Palaeomagnetic data from Ediacaran (Vendian) sediments of the Arkhangelsk region, NW Russia: An alternative apparent polar wander path of Baltica for the Late Proterozoic–Early Palaeozoic

The study area is situated along the Zolotica river in NW Russia, located within the Kola–Dvyna Rift System in the Baltic Shield that developed during Meso and Neoproterozoic times. A 9-m thick section made up of shallow marine sediments of Upper Ediacaran age was sampled in this locality. Two volcaniclastic levels from the middle part of the section yielded an age of 556 Ma. (U/Pb SHRIMP-II on zircons). Two magnetic components were successfully isolated, component A (Decl = 157.1, Incl = 68.0, ₉₅ = 1.9°, N = 575 in situ) carried by magnetite and component B (Decl = 120.3, Incl = − 31.7, ₉₅ = 3.9°, N = 57, bedding corrected), carried by haematite. While component A is thought to represent a younger overprint direction, the in situ direction for component B on the other hand, is dissimilar to any expected younger direction and is considered to be primary magnetisation in origin, acquired during or soon after deposition of the sediments in the Late Ediacaran. The corresponding palaeomagnetic pole for component A in situ is located at Lon = 55.4°E, Lat = 31°N, A₉₅ = 2.7° and for component B at Lon = 110°E, Lat = 28.3°S, A₉₅ = 3.8°, N = 57. Combined with other palaeomagnetic poles of the same tectonostratigraphic unit an alternative apparent polar wander path for the Late Proterozoic–Early Palaeozoic of Baltica is proposed. Such an alternative path shows that after the mid Cryogenian (750 Ma), the poles that were situated over South Africa (p.d.c.) moved to the east until they reached Australia during the Late Ediacaran (555 Ma) where they remained approximately stationary until the beginning of the Cambrian (545 Ma). Finally, they moved to the northwest until they reached the Arabian Peninsula in the Early Ordovician. Palaeolatitudes indicate that Baltica situated near the equator from the Cryogenian through to the Ediacaran moving gradually to the south at c. 1 cm/yr. During the Late Early Ediacaran, the plate suddenly began to drift northward at c. 8 cm/yr and in the boundary with the Cambrian it was positioned in low to intermediate latitudes. Finally, Baltica began to move back to the south at c. 13 cm/yr until in the Early Ordovician, reaching intermediate to high southern latitudes.     

The restricted three-body problem in cylindrical clouds

The fragmentation of interstellar molecular clouds has been investigated with great effort by many authors. In this paper, a simple model is given to describe the dynamics of two fragments moving in a special cylindrical potential. Using a modified version of the restricted three-body problem and the corresponding Jacobian integral, some constraints are given for the motion of the fragments.     

Velocities of shallow overland flow on semiarid hillslopes

A series of 188 rainfall plot simulations was conducted on grass, shrub, oak savanna, and juniper sites in Arizona and Nevada. A total of 897 flow velocity measurements were obtained on 3.6% to 39.6% slopes with values ranging from 0.007 m s^‐1 to 0.115 m s^‐1. The experimental data showed that shallow flow velocity on rangelands was related to discharge and ground litter cover and was largely independent of slope gradient or soil characteristics. A power model was proposed to express this relationship. These findings support the slope–velocity equilibrium hypothesis. Namely, eroding soil surfaces evolve such that steeper areas develop greater hydraulic roughness. As a result overland flow velocity becomes independent of the slope gradient over time. Our findings have implications for soil erosion modeling suggesting that hydraulic friction is a dynamic, slope and discharge dependent property. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Directional interpolation of multicomponent data

A method for interpolation of multicomponent streamer data based on using the local directionality structure is presented. The derivative components are used to estimate a vector field that locally describes the direction with the least variability. Given this vector field, the interpolation can be phrased in terms of the solution of a partial differential equation that describes how energy is transported between regions of missing data. The approach can be efficiently implemented using readily available routines for computer graphics. The method is robust to noise in the measurements and particularly towards high levels of low‐frequent noise that is present in the derivative components of the multicomponent streamer data.     

Radar measurements of integral parameters of hailstorms used on hail suppression projects

The exact quantitative estimation of hailstorm precipitation intensity, allowing determining successfully the crop hail damage, is extremely necessary while carrying out of programs of experimental researches of the hail clouds as well as at realization of operative projects on hail suppression. On the other hand, the possibility of obtaining a trustworthy information about changes of hailfall intensity during cloud seeding operations enables to judge more objectively about seeding effect and to make a decision about its beginning and termination. Just because of such a parameter, the kinetic energy of hailfalls presents a great interest for the researchers. As it is known, measuring the kinetic energy of hailfalls is carried out both directly by ground network of hailpads, and by radar methods. The accuracy of the radar methods of the hail kinetic energy measurement strongly depends not only on the choice of an optimum formula for calculation but also on the algorithm used for separating hail and rain parts of radar echo and on the way it was used in the hail–rain mixture zone of precipitation.The method of calculating the kinetic energy of the hailfalls, based on empirical dependence of hail probability P_h on a height of a zone of a radar echo with a reflectivity of 45 dBZ above a level of zero isotherm ΔH₄₅, is offered in the given work. The algorithm of separating hail and rain parts of a radar echo and the way it was applied in a hail–rain mixture zone is described. The examples of hail streaks in contours of radar reflectivity and in isopleths of hail kinetic energy obtained using the given algorithm are shown.In Mendoza province (Argentina), a hail suppression project (1993–1997) for the analysis of the vertical structure of a radar echo with Z_max > 45 dBZ, such new parameter is an integral altitude, was used. This dimensionless parameter is most sensitive to such a condition of radar echo when all four contours of increased reflectivity Z₄₅, Z₅₅, Z₆₅, and Z₇₅ synchronously reach the maximal values. The analysis of time distributions of the main radar parameters of hailstorms on a background of values of integral altitude is resulted. It is shown that local hailfall maximum intensities on the ground are observed after the achievement of maximum integral altitude with a certain delay. It enables to predict zones of the greatest hail damage in a mode of radar observation.     

A Seti Correspondent Helps us to Discover their Signals, Lost in the Noise of our Receivers (A working hypothesis)

It could be that SETI signals have arrived at the Earth, but are lower than the noise level, and our receivers cannot detect them. We analyze the situation when a SETI correspondent sends signals that can be accumulated upon reception, permitting detection of even very weak signals. It is shown that using this method, we can already transmit SETI signals over our entire Galaxy.     

Sausage MHD Waves in Incompressible Flux Tubes with Twisted Magnetic Fields

Twisted magnetic flux tubes are of considerable interest because of their natural occurrence from the Sun’s interior, throughout the solar atmosphere and interplanetary space up to a wide range of applicabilities to astrophysical plasmas. The aim of the present work is to obtain analytically a dispersion equation of linear wave propagation in twisted incompressible cylindrical magnetic waveguides and find appropriate solutions for surface, body and pseudobody sausage modes (i.e. m = 0) of a twisted magnetic flux tube embedded in an incompressible but also magnetically twisted plasma. Asymptotic solutions are derived in long- and short-wavelength approximations. General solutions of the dispersion equation for intermediate wavelengths are obtained numerically. We found, that in case of a constant, but non-zero azimuthal component of the equilibrium magnetic field outside the flux tube the index ν of Bessel functions in the dispersion relation is not integer any more in general. This gives rise to a rich mode-structure of degenerated magneto-acoustic waves in solar flux tubes. In a particular case of a uniform magnetic twist the total pressure is found to be constant across the boundary of the flux tube. Finally, the effect of magnetic twist on oscillation periods is estimated under solar atmospheric conditions. It was found that a magnetic twist will increase, in general, the periods of waves approximately by a few percent when compared to their untwisted counterparts.