Comment on Malanson(2017) “Mixed signals in trends of variance in high-elevation tree ring chronologies” published in Journal of Mountain Science

In a recent paper published in Journal of Mountain Science, Malanson (2017) explored variance changes in Rocky Mountains tree-ring chronologies. This commentary points out some methodological issues related to systematic bias in evolving tree-ring chronology variance and suggests that analyzing the slopes of linear regression lines may be suboptimal for identifying temporal changes in variance. The journal editor invited the original article’s authors Dr. Malandson to respond to the comments. Thus Dr. Malandson’s response is attached behind the comments.     

Projections of the impacts of climate change on the water deficit and on the precipitation erosive indexes in Mantaro River Basin,Peru

Projections of climate change are essential to guide sustainable development plans in the tropical Andean countries such as Peru. This study assessed the projections of precipitation and potential evaporation, rain erosive potential, and precipitation concentration in the Mantaro River Basin, in the Peruvian Andes, which is important for agriculture and energy production in Peru. We assumed the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) A1B greenhouse gas emission scenario and simulated the global climate change by the HadCM3 global climate model. Due to the steepness of the mountain slopes and the narrowness of the river valley, this study uses the downscaling of the global model simulations by the regional Eta model down to 20-km resolution. The downscaling projections show decrease in the monthly precipitation with respect to the baseline period, especially during the rainy season, between February and April, until the end of the 21st century. Meanwhile, a progressive increase in the monthly evaporation from the baseline period is projected. The Modified Fournier Index (MFI) shows a statistically significant downward trend in the Mantaro River Basin, which suggests a possible reduction in the rain erosive potential. The Precipitation Concentration Index (PCI) shows a statistically significant increasing trend, which indicates increasingly more irregular temporal distribution of precipitation towards the end of the century. The results of this study allow us to conclude that there should be a gradual increase in water deficit and precipitation concentration. Both changes can be negative for agriculture, power generation, and water supply in the Mantaro River Basin in Peru.     

Natural highways for end-of-life solutions in the LEO region

We present the main findings of a dynamical mapping performed in the Low Earth Orbit region. The results were obtained by propagating an extended grid of initial conditions, considering two different epochs and area-to-mass ratios, by means of a singly averaged numerical propagator. It turns out that dynamical resonances associated with high-degree geopotential harmonics, lunisolar perturbations and Solar radiation pressure can open natural deorbiting highways. For area-to-mass ratios typical of the orbiting intact objects, these corridors can be exploited only in combination with the action exerted by the atmospheric drag. For satellites equipped with an area augmentation device, we show the boundary of application of the drag, and where the Solar radiation pressure can be exploited.     

Influence of periodic orbits on the formation of giant planetary systems

The late-stage formation of giant planetary systems is rich in interesting dynamical mechanisms. Previous simulations of three giant planets initially on quasi-circular and quasi-coplanar orbits in the gas disc have shown that highly mutually inclined configurations can be formed, despite the strong eccentricity and inclination damping exerted by the disc. Much attention has been directed to inclination-type resonance, asking for large eccentricities to be acquired during the migration of the planets. Here we show that inclination excitation is also present at small to moderate eccentricities in two-planet systems that have previously experienced an ejection or a merging and are close to resonant commensurabilities at the end of the gas phase. We perform a dynamical analysis of these planetary systems, guided by the computation of planar families of periodic orbits and the bifurcation of families of spatial periodic orbits. We show that inclination excitation at small to moderate eccentricities can be produced by (temporary) capture in inclination-type resonance and the possible proximity of the non-coplanar systems to spatial periodic orbits contributes to maintaining their mutual inclination over long periods of time.     

Mineralogy and temperature of crater Haulani on Ceres

We investigate the region of crater Haulani on Ceres with an emphasis on mineralogy as inferred from data obtained by Dawn's Visible InfraRed mapping spectrometer (VIR), combined with multispectral image products from the Dawn Framing Camera (FC) so as to enable a clear correlation with specific geologic features. Haulani, which is one of the youngest craters on Ceres, exhibits a peculiar “blue” visible to near‐infrared spectral slope, and has distinct color properties as seen in multispectral composite images. In this paper, we investigate a number of spectral indices: reflectance; spectral slopes; abundance of Mg‐bearing and NH₄‐bearing phyllosilicates; nature and abundance of carbonates, which are diagnostic of the overall crater mineralogy; plus a temperature map that highlights the major thermal anomaly found on Ceres. In addition, for the first time we quantify the abundances of several spectral endmembers by using VIR data obtained at the highest pixel resolution (~0.1 km). The overall picture we get from all these evidences, in particular the abundance of Na‐ and hydrous Na‐carbonates at specific locations, confirms the young age of Haulani from a mineralogical viewpoint, and suggests that the dehydration of Na‐carbonates in the anhydrous form Na₂CO₃ may be still ongoing.     

Absorption of Photons from Distant Gamma-Ray Sources

Being the largest gravitationally bound structures in the Universe, galaxy clusters are huge reservoirs of photons generated by the bremsstrahlung of a hot cluster gas. We consider the absorption of high-energy photons from distant cosmological gamma-ray sources by the bremsstrahlung of galaxy clusters. The magnitude of this effect is the third in order of smallness after the effects of absorption by the cosmic microwave background and absorption by the extragalactic background light. Our calculations of the effect of absorption by the bremsstrahlung of galaxy clusters have shown that this effect manifests itself in the energy range ~1–100 GeV and can be τ ~ 10^?5 in optical depth.     

On the Evolution of Balloon Satellite Motions in a Plane Restricted Three-Body Problem with Light Pressure

We investigate the evolution of high Earth satellite orbits under gravitational perturbations from the Sun and light pressure forces, without the Earth shadow effect. We present the disturbing function of the problem provided that the satellite is a sphere. The mean value of the disturbing function in the absence of resonances between the mean unperturbed motion of the satellite and the mean motion of the Sun has also been obtained. The semimajor axis of the satellite orbit and the mean value of the disturbing function are shown to be integrals of the averaged osculating equations. TheHill version of the problem, whereby the distance to the satellite is much smaller than the Earth–Sun distance, has been studied in detail: we have constructed the phase portraits of the oscillations at various parameters and described three types of quasiperiodic satellite trajectories—librational and rotational trajectories as well as Earth collision trajectories. Numerical simulations of trajectories have allowed the additional effects caused by light pressure to be described: the displacement of the bounded trajectory of the satellite as a whole relative to the trajectory of the classical three-body problem into a region more distant from the Sun.     

Photosynthetic response of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Scirpus validus</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Typha orientalis</Emphasis> to elevated temperatures in Dianchi Lake,Southwestern China

Understanding the effects of simulated warming on photosynthetic performance of aquatic plants may provide strong supports for predicting future dynamics of wetland ecosystems in the context of climate change. The plateau wetlands located in Yunnan province are highly sensitive to climate warming due to their high altitude and cold temperature. Here, we conducted a temperaturecontrolled experiment using two temperature manipulations (ambient temperature as the control and 2°C higher than ambient temperature as the warmed treatment) to determine the photosynthetic characteristics of two lakeside dominant species (Scirpus validus Vahl and Typha orientalis C. Presl.) in Dianchi Lake. Net photosynthetic rate (P_n), stomatal conductance (G_s), intercellular CO₂ concentration (C_i), and transpiration rate of S. validus that grew under warmed treatment were all significantly higher than those under the control. G_s and C_i of T. orientalis showed similar patterns as S. validus did. For the response curves of P_n to photosynthetic active radiation (Pn-PAR) and intercellular CO₂ concentration (P_n-C_i), S. validus had higher P_n values under elevated temperatures than the control, while P_n-PAR and P_n-C_i curves of T. orientalis did not separate clearly under two temperature scenarios. Both S. validus and T. orientalis had higher maximum net photosynthetic rate, light saturation point, dark respiration rate, the maximum rate of RuBP carboxylation (V_cmax), maximum electron transport rate driving RuBP regeneration (J_max), the ratio of V_cmax to J_max, triosephosphate utilization, and 1, 5-bishosphate carboxylase ribulose content under warmed treatment than those under the control. This study provides a preliminary step for predicting the future primary production and vegetation dynamics of plateau wetlands in Yunnan province.     

Geochronology of Alkaline Rocks of the Aryskan Rare Metal Deposit,East Sayan

Doklady Earth Sciences - The temporal relations between alkaline rocks of the Aryskan rare metal (Y, REEs, Nb, Ta) deposit are determined using metamict zircon with high U and Th contents, which...