Nature and composition of shore-zone sediments between Jeddah and Yanbu, eastern Red Sea

The shore-zone sediments between Jeddah and Yanbu, west coast of Saudi Arabia, are composed mostly of skeletal carbonate sands. The nearshore sediments containing benthic foraminifera, algal fragments and molluscs are multimodal, the mean grain size varying between 0.76 and 2.35 ø. The beach sediments, except samples dominated by cerithid gastropods in some localities, are relatively finer than the nearshore sediments. Although the beaches to a great extent comprise sand-sized material, fine lime muds and coarse clastic gravels occur in certain areas. The dune sediments comprising mostly algal grains and ooids are very fine with 50 percent of the material in the 0.25–0.18 mm size grade. Except a general northward decrease in mean grain size, regional trends in the textural parameters of the sediments between Jeddah and Yanbu are not quite apparent. Lateral variations in the textural characteristics suggest a landward migration of the sediments in the shore zone under the influence of northerly and northwesterly winds. The carbon and oxygen (δ ¹³C + 4.80 to 4.84‰ PDB) (δ ¹³O − 0.04 to + 0.53‰ PDB) isotopic ratios of the lime muds occurring in certain shallow margins in the shore-zone, which are much higher than those of the green algae, indicate that the fine carbonates are at least in part inorganic in origin.

Like the shallow-water carbonates in tropical seas, aragonite and high Mg-calcite are the dominant carbonate minerals in the shore-zone sediments. There is a landward increase in aragonite contents caused by the landward migration of fine material from the nearshore. The dominant clay mineral in the nearshore sediments is kaolinite with subordinate swelling chlorite and little illite. Kaolinite is contributed by the coastal regions under the sub-tropical humid climate. Swelling chlorite is considered to have been formed in the nearshore by mechanical mixture of chlorite and montmorillonite derived from the metamorphic and igneous terrains of the Tertiary mountains bordering the coastal plain.     

Kokchetavite: a new potassium-feldspar polymorph from the Kokchetav ultrahigh-pressure terrane

Kokchetavite, a new polymorph of K-feldspar (KAlSi₃O₈), has been identified as micrometer-size inclusions in clinopyroxene and garnet in a garnet-pyroxene rock from the Kokchetav ultrahigh-pressure terrane, Kazakhstan. Kokchetavite has a hexagonal structure with a =5.27(1) Å, c=7.82(1) Å, V=188.09 ų, Z=1, and is found to be associated with phengite + /-cristobalite (or quartz) + siliceous glass ± phlogopite/titanite/calcite/zircon, occurring as multi-phase inclusions in clinopyroxene and garnet. It is concluded that kokchetavite could not be an exsolution phase in host minerals. Instead, it might be metastably precipitated from an infiltrated K-rich melt during rock exhumation. Alternatively, although less likely, kokchetavite might be derived from dehydration of K-cymrite, which, in turn, was formed at high pressures. In either case, kokchetavite is a metastable polymorph of K-feldspar.     

Relativistic reference frames including time scales: Questions and answers

The subject of relativistic reference frames in astronomy is discussed with respect to the problems and needs of the various user groups. For didactical reasons the discussion is presented in form of a sequence of questions and answers.     

Hydrotroilite as a bioindicator of paleohydrological and paleoclimatic processes in the Caspian basin

The results of studying the distribution of hydrotroilite (a product of bacterial sulfate-reduction) in deep-water bottom sediments in the Southern and Middle Caspian Sea are considered and its relationships with paleoclimatic and paleohydrological processes in the sea basin are analyzed.     

Mathematical modeling of marine environment pollution processes by petroleum hydrocarbons and their degradation in Caspian Sea ecosystem

The available observational data on the pollution of tributaries and areas of the Caspian Sea by petroleum hydrocarbons and products are examined. The possible petroleum input from sources in the sea is assessed using up-to-date data of satellite observations of sea surface pollution by oil films. The hydroecological CNPSi-model is applied to studying water pollution processes by petroleum hydrocarbons in ten areas chosen in the Caspian Sea and the subsequent biodegradation of those pollutants. The model calculations of the within-year dynamics of petroleum hydrocarbon concentrations use mean annual observational data on within-year variations in water mediium characteristics (water temperature, light intensity, and transparency), as well as the morphometric parameters of sea areas (the area, mean depth, and water volumes). The characteristics of water exchange between the areas were evaluated using a hydrodynamic model. The model calculations were used to characterize the within-year variations in petroleum hydrocarbon concentrations, the biomasses of petroleum-oxidizing bacteria, the characteristics of their oxidation activity and bioproduction, and the internal fluxes of petroleum hydrocarbons (their input from various sources, horizontal and vertical transport, and biotransformation) in different sea areas. Calculation results were used to compile annual balances for the processes of input and consumption of petroleum hydrocarbons in the chosen and aggregated sea areas.     

ASPI experiment: measurements of fields and waves on board the INTERBALL-1 spacecraft

The plasma-wave experiment ASPI (analysis of spectra of plasma waves and instabilities) on board the INTERBALL spacecraft is a combined wave diagnostics experiment. It performs measurements of the DC and AC magnetic field vector by flux-gate and searchcoil sensors, the DC and AC electric field vector by Langmuir double probes and the plasma current by Langmuir split probe. Preliminary data analysis shows the low noise levels of the sensors and the compatibility of new data with the results of previous missions. During several months of in-orbit operation a rich collection of data was acquired, examples of which at the magnetopause and plasma sheet are presented in second part of the paper.     

Formation of Stellar Streams Due to the Decay of Star Clusters,OB Associations,and Galaxy Satellites

Astronomy Reports - This paper presents a scenario of the evolution of OB associations and star clusters from formation to decay, in the process of which they turn into stellar streams moving in...     

Equatorial electrojet in the south Atlantic anomaly region

Features of the equatorial electrojet are studied at Sao Luiz (2.6°S, 44.2°W, inclination −0.25°) in eastern Brazil and Sikasso (11.3°N, 5.7°W, inclination 0.1°) in the western African sector. The stations are situated on either side of the lowest magnetic field intensity in the region of rapid changes in the declination. The daily variations of ΔX at the two stations are almost similar with the peak around noon with maximum values during equinoxes and minimum values during J-solstices. Daily variations of ΔY differ with the maximum deviation of about −35 nT around noon at Sao Luiz and much smaller value of about −10 nT around 14 h LT for Sikasso. The direction of the H vector varies from 15°W of north at 08 h to more than 30°W of north at 17 h for Sao Luiz and from 14°E of north to 25°W of north at 18 h for Sikasso. The plot of the deviations in ΔX and ΔY at different hours for the two stations shows the points along narrow ellipses with major axis aligned along 22°W of north for Sao Luiz and along 3°W of north for Sikasso as compared to declination of 20°W for Sao Luiz and 6°W for Sikasso. The deviations in ΔX at the two stations are fairly well correlated.     

Numerical modelling of wavefields in three-dimensional inhomogeneous media

Summary. Numerical modelling is one of the most efficient methods for an investigation of the relationship between structural features and peculiarities of observed wavefields. It is practically the only method for 2-D and 3-D inhomogeneous media.
An algorithm based on ray theory has been developed for calculations of travel times and amplitudes of seismic waves in 3-D inhomogeneous media with curved interfaces. It was applied for numerical modelling of kinematic and dynamic characteristics of seismic waves propagating in laterally inhomogeneous media.
Travel-time and amplitude patterns were studied in the 2-D and 3-D models of a geosyncline, in which velocity distribution was given by an analytical function of the coordinates. For a more complicated model representing a subducting high-velocity lithospheric plate in a transition zone between oceanic and continental upper mantle, the velocity distribution was given by discrete values on a 2-D non-rectangular grid. It was shown that when a source was placed above the lithospheric plate, a shadow zone appeared along a strike of the structure, i.e. in the direction which is perpendicular to a strong lateral velocity gradient. Travel-time residuals were calculated along the seismological profile for a 3-D velocity distribution in the upper mantle beneath Central Asia, obtained as a result of inversion of travel times by the Backus-Gilbert method. They were found to be in a good agreement with the observed data.     

Dynamical and collisional evolution of Halley-type comets

The number of observed Halley-type comets is hundreds of times less than predicted by models (Levison, H.F., Dones, L., Duncan, M.J. [2001]. Astron. J. 121, 2253–2267). In this paper we investigate the impact of collisions with planetesimals on the evolution of Halley-type comets. First we compute the dynamical evolution of a sub-set of 21 comets using the Mercury integrator package over 100 Myr. The dynamical lifetime is determined to be of the order of 10⁵–10⁶ years in agreement with previous work. The collisional probability of Halley-type comets colliding with known asteroids, a simulated population of Kuiper-belt objects, and planets, is calculated using a modified, Öpik-based collision code. Our results show that the catastrophic disruption of the cometary nucleus has a very low probability of occurring, and disruption through cumulative minor impacts is concluded to be negligible. The dust mantle formed from ejected material falling back to the comet’s surface is calculated to be less than a few centimeters thick, which is insignificant compared to the mantle formed by volatile depletion, while planetary encounters were found to be a negligible disruption mechanism.