Height transformation models from ellipsoidal into the normal orthometric height system for the territory of the City of Zagreb

The paper presents the testing of the possibility of determining the heights of GPS points in the homogeneous field in the new Croatian Height Reference System (HVRS71) by using the method of height transformation. The testing was made in the area of Zagreb. As part of the field works, normal orthometric heights of 27 GPS points were determined according to the new height system, by transferring the benchmark heights using the geometric levelling method, thus obtaining GPS/levelling points of known ellipsoidal and normal orthometric heights. The GPS/levelling points served as the basis for determining the transformation models that enabled the computation of normal orthometric heights from ellipsoidal heights of any GPS point in the observed area. The empirical data used for modelling were reduced undulation dN values of GPS/levelling points. As part of the dN modelling with parametric functions, the approximation surfaces were obtained on the basis of three polynomials: FN310, FN312 and FN318. The transformation models were also tested using non-parametric Watson and Loess algorithms. The FN318 and Loess models yielded the best results.     

Deep water ventilation traced by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Synechococcus</Emphasis> cyanobacteria

The paper describes a finding of photoautotroph cyanobacteria Synechococcus in deep Adriatic waters during the spring of 2006. The maximum abundance in early May was positioned at 800 m, being of order of the values referred for the surface waters in the Adriatic Sea. The deep abundance maximum has been associated to the fast ventilation of deep Adriatic waters, usually occurring during wintertime strong cooling events. Two processes were detected: (1) deep convection in the South Adriatic Pit (SAP) and (2) density current going downslope. The first process was responsible for bringing the cyanobacteria down to 600-m depth in the area of convection, and the second one triggered the downslope transport of the cyanobacteria to the SAP very bottom. The depletion rate of Synechoccocus cyanobacteria in an extremely hostile environment has been computed to equal about 1 month.     

A parallel mesh-free contaminant transport model based on the Analytic Element and Streamline Methods

This paper introduces a new method for simulating large-scale subsurface contaminant transport that combines an Analytic Element Method (AEM) groundwater flow solution with a split-operator Streamline Method for modeling reactive transport. The key feature of the method is the manner in which the vertically integrated AEM flow solution is used to construct three-dimensional particle tracks that define the geometry of the Streamline Method. The inherently parallel nature of the algorithm supports the development of reactive transport models for spatial domains much larger than current grid-based methods. The applicability of the new approach is verified for cases with negligible transverse dispersion through comparisons to analytic solutions and existing numerical solutions, and parallel performance is demonstrated through a realistic test problem based on the regional-scale transport of agricultural contaminants from spatially distributed sources.     

Azimuthal anisotropy of the Pg-wave velocity in hypocentral volumes of NW Croatia

Based on a large set of arrival times of the Pg phase reported by local and regional stations, we estimate azimuthal anisotropy of the Pg-wave velocity in focal volumes of the upper crust in NW Croatia. The method is based on analyses of the azimuthal dependence of ratios of cumulative differences of arrival times and travel paths between foci of earthquake pairs, computed for rays propagating within narrow azimuthal windows. The results clearly indicate the presence of anisotropy of 3.3% with the direction of fast velocity (approximately NNE-SSW) coinciding with the direction of the maximum tectonic pressure as revealed by 23 available focal mechanisms and previous geological investigations. Although a large part of observed anisotropy can be explained assuming that focal volumes are pervaded by a system of vertical extensive-dilatancy anisotropy (EDA) cracks aligned under the influence of local tectonic stress field, there is indication that — to a smaller extent — some role was also played by alignment of structural features in the region.     

Changes in Components of the Water Balance in the Croatian Lowlands

Summary ?This paper deals with variations and trends in some components of the water balance: the soil water content; evaporation loss from the soil (from the surface and underlying layers); transpiration; ground water recharge and runoff. These components are calculated by means of the Palmer procedure. This analysis is based on data from Osijek, Croatia from this century (1900–1995). Besides the meteorological input parameters necessary for the water balance calculations, i.e. precipitation, temperature and relative humidity, the pedological characteristics of this area have also been taken into account. Fluctuations have been considered by means of the 11-year binomial filtered series and linear trends were tested by means of the Mann-Kendall rank test. For a closer look on the trends of water balance components, a progressive analysis of the time series was performed, too. The results show a significant increase in potential evapotranspiration and evapotranspiration and decrease in runoff and soil water content has occurred during the century. Received February 22, 1999/Revised August 3, 1999     

The crystal structure of bøgvadite (Na2SrBa2Al4F20)

The crystal structure of bøgvadite, Na₂SrBa₂Al₄F₂₀, has been solved and refined to a R₁ factor of 4.4 % from single-crystal data (MoKα X-ray diffraction, CCD area detector) on a sample from the cryolite deposit at Ivittuut, SW Greenland. Bøgvadite is monoclinic, P2₁/n space group, with unit cell parameters a?=?7.134(1), b?=?19.996(3) and c?=?5.3440(8) Å, β?=?90.02(1)^o. A close proximity of the crystal structure to an orthorhombic symmetry and the presence of the two twin components in a nearly 1:1 ratio suggest that the investigated bøgvadite crystal has originally formed as a high-temperature orthorhombic polymorph which on cooling transformed to the stable low temperature monoclinic structure. The bøgvadite crystal structure has groupings of cation-fluoride coordination polyhedra similar to those found in the crystal structures of the genetically closely associated minerals jarlite and jørgensenite. However, its structure type is different from the latter two. The fluoridoaluminate framework of bøgvadite consists of infinite zig-zag chains of cis-connected AlF₆ coordination octahedra. The ¹ _∞[AlF₅] chains are interconnected by infinite chains of Na-F coordination polyhedra which extend in the same direction. Na is coordinated by nine F atoms if its full surrounding is taken in consideration, but makes significant chemical bonds only to closest five. The chains of AlF₆ and NaF₉ coordination polyhedra form double layers. In the centre of layers, relatively large voids in the form of pentagonal antiprisms are occupied by Sr atoms which make chemical bonds with the closest six F atoms. Between the SrF₁₀ coordinations in the centre of layers run empty channels. The double layers are interconnected by Ba atoms which are coordinated by eight F atoms and fill the spaces between the layers. Bøgvadite belongs to the group of fluoridoaluminates with infinite chains of cis-connected AlF₆ coordination octahedra, alike those found in the crystal structures of Ba-fluoridoaluminates.     

Gridded Croatian climatology for 1961–1990

In climatology, one of the most important pieces of information about the climate of a place or a region is information about the Climatological Normals (CLINO)—the average values of meteorological elements for a 30-year period. This kind of information usually comes in tables and is available for different observation sites from national meteorological services or from World Meteorological Organisation publications. The key issue, then, becomes how to interpolate these values over the entire area of interest to get reliable and accurate estimates (maps) of climatic elements. Here, the regression kriging framework has been applied for mapping of 20 climatological parameters for the 1961–1990 period for the 56,594 km² of Croatian territory, with a resolution of 1 km. In total, 152 main and climatological and 567 precipitation-measuring stations have been used in the analysis. Extensive pre-processing of metadata on station co-ordinates has been done, as well as completion of missing monthly averages. The final results are 20 climatological maps available in high resolution together with error maps and accuracy assessment measures.     

A note on the performance of the multiply-upstream semi-Lagrangian advection schemes for one-dimensional nonlinear momentum conservation equation

Summary Two-time-level multiply-upstream semi-Lagrangian schemes were examined in the case of the self-advecting, one-dimensional nonlinear momentum conservation equation. The shock formation process was analyzed. It is pointed out that the shocks cannot be created in the truncated systems satisfying the Pudykiewicz, Benoit and Staniforth criterion.The numerical integrations were restricted to 12 h. It was shown that, at least in the sub-CFL range, increased complexity of the scheme can compensate reduced horizontal resolution. A considerable sensitivity of the schemes with respect to the time step was detected. In the super-CFL mode, several windows on various time scales were found within which the Pudykiewicz, Benoit and Staniforth criterion was satisfied. The time step of 1.44 times the maximum time step allowed by the CFL criterion was used in the semi-Lagrangian runs.The super-CFL, semi-Lagrangian solutions were diverging progressively from the sub-CFL ones as the forecasts advanced. This was also reflected in the energy spectra.Unacceptably large energy losses were encountered in the super-CFL, semi-Lagrangian runs. Most of these losses could be explained by the reduced mean wind speed, i.e., the amplitude of the zero wavenumber wave. At the same time, the energy content in the shorter waves increased. In a more complex model, such a situation would resemble a loss of zonal, and an increase of transient eddy kinetic energy.A trajectory error measure was defined as the maximum absolute value of the distance between the actual arriving point of the particle originating at the estimated departure point, and the grid point assumed to be the arrival point in the semi-Lagrangian procedure. In contrast to the sub-CFL regime, this measure could reach a considerable fraction of the grid distance in the computations with the super-CFL time steps.In the physical system considered, the trajectories are determined only by the velocities at the departure points. With the semi-Lagrangian schemes the distances traveled by the particles are estimated on the basis of the velocities at the points downstream with respect to the departure points. Thus, unless the solution is smooth (in space and time) on the scales of the extrapolation distances/times, the upstream extrapolation does not promise the convergence of the solution.With 16 Figures