The height of the level H _cr with constant temperature, which is defined by the inverse value (dγ/dT _s)^?1, is about 25 km for the NH as a whole, i.e., above the tropopause. In the subtropics, H _cr is about 20 km. At polar latitudes, H _cr decreases to about 10 km. Positive values of dγ/dT _s characterize a positive climatic feedback through the lapse rate and indicate a general decrease in the static stability of the troposphere during global warming. Along with a general tendency of γ to increase with rising T _s, there are regional regimes with the opposite tendency, mainly over the ocean. The negative correlation of γ with T _s is found over the oceanic tropics and midlatitudes, in particular, over the oceanic belt around Antarctica.     

Distribution and abundance patterns of two parapagurid hermit crabs (Crustacea: Decapoda: Anomura) along the west and south coasts of South Africa

A series of over 6 000 research-trawl samples collected along the west and south coasts of South Africa between 1987 and 2014 were analysed for the presence and biomass of two parapagurid hermit crabs, Sympagurus dimorphus and Parapagurus bouvieri. The percentage of trawls that landed S. dimorphus and P. bouvieri and the mean caught biomass were higher on the west than on the south coast for both the more-abundant S. dimorphus (30.59 vs 5.81% success and 287.88 vs 31.37 kg km^–2, respectively) and for the less-abundant P. bouvieri (13.76 vs 3.58% success and 38.56 vs 16.32 kg km^–2, respectively). Very few parapagurids were caught shallower than 150 m; thereafter, the proportion of trawls containing hermit crabs increased, peaking over the depth range 201–250 m for S. dimorphus (54%) and 401–450 m for P. bouvieri (51%), and declining steadily thereafter. On the west coast, the relative caught biomass of S. dimorphus increased significantly from north to south, but there was no apparent latitudinal trend in relative biomass for P. bouvieri. Similarly, there was a significant decline in caught biomass of S. dimorphus with increasing longitude along the south coast, but no apparent trend for P. bouvieri. Although this represents by far the most comprehensive global analyses of distribution and abundance patterns for parapagurids to date, extremely little remains known about the biology and ecological relationships of these species, or indeed of other members of the group.     

辽宁沿海地区风能资源时空分布的初步分析

利用1997～2007 年辽宁省7 个海洋站和2007～2008 年3 个临时观测站的实测数据, 使用GIS 的反距离加权插值法, 初步分析了辽宁省沿海风能资源时空分布。结果为： 辽东湾沿岸风能资源丰富, 年平均风功率密度可达250 W/m2, 大连南部和东南沿海风能资源次之, 年平均风功率密度达到175 W/m2,丹...     

Calculation of the Lightning Potential Index and electric field in numerical weather prediction models

Modern methods for predicting thunderstorms and lightnings with the use of high-resolution numerical models are considered. An analysis of the Lightning Potential Index (LPI) is performed for various microphysics parameterizations with the use of the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model. The maximum index values are shown to depend significantly on the type of parameterization. This makes it impossible to specify a single threshold LPI for various parameterizations as a criterion for the occurrence of lightning flashes. The topographic LPI maps underestimate the sizes of regions of likely thunderstorm-hazard events. Calculating the electric field under the assumption that ice and graupel are the main charge carriers is considered a new algorithm of lightning prediction. The model shows that the potential difference (between the ground and cloud layer at a given altitude) sufficient to generate a discharge is retained in a larger region than is predicted by the LPI. The main features of the spatial distribution of the electric field and potential agree with observed data.     

Sand wave deposition in the Taiwan Shoal of China

The Taiwan Shoal is the convex terrain in the southern Taiwan Strait, the largest strait in China. In 2006 and 2007, 21 samples and more than 200-km sub-bottom data as well as 80-km near shore side-scan sonar data were gotten, which gave an initial image of the boundaries of the Taiwan Shoal and revealed the internal structure of the sand waves in this area. The results showed that the major component of the sediment samples was sand, and sand waves occurred everywhere in this area, which closely followed the range of the Taiwan Shoal as we know. The western boundary of the Taiwan Shoal thus reaches the 30 m isobaths near the shore, and as a result, its area potentially covers approximately 12 800-14 770 km². The sand waves have different shapes under the complex ocean dynamics, and the height of sand waves in the near shore is usually smaller than that in the Taiwan Shoal. The number of sand waves ranged from 1-5 per kilometer, with more waves in the isobath-intensive area, suggesting the importance of topography for the formation of sand waves. The stratigraphic structure under the seabed has parallel bedding or cross bedding, and large dipping groove bedding can be seen locally in different parts, which may be the result of terrestrial deposition since the Late Pleistocene.     

Study of evolution forecast of the area of the Huanghe River mouth

From 1979 to 1989, the current Qingshuigou course of the Huanghe River formed a sub - delta which resembles a beak extending into the Laizhou Bay. It covers 618 km2 in area. To meet the needs of developing and constructing the Huanghe River Delta and under the presupposition of keeping the current course for 15-20 a, we forecast mainly by using the OM (1, 1) model that the front border of the sub-delta will be close to 119°30'E and its area will become 923 km2by the end of the year 2000. The Huanghe River will make land 760 km2 in area.