Temperature variation in the mesosphere during solar eclipse

Rocket-borne observations of the extinction of solar hydrogen Lyman-alpha radiation made during the solar eclipses of 20 May 1966 at Karistos for normal and 44% visibility and of 7 March 1970 at East Quoddy for normal, 10% and 0.6% visibility have been used to study the variation of temperature in the mesosphere during these events. It is seen that near the mesopause the decrease of temperature at Karistos is by 20° K for 44% visibility and at East Quoddy by 100° K for 0.6% visibility. Possible causes of these temperature variationsvis-a-vis molecular oxygen and pressure variations have been briefly discussed.     

Mudbank regime off the Kerala coast during monsoon and non-monsoon seasons

Field experiments conducted in the nearshore ocean to understand the dynamics of mudbank off Kerala, south-west coast of India, are highlighted. Real time monitoring of the nearshore ocean off Purakkad, Kerala was accomplished using pressure transducers for nearshore surface wave measurements, and current sensors for nearshore velocity measurements. Comprehensive information on the spatial structure of mudbank was obtained from aerial surveys. Extensive data collected on surface waves and currents in the nearshore ocean, indicate that the infra-gravity (IG) waves (leaky modes and trapped edge wave modes), and far infra-gravity (FIG) waves coupled with strong shoreline reflections and undertow play an important role in the dynamics associated with the mudbanks off Kerala during the monsoon season. During the non-monsoon season evidence for progressive edge waves in the infragravity frequency band, an energetic gravity wave band and a strong undertow with weak reflections was observed.     

The influence of pulp density on the selective grinding of ores

The size distributions of the products from laboratory-scale batch grinds, of a leadzinc ore and a tin ore, were measured as a function of pulp density. A reduction in the overall grinding rate at high pulp densities correlated well with the increase in pulp viscosity. Enhanced fines production, apparent at the higher pulp densities, was however controlled largely by the particle packing and less by viscosity effects. The individual mineral distributions themselves responded differently to changes in pulp density. In particular, the extra fines generated at the high pulp densities consisted primarily of gangue material, with the softer ore minerals actually showing a drop in production. The addition of grinding aids, essentially viscosity modifiers, increased the grinding rate under certain conditions without producing any pronounced change in the selective grinding characteristics.     

A century of precipitation variability along the pacific coast of North America and its impact

Precipitation data at seven stations along the west coast of North America, dating back to 1851 at some stations, are synthesized by means of empirical orthogonal function analysis. Characteristics of runs of generally wet and generally dry conditions are quantified. A significant change in precipitation regime, lasting 41 yrs, occurred in the middle of this century and could return in the future. Drought occurrences, similar to midwestern United States episodes, appear in the data, but are not statistically verifiable. A single example of the interaction of precipitation variability and society is given. Man's actions amplify the impact of variability on hydroelectric power generation in two ways: Society adapts itself rapidly to transient beneficial conditions, creating a false sense of well-being; technology expands to consume maximum available resources, decreasing system resilience.     

Shock Wave Effects from the Impacts of Cosmic Objects with Diameters from 20 m to 3 km

Izvestiya, Physics of the Solid Earth - Abstract—Destruction on the Earth’s surface caused by a shock wave is one of the most important and dangerous effects from asteroid and comet...     

Detailed mineralogical-geochemical study of a large spinel Lherzolite xenolith in alkali basalt of Shavaryn Tsaram paleovolcano,Mongolia

Mineralogical-geochemical data obtained on a large xenolith of spinel lherzolite from basanites of Shavaryn Tsaram volcano (Middle Pleistocene) provide evidence that the xenolith was affected by heat and fluid that came from the basalt melt and induced geochemical heterogeneity of the xenolith. Olivine crystals from the central portion of the xenolith contain much more CaO than this mineral from the peripheral zones of the xenolith as well as in xenocrystals of the host basalts. The large xenolith was unevenly annealed by the host basalt melt, and this predetermined the heterogeneous diffusion-controlled “purification” of olivine crystals from their CaO admixture. The xenolith is heterogeneously enriched in LREE and some trace elements (Zr, Hf, Nb, Th, and U), and their distribution demonstrates unclearly pronounced concentric zoning: these elements enriched the outer portions of the xenolith. The enrichment of the xenolith in LREE and other mobile trace elements is explained by their occurrence not only as structurally bound (isomorphic) components in minerals but also in the form of nonstructural admixtures (contaminant), as minute grains of compounds hosted in the interstitial space and tiny cracks cutting mineral grains. The enrichment of the xenolith in these admixtures proceeded via their infiltration-controlled introduction with fluid from the basalt along minute cracks.     

Impact of satellite observed microwave SST on the simulation of tropical cyclones

The impact of realistic representation of sea surface temperature (SST) on the numerical simulation of track and intensity of tropical cyclones formed over the north Indian Ocean is studied using the Weather Research and Forecast (WRF) model. We have selected two intense tropical cyclones formed over the Bay of Bengal for studying the SST impact. Two different sets of SSTs were used in this study: one from TRMM Microwave Imager (TMI) satellite and other is the weekly averaged Reynold’s SST analysis from National Center for Environmental Prediction (NCEP). WRF simulations were conducted using the Reynold’s and TMI SST as model boundary condition for the two cyclone cases selected. The TMI SST which has a better temporal and spatial resolution showed sharper gradient when compared to the Reynold’s SST. The use of TMI SST improved the WRF cyclone intensity prediction when compared to that using Reynold’s SST for both the cases studied. The improvements in intensity were mainly due to the improved prediction of surface latent and sensible heat fluxes. The use of TMI SST in place of Reynold’s SST improved cyclone track prediction for Orissa super cyclone but slightly degraded track prediction for cyclone Mala. The present modeling study supports the well established notion that the horizontal SST gradient is one of the major driving forces for the intensification and movement of tropical cyclones over the Indian Ocean.     

A geochemical assessment of the middle and lower Mvoti river system,KwaZulu-Natal,South Africa

This paper presents one of the first investigations into the geochemical enrichment of the middle and lower Mvoti river system. Chemical elements are naturally present in aquatic sediments, but their concentrations tend to rise to potentially toxic levels via both natural and anthropogenic processes. This study evaluated the concentrations of aluminum, arsenic, boron, barium, cadmium, calcium, cobalt, chromium, copper, iron, lead, magnesium, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, phosphorous, selenium, silicon, strontium, titanium, vanadium and zinc, using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy. The levels of elements present were used to assess their spatial distribution within the river and to determine the contamination factors and enrichment factors for each element. The pollution load index (PLi) is another contributing parameter that was calculated to determine the degree of pollution at each site. The results indicate that the sediments of the Mvoti are low to moderately polluted and deteriorating with time (average PLi value of 5.19), and that a major contributing factor to this contamination is natural sources.