Statistical Modeling of Monthly Anomalies of Atmospheric Precipitations for the Region of the Ukraine and Black Sea

The data array accumulated for the period 1946–1995 is used to select the most significant predictor of monthly anomalies of precipitation in the region of the Ukraine and Black Sea, namely, a large-scale circulation in a sector covering the North Atlantic and Europe. Three large-scale predictors (geopotential at a level of 500GPa, sea-level pressure, and the difference between the geopotentials at levels of 500 and 1000GPa) give almost identical results: their correlation with anomalies of precipitation is equal to 0.7–0.8 in winter and 0.4–0.5 in summer. The predominant mechanism of the influence of circulation on precipitations at low frequencies is the response of the trajectories of European cyclones to changes in the upper-tropospheric jet currents in the Atlantic-European sector described as the superposition of the North-Atlantic oscillation and the Eurasian mode. The decomposition of the fields of precipitations and circulation in the eigenmodes of the canonical correlation analysis opens a possibility of direct computation of the monthly average fields of precipitations for the entire territory of the Ukraine and Black Sea region according to the large-scale geopotential fields.     

The behavior of 232Th and the 238U decay chain nuclides during magma formation and volcanism

Concentrations of the members of the ²³⁸U decay chain and ²³²Th were determined in volcanic rocks from convergent plate margins, intraplate volcanoes and oceanic spreading centers. Contemporary and historical volcanic rocks from Mt. St. Helens, Arenal, El Chichon, Hawaii and Iceland and submarine basaltic glass from the Galapagos spreading center all show no fractionation of U and Th in the mantle source or during magma formation at least for the past 300,000 years. Mauna Kea (Hawaii) rocks of alkaline composition greater than 4000 years old and an old submarine basalt show disequilibrium for several of the nuclides in the ²³⁸U decay chain. We interpret these as resulting from post-emplacement processes.     

Estimation of the effect of protective piers on wind wave parameters in the Sevastopol Bay

An effectiveness of the storm wave attenuation by protective piers in the Sevastopol Bay of the Black Sea is studied on the basis of numerical simulation using the SWAN spectral model. Analyzed are the parameters of waves generated by winds of four main directions as well as by the southern cyclone during the storm on November 11, 2007. It is obtained that waves from the northwest part of the Black Sea penetrate most intensively into the Sevastopol Bay in case of western wind and, to a lesser degree, in case of northern and southern winds. A protective effect of the piers is observed in the west part of the bay only and the wave attenuation near the southern coast is more significant than near the northern one. The area of the southern coast directly behind the southern pier is completely protected from the storm waves and, as moving away from the pier, the danger of intensive wave effect on the coast is kept.     

The biogeochemical sulfur cycle in the marine boundary layer over the Northeast Pacific Ocean

The major components of the marine boundary layer biogeochemical sulfur cycle were measured simultaneously onshore and off the coast of Washington State, U.S.A. during May 1987. Seawater dimethylsulfide (DMS) concentrations on the continental shelf were strongly influenced by coastal upwelling. Concentration further offshore were typical of summer values (2.2 nmol/L) at this latitude. Although seawater DMS concentrations were high on the biologically productive continental shelf (2–12 nmol/L), this region had no measurable effect on atmospheric DMS concentrations. Atmospheric DMS concentrations (0.1–12 nmol/m³), however, were extremely dependent upon wind speed and boundary layer height. Although there appeared to be an appreciable input of non-sea-salt sulfate to the marine boundary layer from the free troposphere, the local flux of DMS from the ocean to the atmosphere was sufficient to balance the remainder of the sulfur budget.     

Sources of the Late Mesozoic magmatic associations in the northeastern part of the Amurian microcontinent

Based on generalization of available geochronological data, Late Mesozoic magmatic associations in the northeastern part of the Amurian microcontinent are divided into three groups: 142–125, 124–115, and <110 Ma. The age of these associations decreases with approaching the Pacific margin of Asia. In the same direction, they show a change in sources of their parental melts: continental crust (142–125 Ma) → continental crust + PREMA (DM) (124–115 Ma) → continental crust + PREMA (DM) + EMII (<110 Ma). Isotope-geochemical (Sr-Nd) study indicates that intrusive and volcanic rocks of the Late Mesozoic magmatic associations in the northeastern part of the Amurian microcontinent were originated in geodynamic settings that provided access of enriched mantle sources to magma formation. The most probable of these settings are as follows: (1) plate sliding accompanying by the formation of slab window beneath continental margin; (2) passage of the Asian margin over the East Asian mantle hot field in the Late Mesozoic; (3) asthenospheric upwelling due to delamination of the lower crust during closure of the Mongolian-Okhotsk ocean caused by collision between the Amurian microcontinent, Dzhugdzhur-Stanovoy, and Selenga-Stanovoy superterranes in the Central Asian fold belt.     

Simultaneous solution for water,heat and salt balances in a Mediterranean coastal lagoon (Mar Menor,Spain)

A modelling approach is proposed to evaluate the environmental dynamics of coastal lagoons. The water, heat and salt balances are addressed simultaneously, providing a better estimation of evaporation and water exchanges. Compared to traditional approaches, the model presented accounts for the effects of water salinity, heat storage and net energy advected in the water body. The model was applied daily to the Mar Menor coastal lagoon (SE Spain) from 2003 through 2006. Water exchanges with the Mediterranean Sea were estimated based on the monthly trend of the lagoon salinity and were correlated with monthly averages of wind speed. The mean daily water exchange with the sea was 1.77 hm³ d⁻¹. This exchange accounted for only 1% of the heat losses in the lagoon heat balance, and it is the most important flow in the water balance. The mean annual evaporation flux amounted to 101.3 W m⁻² (3.55 mm d⁻¹), while the sensible heat flux amounted to 19.7 W m⁻², leading to an annual Bowen ratio on the order of 0.19. To validate the model, daily water temperatures were predicted based on the daily heat balance of the water body and were compared with remote sensing data from water surface standard products.     

Ground-based observations of auroras under the sunlit conditions

The results of the ground-based optical observations of sunlit auroras, performed at Lovozero and Apatity observatories on April 10 (event 1) and April 27, 2007(event 2), are presented. The observations were performed in the (OI) 557.7 nm emission, using a new equipment based on a Fabry-Pérot interferometer connected to a PhotonMAX CCD camera. During event 1, the observations were performed in the Harang discontinuity region at a low magnetic disturbance. It has been indicated that an auroral arc was located in the polar part of the eastward electrojet, and the arc position coincides with the equatorward boundary of structured precipitation (b2e). During event 2, auroras were observed within the average statistical boundaries of the auroral oval and the region of structured precipitation under the conditions of rather high geomagnetic activity. However, during the period of low geomagnetic activity, discrete auroras were registered at a geomagnetic latitude of ~64° on that day, which is 3°—4° equatorward of the structured precipitation region. Such a low latitudinal position of auroras can be explained by the effect of a high solar wind velocity, which was ~580 km/s during the period of observations.     

Silica depleted melting of pelites. Petrogenetic grid and application to the Susqueda Aureole, Spain

Metapelitic rocks in the low pressure contact metamorphic aureole around the Susqueda igneous complex, Spain show a number of features that make them an ideal testing ground for the modelling of silica‐undersaturated melting. Rocks in the aureole experienced localized depletion in silica by the segregation of quartz veins during a pre‐anatectic, regional cordierite‐andalusite grade metamorphic event. These rocks were then intruded by gabbroic to dioritic rocks of the Susqueda igneous complex that formed a migmatitic contact metamorphic aureole in the country rocks. This migmatisation event caused quartz‐saturated hornfels and restite formation in rocks that had experienced no quartz vein segregation in the previous regional metamorphic event, but silica‐undersaturated melting in those rocks that were previously depleted in silica. Silica‐undersaturated melting is investigated using a new petrogenetic P–T projection and equilibrium pseudosections calculated in the KFMASH and NCKFMASH systems, respectively. The grid considers quartz absent equilibria and a range of phases that form typically in silica‐undersaturated bulk compositions, for example corundum. It is shown that the quartz‐rich precursors in the Susqueda contact aureole produced about 10% melt during contact metamorphism. However, most of this melt was extracted leaving behind rocks with restitic bulk compositions and minor leucosome segregation. It is suggested that the melt mixed with the host igneous rocks causing an apparent magmatic zoning from diorite in the centre of the complex to tonalite at the margins. In contrast, the quartz‐poor precursors (from which the quartz veins segregated) melted in the silica‐undersaturated field producing a range of assemblages including peritectic corundum and spinel. Melting of the silica‐undersaturated rocks produced only negligible melt and no subsequent melt loss.