Dependence of normal albedo of lunar regions on wavelength

Normal albedos of thirteen lunar regions are determined at five wavelengths between 4000 and 8000 Å. The deduced values agree with those of the previous investigators except those given by Gehrelset al. (1964) and Van Diggelen (1965). They increase monotonically with the wavelength. At the shortest wavelength, a slight enhancement is detected for most of the regions observed.     

Colour contrasts of lunar grounds

Four colour contrasts have been studied for 104 lunar regions between wavelengths 4000 Å and 8000 Å. Distinct colour differences are found. The greatest contrast between topographs occurs at longer wavelengths. The regional colour differences between the two short wavelengths 4035 Å and 5538 Å show a general trend of increasing reddening with age. For the other three colour differences \(\Delta (\tfrac{{{\text{4 7 6 5}}}}{{{\text{7 9 2 2}}}}), \Delta (\tfrac{{{\text{4 7 6 5}}}}{{{\text{6 6 9 2}}}}) and \Delta (\tfrac{{{\text{6 6 9 2}}}}{{{\text{7 9 2 2}}}})\) , a trend of variation with albedo is detected, and the less scatter on points for the colour differences above the wavelength 6000 Å.     

Fractionation analysis of transport engine-generated soot particles with respect to hygroscopicity

Combustion-derived particles emitted by various transport engines are analyzed with respect to their morphology and composition. Soot particles collected behind an aircraft gas turbine engine combustor, in the diesel engine exhaust pipe, and at the end of ship pipe demonstrate heterogeneous morphological structures and different chemical identities. Individual particle analysis allows the characterization of emitted soot particles into three fractions, namely C-O, C-O-S, and Fe-C-O, with the dominant presence of chain soot agglomerates, irregular internally mixed soot, and particles of distinct morphology, respectively. The influence of oxygen and sulfur concentrations on the ability of soot to uptake water is proposed as a method for categorizing transport engine-generated particles. Categories of hydrophobic and hydrophilic particles within non-hygroscopic soots can be defined based on the amount of water uptake relative to several reference laboratory-made soots comparable to transport engine emissions. This method of characterizing hydrophobic/hydrophilic and hygroscopic soots in combustion emissions will help to determine the potential impacts of the combustion emissions on CCN/IN formation in the atmosphere.     

Jitter radiation images, spectra and light curves from a relativistic spherical blastwave

We consider radiation emitted by the jitter mechanism in a Blandford–McKee self-similar blastwave. We assume the magnetic field configuration throughout the whole blastwave meets the condition for the emission of jitter radiation and we compute the ensuing images, light curves and spectra. The calculations are performed for both a uniform and a wind environment. We compare our jitter results to synchrotron results. We show that jitter radiation produces slightly different spectra than synchrotron, in particular between the self-absorption and the peak frequency, where the jitter spectrum is flat, while the synchrotron spectrum grows as  ν^1/3  . The spectral difference is reflected in the early decay slope of the light curves. We conclude that jitter and synchrotron afterglows can be distinguished from each other with good quality observations. However, it is unlikely that the difference can explain the peculiar behaviour of several recent observations, such as flat X-ray slopes and uncorrelated optical and X-ray behaviour.     

Density Structure,Isostatic Balance and Tectonic Models of the Central Tien Shan

A new combined satellite-terrestrial model of the gravity field is used together with seismic data for construction of a density model of the lithosphere of the Central Tien Shan and for estimation of its isostatic balance. The Tien Shan is one of the most active intraplate orogens in the world, located about 1,500 km north of the convergence between Indian and Eurasian plate, and surrounded by stable Kazakh platform to the north and the Tarim block to the south. Although this area was extensively studied during recent decades, several principal problems, related to its structure and tectonics, remain unsolved up to now: (1) various geodynamic scenarios have been discussed so far to explain tectonic evolution, such as direct “crustal shortening,” intracontinental subduction and some others, but no definite evidence for any of them has been found. (2) Still, it is not clear why Tien Shan grows so far from the plate boundary at the Himalayan collision zone. Gravity modeling can provide valuable constraints to resolve these questions. The results of this study show that: (1) there exists a very strong deflection of the Tien Shan lithosphere from isostatic equilibrium. At the same time, the patterns of the isostatic anomalies are very different in the Western and Central Tien Shan. The latter one is characterized by much stronger variations. The best fit of the modeling results is found for the model according to which the Tarim plate partially underthrusts the Central Tien Shan; (2) negative density anomalies in the upper mantle under the central block possibly relate to magmatic underplating during the initial stage of the tectonic evolution. Therefore, the weak lithosphere could be the factor that initiates mountain building far away from the collision zone. Alternatively, this might be a gap after detachment of the eclogised lower crust and lithospheric lid, which is filled with the hot asthenospheric material.     

Estimation of methane fluxes from bottom sediments of Lake Baikal

Methane bubble fluxes in gas flares from bottom sediments in Lake Baikal were estimated for the first time using hydroacoustic methods. Earlier work has demonstrated the occurrence of gas seeps both inside and outside of areas where bottom simulating reflectors were identified in seismic profiles. Fluxes ranged from 14 to 216 tons per year, with the flux for the entire area of the central and southern basins ranging from 1,400 to 2,800 tons per year. Comparison with other water bodies showed that fluxes from the most intensive Baikal flares were similar to those in the Norwegian and Okhotsk seas. Gas hydrates decompose at the lower boundary of the gas hydrate stability zone due to sedimentation. Calculation of the amount of methane produced due to sedimentation gave a total of between 2,600 and 14,000 tons per year for the central and southern basins of the lake. Based on rough estimation, the total flux from shallow- and deep-water gas seeps is similar to the amount of methane produced due to sedimentation. This suggests that gas hydrates possibly occupy much more than 10?% of the pore volume near the base of the gas hydrate stability zone, or that there are other reasons for gas hydrate dissociation and bubble flux from these bottom sediments.     

Wind-driven diversion of summer river runoff preconditions the Laptev Sea coastal polynya hydrography: Evidence from summer-to-winter hydrographic records of 2007–2009

This paper examines the role of atmospheric forcing in modifying the pathways of riverine water on the Laptev Sea shelf, using summer-to-winter hydrographic surveys from 2007 to 2009. Over the two consecutive winter seasons of 2007–2008 and 2008–2009 in the area of the winter coastal polynya, our data clearly link winter surface salinity fields to the previous summer conditions, with substantially different winter salinity patterns preconditioned by summer atmospheric forcing. In the summer of 2007, dominant along-shore westerly winds in the cyclonic regime force the Lena River runoff to flow eastward. In contrast, in the summer of 2008, dominant along-shore easterly winds over the East Siberian Sea and on-shore northerly winds over the Laptev Sea in the anticyclonic regime lock the riverine water in the vicinity of the Lena Delta. Over the coastal polynya area in the southeastern Laptev Sea these patterns precondition a surface salinity difference of 8–16 psu between the winters of 2008 and 2009. Overall, this indicates a residence time of at least half a year for riverine water on the Laptev Sea shelf. Future climate change associated with an enhanced summer cyclonicity over the eastern Arctic may turn more riverine water eastward along the eastern Siberian coast, resulting in weaker vertical density stratification over the Laptev Sea shelf, with possible impact on the efficiency of vertical mixing and polynya dense water production.     

Horizontal Motions of Water in the Vicinity of a Tsunami Source

Because it is based on an initial seismic analysis and preset criteria, tsunami forecast often fails in assessment of tsunami danger. The level of danger can be determined more or less reliably only when observed sea level data became available. Along with the sea level data, i.e., vertical motions of free water surface, we suggest considering horizontal motions of water that accompany the formation and the propagation of a tsunami. The amplitude of horizontal motions is normally much higher than the amplitude of the vertical motions. Detection of the horizontal motions may provide tsunami warning centers with additional in situ data that can be used for estimation of tsunami strength. In this study, taking the 2011 Tohoku-Oki event as an example, horizontal motions of water in the vicinity of the tsunami source are theoretically examined by means of dynamic and static numerical models developed within the framework of linear shallow-water approximation. It is shown that in the vicinity of the tsunami source within a wide area of about 0.5 million square kilometers, the amplitude of horizontal motions exceeded 10 m, whereas in some shallow-water areas the amplitude amounted to hundreds of meters. Possible methods of in situ detection of the horizontal motions are discussed.     

Dynamic model of mesoscale eddies. Eddy parameterization for coarse resolution ocean circulation models

In the framework of the eddy dynamic model developed in two previous papers (Dubovikov, M.S., Dynamical model of mesoscale eddies, Geophys. Astophys. Fluid Dyn., 2003, 97, 311–358; Canuto, V.M. and Dubovikov, M.S., Modeling mesoscale eddies, Ocean Modelling, 2004, 8, 1–30 referred as I–II), we compute the contribution of unresolved mesoscale eddies to the large-scale dynamic equations of the ocean. In isopycnal coordinates, in addition to the bolus velocity discussed in I–II, the mesoscale contribution to the large scale momentum equation is derived. Its form is quite different from the traditional down-gradient parameterization. The model solutions in isopycnal coordinates are transformed to level coordinates to parameterize the eddy contributions to the corresponding large scale density and momentum equations. In the former, the contributions due to the eddy induced velocity and to the residual density flux across mean isopycnals (so called Σ-term) are derived, both contributions being shown to be of the same order. As for the large scale momentum equation, as well as in isopycnal coordinates, the eddy contribution has a form which is quite different from the down-gradient expression.