Numerical modeling of endogenic thermal anomalies on Europa

A variety of recent resurfacing features have been observed on Europa, which may produce thermal anomalies detectable by a future mission. However, the likelihood of such a detection depends on their size and lifetimes. The results of this numerical study suggest that the lifetime of a thermal anomaly associated with the emplacement of 100 m of water onto the surface of Europa is several hundred years, and ∼10 years for 10 m of water. If warm ice is emplaced on the surface instead of liquid water, these lifetimes decrease by up to a factor of two. Exploration of model parameters indicates that a thin insulating surface layer can double thermal anomaly lifetimes, anomalies emplaced at a latitude of 80° can remain detectable nearly a factor of two longer than those at equatorial latitudes, and anomalies on the night side can remain detectable for up to ∼20% longer than those on the day side. High temperatures are very short-lived as the surface ice cools very rapidly to below 200 K due to sublimation cooling. Assuming steady-state resurfacing, the number of detectable thermal anomalies associated with the emplacement of 100 m of water would be on the order of 10 if the typical resurfacing area is 15 km². If recent resurfacing is dominated by chaos regions with typical areas of 100 to 1000 km² and lifetimes of 1000 to 4000 years, the number of detectable thermal anomalies would be on the order of 1 to 10.     

On tourmaline

The first part of this paper presents chemical analyses and physical properties for 12 tourmalines of varying color, 10 samples from Mozambique, one from Afghanistan and one from Madagascar. The data are summarized in Tables 1–3. The second part reviews the isomorphism in the tourmaline group on the basis of data gathered from the literature. Plots of c₀ against a₀ for 198 X-rayed tourmalines and of (Fe, Mn, Mg, Ti) against the unit cell volume of 57 analyzed and X-rayed tourmalines supplement Epprecht's review.     

A hydrologic contribution to risk assessment for the Caspian Sea

The Caspian Sea (CS), the world's largest inland sea, may also be considered as large-scale limnic system. Due to strong fluctuations of its water level during the 20th century and the flooding of vast areas in a highly vulnerable coastal zone, economic and environmental risk potentials have to be considered. Since the major water input into the CS is attributed to the Volga river, the understanding of its long-term flow process is necessary for an appropriate risk assessment for the CS and its coastal area. Therefore, a top-down approach based on statistical analyses of long-term Volga flow series is pursued. For the series of annual mean flow (MQ) of the Volga river basin during the 20th century, a complex oscillation pattern was identified. Analyses for multiple gauges in the Volga river basin and Eurasian reference basins revealed that this oscillation pattern resulted from the superposition of oscillations with periods of ∼30 years (MQ) in the western part of the Volga river basin, and ∼14 years (flow volume of snowmelt events) and ∼20 years (flow volume of summer and autumn) in the eastern part of the Volga river basin (Kama river basin). Almost synchronous minima or maxima of these oscillations occurred just in the periods of substantial changes of the Caspian Sea level (CSL). It can thus be assumed that the described mechanism is fundamental for an understanding of the CSL development during the 20th century. Regarding the global climate change, it is still difficult to predict reliably the development of the CSL for the 21st century. Consequently, we suggest an ongoing, interdisciplinary research co-operation among climatology, hydrology, hydraulics, ecology and spatial data management.     

Theory of EM monitoring of sea bottom geothermal areas

Monitoring of geophysical conditions of marine sedimentary basins is necessary for predicting seismic events and for adaptation of geothermal technologies for seismically active (as a rule) sea bottom geothermal areas. These conditions are characterized by seismo-hydro-electromagnetic (EM) geophysical field interaction in the presence of gravity. Based on the main physical principles, geophysical and petrophysical data, we formulate a mathematical model of seismo-hydro-EM interaction in a basin of a marginal sea and calculate the transformation of a seismic excitation in the upper mantle under the central part of the sea of Japan into the low-frequency (0.1 to 10 Hz) EM signals at the top of the sea bottom sedimentary layer, at the sea surface and in the atmosphere up to the lower boundary of the ionosphere. Physics of the EM generation and propagation process is shown including: generation of EM waves in the upper mantle layer M by a seismic wave from under M, spatial modulation of diffusive EM waves by a seismic wave, stopping of the EM wave arrived (before the seismic P wave) from the upper mantle at the top of the sediments because of the high electric conductivity of seawater (3.5 S/m), immediate penetration of the EM wave through the seawater thickness after the delayed seismic P wave shock into the sea bottom, and EM emission from the sea surface into the atmosphere. Let us note that the EM signal in the sea bottom sediments is the first measurable signal of a seismic activation of geological structures beneath the seafloor and this signal is protected by seawater from the influence ionosphere disturbances. Amplitude of the computed magnetic signals (300, 200, 50, and 30 pT at the ocean–atmosphere interface and at the height of 10, 30 and 50 km, respectively), their predominant frequency (0.25 Hz), the delay of the seismic P wave in regard to the magnetic signal for the receivers at the shore (20 s), the amplitude of temperature disturbances in sediments (up to 0.02 K), the parameters of the long (150 km) tsunami wave of a small (up to 20 cm) amplitude far from the shore and other values that characterize the seismo-hydro-EM process are of the orders observed. Recommendations for the EM monitoring of dynamic processes beneath seafloor geothermal areas are given.     

Instrumental Neutron and Photon Activation Analysis in the Geochemical Study of Phonolitic and Trachytic Rocks

More than 130 samples of Tertiary phonolitic, trachytic and trachyandesitic rocks, representing evolved members of strongly and weakly alkaline volcanic rock series of the Ohre (Eger) Rift in the Bohemian Massif, Czech Republic, were analysed by instrumental neutron and photon activation analysis (INAA and IPAA, respectively). Forty-two major and trace elements were determined to explain the origin of such evolved rocks. Specific features of INAA and IPAA of the silicic, highly alkaline rocks are discussed, and results for selected samples are given.     

Automatic determination of 3D orientations of fossilized oyster shells from a densely packed Miocene shell bed

International Journal of Earth Sciences - Shell beds represent a useful source of information on various physical processes that cause the depositional condition. We present an automated method to...     

Dormant stages of crustaceans as a mechanism of propagation in the extreme and unpredictable environment in the Crimean hypersaline lakes

A pool of dormant stages of planktonic organisms in saline lakes is a substantial component in the plankton communities;we need to take it into account to understand plankton dynamics.Hypersaline water bodies in Crimea,the largest peninsula in the Black Sea,constitute a very characteristic and peculiar habitat type in the region.We examined the presence of crustacean resting stages in sediments of dried up sites of the Crimean hypersaline lakes.Sediment samples were taken in 9 different lakes.Experiments performed on the hatching of these resting stages showed the presence of Moina salina(Cladocera),parthenogenetic Artemia and Artemia urmiana(Anostraca),Eucypris mareotica( inflata)(Ostracoda),and Cletocamptus retrogressus(Harpacticoida).Comparing the experimental results obtained with clean dried brine shrimp cysts and those kept in sediment samples,it was noted that clean cysts hatched much faster than those from sediments did.Some components in bottom sediments slow down and desynchronize hatching from resting eggs in different groups of crustaceans.The sediments of different lakes inhibited the nauplii output from Artemia and ostracod resting eggs to different degrees.More data are needed before we can discuss the reasons of this inhibition.The nonsynchronous output of active stages from the bottom resting ones may be an adaptation that allows crustacean species to exist in extreme and unpredictably changing environments,avoiding the risk that all may emerge at once under unsuitable conditions.     

Quantifying barriers to decarbonization of the Russian economy: real options analysis of investment risks in low-carbon technologies

Russia has significant potential for reducing its carbon emissions. However, investment in new low-carbon technologies has significant risks. Ambiguous energy and climate policy in Russia, along with deterioration of the country's investment climate, create investment barriers that are well described in qualitative terms in the literature. This paper attempts to provide a quantitative analysis of these barriers. For this numerical experiment, we apply the RU-TIMES model. Using a real options methodology, we estimate the risk-adjusted cost of capital in the Russian energy sector (including energy production and consumption technologies represented in the TIMES framework) to be approximately 43% (including a risk-free interest rate) and demonstrate the high risk of investment into energy-efficient and low-carbon technologies. Any future low-carbon emissions pathway depends on the ability of the Russian government to reduce climate and energy policy uncertainties, and to reduce financial risks through improvements of the general investment climate.

Key policy insights

• The high cost of capital investment into Russian energy production and consumption may prevent the adoption of new energy-efficient and low-carbon technologies.

• These investment risks, if not addressed, will delay Russia's low-carbon transition for the coming decades.

• Adopting a clear and unambiguous long-term climate and energy policy is important to reduce these risks and alleviate some of the barriers to the new technologies.

• The first step could be ratification of the Paris Agreement and adoption of a long-term emission target for the period up to 2050.