Selenium deficiency as a consequence of human activity and its correction

Problems of sustainable development in connection with the change of biogeochemical cycle of selenium and overcoming its deficiency in Russia, Serbia, Belarus and other countries are reported. The history of the biological role of selenium as an essential trace element is discussed. A special program of «Overcoming of selenium deficiency» has been developed by researches of Russia, Serbia and Belarus in view of high morbidity rates for cardiovascular, tumor and endemic diseases affecting the population of both the above and some other countries, including children, prevalence of selenium deficiency among livestock species and aggravation of the environmental situation as a result of man-made processes.     

The nautiloid Family Eothinoceratidae from the Floian of the Central Andean Basin (NW Argentina and South Bolivia)

A single confidently dated species of cephalopod is so far known in the Tremadocian of the southern Central Andean Basin (NW Argentina and southern Bolivia). This species belongs to the Eothinoceratidae and has a strong affinity mainly with Avalonia. During the Floian, a notable increase in diversity took place, with the appearance of a variety of families represented by several genera, in particular, within the Family Eothinoceratidae. In addition to the previously described species from southern Bolivia, we evaluate the other records of that family from the Central Andean Basin, and propose the following new taxa: Saloceras sikus sp. nov., Saloceras quena sp. nov., Mutveiceras gen. nov., and Mutveiceras cienagaensis sp. nov. We also describe Margaritoceras diploide, Margaritoceras sp., and Mutveiceras sp. From a palaeogeographic perspective, the cephalopod fauna shows affinities mainly with those of England, Wales, and the Montagne Noire (cold water Gondwana and peri‐Gondwana). As with other cephalopod faunas of mid to high palaeolatitudes, eothinoceratids occur along with other cephalopods forming assemblages of low morphological diversity. We interpret the forms described here as demersal with a subvertical poise, but capable of making rapid buoyancy changes, living in a wide spectrum of shallow offshore to shoreface settings. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Complex spatial feedbacks of tephra redistribution,ice melt and surface roughness modulate ablation on tephra covered glaciers

Tephra fallout from the 2011 Grímsvötn eruption onto Svínafellsjökull, Iceland, created an ice‐ash landscape of a type that is rarely studied but is nevertheless common in glacio‐volcanic regions. We used terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) to measure ice surface topography and absorption at high spatial resolution, confirming ablation rates either reduce or increase under thick (insulating) and thin (reduced albedo) ash deposits, respectively. Fourier transform analysis of the TLS data identified that a three‐fold increase in aerodynamic roughness was attributable to an increase in larger (> 0·2 m) surface features. Moreover, TLS measurements revealed the importance of ash redistribution by meltwater in generating differential melting which modifies roughness and ash patchiness, such that the net effect of these spatial ash–ice feedbacks was to reduce ablation rates by up to 59%. The modulating effects of these previously undocumented feedbacks on ablation rates are, therefore, significant and must be correctly parameterized if ash‐covered glacier mass balances are to be predicted correctly. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Middle-Upper Miocene stratigraphy of the Taman Peninsula, Eastern Paratethys

The stratigraphy of the Taman Peninsula is defined using the sections at Zelensky Hill ?? Panagia, Popov Kamen, Taman and Zheleznyi Rog. The stratigraphy is constructed from distribution of mollusks, foraminifers, nannofossils, diatoms, and organic-walled phytoplankton, as well as incorporating paleomagnetic data. The occurrence of oceanic diatom species in the Middle-Upper Sarmatian, Maeotian and Lower Pontian makes a direct correlation possible between the sections studied, the Mediterranean basin and oceanic zonation. The new data on planktonic and benthic biotic groups suggests a pulsating connection of the Eastern Paratethys with the open marine basins, especially during transitional intervals within constant environments. Comprehensive studies of the Chokrakian-Kimmerian microbiota provide evidence for several levels of marine microbiotic associations that are related to short-term marine invasions. The biotic and paleomagnetic data of the Taman Peninsula sections give a more comprehensive, but sometimes a controversial picture on the Eastern Paratethys history and the nature of its relationship with the adjacent marine basins.     

Spectacular low- and mid-latitude electrical fields and neutral winds during a superstorm

In November 2004, a major magnetic storm occurred, a lengthy portion of which was recorded by the Upper Atmospheric Radar Chain. On the 9th and 10th, the Jicamarca Radar detected the highest magnitude penetrating electric fields (±3 mV/m) and vertical drifts (±120 m/s) ever seen at this premiere facility. These large and variable drifts were highly correlated with the interplanetary magnetic and electric fields and created a double F layer on the dayside and unusual TEC behavior throughout the low-latitude zone. These solar wind-induced drifts both suppressed and generated irregularities at the magnetic equator at different times. Large-scale thermospheric disturbances were generated by high-latitude heating and tracked through the middle- to low-latitude zones where both parallel and perpendicular plasma drifts created major ionospheric changes. The auroral oval was located at a magnetic L shell of about three for many hours.     

Subfossil Cladocera from surface sediment in thermokarst lakes in northeastern Siberia,Russia, in relation to limnological and climatic variables

Subfossil Cladocera were sampled and examined from the surface sediments of 35 thermokarst lakes along a temperature gradient crossing the tree line in the Anabar-river basin in northwestern Yakutia, northeastern Siberia. The lakes were distributed through three environmental zones: typical tundra, southern tundra and forest tundra. All lakes were situated within the continuous permafrost zone. Our investigation showed that the cladoceran communities in the lakes of the Anabar region are diverse and abundant, as reflected by taxonomic richness, and high diversity and evenness indices (H = 1.89 ± 0.51; I = 0.8 ± 0.18). CONISS cluster analysis indicated that the cladoceran communities in the three ecological zones (typical tundra, southern tundra and forest-tundra) differed in their taxonomic composition and structure. Differences in the cladoceran assemblages were related to limnological features and geographical position, vegetation type, climate and water chemistry. The constrained redundancy analysis indicated that T_July, water depth and both sulphate (SO₄ ^2?) and silica (Si⁴⁺) concentrations significantly (p ≤ 0.05) explained variance in the cladoceran assemblage. T_July featured the highest percentage (17.4 %) of explained variance in the distribution of subfossil Cladocera. One of the most significant changes in the structure of the cladoceran communities in the investigated transect was the replacement of closely related species along the latitudinal and vegetation gradient. The results demonstrate the potential for a regional cladoceran-based temperature model for the Arctic regions of Russia, and for and Yakutia in particular.     

Deglaciation history of Lake Ladoga (northwestern Russia) based on varved sediments

Lake Ladoga in northwestern Russia is Europe's largest lake. The postglacial history of the Ladoga basin is for the first time documented continuously with high temporal resolution in the upper 13.3 m of a sediment core (Co1309) from the northwestern part of the lake. We applied a multiproxy approach including radiographic imaging, (bio‐)geochemical and granulometric analyses. Age control was established combining radiocarbon dating with varve chronology, the latter anchored to a correlated radiocarbon age from a lake close by. The age‐depth model reveals the onset of glacial varve sedimentation at 13 910±140 cal. a BP, when Lake Ladoga was part of the Baltic Ice Lake. Linear extrapolation of published retreat rates of the Scandinavian Ice Sheet provides a formation age of the Luga moraine close to Lake Ladoga's southern shore of 14.5–15.9 cal. ka BP, older than previously assumed. Varve sedimentation covers the Bølling/Allerød interstadial, the Younger Dryas stadial and the Early Holocene. Varve‐thickness variations, conjoined with grain‐size and geochemical variations, inform about the relative position of the Scandinavian Ice Sheet and the climate during the deglaciation phase. The upper limit of the varved succession marks the change from glaciolacustrine to normal lacustrine sedimentation and post‐dates the drainage of the Baltic Ice Lake as well as the formation of the Salpausselkä II moraine north of Lake Ladoga, by c. 250 years. The Holocene sediment record is divided into three periods in the following order: (i) a lower transition zone between the Holocene boundary and c. 9.5 cal. ka BP, characterized by mostly massive sediments with low organic content, (ii) a phase with increased organic content from c. 9.5 to 4.5 cal. ka BP corresponding to the Holocene Thermal Maximum, and (iii) a phase with relatively stable sedimentation in a lacustrine environment from c. 4.5 cal. ka BP until present.     

Meridional movement of northern and southern equatorial ionization anomaly crests in the East-Asian sector during 2002–2003 SSW

The present paper investigates the asymmetrical variability of the location of the north and the south equatorial ionization anomaly (EIA) crests in the East-Asian sector, along with their association with simultaneous observations of equatorial electrojet (EEJ) strength, geomagnetic activity index, and solar flux index during the 2002–2003 sudden stratospheric warming (SSW) event. Analysis of these observations indicates the existence of a large-scale quasi 16-day periodic meridional movement in both EIA crests, and also reveals a strong correlation between the quasi 16-day oscillation in geomagnetic latitudes of the EIA crest and EEJ strength. The latitude of the northern/southern EIA crest and the EEJ strength indicate that obvious synchronous periodic oscillations were in-phase in the northern and southern hemisphere when the SSW occurred. In addition, it is also found that both the EIA crest location and amplitude of the periodic movement of the EIA locations exhibit hemispheric asymmetry. The amplitude of the periodic movement of the EIA location in the southern hemisphere is larger than that of the northern hemisphere, and the southern EIA crest is further off from the equator than the north one. Understanding these asymmetries requires a combination of mechanisms that involve at least trans-equator meridional winds and the position of a sub-solar point; however, potential disturbances in neutral winds associated with the SSW may additionally complicate the equatorial ionospheric dynamics.     

Environmental conditions in northwestern Russia during MIS 5 inferred from the pollen stratigraphy in a sediment core from Lake Ladoga

Lake Ladoga hosts preglacial sediments, although the Eurasian ice sheet overrode the area during the LGM. These sediments were first discovered by a seismic survey and are investigated using a 22.75‐m‐long core. Its upper 13.30 m comprise Holocene and Lateglacial sediments separated from the lower 11.45 m of preglacial sediments by a hiatus. They consist of highly terrigenous lacustrine sediments, which according to OSL dating, were deposited during an early stage of the last ice age (MIS 5). The palynological data allow a first reconstruction of the Early Weichselian environmental history for northwestern Russia. Birch and alder forests with broad‐leaved taxa dominated during MIS 5d (c. 118–113 ka), suggesting a climate more favourable than in the Holocene. A high content of well‐sorted sands and poorly preserved palynomorphs indicates a shallow‐water environment at least temporarily. More fine‐grained sediments and better preserved organic remains suggest deeper water environments at the core location during MIS 5c (c. 113–88 ka). Pine and spruce became dominant, while broad‐leaved taxa started to disappear, especially after c. 90 ka, pointing to a gradual climate cooling. An increase in open herb‐dominated habitats at the beginning of MIS 5b (c. 88–86 ka) reflects a colder and dryer climate. However, later (c. 86–82 ka) pine and spruce again became more common. Birch and alder forests dominated in the area c. 82–80 ka (beginning of MIS 5a). Although open treeless habitats also became more common at this time, a slight increase in hazel may point to somewhat warmer climate conditions coinciding with the beginning of MIS 5a. The studied sediments also contain numerous remains of freshwater algae and cysts of marine and brackish‐water dinoflagellates and acritarchs documenting that the present lake basin was part of a brackish‐water basin during the Early Weichselian, probably as a gulf of the Pre‐Baltic Sea.     

Chironomid-based inference models for estimating mean July air temperature and water depth from lakes in Yakutia,northeastern Russia

We investigated the subfossil chironomid fauna of 150 lakes situated in Yakutia, northeastern Russia. The objective of this study was to assess the relationship between chironomid assemblage composition and the environment and to develop chironomid inference models for quantifying past regional climate and environmental changes in this poorly investigated area of northern Russia. The environmental data and sediment samples for chironomid analysis were collected in 5 consecutive years, 2003–2007, from several regions of Yakutia. The lakes spanned wide latitudinal and longitudinal ranges and were distributed through several environmental zones (arctic tundra, typical tundra, steppe-tundra, boreal coniferous forest), but all were situated within the zone of continuous permafrost. Mean July temperature (T_July) varied from 3.4°C in the Laptev Sea region to 18.8°C in central Yakutia near Yakutsk. Water depth (WD) varied from 0.1 to 17.1 m. T_July and WD were identified as the strongest predictor variables explaining the chironomid communitiy composition and distribution of the taxa in our data set. Quantitative transfer functions were developed using two unimodal regression calibration techniques: simple weighted averaging (WA) and weighted averaging partial least squares (WA-PLS). The two-component T_July WA-PLS model had the best performance. It produced a strong coefficient of determination (r ² _boot = 0.87), root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP = 1.93), and max bias (max bias_boot = 2.17). For WD, the one-component WA-PLS model had the best performance (r ² _boot = 0.62, RMSEP = 0.35, max bias_boot = 0.47).