Excitation of electromagnetic lower hybrid instability in the region of bouncing electron beams

The region of bouncing electron beams in the earth’s magnetosphere can be unstable against a non-resonant electromagnetic lower hybrid instability. The instability is purely growing in the rest frame of the plasma, and can be excited either by the temperature anisotropy or the drift velocity of the bouncing electron beams. The growth rates of the instability decrease with the increase of cold electron density. Consequently the growth rate is maximum at the equator where the cold electron density is minimum. The intense turbulence generated by this instability could broaden the bouncing electron beams thereby explaining the observed wider cone width of the beams at the equator. The instability could generate magnetic pulsations in the frequency range of orderPc ₁?Pc₃ with typical wavelength ≈ (3–10) km in the, magnetosphere during magnetic storms or substorms.     

The birth of the Paratethys during the Early Oligocene: From Tethys to an ancient Black Sea analogue?

Deeper water black shales, overlain by coccolith-bearing marlstones representing the incipient Paratethys (example: Early Oligocene; Austrian Molasse Basin), have sedimentary characteristics similar to those of the Holocene Black Sea since 7500 years bp. Framboid pyrite size, biomarker and C–N-isotope data additionally indicate that isolation of the Paratethys resulted in Black Sea-type characteristics during nannoplankton zone NP 23.In contrast to the estuarine circulation across the Bosphorus since 7500 years bp, marine conditions prevailed in the incipient Paratethys during NP 21/22. Nitrogen was fixed and low organic carbon accumulation rates prevailed. In both settings a vertical density water-column stratification was accompanied by photic zone anoxia, and by anaerobic methane oxidation in the Paratethys. In the Paratethys increased run off, starting in NP 22, led to estuarine circulation during NP 23. During this period cyclic blooms of calcareous nannoplankton resulted in high calcite accumulation rates which diluted the coeval clay sedimentation. Similar sedimentary features in the Black Sea and the Paratethys during the earliest Oligocene are result from opposite paleoceanographic developments, both leading to estuarine circulation patterns. In the Black Sea, permanent photic zone anoxic conditions were established 7500 years bp in response to the first invasion of saline Mediterranean waters into the former freshwater lake. In contrast, brackish surface water in the Paratethys resulted from nutrient-rich freshwater diluting the marine water body.     

Mechanisms of expansion for an introduced species of cordgrass, Spartina densiflora, in Humboldt Bay, California

The dominant plant in Humboldt Bay salt marshes in Spartina densiflora, a species of cordgrass apparently introduced from South America. At several salt marshes and restoration sites around Humboldt Bay, distribution of this plant has increased significantly. We investigated the relative contributions of vegetative tiller production and seed germination to the establishment and expansion of S. densiflora. Lateral spread of plants surrounded by competitors were compared to areas without competing plant species. Plants growing in areas without competitors had significantly higher rates of vegetative expansion (p<0.0001). Viable seed production, germination rates, seedling survivorship, and growth of adult plants were measured in six salinity treatments. Approximately 1,977±80 viable seeds are produced per plant (0.25–0.5 m²). The number of germinating seeds was inversely related to increases in salinity. Salinity treatments between 19‰ and 35‰ produced significantly lower germination rates than salinities of 0–18‰ (p<0.0001). Seedling survivorship was 50% at ≤4‰ and 8–14% at ≥11‰. Lateral expansion of adult, greenhouse-grown plants occurred in all salinity treatments, with modest decreases in the highest salinity treatments (p<0.05). Our findings indicate that S. densiflora expands primarily by vegetative expansion, and lateral tillers are produced by throughout the year. Spartina densiflora produces prolific amounts of seed, but recruitment in mature salt marshes may be limited by competitors and higher salinities. At restoration sites, planting of native species such as Salicornia virginica, Distichlis spicata, or Jaumea carnosa may prevent monospecific stands of S. densiflora from developing.     

The role of stratification in the deoxygenation of Mobile Bay and adjacent shelf bottom waters

Oxygen depletion in the shallow bottom waters of Mobile Bay, Alabama, and in adjacent nearshore and continental shelf waters, is shown to be directly related to the intensity of water column stratification. Low winds speeds are coincidental with the onset of water column stratification and the occurrence of hypoxic events. Hourly, daily, and seasonal changes in the relationship between percent oxygen saturation or oxygen concentration in the bottom waters and surface-bottom density differences indicate that the oxidized materials are recently formed, and not relic or overwintering carbon sources. The influence of density structure (water column stratification) in other oxygen-depleted coastal water masses is compared to Mobile Bay.     

Effective resource estimates for primary diamond deposits from the EKATI Diamond Mine™, Canada

Primary economic diamond deposit modelling has rarely been documented in the public domain. This paper presents information collected from significantly diamondiferous kimberlite pipes located near Lac de Gras in the Arctic region of Canada's Northwest Territories. The resource estimation process is widely accepted as a cyclical iteration of data collection and evaluation processes. A resource database is typically assembled from a large inventory of exploration data. These data must be methodically quality checked before accepting the information for interpretive analysis. The foundation of a mineral resource model is based on clear understanding of the geology model along with subsidiary grade, volume, and density models. Defining these models is an iterative process of statistical analyses and interpretation. As a deposit progresses along a path towards development, reducing risk to acceptable levels is critical for identifying and realizing its maximum value.