Using the SWAT Model for Studying the Hydrological Regime of a Small River Basin (the Komarovka River,Primorsky Krai)

The research describes the experience of using digital models (of terrain, soil, and vegetation) for the underlying surface of the catchment for developing the spatial structure of the open-source SWAT (Soil and Water Assessment Tool) hydrological model. The hydrological regime for the Komarovka River basin (616 km²) is simulated with a daily resolution using the data of Primorskaya water balance station and the modern observation network of Primorye Administration for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring. It is found that the calculated and measured runoff hydrographs are generally in good agreement, and the model is suitable for describing the hydrological regime of mid-latitude rivers where rainfall floods prevail. The model well reproduces average water years, underestimates the peaks caused by intense rainfall of the typhoon origin and overestimates baseflow.     

Daytime ionosphere of Venus as studied with Veneras 9 and 10 dual-frequency radio occultation experiments

We present results of the dual-frequency radio sounding of the Venusian ionosphere carried out by the Venera 9 and 10 satellites in 1975. Thirteen height profiles of electron density for different solar zenith angles varying from 10 to 87° have been obtained by analyzing the refraction bending of radiorays in the sounded ionssphere. The main maximum of electron density at a height of 140–150 km depends on the solar zenith angle and is 1.4 to 5 × 10⁵ cm^?3. The lower maximum is determined definitely to be at ～130 km high. In the main and lower maxima the electron density variations with solar zenith angle are in good agreement with the Chapman layer theory. For the first time it is found that the height of the upper boundary for the daytime ionosphere (h_i) depends regularly on the solar zenith angle. At Z_⊙ < 60°, h_i does not exceed 300 km while at Z_⊙ > 60°, it increases with Z_⊙ and comes up to ～ 600 km at Z_⊙ ～ 80°.     

Effect of the ionosphere on electromagnetic waves from ground-based emitter in the frequency band 1–10 Hz

The results of the first experimental reception of electromagnetic signals, emitted by the ground antenna at frequencies of 1–10 Hz in the transition zone in the case when the distance from the transmitter is comparable with the equivalent waveguide height, are presented. The works were performed episodically in 2006, in different seasons and at different time of day, under quiet geomagnetic conditions. A pronounced effect of the state of the ionosphere on the received signal value was found out at distances about 80 km from the transmitter; in this case the seasonal manifestations were more substantial than the daily ones. The obtained results indicate that it is necessary to take into account the effect of the ionosphere on the wave amplitude in the transition zone, when the electromagnetic sounding of the Earth’s structure is performed at frequencies of 1–10 Hz, and that it is reasonable to use artificial waves in this band to perform quasi-vertical sounding of the ionosphere.     

Tidal effects in the controlled-source ULF electromagnetic field on the Baltic crystalline shield

The results of the experiment on studying the dynamics of the electromagnetic field (EM) generated by the stationary controlled ULF-band source during 30 days on the Baltic crystalline shield are presented. Diurnal variations in the EM fields and slow variations in the surface impedance with a period of about 14 days are revealed. The diurnal variations in the fields are mainly due to the fluctuations in the ionospheric parameters caused by the changes in the daytime ionization of the ionosphere by solar radiation. By comparing the harmonic component with a period of about 14 days, which was established in the time series of surface impedance, with the slow tidal deformations of the Earth’s crust, we revealed the correlation between the EM variations and tidal processes in the Earth. The estimates for the probable changes induced by tidal deformations in the structure and conductivity of the underlying medium are obtained by modeling.     

Phase variations of ULF magnetic field in the region of fault tectonics

The experiment on phase measurements of three components of a ULF magnetic field generated by a high-power controlled source in the region dominated by fault tectonics is described. The measurements were carried out along two orthogonal directions. It is established that the phase sharply varies by about 180° between some measurement points. The phase jumps are found to be confined to the conductive geological faults, which opens the possibility of locating the faults using the phases of ELF magnetic fields.     

The structure of extremely low frequency field reflected by the ionosphere

The amplitudes of variations in the magnetic and electric fields at extremely low frequencies were studied on the Kola Peninsula during a five-day-long experiment under different geophysical conditions. These studies demonstrated that the influence of the ionosphere is distinguishable at frequencies of <10 Hz and the structure of field variations reflected by the ionosphere is similar to that of the transverse wave. It is established that the ratio between semimajor axes of polarization ellipses of the electric and magnetic fields is independent of the state of the ionosphere and is likely determined by the deep structure of the crust beneath the site of the experiment.     

Dynamics of “jumping” Trojans: a perturbative treatment

The term “jumping” Trojan was introduced by Tsiganis et al. (Astron Astrophys 354:1091–1100, 2000) in their studies of long-term dynamics exhibited by the asteroid (1868) Thersites, which had been observed to jump from librations around \(L_4\) to librations around \(L_5\). Another example of a “jumping” Trojan was found by Connors et al. (Nature 475:481–483, 2011): librations of the asteroid 2010 TK7 around the Earth’s libration point \(L_4\) preceded by its librations around \(L_5\). We explore the dynamics of “jumping” Trojans under the scope of the restricted planar elliptical three-body problem. Via double numerical averaging we construct evolutionary equations, which allow analyzing transitions between different regimes of orbital motion.