High kinetic energy density jets in the Earth’s magnetosheath: A case study

We study several high kinetic energy density jets observed during a traversal of the dayside magnetosheath by the Cluster spacecraft on March 17, 2001, at various distances from the magnetopause, generally characterised by anomalously high values of the local magnetosonic Mach number. We concentrate on two jets observed just outside the magnetopause, the first almost parallel to the GSM x axis and the second directed northward-tailward along the nominal magnetopause surface. We present evidence that none of them can be ascribed to magnetic reconnection at the magnetopause and show that the magnetopause is severely deformed by the jets, so that its local normal forms an angle of 97° with the quiet time magnetopause normal. On these grounds, we suggest that the indentation of the magnetopause is caused by an anti-sunward jet ramming into the magnetopause slightly equatorward of the northern cusp and that the northward-tailward jet is the result of its reflection at the deformed magnetopause. Finally, we briefly discuss our results by comparing them with past studies of events which in some way recall the one analysed herein.     

Extensional Late Paleozoic deformation on the western margin of Pangea, Patlanoaya area, Acatlán Complex, southern Mexico

New mapping in the northern part of the Paleozoic Acatlán Complex (Patlanoaya area) records several ductile shear zones and brittle faults with normal kinematics (previously thought to be thrusts). These movement zones separate a variety of units that pass structurally upwards from: (i) blueschist-eclogitic metamorphic rocks (Piaxtla Suite) and mylonitic megacrystic granites (Columpio del Diablo granite ≡ Ordovician granites elsewhere in the complex); (ii) a gently E-dipping, listric, normal shear zone with top to the east kinematic indicators that formed under upper greenschist to lower amphibolite conditions; (iii) the Middle–Late Ordovician Las Minas quartzite (upper greenschist facies psammites with minor interbedded pelites intruded by mafic dikes and a leucogranite dike from the Columpio del Diablo granite) unconformably overlain by the Otate meta-arenite (lower greenschist facies psammites and pelites): roughly temporal equivalents are the Middle–Late Ordovician Mal Paso and Ojo de Agua units (interbedded metasandstone and slate, and metapelite and mafic minor intrusions, respectively) — some of these units are intruded by the massive, 461 ± 2 Ma, Palo Liso megacrystic granite: decussate, contact metamorphic muscovite yielded a ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar plateau age of 440 ± 4 Ma; (iv) a steeply-moderately, E-dipping normal fault; (v) latest Devonian–Middle Permian sedimentary rocks (Patlanoaya Group: here elevated from formation status). The upward decrease in metamorphic grade is paralleled by a decrease in the number of penetrative fabrics, which varies from (i) three in the Piaxtla Suite, through (ii) two in the Las Minas unit (E-trending sheath folds deformed by NE-trending, subhorizontal folds with top to the southeast asymmetry, both associated with a solution cleavage), (iii) one in the Otate, Mal Paso, and Ojo de Agua units (steeply SE-dipping, NE–SW plunging, open-close folds), to (iv) none in the Patlanoaya Group. ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar analyses of muscovite from the earliest cleavage in the Las Minas unit yielded a plateau age of 347 ± 3 Ma and show low temperature ages of  260 Ma. Post-dating all of these structures and the Patlanoaya Group are NE-plunging, subvertical folds and kink bands. An E–W, vertical normal fault juxtaposes the low-grade rocks against the Anacahuite amphibolite that is cut by megacrystic granite sheets, both of which were deformed by two penetrative fabrics. Amphibole from this unit has yielded a ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar plateau age of 299 ± 6 Ma, which records cooling through  490 °C and is probably related to a Permo-Carboniferous reheating event during exhumation. The extensional deformation is inferred to have started in the latest Devonian ( 360 Ma) during deposition of the basal Patlanoaya Group, lasting through the rapid exhumation of the Piaxtla Suite at  350–340 Ma synchronous with cleavage development in the Las Minas unit, deposition of the Patlanoaya Group with active fault-related exhumation suggested by Mississippian and Early Permian conglomerates ( 340 and 300 Ma, respectively), and continuing at least into the Middle Permian (≡ 260 Ma muscovite ages). The continuity of Mid-Continent Mississippian fauna from the USA to southern Mexico suggests that this extensional deformation occurred on the western margin of Pangea after closure of the Rheic Ocean.     

Influence of land use on the persistence effect of riverine phosphorus

The persistence effect contribution of legacy nutrients is often cited as a reason for little or no improvement in water quality following extensive implementation of watershed nutrient mitigation actions, yet there is limited knowledge concerning factors influencing this response, often called the “persistence effect.” Here, we adopted detrended fluctuation analysis and Spearman analysis methods to assess the influence of land use on the watershed phosphorus (P) persistence effect, using monthly water quality records during 2010–2016 in 13 catchments within a drinking water reservoir watershed in eastern China. Detrended fluctuation analysis was used to calculate the Hurst exponent α to assess watershed legacy P characteristics (α  ≈ 0.5, α  > 0.5, and α  < 0.5 indicate white noise, persistence, and anti‐persistence, respectively). Results showed weak to strong P persistence (0.60–0.81) in the time series of riverine P in the 13 catchments. The Hurst exponent α had negative relationships with agricultural land (R = ?.47, p = .11) and developed land (R = ?.67, p = .01) and a positive relationship with forest land cover (R = .48, p = .10). The persistence effect of riverine P was mainly determined by retention ability (biogeochemical legacy) and migration efficiency (hydrological legacy). A catchment with strong retention capacity (e.g., biomass uptake/storage and soil PO₄ sorption) and low migration efficiency results in a stronger persistence effect for riverine P. In practice, source control is more effective in catchments with weak persistence, whereas sink control (e.g., riparian buffers and wetlands) is preferred in catchments with strong persistence effects.     

Intense Arctic mesocyclones

Characteristics of polar mesoscale cyclones (PMCs) over the North European Basin are analyzed using cloud cover distribution data for 1981–1995. Special features of the annual cycle and interannual variations in characteristics of Arctic mesocyclones with a spiral and comma-shaped cloud structure are discussed. Against the background of large interannual variations, no statistically significant trends were found in the characteristics of Arctic mesocyclones over the North European Basin in the late 20th century. It is shown that the cumulative frequency distribution of PMCs is well approximated by an exponential function in a size range for Arctic mesocyclones from 50 to 400 km. The applicability of the Weibull distribution as an approximation of the PMC size distribution of the number of cyclone days is analyzed. It is shown that the correspondence between the real distribution and the Weibull distribution became worse in the 1990s than in the 1980s, especially the first half of the 1980s. Much of this was due to an increased local maximum in the 1990s in the distribution of polar mesocyclones with diameters about 400 km. This local maximum was found for all types of mesoscale vortices and for all analyzed five-year subperiods during 1981–1995. A large discrepancy between the frequency distribution functions for PMCs depending on their diameters was shown to exist for different types of Arctic mesocyclones.     

Detection of rovibrationally excited H2 formed through the heterogeneous recombination of H atoms on a cold HOPG surface

This paper reports results from an experiment designed to measure the nascent rovibrational population of H₂ molecules that have formed through the heterogeneous recombination of H atoms on the surface of cosmic dust analogues under conditions approaching those of the interstellar medium (ISM). H₂ that has formed on a highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) surface has been detected, using laser induced resonance-enhanced multi-photon ionization (REMPI), in the v = 1 (J= 0–3) rovibrational states at surface temperatures of 30 K and 50 K. These excited product molecules display rotational temperatures significantly higher than the target surface temperature. These first results suggest that a considerable proportion of the binding energy released on formation of the H₂ is deposited in the surface, in addition to internal excitation of the product molecules. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Age of nephrite-bearing dikes of the Uzunkyr Belt (South Urals): Local U-Pb isotope analysis of zircon and Sr-Nd isotope data of rock-forming minerals

Through local U-Pb isotope analysis of zircon and Sir-Need data on rock-forming minerals, the age of nephrite-bearing monzonite-diorite dikes of the Uzunkyr Belt has been determined. The derived datings coincide with known geological events that took place in the Phanerozoic on the territory of the South Urals. Xenogenic zircons prove the participation of the Upper Ordovician units in the tectonic structure of the studied area. Devonian zircons are associated with assimilation of subvolcanic rocks which are middle and basic in composition and whose formation time correlates with the appearance of the subduction zone with the Magnitogorsk island arc above it. Early Carboniferous datings indicate the relationship between dike formation and formation of the continental arc-shaped structure to which the Syrostan massif (monzodiorite-granite formation) belongs. The age range of the Uzunkyr nephrite-bearing dikes coincides with that of intrusives (350–336 Ma) of the Magnitogorsk Belt, where formation of gabbro series was also changed by formation of subalkali and alkali igneous rocks. According to the analogous data on zircon datings from metamorphic rocks of the Il’menogorskii Complex, the given territory later evolved as a whole.     

Radon volumetric activity and ion production in the undisturbed lower atmosphere: Ground-based observations and numerical modeling

The results of in situ ground-based observations of radon volumetric activity carried out at the Borok Geophysical Observatory of Schmidt Institute of Physics of the Earth of the Russian Academy of Sciences (58°04′ N; 38°14′ E) are presented. Modeling the characteristic diurnal variation in the ion production rate in the undisturbed midlatitude lower atmosphere above land is carried out. The Lagrangian stochastic model of turbulent transport is developed in application to determining the vertical profiles of radon activity for 222Rn and 220Rn isotopes and their radioactive decay products. The results calculated by the Lagrangian stochastic model are matched with the analytical solution for the free atmosphere. Based on the model, the estimate is obtained for the rate of radon outflow from the convective boundary layer to the free clear sky atmosphere. The implications of temperature stratification of the atmosphere for the vertical distribution of the ion production rate at the different radon emission rate are explored.     

Interannual variability of soil moisture in the European part of Russia in summer

Interannual and interdecadal variability of soil moisture in the European part of Russia in summer months is investigated using the data for 1948-2012. It is found that the two first empirical orthogonal functions (EOFs) describe about 50% of total variability of soil moisture. The spatial pattern of the first EOF is indicative of coherent changes in soil moisture in the whole European part of Russia. The second EOF is represented by the meridional dipole with the opposite signs of soil moisture variations in the northern and southern parts of the region. It is revealed that the spatiotemporal pattern of the principal EOFs of soil moisture variability in the European part of Russia almost does not vary during summer that is indicative of the uniform (for each EOF) mechanism of the formation of interan-nual variability of soil moisture.     

透岩浆流体作用与矿田构造

从透岩浆流体成矿理论的角度对矿田构造进行了重新认识,提出矿田构造系统是一种复杂性动力系统的观点。根据这个模型,矿田构造是近场应力场与远场应力场强烈相互作用的产物。近场应力场由岩浆成矿系统而不是远场应力场派生,因而不能由矿田构造反演区域构造,但可以从区域构造限定矿田构造。矿田构造常有岩脉和热液脉充填,因而是可识别的。利用构造统计学方法,可以根据岩脉和/或热液脉的分布密度图(或等值线图)预测找矿靶区。