Investigation of the 16-year and 18-year ZTD Time Series Derived from GPS Data Processing

The GPS system can play an important role in activities related to the monitoring of climate. Long time series, coherent strategy, and very high quality of tropospheric parameter Zenith Tropospheric Delay (ZTD) estimated on the basis of GPS data analysis allows to investigate its usefulness for climate research as a direct GPS product. This paper presents results of analysis of 16-year time series derived from EUREF Permanent Network (EPN) reprocessing performed by the Military University of Technology. For 58 stations Lomb-Scargle periodograms were performed in order to obtain information about the oscillations in ZTD time series. Seasonal components and linear trend were estimated using Least Square Estimation (LSE) and Mann—Kendall trend test was used to confirm the presence of a linear trend designated by LSE method. In order to verify the impact of the length of time series on trend value, comparison between 16 and 18 years were performed.     

Impact cratering and break up of the small bodies of the Solar System

We consider the largest impact craters observed on small satellites and asteroids and the impact disruption of such bodies. Observational data are considered from 21 impact-like structures on 13 satellites and 8 asteroids (target body radii in the range 0.7-265 km). If the radius of the target body is R and the diameter of the largest crater observed on this body D, the ratio D/R is then the main observational parameter of interest. This is found on the observed bodies and compared to data obtained in the laboratory. Taking the largest observed value for D/R as a proxy for the ratio Dc/R (where Dc is the diameter of the largest crater that can be formed on a body without shattering it) it was found that for the observed icy satellites Dc,icy≈1.2R and for the asteroids and the rocky satellites Dc,rocky≈1.6R. In laboratory experiments with ice targets at impactor speeds of 1 to 3 km s⁻¹ we obtained Dc,icy≈1.64R.     

Source Time Function of Seismic Events at Rudna Copper Mine, Poland

—?The empirical Green's function deconvolution technique is used to retrieve the source time functions from the records of P waves of seven seismic events that occurred at the Rudna copper mine in 1996 and were located in the middle of the underground network. Their moment magnitudes ranged from 2.1 to 2.9. The records of smaller events from the same area and with similar source mechanism, with moment magnitudes ranging from 1.5 to 2.0, were accepted as empirical Green's functions. The relative source time functions were successfully retrieved at a number of stations for six events. Directivity effects, implying unilateral rupture propagation, were observed in five cases. The azimuth of rupture propagation direction and the rupture velocity were estimated from the distribution of pulse widths and pulse maximum amplitudes as a function of the cosine of station azimuths. The rupture propagated approximately either from south to north or from north to south. The rupture velocity was low, ranging from 0.25 to 0.54 of the shear-wave velocity. The source dimensions, represented by the fault length, were also small in comparison with those estimated in the frequency domain and ranged from 80 to 250?m.     

Beitrag zur Kenntnis des Oberkreide-klimas in Polen

Zusammenfassung Einer der wichtigsten Temperatur-Hinweise im Paläoklima der Oberkreide in Polen sind die Reste der kontinentalen Floren aus dem Alb, Cenoman, Turon, Coniac, Campan und Maastricht. Diese Florenreste treten überwiegend in marinen Sedimenten auf und sind durch marine Faunen datiert. Das Vorkommen der für das gemä\igte Klima typischen Formen wie Pappeln, Weiden, Buchen und Nadelbäume neben den Eukalypten, Feigenbäumen, Lauraceen und anderen für warmes Klima charakteristischen Pflanzen weist auf den warmen, doch nicht tropischen Charakter des damaligen Klimas hin. Zahlreiches Auftreten von Coccolithophoridae und Radiolarien bei gleichzeitiger Armut an Diatomeen bezeugt ebenfalls, da\ das Kreide-Meer warm war. Die Reptilienreste, die in den Alb-, Campan- und Maastricht-Sedimenten angetroffen werden, weisen im gleichen Ma\ auf warmes Klima hin. Für nicht tropischen Charakter des Klimas spricht die Tatsache, da\ das Gebiet von Polen sich zu jener Zeit au\erhalb des Siedlungsbereiches von Riffkorallen und wärmeliebenden Muschel- und Schnekken-Arten (Rudistae und Nerinacea) befand.Die langlebigen Muschel- und Schnecken-Arten, welche sowohl in der Oberkreide Polens als auch in den heutigen Meeren vorkamen, können als Anzeiger der thermischen Zonen dienen. Die Verzahnung der wärmeliebenden und der für kältere Gewässer typischen Formen bei gleichzeitigem zahlreichen Auftreten von Formen, die in den gemä\igten Zonen vorherrschend sind, weist auf eine gemä\igte Temperatur des Oberkreide-Meeres hin. Auf gewisse thermische Wechsel in der Oberkreide-Zeit können vielleicht änderungen in der Schalenstärke der Inoceramen hindeuten. Die obigen Daten — in Form eines Diagramms zusammengestellt — ähneln dem Temperatur-Diagramm, das von R.Bowen (1961) an Hand der Isotopen-Untersuchungen verfertigt wurde. Der Schalenstärke nach könnte man von thermischen Maxima im Oberturon, im Coniac und im Santon sprechen.Aus dem Polnischen übersetzt von S.Smoleski.