Onset voltages of atmospheric corona discharges on coniferous trees

In this article, the phenomenon of generation of corona discharges on the tops of trees and plants is described. In the first part of the text, the conditions for generation of this electric field which leads to formation of corona discharge and transfer of electric charge between atmosphere and Earth, are discussed. Experimental results of the onset voltage and its dependence on the discharge parameters are presented. The coincidence between released species from corona burning point and surrounding atmosphere is also discussed. Equation for the calculation of critical intensity of the electric field and onset voltage in dependence on radius of the tip are also discussed and compared with experimental data and equations for current–voltage characteristics are described. The attempt to explain differences between theory and measured data is proposed.     

Teacher''s Aide: Modeling Hole-Effect Variograms of Lithology-Indicator Variables

Common variogram models, such as spherical or exponential functions, increase monotonically with increasing lag distance. On the other hand, a hole-effect variogram typically exhibits sinusoidal waves that form peaks and troughs, thereby conveying the cyclicity of the underlying phenomenon. In order to incorporate this cyclicity into a stochastic simulation, hole effects in the experimental variogram must be fitted appropriately. In this paper, we recommend use of several multiplicative-composite variogram models to fit hole-effect experimental variograms. These consist of a cosine function to provide wavelength and phase of cyclicity, multiplied by a monotonic model (e.g., spherical) to attenuate amplitudes of the cyclical peaks and troughs. These composite models can successfully fit experimental lithology-indicator variograms that contain a range of cyclicities, although experimental variograms with poor cyclicity require special considerations.     

Geochemistry and magnetostratigraphy of deccan flows at Anjar, Kutch

Chemical analysis of nine Deccan flow basalts at Anjar, Kutch, western India, indicates that all, except the uppermost flow F-9, are alkaline. In their major and trace element composition, the alkali basalts resemble Ocean island basalts (OIB). Similarities of many diagnostic trace element ratios (e.g. Sm/Nd, Ba/Nb,Y/Nb and Zr/Nb) are similar to those found in the Réunion Island basalts. The uppermost basalt is tholeiitic and chemically resembles the least contaminated Deccan basalt (Ambenali type). The Anjar basalts have iridium concentration ranging between 2 and 178 pg/g. Some of these values are higher by about an order of magnitude compared to the Ir concentration in other basalts of the Deccan. A synthesis of chemical, palaeomagnetic and geochronologic data enables us to construct a chemical and magnetic stratigraphy for these flows. The three flows below the iridium enriched intertrappean bed (IT III) show normal magnetic polarity whereas all except one of the upper basalts show reversed magnetic polarity. The sequence seems to have started in polarity zones 31N and probably continued up to 28R or 27R. The results presented here support the view that Deccan volcanism in Kutch occurred on a time span of a few million years.     

Location and quantitative analysis of OH in coesite

 The incorporation of hydrogen (deuterium) into the coesite structure was investigated at pressures from 3.1 to 7.5 GPa and temperatures of 700, 800, and 1100 °C. Hydrogen could only be incorporated into the coesite structure at pressures greater 5.0 GPa and 1100 °C . No correlation between the concentration of trace elements such as Al and B and the hydrogen content was observed based on ion probe analysis (1335 ± 16 H ppm and 17 ± 1 Al ppm at 7.5 GPa, 1100 °C). The FTIR spectra show three relatively intense bands at 3575, 3516, and 3459 cm⁻¹ (ν₁ to ν₃, respectively) and two very weak bands at 3296 and 3210 cm⁻¹ (ν₄ and ν₅, respectively). The band at 3516 cm⁻¹ is strongly asymmetric and can be resolved into two bands, 3528 (ν_2a) and 3508 (ν_2b) cm⁻¹, with nearly identical areas. Polarized infrared absorption spectra of coesite single-crystal slabs, cut parallel to (0 1 0) and (1 0 0), were collected to locate the OH dipoles in the structure and to calibrate the IR spectroscopy for quantitative analysis of OH in coesite (ɛ _{i ,tot}=190 000 ± 30 000 l mol⁻¹ _H2O cm⁻²). The polarized spectra revealed a strong pleochroism of the OH bands. High-pressure FTIR spectra at pressures up to 8 GPa were performed in a diamond-anvil cell to gain further insight into incorporation mechanism of OH in coesite. The peak positions of the ν₁, ν₂, and ν₃ bands decrease linearly with pressure. The mode Grüneisen parameters for ν₁, ν₂, and ν₃ are −0.074, −0.144 and −0.398, respectively. There is a linear increase of the pressure derivatives with band position which follows the trend proposed by Hofmeister et al. (1999). The full widths at half maximum (FWHM) of the ν₁, ν₂, and ν₃ bands increase from 35, 21, and 28 cm⁻¹ in the spectra at ambient conditions to 71, 68, and 105 in the 8 GPa spectra, respectively. On the basis of these results, a model for the incorporation of hydrogen in coesite was developed: the OH defects are introduced into the structure by the substitution Si^4+(Si2)+4O²⁻= ^[4]□^(Si2) + 4OH⁻, which gives rise to four vibrations, ν₁, ν_2a, ν_2b, and ν₃. Because the OH(D)-bearing samples do contain traces of Al and B, the bands ν₄ and ν₅ may be coupled to Al and/or B substitution. Received: 19 December 2000 / Accepted: 23 April 2001     

Partitioning of heavy metals on soil samples from column tests

In this study, column tests were used to determine the retention capability of three types of estuarine alluvia collected adjacent to landfill sites in South Wales. Selective sequential extraction (SSE) was used to study the retention mechanisms of heavy metals in the soil columns obtained from leaching experiments. Acid digestion was later used to check the validity of the SSE results. Breakthrough curves show good retention of heavy metal ions (Pb, Cu, and Zn) by all soils, where almost 99% of heavy metals were retained with the C_e/C_o values in the order of 10⁻³. The retention strength of these soils was observed to be constant up to five pore volumes (PV). This corresponds with the pH of the effluents and pore water of soil slices, which also show good buffering capacity against very acidic leachate up to 5PV. The heavy metal extraction profiles from SSE show very similar trends with the retention profiles from the leaching experiments, where heavy metals were retained mainly at the top part where the leachate entered the column. SSE indicates qualitatively that heavy metals precipitated with carbonates and amorphous materials (oxides/hydroxides) are higher than heavy metal retention via exchangeable mechanisms. The mass balance calculation gives range of deviation of 1–16% of the total soil extraction. The distribution of the heavy metals with various soil constituents are ranked in the following order: Carbonates>Amorphous oxides hydroxides>Organic matter>Exchangeable phases.     

Multi-Parameter Identification and Applications in Well-Logging

We deal with a multi-parameter identification problem arising in oil industry. In the general case, we give a local solvability condition to guarantee the well-posedness of the problem. We discuss in detail the identification of two parameters for which some numerical results are given.     

大气臭氧与气溶胶垂直分布的高空气球探测

本文给出了1993年9月12日利用高空科学气球在河北省香河地区探测到的大气臭氧和气溶胶的垂直分布。结果发现:(1) 大气臭氧的数密度在整个对流层较低(～10[12]mol/cm3)，并从地面到对流层顶略有下降；对流层顶以上开始快速增加，极值层高度在～24 km，其值为4.78×10[12]mol/cm3；臭氧分压有类似的分布特征，极值146×10[-4]Pa，位于同一高度；(2) 在平流层低层，臭氧分压有一个次极值62×10[-4]Pa，位于15～16 km；(3) 0～30 km大气气溶胶数密度呈现出三个峰值:143，8和1.1 个/cm[3]，分别位于近地面、5 km和21 km；（4）气溶胶的数密度谱在对流层为双模态；在平流层，次峰消失。同时，我们还与其他观测结果作了比较分析。     

1945－1995地磁场功率谱及其长期变化

本文根据最新修正的国际地磁参考场模型，研究了１９４５－１９９５地磁场中心偶极矩变化，地磁总场及其分量Ｘ、Ｙ、Ｚ的空间功率谱，地磁场长期变化谱的经向漂移和纬向漂移的功率谱和西向漂移速度。研究中发现最近５０年偶极矩仍在继续衰减，空间功率谱的变化也呈减小趋势。在经向谱的漂移中观察到１９７０年出现最小值，而在纬向漂移变化中１９７０年出现最大值，西向漂移速度的变化也在１９７０年出现最大值，这种现象正是１９７０年发生的地磁长期变化的突变，称作地磁＂Ｊｅｒｋ＂。     

Asymmetric changes in maximum and minimum temperature in Beijing

Summary Based on observational data at Beijing since 1940, trends in daily maximum, mimimum and mean temperatures are studied. It is shown that the linear rate of increase in minimum temperature is 4.08 °C/100 yr; whereas the maximum temperature decreases with a linear rate of — 0.245 °C/100 yr. Consequently, the diurnal temperature range (DTR) becomes smaller.Warming in Beijing occurred mainly in the daytime in the 1940s; but in the night in the 1980s. Although the latter has been found in other studies, the former is a new discovery. The difference of temperature and the diurnal temperature range between urban and surburban areas in Beijing are also analysed. The results show that the urban heat island effect (UHIE) has been becoming larger, and during 1960–1989 the change in UHIE in summer is larger than that in winter. Since the warning trend does not match the change of UHIE in last two decades, it is thought that UHIE is not the main factor contributing to climatic warming.With 2 Figures     

长江三峡及邻区地震活动的灰色预测

根据历史地震记载和现今地震观测数据，运用灰色系统理论，建立了长江三峡及邻区下一个地震活跃期及活跃期内可能发生的最大地震的震级的灰色预测模型。预测结果表明，下一个地震活跃期将持续７９ａ，活跃期内的最大地震震级不会超过５．２级。这对三峡地区地震问题的评价与防患提供了重要的依据