The stages and distribution areas of the late Cenozoic volcanism in the Udokan Range in Transbaikalia based on geochronologic studies

New K-Ar datings of Cenozoic volcanic rocks sampled in the Udokan Range lava plateau are presented and compared with the known geochronologic dates for similar rocks. On the basis of these data, periodization of volcanic eruptions and regionalization of the plateau by the distribution of volcanism of different ages are suggested.     

Physical characteristics of the Gulf Stream as an indicator of the quality of large-scale circulation modeling

The general idea of this work is to show that the efficiency of modeling boundary currents (compared to the results of observations) can serve as an indicator of correctness for the modeling of the entire large-scale ocean circulation. The results of calculation of the mean surface currents in the Gulf Stream area based on direct measurements from drifters are presented together with the results of numerical modeling of variability of the Gulf Stream transport at 33°N over the period 2005–2014 based on data from Argo profiling buoys.     

Tholeiitic and Alkaline Basaltic Lavas of Wang-Tian’e and Changbaishan Volcanoes (Northeastern China): Timing and Genetic Relationship

Doklady Earth Sciences - Changbaishan and Wang-Tian’e volcanoes of Changbaishan area (Northeast China) were formed with a slight time gap in the last four million years. Wang-Tian’e...     

Stellar content of the interacting galaxies IC 1727 and NGC 672

Based on archival Hubble Space Telescope ACS/WFC images, we have performed stellar photometry for an isolated pair of interacting galaxies, IC 1727 and NGC 672, and constructed their Hertzsprung-Russell diagrams. The galaxy IC 1727 exhibits a strong asymmetry in the apparent distribution of young stars. The distribution of old stars is smoother and less asymmetric. In the galaxy NGC672, there is no noticeable asymmetry in the distribution of stars of different ages. Based on the TRGB method, we have determined an accurate distance to each galaxy for the first time: D = 7.14 ± 0.10 Mpc for IC 1727 and D = 7.22 ± 0.10 Mpc for NGC 672, confirming that these galaxies are closely spaced. The luminosity functions of red supergiants and peripheral AGB stars in both galaxies have positionally coincident local maxima, suggesting the simultaneous enhancement of star formation in the two galaxies occurred in the intervals 20–30 and 450–700 Myr ago. The results obtained point to an enhancement of star formation processes in the interacting galaxies.     

Density distribution of solar wind protons and “loaded” ions in the shock layer ahead of a cometary ionosphere

We propose a simple method that allows the density fields of solar wind protons and heavy ions of cometary origin (“loaded” ions) in the solar wind-cometary ionosphere interaction region to be separated from the general density field calculated within the framework of a single-fluid model. The method is based on the assumption that the velocities of both components are identical. We analyze the density fields in the solar wind obtained in this way before and after the passage of the bow shock ahead of the cometary ionosphere and make a comparison with the distributions measured with various instruments onboard the Giotto spacecraft when it flew past Comet Halley and calculated on the basis of more complex multi-fluid models.     

Numerical solution to the problem of variational assimilation of operational observational data on the ocean surface temperature

The problem of variational assimilation of satellite observational data on the ocean surface temperature is formulated and numerically investigated in order to reconstruct surface heat fluxes with the use of the global three-dimensional model of ocean hydrothermodynamics developed at the Institute of Numerical Mathematics, Russian Academy of Sciences (INM RAS), and observational data close to the data actually observed in specified time intervals. The algorithms of the numerical solution to the problem are elaborated and substantiated, and the data assimilation block is developed and incorporated into the global three-dimensional model. Numerical experiments are carried out with the use of the Indian Ocean water area as an example. The data on the ocean surface temperature over the year 2000 are used as observational data. Numerical experiments confirm the theoretical conclusions obtained and demonstrate the expediency of combining the model with a block of assimilating operational observational data on the surface temperature.