Gravity anomalies and dynamics of the Swiss Alps

An interpretation of the gravity observations in Switzerland is presented. The gravity anomalies are mainly caused by crustal effects. Taking 0.5 g/cm³ as the average density contrast between crust and upper mantle, the remaining positive residual field of + 50 mGal can be explained as the effect of the so-called “lithospheric root” underneath the Swiss Alps. This “root” must be considered as a relatively cold body with increased density. In order to calculate the thermally induced density distribution in the upper mantle, a kinematic and geothermal model has been constructed simulating the Alpine history for a time span covering the last 40 m.y.At the same time the moving lithospheric body (crustal uplift and subsidence of the lower lithosphere) is analysed from a dynamical point of view in order to test the kinematic conditions. The calculation leads to a mantle subsidence rate of 1 mm/y for the present period.     

Seismic design methodology for friction damped braced frames

This paper is concerned with the design of steel frames using friction damped slotted bolted connections (SBCs) in the diagonal braces. A dynamic model is developed to describe the behaviour of a single‐degree‐of‐freedom (SDOF) steel frame that uses bilinear hysteretic behaviour for the damper. This model is generalized to MDOF systems. A novel algorithm for displacement reversal in the transition from slip to stick is presented. It uses numerical noise for its success. A design procedure that attains the stiffness of the individual braces and their elongation at the threshold of activation is then applied to a 10‐storey steel frame. This design process is a two‐phase iterative procedure that converges quite fast. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Determining Effects of Area Burned and Fire Severity on Carbon Cycling and Emissions in Siberia

The Russian boreal forest contains about 25% of the global terrestrial biomass, and even a higher percentage of the carbon stored in litter and soils. Fire burns large areas annually, much of it in low-severity surface fires – but data on fire area and impacts or extent of varying fire severity are poor. Changes in land use, cover, and disturbance patterns such as those predicted by global climate change models, have the potential to greatly alter current fire regimes in boreal forests and to significantly impact global carbon budgets. The extent and global importance of fires in the boreal zone have often been greatly underestimated. For the 1998 fire season we estimate from remote sensing data that about 13.3 million ha burned in Siberia. This is about 5 times higher than estimates from the Russian Aerial Forest Protection Service (Avialesookhrana) for the same period. We estimate that fires in the Russian boreal forest in 1998 constituted some 14–20% of average annual global carbon emissions from forest fires. Average annual emissions from boreal zone forests may be equivalent to 23–39% of regional fossil fuel emissions in Canada and Russia, respectively. But the lack of accurate data and models introduces large potential errors into these estimates. Improved monitoring and understanding of the landscape extent and severity of fires and effects of fire on carbon storage, air chemistry, vegetation dynamics and structure, and forest health and productivity are essential to provide inputs into global and regional models of carbon cycling and atmospheric chemistry.     

First GOCE gravity field models derived by three different approaches

Three gravity field models, parameterized in terms of spherical harmonic coefficients, have been computed from 71 days of GOCE (Gravity field and steady-state Ocean Circulation Explorer) orbit and gradiometer data by applying independent gravity field processing methods. These gravity models are one major output of the European Space Agency (ESA) project GOCE High-level Processing Facility (HPF). The processing philosophies and architectures of these three complementary methods are presented and discussed, emphasizing the specific features of the three approaches. The resulting GOCE gravity field models, representing the first models containing the novel measurement type of gravity gradiometry ever computed, are analysed and assessed in detail. Together with the coefficient estimates, full variance-covariance matrices provide error information about the coefficient solutions. A comparison with state-of-the-art GRACE and combined gravity field models reveals the additional contribution of GOCE based on only 71 days of data. Compared with combined gravity field models, large deviations appear in regions where the terrestrial gravity data are known to be of low accuracy. The GOCE performance, assessed against the GRACE-only model ITG-Grace2010s, becomes superior at degree 150, and beyond. GOCE provides significant additional information of the global Earth gravity field, with an accuracy of the 2-month GOCE gravity field models of 10?cm in terms of geoid heights, and 3?mGal in terms of gravity anomalies, globally at a resolution of 100?km (degree/order 200).     

Establishment of “Zernov’s Phyllophora field” marine reserve: Protection and restoration of a unique ecosystem

“Zernov’s Phyllophora field” is a unique habitat located in the northwestern Black Sea. At the site, there is a dense stand of agarophytes (red algae) and a high diversity of associated fauna. On November 21 2008, the president of Ukraine (Victor Yuschenko) declared this area a botanical reserve of state-wide importance; it was established to protect and restore a unique natural environment. “Zernov’s Phyllophora field” is the first offshore, fully marine MPA in the Black Sea, and it is the largest. The total area is 402,500 ha, covering 12.5% of the northwestern shelf of the Black Sea. The Ukrainian Scientific Centre for the Ecology of Sea has developed a program for (1) preservation, (2) restoration and (3) further rational use of biological resources at the site. It contains three conforming and interdependent sub-programs that put forward a series of measures for implementing the objectives (preservation, restoration, sustainable resource use).The northwestern Black Sea was heavily impacted by anthropogenic loading in the period 1970–1980, and Zernov’s Phyllophora field was considerably degraded and reduced in area. During recent years the perimeter of the Phyllophora field has slightly extended, and restoration of the benthic phytocoenosis has begun. Assigning this area the status of a marine reserve (Marine Protected Area) will further promote processes of restoring faunal and floristic biodiversity to historically healthy levels.     

Vlora-Elbasani-Dibra (Albania) transversal fault zone and its seismic activity

The transversal fault zone Vlora-Elbasan-Dibra (VED)with Northeastern strike dislocated the structure ofAlbanides along all their width. This transversalfault is distinguished by the flexure of Lushnja, thediapire dome of Dumrea, the transversal Quaternarydepression of Elbasani, the belt of transversalstructure of Labinoti, and then it continues towardsNortheast with transversal horst of Golloborda andgoes toward FYROM in NE direction. In the Southwesternpart of this transversal fault, near Fieri town, themolasse subsided toward North. The structures ofIonian and Kruja zone, near this transversal fault,also subsided and uplifted more toward North. Throughmarine investigation a transversal fault with ENEstrike direction was discovered near the Northern partof Sazani Island (Aliaj et al., 1996). We think itmay belong to the big transversal fault zone VED.The transversal fault zone VED is clearlyoutlined by the location of strong and weakearthquakes, migration of foci along this fault, themacroseismic field and focal mechanisms. Generally,along this transversal fault it is the transtensionalstrike-slip dextral motion that dominates.In our studies the transversal fault zoneVlora-Elbasani-Dibra was considered to be the mostpotential transversal seismogenetic belt in Albaniaand nearby. It has played, and is still playing,an important role in seismotectonics in Albania andits surrounding regions.     

Multi-Wavelength Analysis of High-Energy Electrons in Solar Flares: A Case Study of the August 20, 2002 Flare

A multi-wavelength spatial and temporal analysis of solar high-energy electrons is conducted using the August 20, 2002 flare of an unusually flat (γ₁ = 1.8) hard X-ray spectrum. The flare is studied using RHESSI, Hα, radio, TRACE, and MDI observations with advanced methods and techniques never previously applied in the solar flare context. A new method to account for X-ray Compton backscattering in the photosphere (photospheric albedo) has been used to deduce the primary X-ray flare spectra. The mean electron flux distribution has been analysed using both forward fitting and model-independent inversion methods of spectral analysis. We show that the contribution of the photospheric albedo to the photon spectrum modifies the calculated mean electron flux distribution, mainly at energies below ∼100 keV. The positions of the Hα emission and hard X-ray sources with respect to the current-free extrapolation of the MDI photospheric magnetic field and the characteristics of the radio emission provide evidence of the closed geometry of the magnetic field structure and the flare process in low altitude magnetic loops. In agreement with the predictions of some solar flare models, the hard X-ray sources are located on the external edges of the Hα emission and show chromospheric plasma heated by the non-thermal electrons. The fast changes of Hα intensities are located not only inside the hard X-ray sources, as expected if they are the signatures of the chromospheric response to the electron bombardment, but also away from them.     

Dynamics of electron beams in the inhomogeneous solar corona plasma

Dynamics of a spatially-limited electron beam in the inhomogeneous solar corona plasma is considered in the framework of weak turbulence theory when the temperature of the beam significantly exceeds that of surrounding plasma. The numerical solution of kinetic equations manifests that generally the beam accompanied by Langmuir waves propagates as a beam-plasma structure with a decreasing velocity. Unlike the uniform plasma case the structure propagates with the energy losses in the form of Langmuir waves. The results obtained are compared with the results of observations of type III bursts. It is shown that the deceleration of type III sources can be explained by corona inhomogeneity. The frequency drift rates of the type III sources are found to be in good agreement with the numerical results of beam dynamics.