Southern Quebec (Canada) summer-season heat spells over the 1941–2000 period: an assessment of observed changes

Summary Summer-season (May–September) daily maximum temperature (T _max) and daily minimum temperature (T _min) observations and three types of heat spells obtained from these temperature observations at seven weather stations located in southern Quebec (Canada) for the 60-year period from 1941 to 2000 are studied to assess temporal changes in their characteristics (i.e. frequency of occurrence, seasonal hot days and extremal durations of heat spells). Type-A and Type-B heat spells are obtained respectively from T _max and T _min observations and Type-C heat spells from simultaneous joint observations of T _max and T _min using suitable thresholds and spells of duration ≥1-day and ≥3-day. The results of this investigation show that the majority of the selected percentiles (i.e. 5P, 10P, 25P, 50P, 75P, 80P, 90P, 92P, 95P, and 98P) of T _max observations show a negative time-trend with statistically significant decreases (at 10% level) in some of the higher percentiles and in the maximal values at four out of seven stations. Almost all of the selected percentiles (same as for the T _max) and the maximal and minimal values of T _min observations show a positive trend, with statistically significant increases for all seven stations. Examination of frequencies of occurrence of heat spells, seasonal hot days and annual extremes of heat spell durations indicate that many of these characteristics of heat spells have undergone statistically significant changes over time at some of the stations for Type-A and Type-B heat spells as compared to Type-C heat spells. The Type-C heat spells are generally small in number and are found to be relatively temporally stable. More severe Type-C heat spells, i.e. the ones having T _max and T _min values simultaneously above very high thresholds and with duration ≥3-day have been rarely observed in southern Quebec.     

Silica fume stabilization of an expansive clay subgrade and the effect of silica fume-stabilised soil cushion on its CBR

ABSTRACT

Expansive soil subgrades, which are subjected to dual swell-shrink problem consequent upon absorption and evaporation of water, need to be improved by chemical stabilization or compacted cushion or geosynthetic reinforcement in order that pavements constructed over them are even, stable and safe. This paper presents extensive experimental data on plasticity, free swell index (FSI) and compaction characteristics of a highly swelling expansive clay stabilized with varying silica fume contents. In another series of tests on a laterite soil to be used as a cushion over the expansive clay subgrade, plasticity properties, compaction characteristics and strength characteristics were determined at varied silica fume contents. Further, CBR of the expansive clay subgrade was determined in the laboratory stabilizing it with varied silica fume contents and providing a cushion of 50 mm thickness of silica fume-stabilized lateritic soil. Liquid limit (LL), plasticity index (PI) and free swell index (FSI) of the expansive clay decreased with increasing silica fume contents. The compaction and strength characteristics of both the soils improved with silica fume stabilization. The CBR of the expansive clay provided with silica fume-stabilized cushion improved significantly.     

On the Intensity Thresholds of the Network and Plage Regions

A period of minimum solar activity in April and May 1996 was used to analyze full-disk CaK spectroheliograms with the aim of deriving the intensity thresholds of the quiet network and the plages by applying the so-called inflexion point method. The average network intensity threshold is found to be influenced mainly by the seeing, whereas the average plage threshold shows an increasing trend from disk center towards the solar limb. Both parameters are compared with the results of other authors.     

Relocation of shallow earthquakes in southern Alaska using Joint Hypocenter Determination method

A subset of 2660 shallow earthquakes (0–50 km) that occurred from 1988 to 1996 in south central Alaska between 155°W and 145°W and 59°N and 63°N was relocated using the joint hypocenter determination (JHD) method. Both P- and S-wave observations recorded by the regional seismic network were used. Events were relocated in twenty different groups based on their geographic location and depth using two velocity models. As a result of the relocation, the majority of the hypocenters shifted downward, while the epicenter locations did not change significantly. The distribution of the shallow subduction zone earthquakes indicates the existence of two seismically independent blocks, with one block occupying the northeastern part and the other occupying the central and western parts of the study area. The boundary between the blocks is marked by a 15 to 20 km wide seismicity gap to the southeast of 149.5°W and 62°N. The analysis of the fault plane solutions for shallow subduction zone earthquakes shows that an overwhelming majority of the solutions represent normal, oblique-normal or strike-slip faulting with predominant WNW-ESE orientation of T-axes. This indicates a down-dip extensional regime for the subducting slab at shallow depths. Very few earthquakes yielded fault plane solutions consistent with thrusting on a contact zone between the overriding and subducting plates. This result may be an indication that currently either the strain energy is not released at the contact zone or it is associated with aseismic motion.     

Spectral analysis of oscillations with a time-variable frequency

Summary The paper presents a method of evaluating oscillations with a time-variable frequency using a computer. The given function is first interpolated at points which are not distributed equidistantly in time, but the digitizing step varies with time according to a known optional regularity. The spectrum of the obtained function is computed for various of these interpolations and tests are run to determine when the interpolation best compensates the time variation of the frequency. The initial and terminal frequency in the given sample is then determined. The usability of this method with respect to various types of oscillations with a variable frequency and its accuracy in comparison to sonagrams are discussed.     

The radioracemization of isovaline. Cosmochemical implications

The optically pure d- and l-enantiomers of isovaline (I), which cannot be racemized by ordinary chemical mechanisms involving α-hydrogen removal, and which has been isolated in apparently racemic form from the Murchison meteorite, have been subjected to partial radiolysis by the ionizing radiation from a 3000 Ci ⁶⁰Co γ-ray source. Both in the anhydrous and hydrated solid states and as solid sodium or hydrochloride salts each enantiomer suffered significant radioracemization of the undestroyed residue during its partial radiolysis. The sodium salt of isovaline in 0.1 M aqueous solution suffered extensive radiolysis with relatively small radiation doses, but showed no detectable radioracemization. The significance of these observations with respect to the primordial enantiomeric composition of the isovaline (and other amino acids) indigenous to meteroties is discussed.     

The PT phase relations of a primary oceanite from the Reykjanes peninsula,Iceland

The field relationships and petrographic features of the oceanites of the Reykjanes peninsula suggest that they might have originated as primary magmas. The principal phase relationships of primary liquids formed by the partial melting of lherzolites are defined. The phase relations obtained for oceanite RE78 between 0 and 30 kbar at dry conditions suggest that the oceanite originated as a primary magma at 25 kbar and 1580°C, and erupted at a temperature near 1300°C.     

一次弓状降雹回波区流场的反演

通过对一次典型弓状降雹回波区的流场进行反及特点分析,发现用矩不变量法反演出的回波区流场结构,与藤田关于弓状回波的概念模式非常吻合,利用该方法估测出的流场,散度场、涡度场所表现出的信息,与降雹实况是一致的,该研究可为中小尺度强天气的监测,提供高时空分辨率的流场资料。     

Levels of chlorinated hydrocarbons and trace metals in bivalves and nearshore sediments from the Dominican Republic

Bivalves (Crassostrea rizhophorae, Isognomon alatus, Codakia orbicularis Linné, and Tellina fausta) and sediment samples collected from 12 locations along the Dominican Republic coastline were used to assess the degree of nearshore contamination by selected chlorinated hydrocarbons and heavy metals. Concentrations of total chlordanes, DDTs and PCBs ranged from 0.51 to 7.47 ng/g, < MDL to 30.9 ng/g and 11.3 to 82.3 ng/g, and from < MDL to 1.73 ng/g, 0.21 to 12.5 ng/g and 0.46 to 41.9 ng/g in bivalves and surface sediments, respectively. The concentration ranges of predominantly anthropogenic Cu, Pb and Zn were 3.08–866 μg/g, 0.08–1.46 μg/g and 22.9–4380 μg/g in bivalve soft parts and 1.01–111 mg/g, 0.420–134 μg/g and 1.96–277 μg/g in surface sediments, respectively. Mercury concentrations ranged from 0.290 to 7.02 μg/g and from 0.096 to 0.565 μg/g in both matrices. The relatively high Hg concentrations found in bivalves from two stations in Bahia Samana, near to a known source of past Hg contamination in the sediments, require a more in-depth survey of the area. In general the concentrations of selected chlorinated hydrocarbons and trace metals, compared with those reported for the same matrices in the Caribbean and west Atlantic coastal areas, show at present the existence of only very localized contamination problems in the Dominican Republic.