Irregular structures of the F layer at high latitudes during ionospheric heating

Results on heating the ionospheric F region above Tromsø, Norway are presented. The ionosphere was monitored by satellite tomography and amplitude scintillation methods as well as the EISCAT incoherent scatter radar. No effect of heating was observed in the daytime. In the evening and in the pre-midnight sector, noticeable tilts of the F region were observed during heating periods. The tilts overlapped the heating cone, where the electron density decreased and irregularities exceeding 10 km in size appeared. Between the heating periods the F layer was restored to its horizontal shape. The anisotropic parameters of small-scale irregularities with scale lengths of hundreds of metres were also determined. It was found that the perpendicular anisotropy points in the direction of F region plasma flow. In some cases the results can be explained by assuming that the small-scale irregularities were generated within the heating cone and drifted out of the heating region where they were subsequently observed.     

Comparison of the orientation of small-scale electron density irregularities and F region plasma flow direction

Results are shown from an experimental campaign where satellite scintillation was observed at three sites at high latitudes and, simultaneously, the F region plasma flow was measured by the nearby EISCAT incoherent scatter radar. The anisotropy parameters of field-aligned irregularities are determined from amplitude scintillation using a method based on the variance of the relative logarithmic amplitude. The orientation of the anisotropy in a plane perpendicular to the geomagnetic field is compared with the direction of F region plasma flow. The results indicate that in most cases a good agreement between the two directions is obtained.     

Development of groundwater modeling for the Azraq Basin, Jordan

 The three-dimensional groundwater flow model MODFLOW was applied to simulate water level change in the complex multi-aquifer systems (the Upper and Middle Aquifers) of the Azraq basin. The model was calibrated by matching observed and simulated drawdown for steady and transient states over the period 1970–1992. Drawdown data for the period 1993–1997 were used to test the model's ability to predict the response of the aquifers. The model performed well in representing the water level contours of the Upper and Middle Aquifers for steady state calibration. Agreement between the observed and simulated drawdowns was obtained for transient state calibration. To predict the aquifer system responses for the period of 1997–2025, four different pumping schemes (scenarios) have been investigated. The first scenario (present pumping rate) reveals that there will be approximately a 25 m drop in the water level at the well-field area in 2025. However, the worst scenario (pumping rate at 1.5 times the present rate) reveals an approximate 39 m drop in the water level at the well-field area in 2025. The safe yield for the Upper Aquifer System was found to be about 25 million cubic meters (MCM) yearly. Received: 24 June 1999 · Accepted: 30 November 1999     

Environmental impact assessment on water quality deterioration caused by the decreased Ganges outflow and saline water intrusion in south-western Bangladesh

 This paper deals with an environmental impact assessment of low water flow in the river Ganges during a dry period at the Khulna and Mongla port areas in south-western Bangladesh. Large-scale surface water withdrawal in India after commissioning the Farakka Barrage causes a drastic fall in the Ganges low-flow condition within the Bangladesh territory during every dry period. The average lowest discharge in the Ganges is 552 m³/s, which is about 73% less than that in the pre-Farakka time. This has caused the deterioration of both surface and groundwater quality of the study area. Salinity is the principal cause of water quality degradation in the area. Present observation shows that the surface water of the area is sulphate-chloride dominated, which signifies high salinity whereas the groundwater is categorized as of medium to high salinity. To maintain the Rupsa River's maximum salinity below 1000 μS/cm the discharge in the Ganges should be ∼1500 m³/s, whereas that at Garai basin is ∼10 m³/s. If this present situation continues it will be a crippling blow to the environment of the area in the long term. An integrated multidisciplinary approach to hydrogeological research is urgently required to salvage the area from further deterioration. Received: 9 August 1999 · Accepted: 8 March 2000     

路基粒状填土的旋转压实试验

尽管击实试验是目前最流行的室内土体压实试验方法,但实际上与现场任何一种压实方法都无相似之处,且不适用于无粘性土（粒状土）的压实试验。无粘性土的振动击实试验方法也存在很多问题。现代重型压实设备的使用,路基粒状填土的压实密度达到了目前室内规范试验方法不可能达到的水平。介绍了美国采用供高性能沥青路面混合料设计与质量控制之用的旋转压实机对粒状土进行的压实试验。其结果表明,旋转压实试验能有效模拟路基粒状填土的现场压实特征;可采用压实压力200 kPa、旋转角为1.25°、旋转次数为90、旋转速度为20 rpm的试验结果来控制粒状填土路基的现场压实质量。     

A comparison of scavenging and deposition processes in global models: results from the WCRP Cambridge Workshop of 1995

We report on results from a World Climate Research Program workshop on representations of scavenging and deposition processes in global transport models of the atmosphere. 15 models were evaluated by comparing simulations of radon, lead, sulfur dioxide, and sulfate against each other, and against observations of these constituents. This paper provides a survey on the simulation differences between models. It identifies circumstances where models are consistent with observations or with each other, and where they differ from observations or with each other. The comparison shows that most models are able to simulate seasonal species concentrations near the surface over continental sites to within a factor of 2 over many regions of the globe. Models tend to agree more closely over source (continental) regions than for remote (polar and oceanic) regions. Model simulations differ most strongly in the upper troposphere for species undergoing wet scavenging processes. There are not a sufficient number of observations to characterize the climatology (long‐term average) of species undergoing wet scavenging in the upper troposphere. This highlights the need for either a different strategy for model evaluation (e.g., comparisons on an event by event basis) or many more observations of a few carefully chosen constituents.     

Seasonal and spatial variability of the content of suspended organic substances in the active layer of the Black Sea

On the basis of the generalized data of multiannual observations (1985–1994), we analyze the seasonal variability of the vertical and spatial distributions and composition (C_sos, N_sos, C_sos/cha, and C/N) of suspended organic substances (SOS) in the shelf zone and in the upper active layer of the abyssal part of the Black Sea. The results of our analysis enable us to conclude that only a narrow coastal band of the shelf in the northwest and west parts of the sea suffers to an extremely pronounced anthropogenic impact, which manifests itself in a significant increase in the mass of suspended organic substances. The formation of new organic substances and, hence, the mass of suspended organic substances in these regions attain the level of eutrophic waters in the late-spring and summer periods. In the open-sea region, the anthropogenic impact is less pronounced and the spatial distribution of suspended organic substances is determined by the general dynamics of waters and the intensity of phytoplankton production. Translated by Peter V. Malyshev and Dmitry V. Malyshev     

CCD Photometry and Long-Term Optical Variability of 3C 345

This paper presents evidence for long-term optical variability and colour behaviour of the blazar 3C 345 (1641+399, z=0.595). Our results show that the amplitude of the optical variations of 3C 345 has been only about 3 magnitudes from its photometric history; existent significant correlation between brightness and colours is found for 3C 345. Our recent CCD photometry of 3C 345 in May 1996 and May 1997 showed that they are in good agreement with our prediction of the optical variability period of about 10 years (see Zhang et al., 1998; Webb et al., 1988). This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Conditions of pocket formation in the Oktyabrskaya tourmaline-rich gem pegmatite (the Malkhan field, Central Transbaikalia, Russia)

Coexisting melt (MI), fluid-melt (FMI) and fluid (FI) inclusions in quartz from the Oktaybrskaya pegmatite, central Transbaikalia, have been studied and the thermodynamic modeling of PVTX-properties of aqueous orthoboric-acid fluids has been carried out to define the conditions of pocket formation. At room temperature, FMI in early pocket quartz and in quartz from the coarse-grained quartz–oligoclase host pegmatite contain crystalline aggregates and an orthoboric-acid fluid. The portion of FMI in inclusion assemblages decreases and the volume of fluid in inclusions increases from the early to the late growth zones in the pocket quartz. No FMI have been found in the late growth zones. Significant variations of solid/fluid ratios in the neighboring FMI result from heterogeneous entrapment of coexisting melts and fluids by a host mineral. Raman spectroscopy, SEM EDS and EMPA indicate that the crystalline aggregates in FMI are dominated by mica minerals of the boron-rich muscovite–nanpingite CsAl₂[AlSi₃O₁₀](OH,F)₂ series as well as lepidolite. Topaz, quartz, potassium feldspar and several unidentified minerals occur in much lower amounts. Fluid isolations in FMI and FI have similar total salinity (4–8 wt.% NaCl eq.) and H₃BO₃ contents (12–16 wt.%). The melt inclusions in host-pegmatite quartz homogenize at 570–600 °C. The silicate crystalline aggregates in large inclusions in pocket quartz completely melt at 615 °C. However, even after those inclusions were significantly overheated at 650±10 °C and 2.5 kbar during 24 h they remained non-homogeneous and displayed two types: (i) glass+unmelted crystals and (ii) fluid+glass. The FMI glasses contain 1.94–2.73 wt.% F, 2.51 wt.% B₂O₃, 3.64–5.20 wt.% Cs₂O, 0.54 wt.% Li₂O, 0.57 wt.% Ta₂O₅, 0.10 wt.% Nb₂O₅, 0.12 wt.% BeO. The H₂O content of the glass could exceed 12 wt.%. Such compositions suggest that the residual melts of the latest magmatic stage were strongly enriched in H₂O, B, F, Cs and contained elevated concentrations of Li, Be, Ta, and Nb. FMI microthermometry showed that those melts could have crystallized at 615–550 °C.

Crystallization of quartz–feldspar pegmatite matrix leads to the formation of H₂O-, B- and F-enriched residual melts and associated fluids (prototypes of pockets). Fluids of different compositions and residual melts of different liquidus–solidus P–T-conditions would form pockets with various internal fluid pressures. During crystallization, those melts release more aqueous fluids resulting in a further increase of the fluid pressure in pockets. A significant overpressure and a possible pressure gradient between the neighboring pockets would induce fracturing of pockets and “fluid explosions”. The fracturing commonly results in the crushing of pocket walls, formation of new fractures connecting adjacent pockets, heterogenization and mixing of pocket fluids. Such newly formed fluids would interact with a primary pegmatite matrix along the fractures and cause autometasomatic alteration, recrystallization, leaching and formation of “primary–secondary” pockets.