JP3D compression of solar data-cubes: Photospheric imaging and spectropolarimetry

Hyperspectral imaging is an ubiquitous technique in solar physics observations and the recent advances in solar instrumentation enabled us to acquire and record data at an unprecedented rate. The huge amount of data which will be archived in the upcoming solar observatories press us to compress the data in order to reduce the storage space and transfer times. The correlation present over all dimensions, spatial, temporal and spectral, of solar data-sets suggests the use of a 3D base wavelet decomposition, to achieve higher compression rates. In this work, we evaluate the performance of the recent JPEG2000 Part 10 standard, known as JP3D, for the lossless compression of several types of solar data-cubes. We explore the differences in: a) The compressibility of broad-band or narrow-band time-sequence; I or V Stokes profiles in spectropolarimetric data-sets; b) Compressing data in [x,y, λ] packages at different times or data in [x,y,t] packages of different wavelength; c) Compressing a single large data-cube or several smaller data-cubes; d) Compressing data which is under-sampled or super-sampled with respect to the diffraction cut-off.     

澳大利亚中部Alice Spring红色表土磁学特征分析

炎热干旱的澳大利亚中部是现代正在形成红色地表的区域。围绕中部Alice Spring地区采集了一系列红色地表样品。这些红色样品按照岩性大致可以分为三类: 砂土、沙丘砂和岩石。通过对这些样品详细的磁学测量, 发现这三类样品存在明显磁学特征差异, 红色砂土和沙丘砂样品磁化率较岩石样品高出许多(砂土和沙丘砂磁化率均值为93.82×10-8m3/kg), 红色岩石样品磁化率值最低(均值为23.2×10-8m3/kg); 三者主要磁性矿物也不尽相同; 磁颗粒均以超顺磁(SP)颗粒为主, 而单畴(SD)颗粒含量少。研究区百分比频率磁化率χfd % 均值为8.28 %, 较黄土高原西部表土(兰州为3.5 %)高出许多。该区现代年降水量约300mm, 比兰州(约330mm)还低, 成土导致百分比频率磁化率增高却比兰州明显高出几倍。这可能反映了黄土高原表土频率磁化率增高与降水量密切相关; 而在澳洲中部可能与持续高温成土条件和作用的时间存在更密切的关系。澳洲中部不论岩石还是表土均以红色为主。磁学实验表明, 砂土和沙丘砂样品均以磁铁矿为主, 三类样品普遍含一定量磁赤铁矿和赤铁矿的贡献, 与地表红色外貌相符。说明澳洲红色地表过程很可能是黑色磁铁矿颗粒表面被长期氧化条件下形成的红色磁赤铁矿/赤铁矿所包裹的现象, 使得澳洲中部广大地区岩石露头和地表沉积物, 普遍形成一层红色染色层。     

Speciation of gold in hydrosulphide-rich ore-forming fluids: Insights from first-principles molecular dynamics simulations

To shed light on gold speciation in sulfur-containing ore-forming fluids, we perform first principles molecular dynamics (FPMD) simulations to investigate gold-hydrosulphide complexing under representative geological conditions. With this advanced technique, the electronic structures of solutes and solvents are calculated with density functional theory and the thermal motions are sampled with molecular dynamics. The molecular structures, solvated structures and stabilities of possible complexes are characterized in detail and the following insights have been gained. (1) The previously hypothesized species Au(HS)(H₂S)₃ and Au(HS) are found unstable under ore-forming conditions. Au(HS)(H₂S)₃ would dissociate to LAu(HS) (L = H₂S or H₂O) and free H₂S molecules spontaneously. Au(HS) is highly reactive and tends to capture a second ligand to form a double-coordinated complex. (2) In the thin vapor-like phases of low pressures, the stable complexes include Au(HS)(H₂O), Au(HS)(H₂S) and Au(HS)₂⁻ and their relative stability is Au(HS)₂⁻ > Au(HS)(H₂S) > Au(HS)(H₂O). In dense aqueous phases of high pressures, Au(HS)(H₂S) would spontaneously deprotonate to Au(HS)₂⁻ and thus Au(HS)(H₂O) and Au(HS)₂⁻ are the stable forms. All of these complexes can retain to the upper-limit of ore-forming temperatures. (3) The gold ions in the complexes do not favor coordinating more molecules and therefore the solvations happen mainly through H-bonding interactions between the ligands and environmental waters. H-bonds are found in vapor, liquid, and dense supercritical phases, whereas in the thin supercritical phase the hydration is very weak. These results provide quantitative and microscopic basis for understanding the speciation of gold in hydrothermal fluids.     

Heavy metals in mangrove sediments of the central Arabian Gulf shoreline,Saudi Arabia

To assess heavy metals in mangrove swamps of Sehat and Tarut coastal areas along the Arabian Gulf, 18 sediment samples were collected for Al, V, Cr, Mn, Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb, Hg, Sr, As, Fe, Co, and Ni analysis. The results indicated that the distribution of some metals was largely controlled by anthropogenic inputs, while others were of terrigenous origin and most strongly associated with distribution of aluminum and total organic carbon in sediments. Mangrove sediments were extremely severe enriched with Sr (EF?=?67.59) and very severe enriched with V, Hg, Cd, Cu, As (EF?=?44.28, 37.45, 35.77, 25.97, and 11.53, respectively). Average values of Sr, V, Hg, Cd, Cu, Ni, As, and Cr were mostly higher than the ones recorded from the Mediterranean Sea, the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aqaba, the Caspian Sea, the Arabian and Oman gulfs, coast of Tanzania, sediment quality guidelines, and the background shale and the earth crust. Landfilling due to coastal infrastructure development around mangrove forests, oil spills and petrochemical and desalination effluents from Al-Jubail industrial city to the north were the anthropogenic activities that further enhanced heavy metals in the studied mangrove sediments.     

Mn-oxides and sequestration of heavy metals in a suburban catchment basin of the Chesapeake Bay watershed

The Chesapeake Bay is greatly impacted by numerous pollutants including heavy metals and understanding the controls on the distribution of heavy metals in the watershed is critical to mitigation and remediation efforts in controlling this type of pollution. Clasts from a stormwater catchment basin draining a subdivision near George Mason University, Fairfax VA (38°50.090°N 78°19.204°W) were investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning electron microcopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) to determine the nature of Mn-oxide coatings and relationship to bound heavy metals. Mn-oxides are poorly crystalline and occur as subhedral to anhedral platy particles and more rarely as euhedral plates. Micronodules are a commonly observed texture. Chemical compositions of coatings are variable with average major constituent concentrations being Mn (33.38 wt%), Fe (11.88 wt%), Si (7.33 wt%), Al (5.03 wt%), and Ba (0.90 wt%). Heavy metals are found in the coatings with Zn being most prevalent, occurring in approximately 58% of analyses with an average concentration of (0.66 wt%). Minor amounts of Co, Ni, Pb, and Cl are observed. Heavy metals and Cl are interpreted as being derived from road pollution. Mn-oxides can serve as a sequestration mechanism for pollution but may also release heavy metals. Field and laboratory observations indicate Mn-oxides occurring on the surface of the clasts can be mechanically mobilized. This is a mechanism for transporting heavy metals into the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Deicing agents may serve as a mechanism to release heavy metals through cation exchange and increased ionic strength. This is the first detailed mineralogical investigation of Mn-oxides and the roles they may play in pollution in the Chesapeake Bay.     

Position and velocity perturbations for the determination of geopotential from space geodetic measurements

Although space geodetic observing systems have been advanced recently to such a revolutionary level that low Earth Orbiting (LEO) satellites can now be tracked almost continuously and at the unprecedented high accuracy, none of the three basic methods for mapping the Earth’s gravity field, namely, Kaula linear perturbation, the numerical integration method and the orbit energy-based method, could meet the demand of these challenging data. Some theoretical effort has been made in order to establish comparable mathematical modellings for these measurements, notably by Mayer-Gürr et al. (J Geod 78:462–480, 2005). Although the numerical integration method has been routinely used to produce models of the Earth’s gravity field, for example, from recent satellite gravity missions CHAMP and GRACE, the modelling error of the method increases with the increase of the length of an arc. In order to best exploit the almost continuity and unprecedented high accuracy provided by modern space observing technology for the determination of the Earth’s gravity field, we propose using measured orbits as approximate values and derive the corresponding coordinate and velocity perturbations. The perturbations derived are quasi-linear, linear and of second-order approximation. Unlike conventional perturbation techniques which are only valid in the vicinity of reference mean values, our coordinate and velocity perturbations are mathematically valid uniformly through a whole orbital arc of any length. In particular, the derived coordinate and velocity perturbations are free of singularity due to the critical inclination and resonance inherent in the solution of artificial satellite motion by using various types of orbital elements. We then transform the coordinate and velocity perturbations into those of the six Keplerian orbital elements. For completeness, we also briefly outline how to use the derived coordinate and velocity perturbations to establish observation equations of space geodetic measurements for the determination of geopotential.     

河北省丰宁县茶棚银矿地质、地球物理特征及找矿意义

茶棚银矿位于河北省北部坝上草原向山区过渡地带,风成砂覆盖严重,示矿标志不明显,地表找矿难度大;地表矿体断续出露,而深部银矿体主要以隐伏矿体的形式赋存于近南北向展布的构造破碎带中,数量明显增多、品位变富、厚度变大;在这种特殊的景观地质特征下,利用激电中梯扫面,可发现厚覆盖状态下构造矿化蚀变带,利用EH4连续导电率测量可厘定矿化蚀变带的规模、产状并可提供隐爆角砾岩体等深部控矿地质信息,利用可控源音频大地电磁测深的中低阻陡变带和中阻带,特别是陡变带中的转折部位（形态呈耳状部位）可具体定位银矿体的赋存空间。     

Geothermal energy potential of Tulsishyam thermal springs of Gujarat,India

Tulsishyam thermal springs are located in the Saurashtra region of Gujarat, India with discharge temperatures varying from 39 to 42 °C. The pH of these thermal springs varies from 7.1 to 7.4, indicating neutral character. Though these thermal springs propagate through the near surface layer of Deccan basalt, detailed geochemical analysis of the thermal waters using Piper diagram suggests that the water is interacting with the granitic basement rock. Silica and cation geothermometry estimates have reservoir temperature in the range of 138 to 207 °C categorizing it into a low to moderate enthalpy geothermal system. Furthermore, the area has high heat flow values of 53–90 mW/m² because of shallow Moho depth. The prevailing conditions suggest that the geothermal energy can potentially be exploited through an enhanced geothermal system (EGS). The study also indicates different mineral phases that may precipitate out of water during exploitation of geothermal energy and it should be taken into account while designing an EGS for the area.     

适应气候变化的国际行动和农业措施研究进展

针对气候变暖采取稳健的适应措施已成为国际社会共识。该文综合了当前适应气候变化的国际谈判进展及已有的农业适应气候变化措施,指出适应资金严重不足,技术研发、应用与转让难以实施,以及适应气候变化行动实施能力的不足严重制约着适应气候变化行动的有效实施;关于农业适应气候变化的技术措施仍缺乏系统的理论研究与应用示范。在此基础上,提出了未来中国农业适应气候变化需要重点开展的研究任务,即农业气象灾变过程的新特点及其风险管理, 农业适应气候变化的大数据决策管理系统研发及适应气候变化的农业气候区划与减灾保产技术研究,以切实推进农业适应气候变化,为确保国家粮食安全与农业可持续发展提供支撑。