Coherent GPS reflections from the sea surface

In this letter, we explore a method to obtain accurate ocean heights using measurements of the global positioning system (GPS) carrier phase after reflection on the sea surface. A carrier tracking algorithm is employed in measuring travel path differences between GPS direct and reflected signals collected from antennas suspended over a marine estuary, when roughness guarantees partially coherent reflections at the GPS L1 frequency. This technique proves to be sensitive to surface roughness and able to follow tide variations with a precision better than 5 cm (1-sigma) for sea states with significant wave heights below 10 cm. It is expected that this technique could be further extended to rougher sea states using GPS frequency combinations with longer synthetic wavelengths.     

The relation between geomagnetic pulsations and an increase in the fluxes of geosynchronous relativistic electrons during geomagnetic storms

The dynamics of the Pc5 and Pi1 pulsation characteristics and relativistic electron fluxes at geostationary orbit were comparatively analyzed for three nine-day intervals, including quiet periods and periods of geomagnetic storms. It was shown that relativistic electron fluxes increase considerably when the power of global Pc5 pulsations and the index of midlatitude irregular Pi1 pulsations increase simultaneously. The correlation between the characteristics of Pi1 and Pc5 geomagnetic pulsations and the level of the relativistic electron flux at geostationary orbit during the magnetic storm recovery phase were studied. It was shown that the correlation coefficient of the relativistic electron maximal fluxes during the magnetic storm recovery phase with the parameter of midlatitude Pi1 pulsations is slightly higher than such a correlation coefficient with the solar wind velocity.     

Yield–reliability analysis for rural domestic water supply from combined rainwater harvesting and run-of-river abstraction

Abstract

In many rural areas, reticulated water supply from large water resources schemes does not exist and many households obtain water from groundwater (GW), rainwater harvesting (RWH), run-of-river (ROR) flow, or combinations of these. While comprehensive yield–reliability analysis for large water resource systems is the norm, typical rural water supply analysis unrealistically aggregates data into monthly or annual time steps and does not incorporate reliability. A daily time-step simulation of household supply and frequency analysis of the number of days supplied in each year is used herein to: (a) demonstrate a realistic approach of yield–reliability analysis for RWH, ROR and combined RWH and ROR supply; and (b) show how combined utilization of the two can lead to improved supply. Integration of RWH and ROR supply has been found to improve yield and reliability substantially. The limitations of using the simpler mass curve analysis and the effect of applying a monthly time step are demonstrated.

Citation Ndiritu, J., Odiyo, J. O., Makungo, R., Ntuli, C. & Mwaka, B. (2011) Yield–reliability analysis for rural domestic water supply from combined rainwater harvesting and run-of-river abstraction. Hydrol. Sci. J. 56(2), 238–248.     

A benchmark comparison of numerical methods for infinite Prandtl number thermal convection in two-dimensional Cartesian geometry

Abstract

A comparison is made between seven different numerical methods for calculating two-dimensional thermal convection in an infinite Prandtl number fluid. Among the seven methods are finite difference and finite element techniques that have been used to model thermal convection in the Earth's mantle. We evaluate the performance of each method using a suite of four benchmark problems, ranging from steady-state convection to intrinsically time-dependent convection with recurring thermal boundary layer instabilities. These results can be used to determine the accuracy of other computational methods, and to assist in the development of new ones.     

Age of the Vishnyakovskoe deposit of rare-metal pegmatites (East Sayan): U-Pb geochronological study of manganotantalite

The U-Pb age of the manganotantalite from rare-metal pegmatites of the Vishnyakovskoe deposit (East Sayan Belt) has been assessed at 1838 ± 3 Ma. The acquired data indicate the pegmatites of this deposit and associated granites of the Sayan complex belong to the postcollision South Siberian igneous belt (1.88–1.84 Ga), which stretches along the southwestern frame of the Siberian Craton by more than 2500 km, from the Yenisei Ridge to the Aldan Shield. Formation of this igneous belt is related to joining (starting from about 1.9 Ga BP) of the series of continental microplates and island arcs to the Siberian Craton; this led to final stabilization of the craton at about 1.8 Ga BP.     

The Messinian Sicilian stratigraphy revisited: new insights for the Messinian salinity crisis

Controversies around the Messinian salinity crisis (MSC) are because of the difficulties in establishing genetic and stratigraphic relationships between its deep and shallow‐water record. Actually, the Sicilian foreland basin shows both shallow and deep‐water Messinian records, thus offering the chance to reconstruct comprehensive MSC scenarios. The Lower Gypsum of Sicily comprises primary and resedimented evaporites separated in space and time by the intra‐Messinian unconformity. A composite unit including halite, resedimented gypsum and Calcare di Base accumulated between 5.6 and 5.55 Ma in the main depocentres; it records the acme of the Messinian Salinity Crisis during a tectonic phase coupled with sea‐level falls at glacials TG14‐TG12. These deposits fully post‐date primary gypsum, which precipitated in shallow‐water wedge‐top and foreland ramp basins between 5.96 and 5.6 Ma. This new stratigraphic framework results in a three‐stage MSC scenario characterized by different primary evaporite associations: selenite in the first and third stages, carbonate, halite and potash salt in the second one associated with hybrid resedimented evaporites.     

A metabolism-based trophic index for comparing the ecological values of shallow-water sediment habitats

We determined fluxes of oxygen and nutrients between water and sediments at 21 sites primarily in Virginia and North Carolina estuaries, over the past 15 yr. These sites represented broad ranges in salinity, tidal amplitude, hydrology, nutrient availability, turbidity, light availability, depth, sediment grain size, and anthropogenic disturbance. In general, we found that heterotrophically dominated sediments had the potential to degrade water quality, whereas photoautotrophy in the sediments ameliorated this impact. We propose a benthic trophic state index as a management tool to make general assessments of the degree to which sediments support ecological processes related to photoautotrophy. The index can be based on simple measurements of metabolic parameters. We also evaluated the relative significance of variability in the index across a number of spatial and temporal scales. Reduced photoautotrophy and/or enhanced heterotrophy tended to be associated with finer-grained, organic-rich sediments. This sediment type was common in oligohaline areas at water depths exceeding 2 m. Temporally, autotrophy declined from winter to spring particularly at sandy sites, while interannual variability was more pronounced for mud sites. *** DIRECT SUPPORT *** A01BY074 00011