Paleogeographic Peculiarities of Potassium and Potassium-Magnesium Salt Generation in the Southeast of the Russian Plate

正Permian salt-bearing formation covers a substantial area of the Russian Plate.In some places,it is up to several kilometers thick.The salt-bearing formation contains unique accumulations of potassium and magnesium salts,     

Origins of Rolling, Twisting, and Non-radial Propagation of Eruptive Solar Events

We demonstrate that major asymmetries in erupting filaments and CMEs, namely major twists and non-radial motions are typically related to the larger-scale ambient environment around eruptive events. Our analysis of prominence eruptions observed by the STEREO, SDO, and SOHO spacecraft shows that prominence spines retain, during the initial phases, the thin ribbon-like topology they had prior to the eruption. This topology allows bending, rolling, and twisting during the early phase of the eruption, but not before. The combined ascent and initial bending of the filament ribbon is non-radial in the same general direction as for the enveloping CME. However, the non-radial motion of the filament is greater than that of the CME. In considering the global magnetic environment around CMEs, as approximated by the Potential Field Source Surface (PFSS) model, we find that the non-radial propagation of both erupting filaments and associated CMEs is correlated with the presence of nearby coronal holes, which deflect the erupting plasma and embedded fields. In addition, CME and filament motions, respectively, are guided towards weaker field regions, namely null points existing at different heights in the overlying configuration. Due to the presence of the coronal hole, the large-scale forces acting on the CME may be asymmetric. We find that the CME propagates usually non-radially in the direction of least resistance, which is always away from the coronal hole. We demonstrate these results using both low- and high-latitude examples.     

Sorption and desorption of mercury(II) in saline and alkaline soils of Bahía Blanca, Argentina

The objective of this work was to study sorption–desorption and/or precipitation–dissolution processes of Hg(II) compounds considering an eventual contact of soils with Hg-bearing wastes. In addition, this study contributes new data about Hg(II) chemistry in alkaline systems. Saline and alkaline soils with low organic matter (<1 %) and high clay content (60–70 %) were obtained near a chlor-alkali plant. Batch techniques were used to perform the experiments using 0.1 M NaNO₃ solutions. Total Hg(II) concentrations ranged from 6.2 × 10^?8 to 6.3 × 10^?3 M. Sorption of Hg(II) was evaluated at two concentration ranges: (a) 6.2 × 10^?8 to 1.1 × 10^?4 M, and (b) 6.4 × 10^?4 to 6.3 × 10^?3 M. At low Hg(II) concentrations, adsorption occurred with a maximum sorption capacity ranging from 4 to 5 mmol/kg. At high Hg(II) concentrations, sorption–precipitation reactions occurred and maximum sorption capacity ranged from 17 to 31 mmol/kg. The distribution of Hg(II) hydrolysis products showed that Hg(OH)₂ was the predominant species under soil conditions. According to sorption experiments, X-ray diffraction and chemical speciation modelling, the presence of Hg(OH)₂ in the interlayer of the interstratified clay minerals can be proposed. Hg(OH)₂ was partially desorbed by repeated equilibrations in 0.1 M NaNO₃ solution. Desorption ranged from 0.1 to 0.9 mmol/kg for soils treated with 5.8 × 10^?5 M Hg(II), whereas 2.1–3.8 mmol/kg was desorbed from soils treated with 6.3 × 10^?3 M Hg(II). Formation of soluble Hg(II) complexes was limited by low organic matter content, whereas neutral Hg(OH)₂ was retained by adsorption on clay mineral surfaces.     

Bolides in the present and past martian atmosphere and effects on cratering processes

Abstract— We investigate the action of the martian atmosphere on entering meteoroids for present and past atmospheres with various surface pressures to predict the smallest observable craters, and to understand the implications for the size distributions of craters on Mars and meteoroids in space. We assume different strengths appropriate to icy, stone, and iron bodies and test the results against available data on terrestrial bolides. Deceleration, ablation, and fragmentation effects are included. We find that the smallest icy, stone, and iron meteoroids to hit the martian ground at crater forming speeds of ≥500 m/s have diameters of about 2 m, 0.03‐0.9 m (depending on strength), and 0.01 m, respectively, in the current atmosphere. For hypothetical denser past atmospheres, the cutoff diameters rise. At a surface pressure of 100 mb, the cutoff diameters are about 24 m, 5–12 m, and 0.14 m for the 3 classes. The weaker stony bodies in the size range of about 1–30 m may explode at altitudes of about 10–20 km above the ground. These figures imply that under the present atmosphere, the smallest craters made by these objects would be as follows: by ice bodies, craters of diameter (D) ?8 m, by stones about 0.5–6 m, and by irons, about 0.3 m. A strong depletion of craters should, thus, occur at diameters below about 0.3 m to 5 m. Predicted fragmentation and ablation effects on weak meteoroids in the present atmosphere may also produce a milder depletion below D ?500 m, relative to the lunar population. But, this effect may be difficult to detect in present data because of additional losses of small craters due to sedimentation, dunes, and other obliteration effects. Craters in strewn fields, caused by meteoroid fragmentation, will be near or below present‐day resolution limits, but examples have been found. These phenomena have significant consequences. Under the present atmosphere, the smallest (decimeter‐scale) craters in sands and soils could be quickly obliterated but might still be preserved on rock surfaces, as noted by Hörz et al. (1999). Ancient crater populations, if preserved, could yield diagnostic signatures of earlier atmospheric conditions. Surfaces formed under past denser atmospheres (few hundred mbar), if preserved by burial and later exposed by exhumation, could show: a) striking depletions of small craters (few meter sizes up to as much as 200 m), relative to modern surfaces; b) more clustered craters due to atmospheric breakup; and c) different distributions of meteorite types, with 4 m to 200 m craters formed primarily by irons instead of by stones as on present‐day Mars. Megaregolith gardening of the early crust would be significant but coarser than the gardening of the ancient lunar uplands.     

The orbit and dynamical evolution of the Chelyabinsk object

The orbit of the Chelyabinsk object is calculated, applying the least‐squares method directly to astrometric positions. The dynamical evolution of this object in the past is studied by integrating equations of motion for particles with orbits from the confidence region. It is found that the majority of the Chelyabinsk clones reach the near‐Sun state. Sixty‐seven percent of these objects have collisions with the Sun for 15 Myr in our numerical simulations. The distribution of minimum solar distances shows that the most probable time for the encounters of the Chelyabinsk object with the Sun lies in the interval from ?0.8 Myr to ?2 Myr. This is consistent with the estimate of a cosmic ray exposure age of 1.2 Myr (Popova et al. 2013). A parent body of the Chelyabinsk object should experience strong tidal and thermal effects at this time. The possible association of the Chelyabinsk object with 86039 (1999 NC43) and 2008 DJ is discussed.     

Matching hydrologic response to measured effective hydraulic conductivity

The objective of this study was to test the practicability of defining hydrologic response units as combinations of soil, land use and topography for modelling infiltration at the hillslope and catchment scales. In an experimental catchment in the East African Highlands (Kwalei, Tanzania), three methods of measuring infiltration were compared for their ability to capture the spatial variability of effective hydraulic conductivity: the constant head (CH) method; the tension infiltration (TI) method; and the mini‐rainfall simulation (RS) method. The three methods yielded different probability distributions of effective hydraulic conductivity and suggested different types of hydrologic response units. Independently from these measurements, the occurrence of infiltration‐excess overland flow was monitored over an area of 6 ha by means of overland flow detectors. The observed pattern of overland flow occurrence did not match any of the patterns suggested by the infiltration measurements. Instead, clusters of spots with overland flow were practically independent from field borders. Geostatistical analysis of the overland flow confirmed the absence of spatial correlation for distances over 40 m. The RS method yielded the pattern closest to the observations, probably because the method simulated better the processes that trigger infiltration‐excess overland flow, i.e. soil sealing and infiltration through macroporosity. The RS hydrologic response unit correlated significantly with observed overland flow frequency. However, the location of clusters and ‘hot spots’ of overland flow remained largely unexplained by land use, soil and topographic variables. It is concluded that using such landscape variables to define hydrologic units may create artificial boundaries that do no correspond to physical realities, especially if the stochastic component within hydrologic units is neglected. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Water-soluble organic and nitrogen levels in cloud and rainwater in a background marine environment under influence of different air masses

Chemical characterization was performed on cloud and rainwater samples collected as part of the Rain In Cumulus over the Ocean Experiment (RICO). This experiment took place at a mountaintop site (East Peak) in Puerto Rico from December 2004 to March 2007 in order to determine water-soluble organic and nitrogen fractions in a marine background environment. For cloud water, similar average concentrations of 1.0 (±0.3) mg/L were found for total organic carbon (TOC) and total nitrogen (TN) and an average concentration of 0.8 (±0.2) mg/L was found for dissolved organic carbon (DOC). In rainwater, these concentrations were lower, ranging from 0.3 to 0.5 (±0.1) mg/L. Changes in the concentrations of these species were observed in periods under the influence of anthropogenic, African dust, and volcanic ash air masses. In these periods the concentrations of TOC, DOC, and TN were 2 to 4 times higher than in periods under the influence of trade winds. The insoluble organic material arriving during African dust events showed total carbon (TC) concentrations on averaging 1.5 mg/L for cloud water. The TC was composed mainly of organic carbon with polar compounds from low to high molecular weight (MW). The polar compounds with high MW were probably associated with pollution (e.g., fossil fuel combustion) from other regions. Crustal species (Al and Fe) dominated particles associated with dust episodes, confirming the soil origin. Our results suggested that a fraction (40–80%) of TOC and (<100%) of TN in Puerto Rican cloud/rainwater could be originated from long-range transport of dust, ash and/or pollution.     

Cyclone life cycle characteristics over the Northern Hemisphere in coupled GCMs

Cyclone activity and life cycle are analysed in the coupled GCMs ECHAM5/OM and ECHAM4/OPYC3. First, the results for the present climate (1978–1999) are compared with ERA-40 and NCEP/NCAR reanalyses, showing a drastic improvement in the representation of cyclone activity in ECHAM5/OM compared to ECHAM4/OPYC3. The total number of cyclones, cyclone intensity, propagation velocity and deepening rates are found to be much more realistic in ECHAM5/OM relative to ECHAM4/OPYC3. Then, changes in extra tropical cyclone characteristics are compared between present day climate and future climate under the emission-scenario A1B using ECHAM5/OM. This comparison is performed using the 20-year time slices 1978–1999, 2070–2090 and 2170–2190, which were considered to be representative for the various climate conditions. The total number of cyclones does not undergo significant changes in a warmer climate. However, regional changes in cyclone numbers and frequencies are evident. One example is the Mediterranean region where the number of cyclones in summer increases almost by factor 2. Some noticeable changes are also found in cyclone life cycle characteristics (deepening rate and propagation velocity). Cyclones in the future climate scenario tend to move slower and their deepening rate becomes stronger, while cyclone intensity does not undergo significant change in a warmer climate. Generally, our results do not support the hypothesis of enhanced storminess under future climate conditions.     

Paleoproterozoic,High-Metamorphic,Metasedimentary Units of Siberian Craton

Abstract: Sensitive, high-resolution ion microprobe zircon U–Pb ages of Paleoproterozoic, high-grade, metasedimentary rocks from the south-western part of the Siberian Craton are reported. Early Precambrian, high-grade complexes, including garnet–biotite, hypersthene–biotite, and cordierite-bearing gneisses compose the Irkut terrane of the Sharyzhalgay Uplift. Protoliths of studied gneisses correspond to terrigenous sediments, ranging from greywacke to shale. The paragneiss model Nd ages of 2.4–3.1 Ga indicate Archean-to-Paleoproterozoic source provinces. Zircons from gneisses show core-rim textures in cathodoluminescence (CL) image. Round or irregular shaped cores indicate detrital origin. Structureless rims with low Th/U are metamorphic in origin. The three age groups of detrital cores are: ≥2.7, ~2.3, and 1.95–2 Ga. The ages of metamorphic rims range from 1.86 to 1.85 Ga; therefore, the sediments were deposited between 1.95 and 1.86 Ga and derived from Archean and Paleoproterozoic source rocks. It should be noted that Paleoproterozoic metasedimentary rocks of the Irkut Block are not unique. High-grade metaterrigenous sediments, with model Nd ages ranging from 2.3 to 2.5 Ga, are widely distributed within the Aldan and Anabar Shields of the Siberian Craton. The same situation is observed in the North China Craton, where metasedimentary rocks contain detrital igneous zircon grains with ages ranging from 3 to 2.1 Ga (Wan et al., 2006). All of these sedimentary units were subjected to Late Paleoproterozoic metamorphism. In the Siberian Craton, the Paleoproterozoic sedimentary deposits are possibly marked passive margins of the Early Precambrian crustal blocks, and their high-grade metamorphism was related to the consolidation of the Siberian Craton.