Equivalent thickness of the outer ionosphere obtained by evaluation of Faraday records

With an appropriate system of higher order approximations the Faraday-effect is calculated for instantaneous ionospheric models the data of which are derived from the results of vertical soundings. Only one parameter which corresponds to the thickness of the outer ionosphere is left open; it is determined by global comparison with simultaneous Faraday-observations of satellite emissions. The thickness parameter shows various forms of variation with latitude; an increase towards north is the rule for quiet daytime conditions. Comparison with local methods shows considerable differences due to the indetermination of the absolute number of rotations.     

Buchbesprechungen

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Zur Luftverunreinigung durch turbulente Diffusion

Zusammenfassung Nach einer kurzen Diskussion der theoretischen Grundlagen für die Berechnung der Ausbreitung von schädlichen Beimengungen der Luft auf Grund der Gesetzmäßigkeiten der turbulenten Diffusion wird mit Hilfe der vonPasquill angegebenen empirischen Beziehungen zwischen Streuungsmaßen und Quelldistanz die Formel für die Immissionskonzentration am Boden abgeleitet. An Hand einer Reihe von Beispielen wird das Bodenkonzentrationsfeld relativ zu dem Punkt maximaler Immissionskonzentration berechnet, wobei eine feste Schornsteinhöhe von 40 m und eine für mittlere Emittenten zutreffende Auswurfmenge an schädlichen Gasen vorausgesetzt wird. Die Abbildungen zeigen die starke Modifikation des Konzentrationsfeldes durch die meteorologischen Verhältnisse, je nachdem, ob ein stabiler, indifferenter oder labiler Ausbreitungstyp vorliegt.

---

Summary After a short discussion of the theoretical background for the calculation of the spreading of the noxious pollutants of the air based on the laws of turbulent diffusion a formula is derived for the concentration of the immisison on the ground with help of the empirical relations between the dispersion measures and the distance from the source given byPasquill. In some examples the concentration field at the ground relative to the point of maximum immission is calculated, considering a fixed height of the funnel of 40 m and a quantity of noxious gases as usually found with average emittents. The figures show a strong modification of the concentration field by the meteorological situation according to whether the spreading type is stable, indifferent or unstable.

---

Résumé On discute tout d'abord brièvement les fondements théoriques permettant de calculer la propagation des pollutions atmosphériques; pour ce faire, on se base sur les lois de la diffusion turbulente. On en tire ensuite une formule de calcul de la concentration des immissions à l'aide des relations empiriques dePasquill, relations existant entre les quantités répandues et la distance de la source. On calcule au moyen d'une série d'exemples le champ des concentrations au sol par rapport au point de concentration maximum; pour ce faire, on admet und chemineé fixe de 40 mètres de hauteur et une quantité de gaz nocifs correspondant à une moyenne de polluants. Les figures montrent la forte modification que subit la répartition des concentrations selon les conditions météorologiques, en d'autres termes si l'on a affaire à un type de propagation stable, indifférent ou instable.

---

---

Mit 5 Textabbildungen     

Note on the propagation of waves from a spherical cavity in an infinite solid

Summary The present note, as its title implies, is concerned with the investigation of disturbances in an infinite elastic medium containing an initial magnetic field in the axial direction. The equations ofMaxwell, those of elasticity have been effectively made use of to solve the problem.     

Climatic satellite monitoring of the external heat balance of the oceans and Black Sea

The long-wave outgoing radiation, effective cloudiness equal to the product of the total cloud amount by their optical density, and the sea-surface temperature determined from the satellites are used to determine the annual course of the components of external heat balance on the sea surface whose climatic anomalies, parallel with the meridional heat and water transfer in the ocean-atmosphere system, specify the intraannual and interannual large-scale variations of weather in different regions of the Earth. The development of these studies is connected with the progress of satellite hydrophysics because the data obtained from the space become sufficiently exact, regular, and global. The increase in the existing data array on the external heat balance of the oceans from ∼15–20 to 100 yr and more would promote the solution of the problem of oscillations of Earth's climate. We present examples of coordinated numerical analysis of the heat balance of the upper (0–100 m ) layer of the Black Sea performed on the basis of the shipborne and satellite data. __________ Translated from Morskoi Gidrofizicheskii Zhurnal, No. 6, pp. 59–75, November–December, 2007.     

Isotopic variation of fishes in freshwater and estuarine zones of a large subtropical coastal lagoon

We used stable C and N isotope ratios of tissues from 29 fish species from a large subtropical lagoon in southern Brazil to examine spatial variability in isotopic composition and vertical trophic structure across freshwater and estuarine habitats. Nitrogen isotope ratios indicated a smooth gradation in trophic positions among species, with most fishes occupying the secondary and tertiary consumer level. Fish assemblages showed a significant shift in their carbon isotopic signatures between freshwater and estuarine sites. Depleted carbon signatures (from −24.7‰ to −17.8‰) were found in freshwater, whereas more enriched signatures (from −19.1‰ to −12.3‰) were obtained within the estuarine zone downstream. Based on our survey of the C₃ and C₄ plants and isotopic values for phytoplankton and benthic microalgae reported for ecosystems elsewhere, we hypothesized that the observed δ¹³C differences in the fish assemblage between freshwater and estuarine sites is due to a shift from assimilating organic matter ultimately derived from C₃ freshwater marsh vegetation and phytoplankton at the freshwater site (δ¹³C ranging from −25‰ to −19‰), to C₄ salt-marsh (e.g. Spartina) and widgeon grass (Ruppia maritima), benthic microalgae and marine phytoplankton at the estuarine sites (from −18‰ to −12‰). Our results suggested that fish assemblages are generally supported by autochthonous primary production. Freshwater fishes that likely were displaced downstream into the estuary during periods of high freshwater discharge had depleted δ¹³C values that were characteristic of the upper lagoon. These results suggest that spatial foodweb subsidies can occur within the lagoon.     

Fate and effects of a heavy fuel oil spill on a Georgia salt marsh

Addition of a heavy oil to a Spartina salt marsh in the autumn resulted in high concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in sediment and benthic animals. The highest concentrations of phenanthrene, chrysene and fluoranthene in the sediment were 112, 105 and 75 ng/g sediment, respectively. These concentrations rapidly decreased during the 20 week period following the spill. The times for these hydrocarbons to decrease to 50% of their highest values, i.e. half-life, were approximately 100, 70 and 30 days in sediment, mussels and oysters, respectively. Benthic macrofauna species showed three responses to oil addition which included no change, an increase, or a decrease in the population. No changes were noted in populations of fiddler crabs (Uca pugnax), oysters (Crassostrea virginica), and mussels (Modiolus demissus). Mud snails (Nassarius obsoleta) increased in density after the spill due to immigration of adult snails from untreated areas to scavenge on animals killed by the oil. Many of the adult periwinkles (Littorina irrorata) were killed by the oil. In the spring, juvenile periwinkles recolonised to oiled areas as a result of larvae settling.     

Lower Tertiary volcanic rocks off Kristiansund — Mid Norway

Grab samples from the Norwegian continental shelf show that diapiric structures occurring within a sequence of Mesozoic and Tertiary sediments represent volcanic rocks consisting of porphyritic olivine-nephelinite. The KAr age of 55.7 ± 0.9 m.y. shows that the area affected by Lower Tertiary magmatism in the North Atlantic region also included the continental shelf off Mid Norway. The highly undersaturated nature of these volcanic rocks, however, indicates that they are unlikely to be closely related to the widespread tuff horizons of the same age known from the North Sea.     

Free vibration of semisubmersibles: A parametric study

Like any other engineering structure, the dynamic aspects of semisubmersible offshore platforms require serious consideration. The free vibrations of the semisubmersible structures have been investigated in the present work, in which the effect of the variation of the length, draft and hull spacings on the natural frequencies and mode shapes has been studied and the nature of the variations and their reasons have been discussed.