Effects of geomagnetic disturbances in daytime variations of the atmospheric electric field in polar regions

We have studied the influence of daytime polar substorms (geomagnetic bays under the IMF Bz > 0) on variations of the vertical gradient of the atmospheric electric field potential (Ez) observed at the Polish Hornsund Station (Svalbard, Norway). Only the observations of Ez under “fair weather” conditions were used, i.e. in the absence of strong wind, precipitations, low cloud cover, etc. We studied more than 20 events of daytime polar substorms registered by the Scandinavian chain of IMAGE magnetometers in 2010–2014 during the “fair weather” periods at the Hornsund Station. Analysis of the observations showed that Ez significantly deviates from the its background variations during daytime, as a rule, when the Hornsund Station is in the region of projection of the daytime auroral oval, the position of which was determined from OVATION data. It was shown that the development of a daytime polar substorm leads to fluctuating enhance of Ez values. It was found that Ez surges are accompanied by intensification of field-aligned electric currents outflowing from the ionosphere, which were calculated from the data of low-orbit communication satellites of the AMPERE project.     

Isotopes,Microbes, and Turbidity: A Multi-Tracer Approach to Understanding Recharge Dynamics and Groundwater Contamination in a Basaltic Island Aquifer

Wells designated as groundwater under the direct influence (GUDI) of surface water have caused an ongoing boil-water advisory afflicting the island of Tutuila, American Samoa for almost a decade. Regulatory testing at these wells found turbidity and indicator bacteria spikes correlated with heavy rainfall events. However, the mechanism of this contamination has, until now, remained unknown. Surface water may reach wells through improperly sealed well casings, or through the aquifer matrix itself. In this study, three independent surface water tracers, turbidity, indicator bacteria, and water isotopes were used to assess recharge timing and determine contamination mechanisms. Results from each method were reasonably consistent, revealing average GUDI well breakthrough times of 37 ± 21 h for turbidity, 18 to 63 h for bacteria, and 1 to 5 days for water isotopes. These times match well with estimated subsurface flow rates through highly permeable aquifer materials. In contrast, where one well casing was found to be compromised, turbidity breakthrough was observed at 3 to 4 h. These results support local management decisions and show repairing or replacing wells will likely result in continued GUDI contamination. Additionally, differences in observed rainfall response for each tracer provide insight into the recharge dynamics and subsurface flow characteristics of this and other highly conductive young-basaltic aquifers.     

The role of the Polochic Fault as part of the North American and Caribbean Plate boundary: Insights from the infill of the Lake Izabal Basin

The Lake Izabal Basin in Guatemala is a major pull-apart basin along the sinistral Polochic Fault, which is part of the North American and Caribbean plate boundary. The basin infill contains information about the tectonic and sedimentological processes that have imparted a significant control on its sedimentary section. The inception of the basin has been linked to the relative importance of the Polochic Fault in the tectonic history of the plate boundary; yet, its sedimentological record and its inception age have been poorly documented. This study integrates diverse datasets, including industry reports, well logs and reports, well cuttings, vintage seismic data, outcrop observations and geochronological data to constrain the initial infill and age of inception of the basin. The integrated data show that during the Oligocene–Miocene, a marine carbonate platform was established in the region which was later uplifted and eroded in the early Miocene. The fluvial–lacustrine deposits above this carbonate platform are part of the initial infill of the basin and are constrained with zircon weighted-mean ²⁰⁶Pb/²³⁸U ages of 12.060 ± 0.008 from a volcanic tuff ~30 m above the unconformity. Sandstone, mudstone and coal dominate the interval from 12 to 4 Ma, with an increase in conglomerate correlating to the uplift of the Mico Mountains and San Gil Hill at 4 Ma. Fault switch activity between the Polochic and Motagua faults has been hypothesized to explain total offset along the Polochic Fault and the geologic and geodetic slip rates along the two faults. The 12 Ma age determined for the initial infill of the basin confirms this hypothesis. Consequently, our study confirms that at ~12 Ma the Polochic Fault served as the main fault of the plate boundary with inferred slip rates ranging from 13 to 21 mm/yr with a strong possibility that the Polochic Fault was, at some point between 15 Ma and 7 Ma, the only active fault of the plate boundary. The results of this study show that tectonic records preserved in sediments of strike-slip basins improve the understanding of the relative significance of individual faults and the implications with respect to strain partitioning throughout its tectonic history.     

Large-Eddy Simulation of air Pollution Dispersion in the Nocturnal Cloud-Topped Atmospheric Boundary Layer

Effects of stratocumulus clouds on the dispersion of contaminants are studied in the nocturnal atmospheric boundary layer. The study is based on a large-eddy simulation (LES) model with a bulk parametrization of clouds. Computations include Lagrangian calculations of atmospheric dispersion of a passive tracer released from point sources at various heights above the ground. The results obtained show that the vertical diffusion is non-Gaussian and depends on the location of a source in the boundary layer.     

Cooling curves and initial models for low-mass white dwarfs (<0.25 M⊙) with helium cores

We present a detailed calculation of the evolution of low-mass (<0.25 M_⊙) helium white dwarfs. These white dwarfs (the optical companions to binary millisecond pulsars) are formed via long-term, low-mass binary evolution. After detachment from the Roche lobe, the hot helium cores have a rather thick hydrogen layer with mass between 0.01 and 0.06 M_⊙. As a result of mixing between the core and outer envelope, the surface hydrogen content ( X _surf) is 0.5–0.35 , depending on the initial value of the heavy element Z and the initial secondary mass. We found that the majority of our computed models experience one or two hydrogen shell flashes. We found that the mass of the helium dwarf in which the hydrogen shell flash occurs depends on the chemical composition. The minimum helium white dwarf mass in which a hydrogen flash takes place is 0.213 M_⊙ ( Z =0.003), 0.198 M_⊙ ( Z =0.01), 0.192 M_⊙ ( Z =0.02) or 0.183 M_⊙ ( Z =0.03). The duration of the flashes (independent of chemical composition) is between a few ×10⁶ and a few ×10⁷ yr. In several flashes the white dwarf radius will increase so much that it forces the model to fill its Roche lobe again. Our calculations show that the cooling history of the helium white dwarf depends dramatically on the thickness of the hydrogen layer. We show that the transition from a cooling white dwarf with a temporarily stable hydrogen-burning shell to a cooling white dwarf in which almost all residual hydrogen is lost in a few thermal flashes (via Roche lobe overflow) occurs between 0.183 and 0.213 M_⊙ (depending on the heavy element value).     

High-resolution radio observations of Seyfert galaxies in the extended 12-μm sample – I. The observations

We present 8.4-GHz VLA A-configuration observations of 87 sources from the mid-infrared-selected AGN sample of Rush et al. These 0.25-arcsec-resolution observations allow elongated radio structures tens of pc in size to be resolved, and enable radio components smaller than 3.5 arcsec to be isolated from diffuse galactic disc emission. When combined with previous data, matched radio observations covering 90 per cent of the sample have been collected, and these represent the largest subarcsecond–resolution radio imaging survey of a homogeneously selected sample of Seyfert galaxies to date.
We use our observations to identify five radio-loud AGN in the sample. The nature of the radio emission from Seyfert nuclei will be discussed in subsequent papers.     

The influence of atmospheric circulation on the intensity of urban heat island and urban cold island in Poznań, Poland

The study has analyzed influence of an atmospheric circulation on urban heat island (UHI) and urban cold island (UCI) in Poznań. Analysis was conducted on the basis of temperature data from two measurement points situated in the city center and in the ?awica airport (reference station) and the data concerning the air circulation (Nied?wied?’s calendar of circulation types and reanalysis of National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP)/National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR)). The cases with UHI constitute about 85 % of all data, and UCI phenomena appear with a frequency of 14 % a year. The intensity of UHI phenomenon is higher in the anticyclonic circulation types. During the year in anticyclonic circulation, intensity of UHI is 1.2 °C on average while in cyclonic is only 0.8 °C. The occurring of UHI phenomena is possible throughout all seasons of the year in all hours of the day usually in anticyclonic circulation types. The cases with highest UHI intensity are related mostly to nighttime. The cases of UCI phenomena occurred almost ever on the daytime and the most frequently in colder part of the year together with cyclonic circulation. Study based on reanalysis data indicates that days with large intensity of UHI (above 4, 5, and 6 °C) are related to anticyclonic circulation. Anticyclonic circulation is also promoting the formation of the strongest UCI. Results based on both reanalysis and the atmospheric circulation data (Nied?wied?’s circulation type) confirm that cases with the strongest UHI and UCI during the same day occur in strong high-pressure system with the center situated above Poland or central Europe.     

The Košice meteorite fall: Atmospheric trajectory,fragmentation, and orbit

The Ko?ice meteorite fall occurred in eastern Slovakia on February 28, 2010, 22:25 UT. The very bright bolide was imaged by three security video cameras from Hungary. Detailed bolide light curves were obtained through clouds by radiometers on seven cameras of the European Fireball Network. Records of sonic waves were found on six seismic and four infrasonic stations. An atmospheric dust cloud was observed the next morning before sunrise. After careful calibration, the video records were used to compute the bolide trajectory and velocity. The meteoroid, of estimated mass of 3500 kg, entered the atmosphere with a velocity of 15 km s^?1 on a trajectory with a slope of 60° to the horizontal. The largest fragment ceased to be visible at a height of 17 km, where it was decelerated to 4.5 km s^?1. A maximum brightness of absolute stellar magnitude about ?18 was reached at a height of 36 km. We developed a detailed model of meteoroid atmospheric fragmentation to fit the observed light curve and deceleration. We found that Ko?ice was a weak meteoroid, which started to fragment under the dynamic pressure of only 0.1 MPa and fragmented heavily under 1 MPa. In total, 78 meteorites were recovered in the predicted fall area during official searches. Other meteorites were found by private collectors. Known meteorite masses ranged from 0.56 g to 2.37 kg. The meteorites were classified as ordinary chondrites of type H5 and shock stage S3. The heliocentric orbit had a relatively large semimajor axis of 2.7 AU and aphelion distance of 4.5 ± 0.5 AU. Backward numerical integration of the preimpact orbit indicates possible large variations of the orbital elements in the past due to resonances with Jupiter.