Changes in the species composition and ichthyoplankton abundance along transects in the Baltic Sea

Correlations have been revealed between the distribution of the different ichthyoplankton species and the fluctuations of the environmental factors along transects in the Baltic Sea during the autumn of 2005 and spring and autumn of 2006. The early ontogenetic stages of the cod and other bottom fish species were confined to the Bornholm Basin located in the southwestern part of the sea with near-bottom salinity of more than 16?? and the absence of an oxygen deficiency in the isohaline zone of 11?C14??. Eggs and larvae of the Baltic sprat were distributed in June throughout all the deep-sea regions with near-bottom water salinity of no less than 8%., up to the western Gulf of Finland. In the spring of 2006, the abundance of sprat eggs was found to drop significantly compared with the average long-term data for the recent period; this was due to the cold winter of 2006.     

Pleistocene deposits at Stoke Goldington,in the valley of the Great Ouse,UK

At Stoke Goldington in the valley of the Great Ouse in Buckinghamshire a river terrace at a height of about 7 m above the floodplain is underlain by fluvial sediments representing climatic fluctuations in the late Middle Pleistocene. Near the base of the succession, at a level only 1 m above the modern floodplain, a fossil assemblage, including pollen, plant macrofossils, molluscs, insects and ostracods, provides evidence for the local development of herb-rich grassland under temperate climatic conditions. The fossil record, amino-acid racemisation ratios and uranium disequilibrium dating all suggest deposition of this material during Oxygen Isotope Stage 7. The deposits containing the temperate assemblage are immediately overlain by typical cold-climate gravels of the Great Ouse. These have been subjected to a later cut-and-fill episode, with the fill accumulating in cool climatic conditions. The cut-and-fill episode was succeeded by aggradation, forming the overlying terrace surface. Amino-acid racemisation ratios indicate that the fill was emplaced, and the terrace surface created, during or after Oxygen Isotope Stage 5. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Young age bias of radiocarbon dates in pre-holocene marine deposits of Hong Kong and implications for Pleistocene stratigraphy

Radiocarbon dates of pre-Holocene marine deposits in Hong Kong ranging from 21.580±1.210 to 45.700±2.000 years BP are found to be younger than uranium-series dates of mollusks and other indirect age evidence. Two mollusk samples yielded last interglacial ages of 130.500±5.300 and 142.000±20.000 years BP. respectively. Palynological and oxygen-isotope evidence shows that the marine deposits containing the mollusks were formed under marginally warmer temperature conditions than in the present day, which is consistent with a last interglacial age. Since old radiocarbon dates are likely to be minimum age estimates, similar studies carried out elsewhere would be of value to Pleistocene stratigraphy.     

Pendulum-type laser strainmeter

Constructive disposition principles of the basic optical units of Michelson interferometers are used in making one-coordinate laser strainmeters of unequal-arm type.The fundamental advantages of pendulum-type laser strainmeter more than classical-type laser strainmeter are displayed.     

Inspiring the next generation of scientists with their observations of quasars,black holes,Jupiter, and SETI with the Goldstone Apple Valley Radio Telescope,GAVRT

This paper describes a radio astronomy programfor schools, the Goldstone-AppleValley Radio Telescope,GAVRT. The GAVRT program is designed to bring the inspiration and enthusiasm to a younger generation of teachers and children who learn about science by doing real science, just as Iosif Shklovsky brought to an older generation.