Forcing mechanisms of a heavy precipitation event in the southeastern Adriatic area

The aim of this study was to identify the main mesoscale features and mechanisms responsible for the generation of an extreme precipitation event as a contribution to improving the modelling of processes that produce HPEs. The event occurred during the morning hours on 22 November 2010 over the Dubrovnik coast in Croatia and the hinterland mountain range of the southern Dinaric Alps and caused severe flash floods and landslides and consequent interruption of traffic and electricity supply as well as other infrastructural damage. The analysis is geographically focused on the southern portion of the eastern Adriatic region, which is prone to relatively frequent heavy precipitation events that occur mostly in autumn. This area is one of the rainiest in Europe with expected annual amounts of precipitation greater than 5,000 mm in the mountainous hinterland. The mechanisms responsible for the formation of convection were analysed using synop measurements, satellite data and numerical experiments performed with the WRF model, which was set up at the convection-permitting resolution in the innermost domain. Satellite data were used to identify the precipitation systems and to estimate the intensity of the precipitation during the period of interest. The development of the precipitation system was connected to a strong large-scale ascent over the southern Italy and southern Adriatic due to the advection of warm air and cyclonic vorticity advection, which increases with height. The numerical simulations highlighted the essential role of a southerly low-level jet stream in the transport of warm and moist air towards the affected area. The convergence of two branches of low-level marine air favoured convection triggered over the coast and sea. Furthermore, numerical sensitivity experiments suggested that the orography of the Dinaric Alps plays an essential role in the precipitation maximum over the mountainous hinterland, but also that the orography was not the crucial factor in the heavy precipitation near Dubrovnik. This study highlights the need for a dense network of observations, especially radar measurements, to validate the simulated mechanisms and improve numerical forecasts via data assimilation.     

Compositional variations in ferrotapiolite + tantalite pairs from the beryl-columbite pegmatite at Moravanynad Váhom, Slovakia

Summary ?Three texturally and compositionally distinct pairs of ferrotapiolite + tantalite, all spatially related to a cleavelandite unit, were distinguished in the zoned beryl-columbite pegmatite at Moravany nad Váhom, Považsky Inovec Mts., Slovakia. (1) Inclusions of ferrotapiolite I (∼200 μm) in zoned ferrotantalite I exhibit crosscutting tielines of coexisting compositions in the columbite-tantalite quadrilateral. (2) Large ferrotapiolite II grains and adjacent, compositionaly variable grains of ferro- to manganotantalite II (∼100 μm) display remarkably diverse tielines, not yet observed in a single sample or locality. (3) Sn-depleted and slightly Mn,Ta-enriched narrow rims (∼20 μm) of ferrotapiolite III with small inclusions of manganotantalite III (≤ 5 μm) are located along a late, hydrothermal, fracture-filling microlite vein cross-cutting ferrotapiolite II. Changes in fO₂ derived from calculated Fe₂O₃ as well as variations in Ti, Sn, W concentrations through the ferrotapiolite + tantalite pairs I to III are negligible. Consequently, it seems plausible to explain the broadening of the two-phase field and the enrichment of ferrotapiolite and tantalite in Mn and Ta particularly by decreasing temperature. A disequilibrium crystallization from highly evolved residual melt and/or fluids is suggested for all textural types.

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Zusammenfassung ?Zusammensetzung von Ferrotapiolit-Tantalit-Paaren im Beryll-Columbit Pegmatit von Moravany nad Váhom (Považsky Inovec Mts., Slowakei) Drei Ferrotapiolit-Tantalit-Paare k?nnen in dem zonierten Beryll-Columbit-Pagmatit von Moravany nad Váhom, Povazsky Inovec Mts., Slowakei, auf der Basis detaillierter textureller und chemischer Untersuchungen unterschieden werden. Sie wurden in verschiedenen Stadien der Pegmatit-Kristallisation gebildet und sind r?mlich in Beziehung zu der Cleavelandit-Einheit (1). Einschlüsse von Ferrotapiolit I (∼200 μm) in zoniertem Ferrotantalit I zeigen sich kreuzende Konoden im Columbit-Tantalit Quadrilateral, die koexistierende K?rner beider Minerale miteinander verbinden. Dies legt nahe, dass Ferrotapiolit ein Produkt prim?rer (magmatischer) Disequilibrium-Kristallisation ist, und gleichzeitig mit den assoziierten Mineralen der Columbit-Gruppe gebildet wurde (2). Gro?e Ferrotapiolit II K?rner und K?rner von angrenzenden Ferro- bis Manganotantalit II (∼100 μm) zeigen Konoden mit bemerkenswerter Verschiedenheit, die bisher nicht in einer einzigen Probe beobachtet wurden. Eine sehr betonte Disequilibrium-Kristallisation aus stark fraktionierter Restschmelze dürfte hierfür verantwortlich sein (3). An Zinn verarmte und etwas an Mn, Ta angereicherter Ferrotapiolit III bildet dünne R?nder (∼20 μm) mit schmalen Einschlüssen von Manganotantalit III (≤5 μm) l?ngs einer Mikrolit-Ader. Erhat sich w?hrend hydrothermaler Subsolidus Verdr?ngung von Ferrotapiolit II durch Sprünge füllenden Microlit gebildet. Schwankungen in fO₂, berechnet aus Fe₂O₃ und die Gehalten an Ti, Sn und W k?nnen in den Ferrotapiolit-Tantalit-Paaren (1) bis (3) vernachl?ssigt werden. Dementsprechend erscheint es naheliegend, die Erweiterung des Zweiphasenfeldes und die Anreicherung von Ferrotapiolit und Tantalit an Mn und Ta durch Temperaturabnahme zu erkl?ren.

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Received May 4, 1999;/revised version accepted January 5, 2000     

Slovenia's climate policy efforts: CO2 tax and implementation of EU ETS

Slovenia is required to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to an average of 8% below the base year 1986 in the period 2008–2012, due to the ratification of the Kyoto Protocol in 2002. It was the first of the transition countries to implement a CO₂ tax in 1997. At the beginning of 2005, Slovenia joined other EU Member States by implementing the Emissions Trading Scheme. In contrast with other new EU Member States, Slovenia will be a net buyer of allowances. Therefore future movements on the emissions market will play an important role in the compliance costs of achieving the Kyoto target. The main purpose of this article is to present the establishment and characteristics of the first national allocation plan (NAP1) and to describe the main elements of the second national allocation plan (NAP2) for Slovenia within the EU Emissions Trading Scheme, the expected movements on the emissions allowances market in Slovenia, the expected compliance cost of achieving the Kyoto target and to present the main characteristics and efficiency of the CO₂ tax in Slovenia.     

Density,porosity, mineralogy,and internal structure of cosmic dust and alteration of its properties during high‐velocity atmospheric entry

X‐ray microtomography (XMT), X‐ray diffraction (XRD), and magnetic hysteresis measurements were used to determine micrometeorite internal structure, mineralogy, crystallography, and physical properties at μm resolution. The study samples include unmelted, partially melted (scoriaceous), and completely melted (cosmic spherules) micrometeorites. This variety not only allows comparison of the mineralogy and porosity of these three micrometeorite types but also reveals changes in meteoroid properties during atmospheric entry at various velocities. At low entry velocities, meteoroids do not melt and their physical properties do not change. The porosity of unmelted micrometeorites varies considerably (0–12%) with one friable example having porosity around 50%. At higher velocities, the range of meteoroid porosity narrows, but average porosity increases (to 16–27%) due to volatile evaporation and partial melting (scoriaceous phase). Metal distribution seems to be mostly unaffected at this stage. At even higher entry velocities, complete melting follows the scoriaceous phase. Complete melting is accompanied by metal oxidation and redistribution, loss of porosity (1 ± 1%), and narrowing of the bulk (3.2 ± 0.5 g cm^?3) and grain (3.3 ± 0.5 g cm^?3) density range. Melted cosmic spherules with a barred olivine structure show an oriented crystallographic structure, whereas other subtypes do not.     

A model of neptune according to the Savić-Kašanin theory

A model of the internal structure of Neptune has been calculated according to the Savi?-Ka?anin theory of behaviour of materials under high pressure.     

Intercomparisons of earth gravity models by means of lumped coefficients: Terms for eccentricity and longitude

The comparisons of the Earth gravity field models by the order of their harmonic coefficients, performed with the basic lumped coefficients (Planet. Space Sci.29, 653, 1981, Paper I) are here extended to cover all harmonic coefficients (both odd and even degree). The lumped coefficients (the “e-terms” and “longitudinal” terms), corresponding to 18 Earth models, are compared mutually (Figs. 2–15). The large differences, observed for various models and orders, are of particular interest: they are gathered into Table 1. The result of Paper I was a little pessimistic. The same is true here: various inhomogeneities, sometimes very large, in the accuracy of the harmonic coefficients must exist—even for low orders. Most of our comments and objections, however, relate to the older Earth models, which have only a historical value now. Our comparisons are only relative ones; an actual test of the accuracy of the models (their calibration) is possible via data with independent status (Kloko?ník, 1982, 1983).     

Integration of the elliptic restricted three-body problem with Lie series

The method of Lie series is used to construct a solution for the elliptic restricted three body problem. In a synodic pulsating coordinate system, the Lie operator for the motion of the third infinitesimal body is derived as function of coordinates, velocities and true anomaly of the primaries. The terms of the Lie series for the solution are then calculated with recurrence formulae which enable a rapid successive calculation of any desired number of terms. This procedure gives a very useful analytical form for the series and allows a quick calculation of the orbit.The project is supported by the Austrian Fonds zur Förderung der wissénschaftlichen Forschung under Project No. 4471.     

The halo population G and K subdwarfs

The photometry of G and K subdwarfs in the Vilnius photometric system permits us to recognize them photometrically and to determine their metallicity, despite the presence of interstellar reddening. The weakening of the strong metallic lines in their spectra can also be used to estimate their metallicity.     

Estimation of Mining Tremor Occurrence by Using Neural Networks

—Changes of the primary strain-stress state (caused by interaction between natural conditions and mining activity) can result, under special circumstances, to the origin of seismic induced events. The question of induced seismic activity prediction was treated as a problem of time series extrapolation of maximum cumulative amplitudes and numbers of seismic events recorded per day. The treatment was carried out by means of Multilayered Perceptron Neural Networks (MLP NN). The application to mining tremor prediction has been tested and methodological conditions have been obtained. It was proved that the prediction of the number of mining tremors per day is more precise than the prediction of future energy (maximum amplitudes). Further advance, based on the processing of seismo-acoustic activity series, is introduced.