On the Problem of Differential Payment for the Use of Different-Quality Surface Waters in Ukraine

The evolution of views and practical decisions regarding the problem of collecting payment for the use of surface waters with regard to their quality in the former USSR and present-day Ukraine is discussed. A simple and feasible method is proposed for differentitation of regional (basin) rates of payment for the use of surface water in Ukraine with allowance made for its quality assessed based on a system of environmental classifications.     

Propagation of cylindrical shock waves under the action of monochromatic radiation

A model of cylindrical shock waves is investigated under the action of monochromatic radiation into non-uniform stellar interiors with a constant intensity on a unit area. We have assumed that the radiation flux moves through the gas.     

The Galactic magnetic field as spectrograph for ultra-high energy cosmic rays

We study the influence of the regular component of the Galactic magnetic field (GMF) on the arrival directions of ultra-high energy cosmic rays (UHECRs). We find that, if the angular resolution of current experiments has to be fully exploited, deflections in the GMF cannot be neglected even for E = 10²⁰ eV protons, especially for trajectories along the Galactic plane or crossing the Galactic center region. On the other hand, the GMF could be used as a spectrograph to discriminate among different source models and/or primaries of UHECRs, if its structure would be known with sufficient precision. We compare several GMF models introduced in the literature and discuss for the example of the AGASA data set how the significance of small-scale clustering or correlations with given astrophysical sources are affected by the GMF. We point out that the non-uniform exposure to the extragalactic sky induced by the GMF should be taken into account estimating the significance of potential (auto-) correlation signals.     

On the possibility of faint molecular lines of PO,PH, MgH+, and CN in the solar spectrum

Equivalent width calculations for some electronic and vibration-rotation transitions of the molecules PO, PH, MgH^+f, and CN have been carried out for a few umbral, photospheric, and facular model atmospheres. It appears that a few weak lines of these molecules might show up in the umbral spectrum. Le Blanc bands of CN are too weak for detection in the solar spectrum.     

Isotope geology of the bakircay porphyry copper prospect,northern turkey

Isotopic data for the Bakircay granodiorite porphyry, give a Late Eocene age for the development of the porphyry copper system. They suggest a close temporal and genetic relationship between igneous and hydrothermal activity, and indicate that magmatic-hydrothermal fluids produced potassic alteration and that meteoric fluids enriched in radiogenic⁸⁷Sr were responsible for propylitic alteration. The granodiorite porphyry is petrologically similar to porphyry copper-related intrusions from island arc and continental margin settings, which form a group with initial⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios of less than 0. 7043, representing magmas produced in tectonic environments lacking any important component of old (i. e. Precambrian) continental material.     

The two-step shape and timing of the last deglaciation in Antarctica

The two-step character of the last deglaciation is well recognized in Western Europe, in Greenland and in the North Atlantic. For example, in Greenland, a gradual temperature decrease started at the Bölling (B) around 14.5 ky BP, spanned through the Alleröd (A) and was followed by the cold Younger Dryas (YD) event which terminated abruptly around 11.5 ky BP. Recent results suggest that this BA/YD sequence may have extended throughout all the Northern Hemisphere but the evidence of a late transition cooling is still poor for the Southern Hemisphere. Here we present a detailed isotopic record analyzed in a new ice core drilled at Dome B in East Antarctica that fully demonstrates the existence of an Antarctic cold reversal (ACR). These results suggest that the two-step shape of the last deglaciation has a worldwide character but they also point to noticeable interhemispheric differences. Thus, the coldest part of the ACR, which shows a temperature drop about three times weaker than that recorded during the YD in Greenland, may have preceded the YD. Antarctica did not experienced abrupt changes and the two warming periods started there before they started in Greenland. The links between Southern and Northern Hemisphere climates throughout this period are discussed in the light of additional information derived from the Antarctic dust record.     

OPserver: interactive online computations of opacities and radiative accelerations

Codes to compute mean opacities and radiative accelerations for arbitrary chemical mixtures using the Opacity Project recently revised data have been restructured in a client–server architecture and transcribed as a subroutine library. This implementation increases efficiency in stellar modelling where element stratification due to diffusion processes is depth dependent, and thus requires repeated fast opacity re-estimates. Three user modes are provided to fit different computing environments, namely, a web browser, a local workstation and a distributed grid.     

On the current-voltage relationship in auroral breakups and westwards-travelling surges

Auroral precipitating electrons pass through an acceleration region before entering the atmosphere. Regardless of what produces it, a parallel electric field is assumed to cause the acceleration. It is well known that from kinetic theory an expression for the corresponding upward field-aligned current can be calculated, which under certain assumptions can be linearized to j = KV. The K constant, referred to as the Lyons-Evans-Lundin constant, depends on the source density and thermal energy of the magnetospheric electrons; it is an important parameter in magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling models. However, the K parameter is still rather unknown, and values are found in a wide range of 10^–8–10^–10Sim^–2. In this study, we investigated how the type of auroral structure affects the K values. We look at onset and westwards-travelling surge (WTS) events and make comparisons with earlier results from observations of more stable auroral arcs. A new analysis technique for studying those magnetospheric parameters using ground-based measurements is introduced. Electron density measurements are taken with the EISCAT radar, and through an inversion technique the flux-energy spectra are calculated. Source densities, thermal energies and potential drops are estimated from fittings of accelerated Maxwellian distributions. With this radar technique we have the possibility to study the changes of the mentioned parameters during the development of onsets and the passage of surges over EISCAT. The study indicates that the linearization of the full Knight formulation holds even for the very high potential drops and thermal temperatures found in the dynamic onset and WTS events. The values of K are found to be very low, around 10^–11Sm^–2 in onset cases as well as WTS events. The results may establish a new technique where ionospheric measurements are used for studying the ionosphere-magnetosphere coupling processes.     

Groundwater control of mangrove surface elevation: Shrink and swell varies with soil depth

We measured monthly soil surface elevation change and determined its relationship to groundwater changes at a mangrove forest site along Shark River, Everglades National Park, Florida. We combined the use of an original design, surface elevation table with new rod-surface elevation tables to separately track changes in the mid zone (0–4 m), the shallow root zone (0–0.35 m), and the full sediment profile (0–6 m) in response to site hydrology (daily river stage and daily groundwater piezometric pressure). We calculated expansion and contraction for each of the four constituent soil zones (surface [accretion and erosion; above 0 m], shallow zone [0–0.35 m], middle zone [0.35–4 m], and bottom zone [4–6]) that comprise the entire soil column. Changes in groundwater pressure correlated strongly, with changes in soil elevation for the entire profile (Adjusted R² = 0.90); this relationship was not proportional to the depth of the soil profile sampled. The change in thickness of the bottom soil zone accounted for the majority (R² = 0.63) of the entire soil profile expansion and contraction. The influence of hydrology on specific soil zones and absolute elevation change must be considered when evaluating the effect of disturbances, sea level rise, and water management decisions on coastal wetland systems.     

Temporal Assessment of Growing Stock, Biomass and Carbon Stock of Indian Forests

The dynamics of terrestrial ecosystems depends on interactions between carbon, nutrient and hydrological cycles. Terrestrial ecosystems retain carbon in live biomass (aboveground and belowground), decomposing organic matter, and soil. Carbon is exchanged naturally between these systems and the atmosphere through photosynthesis, respiration, decomposition, and combustion. Human activities change carbon stock in these pools and exchanges between them and the atmosphere through land-use, land-use change, and forestry.In the present study we estimated the wood (stem) biomass, growing stock (GS) and carbon stock of Indian forests for 1984 and 1994. The forest area, wood biomass, GS, and carbon stock were 63.86 Mha, 4327.99 Mm³, 2398.19 Mt and 1085.06 Mt respectively in 1984 and with the reduction in forest area, 63.34 Mha, in 1994, wood biomass (2395.12 Mt) and carbon stock (1083.69 Mt) also reduced subsequently. The Conifers, of temperate region, stocked maximum carbon in their woods, 28.88 to 65.21 t C ha⁻¹, followed by Mangrove forests, 28.24 t C ha⁻¹, Dipterocarp forests, 28.00 t C ha⁻¹, and Shorea robusta forests, 24.07 t C ha⁻¹. Boswellia serrata, with 0.22 Mha forest area, stocked only 3.91 t C ha⁻¹. To have an idea of rate of carbon loss the negative changes (loss of forest area) in forest area occurred during 1984–1994 (10yrs) and 1991–1994 (4yrs) were also estimated. In India, land-use changes and fuelwood requirements are the main cause of negative change. Total 24.75 Mt C was lost during 1984–1994 and 21.35 Mt C during 1991–94 at a rate of 2.48 Mt C yr⁻¹ and 5.35 Mt C yr⁻¹ respectively. While in other parts of India negative change is due to multiple reasons like fuelwood, extraction of non-wood forest products (NWFPs), illicit felling etc., but in the northeastern region of the country shifting cultivation is the only reason for deforestation. Decrease in forest area due to shifting cultivation accounts for 23.0% of the total deforestation in India, with an annual loss of 0.93 Mt C yr⁻¹.