Dipole tilt controls bow shock location and flaring angle

The dipole tilt angle has been found to affect Earth’s bow shock. This work presents a quantitative relationship between the dipole tilt angle and the bow shock location and flaring angle. We collected a large data set of bow shock crossings from four different satellites (IMP 8, Geotail, Magion 4, and Cluster), including some recent crossings obtained during 2012–2013. The results from a statistical analysis demonstrate that: (1) the subsolar standoff distance increases but the flaring angle decreases with increasing dipole tilt angle; (2) when the dipole tilt angle changes sign from negative to positive, the dayside bow shock moves toward Earth and the shift can be as much as 2.29 R _E, during which the flaring angle increases; and (3) the shape of bow shock in the northern and southern hemispheres differs. For the northern hemisphere bow shock, with increasing positive/negative dipole tilt angle, the flaring angle increases/decreases. While for the southern hemisphere, the trend is the opposite; with increasing positive/negative dipole tilt angle, the flaring angle decreases/increases. These results are helpful for future bow shock modeling that needs to include the effects of dipole tilt angle.     

Modified sublimation to isolate phenanthrene-degrading bacteria of the genera Sphingomonas and Burkholderia from Xiamen oil port

Sublimation was developed by Alley and Brown (2000) in order to isolate bacterial strains that were capable of degrading water insoluble compounds. In this study, sublimation was modified by the use of nutritional agar plates, instead of mineral salt agar, to isolate phenanthrene-degrading bacteria from a mixed culture that had been enriched under the selective pressure of high phenanthrene content. Five strains were obtained with different morphology and degradation ability. Based on the 16S rDNA sequence, two of them were classified as species of the genus Sphingomonas; the others as species of the genus Burkholderia. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) was introduced to detect dynamic changes in the bacterial community during enrichment batch culture, and to determine any correlation between the five isolates and the phenanthrene-degrading consortium. The DGGE profile indicated that these five isolates corresponded to four dominant bands of the consortium. Compared to traditional means of isolation, we concluded that modified sublimation is effective and more convenient.     

Semi-supervised least squares support vector machine algorithm: application to offshore oil reservoir

At the early stages of deep-water oil exploration and development, fewer and further apart wells are drilled than in onshore oilfields. Supervised least squares support vector machine algorithms are used to predict the reservoir parameters but the prediction accuracy is low. We combined the least squares support vector machine (LSSVM) algorithm with semi-supervised learning and established a semi-supervised regression model, which we call the semi-supervised least squares support vector machine (SLSSVM) model. The iterative matrix inversion is also introduced to improve the training ability and training time of the model. We use the UCI data to test the generalization of a semi-supervised and a supervised LSSVM models. The test results suggest that the generalization performance of the LSSVM model greatly improves and with decreasing training samples the generalization performance is better. Moreover, for small-sample models, the SLSSVM method has higher precision than the semi-supervised K-nearest neighbor (SKNN) method. The new semisupervised LSSVM algorithm was used to predict the distribution of porosity and sandstone in the Jingzhou study area.     

Effect of wave–bedform feedbacks on the formation of,and grain sorting over shoreface-connected sand ridges

The influence of wave–bedform feedbacks on both the initial formation of shoreface-connected sand ridges (sfcr) and on grain size sorting over these ridges on micro-tidal inner shelves is studied. Also, the effect of sediment sorting on the growth and the migration of sfcr is investigated. This is done by applying a linear stability analysis to an idealized process-based morphodynamic model, which simulates the initial growth of sfcr due to the positive coupling between waves, currents, and an erodible bed. The sediment consists of sand grains with two different sizes. New elements with respect to earlier studies on grain sorting over sfcr are that wave-topography interactions are explicitly accounted for, entrainment of sediment depends on bottom roughness, and transport of suspended sediment involves settling lag effects. The results of the model indicate that sediment sorting causes a reduction of the growth rate and migration speed of sfcr, whereas the wavelength is only slightly affected. In the case where the entrainment of suspended sediment depends on bottom roughness, the coarsest sediment is found in the troughs; otherwise, the finest sediment occurs in the troughs. Compared to previous work, modeled maximum variations in the mean grain size over the topography are in better agreement with field observations. Settling lag effects are important for the damping of high-wavenumber mode instabilities such that a preferred wavelength of the bedforms is obtained.     

Bearing strength of lunar soil

Bearing load vs penetration curves have been measured on a 1.3 g sample of lunar soil from the scoop of the Surveyor 3 soil mechanics surface sampler, using a circular indentor 2 mm in diameter. Measurements were made in an Earth laboratory, in air. This sample provided a unique opportunity to evaluate earlier, remotely controlled, in-situ measurements of lunar surface bearing properties. Bearing capacity, measured at a penetration equal to the indentor diameter, varied from 0.02–0.04 N cm^–2 at bulk densities of 1.15 g cm^–3 to 30-100 N cm^–2 at 1.9 g cm^–3. Deformation was by compression directly below the indentor at bulk densities below 1.61 g cm^–3, by outward displacement at bulk densities over 1.62 g cm^–3. Preliminary comparison of in-situ remote measurements with those on returned material indicates good agreement if the lunar regolith at Surveyor 3 has a bulk density of 1.6 g cm^–3 at 2.5 cm. depth; definitive comparison awaits both better data on bulk density of the undisturbed lunar soil and additional mechanical-property measurements on returned material.     

A dynamical model of the corona

The hydrodynamic equations for an ideal, inviscid, fully ionized hydrogen gas in a gravitational, but not magnetic, field are solved by an explicit Lax-Wendroff two-step technique using a one-dimensional slab symmetry. Radiation and thermal conductivity are included. The model spans 100000 km starting from the chromosphere-corona transition region. An initially isothermal gas is seen to evolve coronal properties in 4000 s, by which time it settles into dynamic equilibrium characterized by a 2000 km transition region, a temperature maximum of 1.6 × 10⁶ K at a height of 60000 km, and a solar wind mass flux of 10^-9 g cm^-2 s^-1.     

Distinguishing volcanic debris avalanche deposits from their reworked products: the Perrier sequence (French Massif Central)

Debris avalanches associated with volcanic sector collapse are usually high-volume high-mobility phenomena. Debris avalanche deposit remobilisation by cohesive debris flows and landslides is common, so they can share textural characteristics such as hummocks and jigsaw cracks. Distinguishing original deposits from reworked products is critical for geological understanding and hazard assessment because of their different origin, frequency and environmental impact. We present a methodology based on field evidence to differentiate such epiclastic breccias. Basal contact mapping constrained by accurate altitude and location data allows the reconstruction of deposit stratigraphy and geometry. Lithological analysis helps to distinguish the different units. Incorporation structures, kinematic indicators and component mingling textures are used to characterise erosion and transport mechanisms. We apply this method to the enigmatic sequence at Perrier (French Massif Central), where four units (U1–U4) have been interpreted either as debris flow or debris avalanche deposits. The sequence results from activity on the Monts Dore Volcano about 2 Ma ago. The epiclastic units are matrix supported with an almost flat top. U2 and U3 have clear debris flow deposit affinities such as rounded clasts and intact blocks (no jigsaw cracks). U1 and U4 have jigsaw cracked blocks with matrix injection and stretched sediment blocks. U1 lacks large blocks (>10 m wide) and has a homogenous matrix with an upward increase of trapped air vesicle content and size. This unit is interpreted as a cohesive debris flow deposit spawned from a debris avalanche upstream. In contrast, U4 has large mega-blocks (up to 40 m wide), sharp contacts between mixed facies zones with different colours and numerous jigsaw fit blocks (open jigsaw cracks filled by monogenic intra-clast matrix). Mega-blocks are concentrated near the deposit base and are spatially associated with major substratum erosion. This deposit has a debris avalanche distal facies with local debris flow affinities due to partial water saturation. We also identify two landslide deposits (L1 and L2) resulting from recent reworking that has produced a similar facies to U1 and U4. These are distinguishable from the original deposits, as they contain blocks of mixed U1/U4 facies, a distinctly less consolidated and more porous matrix and a fresh hummocky topography. This work shows how to differentiate epiclastic deposits with similar characteristics, but different origins. In doing so, we improve understanding of present and past instability of the Monts Dore and identify present landslide hazards at Perrier.     

Evapotranspiration from citrus trees growing in sandy soil under drip irrigation with saline water

An experiment on evapotranspiration from citrus trees under irrigation with saline water was carried out for 4 months. Two lysimeters planted with a citrus tree in the green house were used. One lysimeter was irrigated with saline water (NaCl and CaCl₂ of 2000 mg/L equivalence,EC = 3.8 dS/m, SAR = 5.9) and the other was irrigated with freshwater using drip irrigation. The applied irrigation water was 1.2 times that of the evapotranspiration on the previous day. Evapotranspiration was calculated as the change in lysimeter weight recorded every 30 minutes. The lysimeters were filled with soil with 95.8% sand. The results of the experiment were as follows. (i) The evapotranspiration from citrus tree was reduced after irrigation with saline water. The evapotranspiration returns to normal after leaching. However it takes months to exhaust the salt from the tree. (ii) To estimate the impact of irrigation with saline water on the evapotranspiration from citrus trees, the reduction coefficient due to salt stress (K_s) was used in this experiment. Evapotranspiration under irrigation with saline water (ET _s ) can be calculated from evapotranspiration under irrigation with freshwater (ET) by the equationET _s =K _s × ET. K_s can be expressed as a function ofEC _sw . (iii) The critical soil-water electrical conductivity (EC _sw ) is 9.5 dS/m, beyond which adverse effects on evapotranspiration begin to appear. IfEC _sw can be controlled at below 9.5 dS/m, saline water can be safely used for irrigation.