The Equatorial Ring Current as a Part of a Coupled System

The equatorial ring current is the symmetrical plasmaspheric drift current of energetic plasma trapped by the geomagnetic field. Assuming that, during a geomagnetic storm, the ring can exchange energy with other regions of the magnetosphere, a second-order differential equation must be considered as its dynamical expression, and contributions other than the solely solar-wind-induced electric field must express the forced input. The decay parameters of the recovery phase of the storm must be determined considering periods with Bz(IMF) Bz(IMF) 0.     

A Survey for Hα emitting galaxies AT z ≃ 2.2

The deepest survey for H emitting galaxies at z 2.2has recently been made in narrow-band ( 1%) filters around2.1m using SOFI at the ESO NTT telescope. An effective area of 100 sq. arcmin and a comoving volume of 9000 Mpc³ (forH₀ = 50, q₀ = 0.5) has been covered to a volume weighted 3 line flux limit of 5 × 10^-17 erg s^-1cm^-2. Our survey covered the WFPC2 and STIS fields in the HubbleDeep Field South and an anonymous field about 30 deg. away. Thefaintest limit reached was 3 × 10^-17 erg s^-1 cm^-2 onthe WFPC2 field. In total, 10 convincing candidates with deduced starformation rates in the range 9 - 50 M/yr and an equal number ofmarginal ones have been identified for confirmation and follow-upspectroscopy with ISAAC at the VLT. Based on a very preliminaryanalysis we compare our results with those of earlier surveys andbriefly discuss some possible implications for the form of theevolution out to z 2 and the effects of clustering.     

Assessing global Sentinel-2 coverage dynamics and data availability for operational Earth observation (EO) applications using the EO-Compass

ABSTRACT

Sentinel-2 scenes are increasingly being used in operational Earth observation (EO) applications at regional, continental and global scales, in near-real time applications, and with multi-temporal approaches. On a broader scale, they are therefore one of the most important facilitators of the Digital Earth. However, the data quality and availability are not spatially and temporally homogeneous due to effects related to cloudiness, the position on the Earth or the acquisition plan. The spatio-temporal inhomogeneity of the underlying data may therefore affect any big remote sensing analysis and is important to consider. This study presents an assessment of the metadata for all accessible Sentinel-2 Level-1C scenes acquired in 2017, enabling the spatio-temporal coverage and availability to be quantified, including scene availability and cloudiness. Spatial exploratory analysis of the global, multi-temporal metadata also reveals that higher acquisition frequencies do not necessarily yield more cloud-free scenes and exposes metadata quality issues, e.g. systematically incorrect cloud cover estimation in high, non-vegetated altitudes. The continuously updated datasets and analysis results are accessible as a Web application called EO-Compass. It contributes to a better understanding and selection of Sentinel-2 scenes, and improves the planning and interpretation of remote sensing analyses.     

How to improve attribution of changes in drought and flood impacts

ABSTRACT

For the development of sustainable, efficient risk management strategies for the hydrological extremes of droughts and floods, it is essential to understand the temporal changes of impacts, and their respective causes and interactions. In particular, little is known about changes in vulnerability and their influence on drought and flood impacts. We present a fictitious dialogue between two experts, one in droughts and the other in floods, showing that the main obstacles to scientific advancement in this area are both a lack of data and a lack of commonly accepted approaches. The drought and flood experts “discuss” available data and methods and we suggest a complementary approach. This approach consists of collecting a large number of single or multiple paired-event case studies from catchments around the world, undertaking detailed analyses of changes in impacts and drivers, and carrying out a comparative analysis. The advantages of this approach are that it allows detailed context- and location-specific assessments based on the paired-event analyses, and reveals general, transferable conclusions based on the comparative analysis of various case studies. Additionally, it is quite flexible in terms of data and can accommodate differences between floods and droughts.     

Analysis of fluoride in rocks and an application to exploration

The fluoride^* content of rocks can be measured using a selective ion electrode. Analyses were made using a sodium hydroxide fusion and ammonium citrate buffer and measurements can be compared to standard or can be made by standard addition using the Gran's Plot method. The Gran's Plot method yields fluoride values in agreement with known values for standard rocks. Values obtained by these two methods vary sympathetically. Furthermore, whole rock fluoride values vary sympathetically with water-leachable fluoride values, which permits use of simpler, less expensive methods for field exploration purposes. Application of these procedures to an area of tin mineralization indicates that easily distinguishable anomalous fluoride values for water leach and total fluoride in rocks are associated with areas of tin mineralization.     

Station Correction of the seismic station Kašperské Hory for short-periodP waves

Summary The magnitude station correction of the seismic station Kaperské Hory, related to Prhonice, was determined for the vertical component of short-period P waves.     

Scandium in rocks,minerals and sediments and its relations to iron and aluminium

Scandium, aluminium and iron contents of a considerable number of rocks, minerals and sediments for various origin are given. They have been obtained by instrumental neutron activation analysis.The concentrations of these elements in rocks and minerals are very variable. However the Fe/Sc and Al/Sc ratios for the finer particles of sediments from different origins are fairly constant. At a spec. surf. of 100 m²/g is found 0.2 to 0.3 × 10⁴ for Fe/Sc and 0.60 to 0.95 × 10⁴ for Al/Sc (mol).In the coarser sediments there is a considerable influence of particle size. Consequently when Sc-contents of sediments are compared for classification purposes, their spec. surf. or granulometric composition should be determined as well.     

Pandaïte,baddeleyite and associated minerals from the Bingo niobium deposit,Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo

Pandaïte, cut by numerous veinlets of a crandallite containing Sr, Ba and RE was found during an investigation of the pyrochlore mineralization of the important niobium deposit of Bingo. The alkaline rocks of the Bingo area also contain locally a particular mineral association of baddeleyite and cassiterite in veinlets.

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Résumé De la pandaïte, recoupée par de nombreuses veinules de crandallite riche en Sr, Ba et TR, a été décelée durant une étude de la minéralisation à pyrochlore de l'important gisement de niobium de Bingo. Les roches alcalines de la région de Bingo contiennent localement une association minérale particulière constituée par de la baddeleyite et de la cassitérite en veinules.

     

O-H stretching vibrations in kaolinite,and related minerals

The grades of ordering as represented by I.R. and X-ray spectra for platy kaolinite, fire clay mineral, ball clay, dickite, nacrite and tubular dehydrated halloysite samples of various origin, are related.Well ordered kaolinite, has four bands 3,693, 3,668, 3,652 and 3,620 cm^–1. In less ordered kaolinite, fire clay mineral and ball clay these bands have shifted a little or of the middle two, which are the weakest, only one band may be left (between brackets): less ordered kaolinite: 3,695, 3,667, 3,652 (3,653) and 3,620 cm^–1; fire clay mineral 3,696, 3,668, 3,653 (3,653) and 3,621 cm^–1; ball clay 3,697, 3,652 and 3,621 cm^–1.Dehydrated halloysite has 3,693–3,698, 3,668, 3,650–3,654 and 3,620–3,626 cm^–1 bands. In the most disordered dehydrated halloysite samples (Martinsberg and Baia Mare) only two bands are left at 3,696 and 3,624 cm^–1.Dickite has four bands: 3,708, 3,656, 3,627 and 3,622 cm^–1. For the lesser ordered Mexico sample it is 3,701, 3,652, 3,627 and 3,621 cm^–1. Nacrite also has four bands i.e.: 3,700, 3,650, 3,627 and 3,620 cm^–1.There is, apart from orientation effects, a wide variation in the absolute and especially in the relative intensities of the I.R. bands and X-ray reflections for each of the mineral groups investigated here, but of various origin. The need of a nomenclature adapted to the level of our knowledge about this matter to day and comprising all these variations included those in morphology is emphasized.Quantitative analyses, the adjective meant in the sense of an accuracy of minimal 5%, constitute a difficult problem which is perhaps even wholly impossible to solve with the conventional methods of today.