Tectonic causes of landslides

The relationship between mass movements and tectonic lineaments is investigated in the Pliocene sand and clay terrains of Montepulciano (central Italy). Satellite images and aerial photographs show six families of lineament in southern Tuscany, all of which are present in the Montepulciano area. The orientation, location and density of these are related to corresponding attributes of morphological phenomena such as retrogressive slumps, drainage density and slope angle. Rose diagrams, stereographic plots and statistical analysis all reveal a close correspondence between slumping mass movements and the directions and spatial concentrations of fracture traces. Although slopes and valley trends respond more closely to Apennine (NW-trending) and anti-Apennine (NE-trending) lineaments, the longitudinal axes of landslides are strongly orientated NNW to N, the direction of one of the most significant lineament groups in western central Italy and the local study area.     

The solar causes of major geomagnetic storms

In this paper we reanalyse the set of ten major geomagnetic storms which occurred between August 1978 and December 1979. We relate them to the characteristics of the solar wind disturbances which caused them and the solar sources of such disturbances as tracked by means of interplanetary scintillation. It seems to us that the shock causing the sudden commencement and the plasma behind it with an important long-lasting B_z south component (B_z     

On the causes of unordinary periodicity of earthquakes

The diurnal periodicity of seismic events from three earthquake catalogs of Fennoscandia and Turkey is studied. The shape of diurnal distribution of seismic events in all the catalogs under investigation is similar to the unordinary diurnal periodicity of earthquakes described in previous papers. The principal feature of the diurnal periodicity of seismic events revealed in this paper is a wide maximum of the events in the day time. The very reliable conclusion is made that it is caused by presence of a great amount of quarry blasts in the catalogs.     

Theoretical developments on the causes of ionospheric outflow

It is now well known that there is a substantial outflow of ionospheric plasma from the terrestrial ionosphere at high latitudes. The outflow consists of light thermal ions (H⁺, He⁺) as well as both light and heavy energized ions (H⁺, He⁺, O⁺, N⁺, NO⁺, O₂⁺, N₂⁺). The thermal ion outflows tend to be associated with the classical polar wind, while the energized ions are probably associated with either auroral energization processes or nonclassical polar wind processes. Part of the problem with identifying the exact cause of a given outflow relates to the fact that the ionosphere continuously convects into and out of the various high-latitude regions (sunlight, cusp, polar cap, nocturnal oval) and the time-constant for outflow is comparable to the convection time. Therefore, it is difficult to separate and quantify the possible outflow mechanisms. Some of these mechanisms are as follows. In sunlit regions, the photoelectrons can heat the thermal electrons and the elevated electron temperature acts to increase the polar wind outflow rate. At high altitudes, the escaping photoelectrons can also accelerate the polar wind as they drag the thermal ions with them. In the cusp and auroral oval, the precipitating magnetospheric electrons can heat the thermal electrons in a manner similar to the photoelectrons. Also, energized ions, in the form of beams and conics, can be created in association with field-aligned auroral currents and potential structures. The cusp ion beams and conics that have been convected into the polar cap can destabilize the polar wind when they pass through it at high altitudes, thereby transferring energy to the thermal ions. Additional energization mechanisms in the polar cap include Joule heating, hot magnetospheric electrons and ions, electromagnetic wave turbulence, and centrifugal acceleration.Some of these causes of ionospheric outflow will be briefly reviewed, with the emphasis on the recent simulations of polar wind dynamics in convecting flux tubes of plasma.     

Morphology and causes of the Weddell Sea anomaly

The zone of anomalous diurnal variations in foF2, which is characterized by an excess of nighttime foF2 values over daytime ones, has been distinguished in the Southern Hemisphere based on the Intercosmos-19 satellite data. In English literature, this zone is usually defined as the Weddell Sea anomaly (WSA). The anomaly occupies the longitudes of 180°–360° E in the Western Hemisphere and the latitudes of 40°–80° S, and the effect is maximal (up to ∼5 MHz) at longitudes of 255°–315° E and latitudes of 60°–70° S (50°–55° ILAT). The anomaly is observed at all levels of solar activity. The anomaly formation causes have been considered based on calculations and qualitative analysis. For this purpose, the longitudinal variations in the ionospheric and thermospheric parameters in the Southern Hemisphere have been analyzed in detail for near-noon and near-midnight conditions. The analysis shows that the daytime foF2 values are much smaller in the Western Hemisphere than in the Eastern one, and, on the contrary, the nighttime values are much larger, as a result of which the foF2 diurnal variations are anomalous. Such a character of the longitudinal effect mainly depends on the vertical plasma drift under the action of the neutral wind and ionization by solar radiation. Other causes have also been considered: the composition and temperature of the atmosphere, plasma flows from the plasmasphere, electric fields, particle precipitation, and the relationship to the equatorial anomaly and the main ionospheric trough.     

Book Review

Book Review

Book Review     

Book Review

The construction and operation of reservoirs can bring many benefits to the society, such as irrigation, flood control, navigation, power generation, recreation, and environmental benefits. As soon as a reservoir is completed and starts storing water, part or most of the sediment transport processes in a river is interrupted. Most of the incoming sediments are trapped in the reservoir, forming delta with back water affecting a long distance upstream. Reservoir sedimentation can reduce the reservoir＇s volume needed for flood control, irrigation, water supply, power generation, navigation, etc. As sediments approaching hydraulic structures, the operation of structures can be adversely affected or render useless. If no action is taken to remediate the sedimentation problems, a reservoir may lose its original design functions, and may pose a safety concern.