Hypoxia in the northern Gulf of Mexico: Does the science support the Plan to Reduce,Mitigate, and Control Hypoxia?

We update and reevaluate the scientific information on the distribution, history, and causes of continental shelf hypoxia that supports the 2001 Action Plan for Reducing, Mitigating, and Controlling Hypoxia in the Northern Gulf of Mexico (Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force 2001), incorporating data, publications, and research results produced since the 1999 integrated assessment. The metric of mid-summer hypoxic area on the LouisianaTexas shelf is an adequate and suitable measure for continued efforts to reduce nutrients loads from the Mississippi River and hypoxia in the northern Gulf of Mexico as outlined in the Action Plan. More frequent measurements of simple metrics (e.g., area and volume) from late spring through late summer would ensure that the metric is representative of the system in any given year and useful in a public discourse of conditions and causes. The long-term data on hypoxia, sources of nutrients, associated biological parameters, and paleoindicators continue to verify and strengthen the relationship between the nitratenitrogen load of the Mississippi River, the extent of hypoxia, and changes in the coastal ecosystem (eutrophication and worsening hypoxia). Multiple lines of evidence, some of them representing independent data sources, are consistent with the big picture pattern of increased eutrophication as a result of long-term nutrient increases that result in excess carbon production and accumulation and, ultimately, bottom water hypoxia. The additional findings arising since 1999 strengthen the science supporting the Action Plan that focuses on reducing nutrient loads, primarily nitrogen, through multiple actions to reduce the size of the hypoxic zone in the northern Gulf of Mexico.     

Report to cross sections related to plasma-planetary atmosphere interaction processes

As a recent trend, the continuous increase of new technologies for space observations of new missions to Mars, Venus, and Titan, has stimulated vigorous experimental and theoretical studies on the collision process induced by interactions between plasma and planetary atmosphere. In order to facilitate the comprehension of these processes, this brief paper chose a collection of cross section data not always easily accessible. With the purpose of making a useful collection of such data we have collected both experimental and theoretical estimate for most of the expected collisions processes.     

Influence of microstructure of loess on triaxial shear strength

Vicksburg loess is characterized by preferred orientation of constituent grains, which on the average dip 4° toward the west (N 80–85°W). This investigation was undertaken to study, quantitatively, the relationship between natural fabric anisotropies of Vicksburg loess and the orientation of applied stress distribution Results of the study indicate the fabric anisotropies in Vicksburg loess are reflected by definite variation in triaxial shear strength of dry and moist specimens.

In two series of triaxial tests, ultimate strength of the loess is maximum where σ₁ is perpendicular to grain orientation, and it is reduced where the principal stresses are 45° to the fabric plane. In this respect, Vicksburg loess may serve as a structural model for granular earth materials in illustrating the influence of fabric on ultimate strength. Moreover, the Mohr-Coulomb fracture line consists of two line segments, with an increase in slope at higher confining pressure. This characteristic suggests that poorly-cemented sands, or sandstones, and silts, or siltstones, may undergo two failures: one at small strains where cement bonds are disrupted and the other at larger strains where internal shearing resistance of granular components is exceeded.     

Agglutinated abyssal foraminifers of the equatorial pacific

The quantitative study of the distribution and taxonomic composition of recent living and dead (without plasma) benthic foraminifers revealed three foraminiferal assemblages in the bottom sediments of the Pacific Ocean at depths of 3350 to 4981 m. The assemblage dominated by the epibenthic Lagenammina difflugiformis, Reophax dentaliniformis, and Saccorhiza ramosa occupies the slopes of underwater hills. The assemblage with a high share of the infaunal Cribrostomoides subglobosum, C. nitidum, and Ammobaculites agglutinans is registered on the abyssal plateau. The assemblage with a significant proportion of the large Astrorhiza and Reophax species, which are characterized by an active way of life, populates gentle slopes and narrow depressions with potentially strong bottom currents.     

A new magneto-hydrostatic theory of sunspots

The structure of a stationary sunspot of circular shape is considered. Schluter-Temesvary theory, based on the similarity assumption is criticized. It is shown that this theory does not describe the observed inclination of magnetic field lines in a sunspot. A new assumption is proposed taking into account field lines which return to the photosphere. On the basis of this assumption, the main equation of the new theory is obtained and the results compare well with observations.The National Center for Atmospheric Research is sponsored by the National Science Foundation.     

A Comparison of Sediment Varves (1950–2003 AD) in Two Adjacent Lakes in Northern Sweden

Koltjärnen and Nylandssjön are two closely situated lakes (<2 km apart) in northern Sweden. During the past century, distinct varved sediments have formed in these lakes. Nylandssjön has two varved, deep basins. Since lake and catchment characteristics superficially appear very similar for the two lakes and they are exposed to the same climate, one would expect the sediment varves to be similar. This investigation compares the varves in the two deep basins of Nylandssjön, and in the two lakes. The comparison of basins of Nylandssjön shows that varve thickness, water content and annual accumulation rates of organic matter and nitrogen are correlated for the period (1970–2003). The grey-scale curves are only clearly similar in about 50% of the varves. In the between-lake comparison varve thickness, water content and annual accumulation rates of organic matter and nitrogen are correlated for the period (1950–1996). However, the annual accumulation rates of dry mass, minerogenic matter and biogenic silica differ between the lakes, as well as within-varve successions in grey-scale. A general explanation to the differences is that the prerequisites for varve formation are not totally similar because of differences in catchment size, catchment- to-lake material fluxes, lake productivity and land-use influence. This study illustrates the complex relationships that exist between a lake, its catchment, in-lake productivity and formation of sediment varves. As a consequence, we must not apply a too simplistic view of the potential of varves as past climatic indicators, especially if the lakes are affected by land-use.     

Changes in climate characteristics for a cold period on the territory of the Irkutsk-Cheremkhovo plain

We report the data on changes in snow cover characteristics obtained at meteorological stations Tulun and Bokhan and in their neighborhoods for the period 1961–1990. We examine the changes in snow cover, air temperature and soil temperature at depths of 20, 40 and 80 cm.     

Relativistic Celestial Mechanics on the verge of its 100 year anniversary

As we are now approaching 2015, both the General Relativity Theory (GRT) and the relativistic Celestial Mechanics based on it will soon arrive at their 100 year anniversaries. There is no border between Newtonian and relativistic Celestial Mechanics. The five-decade period of intensive development of Celestial Mechanics in the second half of the 20th century left many interesting techniques and problems uncompleted. This lecture reviews some problems of Newtonian and relativistic Celestial Mechanics worthy of further investigation. Concerning Newtonian mechanics, these problems include general solution of the three-body problem by means of the series of polynomials, construction of the short-term and long-term theories of motion using the fast converging elliptic function expansions, and representation of the rotation of the planets in the form compatible with the General Planetary Theory reducing the problem to the combined secular system for translatory motion and rotation. Relativistic problems considered here include the determination of the main relativistic effects in the motion of a satellite, e.g. the Moon, and in the rotation of the primary planet using the Newtonian theories of motion and rotation combined with the relativistic transformation of the reference systems, the use of the linearized weak-field GRT metric as a basis of relativistic Celestial Mechanics in the post-Newtonian approximation, and the motion of the Solar System bodies at the cosmological background in the framework of the basic cosmological models. The exposition of the chosen relativistic problems is preceded by reminding the basic features of relativistic Celestial Mechanics with discussing some present tendencies concerning the Parametrized Post-Newtonian formalism, International Astronomical Union resolutions, and standardization of the GRT routines.