Mineral resources of China: Apparent controls on distribution

This paper attempts to define apparent mineral distribution patterns of China according to tectono-stratigraphic terrane geology. Associations between specific mineral and hydrocarbon deposits and specific tectono-stratigraphic terranes in China suggest that deposits of certain types are spatially constrained by terrane geology. The definition of specific tectono-stratigraphic terranes of China is a valuable initial step in interpreting the geologic history of the nation, although terrane analysis of China is at a very early stage. The recognition that specific deposit types are associated with specific tectono-stratigraphic terranes may make it possible to select appropriate analogues from elsewhere in the world to evaluate China's mineral and hydrocarbon potential. Additionally, understanding the associations between mineral and hydrocarbon deposits and tectono-stratigraphic terranes in China may serve as an aid to future exploration in the nation.     

Supergranular line profile variation of Mg i λ2852

The chromospheric network is barely visible in the Mg i 2852 line. Unlike in plages, where it shows well-defined self-reversed emission structure in the core, the line is an unreversed absorption feature in the network boundaries, exhibiting only a small blue asymmetry. In the network cell interiors, the line is unreversed and symmetrical.     

The decay of coronal loops brightened by flares and transients

The sizes and shapes of X-ray emitting loops brightened by flares and other coronal transients have been derived from the Skylab S-054 photographs. This information has been combined with estimates of temperature and emission measure derived from the photographs and from Solrad data to compute brightness decay times attributable to various coronal energy loss mechanisms. The computed decay times are compared to those actually observed. Examples are presented of the brightness decay of soft X-ray flare kernels, post-flare loops, and the coronal X-ray enhancement asssociated with an H filament disappearance.The computed decay time due to conductive losses is always found to be much more rapid than that due to radiative losses in the corona. However, the observed soft X-ray brightness decay times are always much longer than those computed from conductive cooling.The role of geometrical inhibition of conduction as discussed by Antiochos and Sturrock (1976a) is examined for these events. It is shown that this mechanism might be adequate to account for the observed results in two of the five cases examined, but it is inadequate in the other three. The possible breakdown of classical collisional thermal conductivity (Forslund, 1970) is examined and it is shown that this mechanism is not applicable to the cases presented here. Confirmation of the existence of the very high conductive fluxes predicted by the coronal flare conductive cooling models is sought from EUV and H observations. No evidence is found which unequivocally demonstrates the presence, at lower levels in the atmosphere, of very high conductive fluxes. The soft X-ray results are consistent with the continuation of evaporation driven by thermal conduction (Antiochos and Sturrock, 1976b) late into the decay phase of the event. In this case, no source of continued magnetic energy dissipation after the initial stages of the flare is required to explain the lifetime of the X-ray emitting loops.     

A numerical method for the solution of a line source under a free surface

A modified source-and-dipole type singularity panel method is proposed to calculate the flow properties for an oscillating arbitrary body in the presence of a free surface. The technique is based on Green's identity whereby the boundary value problem is expressed as a boundary integral equation which is solved numerically. The free-space Green function is used in the integral equation. To demonstrate the feasibility of the method, the problem of a pulsating submerged line source under a free surface is treated and results are compared with the exact solution.An excellent agreement with the theory is obtained for panel density of about ten panels per wavelength and paneled water surface length of two wavelengths with very low computing times, indicating the feasibility of the method for unsteady water wave problems.     

The drying up of Britain? A national estimate of changes in seasonal river flows from 11 Regional Climate Model simulations

As climate change may modify the hydrological cycle significantly, understanding the impact on river flow is important because it affects long‐term water resources planning. Here, we describe a high‐resolution British assessment of changes in river flows in the 2050s under 11 different realisations of HadRM3. In winter, river flows may either increase or decrease, with a wide range of possible decreases in summer flow. These results should encourage adaptation that copes with a broad range of future hydrological conditions. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Removing the Pressure Limitations on Flux Pile-Up Reconnection

In a recent Letter, Litvinenko, Forbes, and Priest (1996) claimed that the rate of the very fast flux-pile up reconnection is severely limited by the effects of plasma pressure. They considered however only two-dimensional, zero-vorticity flows. Here we show that this limitation is a feature of these restrictive assumptions and can be removed by relaxing either of them.