Differences between Mean Sea Levels for the Pacific,Atlantic and Indian Oceans From Topex/Poseidon Altimetry

Geopotential values W of the mean equipotential surfaces representing the mean ocean topography were computed on the basis of four years (1993 - 1996) TOPEX/POSEIDON altimeter data: W = 62 636 854.10m ² s ^–2 for the Pacific (P), W = 62 636 858.20m ² s ^–2 for the Atlantic (A), W = 62 636 856.28m ²s^–2 for the Indian (I) Oceans. The corresponding mean separations between the ocean levels were obtained as follows: A – P = – 42 cm, I– P = – 22 cm, I – A = 20 cm, the rms errors came out at about 0.3 cm. No sea surface topography model was used in the solution.     

Geomagnetic Pc3 Pulsations During the Total Solar Eclipse on Aug 11, 1999

The solar eclipse on August 11, 1999, observed in the region covered by many geomagnetic observatories, has offered a unique opportunity to look for an effect of the eclipse on geomagnetic pulsations. The pulsation activity digital data have been taken from Budkov Observatory in the Czech Republic (in the X component only), from observatories in Germany (Niemegk, Fürstenfeldbruck, Bad Bergzabern), in Hungary (Nagycenk), and for comparison in South Africa (Hermanus, conjugate-point station), and in Finland (Sodankylä, far from the eclipse zone). At all these stations the field in all three component has been recorded. The pulsation amplitudes in the X component exhibit a long-term minimum near the time of the eclipse. Spectral analysis of selected short intervals confirmed this decrease and also revealed a decrease of the average pulsation period during the eclipse. Such a change in the amplitude or in the period was not observed outside of the eclipse interval or in other days. Investigation in some narrower frequency bands showed that the maximal decrease occurred in the 15–20 s band. All these changes can be found in records from all the stations near the eclipse totality belt, also in records at the conjugate-point station, where no eclipse occurred. No signature has been found in records at the station situated far from the eclipse zone.     

Diurnal Variation of Gravity Wave Activity at Midlatitudes in the Ionospheric F Region

We investigate the short-term fluctuations in the period range from 15 to 180 minutes in the electron density variations of the F region ionosphere. Electron density profiles obtained at the ionospheric stations of Pruhonice (49.9° N, 14.5° E) and Ebro (40.8° N, 0.5° E) at five minute time sampling have been used for this analysis. The diurnal changes of the activity of the acoustic gravity wave fluctuations (AGW) show a clear enhancement during and several hours after sunrise. The periods of such AGW's are about 60 to 75 minutes and these waves propagates vertically through the ionosphere from a source located at an altitude of 180-220 km. The most likely source for these events seems to be passage of the Solar terminator.     

Diurnal asymmetry of radio wave absorption on anomalous winter days

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On the expanding earth hypothesis

Summary The hypothesis of an expanding Earth is discussed on the basis of lunar laser ranging It is provcd that the given data do not indicate a secular increase in the principal moment of the Earth's inertia which would have to occur if the Earth were really expanding.

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Evolution of geochemistry and depositional settings of Early Palaeozoic siliciclastics of the Barrandian (Teplá-Barrandian Unit,Bohemian Massif,Czech Republic)

Cambrian and Ordovician-Middle Devonian sequences of two successive Early Palaeozoic basins of the Barrandian unconformably overlie Cadomian basement in the Bohemian Massif NW interior (Teplá-Barrandian unit) which is the easternmost peri-Gondwanan remnant within the Variscides. Correlation of stratigraphy and geochemistry of the Early Palaeozoic siliciclastic rocks elucidated sediment provenances. Sandstones of the Middle Cambrian Píbram-Jince Basin were derived from a Cadomian Neoproterozoic island arc. The source area of the Ordovician shallow-marine siliciclastics of the successor Prague Basin is a dissected Cadomian orogen. Late Cambrian acid volcanics of the Barrandian and Cambrian (meta)granitoids emplaced in the W part of the Teplá-Barrandian Cadomian basement are also discernible in these sediments. Old sedimentary component increased during the Ordovician. Early Llandovery siliciclastic rocks show characteristics of an abruptly weakened supply of terrigenous material and an elevated proportion of synsedimentary basic volcanics as a result of Silurian transgression. Emsian siliciclastics (intercalated in the Late Silurian to Early Devonian limestone suite) presumably comprise an addition of coeval basic/ultrabasic volcaniclastics. Middle Devonian flysch-like siliciclastics indicate reappearance of Cadomian source near the Barrandian during early Variscan convergences of Armorican microplates that preceeded accretion of the Teplá-Barrandian unit within the Bohemian Massif terrane mosaic.Dr. Patoka deceased in July 2004.     

Cation exchange capacity of loess and overlying soil in the non-carbonate loess sections, North-Western Croatia

The adsorption properties in terms of cation exchange capacity and their relation to the soil and sediment constituents (clay minerals, Fe-, Mn-, and Al-oxyhydroxides, organic matter) were investigated in loess, soil-loess transition zone, and soil at four loess-soil sections in North-Western Croatia. Cation exchange capacity of the bulk samples, the samples after oxalate extraction of Fe, Mn and Al, and after removal of organic matter, as well as of the separated clay fraction, was determined using copper ethylenediamine. Cation exchange capacity (pH～7) of the bulk samples ranges from 5 to 12 cmol _c /kg in soil, from 7 to 15 cmol _c /kg in the soil-loess transition zone, and from 12 to 20 cmol _c /kg in loess. Generally, CEC values increase with depth. Oxalate extraction of Fe, Mn, and Al, and removal of organic matter cause a CEC decrease of 3–38% and 8–55%, respectively, proving a considerable influence of these constituents to the bulk CEC values. In the separated clay fraction (<2 μm) CEC values are up to several times higher relative to those in the bulk samples. The measured CEC values of the bulk samples generally correspond to the clay mineral content identified. Also, a slight increase in muscovite/illite content with depth and the vermiculite occurrence in the loess horizon are concomitant with the CEC increase in deeper horizons, irrespective of the sample pretreatment.     

Chemical Dynamics and Evaluation of Biogeochemical Processes in Alpine River Kamniška Bistrica, North Slovenia

Biogeochemical processes were investigated in alpine river—Kamni?ka Bistrica River (North Slovenia), which represents an ideal natural laboratory for studying anthropogenic impacts in catchments with high weathering capacity. The Kamni?ka Bistrica River water chemistry is dominated by HCO₃ ^?, Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺, and Ca²⁺/Mg²⁺ molar ratios indicate that calcite weathering is the major source of solutes to the river system. The Kamni?ka Bistrica River and its tributaries are oversaturated with respect to calcite and dolomite. pCO₂ concentrations were on average up to 25 times over atmospheric values. δ¹³C_DIC values ranged from ?12.7 to ?2.7 ‰, controlled by biogeochemical processes in the catchment and within the stream; carbonate dissolution is the most important biogeochemical process affecting carbon isotopes in the upstream portions of the catchment, while carbonate dissolution and organic matter degradation control carbon isotope signatures downstream. Contributions of DIC from various biogeochemical processes were determined using steady state equations for different sampling seasons at the mouth of the Kamni?ka Bistrica River; results indicate that: (1) 1.9–2.2 % of DIC came from exchange with atmospheric CO₂, (2) 0–27.5 % of DIC came from degradation of organic matter, (3) 25.4–41.5 % of DIC came from dissolution of carbonates and (4) 33–85 % of DIC came from tributaries. δ¹⁵N values of nitrate ranged from ?5.2 ‰ at the headwater spring to 9.8 ‰ in the lower reaches. Higher δ¹⁵N values in the lower reaches of the river suggest anthropogenic pollution from agricultural activity. Based on seasonal and longitudinal changes of chemical and isotopic indicators of carbon and nitrogen in Kamni?ka Bistrica River, it can be concluded that seasonal changes are observed (higher concentrations are detected at low discharge conditions) and it turns from pristine alpine river to anthropogenic influenced river in central flow.     

Sulfur isotope variations from orebody to hand-specimen scale at the Mežica lead–zinc deposit, Slovenia: a predominantly biogenic pattern

The Mississippi Valley-type (MVT) Pb–Zn ore district at Mežica is hosted by Middle to Upper Triassic platform carbonate rocks in the Northern Karavanke/Drau Range geotectonic units of the Eastern Alps, northeastern Slovenia. The mineralization at Mežica covers an area of 64 km² with more than 350 orebodies and numerous galena and sphalerite occurrences, which formed epigenetically, both conformable and discordant to bedding. While knowledge on the style of mineralization has grown considerably, the origin of discordant mineralization is still debated. Sulfur stable isotope analyses of 149 sulfide samples from the different types of orebodies provide new insights on the genesis of these mineralizations and their relationship. Over the whole mining district, sphalerite and galena have δ ³⁴ S values in the range of –24.7 to –1.5‰ VCDT (–13.5 ± 5.0‰) and –24.7 to –1.4‰ (–10.7 ± 5.9‰), respectively. These values are in the range of the main MVT deposits of the Drau Range. All sulfide δ ³⁴ S values are negative within a broad range, with δ ³⁴ S _pyrite <δ ³⁴ S _sphalerite <δ ³⁴ S _galena for both conformable and discordant orebodies, indicating isotopically heterogeneous H₂S in the ore-forming fluids and precipitation of the sulfides at thermodynamic disequilibrium. This clearly supports that the main sulfide sulfur originates from bacterially mediated reduction (BSR) of Middle to Upper Triassic seawater sulfate or evaporite sulfate. Thermochemical sulfate reduction (TSR) by organic compounds contributed a minor amount of ³⁴S-enriched H₂S to the ore fluid. The variations of δ ³⁴ S values of galena and coarse-grained sphalerite at orefield scale are generally larger than the differences observed in single hand specimens. The progressively more negative δ ³⁴ S values with time along the different sphalerite generations are consistent with mixing of different H₂S sources, with a decreasing contribution of H₂S from regional TSR, and an increase from a local H₂S reservoir produced by BSR (i.e., sedimentary biogenic pyrite, organo-sulfur compounds). Galena in discordant ore (–11.9 to –1.7‰; –7.0 ± 2.7‰, n = 12) tends to be depleted in ³⁴ S compared with conformable ore (–24.7 to –2.8‰, –11.7 ± 6.2‰, n = 39). A similar trend is observed from fine-crystalline sphalerite I to coarse open-space filling sphalerite II. Some variation of the sulfide δ ³⁴ S values is attributed to the inherent variability of bacterial sulfate reduction, including metabolic recycling in a locally partially closed system and contribution of H₂S from hydrolysis of biogenic pyrite and thermal cracking of organo-sulfur compounds. The results suggest that the conformable orebodies originated by mixing of hydrothermal saline metal-rich fluid with H₂S-rich pore waters during late burial diagenesis, while the discordant orebodies formed by mobilization of the earlier conformable mineralization.