THE STUDY OF THE GENESIS OF SURFACE WATERS BY OBSERVING THEIR ELECTRICAL RESISTIVITIES*

Specific electrical resistivity of natural waters contains information on their genesis. The authors propose to conduct mass and regime observations of this parameter in river and stream beds. The electrical resistivities in streams flowing from under a glacier reveal details formed at the same time as the glacier. Observations in the beds of big rivers show a gradual increase in water salinity overlain by reductions by inflowing glacial waters. The diurnal and annual trend of changes in the electrical conductivity of water associated with the change in the balance of glacial and ground waters has been established near to glaciers. Resistivity observations help to locate discharge sites of sub-permafrost waters, for water.     

Amplitudes of long-period PcP and the core-mantle boundary

The amplitudes of the core reflection PcP are sensitive to the wave velocities and densities in the neighborhood of the core-mantle boundary (CMB). We study the amplitude ratio of the long-period phases PcP and P from two South American deep-focus earthquakes with favorable fault-plane solution, depth and magnitude, as recorded by WWNSS and CSN stations in North America.Comparison is made with long-period PcP/P amplitude ratios, derived from theoretical seismograms for a variety of CMB models. Models from previous studies, which were mainly derived from short-period PcP observations and which are characterized by discrete layers above the CMB, are almost all inconsistent with the long-period data. The data also discriminate against low nonzero S velocities below the CMB. Simple first-order-discontinuity models of the CMB, for instance according to the Jeffreys-Bullen earth model or according to recent models based mainly on free oscillations, explain the data reasonably well.Model improvements are attempted by varying the P-velocity gradient above the CMB. The best amplitude fit is obtained for a rather strong decrease in P velocity with depth in this zone which, however, gives no acceptable traveltime fit for PcP. The scatter in body-wave amplitudes is considerable even for long-period waves and may prevent the correct assessment of that part of the amplitude variation of a phase with distance that is due to the variation of velocities and densities with depth alone.     

Evolution and observational signature of diffused antiworld

The existence of macroscopic regions with antibaryon excess in the baryon asymmetric Universe with general baryon excess is the possible consequence of practically all models of baryosynthesis. Diffusion of matter and antimatter to the border of antimatter domains defines the minimal scale of the antimatter domains surviving to the present time. A model of diffused antiworld is considered, in which the density within the surviving antimatter domains is too low to form gravitationally bound objects. The possibility to test this model by measurements of cosmic gamma ray fluxes is discussed. The expected gamma ray flux is found to be acceptable for modern cosmic gamma ray detectors and for those planned for the near future.     

Intrusive processes at ocean ridges: Evidence from the sheeted dyke complex of Masirah, Oman

Masirah Island largely consists of a late Mesozoic ophiolite which includes extensive areas of near-vertical, ENE—WSW striking, sheeted dykes. Previously the possibility has been suggested of a correlation between the similarly-aged ophiolites of Masirah and the Semail Complex of the Oman Mts. However, the Masirah ENE–WSW trend contrasts with N—S dyke trends from the Wadi Jizi area of the Semail, possibly suggesting two unrelated spreading centres. The dykes pass up into a pillow lava—minor sediment sequence, down into both layered and unlayered gabbros and are bounded to the west by a major N—S mélange zone which may have originated as a ridge transform fault. Age relations of the dykes and the gabbros are complex: the dykes contain a variable proportion of gabbro screens representing earlier crystallization, but they are also intruded by several small gabbro bodies which are themselves cut by still later dykes. The lava and dyke—gabbro screen sequence shows evidence of metamorphism from zeolite to low amphibolite grade. This metamorphism was caused by ridge hydrothermal activity which appears to have been effective approximately to the lower levels of the dykes. The rapid passage from low-amphibolite dykes to fresh gabbro suggests lithological control of the metamorphism. A combination of structural, geochemical and mineral phase studies may indicate generation in a slow spreading ridge environment and near-ridge metamorphism caused by a geothermal gradient of approximately 200°C/km.     

N and O isotope effects during nitrate assimilation by unicellular prokaryotic and eukaryotic plankton cultures

In order to provide biological systematics from which to interpret nitrogen (N) and oxygen (O) isotope ratios of nitrate (¹⁵N/¹⁴N, ¹⁸O/¹⁶O, respectively) in the environment, we previously investigated the isotopic fractionation of nitrate during its assimilation by mono-cultures of eukaryotic algae (Granger et al., 2004). In this study, we extended our analysis to investigate nitrate assimilation by strains of prokaryotic plankton. We measured the N and O isotope effects, ¹⁵ε and ¹⁸ε, during nitrate consumption by cultures of prokaryotic strains and by additional eukaryotic phytoplankton strains (where ε is the ratio of reaction rate constants of the light vs. heavy isotopologues, ^lightk and ^heavyk; ε = ^lightk/^heavyk − 1 × 1000, expressed in per mil). The observed ¹⁵ε ranged from 5‰ to 8‰ among eukaryotes, whereas it did not exceed 5‰ for three cyanobacterial strains, and was as low as 0.4‰ for a heterotrophic α-protoeobacterium. Eukaryotic phytoplankton fractionated the N and O isotopes of nitrate to the same extent (i.e., ¹⁸ε ∼ ¹⁵ε). The ¹⁸ε:¹⁵ε among the cyanobacteria was also ∼1, whereas the heterotrophic α-proteobacterial strain, which showed the lowest ¹⁵ε, between 0.4‰ and 1‰, had a distinct ¹⁸ε:¹⁵ε of ∼2, unlike any plankton strain observed previously. Equivalent N vs. O isotope discrimination is thought to occur during internal nitrate reduction by nitrate reductase, such that the cellular efflux of the fractionated nitrate into the medium drives the typically observed ¹⁸ε:¹⁵ε of ∼1. We hypothesize that the higher in the ¹⁸ε:¹⁵ε of the α-proteobacterium may result from isotope discrimination by nitrate transport, which is evident only at low amplitude of ε. These observations warrant investigating whether heterotrophic bacterial assimilation of nitrate decreases the community isotope effects at the surface ocean.     

Integration of reflection seismic and sediment grain-size data from Lake Khubsugul (Northern Mongolia): a reply to Prokopenko and Kendall

Prokopenko and Kendall (J Paleolimnol doi:, 2008) criticise the work presented in Fedotov et al. (J Paleolimnol 39:335–348, 2008), and instead propose an alternative interpretation for the grain-size evolution recorded in the KDP-01 core, retrieved from the central part of Lake Khubsugul. Their interpretation is based (i) on a seismic-stratigraphic re-interpretation of sparker seismic profile khub012 (which they copied from Fedotov et al. (EOS Trans 87:246–250, 2006)), (ii) on the presupposition that changes in lake level are the dominant control on facies distribution in Lake Khubsugul, and (iii) on the invalidation of our age-depth model. In this reply to their comment, we demonstrate that they interpreted seismic artefacts and geometries caused by changes in profile orientation as true stratigraphic features and that the lake-level reconstruction they derive from this interpretation is therefore incorrect. We also demonstrate that their grain-size predictions, which they consider to be predominantly driven by changes in lake level, are inconsistent with the measured sulphate concentration, which is a demonstrated proxy of lake level in Lake Khubsugul, and with the measured grain-size record. Finally, we point out that even if there would be a problem with the age-depth model, this problem would not affect the part of the sedimentary sequence discussed in Fedotov et al. (J Paleolimnol 39:335–348, 2008).     

1) I. A. H. S. / A. I. H. S.

Abstract

A simple method is used to study the response of runoff in the Sahel to climate change. The statistical characteristics of rainfall are calculated over the western part of the Sahel for the period 1961–1990, using the BADOPLU network. Daily rainfall is simulated using a Markov process with Weibull distribution for rainfall depths. Runoff is modelled using a conceptual SCS model and the curve numbers are calculated for West Africa. Climate change is provided by simulations using the Arpège GCM (Scenario A1B), and a perturbation method is used on the parameters which describe the rainfall. Changes in rainfall are assumed to occur through increases in frequency, not intensity. Using Arpège, runoff is mainly found to increase, in depth and in number of events, by the end of the 21st century. Changes in evaporation and land use are not included in the analysis. The impact of this 21st century potential climate change (rainfall) on the runoff is found to be of the same magnitude as the impact of changes in land use.