Lagrangian study of temporal changes of a surface flow through the Kamchatka Strait

Using Lagrangian methods, we analyze a 20-year-long estimate of water flux through the Kamchatka Strait in the northern North Pacific based on AVISO velocity field. It sheds new light on the flux pattern and its variability on annual and monthly time scales. Strong seasonality in surface outflow through the strait could be explained by temporal changes in the wind stress over the northern and western Bering Sea slopes. Interannual changes in a surface outflow through the Kamchatka Strait correlate significantly with the Near Strait inflow and Bering Strait outflow. Enhanced westward surface flow of the Alaskan Stream across the 174°E section in the northern North Pacific is accompanied by an increased inflow into the Bering Sea through the Near Strait. In summer, the surface flow pattern in the Kamchatka Strait is determined by the passage of anticyclonic and cyclonic mesoscale eddies. The wind stress over the Bering basin in winter–spring is responsible for eddy generation in the region.     

Long-term solar cycles according to data on the cosmogenic beryllium concentration in ice of central Greenland

Data on the concentrations of the cosmogenic ¹⁰Be isotope and Na⁺ and Ca²⁺ ions, as well as on ice accumulation rates in central Greenland, obtained by the GISP2 collaboration were studied in a time interval spanning about 40 000 recent years. Joint analysis of the indicated glacial and chemical paleoseries demonstrated that in a period from 12 008 to 24 008 years ago, the ¹⁰Be flux variations were most free of influence of climate and changes in the geomagnetic dipole moment. As a consequence, this time interval is most suitable for studying periodicities of purely solar nature. Statistical analysis of the ¹⁰Be flux data has revealed significant variations with periods of 500–800 years and 1300–1600 years in the time interval from 12 008 to 17 008 years ago. This evidence favors the existence of the appropriate cycles of solar activity in the mentioned epoch. Similar periodicities are also revealed in the time interval from 3288 to 8008 years ago.     

Experimental estimation of velocities and anisotropy of a series of Swedish crystalline rocks and ores

To provide a guide for future deep (<1.5 km) seismic mineral exploration and to better understand the nature of reflections imaged by surface reflection seismic data in two mining camps and a carbonatite complex of Sweden, more than 50 rock and ore samples were collected and measured for their seismic velocities. The samples are geographically from the northern and central parts of Sweden, ranging from metallic ore deposits, meta‐volcanic and meta‐intrusive rocks to deformed and metamorphosed rocks. First, ultrasonic measurements of P‐ and S‐wave velocities at both atmospheric and elevated pressures, using 0.5 MHz P‐ and S‐wave transducers were conducted. The ultrasonic measurements suggest that most of the measured velocities show positive correlation with the density of the samples with an exception of a massive sulphide ore sample that shows significant low P‐ and S‐wave velocities. The low P‐ and S‐wave velocities are attributed to the mineral texture of the sample and partly lower pyrite content in comparison with a similar type sample obtained from Norway, which shows significantly higher P‐ and S‐wave velocities. Later, an iron ore sample from the central part of Sweden was measured using a low‐frequency (0.1–50 Hz) apparatus to provide comparison with the ultrasonic velocity measurements. The low‐frequency measurements indicate that the iron ore sample has minimal dispersion and attenuation. The iron ore sample shows the highest acoustic impedance among our samples suggesting that these deposits are favourable targets for seismic methods. This is further demonstrated by a real seismic section acquired over an iron ore mine in the central part of Sweden. Finally, a laser‐interferometer device was used to analyse elastic anisotropy of five rock samples taken from a major deformation zone in order to provide insights into the nature of reflections observed from the deformation zone. Up to 10% velocity‐anisotropy is estimated and demonstrated to be present for the samples taken from the deformation zone using the laser‐interferometery measurements. However, the origin of the reflections from the major deformation zone is attributed to a combination of anisotropy and amphibolite lenses within the deformation zone.     

Possible impact of interplanetary and interstellar dust fluxes on the Earth’s climate

This article considers the process of entry of cosmic substance into the Earth’s atmosphere and the further evolution of the formed extraterrestrial aerosol. It is shown that meteorite-derived aerosol generated in the atmosphere may affect the Earth’s climate in two ways: (a) particles of meteoric haze may serve as condensation nuclei in the troposphere and stratosphere; (b) charged meteor particles residing in the mesosphere may markedly change (by a few percent) the total atmospheric resistance and, thereby, affect the global current circuit. Changes in the global electric circuit, in turn, may influence cloud formation processes. The obtained results argue for the fact that the meteoric dust in the Earth’s atmosphere is potentially one of the important climate-forming agents. It is shown that the amount of interstellar dust in the Earth’s atmosphere is too small to have a considerable affect on atmospheric processes.     

The nitrate content of Greenland ice and solar activity

Past solar activity is studied based on analysis of data on the nitrate content of Greenland ice in the period from 1576–1991. Hundred-year (over the entire period) and quasi-five-year (in the middle of the 18th century) variations in the nitrate content are detected. These reflect the secular solar-activity cycle and cyclicity in the flare activity of the Sun.     

Secular variation in aerosol transparency of the atmosphere as the possible link between long-term variations in solar activity and climate

Information about variations in solar activity and climate on the time intervals from 130 years to four–five last centuries, including results of instrumental measurements (Wolf numbers, actinometry, thermometry) and indirect indicators (ice core acidity, NO ₃ ^? ion concentration in polar ice, temperature tree-ring reconstructions), has been analyzed for the Northern Hemisphere and its high-latitude part. It has been obtained that the observed relation between secular variations in solar activity and near-Earth temperature resulted from the effect of the corresponding variation in aerosol transparency of the stratosphere on terrestrial climate. It has been also indicated that long-term variations in the aerosol content of the stratosphere can, in turn, be related to secular cycles in atmospheric ionization caused by variations in fluxes of ionizing cosmic particles.     

Magnetocentrifugal launching of jets from discs around Kerr black holes

Strong magnetic fields modify particle motion in the curved space–time of spinning black holes and change the stability conditions of circular orbits. We study conditions for magnetocentrifugal jet launching from accretion discs around black holes, whereby large-scale black hole lines anchored in the disc may fling tenuous coronal gas outwards. For a Schwarzschild black hole, magnetocentrifugal launching requires that the poloidal component of magnetic fields makes an angle less than  60°  to the outward direction at the disc surface, similar to the Newtonian case. For prograde rotating discs around Kerr black holes, this angle increases and becomes  90°  for footpoints anchored to the disc near the horizon of a critically spinning   a = M   black hole. Thus, a disc around a critically spinning black hole may centrifugally launch a jet even along the rotation axis.     

Centennial-to-millennial fluctuations in July temperatures in North Finland as recorded by timberline tree rings of Scots pine

A tree-ring proxy of summer temperature anomalies for northern Finland for the past 7500 yr was analyzed using Fourier spectrum and wavelet approaches. Multicentennial (250-450 yr) variability is present in the proxy record during most of the time range. This variability is suggested to reflect low-frequency variability in the North Atlantic Oscillation. Century-scale (90-130 yr) variation is another important feature of the tree-ring proxy data during the Holocene and may be attributed to Glessberg solar activity variations. In addition, an approximately 2000-yr quasi-period is found in this temperature proxy data, similar to the millennial-scale variability, present in many climate records from the North Atlantic region. The results point to the importance of multiple forcings underlying significant Holocene climatic fluctuations.     

A step ahead of time: design, allocation and preservation of private open space in the 1920s––the case of a garden suburb in Israel

In the course of the last 50 years, the landscape in Israel has undergone major changes, due to accelerated urbanization following population growth. These processes had increased the pressure on the open land, especially in areas of urban expansion. Recognizing that Governments and local Municipalities had failed to stop the consequent loss of public open spaces, not only in Israel but worldwide, had lead recently many communities to adopt new solutions in the form of private open spaces. In this article we present a “step ahead of time”: a case of privately owned land, set aside as public green area during the 1920s in a neighborhood called “Ahuza Herbert Samuel” (Herbert Samuel, the first High Commissioner of Palestine under the British Mandate), located in the City of Haifa, in Northern Israel. The roots of this unique phenomenon during the 1920s could be linked to several sources of influence: Colonial town planning concepts, the emergence of garden cities and garden suburbs and most importantly to concepts brought in by the leaders of the immigrant community coming from Rumania. Photogrammetric and GIS analysis of this phenomenon had revealed that it had prevailed throughout 75 years of constant and massive increase in the demand for built-up areas in Israel in general and in Ahuza neighborhood in particular. The success in preserving these open areas gains current relevance in view of recent trends in the Western world of allocating privately owned green areas for public use.