Woolly rhino discovery in the lower Kolyma River

A nearly complete frozen mummy of a woolly rhinoceros (Coelodonta antiquitatis Blum., 1799) was discovered in a gold mine on the lower reaches of the Kolyma River, north–eastern Siberia. This is the first find of the whole body of woolly rhino in permafrost. A large part of the mummified body was preserved, including the left part of the body, covered by skin, including skin of the head and ear, fore and hind legs. The skull with 2 horns and the lower jaw were also preserved. Most of the internal organs were lost, except the intestines, stomach, and their contents. A rib fragment from this individual was dated by AMS-radiocarbon method to 39,140 ± 390 years BP (OxA-18755). Spore and pollen analyses of the stomach contents indicate that grasses and sagebrushes formed the main part of the diet of C. antiquitatis in this region of Arctic Siberia.     

Investigation of the variability of strong ground motions from Vrancea earthquakes

A systematic investigation of the applicability of several ground motion prediction models for Vrancea intermediate-depth seismic source is conducted in this research. Two ground motion prediction models recommended by previous evaluations (Vacareanu et al. in Bull Earthq Eng 11(6):1867–1884, 2013a; Pavel et al. in Earthq Struct 6(1):1–18, 2014), as well as two new state-of-the-art ground motion prediction equations (Vacareanu et al. in J Earthq Eng, 2013b; Earthq Struct 6(2):141–161, 2014) are tested using an increased strong ground motion database consisting of 150 recordings from Vrancea subcrustal earthquakes. The evaluation is performed by using several goodness-of-fit parameters from the literature. Moreover, the applicability of the single-station sigma method is also investigated by using the same strong ground motion database recorded in 30 seismic stations from southern and eastern Romania. The influence of the soil conditions on the numerical results obtained in this study is investigated and discussed using the results provided by the analysis of variance method. The impact of the single-station standard deviation on the levels of seismic hazard is also assessed in this study, and the results show, in the analyzed cases, significant reductions of the hazard levels.     

Correlation and interpretation of paleosols and loess across European Russia and Asia over the last interglacial-glacial cycle

Loess-paleosol sequences of the last interglacial-glacial cycle are correlated from European Russia to central Siberia and the Chinese Loess Plateau. During cold periods represented by marine oxygen isotope stages (OIS) 2 and 4, loess deposition dominated in the Russian Plain and the Loess Plateau. In central Siberia, loess deposition took place also, but five to seven thin, weakly developed paleosols are identified in both stages. OIS 3, in the Chinese Loess Plateau near Yangchang, consists of a loess bed that is flanked by two weakly developed paleosols. At Kurtak, Siberia, OIS 3 is represented by two distinct, stacked paleosols with no loess bed separating the paleosols. In the Russian Plain, OIS 3 consists of a single, possibly welded paleosol, representing upper and lower stage-3 climates. Brunisols and Chernozems dominate the profiles in China and Siberia, whereas Regosols, Luvisols, and Chernozems are evident in the northern and southern Russian Plain, respectively. OIS 5 is represented in China and the Russian Plain by pedo complexes in a series of welded soils, whereas in contrast, the Kurtak site consists of six paleosols with interbedded loess. The paleosols consist largely of Brunisols and Chernozems. Although the three areas examined have different climates, geographical settings, and loess source areas, they all had similar climate changes during the last interglacial-glacial cycle.     

Russian cities at a crossroads

The research project `Changes in the Russian urban system after the dissolution of the Soviet Union' supported by the German Science and Research Society aims to reveal the impact of change in (1) the national and regional urban network, (2) the type and condition of Russian cities, and (3) the factors and actors affecting urban development. In this contribution the focus is made on the first task. The authors argue that visible stabilisation of the Russian urbanisation under crisis and/or under a new stage involves a good deal of restructuring and qualitative change. The hierarchy of the nation-wide functional centres is in flux. Within regions `alternative' foci attract industries, capital and people, and compete with regional capitals. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

The stability of density-driven flows in saturated heterogeneous porous media

This work concludes the investigations into the stability of haline flows in saturated porous media. In the first part [33] a stability criterion for density-driven flow in a saturated homogeneous medium was derived excluding dispersion. In the second part [34], the effects of dispersion were included. The latter criterion made reasonable predictions of the stability regimes (indicated by the number of fingers present) as a function of density and dispersivity variations. We found out that destabilising variables caused an increase in the number of fingers and vice versa. The investigation is extended here for the effects of the medium heterogeneity. The cell problem derived via homogenization theory [20] is solved and its solution used to evaluate the elements of the macrodispersion tensor as functions of time for flow aligned parallel to gravity. The longitudinal coefficient exhibits asymptotic behaviour for favourable and moderately unfavourable density contrasts while it grows indefinitely for higher density contrasts. The range of densities stabilised by medium heterogeneities can thus be estimated from the behaviour of the coefficient. The d³f software program is used for the numerical simulations. The code uses the cell-centred finite volume and the implicit Euler techniques for the spatial and temporal discretisations respectively.     

Ferropericlase—a lower mantle phase in the upper mantle

Experiments on compositions along the join MgO–NaA³⁺Si₂O₆ (A=Al, Cr, Fe³⁺) show that sodium can be incorporated into ferropericlase at upper mantle pressures in amounts commonly found in natural diamond inclusions. These results, combined with the observed mineral parageneses of several diamond inclusion suites, establish firmly that ferropericlase exists in the upper mantle in regions with low silica activity. Such regions may be carbonated dunite or stalled and degassed carbonatitic melts. Ferropericlase as an inclusion in diamond on its own is not indicative of a lower mantle origin or of a deep mantle plume. Coexisting phases have to be taken into consideration to decide on the depth of origin. The composition of olivine will indicate an origin from the upper mantle or border of the transition zone to the lower mantle and whether it coexisted with ferropericlase in the upper mantle or as ringwoodite. The narrow and flat three phase loop at the border transition zone—lower mantle together with hybrid peridotite plus eclogite/sediments provides an explanation for the varying and Fe-rich nature of the diamond inclusion suite from Sao Luiz, Brazil.     

Investigation on regional attenuation of Vrancea (Romania) intermediate-depth earthquakes

This paper aims at investigating possible regional attenuation patterns in the case of Vrancea(Romania) intermediate-depth earthquakes.Almost 500 pairs of horizontal components recorded during 13 intermediate-depth Vrancea earthquakes are employed in order to evaluate the regional attenuation patterns.The recordings are grouped according to the azimuth with regard to the Vrancea seismic source and subsequently,Q models are computed for each azimuthal zone assuming similar geometrical spreading.Moreover,the local soil amplification which was disregarded in a previous analysis performed for Vrancea intermediate-depth earthquakes is now clearly evaluated.The results show minor differences between the four regions situated in front of the Carpathian Mountains and considerable differences in attenuation of seismic waves between the forearc and backarc regions(with regard to the Carpathian Mountains).Consequently,an average Q model of the type Q(f) = 115×f~(1.25) is obtained for the four forearc regions,while a separate Q model of the type Q(f) = 70×f~(0.90) is computed for the backarc region.These results highlight the need to evaluate the seismic hazard of Romania by using ground motion models which take into account the different attenuation between the forearc/backarc regions.     

Balkas – a new look at a common landform of the East European Plain,from a Quaternary perspective

Balkas (large Quaternary gullies) of the south‐western part of the East European Plain (and their analogues in Central and Western Europe) are considered in terms of their geomorphology, lithology, sedimentology, modern surface processes, stratigraphy and palaeogeography. Features attributed to balkas in comparison with regular gullies and small river valleys are described. Balkas are widespread elements of the modern landscape with the same characteristic gentle‐concave bottom as regular gullies, and with or without weakly incised river channels. Buried gully incisions of different ages (post‐Gelasian) with the same shape are also revealed below modern Balkas. They are infilled by characteristic balka alluvial, slope and even lacustrine‐bog deposits, in places representing compound sequences of fluvial‐aeolian sedimentation. The fluvial part reflects multiple series of ephemeral episodes of increased water and sediment supply within temporary streams. Two conspicuous series supposedly fall within the final stages of the Dnieper (late Middle Pleistocene) and Valdai (Late Pleistocene) glaciations. Different ideas concerning the increase of surface runoff and erodibility of soils that might favour active balkas under conditions of land‐ice decay and permafrost, including its degradation, are discussed. The development of balkas included relatively short phases of incision and accumulation interrupted by much longer periods of inactivity, when they were subjected to surface processes in a subaerial environment or left as a relic. However, during active phases they served as important and powerful depositories and arteries of rill–gully–balka sedimentation systems, collecting and transmitting eroded material to the river valleys. These phases are related to climatic oscillations and were to some degree independent of fluvial processes affecting the permanent streams. Most of the Middle‐Late Pleistocene balkas retained their primary features, having subsequently been incorporated into the erosional network. In contrast, some of them were totally infilled and disappeared from the landscape. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effective stiffness and displacement capacity of short reinforced concrete columns with low concrete quality

Hysteretic behaviour of reinforced concrete members is strongly dependent on local conditions such as quality of materials, workmanship, construction and design practice. Low strength concrete was found in most of the damaged concrete structures after the earthquakes that have hit Eastern Europe in the past 50 years. Quality of concrete had a great impact, especially on shear controlled reinforced concrete short columns. Existing models of the effective strength, stiffness and deformation capacity of structural members need to be confirmed locally by experimental research as the large data sets used to calibrate the analytical models comprise results obtained on specimens with various characteristics. In this study, effective stiffness and deformation models available in literature are compared with the results of an experimental testing program conducted by the authors to investigate the hysteretic response of reinforced concrete short columns with low concrete strength, designed and detailed according to the local practice in the past. The hysteretic behaviour of the specimens is presented together with a comparison of the experimental data with predicted values and conclusions on the suitability of the applied models are drawn.