Rock displacement and thermal expansion study at historic heritage sites in Slovakia

The paper discusses the results of the research devoted to the preservation of cultural heritage carried out within last two decades in Slovakia. The aim of the study depended on monitoring of selected castle rocks showing instability problems due to extremely slow displacements of creep character. Apart from traditional methods of investigation at one test site (Spis Castle), authors implemented in their work the study of thermal expansion of the rocks as a result of seasonal periodic temperature changes having potential influence on displacements and numerical modeling in order to understand better the landslide failure mechanism. The results obtained from all study sites confirmed that even slow movements have to be implemented into preservation and stabilization works in order to safeguard the sites of great historic value.     

Lofted charged dust distribution above the Moon surface

We developed kinetic theory for the charging processes of small dust grains near the lunar surface due to interaction with the anisotropic solar wind plasma. Once charged, these dust grains, which are exposed to the electric field in the sheath region near the lunar surface, could loft and distribute around such heights off the surface where they reach equilibrium with the local gravitational force. Analytical solutions were derived for the charging time, grain floating potential, and grain charge, characterizing the charging processes of small dust grains in a two-component and in a multi-component solar wind plasma, and further highlighting the unique features presented by the high streaming plasma velocity. We have also formulated a novel kinetic theory of sheath formation around an absorbing planar surface immersed in the anisotropic solar wind plasma in the case of a negligible photoelectric effect and presented solutions for the sheath structure. In this study we combined the results from these analyses and provided estimates for the size distribution function of dust that is expected to be lofted in regions dominated by the solar wind plasma, such as near the terminator and in nearby shadowed craters. Corresponding to the two dominant streaming velocity peaks of 300 and 800 km/s, mean dust diameters of 500 and 350 nm, respectively, are expected to be found at equilibrium at heights of relevance to exploration operations, e.g., around 1.5 m height off the lunar surface. In shadowed craters near the terminator region, where isotropic plasma should be dominating, we estimate mean lofted dust diameter of 800 nm around the same 1.5 m height off the lunar surface. The generally applicable solutions could be used to readily calculate the expected lofted size distribution near the lunar surface as a function of plasma parameters, dust grain composition, and other parameters of interest.     

Soil acidity adaptive control problem

Problem of soil acidity regularization is modeled as stochastic adaptive control problem with a linear difference equation of the dynamics of a field pH level. Stochastic component in the equation represents an individual time variability of soil acidity of an elementary section. We use Bayesian approach to determine a posteriori probability density function of the unknown parameters of the stochastic transition process. The Kullback–Leibler information divergence is used as a measure of difference between true distribution and its estimation. Algorithm for the construction of an adaptive stabilizing control in such a linear control system is proposed in the paper. Numerical realization of the algorithm is represented for a problem of a field soil acidity control.     

Mineral systems and the thermodynamics of selenites and selenates in the oxidation zone of sulfide ores – a review

Mineralogy and Petrology - Contemporary mineralogy and geochemistry are concerned with understanding and deciphering processes that occur near the surface of the Earth. These processes are...     

Feasibility of joint 1D velocity model and event location inversion by the Neighbourhood algorithm

Using a set of synthetic P‐ and S‐wave onsets, computed in a 1D medium model from sources that mimic a distribution of microseismic events induced by hydrofrac treatment to a monitoring geophone array(s), we test the possibility to invert back jointly the model and events location. We use the Neighbourhood algorithm for data inversion to account for non‐linear effects of velocity model and grid search for event location. The velocity model used is composed of homogeneous layers, derived from sonic logging. Results for the case of one and two monitoring wells are compared. These results show that the velocity model can be obtained in the case of two monitoring wells, if they have optimal relative position. The use of one monitoring well fails due to the trade‐off between the velocity model and event locations.     

Environmental Radioxenon Levels in Europe: a Comprehensive Overview

Activity concentration data from ambient radioxenon measurements in ground level air, which were carried out in Europe in the framework of the International Noble Gas Experiment (INGE) in support of the development and build-up of a radioxenon monitoring network for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty verification regime are presented and discussed. Six measurement stations provided data from 5 years of measurements performed between 2003 and 2008: Longyearbyen (Spitsbergen, Norway), Stockholm (Sweden), Dubna (Russian Federation), Schauinsland Mountain (Germany), Bruyères-le-Châtel and Marseille (both France). The noble gas systems used within the INGE are designed to continuously measure low concentrations of the four radioxenon isotopes which are most relevant for detection of nuclear explosions: ^131mXe, ^133mXe, ¹³³Xe and ¹³⁵Xe with a time resolution less than or equal to 24 h and a minimum detectable concentration of ¹³³Xe less than 1 mBq/m³. This European cluster of six stations is particularly interesting because it is highly influenced by a high density of nuclear power reactors and some radiopharmaceutical production facilities. The activity concentrations at the European INGE stations are studied to characterise the influence of civilian releases, to be able to distinguish them from possible nuclear explosions. It was found that the mean activity concentration of the most frequently detected isotope, ¹³³Xe, was 5–20 mBq/m³ within Central Europe where most nuclear installations are situated (Bruyères-le-Châtel and Schauinsland), 1.4–2.4 mBq/m³ just outside that region (Stockholm, Dubna and Marseille) and 0.2 mBq/m³ in the remote polar station of Spitsbergen. No seasonal trends could be observed from the data. Two interesting events have been examined and their source regions have been identified using atmospheric backtracking methods that deploy Lagrangian particle dispersion modelling and inversion techniques. The results are consistent with known releases of a radiopharmaceutical facility.     

A statistically significant signature of multi-decadal solar activity changes in atmospheric temperatures at three European stations

We study the effect of solar variability on temperatures recorded in three European stations with the longest gapless series available (Prague, Bologna and Uccle). Following a pattern recognition approach, we partition daily temperature “indices” (minimum, maximum and range) in two separate classes with respect to the level of solar activity (high H vs low L 11 year cycles). Using the two-sample Kolmogorov–Smirnov statistics, multiple shuffles of data, and other partitions, we demonstrate that the separation between the probability distribution functions of H and L temperatures is statistically significant and robust. We find that average annual variations for the H and L classes display common and site-specific patterns. For practically all series considered, differences between graphs of annual change for the two classes H and L are large (～1 °C). Solar activity accounts, at least in part, for the multi-decadal variations in temperature observed at these European sites in the past two centuries.