The behaviour of electron temperature under non-stationary conditions in dependence on geomagnetic latitude

Summary The electron temperature was monitored using a radiofrequency probe situated on the board of satellite INTERCOSMOS-8 from 30th Nov. to 25th Dec., 1972. All data were obtained under quiet geomagnetic conditions K_p<2⁺. The processing of data enabled us to compare the behaviour of the electron temperature T_e under non-stationary conditions of local sunrise and sunset for various geomagnetic latitudes. The results showed a different behaviour of the electron temperature in mid-latitudes and in the region of the magnetic equator in dependence on angle x.     

Layer silicates from a rodingite and its blackwall from Przemiłów (Lower Silesia, Poland): Mineralogical record of metasomatic processes during serpentinization and serpentinite recrystallization

Summary Minute inclusions of phlogopite and a chlorite-vermiculite intergrade mineral occur in the vesuvianite from rodingite at Przemiów (Lower Silesia). The same inclusions were found in its blackwall, i.e. outer metasomatic zone formed at the expense of adjacent ultrabasic rock. These findings demonstrate that potassium was released from the rodingite protolith during the Ca-metasomatism that accompanied low-temperature serpentinization and was consumed by phlogopite formed in the rodingite blackwall. Fresh phlogopite persists as small inclusions in vesuvianite. The abundant phlogopite-derived intergrade chlorite-vermiculite in the blackwall documents the potassium-rich composition of the protolith of the rodingite, though its primary chemistry is highly modified during metasomatic processes. The rodingite blackwall can be useful as tracer of the metamorphic and tectonic episodes obscured during complex geological evolution of the ophiolite.

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Schichtsilikate von Rodingit- Blackwalls aus Przemiów (Niederschlesien, Polen): Mineralogische Dokumentation metasomatischer Prozesse während der Serpentinisierung und der Rekristallisation von Serpentinit

Zusammenfassung Winzige Einschlüsse von Phlogopit und einem K-führenden Chlorit-Vermiculit Mineral wurden in Vesuvian aus Rodingiten von Przemiów (Niederschlesien) gefunden. Dieselben Minerale treten in der sogenannten Blackwall, i.e. der äußeren metasomatischen Zone, die sich auf Kosten der angrenzenden Ultrabasite gebildet hat, auf. Diese Ergebnisse zeigen, daß Kalium aus dem Rodingit-Protolith während der Ca-Metasomatose, die die Niedrig-Temperatur 5erpentinisierung begleitete, freigesetzt wurde und von Phlogopit, der sich in der Blackwall bildete, konsumiert wurde. Frische kleine Phlogopite sind als Einschlüsse in Vesuvian erhalten geblieben. Das aus dem Phlogopit entstandene verbreitete Chlorit-Vermiculit Mineral belegt eine Kaliumreiche Zusammensetzung des Rodingit-Protoliths, obwohl die primäre Chemie durch metasomatische Prozesse stark verändert wurde.

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With 7 Figures     

Anthropogenic changes in the sediment composition of Lake Gości& aogon;ż (central Poland), during the last 330 yrs*

According to historical sources, the development of settlement around Lake Goci& aogon; during the last 330 yrs was intense at two time periods: the second half of the 1700's, and from ca. 1880 until 1944. The small farms were then abandoned, following which the lake surroundings were planted with forest trees. The presented study of human influence on the lake ecosystem and surrounding vegetation has been based on analyses of general sediment composition and its chemistry, pollen, Cyanobacteria, Chlorophyceae, Rotatoria, Cladocera, and a preliminary diatom survey. The history of human impact has been divided into four phases: 1. Phase of small local hamlets (before ca. 1770): The human impact was rather moderate then, but the cultivation of Canabis sativa, Secale cereale and later of Fagopyrum is evidenced from that time. 2. Phase of Hollandii settlement (ca. 1770-1863). Its influence is indicated first by the recession of deciduous wood (Corylus, Carpinus) stands, which triggered drastic drop of calcium in sediments. The development of rural economy in the area, including, an extension of agriculture (Secale and other cereals, crucifers, potatoes), and animal breeding based partly on grazing in the forest, is evidenced only after 1820. 3. Phase of German colonization (1863-1944): In the early periods (before 1910) the pollen spectra do not document any essential change in the type of farming, however, a serious disturbance of the lake ecosystem and sediment chemistry is evidenced by the blooms of Araphidinae diatoms and Tetraedron minimum, a maximum frequency of Bosmina longirostris, disturbances of the regular spring blooms of Chrysophyceae, appearance of vivianite, distinct maxima of organic matter, potassium, and iron concentration in sediments and an increase of the sedimentation rate. An intensification of agricultural activities commenced around 1910; woods, including also pinewoods, were then heavily devastated, and farming extended on poor soils, what was symptomatic for the general poverty of population. Coincidently in the lake, Centriceae showed blooms, Araphidinae diatoms and Tetraedron minimum developed, and the content of potassium, iron and phosphorus increased substantially, indicating altogether rising eutrophication. 4. Phase of restoration of the natural landscape (after 1945): The farm degradation from ca. 1944 is very weakly expressed in pollen data, which show a substantial fall of farming indicators from 1953/6 only, when the whole area was used for forest plantation. It was accompanied by a certainly spontaneous development of Betula and Alnus woods, this process progressing till recent time. The gradual extinction of farming activity near Lake Goci was accompanied by abrupt changes in the lake ecosystem, expressed by the restored blooms of Chrysophyceae expansion of planktonic Cladocera, rapid decline of phosphorus and extinction of vivianite from sediments. As documented by the drop of Cu/Zn ratio, lake hypolimnion has been weakly oxidized since 1949, what was probably responsible for the drop of Fe and Mn content in sediments. Increasing strength of overturns affected preservation of laminae in sediments, which almost completely disappeared after 1966.     

Summer Floods in Central Europe – Climate Change Track?

In Central Europe, river flooding has been recently recognized as a major hazard, in particular after the 1997 Odra /Oder flood, the 2001 Vistula flood, and the most destructive 2002 deluge on the Labe/Elbe. Major recent floods in central Europe are put in perspective and their common elements are identified. Having observed that flood risk and vulnerability are likely to have grown in many areas, one is curious to understand the reasons for growth. These can be sought in socio-economic domain (humans encroaching into floodplain areas), terrestrial systems (land-cover changes – urbanization, deforestation, reduction of wetlands, river regulation), and climate system. The atmospheric capacity to absorb moisture, its potential water content, and thus potential for intense precipitation, are likely to increase in a warmer climate. The changes in intense precipitation and high flows are examined, based on observations and projections. Study of projected changes in intense precipitation, using climate models, for several areas of central Europe, and in particular, for drainage basins of the upper Labe/Elbe, Odra/Oder, and Vistula is reported. Significant changes have been identified between future projections and the reference period, of relevance to flood hazard in areas, which have experienced severe recent floodings.     

Measuring the robustness potential of the least-squares estimation: geodetic illustration

For a linear least-squares parametric model analysis is carried out of the structure of the projection operator transforming the vector of standardised observations into the vector of standardised residuals. On this basis the properties of the model responses to observational disturbances (i.e. gross errors or blunders) are derived. A final outcome of the research can be summarised as: (1) proposing the robustness characteristics of a model and linking them with the local measures of internal reliability, being the diagonal elements in the projection operator; (2) determining the internal reliability levels satisfying specified robustness requirements, i.e. the possibility of detecting at least one of the k observational disturbances (k=1,2,…) having most disadvantageous locations in the system. The theory and a numerical example show that for the systems which have been designed to a proper level of internal reliability, the least-squares estimation can demonstrate an accordingly high level of robustness. Received: 11 June 1996 / Accepted: 28 April 1997     

Interactions between organic matter and minerals in two bituminous coals of different rank

The association between specific mineral and organic constituents in two Asturian bituminous coals of different rank was studied. For this, raw coals were fractionated by density and the variation of a number of parameters was followed in parallel. Results of coal chemical analyses, including analyses for 22 elements, were used to establish the elemental association with coal organic matter. Petrographic analyses determined the distribution of macerals among densimetric fractions, vitrinite reflectance being at a minimum in the intermediate density fractions. Mineral species were identified by X-ray diffraction, FT-IR spectroscopy and Mössbauer spectroscopy. Comparison of trends for different parameters determined using this set of techniques allowed classification of the various minerals according to their association with organic matter. Carbonates seem to be specifically associated with the organic matter of the low-volatile bituminous coal whereas sulfides concentrate in the organic matter of the high-volatile bituminous coal. Vitrinite is the maceral exhibiting the most probable association with inorganic matter. The possibility of a merely physical association of fine-grained detrital minerals with organic matter cannot be excluded; nevertheless, one must bear in mind that even this type of interaction is important due to its effect on various coal preparation and utilization processes.