New chronology and extended palaeoenvironmental data to the 1975 loess profile of Madaras brickyard,South Hungary

The 10 m thick Madaras loess–palaeosol profile is one of the Hungarian outcrops that yielded Upper Palaeolithic artefacts in 1966. To clarify the nature of the deposits and establish a reliable litho- and chronostratigraphy, a profile was opened and sampled at 25 cm intervals on the northern side of the brickyard in 1975. Analyses focused on grain size, carbonate content and the mollusc fauna. The chronology was based on the mollusc composition and a single date from the archaeological layer at the depth of ca 7 m below the surface. The 1975 profile was destroyed by mining but the reposited samples allowed an extended analysis of this important Marine Isotope Stage 2 record to which archaeological features were directly assigned. A new absolute chronology was built based on 11 ¹⁴C dates. Environmental magnetic, geochemical and palaeoecological investigations allowed a refined view of site evolution with reliable chronology for the Last Glacial Maximum. Our results corroborated those of previous investigations done on other coeval loess–palaeosol sequences of the Southern Carpathian Basin. This also allowed for a temporal correlation to another local record with the published high-resolution chronology of the same brickyard and enabled modelling of local-scale heterogeneity of the environment in the long run.     

Is there a common pattern of future gas-phase air pollution in Europe under diverse climate change scenarios?

Climate change alone influences future levels of tropospheric ozone and their precursors through modifications of gas-phase chemistry, transport, removal, and natural emissions. The goal of this study is to determine at what extent the modes of variability of gas-phase pollutants respond to different climate change scenarios over Europe. The methodology includes the use of the regional modeling system MM5 (regional climate model version)-CHIMERE for a target domain covering Europe. Two full-transient simulations covering from 1991–2050 under the SRES A2 and B2 scenarios driven by ECHO-G global circulation model have been compared. The results indicate that the spatial patterns of variability for tropospheric ozone are similar for both scenarios, but the magnitude of the change signal significantly differs for A2 and B2. The 1991–2050 simulations share common characteristics for their chemical behavior. As observed from the NO₂ and α-pinene modes of variability, our simulations suggest that the enhanced ozone chemical activity is driven by a number of parameters, such as the warming-induced increase in biogenic emissions and, to a lesser extent, by the variation in nitrogen dioxide levels. For gas-phase pollutants, the general increasing trend for ozone found under A2 and B2 forcing is due to a multiplicity of climate factors, such as increased temperature, decreased wet removal associated with an overall decrease of precipitation in southern Europe, increased photolysis of primary and secondary pollutants as a consequence of lower cloudiness and increased biogenic emissions fueled by higher temperatures.     

Spatial Variation of the Precipitation Chemistry in the Thrace Region of Turkey

Pollutants affect not only the environment in which they originate since they are also transported by air currents to other locations. For this reason, air pollution is a global problem for all countries and the air and water quality need to be monitored carefully. More information on precipitation chemistry is required to determine the source of pollution as well as its effects on the ecosystems. In this study, precipitation chemistry has been analyzed for the first time by using simple bulk collectors located at four different sites in Northwest Turkey for a period of two years. About 650 sequential rainwater samples were collected and analyzed for pH, electrical conductivity, anions such as , , Cl^?, and cations such as Na⁺, K⁺, Mg²⁺, Ca²⁺, and . The selected sites were under the effect of different environmental factors. Our results showed that the highest and concentrations were measured in the Northwest of the research area. Additionally, it has been found that Ca²⁺ ions are abundant within all rainwater samples.     

Applying GNSS and DTM Technologies to Monitor the Ice Balance of the Horcones Inferior Glacier, Aconcagua Region, Argentina

This work provides results and analysis of the behavior in a reconstituted debris covered glacier, Horcones Inferior (HIG). This glacier is located at 32° 41′ S and 69° 57′ W in the Aconcagua region, Mendoza, Argentina. The HIG has experienced surges events in 1984 and 2003. GNSS techniques and Digital Terrain Models (DTMs) derived from ASTER optical imagery, were used to detect movements and altimetric changes of the HIG in the 2001–2012 period. Based on a GNSS semi - continuous station, N and E mean velocities of 0.9 cm/d and 1.1 cm/d and in U direction were 1.1 cm/d and 1.5 cm/d were obtained respectively in 2009–2010 period. Additionally, GNSS profiles showed a velocity range between 0.5 cm/d and 2.8 cm/d. Finally, through a DTM comparison the altimetric change before and after the last surge in 2003 was obtained. The applied techniques allowed accurate and reliable change detection of the HIG.     

Evaluation of blast effects on reinforced concrete buildings considering Operational Modal Analysis results

Seismic protection of buildings under risk can be achieved by increasing the knowledge about the behaviour of existing structures. Operational Modal Analysis is a powerful tool used for this purpose all over the world. It provides the dynamic characteristics of structures under operational conditions or some particular environmental issues such as blasts and earthquakes. The main objective of this study is to evaluate blast effects on a reinforced concrete (RC) building considering experimentally determined dynamic characteristics. The study consists of three phases: the measurement of vibration characteristics of blasting, the theoretical modal analysis of the inspected building, and experimental verification of dynamic characteristics using modal testing. The vibration characteristics of blasting are measured around the inspected building on hard soil using a geophone set. The initial analytical model of the building is constructed according to the in-situ investigation on building. The theoretical modal analysis results are verified by carrying out modal testing on the RC building. The Operational Modal Analysis method is used for the extraction of the dynamic characteristics of the building, and blast vibrations are taken into account as environmental vibrations. The effects of blasting on the reinforced concrete building are introduced by assessing the vibration of blasting with the dynamic characteristics of the building.     

Environmental genotoxicity and cytotoxicity in the offshore zones of the Baltic and the North Seas

Micronuclei (MN), nuclear buds (NB) and fragmented-apoptotic cells (FA) were analyzed in mature peripheral blood and immature cephalic kidney erythrocytes of flounder (Platichthys flesus), dab (Limanda limanda) and cod (Gadus morhua) from 12 offshore sites in the Baltic Sea (479 specimens) and 11 sites in the North Sea (291 specimens), which were collected during three research vessel cruises in December 2002, 2003 and in September 2004. The highest levels of environmental genotoxicity (frequencies of MN up to 0.5‰, NB – up to 0.75‰) and cytotoxicity (FA – up to 0.53‰) were observed in flatfishes from areas close to oil and gas platforms in the North Sea and in zones related to the extensive shipping and potentially influenced by contamination from large European Rivers (Elbe, Vistula, Oder). In dab from the offshore zones of the North Sea, the levels of nuclear abnormalities were higher as compared to those in dab from the Baltic Sea. Responses in immature kidney erythrocytes were higher than in mature erythrocytes from peripheral blood. MN frequency lower than 0.05‰ (the Baltic Sea) and lower than 0.1‰ (the North Sea) could be suspected as a reference level in the peripheral blood erythrocytes of flatfish.     

Statistical investigations of the physical properties of radio sources

Six complete samples of radio sources have been analysed by the Spearman rank and the Spearman partial-rank correlation coefficients. The relations between the radio luminosities and linear sizes as well as between linear sizes and redshift indicate that the observed angular diameter-redshift diagram may be explained by the changes of linear sizes with radio luminosity of radio sources.     

Some comments about stratiform tin deposits in the Stara Kamienica Chain (southwestern Poland)

The origin of the stratiform tin deposits in the schist belt of the Stara Kamienica Chain, southwestern Poland, is re-examined based upon new data which has become available. It is the author's opinion that no genetic implications should be attached to the stratiform character of the deposits. Hydrothermal metasomatism associated with acid intrusives of the Variscan Karkonosze massif introduced mineralizing fluids along tectonic lineaments.     

The recurrent surges in McMATH 9760 and associated surge brightenings

The unique surge activity that occurred in McMath 9760 region during November 7 to November 16, 1968 is described and discussed. The surge activity was unusually intense; over 70 surges were observed, some of which were very highly energetic. Some surges were accompanied by surge brightenings; the latter caused a marked sharp increase in the velocity of the ejected matter. The region was studied at H -0.5 Å. In spite of the enhanced activity, the region appeared to be highly stable.