Variability of atmospheric circulation under the climate change in West Siberia in the late 20th–early 21st centuries

The estimates of spatiotemporal variability of climatic parameters in West Siberia are obtained over the period of 1976-2014. It is revealed that this variability is affected by the parameters of atmospheric circulation such as wind speed components, relative vorticity, and large-scale circulation indices. It is found that in winter the warming changed into the cooling that is particularly associated with the change in atmospheric circulation patterns described by the SCAND index.     

First results on determination of chlorophill <Emphasis Type="Italic">A</Emphasis> and its derivatives in the system of trapped sedimentary material–fluffy layer–bottom sediment of the Caspian Sea

The first data were obtained on the vertical chlorin flux in the water column and its accumulation in the upper layer of sediments of the Caspian Sea. Seasonal variability of the chlorine concentration in sedimentary matter was evaluated. The tendency of decrease in the phytoplankton-synthesized (allochtonous) organic matter content was revealed over approximately the past 60 years.     

Cycles of seismic activity in the second half of the holocene in the Western Caucasus and their correlation with stages of civilization development: A case study of the upper reach of the Mzymta River

The results of comprehensive research into the area of the upper reach of the Mzymta River (Western Caucasus) are presented. The evidence of strong earthquakes that struck the study area throughout history is studied. The periods when mud flows and rockslides associated with the earthquakes are identified to fall between 3100–4000 and 700–1200 years ago. Paleoseismological results are correlated to the results of archeological excavations. As a result, it is revealed that the periods of tectonic disasters coincided with the onsets of the period when the area was uninhabited (abandoned) by people. The results of the present comprehensive research provide additional information to specify the seismic hazard and the chronology of human habitation in the region.     

Iceberg drifting and distribution in the Vilkitsky Strait studied by detailed satellite radar and optical images

This paper is devoted to the detection and identification of icebergs in the Russian Arctic Seas from the use of high- and medium-resolution radar and optical images from EROS-B, Radarsat-1, Radarsat-2, SPOT-4 and SPOT-5 Earth observation satellites. In July–September of 2011–2013, the SCANEX Research and Development Center, the Federal State Unitary Enterprise Atomflot, and other partner organizations provided operational satellite monitoring of icebergs in the Kara Sea and the Laptev Sea. More than 130 highly detailed optical and radar images were received and processed. The Vilkitsky Strait—one of the narrowest and most dangerous places within the Northern Sea Route—was chosen as an experimental polygon. As a result, iceberg location in the strait during the 2011–2013 navigation periods was analyzed, as were the iceberg size, area, drift direction, and height.     

Russian investigations in the field of atmospheric radiation in 2011–2014

A short survey prepared by the Russian Commission on Atmospheric Radiation contains the most significant results of work in the field of atmospheric-radiation studies performed in 2011–2014. It is part of the Russian National Report on Meteorology and Atmospheric Sciences prepared for the International Association on Meteorology and Atmospheric Sciences (IAMAS)¹. During this period, the Russian Commission on Atmospheric Radiation, jointly with the concerned departments and organizations, organized two International Symposiums on Radiation and Dynamics (ISARD-2011 and ISARD-2013). At these conferences, the central problems in modern atmospheric physics were discussed: radiative transfer (RT) and atmospheric optics; greenhouse gases, clouds, and aerosols; remote methods of measurements; and new measurement data. This survey presents six directions covering the whole spectrum of investigations performed in the field of atmospheric radiation.     

Scanning electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy as combined methods for studying zoning in minerals: The case of spinels from Archean komatiites

Several types of both magmatic and metamorphic spinels have been found in Archean komatiites of the Sovdozero and Kostomuksha greenstone belts in the eastern part of the Fennoscandian Shield. Scanning electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy revealed relics of cores of primary magmatic chrome-spinels with high Cr and Al contents. In the Sovdozero structure, the relics are better retained than those in the Kostomuksha structure, which is caused by a different degree of metamorphic transformation. The comparable 100 · Cr/(Al + Cr) values of spinel cores from Sovdozero and Kostomuksha reflect similar conditions of partitional melting in the mantle. These data agree with the fact that both komatiite complexes belong to the Al-undepleted petrogenic type. Wide variations in the Cr and Al contents in primary chrome-spinel cores together with a constant Mg/(Fe²⁺ + Mg) ratio correspond to low oxygen fugacity during magma crystallization. In general, the composition of these primary chrome-spinels is similar to that of accessory phases in peridotites from suprasubduction zones and agrees with hypothesis of komatiite complex formation in back-arc basins.     

Suprathermal ions in solar-wind outflows from coronal holes at 1 AU

The energy spectra and relative abundances of ³He, ⁴He, C, O, and Fe ions with energies of ~0.04–2 MeV/nucleon are studied using data from the ULEIS instrument on board the ACE spacecraft obtained during quiescent periods in 2006–2012. During the unique, prolonged minimum between cycles 23 and 24, 35 quiescent periods were distnguished, during which solar-wind flows from near-equatorial coronal holes (CHs) were detected. It is shown that the C/O and Fe/O ratios for suprathermal ions correspond to the relative abundances of the corresponding thermal ions in the fast and slow (Maxwellian) solar wind (SWICS/ACE), while the ⁴He/O ratio exceeds the corresponding ratio in the solar wind by a factor of two. The intensities of the ³He, ⁴He, C, O, and Fe suprathermal ions in outflows from CHs grow with the speed of the solar wind. This indicates that, in periods ofminimumsolar activity, suprathermal ions from CHs represent a high-temperature “tail” of the solar wind. An additional flux of suprathermal helium ions may also be contributed by other external sources.