Sarmatia-Volgo-Uralia junction zone: Isotopic-geochronologic characteristic of supracrustal rocks and granitoids

The geochronologic (U-Pb isotopic system of zircons) and isotopic-geochemical (Sm-Nd isotopic system of the bulk rock) studies were performed along the profile extending from the eastern Sarmatia (in the west) to the Middle Volga megablock of Volgo-Uralia (in the east), i.e., across the entire junction zone for dating the integration of Sarmatia and Volgo-Uralia, representing two segments of the East European Craton. It is established that the examined rocks are characterized by the Paleoproterozoic Nd isotopic model age, which varies from 2.1 and 2.4 Ga, except for some samples indicating a similar age of the crust through the entire Sarmatia-Volgo-Uralia junction zone. The highly metamorphosed complexes of the granulite and amphibolite facies constituting the southwestern margin of Volgo-Uralia are Paleoproterozoic, not Archean, in age, contrary to previous views. Two Early Paleoproterozoic lithotectonic complexes are defined in Volgo-Uralia: South Volga metasedimentary and Tersa metasedimentary-volcanogenic. The obtained data confirm the asynchronous integration of individual segments into the East European Craton: the integration of Sarmatia and Volgo-Uralia approximately 2100–2000 Ma ago was followed by the conjunction of this newly-formed continent with Fennoscandia ca. 1800 Ma ago.     

Water Quality Assessment Based on Chemical and Biological Characteristics: An Example of Classification of Characteristics for the Cheremushnyi Creek–Yenisey River Water System

A six-class scale for a complex classifier of water quality is applied to the Cheremushnyi Creek–Yenisey River water system. The classifier incorporates a chemical index of water pollution and biological characteristics with autotrophic and heterotrophic periphyton groups and macrozoobenthos used as biological indicators. The oligochaeta index and Woodiwiss biotic index are shown to have low indicator capacity. Bioassay studies were based on recording acute and chronic toxic effects for three test species at different trophic levels. The level of biologically safe dilution is proposed as a quantitative index of toxicity. Saprobity and toxicity (saprotoxobity) characteristics are given for individual species. Water of the Cheremushnyi Creek–Yenisey River water system is referred to the IV–VI quality class.     

Characteristic of Lower Don aquatic ecosystem in late autumn

Multidisciplinary studies were carried out in the Lower Don River in the low-water November of 2012. The studies showed relatively low concentrations of oil products (up to 2 MAC) and heavy metals (up to 1 MAC), which were likely due to the cessation of navigation in the river. However, copper concentration was found to be in excess of its MAC. The most polluted were found to be the port water areas of the cities of Volgodonsk, Ust’-Donetsk, and Semikarakorsk. The distribution of nutrients over streams is uneven: the Don water is poorer in nutrients than the waters of the Severskii Donets and the Manych are. Oxbows can serve as depots of organic matter, where it accumulates over longer periods than in the river. The residual manifestations of the summer–autumn blooming of blue-green algae, observed in shallows, the predominance of algae of divisions Cryptophyta and Bacillariophyta (typical representatives of winter planktonic algacenosis), and their low abundance suggest the transitional state of phytoplankton communities to autumn–winter season (pre-winter period). The species diversity and biomass of zooplankton were largest in the Don R. and lowest in the Severskii Donets R. The formation of zooplankton species composition shows the effect of the runoff from the Tsimlyanskoe Reservoir. An increase in the proportion of oligochaetes and invading species was recorded in the Don. The decrease in the diversity of benthos is attributed to natural factors, i.e., the decay of imago and thicket forms in autumn. The biomass of the soft (food) benthos is low because of the predominance of its small-size forms.     

Global model of the thermosphere-ionosphere-protonosphere system

In this paper the formulation of the problem and preliminary numerical computation results of the thermosphere-ionosphere-protonosphere system parameters are discussed.The model constructed describes time-dependent distributions of the multicomponent near-earth space plasma parameters by means of numerical integration of the appropriate three-dimensional plasma hydrodynamic equations. In the thermospheric block of the model, global distribution of neutral gas temperature and N₂, O₂, O concentrations, as well as three-dimensional circulation of the neutral gas are calculated in the range of height from 80 km to 520 km. In the ionospheric section of the model, global time-dependent distribution of ion and electron temperatures, as well as molecular and atomic O⁺, H⁺ ion concentrations are calculated. Global two-dimensional distribution of electric potential is calculated taking into account computed thermosphere and ionosphere parameters.The inputs needed for our global model are the solar EUV spectrum; the auroral precipitation pattern; the distribution of the field-aligned currents and the model of the geomagnetic field.Preliminary results are obtained without regard to electromagnetic plasma drift for the solar minimum, low geomagnetic activity and spring equinox conditions. Global distributions of the calculated parameters in the magnetic dipole latitude-longitude frame are presented for 1200 UT. In the summary ignored processes and future direction are discussed.