Comparison of acoustic instruments in an atmospheric turbulent flow over water

In the fall of 1968 an International Intercomparison Experiment was conducted to compare, among other things, acoustic anemometers designed for measurements of atmospheric turbulence. Excellent agreement was obtained in measurements of the vertical component, but an important discrepancy was revealed in measurements of the downwind velocity. The discrepancy proved far more significant in the cospectra than in the spectra themselves. It is evident that great care must be taken in the design of such instruments. An acoustic instrument was shown to have insufficient signal-to-noise ratio to serve as a thermometer under the near-neutral conditions often encountered over water.Comparison of the data-handling and data-analysis techniques showed that although the methods differed widely, the results were essentially identical.     

The evolution of Central Asiatic geosynclines through sea-floor spreading

Late Precambrian-Early Paleozoic and Middle Paleozoic oceanic basins are reconstructed in the orogenic belt of Central Asia. These basins coincide with eugeosynclinal ophiolites which can be considered as remnants of a former oceanic floor. As these ophiolites are of decreasing age from the edges of the eugeosynclinal zones toward their centres, one can assume the creation of an ancient oceanic basin by a sea-floor spreading process. Restored oceanic basins can be considered as analogues of present marginal and inland seas. The distinct structural-magmatic zonal pattern came into existence during the generation of a given oceanic basin. This pattern appears to be governed by the ancient Benioff zone along which energy and light lithophile substance ascended as mantle diapir.     

Certain peculiarities in the distribution of mercury in meteorites

This paper presents chemical analyses of mercury in 123 specimens of 58 meteorites. A statistical comparison is made of the mercury content in meteorites (using all available data) as a function of their composition and texture.The average mercury abundance in stony meteorites is estimated as 6.6 ppm. Stony and iron meteorites differ significantly in mercury content. Among stones, chondrites and achondrites show significant differences in the mercury content. In ordinary cbondrites, mineralogy and texture do not seem to have a significant influence on the distribution of mercury, judging from the available number of analyses. Carbonaceous chondrites, in which we found up to 500 ppm mercury, stand out among all other varieties of chondrites. Iron meteorites fall at the other extreme, having the lowest mercury concentrations (generally 0-0x ppm). In specimens of several meteorite classes, troilite is a good mercury concentrator, having a consistently higher mercury content than the meteorite as a whole. Nonetheless, troilite generally accounts for less than one-half the total mercury content of the meteorite.     

The concentration of molecular H2 and CH4 in the stratosphere

Stratospheric profiles of CH₄ and H₂ over eastern Texas have been derived up to 31 km altitude from air samples collected aboard a balloon and analyzed by gas chromatography. For H₂, contamination during flight and measurement presented a problem which has been resolved only recently. The earlier profiles require corrections which are rather large for the highest altitudes.The three profiles indicate an increase of the H₂ concentration in the lower stratosphere from about 0.5 p.p.m. per volume at the tropopause to about 0.8 p.p.m. at around 27 km altitude. Above that altitude the H₂ concentration decreases again. An air sample collected between 44 and 62 km by a rocket-borne cryogenic sampler had an H₂ concentration of 0.4 p.p.m.The five CH₄ profiles showed a decrease in CH₄ concentration with altitude generally with a steeper gradient directly above the tropopause and a weaker gradient at higher altitudes reaching 0.9 p.p.m. at 30 km altitude. The CH₄ concentration in the rocket sample was 0.25 p.p.m., in good agreement with the gradient obtained from the balloon samples.The National Center for Atmospheric Research is sponsored by the National Science Foundation.     

Mercury in Australian oysters

Oysters destined for the table in Sydney are alleged to be contaminated with mercury. Analyses performed by the New South Wales Department of Health show that they contain no more mercury than oysters far from sources of pollution.