Effect of galvanic distortions on the series and parallel magnetotelluric impedances and comparison with other responses

The series and parallel impedances of the magnetotelluric tensor are appraised in relation to their relative immunity to galvanic electric distortions. The distorted responses are modeled using the Groom-Bailey decomposition of the tensor in terms of twist, shear, statics and strike direction. These four parameters and the undistorted responses are normally considered as unknowns, and are obtained from field data through the solution of an inverse problem. In the present work we use the decomposition as a forward model to simulate distorted sounding curves. Starting with undistorted 2-d te and tm responses, the tensor is distorted by assuming arbitrary values of twist, shear, static and strike direction. By default, both series and parallel responses are immune to the strike direction because they are invariants under rotation. In addition, series responses are immune to twist and shear and parallel responses only to twist. The dependence of the latter on shear is in the form of a real factor that shifts downwards the amplitude curves. On the other hand, the effect of statics on both series and parallel responses is more complicated than that on the impedance tensor because it cannot be accounted for by a simple shift of the curves. On the whole, there is a positive balance on the part of the series and parallel impedances over the te and tm responses because some of the distortions are filtered out by the invariants. It is shown that invariance is not sufficient to be immune to any of the distortions. The example chosen is Eggers’ eigenvalues, which are immune only to the by-the-fault strike direction. Invariance is not necessary either, as evidenced by the phase tensor, whose elements depend on strike but are immune to all distortions. The derivations are illustrated using soundings from the synthetic coprod2s1 and field-recorded coprod2 and bc87 data sets.     

Shipborne GPS attitude determination during MMST-93

The attitude parameters of a ship underway were measured using a configuration of four 10-channel NovAtel Model 951 narrow-correlator-spacing receivers. These C/A code receivers have output rates of up to 10 Hz and maintain effective carrier phase lock under relatively harsh ship dynamics. The attitude parameters are calculated independently at each epoch using differential carrier phase measurements, carrier phase ambiguities are resolved on-the-fly by constraining the approximately known distances between the antennas that are rigidly mounted on the ship. Carrier phase thermal noise and multipath are minimized by mounting the antennas as far apart as possible. The four-antenna configuration provides redundancy and further improves accuracy. During the Matthew Motion Sensor Trials (MMST-93) conducted off the coast of Halifax, Nova Scotia, in June-July 1993, the GPS-derived attitude parameters were compared with those obtained with a Honeywell HG1050 ring laser gyro inertial navigation system (INS) which provides roll and pitch with an accuracy of 15 arcsecs and heading with an accuracy of 2 arcmins. To simulate rough weather conditions, sharp maneuvers were performed to induce roll angles in excess of 10°. No accuracy degradation nor any loss of GPS measurements occurred. The RMS agreement between GPS and INS derived attitude parameters is better than 2 arcmins in heading, 1 arcmin in pitch and 3 arcmins in roll. This level of accuracy demonstrates the capability of GPS for cost-effective shipborne attitude determination at an accuracy level of 0.05     

Mineral magnetic and physical properties of surficial sediments and onshore samples from the southern basin of Lake Baikal, Siberia

Results of lithostratigraphic and mineral magnetic analysis of two surficial sediment cores (21 cm and 45 cm in length) collected from the Southern basin of Lake Baikal at a water depth of 1390 m, are presented. The sediments have been measured for a wide range of mineral magnetic parameters in order to assess their value in the identification of turbidite layers. Particle size and geochemical data are also presented and these explain some of the down core variations in magnetic mineralogy. It is suggested that changes in the particle size frequency distributions down core may be related to fossil diatom shells. One of the cores has been dated using ²¹⁰Pb. The sediment cores were cross-correlated using low frequency magnetic susceptibility (f) and these cores can also be correlated with a nearby core collected earlier in 1992. Changes in the magnetic parameters of lf, IRMs and HIRM₂₁₀ suggest that there are significant changes in the concentration of ferrimagnetic minerals in the sediment cores, indicating changing sediment sources and/or increasing concentrations of spheroidal carbonaceous particles and the dissolution of minerals through reduction below the oxidised layer within the sediment core.     

Radiation exposure and Mission Strategies for Interplanetary Manned Missions (REMSIM)

Cosmic radiation is an important problem for human interplanetary missions. The “Radiation Exposure and Mission Strategies for Interplanetary Manned Missions–REMSIM” study is summarised here. They are related to current strategies and countermeasures to ensure the protection of astronauts from radiation during interplanetary missions, with specific reference to: radiation environment and its variability; radiation effects on the crew; transfer trajectories and associated fluences; vehicle and surface habitat concepts; passive and active shielding concepts; space weather monitoring and warning systems.     

Periodicity in spectral variations of IC 4997?

The emission lines in the spectra of some planetary nebula experience variations with the time. These variations (due to evolution effects and by their nature) differ from the spectral changes which we usually observe in stars. It appears that the long-scale and systematic observations on the intensity behaviour of different emission lines of nebula may be used as an independent indicator to receive a principally new and quite unpredicted category of information related to the physics of nebulae and their nuclei. Particularly, the analysis of long standing observations carried out in relation to the forbidden lines 4363 [Oiii] andN ₁+N ₂ [Oiii] of double-ionized oxygen lead to a conception about the possible existence ofrelativistic electrons of moderate energy in planetary nebulae and the generation oftransition radiation as a result of electrodynamic interaction of these electrons with the dust particles in nebula (Gurzadyan, 1991). Just on the basis of the same observational material, the long-scale periodicity in the activity or variations of a star-like planetary nebula IC 4997 is discovered about which is the present note.     

The New Multichannel Radiospectrograph ARTEMIS-IV/HECATE, of the University of Athens

We present the new solar radiospectrograph of the University of Athensoperating at the Thermopylae Station since 1996. Observations cover thefrequency range from 110 to 688 MHz. The radiospectrograph has a 7-meterparabolic antenna and two receivers operating in parallel. One is a sweepfrequency receiver and the other a multichannel acousto-optical receiver.The data acquisition system consists of a front-end VME based subsystem anda Sun Sparc-5 workstation connected through Ethernet. The two subsystems areoperated using the VxWorks real-time package. The daily operation is fullyautomated: pointing of the antenna to the sun, starting and stopping theobservations at pre-set times, data acquisition, data compression by`silence suppression', and archiving on DAT tapes. The instrument can beused either by itself to study the onset and evolution of solar radio bursts or in conjunction with other instruments including theNançay Decametric Array and the WIND/WAVES RAD1 and RAD2 low frequencyreceivers to study associated interplanetary phenomena.     

Long term variations in the mesospheric mean flow observed at Grahamstown (South Africa) and Adelaide (Australia)

The seasonal and interannual behaviour of monthly mean winds at a height of 90 km recorded at Grahamstown (33.3°S, 26.5°E) and Adelaide (34.5°S, 138.5°E) between 1987 and 1994 are compared. The zonal wind is found to be consistently stronger at Grahamstown and is always eastward, whereas at Adelaide it sometimes reverses. Maxima tend to occur near the solstices, the primary maximum during summer at Grahamstown, in agreement with satellite results, and during winter at Adelaide. The meridional wind also tends to be stronger at Grahamstown, but at both stations is predominantly northward with a maximum in summer and generally not as strong as the zonal component. This seasonal behaviour is reasonably well understood in terms of the interaction of the mean flow with gravity waves propagating up from below, with coriolis forces also playing an important role in the case of the meridional wind. Satellite observations do not generally support the idea that longitudinal differences between the stations could be attributed to the presence of a tropospheric/stratospheric stationary wave. It is suggested that these differences are more probably associated with local effects. Interannual zonal wind patterns at the two sites are similar over the summer months but are less well correlated during the rest of the year. The underlying causes of this variability are not well understood but are most probably global in nature, at least during the summer.     

Sediment oxygen profiles in a super-oxygenated antarctic lake

Perennially ice-covered lakes are found in the McMurdo Dry Valleys of southern Victoria Land, Antarctica. In contrast to temperate lakes that have diurnal photic periods, antarctic (and arctic) lakes have a yearly photic period. An unusual feature of the antarctic lakes is the occurrence of O2 at supersaturated levels in certain portions of the water column. Here we report the first sediment O2 profiles obtained using a microelectrode from a perennially ice-covered antarctic lake. Sediment cores collected in January and October 1987 from Lake Hoare in Taylor Valley show oxygenation down to 15, and in some cases, 25 cm. The oxygenation of sediments several centimeters below the sediment-water interface is atypical for lake sediments and may be characteristic of perennially ice-covered lakes. There is a significant difference between the observed January and October sediment O2 profiles. Several explanations may account for the difference, including seasonality. A time-dependent model is presented which tests the feasibility of a seasonal cycle resulting from the long photoperiod and benthic primary production in sediments overlain by a highly oxygenated water column.