Mercury monitoring: Mercury stability in bird feathers

The influence of ultraviolet light, heating, freezing and weathering on the mercury concentration in the primary feathers from Guillemot and Black Guillemot has been examined. Even within 8 months of exposure variation in mercury concentration due to either loss of mercury or weight loss of the feathers has been found to be less than 10% relative.     

Nonequilibrium Processes in the Solar Corona,Transition Region,Flares, and Solar Wind <Emphasis Type="Italic">(Invited Review)</Emphasis>

We review the presence and signatures of the non-equilibrium processes, both non-Maxwellian distributions and non-equilibrium ionization, in the solar transition region, corona, solar wind, and flares. Basic properties of the non-Maxwellian distributions are described together with their influence on the heat flux as well as on the rates of individual collisional processes and the resulting optically thin synthetic spectra. Constraints on the presence of high-energy electrons from observations are reviewed, including positive detection of non-Maxwellian distributions in the solar corona, transition region, flares, and wind. Occurrence of non-equilibrium ionization is reviewed as well, especially in connection to hydrodynamic and generalized collisional-radiative modeling. Predicted spectroscopic signatures of non-equilibrium ionization depending on the assumed plasma conditions are summarized. Finally, we discuss the future remote-sensing instrumentation that can be used for the detection of these non-equilibrium phenomena in various spectral ranges.     

Late Quaternary fluvial aggradation and incision in the monsoon‐dominated Alaknanda valley,Central Himalaya,Uttrakhand, India

The present study aims to explain the spatial and temporal variability in phases of aggradation/incision in response to changes in climate and seismicity during the late Quaternary in the Alaknanda River valley (a major tributary of the river Ganges or Ganga). Geomorphology, stratigraphy and optical dating of the fluvial sediment reveal that the oldest fluvial landforms preserved in the south of the Main Central Thrust are debris flow terraces developed during the early part of pluvial Marine Isotopic Stage 3. Following this, a period of accelerated incision/erosion owing to an increase in uplift rate and more intense rainfall occurred. In the Lesser Himalaya, three phases of valley fill aggradation around 26 ± 3 ka, 18 ± 2 ka and 15 ± 1 ka and 8 ± 1 ka occurred in response to changes in monsoon intensity and sediment flux. The last phase was regionally extensive and corresponds to a strengthening of the early Holocene Indian Summer Monsoon. A gradual decline in the monsoon strength after 8 ± 1 ka resulted in reduced fluvial discharge and lower sediment transport capacity of the Alaknanda River, leading to valley fill incision and the development of terraces. The study suggests that fluvial dynamics in the Alaknanda valley were modulated by monsoon variability and the role of tectonics was subordinate, limited to providing accommodation space and post‐deposition modification of the fluvial landforms. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Stick-slip unstable shear failure as a source of high frequency elastic radiation

Summary The results of laboratory measurements on square perspex models with a stress concentrator under uniaxial compression are presented. An attempt was made to interpret these results in order to determine the mutual relations between the mechanical parameters characterizing the treated models, including their focal zones, parameters of model loading, parameters of seismogenic displacement and parameters of radiated elastic pulses. Particular attention was given to the study of slip displacement, slip velocity, rupture velocity, nucleation points of rupture propagation, nucleation points of elastic radiation and to the frequency analysis of radiated pulses. Measurements of the displacement in the focal zone enabled us to determine the source function, to construct theoretical seismograms in a far field and to compare them with the real pulses from ultrasonic transducers located there. This allowed testing theoretical and experimental approaches to the study of how slip displacement, slip velocity and rupture velocity are related to the parameters of radiated pulses.     

Subsurface temperature field of the Bohemian Massif

Summary On the basis of temperature measurements in 190 boreholes we constructed a map of temperature distribution at a depth of 100 m below the terrain level and maps of temperature gradients in different depth intervals below the Earth's surface in the territory of the Bohemian Massif. Investigations were made into the effects of hydrogeological, geomorphological, structure geological and microclimatic factors on the subsurface temperature field in the Bohemian Massif together with an assessment of effects of these factors on heat flow determinations in shallow boreholes 100 – 200 m deep.

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Резюме Нa основaнuu uзмеренuя mемnерamуры в 190 сквaжuнaх былa nосmроенa кaрma рaсnре?rt;еленuя mемnерamуры нa ?rt;лубuне 100 м nо?rt; nоверхносmью Землu u кaрmы ?rt;рa?rt;uенma mемnерamуры в рaзных nо?rt;nоверхносmных uнmервaлaх нa mеррumорuu Чешско?rt;о мaссuвa. Иссле?rt;овaлось осложненuе mеnлово?rt;о nоля у nоверхносmu Землu целым ря?rt;ом фaкmоров: эффекmы рельефa nоверхносmu Землu, ?rt;вuженuя nо?rt;земных во?rt;, mеnлоnрово?rt;носmu ?rt;орных nоро?rt;, мuкроклuмamuческuе эффекmы u ?rt;р. u влuянuе эmuх фaкmоров нa uзмеренuе mеnлово?rt;о nоmокa в не?rt;лубокuх сквaжuнaх (100 – 200 м).

     

A more precise mechanical theory of askania gravity meters

Summary The measuring systems of Askania gravity meters are assumed to have 3 degrees of freedom. The axis of rotation of the beam can also be displaced in the vertical and horizontal directions. The equations of equilibrium of this system (25)–(27) were used to derive the expressions for the effect of displacing the calibration ball, for the scale equation and for the sensitivity of the gravity meter. Equations (33), (34) and (39) refer to gravity meters with a photoelectric transducer, and Eqs (46), (47) and (49) to gravity meters with a capacitive transducer.

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uum umaum au n¶rt;naam 3 mnu ¶rt;. au aa m m nam mua uuma anau. au au m um (25)–(27) ¶rt; au ¶rt; ¶rt;mu nu au aua, ¶rt; aua a u ¶rt; mummuauma. aum mmuu mm m au (33), (34), (39), ¶rt;aum m mm au (46), (47), (49).

     

Changes in the shape of the circumpolar vortex due to heating from above

Summary Based on model considerations it is shown that, under certain assumptions, zonalization of tropospheric circulation may be expected in the region of the auroral oval as a result of heat released at the time energetic electrons penetrate from the Sun into the lower stratosphere.

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a auu ¶rt; a¶rt;u naa, m nu m n¶rt;nu u¶rt;am auau mn uuu amu aa aa mam ¶rt;u mna nuu mumu m u a u mam.

     

Travel time curves for complex inhomogeneous slightly anisotropic media

Summary The linearization approach is used to compute the travel times in inhomogeneous slightly anisotropic media. The basic formulae are outlined and their accuracy demonstrated in comparison with the exact solution based on the zero-order ray theory and the Backus formula (1965). The linearization is extended also to complex media with curved interfaces. The computer program for calculating travel times in 2D, inhomogeneous, slightly anisotropic, complex media is briefly described. The numerical results obtained for a realistic situation and various types of waves are presented to enable the effects of anisotropy and the effects of inhomogeneity on the resulting travel times to be compared.

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na uauua n¶rt;¶rt; ¶rt; ama¶rt;aa , anmau aaumn ¶rt;a. ¶rt; u n¶rt; au m u n muu nuuuu u m¶rt; aa (1965). a uauua n¶rt;¶rt; ¶rt; a ¶rt; uuuauau a¶rt;a. am nuaa uuma naa ¶rt; ama¶rt;a ¶rt; ¶rt;. u mam ¶rt; a mun ¶rt;am m um m aumnuu u m ¶rt;¶rt;mu a a anmau .

     

Deep structure of the bohemian massif from phase velocities of Rayleigh and Love waves

Summary Phase velocities of Rayleigh and Love waves have been measured between the broadband seismic stations KHC (Kaperské Hory, South Bohemia) and KSP (Ksi, Lower Silesia), a profile that nearly coincides with the Interactional DSS Profile VII. The data for both wave types were separately inverted into models of shear-wave velocity versus depth. Novotný's model KHKS 82[1] for the DSS Profile VII was used as a start model. While the crustal section of Novotný's model is compatible with both of our data sets, our Rayleigh-wave data require smaller shear-wave velocities, on the average by 0.24 km/s, in the top 180 km of the mantle. The average difference between Novotný's model and our Love-wave model in that depth range is only 0.06 km/s. If our identification of the observed Love waves as the fundamental mode is correct, this result indicates the presence of polarization anisotropy in the uppermost mantle.

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u a mu u a ¶rt; unu uuu mauu (an , a u) u S (, ua uu). u - S nuuum mmmm ¶rt;a¶rt; nu VII . a ¶rt; u mun m¶rt; umua ¶rt;u auumu mu nn mu. am mam¶rt;u a unaa ¶rt; S 82 m[1] ¶rt; nu VII . a am ¶rt;u m aua uu aau au ¶rt;a, ¶rt;a au ¶rt;a ¶rt; mm uu m nn — ¶rt; a 0,24 / 180 uma amuu. ¶rt;a aua ¶rt; ¶rt; m u a ¶rt; ¶rt; a m ¶rt;uanau n¶rt;mam 0,06 /. u aa u¶rt;muuau a¶rt;a a a ¶rt;ama ¶rt;a m nau, m mm mam u¶rt;ummm numuu nuau aumnuu amuu.