Method for correction of the prestack migration amplitude of converted waves

The paper presents a method for correction of amplitude of prestack migration using the reflectivity function. The solution of wave equations for heterogeneous media expressed in the form of Neumann series for converted waves was used to find the reflectivity function. The performance of the proposed method was verified using synthetic models of wavefields. The synthetic models of wavefields were also used to compare amplitude correction levels required by the presented method and the standard amplitude correction methods, i.e., the methods using the spherical divergence and extention factor.     

Explicit Symplectic Integrator for Highly Eccentric Orbits

An explicit symplectic integrator is constructed for perturbed elliptic orbits of an arbitrary eccentricity. The perturbation should be Hamiltonian, but it may depend on time explicitly. The main feature of the integrator is the use of KS variables in the ten-dimensional extended phase space. As an example of its application the motion of an Earth satellite under the action of the planet's oblateness and of lunar perturbations is studied. The results confirm the superiority of the method over a classical Wisdom–Holman algorithm in both accuracy and computation time. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Sediment and trace element depositional history from the Ajkwa River estuarine mangroves of Irian Jaya (West Papua), Indonesia

Radiotracer ²¹⁰Pb and contaminant copper were used to estimate sediment accumulation rates in 4 cores from the Ajkwa River estuary and mangrove tidal channels in western Irian Jaya. Mass accumulation rates (4.5–13 kg dry wt m⁻² yr⁻¹) were within the envelope of expectations for a region of high rainfall, great river catchment relief, and rapid tectonic uplift of mountains. Copper accumulation rates were enhanced 40 fold in surface sediments, compared to pre-1950 sections of the sediment cores. These recent sediments with enhanced copper concentrations come from Freeport Indonesia mine tailings over the last 27 years. Variations in sediment core profiles of Al, Fe, and organic carbon were small, indicating no great change in bulk sediment composition. Sulfur concentrations decline toward the sediment surface, suggesting a decline in rates of microbial sulfate reduction. Enhanced sediment copper concentrations will be a useful tracer of sediment dispersal from the Ajkwa River estuary along this coast.     

Tag retention and survival of fish tagged in controlled pond experiments

Fish survival, tag retention and tag loss were evaluated in pond experiments and described by linear regression equations. Tagging of fish had no significant influence on their survival. However, loss of tags caused strong differences between actual fish survival and the survival rate e^–z estimated on recovered tags. Mathematical functions were derived to correct tag loss. Values of those functions depend upon the type of tag and time after tagging. The B-type of tagging, which approximated the Swedish Carlin method, appeared to be most effective. The rate of tag loss was independent of the fish species (common carp, tench) used in the experiments.     

Distribution of minima of the current size of the triple systems and their disruption

The dynamical evolution of triple systems has been studied by computer simulations. A function (t) has been defined, where p is the maximum distance of the components from their centre of inertia, and t is the time. The value of is used to indicate the current size of the triple system. The minima of have been followed during the course of evolution of the triples. A distribution of f(_min) has been obtained, which is described by the following statistical parameters: the mode is equal to 0.65d, the mean value _min= 0.750d, r.m.s. is 0.477d, the asymmetry is 0.218, the excess is 2.04 where d is the mean harmonic distance between the bodies in the equilibrium state of the triple system. As a rule, escapes from triples occur only after close three-body approaches.     

Rapid migration of heavy metals and <Superscript>137</Superscript>Cs in alluvial sediments,Upper Odra River valley,Poland

The studies presented explore post-depositional changes of zinc, cadmium, lead, manganese and ¹³⁷Cs distribution in alluvial sediments accumulated in the upper Odra River valley in southern Poland. The rate of these changes was estimated by comparing metal and ¹³⁷Cs distributions in four vertical alluvial profiles with a history of river pollution and sediment deposition. The untypical ¹³⁷Cs distribution with peaks in the surface 40–60 cm and lower down, even at a depth of 2.5 m in strata deposited before the beginning of nuclear tests in 1954, indicates rapid post-depositional migration of this isotope from the surface and its retention in lower, less permeable layers. Moreover, the highest concentrations of lead, zinc and cadmium were found at a depth of 4 m in sediments accumulated in the mid-nineteenth century in spite of the growth of industrialization and the pollution of the Odra River with heavy metals until the end of the twentieth century. The post-depositional changes in heavy metals and ¹³⁷Cs are rapid in comparison with the slow element migration usually observed in uninundated soils. This difference is explained by the frequent and easy infiltration of polluted river water into the gravelly and sandy sediments present in the profiles.     

Modelling rainfall partitioning with sparse Gash and Rutter models in a downy oak stand in leafed and leafless periods

Application of models for estimating rainfall partitioning in deciduous forests may be considered time consuming and laborious given the need for two different parameter sets to describe leafed and leafless periods. This paper reports how rainfall partitioning modelling was done for a downy oak forest plot (Eastern Pyrenees Mountains, NE Spain) using sparse Rutter and Gash interception loss models and their suitability for such studies. Moreover, variability in model sensitivity is evaluated, and an attempt to simplify their application is also presented. The estimation error for interception loss in the leafed period was ?26.3% and ?4.2% with the Rutter model and the Gash model applied with Penman–Monteith‐based evaporation rate, respectively. The estimate for the leafless period was less accurate in both models, suggesting that modelling in the leafless period is more susceptible to error. Nevertheless, with the Gash model, the result was well below the expected measurement error. Models proved to be highly sensitive to change in canopy cover in all periods tested. The Rutter model was especially sensitive to zero plane displacement changes in the leafed period, while the Gash model showed high linear sensitivity to evaporation rate. In addition, a decrease in rainfall rate affects the estimation of interception loss more than an increase in it. Regardless of its high sensitivity to these parameters, the Gash model yielded a good estimate of rainfall partitioning for the total period, when only one set of parameters was used, although event‐based error compensation occurred, and some periods were over or underestimated. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.