Electron transport and precipitation at Mercury during the MESSENGER flybys: Implications for electron-stimulated desorption

To examine electron transport, energization, and precipitation in Mercury's magnetosphere, a hybrid simulation study has been carried out that follows electron trajectories within the global magnetospheric electric and magnetic field configuration of Mercury. We report analysis for two solar-wind parameter conditions corresponding to the first two MESSENGER Mercury flybys on January 14, 2008, and October 6, 2008, which occurred for similar solar wind speed and density but contrasting interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) directions. During the first flyby the IMF had a northward component, while during the second flyby the IMF was southward. Electron trajectories are traced in the fields of global hybrid simulations for the two flybys. Some solar wind electrons follow complex trajectories at or near where dayside reconnection occurs and enter the magnetosphere at these locations. The entry locations depend on the IMF orientation (north or south). As the electrons move through the entry regions they can be energized as they execute non-adiabatic (demagnetized) motion. Some electrons become magnetically trapped and drift around the planet with energies on the order of 1–10 keV. The highest energy of electrons anywhere in the magnetosphere is about 25 keV, consistent with the absence of high-energy (>35 keV) electrons observed during either MESSENGER flyby. Once within the magnetosphere, a fraction of the electrons precipitates at the planetary surface with fluxes on the order of 10⁹ cm⁻² s⁻¹ and with energies of hundreds of eV. This finding has important implications for the viability of electron-stimulated desorption (ESD) as a mechanism for contributing to the formation of the exosphere and heavy ion cloud around Mercury. From laboratory estimates of ESD ion yields, a calculated ion production rate due to ESD at Mercury is found to be on par with ion sputtering yields.     

Vegetation and climate during the penultimate interglacial of the northeastern Russian Arctic: the Lake El'gygytgyn pollen record

We present a high‐resolution reconstruction of the vegetation and climate dynamics during the penultimate interglacial, corresponding with Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 7, based on detailed palynological analyses of lacustrine sediments from Lake El'gygytgyn, northeastern Siberia. The analysed sediments were deposited between 246 and 181 ka ago (late MIS 8 to early MIS 6.6). The interglacial vegetation was characterized by herb and shrub (mainly alder and birch) dominated plant communities. Pollen‐based biome reconstruction shows a dominance of the tundra (TUND) biome, thus indicating rather open vegetation. Warmer intervals (MIS 7.5, 7.3 and 7.1) were marked by an increase in the cold deciduous forest (CLDE) biome scores and a synchronous decrease in the cold steppe (STEP) biome scores. The thermal maximum occurred during MIS 7.1, as indicated by the highest CLDE biome scores occurring in this period, and lasted ~10 ka, possibly favoured by the high precession‐related summer insolation and the legacy of the preceding mild and dry stadial (MIS 7.2). In contrast, MIS 7.3 and 7.5 were characterized by shorter durations (~4 ka) and lower summer temperatures. The preceding cold glacial and stadial (MIS 8 and 7.4, respectively) might have led to an extensive distribution of permafrost that hindered vegetation development during the subsequent warm intervals. MIS 7.4 and 6.6 were cold and wet, probably triggered by low obliquity values and coevally low precession‐related summer insolation. As a result, these periods were marked by significantly reduced summer temperatures and an enhanced snow‐ice albedo feedback. The obtained reconstructions provide potential scenarios for future climate changes and allow a better understanding of the relationship between vegetation, climate and external/internal forcings in the high latitudes.     

The Variscan belt: correlations and plate dynamics

International Journal of Earth Sciences -     

Long-term variability in the hydrochemical regime of the Manych-Chograi hydrological system

Data collected from the scientific literature and field studies carried out by the specialists from the Azov Branch of the Murmansk Institute of Marine Biology and from the Southern Scientific Center in July and August of 2004 are used to confirm the further salinization of the Manych-Gudilo Lake. The aforesaid salinization was accompanied by a change in the water state index, caused by an increase in the salinity of inflowing water, which determines the water-and-salt budget of the lake.     

High Resolution Constituents of the Earth’s Gravitational Field

During the General Assembly of the European Geosciences Union in April 2008, the new Earth Gravitational Model 2008 (EGM08) was released with fully-normalized coefficients in the spherical harmonic expansion of the Earth’s gravitational potential complete to degree and order 2159 (for selected degrees up to 2190). EGM08 was derived through combination of a satellite-based geopotential model and 5 arcmin mean ground gravity data. Spherical harmonic coefficients of the global height function, that describes the surface of the solid Earth with the same angular resolution as EGM08, became available at the same time. This global topographical model can be used for estimation of selected constituents of EGM08, namely the gravitational potentials of the Earth’s atmosphere, ocean water (fluid masses below the geoid) and topographical masses (solid masses above the geoid), which can be evaluated numerically through spherical harmonic expansions. The spectral properties of the respective potential coefficients are studied in terms of power spectra and their relation to the EGM08 potential coefficients is analyzed by using correlation coefficients. The power spectra of the topographical and sea water potentials exceed the power of the EGM08 potential over substantial parts of the considered spectrum indicating large effects of global isostasy. The correlation analysis reveals significant correlations of all three potentials with the EGM08 potential. The potential constituents (namely their functionals such as directional derivatives) can be used for a step known in geodesy and geophysics as the gravity field reduction or stripping. Removing from EGM08 known constituents will help to analyze the internal structure of the Earth (geophysics) as well as to derive the Earth’s gravitational field harmonic outside the geoid (geodesy).     

The Brunhes-Matuyama boundary in Western Beringia: a review

Early-Middle Pleistocene deposits have been studied in Central and Northern Yakutia, the Magadan region, and Chukotka. The Brunhes-Matuyama boundary occurs in the Ozheleznenye Galechniki (=Ferruginated pebblestones) beds of Central Yakutia that belong to the Talagay horizon of the Early-Middle Pleistocene. These layers include classic Aldan mammal fauna. In Eastern Yakutia sediments of Early-Middle Pleistocene belong to the Akan horizon, and the Early Pleistocene sediments are from the Chukochya horizon. These sediments which belong to the Olyor Formation and its age-equivalents yielded numerous mammal remains, termed the Olyor faunal complex. The Brunhes-Matuyama boundary is located in Akan horizon. In the upper reaches of the Kolyma River, the Brunhes-Matuyama boundary occurs in sediments of the Middle Pleistocene Belichan horizon. The boundary of the Brunhes-Matuyama is characteristic within the Elhkakvun and Enmakay formations of Chukotka. In Kamchatka, the boundary of Matuyama and Brunhes is evident in volcanic sequences. In the eastern part of the peninsula, this boundary is located in the Tumrok or Iult volcanic complex and in Central Kamchatka in the Kreruk volcanic complex.     

哈萨克斯坦北部Kumdy-Kol金刚石矿床地质与变质金刚石成因

哈萨克斯坦北部Kokchetav地区的Kumdy Kol金刚石矿床是世界上惟一的变质金刚石矿床。对该金刚石矿床成因以及相关岩石的诸多研究成果不仅深化了对超高压变质岩的研究 ,而且推动了大陆动力学研究的进展。在该金刚石矿床中找到的岩相学证据证明 ,该金刚石矿床的主要含矿岩石大理岩曾经在俯冲带中循环到 >2 4 0km的深部。文章在介绍Kokchetav变质金刚石矿床的地质特征和大地构造背景的基础上 ,讨论了该变质金刚石矿床的形成过程以及变质金刚石的成因。Kokchetav变质金刚石主要表现出蜂窝状或草莓状的特征外形。这种蜂窝状或草莓状金刚石是快速生长条件下结晶的结果。结合最近的研究成果 ,笔者认为Kokchetav金刚石矿床中金刚石的形成与深俯冲大理岩中的白云石分解作用密切相关。白云石分解反应形成文石和菱镁矿组合 ,菱镁矿继续分解形成金刚石 (MgCO3 =金刚石 +MgO +O2 )。基于这个认识 ,Kokchetav金刚石矿床中碳 (金刚石和石墨 )的来源应该是碳酸盐岩     

Electromagnetic Radiation Generated by Acoustic Excitation of Rock Samples

The paper presents an experiment on acoustic excitation of electromagnetic radiation (EMR) signals in skarn, sandstone, and magnetite ore samples. For the skarn and sandstone samples, the EMR signal amplitude was observed to decrease with increasing ultimate strength. Supposedly, this effect can be explained by assuming that EMR is generated when an acoustic wave propagates through an electrical double layer. The presence of piezoelectric inclusions (e.g., quartz) in the magnetite ore enhances the analog EMR signal and its spectral components.