Analysis of labile form of aluminum and heavy metals in bottom sediments from Kongsfjord, Isfjord, Hornsund fjords

The paper presents study results obtained for the bottom sediment samples of fjords Kongsfjord, Isfjord, Hornsund in the form of surface samples and their core profiles. The concentrations of labile form of aluminum and heavy metals were determined using the single-stage extraction with 3 mol L^?1 HCl. The obtained results allowed defining the occurrence of variability of labile aluminum form in the samples of bottom sediments of the studied fjords depending on the point and depth of sample collection. The conducted chemometric analysis allowed for the study of spatial variability of aluminum occurrence in the area of the investigated fjords. Based on the analysis, the correlations between aluminum and heavy metals were determined.     

Luminescence and other spectroscopic properties of purple and green Cr-clinochlore

For the first time ever, the luminescence spectra of Cr³⁺ centers in two chlorite crystals are presented. Chromium ions occupy the strong crystal-field site M4 in the brucite sheet and the intermediate crystal-field site in the inner octahedral sheet for purple and green chlorite, respectively. We discuss the influence of an effective positive charge on the Cr³⁺ ion and an effective negative charge of ligands on the differences in the values of the Dq and B parameters. It is concluded that the presence of Fe²⁺ ions and other point defects, as well as concentration quenching, causes the very short luminescence lifetimes of chromium ions.     

Tidal pattern instabilities on multi-moon planets

The equilibrium tide-generating forces in the lunar orbital plane of a planet of radius R are calculated for the case of N moons of mass Mi orbiting the planet at instantaneous polar coordinates (Di, αi). For the case of a single moon, there are only two high tides. For the case of two moons, it is found that there can exist a critical lunar orbital distance at which two high tides become unstable with respect to formation of three high tides. Bifurcation diagrams are presented which depict how the angular positions of the high and low tides on the planet vary with the lunar distances and lunar separation angle. Tidal stability diagrams, which illustrate the stability regions for various tidal patterns as a function of lunar distances and lunar separation angle, are presented for various values of D₂/D₁ and M₂/M₁. Generally speaking, the aforementioned tidal instability, and hence the propensity for formation of three high tides on a two-moon planet, exists over a significant range of lunar distances and separation angles provided that M₂/M₁∼³(D₂/D₁). For the case of N>2 moons, the tidal stability diagram becomes more complex, revealing a diversity of potential tidal patterns.     

Periglacial and Fluvial Factors Controlling the Sedimentation of Pleistocene Breccia in NW Poland

Breccias were investigated on the terrace of the Toruń‐Eberswalde ice‐marginal valley at Rozwarzyn (NW Poland). Breccia layers include soft‐sediment clasts with diameters between 2 and 256 mm and soft‐sediment megaclasts with diameters from 256 mm to 7 m. The shape of the soft‐sediment clasts and megaclasts (derived from frozen sediments) in the breccia is diverse: from angular and irregular in the case of debris‐flow breccias to slightly rounded and tabular in fluvial breccias. These two types of breccias were developed during the Late Weichselian when the periglacial climate favored extensive lateral erosion by currents of frozen braided channels in the ice‐marginal valley. The dual presence of breccias of fluvial and debris‐flow origin in channel deposits is unique for Quaternary sediments. Zones of breccias existed in the channels where scours and obstacle marks related to megaclasts developed. The study of breccias shed new light on the fluvial processes in ice‐marginal valleys during the Pleistocene and can be considered as diagnostic for fluvio‐periglacial conditions.     

Exoplanet atmospheres with EChO: spectral retrievals using EChOSim

We demonstrate the effectiveness of the Exoplanet Characterisation Observatory mission concept for constraining the atmospheric properties of hot and warm gas giants and super Earths. Synthetic primary and secondary transit spectra for a range of planets are passed through EChOSim [13] to obtain the expected level of noise for different observational scenarios; these are then used as inputs for the NEMESIS atmospheric retrieval code and the retrieved atmospheric properties (temperature structure, composition and cloud properties) compared with the known input values, following the method of [1]. To correctly retrieve the temperature structure and composition of the atmosphere to within 2 σ, we find that we require: a single transit or eclipse of a hot Jupiter orbiting a sun-like (G2) star at 35 pc to constrain the terminator and dayside atmospheres; 20 transits or eclipses of a warm Jupiter orbiting a similar star; 10 transits/eclipses of a hot Neptune orbiting an M dwarf at 6 pc; and 30 transits or eclipses of a GJ1214b-like planet.     

Integral Turbulence Statistics Over a Central European City Centre

Atmospheric measurements over 5 years (2005–2010) at two sites in ?ód?, central Poland have been analyzed to develop a better understanding of turbulence in urban areas. Fast response wind velocity, temperature, humidity and CO₂ concentration were measured using sonic anemometers and gas analyzers, placed on narrow masts at 37 and 42 m above the ground. The measurements were used to calculate standard deviations of each parameter, and were then normalized according to local Monin–Obukhov similarity theory and plotted as a function of stability parameter ζ = z′/L. Results for the wind components show typical scaling with a power law with exponent ±1/3 in the free convection limit, and that approaches a constant value close to neutral stratification. For stable conditions, the constant value in the neutral limit remains the same for stability parameters lower than 0.1–0.2, then increases. The normalized standard deviation of temperature fits the ?1/3 law in the free convection limit, approaching a constant value within a stable limit. However, it exhibits hyperbolic characteristics for close to neutral stratification. The normalized standard deviations for humidity and CO₂ concentration exhibit scaling similar to the wind components in the unstable regime and remain constant in the stable domain. The results for the wind components and for temperature are in the range of various functions found in other studies. The absolute values for humidity and CO₂ concentration seem to be slightly higher, but only single examples of such investigations can be found in the literature.