Backwater effects in the Amazon River basin of Brazil

The Amazon River mainstem of Brazil is so regulated by differences in the timing of tributary inputs and by seasonal storage of water on floodplains that maximum discharges exceed minimum discharges by a factor of only 3. Large tributaries that drain the southern Amazon River basin reach their peak discharges two months earlier than does the mainstem. The resulting backwater in the lowermost 800 km of two large southern tributaries, the Madeira and Purús rivers, causes falling river stages to be as much as 2–3 m higher than rising stages at any given discharge. Large tributaries that drain the northernmost Amazon River basin reach their annual minimum discharges three to four months later than does the mainstem. In the lowermost 300–400 km of the Negro River, the largest northern tributary and the fifth largest river in the world, the lowest stages of the year correspond to those of the Amazon River mainstem rather than to those in the upstream reaches of the Negro River.     

Analyse géostrophique des champs de pression et de température

Résumé Le mémoire commence par la déduction de l'équation générale d'évolution des champs géostrophiques. Cette équation fait intervenir une fonction (S) du gradient de pression et de la température qui joue un rÔle essentiel dans la discussion des conditions de stabilité des champs de pression et de température.Les configurations théoriques du champ de pression, lorsqueS est spatialement constante, constituent des familles de champs auxquelles appartiennent les champs stationnaires. Ces familles permettent d'analyser tout champ de pression complexe en le décomposant en une somme de champs partiels simples possédant des propriétés de symétrie par rapport aux méridiens passant par leurs centres.On peut baser sur cette analyse géostrophique une méthode pour la classification rationnelle des types de temps, qui est appliquée ici aux champs moyens de Juillet et de Janvier en Europe.

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Summary The paper begins with the deduction of a general equation for the evolution of the geostrophic fields. This equation leads to the definition of a function (S) of the pressure gradient and the temperature which plays an essential part in the discussion of the stability conditions of the pressure and temperature fields.The theoretical configurations of the pressure field, whenS is constant in space, form well defined families of fields comprising all the stationary fields. By means of these families any complex field can be analysed through its decomposition in a sum of simple fields with symmetry properties with respect to their central meridians.A method for the rational classification of weather types can be based on this geostrophic analysis and is applied here to the european mean pressure fields for the months of July and January.

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Mémoire N 1 du CIRMM (Centre International de Recherches sur la Météorologie de la Méditerranée).     

Paleocurrents and the problem of continental drift

The hypothesis of continental drift is examined on the light of paleocurrent analysis. A peripherical radial transportation pattern was obtained in South America and Africa from marine sandstones deposited during Ordovician to Devonian times. This pattern is suggestive of a former adjacent position between both continents, being the source area located somewhere in eastern Brazil and western Africa (Figs. 8 and 9). The paleocurrents in both continents flowed away from this common area. Evidences of Ordovician and/or Silurian glaciation indicated a radial movement for the ice-sheets, away from the same source area. The Caradocian ice movement in Sahara was to the north, while the ice-flow in the Gape Province was to the south, and in Northeastern Brazil it was possibly to the west.The Carboniferous paleocurrent and ice-movement trends are suggestive of a territorial contiguity between Africa and South America. However, several data must be revised for stratigraphic control.The Permian formations in the Paraná and Karroo basins had independent development without any direct connection as suggested by cross-bedding analysis. The occurrence ofMesosaurus in both basins is a strong argument of their close position at the time of sedimentation.Mesozoic wind laid deposits occur in both continents from Upper Triassic to Lower Cretaceous time. The Triassic eolian sandstones were deposited by westerly paleowinds in middle latitude region at the time of continental contiguity. The Upper Jurassic-Lower Cretaceous eolian sandstones were deposited after the separation between the continents had started. The paleowind pattern includes westerlies, trade-,and return tradewinds. This pattern is suggestive for the presence of the Southern Atlantic Ocean in Upper Jurassic-Lower Cretaceous time.

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Zusammenfassung Die Hypothese der Kontinentaldrift der Südkontinente Afrika und Südamerika wird mit Hilfe der Analyse von PalÄoströmungen untersucht.Marine Sandsteinablagerungen vom Ordoviz bis zum Devon zeigen in Südamerika und auch in Afrika peripher-radiales Transportnetz.Dies weist auf eine früher zusammenhÄngende Position zwischen beiden Kontinenten hin, deren Ursprung in Ost-Brasilien und West-Afrika gelegen haben mu\, da die Strömungsrichtungen in beiden Kontinenten von diesem Gebiet ausgehen (Fig. 8 und 9).Die Vereisung im Ordoviz und/oder Silur zeigt eine sternförmige Bewegungsrichtung des Eises vom gleichen Ursprungsgebiet aus. Die Strömungsrichtung zur Caradoc-Zeit war in der Sahara nach N gerichtet, wÄhrend sich das Eis in der Kap-Provinz nach S und in NE-Brasilien möglicherweise nach W bewegte.Die Strömungsrichtungen und Eisbewegungen im Karbon deuten auf einen territorialen Zusammenhang zwischen Afrika und Südamerika hin, jedoch bedürfen einige Daten einer stratigraphischen überprüfung.Das Perm im Paraná- und Karroo-Becken zeigt eine unabhÄngige Entwicklung ohne direkten Zusammenhang, wie er aus SchrÄgschichtungsmessungen angedeutet wurde. Das Vorkommen vonMesosaurus in beiden Becken ist ein gewichtiges Argument für ihre benachbarte Lage wÄhrend der Sedimentation.Im Mesozoikum finden wir von Obertrias bis Unterkreide in beiden Kontinenten Äolische Ablagerungen. Die der Trias wurden durch westliche Winde in mittleren geographischen Breiten sedimentiert, zu einer Zeit, als die beiden Kontinente noch zusammenhingen. Die Sandsteine des Oberen Juras und der Unteren Kreide wurden abgelagert, nachdem die Trennung der Kontinente begonnen hatte.Das PalÄowindsystem zeigt westliche und Passatwinde. Dieses System spricht bereits für das Vorhandensein des Südatlantiks wÄhrend dem Oberen Jura und der Unteren Kreide.

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Sumário No presente trabalho o problema da deriva continental é examinada do ponto de vista da análise das paleocorrentes. MediÇÕes de estratos cruzados em arenitos marinhos do Ordoviciano ao Devoniano, realizadas na áfrica e na América do Sul indicaram urn padrÃo de transporte periférico-radial. Êste padrÃo é sugestivo de uma justaposiÇÃo pretérita entre ambos continentes. A área fonte estaria localizada na regiÃo oriental da América do Sul e Ocidental da áfrica (figs. 8 e 9). Em ambos continentes as paleocorrentes fluiram a partir desta área comum. EvidÊncias de glaciaÇÃo Ordoviciana e/ou Siluriana indicam um movimento radial das massas de gÊlo a partir da mesma área fonte. No Sahara, o movimento do gÊlo no Caradociano fazia-se para o norte, enquanto que, na Provincia do Cabo era para o Sul, e no Nordeste do Brasil Êle provàvelmente dirigia-se para o oeste.No Carbonifero, as paleocorrentes e tendÊncia do movimento das geleiras sÃo sugestivas de uma contiguidade territorial entre a América do Sul e áfrica. Contudo, várlos dados devem ser revisados para controle estratigráfico.As formaÇÕes Permianas nas bacias do Paraná e do Karroo apresentam desenvolvimento independente. O estudo das paleocorrentes nÃo sugere qualquer ligaÇÃo direta. Entretanto, a ocorrÊncia deMesosaurus em ambas bacias, constitui forte argumenta a favor de maior proximidade entre elas na época de sedimentaÇÃo.Os depósitos eólicos mesozóicos ocorrem em ambos continentes desde o Triássico Superior até o Cretáceo Inferior. Os arenitos eólicos Triássicos foram depositados em regiÃo de latitude média pelos paleoventos de oeste. Nésta época, ambos os continentes encontravam-se unidos. Os arenitos eólicos do Jurássico Superior-Cretáceo Inferior foram depositados após o início da separaÇÃo. O sistema de paleoventos inclui ventos de oeste, aliseos e aliseos de retÔrno. Êste padrÃo de circulaÇÃo aérea é sugestivo da presenÇa do Atlântico sul durante o Jurássico Superior — Cretáceo Inferior.

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. - . , - , , . . (. 8 9). / . Caradoc , , — , , , . , , . , . . . , . . . .

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Under the auspices of the Conselho Nacional de Pesquisas (Brasil), Geological Survey of South Africa, and Institute Algerien du Pétrole.     

Spectres de quelques étoiles Be entre 7000 et 9600 Å

Kodak IM plates have been used in order to extend to 9600 Å the observed wavelength range for 23 O, B, Be Bp and A stars. The spectra are shown in the plate. Several atmospheric absorption bands perturb the continuum and line spectrum. Between 1.45 and 1.20 ^-1, we have measured the parameter d logI /d(1/). The results appear in the table and indicate that Be stars do not exhibit anomalous reddening in this spectral region. On the other hand the above parameter is much more sensitive to the reddening than to the star's effective temperature.

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Le matériel d'observation utilisé pour le présent travail a été obtenu à l'observatoire de Haute-Provence. (CNRS)     

Stochastic Fermi acceleration in turbulent fields with non-vanishing wave helicities

In the previous paper [Astropart. Phys. 10 (1999) 121] we showed that the opposite helicity circularly polarized Alfvén waves of finite amplitudes provide conditions to forward–backward asymmetry of particle scattering. In this letter we present an analytic solution of kinematic equation proving the enhancement of stochastic acceleration efficiency due to regular (asymmetry) term. The process is controlled by the ratio of the regular and the ordinary diffusion term.     

中国煤炭地震勘探技术发展

我国煤炭地震勘探技术的发展有着近50年的历史。从无到有,从使用光点仪、模拟仪、数字仪到无线遥测仪;从折射到反射,从单次覆盖到多次覆盖;从二维到三维;从单波到多波。经过几代人的不断努力,逐步形成了中国特色的煤炭地震勘探技术体系,整体技术达到国际先进水平。煤炭地震勘探技术的应用,为我国煤炭工业的发展作出了巨大的贡献。在中国煤炭地质总局成立50周年之际,回顾我国煤炭地震勘探在不同历史时期对煤炭地质勘探的作用和贡献,提出当前地震勘探面临的新课题,展望前景,为我国煤炭能源生产提供地质保障,将具有十分重要的意义。     

Preference ratios for mercury and other chemical elements in the Madeira River, Brazil

Samples of water, suspended solids, and bottom sediments from the Madeira River, Rondônia state, Brazil, were physically and chemically analyzed to investigate the actual Hg mobilization in the aquatic environment and compare it with that of other heavy metals and elements in the area. Two dimensionless Hg preference ratios were defined, expressing (1) the ratio of Hg and other elements in the liquid phase divided by the ratio of Hg and other elements in bottom sediments (P_l.phase) and (2) the ratio of Hg and other elements in the particulate matter divided by the ratio of Hg and other elements in bottom sediments (P_s.solids). These preference ratios are useful for comparing Hg transport in three different phases (liquid, particulate matter, and bottom sediments). They also were applicable to any analyzed element in the area studied, because they generated an almost constant value when the maximum calculated was divided by the minimum (P_l.phase=2931; P_s.solids=84) and because of their sensitivity to the dominance of sorption processes by Fe oxides and hydroxides. Mercury could be transported preferentially to other analyzed elements in the particulate phase only if its concentration reached values at least 10⁴-fold higher than those expected or quantified in the area.     

Point Mass Method Applied to the Regional Gravimetric Determination of the Geoid

The determination of the local gravity field by means of the point mass inversion method can be performed as an alternative to conventional numerical methods, such as the least-squares collocation. Based on the first derivative of the inverse-distance Newtonian potential for the representation of the gravity anomaly data, it is possible to compute any wavelength component of the geoid in planar approximation with sufficient accuracy. In order to exemplify the theoretical concept, two applications are presented of the computation of two different wavelength components of the geoid, the long wavelength component in a local solution and the short wavelength component in a regional solution. The results are compared with corresponding least-squares collocation solutions, using a global geopotential model to remove and to restore the long wavelength component.     

Eutrophication and some European waters of restricted exchange

Regions of Restricted Exchange (RREs) are an important feature of the European coastline. They are historically preferred sites for human settlement and aquaculture and their ecosystems, and consequent human use, may be at risk from eutrophication. The OAERRE project (EVK3-CT1999-0002) concerns ‘Oceanographic Applications to Eutrophication in Regions of Restricted Exchange’. It began in July 2000, and studies six sites. Four of these sites are fjords: Kongsfjorden (west coast of Spitzbergen); Gullmaren (Skagerrak coast of Sweden); Himmerfjärden (Baltic coast of Sweden); and the Firth of Clyde (west coast of Scotland). Two are bays sheltered by sand bars: Golfe de Fos (French Mediterranean); and Ria Formosa (Portuguese Algarve). Together they exemplify a range of hydrographic and enrichment conditions. The project aims to understand the physical, biogeochemical and biological processes, and their interactions, that determine the trophic status of these coastal marine RRE through the development of simple screening models to define, predict and assess eutrophication. This paper introduces the sites and describes the component parts of a basic screening model and its application to each site using historical data. The model forms the starting point for the OAERRE project and views an RRE as a well-mixed box, exchanging with the sea at a daily rate E determined by physical processes, and converting nutrient to phytoplankton chlorophyll at a fixed yield q. It thus uses nutrient levels to estimate maximum biomass; these preliminary results are discussed in relation to objective criteria used to assess trophic status. The influence of factors such as grazing and vertical mixing on key parameters in the screening model are further studied using simulations of a complex ‘research’ model for the Firth of Clyde. The future development of screening models in general and within OAERRE in particular is discussed. In addition, the paper looks ahead with a broad discussion of progress in the scientific understanding of eutrophication and the legal and socio-economic issues that need to be taken into account in managing the trophic status of RREs.     

Significant hot and cold events at the Fabra Observatory, Barcelona (NE Spain)

Summary A long series of maximum and minimum daily temperatures recorded at the Fabra Observatory (Barcelona) from 1917 to 1998 has permitted a detailed study of significant hot and cold events, based on the crossing theory and on the Markovian process. The former allows us to obtain statistical distributions of the number of hot and cold events per year, the starting date and the magnitude of an event. The Poisson, the normal and the exponential distributions are the respective models. On the other hand, the Markovian process estimates probabilities for the duration of several hot and cold events above or below different temperature threshold levels. It should be stressed that the threshold levels, which define the significant hot and cold events, are almost coincident with those whose lengths follow a Markovian process. From a more applied point of view, two examples of hot and cold events of high magnitude are shown and their associated synoptic situations discussed. Some other typical synoptic situations leading to relevant hot and cold events in Barcelona and the surrounding areas are also summarised. Received March 1, 2001 Revised July 30, 2001