Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans in sediments from Hong Kong

Concentrations of 2,3,7,8-substituted polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) were determined in 14 sediment samples collected from four sites in the Mai Po Marshes Nature Reserve (within a RAMSAR Site) and from another six sites in Victoria Harbour and along the Hong Kong coastline. Elevated levels of PCDDs, and particularly OCDD, were detectable in all samples collected from the Mai Po Marshes and five of the six sites. In contrast to PCDDs, PCDFs were mainly found in sediment samples collected from industrial areas (Kwun Tong and To Kwa Wan) in Victoria Harbour. PCDD/F levels and congener profiles in the samples from the Mai Po Marshes Nature Reserve in particular show strong similarities to those reported in studies which have attributed similar elevated PCDD concentrations to nonanthropogenic PCDD sources.     

Stress tensor and focal mechanisms in the Dead Sea basin

We use the recorded seismicity, confined to the Dead Sea basin and its boundaries, by the Dead Sea Integrated Research (DESIRE) portable seismic network and the Israel and Jordan permanent seismic networks for studying the mechanisms of earthquakes in the Dead Sea basin. The observed seismicity in the Dead Sea basin is divided into nine regions according to the spatial distribution of the earthquakes and the known tectonic features. The large number of recording stations and the adequate station distribution allowed the reliable determinations of 494 earthquake focal mechanisms. For each region, based on the inversion of the observed polarities of the earthquakes, we determine the focal mechanisms and the associated stress tensor. For 159 earthquakes, out of the 494 focal mechanisms, we could determine compatible fault planes. On the eastern side, the focal mechanisms are mainly strike-slip mechanism with nodal planes in the N-S and E-W directions. The azimuths of the stress axes are well constrained presenting minimal variability in the inversion of the data, which is in agreement with the Eastern Boundary fault on the east side of the Dead Sea basin and what we had expected from the regional geodynamics. However, larger variabilities of the azimuthal and dip angles are observed on the western side of the basin. Due to the wider range of azimuths of the fault planes, we observe the switching of σ₁ and σ₂ or the switching of σ₂ and σ₃ as major horizontal stress directions. This observed switching of stress axes allows having dip-slip and normal mechanisms in a region that is dominated by strike-slip motion.     

Seismic velocities of granulite-facies xenoliths from Central Ireland: Implications for lower crustal composition and anisotropy

V_p and V_s values have been measured experimentally and calculated for granulite-facies lower crustal xenoliths from central Ireland close to the Caledonian Iapetus suture zone. The xenoliths are predominantly foliated and lineated metapelitic (garnet–sillimanite–K-feldspar) granulites. Their metapelitic composition is unusual compared with the mostly mafic composition of lower crustal xenoliths world-wide. Based on thermobarometry, the metapelitic xenoliths were entrained from depths of c. 20–25 ± 3.5 km and rare mafic granulites from depths of 31–33 ± 3.4 km. The xenoliths were emplaced during Lower Carboniferous volcanism and are considered to represent samples of the present day lower crust.V_p values for the metapelitic granulites range between 6.26 and 7.99 km s^{− 1} with a mean value of 7.09 ± 0.4 km s^{− 1}. Psammite and granitic orthogneiss samples have calculated V_p values of 6.51 and 6.23 km s^{− 1}, respectively. V_s values for the metapelites are between 3.86 and 4.34 km s^{− 1}, with a mean value of 4.1 ± 0.15 km s^{− 1}. The psammite and orthogneiss have calculated V_s values of 3.95 and 3.97 km s^{− 1}, respectively.The measured seismic velocities correlate with density and with modal mineralogy, especially the high content of sillimanite and garnet. V_p anisotropy is between 0.15% and 13.97%, and a clear compositional control is evident, mainly in relation to sillimanite abundance. Overall V_s anisotropy ranges from 1% to 11%. Poisson's ratio (σ) lies between 0.25 and 0.35 for the metapelitic granulites, mainly reflecting a high V_p value due to abundant sillimanite in the sample with the highest σ. Anisotropy is probably a function of deformation associated with the closure of the Iapetus ocean in the Silurian as well as later extension in the Devonian. The orientation of the bulk strain ellipsoid in the lower crust is difficult to constrain, but lineation is likely to be NE–SW, given the strike-slip nature of the late Caledonian and subsequent Acadian deformation.When corrected for present-day lower crustal temperature, the experimentally determined V_p values correspond well with velocities from the ICSSP, COOLE I and VARNET seismic refraction lines. Near the xenolith localities, the COOLE I line displays two lower crustal layers with in situ V_p values of 6.85–6.9 and 6.9–8.0 km s^{− 1}, respectively. The upper (lower velocity) layer corresponds well with the metapelitic granulite xenoliths while the lower (higher velocity) layer matches that of the basic granulite xenoliths, though their metamorphic pressures suggest derivation from depths corresponding to the present-day upper mantle.     

Long-term variability of active galactic nuclei from the ”Planck” catalog

A complete sample of 104 bright active galactic nuclei (AGNs) from the “Planck” catalog (early results) were observed at 36.8 GHz with the 22-m radio telescope of the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory (CrAO).Variability indices of the sources at this frequency were determined based on data from theWMAP space observatory, theMetsa¨ hovi RadioObservatory (Finland), and the CrimeanAstrophysical Observatory. New observational results confirm that the variability of these AGNs is stronger in the millimeter than at other radio wavelengths. The variability indices probably change as a result of the systematic decrease in the AGN flux densities in the transition to the infrared. Some radio sources demonstrate significant flux-density variations, including decreases, which sometimes cause them to fall out of the analysed sample. The change of the variability index in the millimeter is consistent with the suggestion that this variability is due to intrinsic processes in binary supermassive black holes at an evolutionary stage close to coalescence. All 104 of the sources studied are well known objects that are included in various radio catalogs and have flux densities exceeding 1 Jy at 36.8 GHz.     

The effect of maturation on the configuration of pristane in sediments and petroleum

The absolute stereochemistry of pristane in a sample of contemporary marine Zooplankton, Messel shale (Germany) and Djatibarang (Java) crude has been determined by gas Chromatographic methods. The relative stereochemistry in Irati shale (Brazil), Green River (U.S.) crude, Halibut (Australia) crude has also been determined, and confirmed for a sample of the Green River shale. The stereoisomer distributions indicate a loss of stereospecificity of the phytol-derived 6(R),10(S) pristane with increasing geological maturation. For example, the least mature geological sample, the Eocene Messel shale, contains solely the 6(R),10(S) isomer, whereas a mature sample, Djatibarang crude, contains 50% of the 6(R),10(S) isomer and 25% of each of the 6(R),10(R) and 6(S),10(S) isomers.     

Sensitivity of medium-range weather forecasts to the use of reference atmosphere

In this paper, the authors develop the earlier work of Chen Jiabin et al. (1986). In order to reduce spectral truncation errors, the reference atmosphere has been introduced in ECMWF model, and the spectrally-represented variables, temperature, geopotential height and orography, are replaced by their deviations from the reference atmos-phere. Two modified semi- implicit schemes have been proposed to alleviate the computational instability due to the introduction of reference atmosphere. Concerning the deviation of surface geopotential height from reference atmos-phere, an exact computational formulation has been used instead of the approximate one in the earlier work. To re-duce aliasing errors in the computations of the deviation of the surface geopotential height, a spectral fit has been used slightly to modify the original Gaussian grid-point values of orography.A series of experiments has been performed in order to assess the impact of the reference atmosphere on ECMWF medium- range forecasts at the resolution T21, T42 and T63, The results we have obtained reveal that the reference atmosphere introduced in ECMWF spectral model is generally beneficial to the mean statistical scores of 1000-200 hPa height 10-day forecasts over the globe. In the Southern Hemisphere, it is a clear improvement for T21, T42 and T63 throughout the 10-day forecast period, In the Northern Hemisphere, the impact of the reference atmos-phere on anomaly correlation is positive for resolution T21, a very slightly damaging at T42 and almost neutral at T63 in the range of day 1 to day 4. Beyond the day 4 there is a clear improvement at all resolutions.     

The application of cluster analysis in geophysical data interpretation

A clustering algorithm that is based on density and is adaptive density-reachable is developed and presented for arbitrary data point distributions in some real-world applications, especially in geophysical data interpretation. Through comparisons of the new algorithm and other algorithms, it is shown that the new algorithm can reduce the dependency of domain knowledge and the sensitivity of abnormal data points, that it can improve the effectiveness of clustering results in which data are distributed in different shapes and different densities, and that it can get a better clustering efficiency. The application of the new clustering algorithm demonstrates that data mining techniques can be used in geophysical data interpretation and can get meaningful and useful results, and that the new clustering algorithm can be used in other real-world applications.