The orientation of the solar rotation axis from Doppler velocity observations

Mt. Wilson observations of solar velocity fields have been examined for evidence that the rotation axis of the nonmagnetic gas at the solar surface is oriented differently than the axis found by Carrington (1863) from sunspot observations. No difference is found with an accuracy of 0°.15 in the angle of inclination of the axis to the ecliptic.     

Fabry-Perot determinations of midlatitude F-region neutral winds and temperatures from 1975 to 1979

Fabry-Perot interferometer measurements of the Doppler shifts and widths of the nightglow 630.0 nm line at Laurel Ridge Observatory, Pennsylvania are presented for the period 1975 to 1979, covering both solar minimum and solar maximum conditions. The F-region neutral wind vectors v_n and temperatures T_n deduced from these measurements show both day-to-day changes and overall seasonal patterns in the nocturnal variations during geomagnetically quiet conditions. Divergence in both the meridional and zonal horizontal flow is noted on occasion. The v_n results are compared with models including only solar EUV heating and those with EUV plus a high latitude heat source. The aggregate v_n data for solar cycle minimum conditions agree best with model predictions for winter zonal and equinoctal meridional winds and worst for winter meridional and summer zonal winds. At solar cycle maximum the predicted, rapid transition at equinox from summer to winter wind patterns and vice-versa is observed. The T_n data are in reasonable agreement with the MSIS model predictions.     

Adaptations for scavenging by three diverse bathyla species, Eptatretus stouti, Neptunea amianta and Orchomene obtusus

Many deep-sea animals derive part of their nutrition from rare and unpredictable food falls. However, traits that allow organisms inhabiting the sea floor to exploit carrion are poorly understood. We found in laboratory experiments that hagfish (Eptatretus stouti), gastropods (Neptunea amianta) and amphipods (Orchomene obtusus) survived extended periods of starvation, in some cases for more than a year. When exposed to odors emitted from carrion, most individuals of E. stouti and O. obtusus began searching for food within seconds, whereas none responded to the scent of the live prey. In contrast, the slow crawling N. amianta readily consumed carrion but showed no apparent response to any odor solutions tested. Because more motile animals exhibited lower thresholds for response to signal molecules, sensitivity to chemical cues appears related to species mobility. Hagfish were also found to defend carrion from some competitors by releasing slime when feeding. Though varying dramatically in size, morphology, locomotive ability, and phylogeny, these three species all possess traits well suited for a scavenging lifestyle.     

Forests and floods: Using field evidence to reconcile analysis methods

The extent to which forests, relative to shorter vegetation, mitigate flood peak discharges remains controversial and relatively poorly researched, with only a few significant field studies. Considering the effect purely of change of vegetation cover, peak flow magnitude comparisons for paired catchments have suggested that forests do not mitigate large floods, whereas flood frequency comparisons have shown that forests mitigate frequencies over all magnitudes of flood. This study investigates the apparent inconsistency using field-based evidence from four contrasting field programmes at scales of 0.34–3.1 km². Repeated patterns are identified that provide strong evidence of real effects with physical explanations. Magnitude and frequency comparisons are both relevant to the impact of forests on peak discharges but address different questions. Both can show a convergence of response between forested and grassland/logged states at the highest recorded flows but the associated return periods may be quite variable and are subject to estimation uncertainty. For low to moderate events, the forested catchments have a lower peak magnitude for a given frequency than the grassland/logged catchments. Depending on antecedent soil saturation, a given storm may nevertheless generate peak discharges of the same magnitude for both catchment states but these peaks will have different return periods. The effect purely of change in vegetation cover may be modified by additional forestry interventions, such as road networks and drainage ditches which, by effectively increasing the drainage density, may increase peak flows for all event magnitudes. For all the sites, forest cover substantially reduces annual runoff.     

Classifying zones of suitability for manual drilling using textural and hydraulic parameters of shallow aquifers: a case study in northwestern Senegal

A method is proposed that uses analysis of borehole stratigraphic logs for the characterization of shallow aquifers and for the assessment of areas suitable for manual drilling. The model is based on available borehole-log parameters: depth to hard rock, depth to water, thickness of laterite and hydraulic transmissivity of the shallow aquifer. The model is applied to a study area in northwestern Senegal. A dataset of boreholes logs has been processed using a software package (TANGAFRIC) developed during the research. After a manual procedure to assign a standard category describing the lithological characteristics, the next step is the automated extraction of different textural parameters and the estimation of hydraulic conductivity using reference values available in the literature. The hydraulic conductivity values estimated from stratigraphic data have been partially validated, by comparing them with measured values from a series of pumping tests carried out in large-diameter wells. The results show that this method is able to produce a reliable interpretation of the shallow hydrogeological context using information generally available in the region. The research contributes to improving the identification of areas where conditions are suitable for manual drilling. This is achieved by applying the described method, based on a structured and semi-quantitative approach, to classify the zones of suitability for given manual drilling techniques using data available in most African countries. Ultimately, this work will support proposed international programs aimed at promoting low-cost water supply in Africa and enhancing access to safe drinking water for the population.     

Small-scale, high-precision and high-accuracy determination of Poisson’s ratios in cohesive marine sediments

Poisson’s ratio (static) appears as a parameter in models of soft-sediment geomechanical processes such as gas bubble formation and bioturbation, and in a number of practical applications, including acoustic imaging, but is rarely measured in soft near-surface (upper 20 cm) marine sediments. A new uniaxial apparatus was developed to assess Poisson’s ratios of cylindrical samples of soft cohesive sediments under finite-strain, unconfined, undrained conditions. No constraining membrane around the sample is necessary in the instrument. By monitoring the fluid level in a capillary, changes in sample volume can be determined to high precision (reproducibility). Measurements on reference materials, i.e., gelatine and polyurethane, also indicate high accuracy (veracity). For natural sediments from Nova Scotia, Canada, Poisson’s ratios range from 0.4951 to 0.5 with no indication of anisotropy; therefore, such sediments act as incompressible solids to short-term/small-magnitude stresses, as occur during bubble formation and infaunal movement.