Woolly rhino discovery in the lower Kolyma River

A nearly complete frozen mummy of a woolly rhinoceros (Coelodonta antiquitatis Blum., 1799) was discovered in a gold mine on the lower reaches of the Kolyma River, north–eastern Siberia. This is the first find of the whole body of woolly rhino in permafrost. A large part of the mummified body was preserved, including the left part of the body, covered by skin, including skin of the head and ear, fore and hind legs. The skull with 2 horns and the lower jaw were also preserved. Most of the internal organs were lost, except the intestines, stomach, and their contents. A rib fragment from this individual was dated by AMS-radiocarbon method to 39,140 ± 390 years BP (OxA-18755). Spore and pollen analyses of the stomach contents indicate that grasses and sagebrushes formed the main part of the diet of C. antiquitatis in this region of Arctic Siberia.     

Thermal behavior of ferric selenite hydrates (Fe2(SeO3)3·3H2O,Fe2(SeO3)3·5H2O) and the water content in the natural ferric selenite mandarinoite

Any progress in our understanding of low-temperature mineral assemblages and of quantitative physico-chemical modeling of stability conditions of mineral phases, especially those containing toxic elements like selenium, strongly depends on the knowledge of structural and thermodynamic properties of coexisting mineral phases. Interrelation of crystal chemistry/structure and thermodynamic properties of selenium-containing minerals is not systematically studied so far and thus any essential generalization might be difficult, inaccurate or even impossible and erroneous. Disagreement even exists regarding the crystal chemistry of some natural and synthetic selenium-containing phases. Hence, a systematic study was performed by synthesizing ferric selenite hydrates and subsequent thermal analysis to examine the thermal stability of synthetic analogues of the natural hydrous ferric selenite mandarinoite and its dehydration and dissociation to unravel controversial issues regarding the crystal chemistry. Dehydration of synthesized analogues of mandarinoite starts at 56–87?°C and ends at 226–237?°C. The dehydration happens in two stages and two possible schemes of dehydration exist: (a) mandarinoite loses three molecules of water in the first stage of the dehydration (up to 180?°C) and the remaining two molecules of water will be lost in the second stage (>180?°C) or (b) four molecules of water will be lost in the first stage up to 180?°C and the last molecule of water will be lost at a temperature above 180?°C. Based on XRD measurements and thermal analyses we were able to deduce Fe₂(SeO₃)₃·(6-x)H₂O (x?=?0.0–1.0) as formula of the hydrous ferric selenite mandarinoite. The total amount of water apparently affects the crystallinity, and possibly the stability of crystals: the less the x value, the higher crystallinity could be expected.     

Halogen diffusion in a basaltic melt

The diffusion of the halogens fluorine, chlorine and bromine was measured in a hawaiitic melt from Mt. Etna at 500 MPa and 1.0 GPa, 1250 to 1450 °C at anhydrous conditions; the diffusion of F and Cl in the melt was also studied with about 3 wt% of dissolved water. Experiments were performed using the diffusion-couple technique in a piston cylinder. Most experiments were performed with only one halogen diffusing between the halogen-enriched and halogen-poor halves of the diffusion couple, but a few experiments with a mixture of halogens (F, Cl and Br) were also performed in order to investigate the possibility of interactions between the halogens during diffusion. Fluorine and chlorine diffusivity show a very similar behavior, slightly diverging at low temperature. Bromine diffusion is a factor of about 2-5 lower than the other halogens in this study. Diffusion coefficients for fluorine range between 2.3 × 10⁻¹¹ and 1.4 × 10⁻¹⁰ m² s⁻¹, for chlorine between 1.1 × 10⁻¹¹ and 1.3 × 10⁻¹⁰ and for bromine between 9.4 × 10⁻¹² and 6.8 × 10⁻¹¹ m² s⁻¹. No pressure effect was detected at the conditions investigated. In experiments involving mixed halogens, the diffusivities appear to decrease slightly (by a factor of ∼3), and are more uniform among the three elements. However, activation energies for diffusion do not appear to differ between experiments with individual halogens or when they are all mixed together. The effect of water increases the diffusion coefficients of F and Cl by no more than a factor of 3 compared to the anhydrous melt (D_F = 4.0 × 10⁻¹¹ to 1.6 × 10⁻¹⁰ m² s⁻¹; D_Cl = 3.0 × 10⁻¹¹ to 1.9 × 10⁻¹⁰ m² s⁻¹). Comparing our results to the diffusion coefficients of other volatiles in nominally dry basaltic melts, halogen diffusivities are about one order of magnitude lower than H₂O, similar to CO₂, and a factor of ∼5 higher than S. The contrasting volatile diffusivities may affect the variable extent of volatile degassing upon melt depressurization and vesiculation, and can help our understanding of the compositions of rapidly grown magmatic bubbles.     

Anatomy and facies distribution of terminal lobes in ephemeral fluvial successions: Jurassic Tordillo Formation,Neuquén Basin,Argentina

In terminal fluvial-fan systems, characteristic proximal to distal variations in sedimentary architectures are recognized to arise from progressive downstream loss of water discharge related to both infiltration and evaporation. This work aims to elucidate downstream trends in facies and architecture across the medial and distal zones of terminal-fan systems, which record transitions from deposits of channel elements to lobe-like and sheet-like elements. This is achieved via a detailed characterization of ancient ephemeral fluvial deposits of the well-exposed Kimmeridgian Tordillo Formation (Neuquén Basin, Argentina). The fine sand-prone and silt-prone succession associated with the medial to distal sectors of the system has been studied to understand relationships between depositional processes and resulting architectures. Facies and architectural-element analyses, and quantification of resulting sedimentological data at multiple scales, have been undertaken to characterize sedimentary facies, facies transitions, bed types, architectural elements and larger-scale architectural styles. Eight bed types with distinct internal facies transitions are defined and interpreted in terms of different types of flood events. Channelized and non-channelized architectural elements are defined based on their constituent bed types and their external geometry. The most common elements are terminal lobes, which are composite bodies within which largely unconfined sandy deposits are stacked in a compensational manner; a hierarchical arrangement of internal components is recognized. Proximal feeder-channel avulsion events likely controlled the evolution of terminal-lobe elements and their spatiotemporal shifts. Stratigraphic relations between architectural elements record system-wide trends, whereby a proximal sector dominated by channel elements passes downstream via a gradational transition to a medial sector dominated by sandy terminal-lobe elements, which in turn passes further downstream to a distal sector dominated by silty terminal lobe-margin and fringing deposits. This work enhances current understanding of the stratigraphic record of terminal fluvial systems at multiple scales, and provides insight that can be applied to predict the facies and architectural complexity of terminal fluvial successions.     

Empirical prediction of the Pitzer’s interaction parameters for cationic Al species with both SiO2(aq) and CO2(aq): Implications for the geochemical modelling of very saline solutions

The Pitzer’s interaction parameters, λ_N–M, involving the Mth cationic Al species Al³⁺ or AlOH²⁺ or AlO⁺ and the Nth neutral species SiO_2(aq) (at temperatures of 25–300 °C) or CO_2(aq) (at temperatures of 25–150 °C), have been evaluated through empirical linear relationships between λ_N–M and the surface electrostatic field of the ionic species of interest. These relationships have been obtained starting from the known λ_N–M for both SiO_2(aq) and CO_2(aq) with the main dissolved cations. The Pitzer’s interaction parameter thus estimated for the pair CO_2(aq)–Al³⁺ at 25 °C, 0.327, is 20–40% higher than the corresponding values obtained from CO₂ solubilities in concentrated solutions of AlCl₃, 0.272 ± 0.010 (2σ), and Al₂(SO₄)₃, 0.232 ± 0.002 (2σ), partly corroborating the empirical approach adopted in this study. To test the Pitzer’s interaction coefficients for cationic Al species with aqueous SiO₂, the log K values of the kaolinite dissolution reaction have been computed starting from available experimental data at 23–25 °C and ionic strengths of 0.0001–0.12 mol/kg adopting, alternatively, the Pitzer’s equations and the Debye–Hückel equation. A satisfactory agreement has been found between the log K values obtained through these two approaches, with maximum deviations of 0.11–0.12 log units. This good convergence of results is encouraging as it represents a necessary condition to prove the reliability of the Pitzer’s interaction coefficients estimated in this work. These results are a first step to take into account specific interactions among solutes in concentrated electrolyte solutions, such as those hosted in sedimentary basins or geothermal waters, for instance through the Pitzer’s equations. However, experimental or field data at higher ionic strengths are absolutely necessary to validate the reliability of the Pitzer’s interaction coefficients determined in this study.     

Approximative analytic study of fermions in magnetar’s crust; ultra-relativistic plane waves, Heun and Mathieu solutions and beyond

Working with a magnetic field periodic along Oz and decaying in time, we deal with the Dirac-type equation characterizing the fermions evolving in magnetar’s crust. For ultra-relativistic particles, one can employ the perturbative approach, to compute the conserved current density components. If the magnetic field is frozen and the magnetar is treated as a stationary object, the fermion’s wave function is expressed in terms of the Heun’s Confluent functions. Finally, we are extending some previous investigations on the linearly independent fermionic modes solutions to the Mathieu’s equation and we discuss the energy spectrum and the Mathieu Characteristic Exponent.     

Management information system of lakes and reservoirs

Information technologies provide a significant support in the management of lakes and reservoirs. Existing information systems mostly did not comprise all the necessary data and enabled collecting only a limited set of reports. More complex data analyses such as statistical analyses and data research were conducted in separate environments and recquired additional preparation of the data. Information system of lakes and reservoirs in Serbia (SeLaR) was produced in order to provide all the neccessary information for lake and reservoir management. The information system integrates a large data set and provide users with necessary information in the form of reports and charts. The users of the system are scientists and experts who study these issues, as well as students with the objective of continuous education. Furthermore, an interface was produced to enable linking with data research software. In this way a unique working environment was created to provide users with an efficient model of acquiring all the information necessary for the management and to find out new facts in data interaction, and also to make a forecast. This study presents an overview of the information system, its production model, the information available and the possibilities of data research.     

Transient electromagnetic modelling of an isolated wire loop over a conductive medium

A large closed wire loop is generally used in field experiments for testing airborne electrical exploration equipment. Thus, methods are required for the precise calculation of an electromagnetic response in the presence of a closed wire loop. We develop a fast and precise scheme for calculating the transient response for such a closed loop laid out at the surface of a horizontally layered conductive ground. Our scheme is based on the relationship between the magnetic flux flowing through a closed loop and the current induced in it. The developed scheme is compared with 2D and 3D finite‐element modelling for several positions of an airborne electromagnetic system flying over a closed loop. We also study the coupling effect between the current flowing in the closed loop and the current flowing in the horizontally layered conductive medium. The result shows that for the central position of the transmitter, the difference between axisymmetrical finite‐element modelling and our scheme is less than 1%. Moreover, for the non‐coaxial transmitter–receiver–loop system, the solution obtained by our scheme is in good agreement with full 3D finite‐element modelling, and our total simulation time is substantially lower: 1 minute versus 120 hours.     

Sustainable urban drainage systems: examining the potential for green infrastructure-based stormwater management for Sub-Saharan cities

Green infrastructure (GI)-based approaches to urban drainage such as sustainable urban drainage systems (SUDS) could provide Sub-Saharan cities with an opportunity to address projected climate change impacts and existing deficits in their drainage infrastructure, even more so due to the synergies between an enhanced green infrastructure stock and sustainable urban development. The objective of this paper was to assess the theoretical value of using green infrastructure for stormwater management as an alternative and supplement to conventional pipe-based stormwater management systems. A SWOT analysis is performed to assess the potential that SUDS hold if adopted and implemented in Sub-Saharan cities. This analysis is based on a review of sustainable stormwater management as well as urban planning and governance literature. Results show that despite seemingly significant barriers to the adoption of SUDS in Sub-Saharan cities such as low prioritization on the urban agenda and lack of data among others, the concept may hold valuable potential for flood risk reduction, even more so due to its multi-functionality and synergies with urban agriculture, amenity and water supply. In the light of the existing threats and weaknesses, it is recommended that GI-based SUDS may be best approached initially as experiments at a local community scale.