A 3D multi-threshold,region-growing algorithm for identifying dust storm features from model simulations

Dust storms cause significant damage to health, property, and the environment worldwide every year. To help mitigate the damage, dust forecast models simulate and predict upcoming dust events, providing valuable information to scientists, decision makers, and the public. These simulation outputs are in four-dimensions (i.e., latitude, longitude, elevation, and time) and represent spatially heterogeneous dust storm features and their evolution over space and time. This research investigates and proposes an automatic multi-threshold, region-growing-based algorithm to identify critical dust storm features from 3D dust storm simulations. A multi-threshold scheme is defined for the identification of dust storm features with different dust concentrations. Based on the multi-thresholds, dust storm features are iteratively identified by developing a region-growing algorithm that splits a clustered dust storm feature into multiple sub-features. The proposed approach is compared with three commonly used methods in image processing and thunderstorm identification. The proposed approach outperforms the other three methods in sensitivity and quantitative/qualitative accuracy. This research approach may also be slightly adjusted to identify critical 3D features from simulation outputs for other severe weather and geographical phenomena.     

Evolution and observational signature of diffused antiworld

The existence of macroscopic regions with antibaryon excess in the baryon asymmetric Universe with general baryon excess is the possible consequence of practically all models of baryosynthesis. Diffusion of matter and antimatter to the border of antimatter domains defines the minimal scale of the antimatter domains surviving to the present time. A model of diffused antiworld is considered, in which the density within the surviving antimatter domains is too low to form gravitationally bound objects. The possibility to test this model by measurements of cosmic gamma ray fluxes is discussed. The expected gamma ray flux is found to be acceptable for modern cosmic gamma ray detectors and for those planned for the near future.     

Facies Structure and Quantitative Parameters of Pleistocene Sediments of the Bering Sea

Lithofacies zoning is described for the first time for the Neo- and Eopleistocene of the Bering Sea. Four lithofacies sedimentation zones are distinguished: (I) terrigenous; (II) siliceous–terrigenous; (III) siliceous, and (IV) volcanoterrigenous ones. Corresponding maps were treated using Ronov volumetric method to quantify sedimentation parameters for distinguished lithofacies zones (subzones) and types of Pleistocene sediments. It was revealed that terrigenous sediments predominate over other sediments. Accumulation of the terrigenous sediments was more intense (by 1.4 times) in the Neopleistocene than in the Eopleistocene. The sedimentation rate of siliceous sediments of the Bowers Ridge in the Eopleistocene was two times higher than in the Neopleistocene.     

Rock salt mass in the Paleoproterozoic sequence of the Onega trough in Karelia (from the Onega parametric well data)

A thick (200 m) rock salt mass covering Late Archean granitoids was exposed for the first time in the Early Proterozoic volcanogenic-sedimentary formations in the Onega trough of the east Baltic Shield by the Onega parametric well. The mineral composition of salts, their geochemical features, and the isotopic composition of carbonate carbon and oxygen have been studied. After fluid inclusions present in salts, their metamorphism temperature and isotopic composition of helium and argon were determined. The obtained results give evidence of the fact that rock salts and magnesites associated with them were formed in an evaporate basin with participation of deep crustal processes. The age of the underlying granitoids (2.716 ± 9 Ma) is determined using the Pb—Pb method.     

Focusing and spatial resolution of electromagnetic three-coil sounders

Doklady Earth Sciences - Distribution density functions for the sensitivity of a three-coil sounder are constructed as the weighted mean rock volume between the in-phase surfaces of running...     

Mantle(?) xenoliths in the carbonatites of northern Transbaikalia

The composition and nature of high-Cr minerals in lithic clasts from the carbonatites of the Veseloe occurrence, northern Transbaikalia, were considered. In order to determine their source, the Cr-bearing phases were compared with chromite, magnetite, and rutile from ultrabasic rocks, mantle xenoliths, and eclogites. It was suggested that the xenoclasts studied were formed at great depths, whereas the carbonatites were directly derived from the mantle rather than formed by the crustal differentiation of a silicate-carbonate melt.     

铜陵新桥层状菱铁矿成因的矿物学证据及成矿意义

安徽铜陵新桥矿区二叠系栖霞组底部和石炭系黄龙组—船山组之间产出层状、似层状菱铁矿矿层。开展菱铁矿矿层成因研究对于深入剖析区域层控矽卡岩型铜铁矿床成矿机制具有重要意义。本文利用粉晶X射线衍射（XRD）、扫描电镜（SEM）对菱铁矿矿石进行矿物学研究,结果发现菱铁矿矿石主要由菱铁矿、石英、伊利石和有机质等组成,菱铁矿颗粒粒径较小,表面具有成岩自生的自形石英硬模的微结构,SEM原位微区成分分析显示菱铁矿中除了主量元素铁,还含有大量的锰、锌和钙。矿石中存在两种微结构和不同成因的石英：表面具菱铁矿硬模和次生加大结构的碎屑石英;具六方双锥、单锥以及生物成因球形的自生石英。菱铁矿矿石的组成和矿物表面微结构表明其为沉积成因,非岩浆热液起源。富有机质和亚铁的沉积菱铁矿层和沉积胶状黄铁矿层协同作用,可能是铜陵地区乃至长江中下游成矿带层状铜铁矿床层控性重要制约因素,以及可能作为燕山期中酸岩浆演化的氧化性含铜成矿流体卸载成矿的地球化学还原障。

     

Power spectrum of brightness temperature fluctuations derived from solar eclipse observations at 2.8 GHz

In this paper we report on the MEM power spectrum analysis of brightness temperature fluctuations observed at 2.8 GHz during the total solar eclipse of 16 February 1980. The observed periodicities range from 3.5 min to 64 min. These periodicities may arise due to spatial and/or temporal variations in the solar radio emission. The observed periodicities imply presence of scale sizes ranging from 70,000 to 600,000 km assuming that the brightness fluctuations arise because of spatial variation only. On the other hand, if these fluctuations are due to temporal variation, the observed periodicities correspond well to predicted modes of solar global oscillations.