Mesoscale and Nutrient Conditions Associated with the Massive 2008 Cochlodinium polykrikoides Bloom in the Sea of Oman/Arabian Gulf

Cochlodinium polykrikoides formed large blooms in the coastal waters of Oman from October 2008 through mid-January 2009, and satellite images from Aqua-MODIS and region-wide reports suggest that this bloom was found throughout the Arabian Gulf and Sea of Oman for more than 10 months. The unusual occurrence of this species appears to have supplanted the more regularly occurring bloom species, Noctiluca scintillans, in 2008–2009. For the first 2 weeks of the coastal Omani bloom, C. polykrikoides abundance was near monospecific proportions, with cell densities ranging from 4.6?×?10³ to 9?×?10⁶ cells L^?1 and very high levels of chlorophyll a (78.0 μg L^?1) were also recorded. The regional progression of the bloom likely began with stronger than normal upwelling along the Iranian and northern Omani coasts during the southwest monsoon in late summer, followed by discharge of unusually warm coastal plume water along the coast of Oman with the reversal of monsoonal winds in late October. The occurrence and persistence of high densities of C. polykrikoides in Oman coastal water were also significantly influenced by an elevated nutrient load and warmer than normal temperatures. Concentrations of nutrients, especially NH₄ ⁺, urea, PO₄ ^3?, and organic nitrogen and phosphorus, were manyfold higher than observed in the year prior or since. These findings suggest that mesoscale features were important in bloom dynamics more regionally, but locally the bloom was sustained by nutrient enrichment supplemented by its mixotrophic capabilities.     

polarimetric and photometric observations of split comet C/2001 A2 (LINEAR)

We present the results of polarimetric and photometricobservations of split Comet C/2001 A2 (LINEAR), which wereobtained at the 70-cm telescope of the Astronomical Observatoryof Kharkiv National University between 30 June and 31 July 2001.The brightest fragment of the comet, nucleus B, was observed.Eight narrowband cometary filters in the continuum and in emissionbands and a wideband red filter have been used. The comet wasobserved through apertures of 88, 33, and 19 arcsec. Polarizationphase curves were obtained for the continuum and for the firsttime, for NH₂(0, 7, 0) emission. The degree of polarization ofthe light scattered by the dust decreases with the increase ofaperture size. An important temporal variation of the polarizationwith a rotation of the polarization plane was observed at twophase angles (26.5° and 36.2°). Molecular column densities and production rates of CN, C₂,C₃, and NH₂ species are calculated in the framework of theHaser model. A comparative analysis of the temporal variations ofthe visual magnitudes, gas and dust production rates, dust colorand polarization are presented.     

Stability and equation of state of post-aragonite BaCO3

At ambient conditions, witherite is the stable form of BaCO₃ and has the aragonite structure with space group Pmcn. Above ~10 GPa, BaCO₃ adopts a post-aragonite structure with space group Pmmn. High-pressure and high-temperature synchrotron X-ray diffraction experiments were used to study the stability and equation of state of post-aragonite BaCO₃, which remained stable to the highest experimental P–T conditions of 150 GPa and 2,000 K. We obtained a bulk modulus K ₀ = 88(2) GPa with $K'$  = 4.8(3) and V ₀ = 128.1(5) ų using a third-order Birch-Murnaghan fit to the 300 K experimental data. We also carried out density functional theory (DFT) calculations of enthalpy (H) of two structures of BaCO₃ relative to the enthalpy of the post-aragonite phase. In agreement with previous studies and the current experiments, the calculations show aragonite to post-aragonite phase transitions at ~8 GPa. We also tested a potential high-pressure post–post-aragonite structure (space group C222 ₁ ) featuring four-fold coordination of oxygen around carbon. In agreement with previous DFT studies, ΔH between the C222 ₁ structure and post-aragonite (Pmmn) decreases with pressure, but the Pmmn structure remains energetically favorable to pressures greater than 200 GPa. We conclude that post–post-aragonite phase transformations of carbonates do not follow systematic trends observed for post-aragonite transitions governed solely by the ionic radii of their metal cations.     

Permo-Triassic hypabyssal mafic intrusions and associated tholeiitic basalts of the Kolyuchinskaya Bay,Chukotka (NE Russia): Links to the Siberian LIP

In order to test tectonic hypotheses regarding the evolution of the Arctic Alaska–Chukotka microplate prior to the opening of the Amerasian basin, we investigated rocks exposed near Kolyuchinskaya Bay, eastern Chukotka. Hypabyssal mafic rocks and associated basaltic flows enclose terrigenous sediments, minor cherts and limestones in pillow interstices. The hypabyssal mafic rock yields a U–Pb zircon age of 252 ± 4 Ma and indicates intrusion of basic magma at the Permo-Triassic boundary, contemporaneous with voluminous magmatism of the Siberian large igneous province (LIP). The lava flows and hypabyssal mafic rocks of the Kolyuchinskaya Bay region have trace elements, Sm–Nd and Rb–Sr isotope compositions identical to the tholeiitic flood basalts of the main plateau stage of the Siberian LIP, but differ from the latter in the major-element variations. We conclude that compositional variations in the hypabyssal rocks studied reflect their generation in an extensional environment that might be related to the Siberian super-plume activity at the time. Although the genetic and temporal links between intrusive mafic rocks and lavas are not well proved, compositional variations of the eruptive rocks still indicate their generation in an extensional environment.     

An Elliptical Model for Deformation Due to Groundwater Fluctuations

Historically, surface subsidence as a result of subsurface groundwater fluctuations have produced important and, at times, catastrophic effects, whether natural or anthropogenic. Over the past 30?years, numerical and analytical techniques for the modeling of this surface deformation, based upon elastic and poroelastic theory, have been remarkably successful in predicting the magnitude of that deformation (Le Mouélic and Adragna in Geophys Res Lett 29:1853, 2002). In this work we have extended the formula for a circular-shaped aquifer (Geertsma in J Petroleum Tech 25:734–744, 1973) to a more realistic elliptical shape. We have improved the accuracy of the approximation by making use of the cross terms of the expansion for the elliptic coordinates in terms of the eccentricity, e, and the mean anomaly angle, M, widely used in astronomy. Results of a number of simulations, in terms of e and M developed from the transcendental Kepler equation, are encouraging, giving realistic values for the elliptical approximation of the vertical deformation due to groundwater change. Finally, we have applied the algorithm to modeling of groundwater in southern California.     

Onset of Hydraulic Fracture Initiation Monitored by Acoustic Emission and Volumetric Deformation Measurements

In this paper, the results of laboratory studies of fracture initiation, early propagation and breakdown are reported. Three experiments were conducted on a low permeability sandstone block, loaded in a polyaxial test frame, to representative effective in situ stress conditions. The blocks were instrumented with acoustic emission (AE) and volumetric deformation sensors. In two experiments, fluids of different viscosity were injected into the wellbore, fluid injection was interrupted soon after the breakdown pressure had been reached. This allowed us to investigate hydraulic fracture initiation. In the third test, fracture initiation criteria were applied to stop hydraulic fracture propagation significantly earlier, prior to breakdown, and as it propagated a short distance from the wellbore. The analysis of AE results shows an increase in AE activity and a change in the AE spatial correlation, during the fracture initiation. This early stage of fracturing correlates strongly with the onset of rock volumetric deformation, and is confirmed by the analysis of ultrasonic transmission monitoring. The rock microstructure, after the test, was investigated by analysis of scanning electron microscope images. These indicated the development of leak-off zone near the wellbore and a dry hydraulic fracture at the farther distance from the wellbore.     

日本海末次冰期以来沉积作用和环境演化及其控制要素

基于对日本海南部、中部和西部3个沉积岩芯的综合研究,探讨了末次冰期以来日本海不同区域的沉积作用、环境演化特征及其控制因素。结果发现：在距今8ka以前,日本海南部、中部和西部陆源碎屑物质分别由河流物质、西风携带的风尘物质和海冰输运的物质组成;8ka以来日本海西部沉积物中存在连续分布的火山物质,推测与利曼寒流形成有关,标志着现代日本海表层环流格局的形成。在末次冰期,日本海中部和南部因为水体层化较强,导致底层水通风较弱,而日本海西部则由于盐析作用,通风较强。在冰消期早期,随着海平面上升,东海北部高盐水团再次入侵日本海,改善了日本海深层水体通风条件,但在日本海西部因受到常年海冰覆盖的影响,沉积物氧含量显著减小;在冰消期晚期和早全新世,日本海南部深层水体通风减弱,而在日本海中部和西部通风较好;但8ka以来日本海通风普遍增强。日本海的沉积作用和环境演化受海平面、东亚季风(西风环流)和对马暖流控制,但不同海域对上述3个因子的响应程度存在差异。海平面变化是控制日本海环境变化的首要因子,它直接制约着日本海与周围水体的交换程度;东亚夏季风影响日本海表层水体层化,而东亚冬季风则控制着日本海西部海冰的形成和深层水体垂向对流;8ka以来对马暖流成为控制日本海环境演化的重要因子,它的入侵增强了表层和底层水体交换,提高了日本海深层水体和沉积物溶解氧的更新速率。     

Northern Eurasia earth science partnership initiative (NEESPI), science plan overview

Northern Eurasia Earth System Partnership Initiative, NEESPI, was established to address the global change processes associated with and/or originated within Northern Eurasia as well as to study the major socially-important processes within the region. NEESPI began as a US–Russian initiative but has quickly broadened into a fully international program. Scientists from 11 countries participated in preparing the NEESPI Science Plan. Current version of the Science Plan was released for public review on the World Wide Web in summer 2004 and finalized in December 2004. This paper provides an Overview of the Plan and is based, mainly, on its Executive Summary. The Overview describes the Plan's science themes and key science questions, provides a justification of the urgency studying Northern Eurasia from the global change prospective, and outlines research strategy and tools to address NEESPI science questions, as well as projected deliverables of the Initiative.