Comparison of the orientation of small-scale electron density irregularities and F region plasma flow direction

Results are shown from an experimental campaign where satellite scintillation was observed at three sites at high latitudes and, simultaneously, the F region plasma flow was measured by the nearby EISCAT incoherent scatter radar. The anisotropy parameters of field-aligned irregularities are determined from amplitude scintillation using a method based on the variance of the relative logarithmic amplitude. The orientation of the anisotropy in a plane perpendicular to the geomagnetic field is compared with the direction of F region plasma flow. The results indicate that in most cases a good agreement between the two directions is obtained.     

Hydrological characteristics of vegetated river flows: a laboratory flume study

Abstract

Laboratory flume experiments were undertaken to measure the vertical profiles of mean flow velocity for three different flow discharges and four different stem densities of Hydrilla verticillata. The data were used to calculate three parameters, namely Manning's roughness coefficient, the Reynolds number and the Froude number. In addition, empirical equations were obtained for the vertical distribution of measured flow velocity within the transitional zone and above the plant canopy. The results show that: (a) the vertical distribution of measured flow velocity exhibits three zone profiles; (b) Manning's roughness coefficient decreases with increasing depth-averaged flow velocity; (c) the relationship between Manning's roughness coefficient and the depth-averaged flow velocity is within the smooth left inverse curve; (d) Manning's roughness coefficient significantly changes with increasing density of Hydrilla; (e) the Froude number is independent of the density of Hydrilla; and (f) both the Reynolds number and the Froude number increase with increasing depth-averaged flow velocity.

Citation Shi, J.Z., Li, Y.-H., Hughes, J.M.R., and Zhao, M., 2013. Hydrological characteristics of vegetated river flows: a laboratory flume study. Hydrological Sciences Journal, 58 (5), 1047–1058.

Editor Z.W. Kundzewicz     

The Strel’tsovka uranium district: Isotopic geochronological (U-Pb,Rb-Sr,Sm-Nd) characterization of granitoids and their place in the formation history of uranium deposits

An isotopic geochronological study of Russia’s largest Strel’tsovka uranium district has been carried out. Polychronous granite generation, which determined the structure of the pre-Mesozoic basement, had important implications for the formation of volcanotectonic structural elements bearing economic uranium mineralization. The study of U-Pb, Rb-Sr, and Sm-Nd isotopic systems of whole-rock samples and minerals of granitic rocks allowed us to estimate the deportment of these systems in spatially conjugated granite-forming and hydrothermal processes differing in age and gave grounds for revising the age of granites pertaining to the Urulyungui Complex and refining the age of the Unda Complex.     

Remarks on dynamical ellipticity at the Earth's

In this paper, two factors — the redistribution of the density and the variation in the angular velocity of the Earth rotation, that affect the adopted value of the flattening for equidensity surface within the Earth, are discussed. The computational results show that the contribution of the redistribution of the density in the Earth interior (especially in the core) on the change of the flattening at the core-mantle boundary (CMB) is marginal, and that the calculated value of the flattening at the CMB can be in good agreement with the VLBI observed value so long as the fact that the angular velocity of the Earth rotation has undergone the tidal evolution is taken into account. As a result, this paper presents a set of recommended values of the dynamical parameters of the Earth (see Table III) for computing Earth's forced nutation series.     

A simple method using climatic variables to estimate canopy temperature,sensible and latent heat fluxes in a winter wheat field on the North China Plain

Estimation of evapotranspiration from a crop field is of great importance for detecting crop water status and proper irrigation scheduling. The Penman–Monteith equation is widely viewed as the best method to estimate evapotranspiration but it requires canopy resistance, which is very difficult to determine in practice. This paper presents a simple method simplified from the Penman–Monteith equation for estimating canopy temperature (T_c). The proposed method is a biophysically‐sound extended version of that proposed by Todorovic. The estimated canopy temperature is used to calculate sensible heat flux, and then latent heat flux is calculated as the residual of the surface energy balance. An eddy covariance (EC) system and an infrared thermometer (IRT) were installed in an irrigated winter wheat field on the North China Plain in 2004 and 2005, to measure T_c, and sensible and latent heat fluxes were used to test the modified Todorovic model (MTD). The results indicate that the original Todorovic model (TD) severely underestimates T_c and sensible heat flux, and hence severely overestimates the latent heat flux. However, the MTD model has good capability for estimating T_c, and gives acceptable results for latent heat flux at both half‐hourly and daily scales. The MTD model results also agreed well with the evapotranspiration calculated from the measured T_c. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Vertical distribution and water solubility of phosphorus and heavy metals in sediments of the St. Lucie Estuary, South Florida, USA

Accumulation and distribution of heavy metals and phosphorus in sediments impact water quality. There has been an increasing concern regarding fish health in the St. Lucie Estuary, which is related to increased inputs of nutrients and metals in recent decades. To investigate vertical changes of contaminants (P, Cd, Cr, Co, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn, and Mn) in sediments of the St. Lucie Estuary in South Florida, 117 layer samples from six of the 210 to 420 cm depth cores were analyzed for their total and water-soluble P and heavy metals, clay, total Fe, Al, K, Ca, Mg, Na, and pH. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used in two sets of analytical data (total and water-soluble contaminant concentrations) to document changes of contaminants in each core of sediments. The PCA of total contaminants and minerals resulted in two factors (principal components). The first and second factors accounted for 61.7 and 17.2 % of the total variation in all variables, and contrast indicators associated with contaminants of P, Cd, Co, Cr, Ni, Pb, Zn, and Mn and accumulation of Fe and Al oxides, respectively. The first factor could be used for overall assessment of P and heavy metal contamination, and was higher in the upper 45–90 cm than the lower depths of each core. The concentrations of P and heavy metals in the surface layers of sediments significantly increased, as compared with those in the sediments deeper than 45–90 cm. The PCA of water-soluble contaminants developed two factors. The second factor (Cu–P) was higher in the upper than the lower depths of the sediment, whereas the highest score of the first factor (Cd–Co–Cr–Ni–Pb–Zn–Mn) occurred below 100 cm. The water-soluble Cu and P concentrations were mainly dependent on their total concentrations in the sediments, whereas the water-soluble Cd, Co, Cr, Ni, Pb, Zn, and Mn concentrations were mainly controlled by pH.     

An objective classification system of air mass types for Szeged, Hungary, with special interest in air pollution levels

Summary This paper determines the characteristic air mass types over the Carpathian Basin for the winter (December, January, and February) and summer (June, July and August) months dependant on levels of the main air pollutants. Based on the ECMWF data set, daily sea-level pressure fields analysed at 00 UTC were prepared for each air mass type (cluster) in order to relate sea-level pressure patterns with the level of air pollutants in Szeged. The data comprise daily values of twelve meteorological and eight pollutant parameters for the period 1997–2001. Objective definition of the characteristic air mass types is achieved by using the methods of Factor Analysis and Cluster Analysis. According to the results, during the winter months five air mass types (clusters) were detected based on higher concentrations of primary pollutants that occur with high irradiance and low wind speed. This is the case when an anticyclone is found over the Carpathian Basin and over the region south of Hungary, influencing the weather of the country. Low levels of pollutants occur when zonal currents exert influence over Hungary. During the summer months anticyclones and anticyclone ridge situations are found over the Carpathian Basin. (During the prevalence of anticyclone ridge situations, the Carpathian Basin is found at the edge of a high pressure centre.) As a result of high irradiance and very low NO levels, secondary pollutants are highly enriched.     

Petrology of the tin-bearing granite-leucogranites of the Piaoak Massif, Northern Vietnam

The Piaoak tin-bearing granite-leucogranites located in the Caobang Province of Northern Vietnam compose a stock-like hypabyssal body. Host rocks are represented by Early Devonian carbonate sequences and Early Triassic ??black?? shales. The geochronological age of the Piaoak granite-leucogranites corresponds to the Late Cretaceous: T = 83.5 ± 6.2 Ma, ⁸⁷Rb/⁸⁶Sr method; T = 89.7 ± 1.0 Ma, ³⁹Ar/⁴⁰Ar method. The massif has a simple basic to acid order: two-mica and muscovite granite-leucogranite ?? raremetal aplites, pegmatites ?? tin-bearing greisens and hydrothermal veins. The petrographic and microstructural studies revealed a sharp change in crystallization conditions of the granite-leucogranite magma at the late magmatic stage and formation of muscovite via incongruent melting of protolithionite. The study of melt and coexisting fluid inclusions showed that solidus crystallization occurred under fluid-saturated conditions at 635?C600°C. In composition, the granite-leucogranites of the Piaoak Massif correspond to the raremetal-plumasite geochemical type (according to L.V. Tauson), and reach Li-F facies in terms of their rare-element composition. The composition of aplites and pegmatites demonstrates that granite-leucogranite magma did not accumulate lithophile and volatile components in the residual melt during differentiation, but was initially enriched in rare-metals. It is most probable that the melt was generated from Proterozoic lithotectonic complexes and overlaying Lower Triassic ??black?? shales.