Comment on ‘García‐Santos G,Bruijnzeel LA. 2011. Rainfall,fog and throughfall dynamics in a subtropical ridge top cloud forest,National Park of Garajonay (La Gomera,Canary Islands,Spain). Hydrological Processes 25: 411–417’

A previous study aiming to characterize the water dynamics of a cloud forest in the Garajonay National Park (La Gomera) from measurements taken in a plot located in the upper part of a selected watershed within the park is here commented. Reported magnitudes of hydrological variables and conclusions based on them are in disagreement with those of numerous studies carried out previously at the same site. Large data dispersion and inapplicability of some of the hypothesis assumed are shown to invalidate most of the results. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Intra-plate deformation in west-central Europe

The central part of Europe north of the alpine orogenic belt is generally seen as a relatively stable area of the western tip of the Eurasian plate. Indeed, up to now, no geodetically significant motions have been detected although an active rift system running roughly in SSE–NNW direction along the Rhine valley could have some effect on the stability of this region. Presently, the increasing accuracy of geodetic point motions should allow the study of small motions at levels down to nearly 0.1 mm/yr. We start our investigation with a closer look at the ‘true’ accuracy and significance of GPS derived point velocities of permanent stations. We compare and discuss the different levels of formal errors obtained by the three analysis centers considered in this study (EPN, JPL and SOPAC) and present additional ways of assessing the accuracy using the redundancy offered by different independent analyses and multiple systems operating at one site. On the average, all results indicate that a one-sigma level of ±0.3 mm/yr can be seen as a conservative estimate for the horizontal accuracy of point motions in central Europe. On the basis of this assumption we find that at present, the actual velocity field as determined by different analysis groups and centers does not show any significant east–west extensional deformation. We do however see a prominent north–south compressional velocity gradient of about 1 mm/yr/1000 km (1 nanostrain/yr) which could be associated with the Alpine thrust in conjunction with a south-directed horizontal component of the Fennoscandian Glacial Isostatic Adjustment.     

An anthropo-ecological approach to landscape use optimization

A method of landscape evaluation based on the anthropo-ecological approach is worked out. The procedure consists of three stages, viz., general, special and optimization. Within the general stage, the structural arrangement of the landscape is evaluated by means of the concept of geo-ecological sites (GES), which are distributed into four zones (A, B, C, D) according to the degrees of their anthropic disturbance. The zoning performed makes it possible to select those geo-ecological sites where eco-critical relationships can be expected to appear; in order to eliminate such situations, transition zones are calculated for the geo-ecological sites concerned. The outcome of this approach is a proposal of a new structural arrangement of the geo-ecological sites, solving eco-critical situations and serving as a basis for the special and optimization stages of the anthropo-ecological method.     

Strato-mesospheric ozone and IMF sector boundary

Summary We find no effect of the interplanetary magnetic field(IMF) sector boundary crossing in ozone at altitudes ranging from the middle stratosphere(10 hPa) to the lower mesosphere(0.4 hPa) at middle latitudes(40°–60° N), based on winter data over the period of December 1979–December 1982.

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Резюме Мы не нaшлu нuкaко о эффекma nересеченuя секmорноŭ рaнuцы межnлaнеmно о мa нumно о nоля в озоне в облaсmu высоm меж?rt;у сре?rt;неŭ сmрamосфероŭ(10 Пa) u нuжнеŭ мезосфероŭ(0,4 Пa) нa сре?rt;нuх шuроmaх(40°–60° с.ш.), nрuменяя зuмнuе ?rt;aнные зa nерuо?rt; ?rt;екaбрь 1979 – ?rt;екaбрь 1982 .

     

Tidal deformations of viscoelastic body

Summary The tidal deformations of a viscoelastic body are studied using the simple Kelvin-Voigt model. Expressions for the phase lag and amplitude change of the displacement vector are derived. The energy dissipation rate is calculated for the main disturbing bodies and for diurnal and semidiurnal tidal waves.

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am nuu ¶rt;auu n ma ua-ma. ¶rt; au ¶rt; ana¶rt;au a u uu anum¶rt; ma u. aumaa m ¶rt;uunauu uu ¶rt; u a a m u nm .

     

Trends in planetary wave activity in the upper middle atmosphere inferred from the nighttime LF radio wave absorption measurements

Summary The nighttime LF radio wave absorption in the lower ionosphere measured at two frequencies in central Europe over 1963–1985 is used to infer planetary wave activity and its long-term trend in the upper middle atmosphere (∼90–100 km). The observed positive trend is roughly consistent with results based on daytime absorption. Nighttime results are less pronounced and less statistically significant probably due to perturbing effects of geomagnetic activity. The observed trends, which are probably of anthropogenic origin, are together with the daytime results [3,4] the first evidence of long-term trends in planetary wave activity in the upper middle atmosphere.     

Modelling magnetization processes in single-and multi-domain rock samples using the preisach diagram

Summary The paper presents the results of identifying a model of the Preisach type for haematite grains of the single-domain as well as multi-domain size. Due to the phenomenological conception of the model, the relations between the parameters of the model and actual parameters are very complex, however, impressive accuracy and stability of the modified model indicate the need to resume studies of this problem. The model parameters also confirm the adequate properties of the vibrating-sample magnetometr (VSM) used and developed in our laboratories.     

The extreme value distribution of 5-min rainfall data at Belgrade

Summary For practical applications both the parent distribution of rainfall intensities and the distribution of their annual maxima are of interest. The relationship between these two distributions cannot be obtained from classical extreme value theory because of seasonal variation and serial correlation in the data. Mathematical results for the distribution of maxima in m-dependent sequences are presented to illustrate the effect of local dependence on the extreme value distribution. The average number of exceedances in a cluster is an important parameter in the relationship between the parent and the extreme value distribution. For 5-min rainfall data from Belgrade, quantiles of the annual maxima are overestimated by about 10 mm h^–1 if the effect of serial correlation is ignored. This bias can easily be removed by taking the local clustering of large rainfall intensities in a rainy spell into account.With 4 Figures