Temperature variation in the mesosphere during solar eclipse

Rocket-borne observations of the extinction of solar hydrogen Lyman-alpha radiation made during the solar eclipses of 20 May 1966 at Karistos for normal and 44% visibility and of 7 March 1970 at East Quoddy for normal, 10% and 0.6% visibility have been used to study the variation of temperature in the mesosphere during these events. It is seen that near the mesopause the decrease of temperature at Karistos is by 20° K for 44% visibility and at East Quoddy by 100° K for 0.6% visibility. Possible causes of these temperature variationsvis-a-vis molecular oxygen and pressure variations have been briefly discussed.     

The Features of the Transformation of Organic Matter of Precambrian Carboniferous Rocks of the Ukrainian Crystalline Shield

The main features of the transformation of organic matter (OM) in the greenschist, amphibolite, and granulite facies of metamorphism are considered based on the example of the Ukrainian crystal shield. The occurrence area and OM content in highly carbonaceous ancient rocks are characterized. The composition of primary sedimentary rocks and the processes of accumulation of biophile elements under the OM transformation are reconstructed.     

ARMA order model detection using minimum of Kurtosis: application on seismic data

The objective of this study is to find the order and coefficients of non-low-phase causal filters for ARMA (auto regressive moving average) filter model, using the Kurtosis minimization criterion. This method is based on the Kurtosis calculation of the treated sample at the input level and its identification at the output of the ARMA model. For this purpose, the order and coefficients of the AR (auto regressive) part are identified using the Yule-Walker algorithm at order two and then extended to order four. To obtain the MA (moving average) part, the AR components are calculated at first from the ARMA filter by deconvolution. Then, spectrally equivalent and minimum phase (SEMP) MA filter is identified using the Durbin algorithm at second and fourth order. Finally, the correct filter is found when the Kurtosis value of the output ARMA filter reconstituted is the closest to the Kurtosis of introduced signal. The proposed method is then tested on simulated processes and applied to real seismic data to perform blind deconvolution and obtain the reflectivity coefficients of subsoil studied.     

A micro–macro investigation of the capillary strengthening effect in wet granular materials

Wet granular materials are three-dimensionally simulated by the discrete element method with water bridges incorporated between particles. The water bridges are simplified as toroidal shapes, and the matric suction is constantly maintained in the material. A comparison with experimental tests in the literature indicates that the toroidal shape approximation may be one of the best choices with high practicability and decent accuracy. Mechanical behaviours of wet granular materials are studied by triaxial tests. Effects of particle size distributions and void ratios are investigated systematically in this study. The hydraulic limit of the pendular state is also discussed. It gives the capillary cohesion function which is not only determined by the degree of saturation but also positively correlated to relative density and particle size polydispersity and inversely proportional to mean particle size. Furthermore, the capillary strengthening effect is also analysed microscopically in aid of the Stress–Force–Fabric relationship, mainly in fabric anisotropy, coordination number and stress transmission pattern, which revealed the micro-mechanisms of the additional effective stress induced by capillary effect.     

Main Stages of Evolution of Pacific Ferromanganese Stromatolites and Oncolites

As exemplified by cobalt–bearing Fe–Mn crusts (ferromanganese stromatolite) of the Magellan Seamounts (Clarion–Clipperton Province), the main stages of the structural evolution of bacterial communities have been recognized. It has been demonstrated that the change of the stages is caused by the effect of major tectonic, volcanic, and other geological events.     

Clay Minerals in Basalt Sills from the Sediment Cover,East Pacific Rise

Clay minerals in basalt sills from the northern East Pacific Rise, covered by Upper Pleistocene clayey–sandy–silty sediments (turbidites, hemipelagites, and diatom oozes) sampled from DSDP Holes 477, 478, and 481A, were studied by X-ray methods based on the modeling of diffraction patterns. Trioctahedral smectites formed in thin (0.1–0.5 and 1.8–4 m) fissured sills that are well permeable for water delivered from the water-saturated host sediments heated by the sills. Smectites in basalts are found in the interstices (20–40 vol % in the rock and up to 50–80 vol % in hyalobasalts). They replace olivine and fill cracks and vesicles. Plagioclase and clinopyroxene are generally unaltered. The structure of smectites is characterized by different height of layers depending on the composition of cations in the interlayers and the degree of their hydration. The different-height layers either make up individual smectite phases or alternate in different proportions and with a high degree of segregation in the mixed-layer structures. Under conditions of a prolonged cooling, thick (43 m) sills are distinguished from the thin varieties by the formation of trioctahedral minerals (smectite–chlorite, chlorite, defective chlorite, and talc). They are found mainly in the interstices that make up 3–7 vol % of the rock.     

Mudbank regime off the Kerala coast during monsoon and non-monsoon seasons

Field experiments conducted in the nearshore ocean to understand the dynamics of mudbank off Kerala, south-west coast of India, are highlighted. Real time monitoring of the nearshore ocean off Purakkad, Kerala was accomplished using pressure transducers for nearshore surface wave measurements, and current sensors for nearshore velocity measurements. Comprehensive information on the spatial structure of mudbank was obtained from aerial surveys. Extensive data collected on surface waves and currents in the nearshore ocean, indicate that the infra-gravity (IG) waves (leaky modes and trapped edge wave modes), and far infra-gravity (FIG) waves coupled with strong shoreline reflections and undertow play an important role in the dynamics associated with the mudbanks off Kerala during the monsoon season. During the non-monsoon season evidence for progressive edge waves in the infragravity frequency band, an energetic gravity wave band and a strong undertow with weak reflections was observed.     

Hydraulic Conductivity Tests for Evaluating Compatibility of Lateritic Soil—Fly Ash Mixtures with Municipal Waste Leachate

Long term competent performance of liner systems is a critical issue in the design and construction of waste repositories due to adverse interactions associated with leachate generated by wastes. This study was conducted to verify the efficacy of fly ash stabilization in enhancing compatibility between lateritic soil and municipal waste leachate. Applications investigated include soil mixtures containing 0, 5, 10, 15, and 20% fly ash compacted at approximately 2% wet of optimum moisture content with modified proctor energy. Baseline hydraulic conductivity was first established at every level of fly ash content by permeating soil mixtures with tap water before permeation with leachate in a compaction mould permeameter using the falling head test method. Results show that the trend in hydraulic conductivity of specimen containing 0% fly ash was characterized by a gradual but erratic decrease which may suggests partial entry of the leachate cations into the double layer. Conversely, specimens containing fly ash showed a general trend consisting of an initial drop in k (up to an order of magnitude) that was followed by slight decrease sustained until k stabilized and later terminated. Above 10% fly ash content, the relatively high values of k observed was not connected with the reactivity of the soil mixtures with leachate, rather it may be attributed to excessive fly ash content that altered their textural and hydraulic properties. The result of this study is potentially significant in the assessment of fly ash as a compatibility enhancing agent which can be admixed in barrier materials that are susceptible to adverse reactions with the liquid to be contained.