Estimate for radiative forcing of smoke aerosol from 2010 summer fires based on measurements in the Moscow region

Temperature and radiation effects of the 2010 summer fires are estimated on the basis of measurements at the Zvenigorod Scientific Station (ZSS) of the Obukhov Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS), in the Moscow region. The surface air temperature during the 2010 summer smoke varied in antiphase with the aerosol mass concentration, and the thermal radiation balance in the surface layer of the atmosphere varied in phase. Under extreme smoke of the surface layer in August 2010, the reduction in surface air temperature at ZSS has been found to reach 4 K with an increase in the downward flux of thermal radiation by an average of 20 W/m² and a decrease in the difference between upward and downward fluxes of thermal radiation by an average of 24 W/m².     

Predicting shoreline evolution on a centennial scale using the example of the vistula (Baltic) spit

The proposed algorithm comprises three main steps. The first step is the evaluation of the sediment transport and budget. It was shown that the root segment of the Vistula Spit is dominated by eastward longshore sediment transport (up to 50 thousand m³/year). Over the rest of the spit, the shoreline??s orientation causes westward sediment transport (more than 100 thousand m³/year). The gradients of the longshore and cross shore sediment transport become the major contributors to the overall sediment balance. The only exception is the northeastern tip of the spit due to the appreciable imbalance of the sediment budget (13 m³m^?1 yr^?1). The second step in the prediction modeling is the estimation of the potential sea-level changes during the 21st century. The third step involves modeling of the shoreline??s behavior using the SPELT model [6, 7, 8]. In the most likely scenario, the rate of the recession is predicted to be about 0.3 m/year in 2010?C2050 and will increase to 0.4 m/year in 2050?C2100. The sand deficit, other than the sea-level rise, will be a key factor in the control of the shoreline??s evolution at the northeastern tip of the spit, and the amount of recession will range from 160 to 200 m in 2010?C2100.     

Russian investigations in atmospheric chemistry for 2011–2014

This review covers the most significant Russian studies in atmospheric chemistry conducted from 2011 to 2014. This is part of the Russian National Report on the Meteorology and Atmospheric Sciences prepared for the International Association of Meteorology and Atmospheric Sciences (IAMAS). The report was considered and approved by the XXVI General Assembly of the International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics (IUGG).¹ The review is appended by a list of publications by Russian scientists for 2011–2014 covering the field of atmospheric chemistry research.     

ISTOK hydrologic probes: development and application

A brief survey of the thirty-year history of creation and development of hydrologic probes at the Marine Hydrophysical Institute of the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences is given. We describe problems arisen before developers and analyze the principles of design of equipment, algorithmic support, software for data processing, and methodological and metrological support. The results of intercalibration and application of probes in expeditions are presented. Translated by Peter V. Malvshev and Dmitry V. Malyshev     

Transient Atmospheric Events Measured by Detectors on the Vernov Satellite

In this paper, data obtained by the Vernov satellite are discussed in comparison with the data obtained by Universitetsky–Tatiana-1, 2 satellites. The advanced instrumentation onboard the Vernov satellite improved the capabilities of the data-transmission system, providing an opportunity to acquire more detailed information on transient atmospheric events (TAEs), including a wider range of TAE photon numbers (event brightness) down to lower photon numbers, the opportunity to observe the events in ultraviolet range without the considerable inclusion of red–infrared photons (which indicates the substantial contribution of electric discharges, lightning precursors, at the altitudes of thunderstorm clouds), and the observation of TAE series at a rate of about 10–100 occurrences per second with a period from tens of seconds to several minutes.     

Error analysis of integrated water vapor measured by СIMEL photometer

Water vapor plays a key role in weather and climate forming, which leads to the need for continuous monitoring of its content in different parts of the Earth. Intercomparison and validation of different methods for integrated water vapor (IWV) measurements are essential for determining the real accuracies of these methods. CIMEL photometers measure IWV at hundreds of ground-based stations of the AERONET network. We analyze simultaneous IWV measurements performed by a CIMEL photometer, an RPG-HATPRO MW radiometer, and a FTIR Bruker 125-HR spectrometer at the Peterhof station of St. Petersburg State University. We show that the CIMEL photometer calibrated by the manufacturer significantly underestimates the IWV obtained by other devices. We may conclude from this intercomparison that it is necessary to perform an additional calibration of the CIMEL photometer, as well as a possible correction of the interpretation technique for CIMEL measurements at the Peterhof site.     

Seismic Activity and Structures of the Crust and Upper Mantle in the Areas of Source Zones of the Largest Earthquakes in the Altai–Sayan Region

The results of studies of the shear wave attenuation field in source zones of the 2003 Chuya, 1970 Ureg-Nur, 1991 Busingol, 2011 Sayan, and 2011–2012 Tuva earthquakes are presented. Attenuation fields in these source zones include blocks with a high Q-factor and linear weakened zones. The surface ruptures from the mainshocks of the 2003 Chuya and 2011–2012 Tuva earthquakes are located in the zones of strong attenuation. Epicenters of the mainshocks are located where the maximum contrast in attenuation is observed. In the source zones of large earthquakes in the Altai–Sayan region or near them, the zones similar to so-called seimogenic bodies described in the literature are found. These objects tend to linear zones with high attenuation and are characterized by an increased density of deepened earthquakes and also by deformations of near-vertical elongation. The obtained data suggest that the fluid factor could play certain role in the occurrence of large earthquakes in the Altai–Sayan region.     

Lower Miocene sediments of central and western Ciscaucasia

The composition, structure, and geochemical properties of the thickest, relatively deep-water Lower Miocene sediments developed in western Ciscaucasia are considered. Of particular interest are materials from the Kuban superdeep borehole SG-12000 that recovered the uppermost layers of the Maikop Group at 3148–3961 m in the central Indol-Kuban Trough west of Krasnodar. However, the borehole did not penetrate the whole Lower Miocene section of the Maikop Group. Therefore, characteristics of the Maikop Group are supplemented with new materials from several other boreholes drilled in the eastern Kuban region. Thus, the typical (reference) Lower Miocene section of central and western Ciscaucasia has been sufficiently well described.