Early and Middle Valdaian glaciations, ice-dammed lakes and periglacial interstadials in northwest Russia: new evidence from the Pyoza River area

The Pyoza River area in the Arkhangelsk district exposes sedimentary sequences suitable for study of the interaction between consecutive Valdaian ice sheets in Northern Russia. Lithostratigraphic investigations combined with luminescence dating have revealed new evidence on the Late Pleistocene history of the area. Overlying glacigenic deposits of the Moscowian (Saalian) glaciation marine deposits previously confined to three separate transgression phases have all been connected to the Mikulinian (Eemian) interglacial. Early Valdaian (E. Weichselian) proglacial, lacustrine and fluvial deposits indicate glaciation to the east or north and consequently glacier damming and meltwater run-off in the Pyoza area around 90–110 ka BP. Interstadial conditions with forest-steppe tundra vegetation and lacustrine and fluvial deposition prevailed at the end of the Early Valdaian around 75–95 ka BP. A terrestrial-based glaciation from easterly uplands reached the Pyoza area at the Early to Middle Valdaian transition around 65–75 ka BP and deposited glaciofluvial strata and subglacial till (Yolkino Till). During deglaciation, laterally extensive glaciolacustrine sediments were deposited in ice-dammed lakes in the early Middle Valdaian around 55–75 ka BP. The Barents–Kara Sea ice sheet deposited the Viryuga Till on the lower Pyoza from northerly directions. The ice sheet formed the Pyoza marginal moraines, which can be correlated with the Markhida moraines further east, and proglacial lacustrine deposition persisted in the area during the first part of the Middle Valdaian. Glacio-isostatic uplift caused erosion followed by pedogenesis and the formation of a deflation horizon in the Middle Valdaian. Widely dispersed periglacial river plains were formed during the Late Valdaian around 10–20 ka BP. Thus, the evidence of a terrestrial-based ice sheet from easterly uplands in the Pyoza area suggests that local piedmont glaciers situated in highlands such as the Timan Ridge or the Urals could have developed into larger, regionally confined ice sheets. Two phases of ice damming and development of proglacial lakes occurred during the Early and Middle Valdaian. The region did not experience glaciation during the Late Valdaian.     

Some photometric properties of the Martian south polar cap region during the 1971 apparition

High-quality Earth-based photographs from the Lowell Observatory Planetary Research Center collection have been analyzed to derive some photometric parameters for the Martian south polar cap region during the 1971 apparition. The optical thickness of the atmosphere above the cap varied with wavelength from 0.35 ± 0.05 in red light to 0.58 ± 0.06 inuv light. The effective geometric albedo is calculated from the 30° phase data assuming isotropic scattering; it varies from 0.85 ± 0.04 (in red light) to 0.63 ± 0.05 (in uv light).     

Quaternary foraminifera and sediments in the Norwegian Channel

The foraminiferal fauna and lithology of 17 short sediment cores from two profiles in the Norwegian Channel have been investigated. Three ecostratigraphical zones are distinguished and their depositional environment, age and correlation with adjacent areas are discussed. The zones form a climatically conditioned succession (from below): the Cassidulina-Nonion zone contains an arctic fauna affected by meltwater influx, and its deposition was in progress in Late Weichselian; the Uvigerina-Cassidulina zone with a mixed fauna of arctic and boreal species is referred to the Early Flandrian; the Uvigerina-Bulimina zone contains a boreal fauna and was deposited under influence of Atlantic water; its age is regarded as Middle and Late Flandrian. Transport and deposition of sediments in the channel is discussed on the basis of recent current conditions and distribution of the zones.     

Spatial inference with an interchangeable rule format

Rule interchange between information systems is expanding as new interoperable rule formats are emerging from research. However, existing spatial inference systems generally operate on locally stored data with an internal rule format. Consequently, their design offers little support or facilities for rule interchange. This article presents the requirements, components and design for a spatial inference system with rule interchange. Computational efficiency and overall functionality of the design are considered separately, with the latter demonstrated using encoded agricultural legislation and data. A spatial inference system with rule interchange is based on three primary components: rule representation, spatial functionality and data integration. Of these, the interoperable rule representation and data integration distinctly differ from existing spatial inference systems. The presented inference system combines a spatial superset of the W3C Rule Interchange Format (RIF) with full Open Geospatial Consortium simple feature access (OGC SFA) functionality and on-demand data integration utilising Resource Deception Framework (RDF). The design was found to be effective with a computational efficiency depending predominantly on the spatial operations. This design could be further adapted to implement spatial extensions for existing inference systems. Considerable benefits were also discovered when RIF was used as the native language for the inference engine, thereby removing the need for rule transformations and facilitating on-demand data integration with the GML.     

Pulp and paper mill pollution and subsequent ecosystem recovery of a large boreal lake in Finland: a paleolimnological analysis

Sedimentary diatom frustules and chironomid remains, in addition to the chemical stratigraphy of 32 elements and resin acids, were studied from short-core samples taken from two basins and a sheltered bay of Lake Päijänne in southern Finland (about 61 °10–62 °15 N, 25 °30 E). The lake was formerly oligotrophic but has been subject to effluent loading from pulp and paper mills during the past century since the opening of the first pulp mill in the 1880s. Four developmental phases were distinguished and named mainly according to the effects found in the basin close to the pollution source: (1) the pre-industrial phase (from the 1800s to ca. 1920), including the early years of industrialization, with low impacts; (2) the phase of increasing pollution (ca. 1920–1969); (3) the phase of severe pollution (1970–1981); and (4) the water protection phase (1982 onwards).Distinct differences were observed between pelagic (diatoms) and benthic (chironomid) ecosystems in their response to pollution. Effluent loading from the pulp and paper mills had a pronounced impact on chironomid assemblages, but only a slight influence on diatoms in the basin close to the pollution source. In the southern basin, approximately 60 km downstream, an increase in acidophilous species was observed in the diatom assemblages during the early years of pollution, but changes in chironomids in this basin were negligible. The water protection work of the past 30 years, which has led to an improvement in water quality and a marked recovery of the profundal biota, has also resulted in a slight increase in primary production of the lake. The decrease in brown-coloured effluent water has led to an increase in thickness of the lake's photic productive layer, while the toxicity of the water has simultaneously diminished. Rapid changes in chironomid assemblages and sedimentation observed in the sheltered bay highlight the importance of local land-use activities as causes of environmental change in this area, and especially their effects on sedimentation and benthic life.     

Recordings and occurrence of geomagnetically induced currents in the Finnish natural gas pipeline network

A project implemented to study the effects of space weather on the Finnish natural gas pipeline was started in August 1998. The aims of the project were (1) to derive a model for calculating geomagnetically induced currents (GIC) and pipe-to-soil (P/S) voltages in the Finnish natural gas pipeline, (2) to perform measurements of GIC and P/S voltages in the pipeline and (3) to derive statistical predictions for the occurrences of GIC and P/S voltages at different locations in the pipeline network.GIC and P/S voltage were recorded at a compressor station. The GIC measurement was made with two magnetometers, one right above the pipe, and another at the Nurmijärvi Geophysical Observatory about 30 km southwest. The largest GIC since November 1998 has been 30 A. The P/S voltage recording was stopped in May 1999, but GIC is still measured.GIC statistics were derived based on the recordings of the geomagnetic field at Nurmijärvi. The geoelectric field was calculated by using the plane wave model. This field was input to the general pipeline model resulting in the distribution of currents and P/S voltages at selected points in the pipeline. As could be expected, the largest P/S voltage variations occur at the ends of the pipeline network, while the largest GIC flow in the middle parts.     

Geochemistry and mineralogy of platinum-group elements at Hartley Platinum Mine,Zimbabwe

The behaviour of platinum-group elements (PGE) in the exogenic cycle was examined in profiles of oxidized Main Sulfide Zone (MSZ) ores, in which the general metal distribution patterns of the pristine MSZ are grossly preserved. However, at similar Pt grades, significant proportions of Pd have been lost from the system. This indicates that Pd is more mobile than Pt and is dispersed in the supergene environment. Sperrylite and cooperite/braggite are stable in the oxidized MSZ. In contrast, the (Pt,Pd)-bismuthotellurides, common in pristine MSZ ores, have disintegrated, and ill-defined (Pt,Pd)-oxides or (Pt,Pd)-hydroxides have formed. The assemblage of detrital PGM present in the Makwiro River close to the Hartley Platinum Mine indicates further mineralogical changes. Sperrylite largely remains stable whereas most cooperite/braggite grains have been partly altered or completely destroyed. Grains of Pt-Fe alloy are ubiquitous in the alluvial sediments. Most likely, these grains are neo-formations that formed either from pre-existing, unstable PGM or via a solution stage under low-temperature conditions.     

A preliminary geoelectrical model of the Karelian megablock of the Baltic shield

Three groups of electromagnetic data have been considered in order to construct a preliminary geoelectrical depth model of the old basement of the Baltic shield: (i) audiomagnetotelluric data in the period range $\text{1}\text{3700}\text{?}\text{1}\text{8}\text{s;}$ (ii) magnetotelluric data in the period range 25–1000 s; and (iii) global magnetovariation-sounding data in the period range >6 h.These data sets fit together on a common apparent-resistivity curve, indicating the existence of a unified geoelectrical model. This model does not support the existence of conducting crustal or asthenospheric layers.     

The tilt effect for Saturn's rings

Multiple-scattering computations are carried out to explain the variation of the observed brightness of the A and B rings of Saturn with declination of the Earth and Sun. These computations are performed by a doubling scheme for a homogeneous plane-parallel scattering medium. We test a range of choices for the phase function, albedo for single scattering, and optical depth of both the rings. Isotropic scattering and several other simple phase functions are ruled out, and we find that the phase function must be moderately peaked in both the forward and backward directions. The tilt effect can be explained by multiple scattering in a homogeneous layer, but, for ring B, this requires a single-scattering albedo in excess of 0.8. The brightest part of ring B must have an optical depth greater than 0.9. We find that the tilt effect for ring A can be reproduced by particles having the same properties as those in ring B with the optical depth for the A ring in the range 0.4 to 0.6.