Catchment precipitation processes in the San Francisco valley in southern Ecuador: combined approach using high-resolution radar images and in situ observations

The precise estimation of precipitation quantities in tropical mountain regions is in great demand by ecological and hydrological studies, due to the heterogeneity of the rainfall distribution and the lack of meteorological station data. This study uses radar images and ground station data to provide the required high-resolution precipitation maps. Also wind data are taken into account, due to its influence on the precipitation formation and to demonstrate the relation between synoptic wind, topography and the precipitation distribution inside small mountain valleys. The study analyses the rainfall distribution and amounts of 4 days inside the San Francisco Valley, a small catchment in the tropical Andes of southern Ecuador, representing different seasons and the typical atmospheric flows, which are correlated to the annual precipitation map. The results show that the rainfall distribution and amounts are generally defined by the wind direction and velocity, besides the topographic location in relation to the main barriers and pathways. The dominant wind direction causes a division of the catchment in a wetter eastern and a dryer western part. Moreover, the annual seasons are reversed; the main rainy season for the eastern part occurs between June and August, while the western part reaches the precipitation maximum between January and March. This may have influence on the species composition at the different slopes and the annual hydrological cycle inside the catchment.     

Tertiary alkaline Roztoky Intrusive Complex, České středohoří Mts., Czech Republic: petrogenetic characteristics

The ?eské st?edoho?í Mts. is the dominant volcanic center of the Oh?e (Eger) rift zone. It hosts the Roztoky Intrusive Complex (RIC), which is made up of a caldera vent and intrusions of 33–28-Ma-old hypabyssal bodies of essexite–monzodiorite–sodalite syenite series accompanied by a radially oriented 30–25-Ma-old dike swarm comprising about 1,000 dikes. The hypabyssal rocks are mildly alkaline mostly foid-bearing types of mafic to intermediate compositions. The dike swarm consists of chemically mildly alkaline and rare strongly alkaline rocks (tinguaites). The geochemical signatures of the mildly alkaline hypabyssal and associated dike rocks of the RIC are consistent with HIMU mantle sources and contributions from lithospheric mantle. The compositional variations of essexite and monzodiorite can be best explained by fractional crystallization of parent magma without significant contributions of crustal material. On the other hand, the composition of monzosyenite, leuco-monzodiorite and sodalite syenite reflects fractional crystallization coupled with variable degrees of crustal assimilation. It is suggested that the parent magmas in the Oh?e rift were produced by an adiabatic decompression melting of ambient upper mantle in response to lithospheric extension associated with the Alpine Orogeny.     

Late Cretaceous porphyry copper mineralization in Sonora,Mexico: Implications for the evolution of the Southwest North America porphyry copper province

Two porphyry Cu-Mo prospects in northern Sonora, Mexico (Fortuna del Cobre and Los Humos) located within the southwestern North American porphyry province have been dated in order to constrain the timing of crystallization and mineralization of these ore deposits. In Fortuna del Cobre, the pre-mineralization granodiorite porphyry yielded an U-Pb zircon age of 76.5?±?2.3 Ma, whereas two samples from the ore-bearing quartz feldespathic porphyry were dated at 74.6?±?1.3 and 75.0?±?1.4 Ma. Four molybdenite samples from Los Humos porphyry Cu prospect yielded a weighted average Re-Os age of 73.5?±?0.2 Ma, whereas two samples from the ore-bearing quartz monzonite porphyry gave U-Pb zircon ages of 74.4?±?1.1 and 74.5?±?1.3 Ma, showing a Late Cretaceous age for the emplacement of this ore deposit. The results indicate that Laramide porphyry Cu mineralization of Late Cretaceous age is not restricted to northern Arizona as previously thought and provide evidence for the definition of NS trending metallogenic belts that are parallel to the paleo-trench. Porphyry copper mineralization follows the inland migration trend of the magmatic arc as a result of the Farallon slab flattening during the Laramide orogeny.     

Aquifer heterogeneity determination through the slope method

In arid‐region wadis, groundwater storage lies within shallow Quaternary alluvium deposits, which are connected with the present‐day hydrological cycle and, therefore, are replenished due to occasional runoff and flash flood occurrences. The groundwater resources are precious in these environments; therefore, their potentiality must be assessed with care in the best manner. The aquifer potentiality is calculated after the storativity and transmissivity parameter estimations, which require rather long‐duration field tests with restrictive assumptions in the theoretical model developments, such as the homogeneity and isotropy. It is the main purpose of this paper to expose the fundamentals of the slope‐matching procedure (SMP) and its application for short‐duration field tests in arid‐region aquifers. In this manner, the subsurface hydrogeological behaviours of the bored land pieces at and around the well locations are prospected in a detailed and refined manner. It is shown that in many cases the classical techniques are appropriate, inconvenient and inapplicable with conclusive reliable results and conclusions. The application of the SMP is presented for some aquifer tests from the central western part of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Ccd Photometry of the Neglected Contact Binaries V344 Lac and V1191 Cyg

New photoelectric and CCD observations of the eclipsing contact binary systems V344 Lac and V1191 Cyg are presented and analyzed. All available times of minimum light were used to study period changes of the systems and determine up-to-date ephemerides. The orbital period of V1191 Cyg is found to be increasing at a very fast rate. The photometric elements were determined using the new light curve, radial-velocity curve and broadening function fitting code ROCHE.     

LEGRI instrument health. A historical review

LEGRI has been operating successfully on MINISAT-01 since its switch-on the 22nd of May 1997. HouseKeeping (HK) data have been continuously receivedfor nearly two years by LEGRI SOC in Valencia, and subsequently checked on adaily basis and then stored for long term monitoring analysis.LEGRI HouseKeeping data include three critical operating parameters:temperature, power and polarisation voltages. Six temperature sensors arespread over the different LEGRI units: Detector Unit, Data Processing Unit,High Voltage Unit and Star Sensor. Voltages are measured at eight differentpoints. Detector Unit temperature and polarisation voltage are thecritical parameters for LEGRI operation. Solid state detectors aresensitive to changes not only in polarisation but also in temperature.Around one and a half million of measurements for each of the HK fourteen parameters have been recorded and analysed. The data show a very remarkablestability, within the expected margins, and the averages are very close to theoptimal design values. Special attention has been paid to the detectorpolarisation voltages analysis with a mean value of 286 ± 2 V when the detectors are operating. Thermal control over all the LEGRI units shows a remarkable stability in their temperatures.On the detector plane a mean value of T _det = 13 ± 2 ^°C has been found.We can therefore conclude that LEGRI as a system has been operating withinits optimal design conditions. We also want to point out the excellentperformance of the MINISAT-01 thermal control system.     

Activity-composition relations in the system CaCO3-MgCO3 predicted from static structure energy calculations and Monte Carlo simulations

Thermodynamic mixing properties and subsolidus phase relations of the rhombohedral carbonate system, (1 − x) · CaCO₃ − x · MgCO₃, were modelled in the temperature range of 623-2023 K with static structure energy calculations based on well-parameterised empirical interatomic potentials. Relaxed static structure energies of a large set of randomly varied structures in a 4 × 4 × 1 supercell of calcite (a = 19.952 Å, c = 17.061 Å) were calculated with the General Utility Lattice Program (GULP). These energies were cluster expanded in a basis set of 12 pair-wise effective interactions. Temperature-dependent enthalpies of mixing were calculated by the Monte Carlo method. Free energies of mixing were obtained by thermodynamic integration of the Monte Carlo results. The calculated phase diagram is in good agreement with experimental phase boundaries.     

Temporal and spatial variability of cross-fault groundwater-level differences: the impact of fault-induced permeability reduction,precipitation and evapotranspiration

Hydrogeology Journal - Faults in the Roer Valley Rift System (Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany) act as barriers to lateral groundwater flow in unconsolidated sedimentary aquifers. This causes a...     

Projected changes in meteorological drought over East Africa inferred from bias-adjusted CMIP6 models

Natural Hazards - The ongoing global warming has caused unprecedented changes in the climate system, leading to an increase in the intensity and frequency of weather and climate extremes. This...