Dragon Lake, Siberia

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

Nicknamed 'Dragon Lake,' this body of water is formed by the Bratskove Reservoir, built along the Angara river in southern Siberia, near the city of Bratsk. This image was acquired in winter, when the lake is frozen. This image was acquired by Landsat 7's Enhanced Thematic Mapper plus (ETM+) sensor on December 19, 1999. This is a natural color composite image made using blue, green, and red wavelengths. Image provided by the USGS EROS Data Center Satellite Systems Branch

Circulation patterns governing October snowfalls in southern Siberia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bednorz, Ewa; Wibig, Joanna

2017-04-01

This study is focused on early fall season in southern Siberia (50-60 N) and is purposed as a contribution to the discussion on the climatic relevance of October Eurasian snow cover. Analysis is based on the daily snow depth data from 43 stations from years 1980-2012, available in the database of All-Russian Research Institute of Hydrometeorological Information—World Data Centre. The snow cover season in southern Siberia starts in early autumn and the number of days with snowfall varies from less than 5 days in the southernmost zone along the parallel 50 N to more than 25 days in the northeastern part of the analyzed area. October snowfall in southern Siberia is associated with occurrence of negative anomalies of sea level pressure (SLP), usually spreading right over the place of recorded intense snowfall or extending eastward from it. Negative anomalies of air temperature at the 850 hPa geopotential level (T850) occurring with increased cyclonic activity are also observed. Negative T850 anomalies are located west or northwest of the SLP depressions. Counterclockwise circulation around low-pressure systems transports cold Arctic air from the north or even colder Siberian polar air from the east, to the west, and northwest parts of cyclones, and induces negative anomalies of temperature. The pattern of T850 anomalies during heavy snowfalls in the eastern part of the southern Siberia is shifted counterclockwise in regard to SLP anomalies: the strongest negative T850 anomalies are located west or northwest of the SLP depressions.

East Siberia and Bering Sea, Russia

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

On June 5, 2001 MODIS captured this true-color image of Eastern Siberia and the Bering Strait. To the right of the image is the western tip of Alaska's St. Lawrence Island. Credit: Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team

The Yucatan Peninsula

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

This MODIS true-color image of the Yucatan Peninsula was acquired from data captured on October 6, 2001. The Peninsula is comprised of several Mexican states, including Yucatan in the north, Quintana Roo to the east, and Campeche to the west. Mexico also shares the Yucatan Peninsula with the countries of Belize and Guatamala, located to the south of these states. Phytoplankton show up as blue-green swirls off the western coast of Yucatan, in the center of the image, mixed in with sediment and other organic matter. Off the eastern coast of the Peninsula, running north and south along the right side of he image, the region's barrier reef is visible. Second only to Australia's Great Barrier Reef in size, the reef spans 180 miles from the northern tip of the Peninsula south into the Gulf of Honduras, and houses over 35 different species of reef-building corals.

Siberia, the wandering northern terrane, and its changing geography through the Palaeozoic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cocks, L. Robin M.; Torsvik, Trond H.

2007-05-01

The old terrane of Siberia occupied a very substantial area in the centre of today's political Siberia and also adjacent areas of Mongolia, eastern Kazakhstan, and northwestern China. Siberia's location within the Early Neoproterozoic Rodinia Superterrane is contentious (since few if any reliable palaeomagnetic data exist between about 1.0 Ga and 540 Ma), but Siberia probably became independent during the breakup of Rodinia soon after 800 Ma and continued to be so until very near the end of the Palaeozoic, when it became an integral part of the Pangea Supercontinent. The boundaries of the cratonic core of the Siberian Terrane (including the Patom area) are briefly described, together with summaries of some of the geologically complex surrounding areas, and it is concluded that all of the Palaeozoic underlying the West Siberian Basin (including the Ob-Saisan Surgut area), Tomsk Terrane, Altai-Sayan Terranes (including Salair, Kuznetsk Alatau, Batenov, Kobdin and West Sayan), Ertix Terrane, Barguzin Terrane, Tuva-Mongol Terrane, Central Mongolia Terrane Assemblage, Gobi Altai and Mandalovoo Terranes, Okhotsk Terrane and much of the Verkhoyansk-Kolyma region all formed parts of peri-Siberia, and thus rotated with the main Siberian Craton as those areas were progressively accreted to the main Siberian Terrane at various times during the latest Neoproterozoic and Palaeozoic. The Ertix Terrane is a new term combining what has been termed the "Altay Terrane" or "NE Xinjiang" area of China, and the Baytag, Baaran and Bidz terranes of Mongolia. The Silurian Tuvaella brachiopod fauna is restricted only to today's southern parts of peri-Siberia. Thus, allowing for subsequent rotation, the fauna occurs only in the N of the Siberian Terrane, and, as well as being a helpful indicator of what marginal terranes made up peri-Siberia, is distinctive as being the only Silurian fauna known from northern higher latitudes globally. In contrast, the other terranes adjacent to peri-Siberia

Carbon and nitrogen pools in thermokarst-affected permafrost landscapes in Arctic Siberia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fuchs, Matthias; Grosse, Guido; Strauss, Jens; Günther, Frank; Grigoriev, Mikhail; Maximov, Georgy M.; Hugelius, Gustaf

2018-02-01

Ice-rich yedoma-dominated landscapes store considerable amounts of organic carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) and are vulnerable to degradation under climate warming. We investigate the C and N pools in two thermokarst-affected yedoma landscapes - on Sobo-Sise Island and on Bykovsky Peninsula in the north of eastern Siberia. Soil cores up to 3 m depth were collected along geomorphic gradients and analysed for organic C and N contents. A high vertical sampling density in the profiles allowed the calculation of C and N stocks for short soil column intervals and enhanced understanding of within-core parameter variability. Profile-level C and N stocks were scaled to the landscape level based on landform classifications from 5 m resolution, multispectral RapidEye satellite imagery. Mean landscape C and N storage in the first metre of soil for Sobo-Sise Island is estimated to be 20.2 kg C m-2 and 1.8 kg N m-2 and for Bykovsky Peninsula 25.9 kg C m-2 and 2.2 kg N m-2. Radiocarbon dating demonstrates the Holocene age of thermokarst basin deposits but also suggests the presence of thick Holocene-age cover layers which can reach up to 2 m on top of intact yedoma landforms. Reconstructed sedimentation rates of 0.10-0.57 mm yr-1 suggest sustained mineral soil accumulation across all investigated landforms. Both yedoma and thermokarst landforms are characterized by limited accumulation of organic soil layers (peat). We further estimate that an active layer deepening of about 100 cm will increase organic C availability in a seasonally thawed state in the two study areas by ˜ 5.8 Tg (13.2 kg C m-2). Our study demonstrates the importance of increasing the number of C and N storage inventories in ice-rich yedoma and thermokarst environments in order to account for high variability of permafrost and thermokarst environments in pan-permafrost soil C and N pool estimates.

Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

Temperate and green in the summer, the Kamchatka Peninsula in northeastern Russia freezes over completely in the winter. This true-color image of the Kamchatka Peninsula was acquired on December 12, 2001, by the Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), flying aboard NASA's Terra spacecraft. The peninsula is surrounded by the Sea of Okhotsk to the west and by the Bering Sea to the east. The ice and snow highlight the stunning valleys and tall peaks of the Sredinnyy Khrebet, which is the volcanic mountain range running down the center of the peninsula. The mountains along the range reach heights of over 3500 meters (11,484 feet). Many of the volcanoes are still active, and ash and volcanic rock has turned the snow a dark gray on the eastern side of the range. The light blue latticework of ridges, valleys, and alluvial fans extending from the center of the range were likely carved out by past and present glaciers and by run-off from spring snowmelt. The small island that extends off of the tip of the peninsula is Ostrov Paramushir (Paramushir Island). Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC

Taenia sp. in human burial from Kan River, East Siberia.

PubMed

Slepchenko, Sergey Mikhailovich; Ivanov, Sergey Nikolaevich; Vybornov, Anton Vasilevich; Alekseevich, Tsybankov Alexander; Sergeyevich, Slavinsky Vyacheslav; Lysenko, Danil Nikolaevich; Matveev, Vyacheslav Evgenievich

2017-05-01

We present an arhaeoparasitological analysis of a unique burial from the Neftprovod II burial ground in East Siberia, which dated from the Bronze Age. Analysis of a sediment sample from the sacral region of the pelvis revealed the presence of Taenia sp. eggs. Because uncooked animal tissue is the primary source of Taenia, this indicated that the individual was likely consuming raw or undercooked meat of roe deer, red deer, or elk infected with Taenia. This finding represents the oldest case of a human infected with Taenia sp. from Eastern Siberia and Russia.

Atmospheric methane over Siberia: measurements from the 2014 YAK-AEROSIB aircraft campaign

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paris, Jean-Daniel; Pisso, Ignacio; Ancellet, Gérard; Law, Kathy; Arshinov, Mikhail Yu.; Belan, Boris D.; Nédélec, Philippe; Myhre, Cathrine Lund

2017-04-01

The YAK-AEROSIB program collects high-precision in-situ measurements of the vertical distribution of CO2, CH4, CO, O3, black carbon and ultrafine particles distribution in the Siberian troposphere, as well as other parameters including aerosol lidar profiles, on a pan-Siberian aircraft transect. Recent efforts aim at better understanding the respective role of CH4 emission processes in driving its large scale atmospheric variability over the region. The October 2014 YAK-AEROSIB/MOCA campaign from Novosibirsk to Salekhard and over the Kara sea and the Yamal peninsula sampled air masses affected by local, regional and remote pollution. We analyse the contribution of local anthropogenic sources to measured CH4 enhancements, in relation to atmospheric mixing and transport conditions. Our analysis also attempts to detect CH4 signal from sources of methane in the Siberian shelf and the Arctic ocean during low level flight legs over the Kara sea using the airborne measurements and a Lagrangian model coupled to potential CH4 hydrate and geological sources. The measured CH4 concentrations do not contradict a potential source upstream of our measurements, but the interpretation is challenging due to a very low CH4 signal. The challenging question of the methane budget and its evolution in Siberia leads to a need for new approaches. A new generation of airborne measurements, more flexible, is now needed.

Multilingual Education in South Siberia: National Schools in the Republics of Altai and Tyva

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chevalier, Joan F.

2012-01-01

Subtractive bilingualism is widespread throughout Siberia, with indigenous youth often more proficient in Russian than in their non-Russian local languages. Siberia's national schools, which are secondary schools offering instruction in local languages of Russia, provide critical institutional support for minority languages. The goal of this…

African Swine Fever Virus, Siberia, Russia, 2017.

PubMed

Kolbasov, Denis; Titov, Ilya; Tsybanov, Sodnom; Gogin, Andrey; Malogolovkin, Alexander

2018-04-01

African swine fever (ASF) is arguably the most dangerous and emerging swine disease worldwide. ASF is a serious problem for the swine industry. The first case of ASF in Russia was reported in 2007. We report an outbreak of ASF in Siberia, Russia, in 2017.

Mesozoic–Cenozoic Climate and Neotectonic Events as Factors in Reconstructing the Thermal History of the Source-Rock Bazhenov Formation, Arctic Region, West Siberia, by the Example of the Yamal Peninsula

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Isaev, V. I.; Iskorkina, A. A.; Lobova, G. A.; Starostenko, V. I.; Tikhotskii, S. A.; Fomin, A. N.

2018-03-01

Schemes and criteria are developed for using the measured and modeled geotemperatures for studying the thermal regime of the source rock formations, as well as the tectonic and sedimentary history of sedimentary basins, by the example of the oil fields of the Yamal Peninsula. The method of paleotemperature modeling based on the numerical solution of the heat conduction equation for a horizontally layered solid with a movable upper boundary is used. The mathematical model directly includes the climatic secular trend of the Earth's surface temperature as the boundary condition and the paleotemperatures determined from the vitrinite reflectance as the measurement data. The method does not require a priori information about the nature and intensities of the heat flow from the Earth's interior; the flow is determined by solving the inverse problem of geothermy with a parametric description of the of the sedimentation history and the history of the thermophysical properties of the sedimentary stratum. The rate of sedimentation is allowed to be zero and negative which provides the possibility to take into account the gaps in sedimentation and denudation. The formation, existence, and degradation of the permafrost stratum and ice cover are taken into account as dynamical lithological-stratigraphic complexes with anomalously high thermal conductivity. It is established that disregarding the paleoclimatic factors precludes an adequate reconstruction of thermal history of the source-rock deposits. Revealing and taking into account the Late Eocene regression provided the computationally optimal and richest thermal history of the source-rock Bazhenov Formation, which led to more correct volumetric-genetic estimates of the reserves. For estimating the hydrocarbon reserves in the land territories of the Arctic region of West Siberia by the volumetric-genetic technique, it is recommended to use the Arctic secular trend of temperatures and take into account the dynamics of the

Indirect Reciprocity, Resource Sharing, and Environmental Risk: Evidence from Field Experiments in Siberia

PubMed Central

Howe, E. Lance; Murphy, James J.; Gerkey, Drew; West, Colin Thor

2016-01-01

Integrating information from existing research, qualitative ethnographic interviews, and participant observation, we designed a field experiment that introduces idiosyncratic environmental risk and a voluntary sharing decision into a standard public goods game. Conducted with subsistence resource users in rural villages on the Kamchatka Peninsula in Northeast Siberia, we find evidence consistent with a model of indirect reciprocity and local social norms of helping the needy. When participants are allowed to develop reputations in the experiments, as is the case in most small-scale societies, we find that sharing is increasingly directed toward individuals experiencing hardship, good reputations increase aid, and the pooling of resources through voluntary sharing becomes more effective. We also find high levels of voluntary sharing without a strong commitment device; however, this form of cooperation does not increase contributions to the public good. Our results are consistent with previous experiments and theoretical models, suggesting strategic risks tied to rewards, punishments, and reputations are important. However, unlike studies that focus solely on strategic risks, we find the effects of rewards, punishments, and reputations are altered by the presence of environmental factors. Unexpected changes in resource abundance increase interdependence and may alter the costs and benefits of cooperation, relative to defection. We suggest environmental factors that increase interdependence are critically important to consider when developing and testing theories of cooperation PMID:27442434

Using New Remotely-sensed Biomass To Estimate Co2 Fluxes Over Siberia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lafont, S.; Kergoat, L.; Dedieu, G.; Le Toan, T.

Two european programs recently focused on Siberia. The first one, Eurosiberian Car- bonflux was a faisability study for an observation system of the regional CO2 fluxes. The second one, SIBERIA was a big effort to develop and validate a biomass map on Siberia using radar data from satelltes (J-ERS, ERS). Here, we extend the simula- tion of NPP performed for the first program by using the biomass data of the second program. The TURC model, used here, is a global NPP model, based on light use efficiency, where photosynthetic assimilation is driven by satellite vegetation index, and au- totrophic respiration is driven by biomass. In this study, we will present a n´ zoom z on siberian region. The TURC model was run with a fine resolution (few kilometers) and a daily time step. We will discuss the impact of a new biomass dataset description on Net Primary Pro- ductivity (NPP) and CO2 fluxes estimation.

Evaluation of Seismic Risk of Siberia Territory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seleznev, V. S.; Soloviev, V. M.; Emanov, A. F.

The outcomes of modern geophysical researches of the Geophysical Survey SB RAS, directed on study of geodynamic situation in large industrial and civil centers on the territory of Siberia with the purpose of an evaluation of seismic risk of territories and prediction of origin of extreme situations of natural and man-caused character, are pre- sented in the paper. First of all it concerns the testing and updating of a geoinformation system developed by Russian Emergency Ministry designed for calculations regarding the seismic hazard and response to distructive earthquakes. The GIS database contains the catalogues of earthquakes and faults, seismic zonation maps, vectorized city maps, information on industrial and housing fund, data on character of building and popula- tion in inhabited places etc. The geoinformation system allows to solve on a basis of probabilistic approaches the following problems: - estimating the earthquake impact, required forces, facilities and supplies for life-support of injured population; - deter- mining the consequences of failures on chemical and explosion-dangerous objects; - optimization problems on assurance technology of conduct of salvage operations. Using this computer program, the maps of earthquake risk have been constructed for several seismically dangerous regions of Siberia. These maps display the data on the probable amount of injured people and relative economic damage from an earthquake, which can occur in various sites of the territory according to the map of seismic zona- tion. The obtained maps have allowed determining places where the detailed seismo- logical observations should be arranged. Along with it on the territory of Siberia the wide-ranging investigations with use of new methods of evaluation of physical state of industrial and civil establishments (buildings and structures, hydroelectric power stations, bridges, dams, etc.), high-performance detailed electromagnetic researches of ground conditions of city

Phytoremediation of Excavation in Eastern Siberia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Timofeeva, S. S.; Zhmurova, T. M.

2017-04-01

The paper deals with prospects and applicability of phytoremediation technology in the conditions of Eastern Siberia as applied to gypsum stone extraction of Zalarinsky deposit in Irkutsk region. It analyses dust intensity for different technological processes of the deposit and evaluates the dust loading on the workers of the deposit. The selection of plantings that have potential to neutralize the dust loading produced by the plot “Severniy” is carried out.

Relict gas hydrates as possible reason of gas emission from shallow permafrost at the northern part of West Siberia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chuvilin, Evgeny; Bukhanov, Boris; Tumskoy, Vladimir; Istomin, Vladimir; Tipenko, Gennady

2017-04-01

zone) permafrost horizons. The results show that all investigated frozen hydrate-bearing sandy and silty sand samples in the temperature range from -16 °C to -2 °C are characterized by not complete decomposition of pore hydrate at relieving pressure below the equilibrium. It was observed that at typical north Western Siberian permafrost temperature of -6 ° C the safety of pore hydrate in frozen samples can reach 60% at the pressure reducing below the equilibrium. In was found that with increasing temperature and particle size (dispersity) the efficiency of pore hydrate self-preservation is decreased, but even at the temperature of -2 °C there is residual pore methane hydrate content in non-saline sandy samples. All this suggests about high preservation of methane hydrates in frozen sediments at non-equilibrium thermobaric conditions, close to reservoir conditions. Based on the results of mathematical and experimental simulations about the possibility of relic gas hydrates existence on permafrost depth up to 200 m in the northern part of Western Siberia on the less than 200 m due to geological manifestation of the self-preservation effect of gas hydrates. References. 1.Chuvilin EM, Yakushev VS, Perlova EV. Gas and gas hydrates in the permafrost of Bovanenkovo gas field, Yamal Peninsula, West Siberia. // Polarforschung 68: 215-219, 1998. (erschienen 2000). 2.Yakushev V.S., Chuvilin E.M. 2000. Natural gas and hydrate accumulation within permafrost in Russia. Cold Regions Science and Technology. 31: 189-197. These researches are supported by grant RSF №16-17-00051.

Droughts and Excessive Moisture Events in Southern Siberia in the Late XXth - Early XXIst Centuries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ryazanova, A. A.; Voropay, N. N.

2017-11-01

In recent years much research has been devoted to global and regional climate changes. Special attention was paid to climate extremes, such as droughts and excessive moisture events. In this study the moisture and aridity of Southern Siberia are estimated using web-GIS called “CLIMATE”. The system “CLIMATE” is part of a hardware and software cloud storage complex for data analysis of various climatic data sets, with algorithms for searching, extracting, processing, and visualizing the data. The ECMWF ERA-Interim reanalysis data for Southern Siberia (50-65°N, 60-120°E) from 1979 to 2010 with a grid cell of 0.75×0.75° is used. Some hydrothermal conditions are estimated using the so-called Ped index (Si), which is a normalized indicator of the ratio of air temperature to precipitation. The mountain regions of Eastern Siberia are becoming more and more arid each month during the last 30 years. In Western Siberia, aridity increases in May and decreases in June, in the other months positive and negative trends are found. The greatest differences between the trends of the aridity index (Si), air temperature, and precipitation are observed in July.

Geologic framework of the Alaska Peninsula, southwest Alaska, and the Alaska Peninsula terrane

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wilson, Frederic H.; Detterman, Robert L.; DuBois, Gregory D.

2015-01-01

The boundaries separating the Alaska Peninsula terrane from other terranes are commonly indistinct or poorly defined. A few boundaries have been defined at major faults, although the extensions of these faults are speculative through some areas. The west side of the Alaska Peninsula terrane is overlapped by Tertiary sedimentary and volcanic rocks and Quaternary deposits.

Impact of Siberian forest fires on the atmosphere over the Korean Peninsula during summer 2014

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jung, Jinsang; Lyu, Youngsook; Lee, Minhee; Hwang, Taekyung; Lee, Sangil; Oh, Sanghyub

2016-06-01

Extensive forest fires occurred during late July 2014 across the forested region of Siberia, Russia. Smoke plumes emitted from Siberian forest fires underwent long-range transport over Mongolia and northeast China to the Korean Peninsula, which is located ˜ 3000 km south of the Siberian forest. A notably high aerosol optical depth of ˜ 4 was observed at a wavelength of 500 nm near the source of the Siberian forest fires. Smoke plumes reached 3-5 km in height near the source and fell below 2 km over the Korean Peninsula. Elevated concentrations of levoglucosan were observed (119.7 ± 6.0 ng m-3), which were ˜ 4.5 times higher than those observed during non-event periods in July 2014. During the middle of July 2014, a haze episode occurred that was primarily caused by the long-range transport of emission plumes originating from urban and industrial complexes in East China. Sharp increases in SO42- concentrations (23.1 ± 2.1 µg m-3) were observed during this episode. The haze caused by the long-range transport of Siberian forest fire emissions was clearly identified by relatively high organic carbon (OC) / elemental carbon (EC) ratios (7.18 ± 0.2) and OC / SO42- ratios (1.31 ± 0.07) compared with those of the Chinese haze episode (OC / EC ratio: 2.4 ± 0.4; OC / SO42- ratio: 0.21 ± 0.05). Remote measurement techniques and chemical analyses of the haze plumes clearly show that the haze episode that occurred during late July 2014 was caused mainly by the long-range transport of smoke plumes emitted from Siberian forest fires.

Potential sources of Southern Siberia aerosols by data of AERONET site in Tomsk, Russia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shukurov, K. A.; Shukurova, L. M.

2017-11-01

For all days of measurements in 2002-2015 of volume concentration of aerosols at the AERONET Tomsk/Tomsk-22 station an array of 10-day backward trajectories of air parcels arriving in Tomsk into seven layers of the troposphere with heights in the range of 0.5-5.0 km is calculated using the trajectory model NOAA HYSPLIT_4. For the three fractions of the aerosol with particle sizes < 1.0 μm, 1.0-2.5 μm, 2.5-5.0 μm and their sum (< 5.0 μm), the field of capacity of the potential sources of aerosols of these fractions for southern Siberia is determined by the CWT (concentration weighted trajectory) method using the backward trajectory array. The analysis is carried out taking into account the processes both the scavenging of the aerosols with precipitation and the dry deposition. Trajectories arriving at different heights were analyzed taking into account the weight coefficients proportional to the backward light scattering coefficients of an aerosols at corresponding heights for warm and cold seasons in Western Siberia. The most capable (in unit of volume concentration μm3 /μm2 ) potential sources of these fractions for southern Siberia are located above North Africa, Eastern Siberia, Central Asia and the Dzhungarian desert in the Xinjiang-Uyghur Autonomous Region of China.

[Entification of the Rubella virus genotype 1H in Western Siberia].

PubMed

Seregin, S V; Babkin, I V; Petrova, I D; Iashina, L N; Malkova, E M; Petrov, V S

2011-01-01

Molecular epidemiological study of novel strain of Rubella virus isolated during the outbreak in Western Siberia in 2004 was described. Detailed phylogenetic analysis performed based upon entire SP-region, which encodes all three Rubella structural proteins (C, E2, and E1), was implemented. This analysis provides characterization of this strain and classifies it as 1H genotype, thereby correcting previous classification of this strain based upon shorter nucleotide sequence, only encoding E1 protein. Therefore, this study identified the genotype of the Rubella virus not previously detected in Western Siberia (and even entire Russian Federation), which highlights the importance of more extensive characterization of genetic variability of the Rubella virus, especially with regard to potential influence of vaccination on the Rubella virus mutagenesis.

Industrial Development of Siberia and the Soviet Far East.

DTIC Science & Technology

1984-09-01

21 (This argument is perhaps unintentionally fed by the central leadership’s emphasis on investing in renovation and technical reequipment of...Malov, "Po programme ’ energia ’," Pravda, May 12, 1982, p. 2. " M. Matafonov, "Open up Siberia’s Treasure Houses," Sotsialisticheskaia industriia

Movement of a female polar bear (Ursus maritimus) in the Kara Sea during the summer sea-ice break-up.

PubMed

Rozhnov, V V; Platonov, N G; Naidenko, S V; Mordvintsev, I N; Ivanov, E A

2017-01-01

The polar bear movement trajectory in relation to onset date of the sea-ice break-up was studied in the coastal zone of the Taimyr Peninsula, eastern part of the Kara Sea, using as an example a female polar bear tagged by a radio collar with an Argos satellite transmitter. Analysis of the long-term pattern of ice melting and tracking, by means of satellite telemetry, of the female polar bear who followed the ice-edge outgoing in the north-eastern direction (in summer 2012) suggests that direction of the polar bear movement depends precisely on the direction of the sea-ice cover break-up.

Comparative analysis of marine paleogene sections and biota from West Siberia and the Arctic Region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Akhmet'ev, M. A.; Zaporozhets, N. I.; Iakovleva, A. I.; Aleksandrova, G. N.; Beniamovsky, V. N.; Oreshkina, T. V.; Gnibidenko, Z. N.; Dolya, Zh. A.

2010-12-01

The analysis of the main biospheric events that took place in West Siberia and the Arctic region during the Early Paleogene revealed the paleogeographic and paleobiogeographic unity of marine sedimentation basins and close biogeographic relations between their separate parts. Most biotic and abiotic events of the first half of the Paleogene in the Arctic region and West Siberia were synchronous, unidirectional, and interrelated. Shelf settings, sedimentation breaks, and microfaunal assemblages characteristic of these basins during the Paleogene are compared. The comparative analysis primarily concerned events of the Paleocene-Eocene thermal maximum (PETM) and beds with Azolla (aquatic fern). The formation of the Eocene Azolla Beds in the Arctic region and West Siberia was asynchronous, although it proceeded in line with a common scenario related to the development of a system of estuarine-type currents in a sea basin partly isolated from the World Ocean.

Contradicting climate versus vegetation history in NE-Siberia?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zech, M.; Zech, R.

2009-04-01

Northern Siberia may play a key role for the climate on the entire Earth. The classical Milankovitch Theory suggests that changes in summer insolation due to the Earth' orbital parameters caused build-up of snow and ice over the extensive continental masses at high northern latitudes. Various positive feedback mechanisms, like surface albedo and sequestration/release of atmospheric carbon dioxide in/from frozen, organic-rich soils, could then be responsible for the onset of global glaciations. More recently, high northern latitudes have also gained a lot of attention due to the potential of their soils and peats to release large amounts of methane and carbon dioxide. The Siberian ecosystems may turn into significant greenhouse gas sources as global warming continues and causes melting of permafrost and mineralisation of soil organic material that has been built up and stored over thousands of years. Quaternary scientists are therefore searching for long-term and continuous archives in order to reconstruct the Siberian climate and landscape history. A wide range of different analytical tools (e.g. different dating techniques, elemental composition, mineralogy, magnetic properties, grain size distribution, characterisation of organic matter and palynology) is used to infer palaeoclimatically and palaeoecologically relevant information. All of these methods have their advantages and their disadvantages. For instance, pollen analyses allow a high taxonomic differentiation, but variable pollination rates of different plant species, influx of long-distance transported pollen, and variable preservation of different pollen taxa have to be considered. Concerning the interpretation of pollen spectra in NE-Siberia, arboreal pollen, especially larch pollen, are traditionally considered to be ‘warm plant taxa', hence the occurrence of these pollen in archives is interpreted as reflecting warm interglacial or interstadial conditions. We have recently presented a multi

Historical earthquakes studies in Eastern Siberia: State-of-the-art and plans for future

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Radziminovich, Ya. B.; Shchetnikov, A. A.

2013-01-01

Many problems in investigating historical seismicity of East Siberia remain unsolved. A list of these problems may refer particularly to the quality and reliability of data sources, completeness of parametric earthquake catalogues, and precision and transparency of estimates for the main parameters of historical earthquakes. The main purpose of this paper is to highlight the current status of the studies of historical seismicity in Eastern Siberia, as well as analysis of existing macroseismic and parametric earthquake catalogues. We also made an attempt to identify the main shortcomings of existing catalogues and to clarify the reasons for their appearance in the light of the history of seismic observations in Eastern Siberia. Contentious issues in the catalogues of earthquakes are considered by the example of three strong historical earthquakes, important for assessing seismic hazard in the region. In particular, it was found that due to technical error the parameters of large M = 7.7 earthquakes of 1742 were transferred from the regional catalogue to the worldwide database with incorrect epicenter coordinates. The way some stereotypes concerning active tectonics influences on the localization of the epicenter is shown by the example of a strong М = 6.4 earthquake of 1814. Effect of insufficient use of the primary data source on completeness of earthquake catalogues is illustrated by the example of a strong M = 7.0 event of 1859. Analysis of the state-of-the-art of historical earthquakes studies in Eastern Siberia allows us to propose the following activities in the near future: (1) database compilation including initial descriptions of macroseismic effects with reference to their place and time of occurrence; (2) parameterization of the maximum possible (magnitude-unlimited) number of historical earthquakes on the basis of all the data available; (3) compilation of an improved version of the parametric historical earthquake catalogue for East Siberia with

Norilsk, Siberia

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2008-01-01

Norilsk is a major city in Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia, and the northernmost city in Siberia. The city was founded in the 1930s as a settlement for the Norilsk mining-metallurgic complex, sitting near the largest nickel-copper-palladium deposits on Earth. Mining and smelting of nickel, copper, cobalt, platinum, palladium are the major industries. The nickel ore is smelted on site at Norilsk. The smelting is directly responsible for severe pollution, generally acid rain and smog. By some estimates, 1 percent of the entire global emissions of sulfur dioxide comes from this one city. Heavy metal pollution near Norilsk is so severe that it is now economically feasible to mine the soil, which has been polluted so severely that it has economic grades of platinum and palladium.

The image was acquired July 21, 2000, covers an area of 36.9 x 37.6 km, and is located at 69.3 degrees north latitude, 88.2 degrees east longitude.

The U.S. science team is located at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. The Terra mission is part of NASA's Science Mission Directorate.

Potential Climate-driven Silvicultural and Agricultural Transformations in Siberia in the 21 Century

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tchebakova, N. M.; Parfenova, E. I.; Shvetsov, E.; Soja, A. J.

2017-12-01

Simulations of Siberian forests in a changing climate showed them to be changed in composition, decreased, and shifted northwards. Our goals were to evaluate the ecological consequences for the forests and agriculture in Siberia and to offer adaptive measures that may be undertaken to minimize negative consequences and maximize benefits from a rapidly changing environment in the socially important region of southern Siberia. We considered two strategies to estimate climate-change effects on potentially failing forests within an expanding forest-steppe ecotone. To support forestry, seed transfers from locations that are best suited to the genotypes in future climates may be applied to assist trees and forests in a changing climate. To support agriculture, in view of the growing world concerns on food safety, new farming lands may be established in a new forest-steppe ecotone with its favorable climatic and soil resources. We used our bioclimatic vegetation models of various levels: a forest type model to predict forest shifts and forest-failing lands, tree species range and their climatypes models to predict what tree species/climatype would be suitable and crop models to predict crops to introduce in potentially climate-disturbed areas in Siberia. Climate change data for the 2080s were calculated from the ensemble of 20 general circulation models of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 5 (CMIP5) and two scenarios to characterize the range of climate change: mild climate (RCP2.6 scenario) and sharp climate (RCP 8.5 scenario). By the 2080s, forest-steppe and steppe rather than forests would dominate up to half of Siberia in the warmer and dryer RCP 8.5 climate. Water stress tolerant and fire-resistant light-needled species Pinus sylvestris and Larix spp. would dominate the forest-steppe ecotone. Failing forests in a dryer climate may be maintained by moving and substituting proper climatypes from locations often hundreds of km away. Agriculture in Siberia

Late orogenic processes between Baltica and Siberia cratons during the building of Pangea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Puchkov, V.

2003-04-01

Since the Middle Carboniferous, the territory between the Baltica, Kazakhstania and Siberia plates have been part of the continental crust, the last oceanic crust having by then been subducted. At this time continent-continent collision started and proceeded until the latest epochs of the Paleozoic, forming the Uralide orogen. Two features of this collision standout: 1) The northward movement of the Kazakhstanian block between the Baltica and Siberia plates resulted in a large-scale oroclinal bend of structures in West Siberia, which is well expressed in the magnetic field, as well as in the exposed Kazakhstanian structures, and 2) The orogenic event affected the whole territory between the Baltica and Siberia cratons, including the Kazakhstanian continent. A series of intermontane molasse basins are distributed throughout the orogen and in some places, like Bolshoi Karatau, are affected by Late Paleozoic deformation. Continent-continent collision had ceased by the end of the Permian, and in many places Triassic sediments unconformably overly the orogen. Triassic sedimentary sequences are typically coarse-grained (eventually proluvial), evidencing a new stage of mountain building, though many researchers have attributed this to a superplume event. The reason being the widespread flood basalt eruptions that took place not only between, but also on the cratons under discussion. There is a point of view that the break-up of the supercontinents (e.g., Pangea and Rodinia) was preceded by such a superplume event, passing to formation of linear graben systems and then to oceanic spreading. In the case under discussion, the process was arrested (the West Siberian basin with its grabens is often called a "failed ocean"). There is reason to suspect that the Paleozoic collision that led to formation of the Uralides left an enclosed ocean basin in the North, between the Baltica and Siberia plates. Only in the Early Jurassic, with the advent of the Old Kimmerian collision did

Gulf of Aqaba, Sinai Peninsula

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1982-01-01

The Gulf of Aqaba separates the Sinai peninsula from Saudi Arabia in this scene of the Middle East (29.0N, 34.5E) showing the geomorphology and geology of this region including portions of Egypt, Israel, Jordon and Saudi Arabia. A small portion of the Gulf of Suez can be seen on the opposite side of the Sinai peninsula.

Peninsula Academies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Raby, Marilyn E.

1984-01-01

Describes the Peninsula Academies program developed by the Sequoia (California) Union High School District and 27 local high technology companies to help educationally disadvantaged students break the pattern of low academic achievement, lack of skills, and chronic unemployment. (FL)

Fire Impact on Surface Fuels and Carbon Emissions in Scots pine Logged Sites of Siberia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ivanova, G. A.; Kukavskaya, E. A.; Bogorodskaya, A. V.; Ivanov, V. A.; Zhila, S. V.; Conard, S. G.

2012-04-01

Forest fire and large-scale forest harvesting are the two major disturbances in the Russian boreal forests. Non-recovered logged sites total about a million hectares. Logged sites are characterized by higher fire hazard than forest sites due great amounts of logging slash, which dries out much more rapidly compared to understory fuels. Moreover, most logging sites can be easily accessed by local population. Both legal and illegal logging are also increasing rapidly in many forest areas of Siberia. Fire effects on forest overstory, subcanopy woody layer, and ground vegetation biomass were estimated on logged vs. unlogged sites in the Central Siberia region in 2009-2012 as a part of the project "The Influence of Changing Forestry Practices on the Effects of Wildfire and on Interactions Between Fire and Changing Climate in Central Siberia" supported by NASA (NEESPI). Dead down woody fuels are significantly less at unburned/logged area of dry southern regions compared to more humid northern regions. Fuel consumption was typically less in spring fires than during summer fires. Fire-caused carbon emissions on logged sites appeared to be twice that on unlogged sites. Soil respiration is less at logged areas compared to undisturbed forest. After fire soil respiration decreases both at logged and unlogged areas. arbon emissions from fire and post-fire ecosystem damage on logged sites are expected to increase under changing climate conditions and as a result of anticipated increases in future forest harvesting in Siberia.

Modern nature and climate changes in Siberia: new methods and results of analysis of instrumented observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kabanov, Mikhail V.

2002-02-01

Peculiarity of nature and climate changes in middle latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere and in Siberia is that the temporal variability of meteorological quantities here has a wide range and their spatial variability has a complicated zone structure. Therefore, regional monitoring of modern nature and climate changes in Siberia is of scientific interest from the viewpoint of the global changes observed. Another Siberian peculiarity is associated with the fact that there are many unique objects that have global importance both as natural complexes (boreal forests, water- bog systems, Baikal lake, etc.) And as technogenic objects (oil and gas production, coal mining, metallurgy, transport, etc.). Therefore monitoring and modeling of regional nature and climate changes in Siberia have great practical importance, which is underestimated now, for industrial development of Siberia. Taking into account the above peculiarities and tendencies on investigation of global and regional environmental and climate changes, the multidisciplinary project on Climate and Ecological Monitoring of Siberia (CEMS) was accepted to the research and development program Sibir' since 1993. To realize this project, the Climate and Ecological Observatory was established in Tomsk at the Institute for Optical Monitoring (IOM) SB RAS. At the present time the stations (the basic and background ones) of this observatory are in a progress and theory and instruments for monitoring are being developed as well. In this paper we discuss some results obtained in the framework of CEMS project that were partially published in the monographs, in scientific journals, and will be published in the Proceedings of the 8th Joint International Symposium on Atmospheric and Ocean Optics and Atmosphere Physics. This review has a purpose not only to discuss the obtained regularities but also to formulate scientific and technical tasks for further investigations into the regional changes of technogenic, natural, and

Antarctic Peninsula and Weddell Sea

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

Numerous icebergs are breaking out of the sea ice in the Southern Ocean surrounding the Antarctic Peninsula. This true-color MODIS image from November 13, 2001, shows several icebergs drifting out of the Weddell Sea. The Antarctic Peninsula (left) reaches out into the Drake Passage, which separates the southern tip of South America from Antarctica. Warmer temperatures have cleared a tiny patch of bare ground at the Peninsula's tip. The predominant ocean current in the area is the Antarctic Circumpolar Current ('circum' meaning 'around'), which is also the 'West Wind Drift.' The current is the largest permanent current in the world, and water is moved eastward by westerly winds. Icebergs leaving the Weddell Sea are likely to be moved north and east by the current. Credit: Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA/GSFC

Modelling Climate/Global Change and Assessing Environmental Risks for Siberia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lykosov, V. N.; Kabanov, M. V.; Heimann, M.; Gordov, E. P.

2009-04-01

The state-of-the-art climate models are based on a combined atmosphere-ocean general circulation model. A central direction of their development is associated with an increasingly accurate description of all physical processes participating in climate formation. In modeling global climate, it is necessary to reconstruct seasonal and monthly mean values, seasonal variability (monsoon cycle, parameters of storm-tracks, etc.), climatic variability (its dominating modes, such as El Niño or Arctic Oscillation), etc. At the same time, it is quite urgent now to use modern mathematical models in studying regional climate and ecological peculiarities, in particular, that of Northern Eurasia. It is related with the fact that, according to modern ideas, natural environment in mid- and high latitudes of the Northern hemisphere is most sensitive to the observed global climate changes. One should consider such tasks of modeling regional climate as detailed reconstruction of its characteristics, investigation of the peculiarities of hydrological cycle, estimation of the possibility of extreme phenomena to occur, and investigation of the consequences of the regional climate changes for the environment and socio-economic relations as its basic tasks. Changes in nature and climate in Siberia are of special interest in view of the global change in the Earth system. The vast continental territory of Siberia is undoubtedly a ponderable natural territorial region of Eurasian continent, which is characterized by the various combinations of climate-forming factors. Forests, water, and wetland areas are situated on a significant part of Siberia. They play planetary important regulating role due to the processes of emission and accumulation of the main greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide, methane, etc.). Evidence of the enhanced rates of the warming observed in the region and the consequences of such warming for natural environment are undoubtedly important reason for integrated regional

CYP2C19 polymorphism frequency in Russian patients in Central Russia and Siberia with acute coronary syndrome

PubMed Central

Mirzaev, Karin B; Zelenskaya, Elena M; Barbarash, Olga L; Ganyukov, Vladimir I; Apartsin, Konstantin A; Saraeva, Natalya O; Nikolaev, Konstantin Y; Ryzhikova, Kristina A; Lifshits, Galina I; Sychev, Dmitry A

2017-01-01

Purpose The aim of this study is to investigate the frequency of CYP2C19*2, *3 allelic variants, associated with poor response to clopidogrel, and CYP2C19*17, associated with excessive response to clopidogrel, in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) from Siberia and Moscow regions of Russia. Patients and methods The study included 512 ACS patients who were subsequently treated with coronary arterial stenting. The subjects assigned were from the cities of Central (Novosibirsk, Kemerovo), Eastern (Irkutsk), Northern (Surgut) Siberia regions and from Moscow region. The mean age of patients enrolled was 63.9±10.9 years. Among the assigned subjects, the proportion of men accounted for 80% and women 20%. Results According to the results obtained in the present study, from 16% up to 27.5% of patients in different regions of Russia have at least one CYP2C19 “poor metabolizer” (PM) allele variant affecting clopidogrel metabolism and, therefore, suppressing its antiplatelet activity. CYP2C19*17 allele variant was identified with the frequency of 15.4% up to 33.3%. The study revealed the presence of statistically significant differences in CYP2C19*3 allele frequency between the Russian ethnic group patients from Eastern and Central Siberia (p=0.001; odds ratio=1.05 [95% confidence interval 1.01–1.09]). Conclusion The study revealed statistically significant differences between the allele frequencies in Eastern and Central Siberia, which can probably be caused by a considerable number of Buryats inhabiting Eastern Siberia. PMID:28442925

Occurrence and genetic variability of Kemerovo virus in Ixodes ticks from different regions of Western Siberia, Russia and Kazakhstan.

PubMed

Tkachev, Sergey E; Tikunov, Artem Yu; Babkin, Igor V; Livanova, Natalia N; Livanov, Stanislav G; Panov, Victor V; Yakimenko, Valeriy V; Tantsev, Alexey K; Taranenko, Dmitrii E; Tikunova, Nina V

2017-01-01

Kemerovo virus (KEMV), a member of the Reoviridae family, Orbivirus genus, is transmitted by Ixodes ticks and can cause aseptic meningitis and meningoencephalitis. Recently, this virus was observed in certain provinces of European part of Russia, Ural, and Western and Eastern Siberia. However, the occurrence and genetic diversity of KEMV in Western Siberia remain poorly studied. Therefore, the aim of this work was to investigate the prevalence and genetic variability of KEMV in Ixodes ticks from Western Siberia. A total of 1958 Ixodes persulcatus, I. pavlovskyi ticks and their hybrids from Novosibirsk and Omsk provinces, Altai Republic (Russia) and East Kazakhstan province (Kazakhstan) were analyzed for the presence of KEMV and tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) RNA. It was observed that the KEMV distribution area in Western Siberia was wider than originally thought and included Northern and Northeastern Altai in addition to the Omsk and Novosibirsk provinces. For the first time, this virus was found in Kazakhstan. The occurrence of KEMV was statistically lower than TBEV in most locations in Western Siberia. KEMV was found both in I. persulcatus and I. pavlovskyi ticks and in their hybrids. Notably, KEMV variants observed in the 2010s were genetically different from those isolated in the 1960s, which indicated the ongoing process of evolution of the Kemerovo virus group. Moreover, the possibility of reassortment for KEMV was demonstrated for the first time. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

SRTM Anaglyph: Sredinnyy Khrebet, Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia

NASA Image and Video Library

2001-07-05

This anaglyph, from NASA Shuttle Radar Topography Mission, shows the Kamchatka Peninsula in eastern Russia. Sredinnyy Khrebet, the mountain range that makes up the spine of the peninsula. 3D glasses are necessary to view this image.

Peatland classification of West Siberia based on Landsat imagery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Terentieva, I.; Glagolev, M.; Lapshina, E.; Maksyutov, S. S.

2014-12-01

Increasing interest in peatlands for prediction of environmental changes requires an understanding of its geographical distribution. West Siberia Plain is the biggest peatland area in Eurasia and is situated in the high latitudes experiencing enhanced rate of climate change. West Siberian taiga mires are important globally, accounting for about 12.5% of the global wetland area. A number of peatland maps of the West Siberia was developed in 1970s, but their accuracy is limited. Here we report the effort in mapping West Siberian peatlands using 30 m resolution Landsat imagery. As a first step, peatland classification scheme oriented on environmental parameter upscaling was developed. The overall workflow involves data pre-processing, training data collection, image classification on a scene-by-scene basis, regrouping of the derived classes into final peatland types and accuracy assessment. To avoid misclassification peatlands were distinguished from other landscapes using threshold method: for each scene, Green-Red Vegetation Indices was used for peatland masking and 5th channel was used for masking water bodies. Peatland image masks were made in Quantum GIS, filtered in MATLAB and then classified in Multispec (Purdue Research Foundation) using maximum likelihood algorithm of supervised classification method. Training sample selection was mostly based on spectral signatures due to limited ancillary and high-resolution image data. As an additional source of information, we applied our field knowledge resulting from more than 10 years of fieldwork in West Siberia summarized in an extensive dataset of botanical relevés, field photos, pH and electrical conductivity data from 40 test sites. After the classification procedure, discriminated spectral classes were generalized into 12 peatland types. Overall accuracy assessment was based on 439 randomly assigned test sites showing final map accuracy was 80%. Total peatland area was estimated at 73.0 Mha. Various ridge

Timber Volume and Biomass Estimates in Central Siberia from Satellite Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ranson, K. Jon; Kimes, Daniel S.; Kharuk, Vyetcheslav I.

2007-01-01

Mapping of boreal forest's type, structure parameters and biomass are critical for understanding the boreal forest's significance in the carbon cycle, its response to and impact on global climate change. The biggest deficiency of the existing ground based forest inventories is the uncertainty in the inventory data, particularly in remote areas of Siberia where sampling is sparse, lacking, and often decades old. Remote sensing methods can help overcome these problems. In this joint US and Russian study, we used the moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) and unique waveform data of the geoscience laser altimeter system (GLAS) and produced a map of timber volume for a 10degx12deg area in Central Siberia. Using these methods, the mean timber volume for the forested area in the total study area was 203 m3/ ha. The new remote sensing methods used in this study provide a truly independent estimate of forest structure, which is not dependent on traditional ground forest inventory methods.

DNA analysis of a 30,000-year-old Urocitellus glacialis from northeastern Siberia reveals phylogenetic relationships between ancient and present-day arctic ground squirrels

PubMed Central

Faerman, Marina; Bar-Gal, Gila Kahila; Boaretto, Elisabetta; Boeskorov, Gennady G.; Dokuchaev, Nikolai E.; Ermakov, Oleg A.; Golenishchev, Fedor N.; Gubin, Stanislav V.; Mintz, Eugenia; Simonov, Evgeniy; Surin, Vadim L.; Titov, Sergei V.; Zanina, Oksana G.; Formozov, Nikolai A.

2017-01-01

In contrast to the abundant fossil record of arctic ground squirrels, Urocitellus parryii, from eastern Beringia, only a limited number of fossils is known from its western part. In 1946, unnamed GULAG prisoners discovered a nest with three mummified carcasses of arctic ground squirrels in the permafrost sediments of the El’ga river, Yakutia, Russia, that were later attributed to a new species, Citellus (Urocitellus) glacialis Vinogr. To verify this assignment and to explore phylogenetic relationships between ancient and present-day arctic ground squirrels, we performed 14C dating and ancient DNA analyses of one of the El’ga mummies and four contemporaneous fossils from Duvanny Yar, northeastern Yakutia. Phylogenetic reconstructions, based on complete cytochrome b gene sequences of five Late Pleistocene arctic ground squirrels and those of modern U. parryii from 21 locations across western Beringia, provided no support for earlier proposals that ancient arctic ground squirrels from Siberia constitute a distinct species. In fact, we observed genetic continuity of the glacialis mitochondrial DNA lineage in modern U. parryii of the Kamchatka peninsula. When viewed in a broader geographic perspective, our findings provide new insights into the genetic history of U. parryii in Late Pleistocene Beringia. PMID:28205612

Mapping wetland and forest landscapes in Siberia with Landsat data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maksyutov, Shamil; Kleptsova, Irina; Glagolev, Mikhail; Sedykh, Vladimir; Kuzmenko, Ekaterina; Silaev, Anton; Frolov, Alexander; Nikolaeva, Svetlana; Fedorov, Alexander

2014-05-01

Landsat data availability provides opportunity for improving the knowledge of the Siberian ecosystems necessary for quantifying the response of the regional carbon cycle to the climate change. We developed a new wetland map based on Landsat data for whole West Siberia aiming at scaling up the methane emission observations. Mid-summer Landsat scenes were used in supervised classification method, based on ground truth data obtained during multiple field surveys. The method allows distinguishing following wetland types: pine-dwarf shrubs-sphagnum bogs or ryams, ridge-hollows complexes, shallow-water complexes, sedge-sphagnum poor fens, herbaceous-sphagnum poor fens, sedge-(moss) poor fens and fens, wooded swamps or sogra, palsa complexes. In our estimates wetlands cover 36% of the taiga area. Total methane emission from WS taiga mires is estimated as 3.6 TgC/yr,which is 77% larger as compared to the earlier estimate based on partial Landsat mapping combined with low resolution map due to higher fraction of fen area. We make an attempt to develop a forest typology system useful for a dynamic vegetation modeling and apply it to the analysis of the forest type distribution for several test areas in West and East Siberia, aiming at capability of mapping whole Siberian forests based on Landsat data. Test region locations are: two in West Siberian middle taiga (Laryegan and Nyagan), and one in East Siberia near Yakutsk. The ground truth data are based on analysis of the field survey, forest inventory data from the point of view of the successional forest type classification. Supervised classification was applied to the areas where ample ground truth and inventory data are available, using several limited area maps and vegetation survey. In Laryegan basin the upland forest areas are dominated (as climax forest species) by Scots pine on sandy soils and Siberian pine with presence of fir and spruce on the others. Those types are separable using Landsat spectral data alone. In

Temporal and Spatial Wildfire Dynamics of Northern Siberia: Larch Forests and Insect Outbreak Areas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kharuk, Viacheslav; Antamoshkina, Olga; Ponomarev, Eugene

2017-04-01

Wildfire number and burned area temporal dynamics within all of Siberia and along a south-north transect in central Siberia (45 - 73°N) were studied based on NOAA/AVHRR and Terra/MODIS data and field measurements for the period since 1996. In addition, fire return interval along the south-north transect was analyzed. Third, pest outbreak (Siberian silkmoth) impact on the wildfires was studied. Both, number of forest fires and burned area in Siberia increased during recent decades. Significant correlations were found between forest fires, burned areas and air temperature (r = 0.5) and drought index (SPEI) (r = -0.43). Within larch stands along the transect wildfire frequency was strongly correlated with incoming solar radiation (r = 0.91). Fire danger period length decreased linearly from south to north along the transect. Fire return interval increased from 80 years at 62°N to 200 years at the Arctic Circle (66°33'N), and to about 300 years near the northern limit of closed forest stands ( 71+°N). That increase was negatively correlated with incoming solar radiation (r = -0.95). Siberian silkmoth outbreaks leads to an order of magnitude increase in burned area and fire frequency. Multiple fires turns former "dark needle conifer" taiga into grass and bush communities for decades.

Ecosystem resilience to abrupt late Quaternary change in continental southern Siberia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harding, Poppy; Mackay, Anson; Bezrukova, Elena; Shchetnikov, Alexander

2017-04-01

Quaternary climate variability is dominated by long term orbital forcing along with abrupt sub-Milankovitch events on the scales of millennia to centuries, driven by internal feedback mechanisms, volcanic forcing and fluctuating solar activity. Although these are well documented in the North Atlantic region, their expression is poorly understood in Siberia, particularly in relation to abrupt climatic events. Siberia has the world's highest level of continentality offering an opportunity to study changes remote from oceanic influences and improving understanding of interactions between the Siberian High and other atmospheric systems including the Aleutian Low, Arctic oscillation and Icelandic Low1 and ENSO2. Understanding of palaeoenvironmental change in Siberia is essential due to the region's high sensitivity to climatic change, with warming rates considerably higher than the global average over the past 50 years3, triggering significant environmental changes, including permafrost degradation, shifts in the forest-steppe biome, increases in forest fires and warming of seasonally ice-covered lakes. Additionally, the region provides essential palaeoenvironmental context for early hominins, for example at globally important sites such as Denisova cave4, and megafauna extinctions5. This presentation outlines ongoing work at Lake Baunt, SE Siberia including: key quaternary climate forcings, the site and its regional context, the key methods and preliminary results. These include a dated record back to ˜30ka BP (based on multiple 14C dates and Bayesian age modelling), multiproxy indicators of palaeoproductivity (e.g. biogenic silica and diatom analyses) and lake mixing regimes (inferred from diatom analyses). Together these highlight several key Quaternary fluctuations potentially correlated to events recorded in Greenland Ice Cores (GS2, GS2.1, GI1, GS1), and these are considered against key Quaternary records including those from nearby Lake Baikal and Hulu Cave in

76 FR 6117 - Kenai Peninsula-Anchorage Borough Resource Advisory Committee

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-02-03

... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Forest Service Kenai Peninsula-Anchorage Borough Resource Advisory Committee AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. ACTION: Notice of meeting. SUMMARY: The Kenai Peninsula-Anchorage... comments to Kenai Peninsula-Anchorage Borough Resource Advisory Committee, c/o USDA Forest Service, P.O...

Panoramic Sinai Peninsula, Red Sea

NASA Image and Video Library

1984-10-13

An excellent panoramic view of the entire Sinai Peninsula (29.0N, 34.0E) and the nearby Nile River Delta and eastern Mediterranean coastal region. The Suez Canal, at the top of the scene just to the right of the Delta, connects the Mediterranean Sea with the Gulf of Suez on the west side of the Sinai Peninsula and the Gulf of Aqaba is on the west where they both flow into the Red Sea. At upper right, is the Dead Sea, Jordan River and Lake Tiberius.

Conditions and development case studies for mountainous deposits in Siberia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Talgamer, B. L.; Franchuk, A. V.

2017-10-01

The article contains the materials on deposits development intensification under challenging climatic and mining conditions, including mountainous areas of Siberia. The exploitation case studies for mountainous deposits all over the world and in Russia have been described. The authors have been set out the factors impeding the development of such deposits, and the extent of mining and transportation equipment performance degradation is also indicated. There have been stated the characteristics and the description of one of the newly mountainous gold ore deposits in Siberia which is being developed at an altitude of 2684m. A number of specific factors concerning its development have also been introduced as well as the description of mining technologies engineered by Irkutsk National Research Technical University (IRNRTU) specialists. The depth and principal dimensions of the open pit together with the mining and transportation equipment and facilities have been justified. The prime cost analysis of mineral extraction has been made, which results showed the substantial growth in expenditures for the transportation of the overburden rocks and ores. In view of the above mentioned research, there appeared the necessity for the search of new and the enhancement of current transport vehicles and communications.

Multi-Sensor Remote Sensing of Forest Dynamics in Central Siberia

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ransom, K. J.; Sun, G.; Kharuk, V. I.; Howl, J.

2011-01-01

The forested regions of Siberia, Russia are vast and contain about a quarter of the world's forests that have not experienced harvesting. However, many Siberian forests are facing twin pressures of rapidly changing climate and increasing timber harvest activity. Monitoring the dynamics and mapping the structural parameters of the forest is important for understanding the causes and consequences of changes observed in these areas. Because of the inaccessibility and large extent of this forest, remote sensing data can play an important role for observing forest state and change. In Central Siberia, multi-sensor remote sensing data have been used to monitor forest disturbances and to map above-ground biomass from the Sayan Mountains in the south to the taiga-tundra boundaries in the north. Radar images from the Shuttle Imaging Radar-C (SIR-C)/XSAR mission were used for forest biomass estimation in the Sayan Mountains. Radar images from the Japanese Earth Resources Satellite-1 (JERS-1), European Remote Sensing Satellite-1 (ERS-1) and Canada's RADARSAT-1, and data from ETM+ on-board Landsat-7 were used to characterize forest disturbances from logging, fire, and insect damage in Boguchany and Priangare areas.

Diversity of mitochondrial DNA lineages in South Siberia.

PubMed

Derenko, M V; Grzybowski, T; Malyarchuk, B A; Dambueva, I K; Denisova, G A; Czarny, J; Dorzhu, C M; Kakpakov, V T; Miścicka-Sliwka, D; Woźniak, M; Zakharov, I A

2003-09-01

To investigate the origin and evolution of aboriginal populations of South Siberia, a comprehensive mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis (HVR1 sequencing combined with RFLP typing) of 480 individuals, representing seven Altaic-speaking populations (Altaians, Khakassians, Buryats, Sojots, Tuvinians, Todjins and Tofalars), was performed. Additionally, HVR2 sequence information was obtained for 110 Altaians, providing, in particular, some novel details of the East Asian mtDNA phylogeny. The total sample revealed 81% East Asian (M*, M7, M8, M9, M10, C, D, G, Z, A, B, F, N9a, Y) and 17% West Eurasian (H, U, J, T, I, N1a, X) matrilineal genetic contribution, but with regional differences within South Siberia. The highest influx of West Eurasian mtDNAs was observed in populations from the East Sayan and Altai regions (from 12.5% to 34.5%), whereas in populations from the Baikal region this contribution was markedly lower (less than 10%). The considerable substructure within South Siberian haplogroups B, F, and G, together with the high degree of haplogroup C and D diversity revealed there, allows us to conclude that South Siberians carry the genetic imprint of early-colonization phase of Eurasia. Statistical analyses revealed that South Siberian populations contain high levels of mtDNA diversity and high heterogeneity of mtDNA sequences among populations (Fst = 5.05%) that might be due to geography but not due to language and anthropological features.

Phytoremediation of disturbed lands in Polar Regions of Russia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shamsutdinova, Evgeniya

2017-04-01

In the Northern regions the problem of restoration of disturbed lands as a result of anthropogenic activities is particularly acut. A large role for the success of native plants to take hold and re-establish themselves is to allow the natural process to work without human intervention. However observation shows that low reserves of available moisture, poor soil nutrients, exposure to wind and water erosion make impossible of a complete restoration of lands due to natural revegetation. One of the methods used to minimize the effect of these factors is the phytoremediation. Research on the Pelyatinskom gas condensate field in the Taimyr Dolgano-Nenets municipal district revealed the efficacy of biological remediation of awnless brome, wildrye siberian, red fescue and kentucky bluegrass. Geobotanical studies of the tailings fields in Yakutia showed that for the phytoremediation of tailings of alluvial deposits of diamonds slough grass can be successfully used, and on the dumps of coal deposits with a high degree of survival of the willow, poplar, larch, alder stand and pine. Development of technology for remediation of placer gold deposits of the Komsomol mine and Bilibino in Chukotka has shown the effectiveness of sowing common oat, wildrye and larch. The study of the experience of recultivation on objects of the "Transneft-Baltic" in the North-Western Federal district allowed us to select as the recommended mixtures of species: meadow fescue, cocksfoot, timothy grass, white and alsike clover and alfalfa. The multicomponent mixture of red fescue, awnless brome, meadow fescue, timothy grass, couch grass, kentucky bluegrass, beckman's grass were successfully used at the mine of the Bovanenkovo oil and gas condensate field. On the technological grounds of the complex pumping station in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous area willows were planted. Pine and willow trees were planted on quarry workings in the Northern taiga of Western Siberia land .Planting of pines has shown

Volcanic Eruptions in Kamchatka

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-04-30

One of the most volcanically active regions of the world is the Kamchatka Peninsula in eastern Siberia, Russia. It is not uncommon for several volcanoes to be erupting at the same time. NASA Terra satellite acquired this image on April 26, 2007

Presque Isle Peninsula, Erie, Pennsylvania. Volume I. Main Report. Revised.

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-11-01

PRESQUE ISLE PENINSULA, ERIE , PENNSYLVANIA . Memorandum includimg~nviron- 1.6... Pennsylvania THE SECRETARY OF THE ARMY 1. I submit for transmission to Congress my report on Presque Isle Peninsula, Erie , Pennsylvania . It is...advanced engineering and design of the project for beach erosion control for Presque Isle Peninsula at Erie , Pennsylvania . 2. The District and

The history of Antarctic Peninsula glaciation

USGS Publications Warehouse

Barker, Peter F.

2007-01-01

As Co-Chief Scientist on DSDP Leg 35 in 1974, Cam Craddock (1930-2006) produced the first useful information on Cenozoic Antarctic Peninsula glaciation - an early middle Miocene (15-17 Ma) apparent glacial onset. Subsequent work, onshore and offshore, has greatly extended our knowledge but that early conclusion stands today. Cenozoic Antarctic Peninsula palaeoclimate as presently known is broadly consistent with global palaeoclimate proxies. Initial glacial onset was within the Eocene-Oligocene boundary interval (although earlier, short-lived glaciations have been proposed, from indirect measurements) and the peninsula probably became deglaciated in the earliest Miocene (ca. 24 Ma). The renewed middle Miocene glaciation probably continued to the present and, for the last 9 Myr at least, has persisted through glacial (orbital) cycles, with grounded ice advance to the shelf edge during maxima. Although orbital cyclicity affected earlier AP palaeoclimate also, the level of glaciation through a complete cycle is uncertain.

Eastern Siberia terrain intelligence

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

1942-01-01

The following folio of terrain intelligence maps, charts and explanatory tables represent an attempt to bring together available data on natural physical conditions such as will affect military operations in Eastern Siberia. The area covered is the easternmost section of the U.S.S.R.; that is the area east of the Yenisei River. Each map and accompanying table is devoted· to a specialized set of problems; together they cover such subjects as geology, construction materials, mineral fuels, terrain, water supply, rivers and climate. The data is somewhat generalized due to the scale of treatment as well as to the scarcity of basic data. Each of the maps are rated as to reliability according to the reliability scale on the following page. Considerable of the data shown is of an interpretative nature, although precise data from literature was used wherever possible. The maps and tables were compiled  by a special group from the United States Geological Survey in cooperation with the Intelligence Branch of the Office, Chief of Engineers, War Department.

Peninsula Academies Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sequoia Union High School District, Redwood City, CA.

THE FOLLOWING IS THE FULL TEXT OF THIS DOCUMENT: The Peninsula Academies program helps educationally disadvantaged youth overcome the handicaps of low academic achievement, lack of skills, and chronic unemployment. This is accomplished by providing a high school curriculum that is clearly related to work, training in specific job skills, emphasis…

Anaglyph, Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-03-06

This anaglyph of Mexico Yucatan Peninsula was generated from NASA Shuttle Radar Topography Mission data, and shows a subtle but distinctive indication of the Chicxulub impact crater. 3D glasses are necessary to view this image.

Opisthorchis felineus infection prevalence in Western Siberia: A review of Russian literature.

PubMed

Fedorova, Olga S; Fedotova, Marina M; Sokolova, Tatiana S; Golovach, Ekaterina A; Kovshirina, Yulia V; Ageeva, Tatiana S; Kovshirina, Anna E; Kobyakova, Olga S; Ogorodova, Ludmila M; Odermatt, Peter

2018-02-01

In this study we reviewed Russian scientific literature (scientific publications, book chapters, monographs) published between 1 January 1979 and 31 August 2015 from two sources: Main database of the Russian Scientific Electronic Library (eLIBRARY, http://elibrary.ru/), and the Scientific Medical Library of Siberian State Medical University (http://medlib.tomsk.ru/). Specifically, the review details the infection prevalence of Opisthorchis felineus (O. felineus) in Western Siberia, Russian Federation. From the primary key words screening, 1591 records were identified from which 32 Russian-language publications were relevant. The lowest O. felineus infection rate of 0.4% was reported in Tatarstan Republic, and the highest reached 83.9% in the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug. The infection prevalence was lower in children than in adults and increased with age. O. felineus infection was detected more often in indigenous population than in migrants. Infection intensity in western regions (Permskaya, Bryanskaya Oblast) was low and varied from 15 to 336 eggs per gram stool (epg), while in endemic regions it reached more than 2000 epg. In some settlements the mean intensity infection was 5234 epg. The high rates of intensity were registered in regions with a high prevalence of infection. Based on obtained data, a map of O. felineus infection prevalence in Western Siberia was developed. After mapping the results, the highest prevalence was detected in Tyumenskaya Oblast with over 60%, while the Tomskaya Oblast had the lowest prevalence at fewer than 19.0%. Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomus Okrug, Altaiskii Krai, Novosibirskaya Oblast and Omskaya Oblast had an average level of O. felineus infection of 20-39%. According to the results of the review, Western Siberia must be considered as highly endemic region for opisthorchiasis in the Russian Federation. The development of a control program specific for the Russian community is warranted. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights

Fire Impact on Phytomass and Carbon Emissions in the Forests of Siberia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ivanova, Galina A.; Zhila, Sergei V.; Ivanov, Valery A.; Kovaleva, Nataly M.; Kukavskaya, Elena A.; Platonova, Irina A.; Conard, Susan G.

2014-05-01

Siberian boreal forests contribute considerably to the global carbon budget, since they take up vast areas, accumulate large amount of carbon, and are sensitive to climatic changes. Fire is the main forest disturbance factor, covering up to millions of hectares of boreal forests annually, of which the majority is in Siberia. Carbon emissions released from phytomass burning influence atmospheric chemistry and global carbon cycling. Changing climate and land use influence the number and intensity of wildfires, forest state, and productivity, as well as global carbon balance. Fire effects on forest overstory, subcanopy woody layer, and ground vegetation phytomass were estimated on sites in light-conifer forests of the Central Siberia as a part of the project "The Influence of Changing Forestry Practices on the Effects of Wildfire and on Interactions Between Fire and Changing Climate in Central Siberia" supported by NASA (NEESPI). This study focuses on collecting quantitative data and modeling the influence of fires of varying intensity on fire emissions, carbon budget, and ecosystem processes in coniferous stands. Fires have a profound impact on forest-atmospheric carbon exchange and transform forests from carbon sinks to carbon sources lasting long after the time of burning. Our long-term experiments allowed us to identify vegetation succession patterns in taiga Scots pine stands after fires of known behavior. Estimating fire contributions to the carbon budget requires consideration of many factors, including vegetation type and fire type and intensity. Carbon emissions were found to depend on fire intensity and weather. In the first several years after fire, the above-ground phytomass appeared to be strongly controlled by fire intensity. However, the influence of burning intensity on organic matter accumulation was found to decrease with time.

[Wood transformation in dead-standing trees in the forest-tundra of Central Siberia].

PubMed

Mukhortova, L V; Kirdianov, A V; Myglan, V S; Guggenberger, G

2009-01-01

Changes in the composition of wood organic matter in dead-standing spruce and larch trees depending on the period after their death have been studied in the north of Central Siberia. The period after tree death has been estimated by means of cross-dating. The results show that changes in the composition of wood organic matter in 63% of cases are contingent on tree species. Wood decomposition in dead-standing trees is accompanied by an increase in the contents of alkali-soluble organic compounds. Lignin oxidation in larch begins approximately 80 years after tree death, whereas its transformation in spruce begins not earlier than after 100 years. In the forest-tundra of Central Siberia, the rate of wood organic matter transformation in dead-standing trees is one to two orders of magnitude lower than in fallen wood, which accounts for their role as a long-term store of carbon and mineral elements in these ecosystems.

Is the 20th century warming unprecedented in the Siberian north?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sidorova, Olga V.; Saurer, Matthias; Andreev, Andrei; Fritzsche, Diedrich; Opel, Thomas; Naurzbaev, Mukhtar M.; Siegwolf, Rolf

2013-08-01

To answer the question "Has the recent warming no analogues in the Siberian north?" we analyzed larch tree samples (Larix gmelinii Rupr.) from permafrost zone in the eastern Taimyr (TAY) (72°N, 102°E) using tree-ring and stable isotope analyses for the Climatic Optimum Period (COP) 4111-3806 BC and Medieval Warm Period (MWP) 917-1150 AD, in comparison to the recent period (RP) 1791-2008 AD. We developed a description of the climatic and environmental changes in the eastern Taimyr using tree-ring width and stable isotope (δ13C, δ18O) data based on statistical verification of the relationships to climatic parameters (temperature and precipitation). Additionally, we compared our new tree-ring and stable isotope data sets with earlier published July temperature and precipitation reconstructions inferred from pollen data of the Lama Lake, Taimyr Peninsula, δ18O ice core data from Akademii Nauk ice cap on Severnaya Zemlya (SZ) and δ18O ice core data from Greenland (GISP2), as well as tree-ring width and stable carbon and oxygen isotope data from northeastern Yakutia (YAK). We found that the COP in TAY was warmer and drier compared to the MWP but rather similar to the RP. Our results indicate that the MWP in TAY started earlier and was wetter than in YAK. July precipitation reconstructions obtained from pollen data of the Lama Lake, oxygen isotope data from SZ and our carbon isotopes in tree cellulose agree well and indicate wetter climate conditions during the MWP. Consistent large-scale patterns were reflected in significant links between oxygen isotope data in tree cellulose from TAY and YAK, and oxygen isotope data from SZ and GISP2 during the MWP and the RP. Finally, we showed that the recent warming is not unprecedented in the Siberian north. Similar climate conditions were recorded by tree-rings, stable isotopes, pollen, and ice core data 6000 years ago.

Spatial dynamics of thermokarst and thermo-erosion at lakes and ponds in North Siberia and Northwest Alaska using high-resolution remote sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grosse, G.; Tillapaugh, M.; Romanovsky, V. E.; Walter, K. M.; Plug, L. J.

2008-12-01

Formation, growth, and drainage of thermokarst lakes in ice-rich permafrost deposits are important factors of landscape dynamics in extent Arctic lowlands. Monitoring of spatial and temporal dynamics of such lakes will allow an assessment of permafrost stability and enhance the capabilities for modelling and quantifying biogeochemical processes related to permafrost degradation in a warming Arctic. In this study we use high-resolution remote sensing and GIS to analyze the development of thermokarst lakes and ponds in two study regions in North Siberia and Northwest Alaska. The sites are 1) the Cherskii region in the Kolyma lowland (Siberia) and 2) the Kitluk River area on the northern Seward Peninsula (Alaska). Both regions are characterized by continuous permafrost, a highly dissected and dynamic thermokarst landscape, uplands of Late Pleistocene permafrost deposits with high excess ice contents, and a large total volume of permafrost-stored carbon. These ice-rich Yedoma or Yedoma-like deposits are highly vulnerable to permafrost degradation forced by climate warming or other surface disturbance. Time series of high- resolution imagery (aerial, Corona, Ikonos, Alos Prism) covering more than 50 years of lake dynamics allow detailed assessments of processes and spatial patterns of thermokarst lake expansion and drainage in continuous permafrost. Time series of high-resolution imagery (aerial, Corona, Ikonos, Alos Prism) covering more than 50 years of lake dynamics allow detailed assessments of processes and spatial patterns of thermokarst lake expansion and drainage in continuous permafrost. Processes identified include thaw slumping, wave undercutting of frozen sediments or peat blocks and subsequent mass wasting, thaw collapse of near-shore zones, sinkhole formation and ice-wedge tunnelling, and gully formation by thermo-erosion. We use GIS-based tools to relate the remote sensing results to field data (ground ice content, topography, lithology, and relative age

Palaeodistribution modelling of European vegetation types at the Last Glacial Maximum using modern analogues from Siberia: Prospects and limitations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Janská, Veronika; Jiménez-Alfaro, Borja; Chytrý, Milan; Divíšek, Jan; Anenkhonov, Oleg; Korolyuk, Andrey; Lashchinskyi, Nikolai; Culek, Martin

2017-03-01

We modelled the European distribution of vegetation types at the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) using present-day data from Siberia, a region hypothesized to be a modern analogue of European glacial climate. Distribution models were calibrated with current climate using 6274 vegetation-plot records surveyed in Siberia. Out of 22 initially used vegetation types, good or moderately good models in terms of statistical validation and expert-based evaluation were computed for 18 types, which were then projected to European climate at the LGM. The resulting distributions were generally consistent with reconstructions based on pollen records and dynamic vegetation models. Spatial predictions were most reliable for steppe, forest-steppe, taiga, tundra, fens and bogs in eastern and central Europe, which had LGM climate more similar to present-day Siberia. The models for western and southern Europe, regions with a lower degree of climatic analogy, were only reliable for mires and steppe vegetation, respectively. Modelling LGM vegetation types for the wetter and warmer regions of Europe would therefore require gathering calibration data from outside Siberia. Our approach adds value to the reconstruction of vegetation at the LGM, which is limited by scarcity of pollen and macrofossil data, suggesting where specific habitats could have occurred. Despite the uncertainties of climatic extrapolations and the difficulty of validating the projections for vegetation types, the integration of palaeodistribution modelling with other approaches has a great potential for improving our understanding of biodiversity patterns during the LGM.

Crustal parameters in the Iberian Peninsula

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Banda, E.

1988-06-01

The structure of the crust in the Iberian Peninsula has been investigated for the last 15 years by Spanish and Portuguese groups in close collaboration with other European institutions. The first experiments were carried out in Portugal (Mueller et al., 1973) with the aim of investigating the crustal structure of the Hercynian belt in the southwest corner of the Iberian peninsula. Other experiments have been subsequently realized to study different aspects of the crust in various regions of Portugal. In Spain the main effort has been focused in Alpine areas, with the first experiments in the Alboran Sea and the Betic Cordilleras (Working Group for Deep Seismic Sounding in Spain, 1974-1975, 1977; Working Group for Deep Seismic Sounding in the Alboran Sea, 1974-1975, 1978). Follow-up experiments until 1981 completed the work in the Betic Cordillera. Extensive experiments were carried out in the Pyrenees in 1978. Further surveys covered the Balearic Islands in 1976, the Valencia Trough in 1976 and 1983, and the Celtiberian Chain (or Iberic system) in 1981. The Hercynian belt has only been studied in detail in the northwest corner of Spain in 1982, with smaller studies in the central Iberian Massif in 1976 and 1986. Mostaanpour (1984) has compiled some crustal parameters (crustal thickness, average crustal velocity and Pn velocity) for western Europe. Meanwhile, more complete data are available for the Iberian Peninsula. The results presented here were derived from a large number of seismic refraction experiments which have been carried out mostly along or close to coastal areas of the Iberian Peninsula. Offshore explosions of various sizes were used as the energy source in most cases, in addition to some quarry blasts. Unfortunately this leaves most of the inner part of the Iberian Peninsula unsurveyed. Our purpose is to summarize some of the crustal parameters obtained so far and to detail the appropriate literature for the interested reader.

76 FR 24457 - Kenai Peninsula-Anchorage Borough Resource Advisory Committee

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-05-02

... Peninsula--Anchorage Borough Resource Advisory Committee AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. ACTION: Notice of meeting. SUMMARY: The Kenai Peninsula--Anchorage Borough Resource Advisory Committee will meet in Portage...

[Testate amoebae inhabiting middle taiga bogs in Western Siberia].

PubMed

Kur'ina, I V; Preĭs, Iu I; Bobrov, A A

2010-01-01

The population of testate amoebae from the most typical middle taiga bogs of Western Siberia have been studied. More than one hundred (103) species and intraspecific taxons of testate amoebae have been revealed in recent surface samples. The relation between ecological characteristics of habitats and the composition of a Protozoa population has been demonstrated. The ecological preferences of species concerning the index of wetness, ash level, and acidity have been revealed. Using the correspondence analysis, the ecological optimums and the tolerance of species and intraspecific taxons of testate amoebae have been established.

Forecasting of reservoir pressures of oil and gas bearing complexes in northern part of West Siberia for safety oil and gas deposits exploration and development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gorbunov, P. A.; Vorobyov, S. V.

2017-10-01

In the paper the features of reservoir pressures changes in the northern part of West Siberian oil-and gas province are described. This research is based on the results of hydrodynamic studies in prospecting and explorating wells in Yamal-Nenets Autonomous District. In the Cenomanian, Albian, Aptian and in the top of Neocomian deposits, according to the research, reservoir pressure is usually equal to hydrostatic pressure. At the bottom of the Neocomian and Jurassic deposits zones with abnormally high reservoir pressures (AHRP) are distinguished within Gydan and Yamal Peninsula and in the Nadym-Pur-Taz interfluve. Authors performed the unique zoning of the territory of the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous District according to the patterns of changes of reservoir pressures in the section of the sedimentary cover. The performed zoning and structural modeling allow authors to create a set of the initial reservoir pressures maps for the main oil and gas bearing complexes of the northern part of West Siberia. The results of the survey should improve the efficiency of exploration drilling by preventing complications and accidents during this operation in zones with abnormally high reservoir pressures. In addition, the results of the study can be used to estimate gas resources within prospective areas of Yamal-Nenets Autonomous District.

Interdecadal variation of precipitation days in August in the Korean Peninsula

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choi, Jae-Won; Cha, Yumi; Kim, Hae-Dong

2017-03-01

The present study examines a climate regime shift in the time series of the number of rainy days during August in the Korean Peninsula. The statistical change-point analysis indicates that a significant shift occurred in the time series around 1998, providing a rationale to divide it into two parts: 1975-1997 for the shorter rainy-day period and 1998-2012 for the longer rainy-day period. To examine the cause of recent rapid increases in the number of days with precipitation in August in the Korean Peninsula, differences in the averages of large-scale environments between the 1998-2012 period and the 1975-1997 period were analyzed. The differences in stream flows showed that anomalous cyclones were reinforced in the East Asian continent while anomalous anticyclones were reinforced in the western North Pacific at all layers of the troposphere. The anomalous anticyclones reinforced in the western North Pacific were associated with the western North Pacific subtropical high (WNPSH) developed a little more toward the Korean Peninsula recently. Consequently, the Korean Peninsula has been affected by anomalous south westerlies that supplied warm and humid airs from low tropical regions to the Korean Peninsula. The vertical thermal instability (warm anomaly at lower-level and cold anomaly at middle and upper-level) developed near the Korean Peninsula. In addition, upper tropospheric jets were reinforced further recently near the Korean Peninsula to provide good environments for development of upward flows. The frequency of TCs that affect the Korean Peninsula in August also increased rapidly since 1998.

Mile-A-Minute (Pest Alert)

Treesearch

Denise Binion; William Jackson

2009-01-01

Mile-a-minute weed (Persicaria perfoliata (L.) H. Gross, formerly Polygonum perfoliatum, L.) is an annual vine in the Polygonaceae or Buckwheat family. It is native to eastern Asia including India, Bhutan, Nepal, China, Burma, Japan, Korea, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Siberia, the Philippines, New Guinea, the Malay peninsula and the...

Chemical and dispersal characteristics of particulate emissions from forest fires in Siberia

Treesearch

Y. N. Samsonov; V. A. Ivanov; D. J. McRae; S. P. Baker

2012-01-01

Approximately 20 experimental fires were conducted on forest plots of 1-4 ha each in 2000-07 in two types of boreal forests in central Siberia, and 18 on 6 x 12-m plots in 2008-10. These experiments were designed to mimic wildfires under similar burning conditions. The fires were conducted in prescribed conditions including full documentation on pre-fire weather, pre-...

Interagency Pacific marten (Martes caurina) distribution study on the Olympic Peninsula, Washington

USGS Publications Warehouse

Moriarty, Katie; Howell, Betsy; Morozumi, Connor; Happe, Patti; Jenkins, Kurt J.; Aubry, Keith B.

2016-01-01

The objective of this study was to determine if the Pacific marten (Martes caurina) still occurs on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State. We reviewed recent records of marten observations on the Olympic Peninsula since 1998, and conducted new surveys in undersampled regions of the Olympic Peninsula during summer, 2016. We reviewed evidence of fisher presence from 6 previously reported studies of carnivore distribution and presence on the Olympic Peninsula and conducted new surveys in previously undersampled areas of the Peninsula. We documented five highly reliable records of marten observations on the Pensula since 1988. Further, we established 197 camera stations in search of martens, amassing a total of 17,897 camera-nights of survey efforts in previously undersampled regions. We documented presence of one additional marten during summer 2016. This marten, however, was close to a marten detected in 2015, so it was not clear if it represented a different marten. We concluded that five to six martens have been verified present on the Olympic Peninsula since 1988. Pacific martens appear to be very limited in distribution and at critically low numbers throughout much of their former range on the Olympic Peninsula.

Effectiveness of forest management strategies to mitigate effects of global change in Siberia

Treesearch

Eric Gustafson; Anatoly Shvidenko; Robert Scheller; Brian Sturtevant

2011-01-01

Siberian forest ecosystems are experiencing multiple global changes. Climate change produces direct (temperature and precipitation) and indirect (altered fire regimes and increase in cold-limited insect outbreaks) effects. Although much of Siberia has not yet been subject to timber harvest, the frontier of timber cutting is advancing steadily across the region. We...

Fires in Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

Numerous thermal anomalies were detected on the Kamchatka Peninsula in northeastern Russia in late June and early July by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS). Some of the anomalies (red dots) were fires, but at least one was the result of ongoing volcanic activity at one of the Peninsula's numerous active volcanoes. The erupting volcano, called Sheveluch, can be seen most clearly in the image from July 8, 2002. It is located in the upper right quadrant of the image, and appears as a grayish circular patch amid the surrounding green vegetation. In its center is a red dot indicating that MODIS detected a thermal signature coming from the restless volcano. Credit: Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA/GSFC

Variable glacier response to atmospheric warming, northern Antarctic Peninsula, 1988-2009

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davies, B. J.; Carrivick, J. L.; Glasser, N. F.; Hambrey, M. J.; Smellie, J. L.

2012-09-01

The northern Antarctic Peninsula has recently exhibited ice-shelf disintegration, glacier recession and acceleration. However, the dynamic response of land-terminating, ice-shelf tributary and tidewater glaciers has not yet been quantified or assessed for variability, and there are sparse data for glacier classification, morphology, area, length or altitude. This paper firstly classifies the area, length, altitude, slope, aspect, geomorphology, type and hypsometry of 194 glaciers on Trinity Peninsula, Vega Island and James Ross Island in 2009 AD. Secondly, this paper documents glacier change 1988-2009. In 2009, the glacierised area was 8140±262 km2. From 1988-2001, 90% of glaciers receded, and from 2001-2009, 79% receded. This equates to an area change of -4.4% for Trinity Peninsula eastern coast glaciers, -0.6% for western coast glaciers, and -35.0% for ice-shelf tributary glaciers from 1988-2001. Tidewater glaciers on the drier, cooler eastern Trinity Peninsula experienced fastest shrinkage from 1988-2001, with limited frontal change after 2001. Glaciers on the western Trinity Peninsula shrank less than those on the east. Land-terminating glaciers on James Ross Island shrank fastest in the period 1988-2001. This east-west difference is largely a result of orographic temperature and precipitation gradients across the Antarctic Peninsula, with warming temperatures affecting the precipitation-starved glaciers on the eastern coast more than on the western coast. Reduced shrinkage on the western Peninsula may be a result of higher snowfall, perhaps in conjunction with the fact that these glaciers are mostly grounded. Rates of area loss on the eastern side of Trinity Peninsula are slowing, which we attribute to the floating ice tongues receding into the fjords and reaching a new dynamic equilibrium. The rapid shrinkage of tidewater glaciers on James Ross Island is likely to continue because of their low elevations and flat profiles. In contrast, the higher and steeper

Drought variability and change across the Iberian Peninsula

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coll, Joan Ramon; Aguilar, Enric

2015-04-01

Drought variability and change is assessed in this study across the Iberian Peninsula along the 20th century and the first decade of the 21st century using state of the art drought indices: the Sc-PDSI, the SPI and the SPEI. Daily temperature and precipitation data from 24 time-series regularly spread over Iberian Peninsula are quality controlled and also homogenized in a monthly scale to create the Monthly Iberian Temperature and Precipitation Series (MITPS) for the period 1906-2010. The Sc-PDSI, the 12-month SPI and 12-month SPEI are computed on a monthly basis using the newly MITPS dataset to identify dry and wet conditions across time. Precipitation data is only required to compute SPI, but potential evapotranspiration (PET) is also needed to perform the Sc-PDSI and SPEI, which is estimated using the Tornthwaite's method. The analysis conducted in this study confirms that drought conditions are worsening for most of the Iberian Peninsula across time strongly induced by global warming especially during the last three decades. All drought indices have found a drying trend in the Pyrenees, Ebro basin, central Iberia and in the south and south-eastern area while a wetting trend is identified in the western and in the north-western region. Future projections also indicate a clear increase in hydrological drought conditions along the 21st century, thus, water saving and the application of effective water management strategies will be crucial to minimize the impact of hydrological droughts over the Iberian Peninsula into the near future. KEY WORDS: Drought, climate change, Iberian Peninsula, drought indices.

Geology of Seward Peninsula and Saint Lawrence Island

USGS Publications Warehouse

Till, Alison B.; Dumoulin, Julie A.

1994-01-01

Seward Peninsula (Fig. 1) may be divided into two geologic terranes (Fig. 2) on the basis of stratigraphy, structure, and metamorphic history. The Seward terrane, an area 150 by 150 km in the central and eastern peninsula, is dominated by Precambrian(?) and early Paleozoic blueschist-, greenschist-, and amphibolite-facies schist and marble, and intruded by three suites of granitic rocks. The York terrane, roughly 100 by 75 km, occupies western Seward Peninsula and the Bering Straits region; it is composed of Ordovician, Silurian, Devonian, Mississippian, and possibly older limestone, argillaceous limestone, dolostone, and phyllite, which are cut by a suite of Late Cretaceous tin-bearing granites. The boundary between the Seward and York terranes is poorly exposed but is thought to be a major thrust fault because of its sinuous map trace, a discontinuity in metamorphic grade, and differences in stratigraphy across the boundary (Travis Hudson, oral communication, 1984). The boundary between the Seward terrane and the Yukon-Koyukuk province to the east is complicated by vertical faults (the Kugruk fault Zone of Sainsbury, 1974) and obscured by Cretaceous and Tertiary cover.The Seward Peninsula heretofore was thought to consist largely of rocks of Precambrian age (Sainsbury, 1972, 1974, 1975; Hudson, 1977), Microfossil data, however, indicate that many of the rocks considered to be Precambrian are early Paleozoic in age (Till and others, 1986; Dumoulin and Harris, 1984; Dumoulin and Till, 1985; Till and others, 1983; Wandervoort, 1985). It is likely that Precambrian rocks are a minor part of the stratigraphy of the Seward Peninsula.

Demonstrating appropriate silviculture for sustainable forestry in central Siberia: a Russian - American partnership

Treesearch

J. C. Brissette; S. T. Eubanks; A. J. R. Gillespie; R. J. Lasko; A. V. Rykoff

1997-01-01

A joint Northeastern Forest Experiment Station - Eastern Region team is working with Russian counterparts on a Forests for the Future Initiative in the Krasnoyarsk region of central Siberia. Russian team members include scientists from the Sukachev Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, managers from a number of units of the Federal Forest Service of Russia, and...

The Spatial Coherence of Interannual Temperature Variations in the Antarctic Peninsula

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

King, John C.; Comiso, Josefino C.; Koblinsky, Chester J. (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

Over 50 years of observations from climate stations on the west coast of the Antarctic Peninsula show that this is a region of extreme interannual variability in near-surface temperatures. The region has also experienced more rapid warming than any other part of the Southern Hemisphere. In this paper we use a new dataset of satellite-derived surface temperatures to define the extent of the region of extreme variability more clearly than was possible using the sparse station data. The region in which satellite surface temperatures correlate strongly with west Peninsula station temperatures is found to be quite small and is largely confined to the seas just west of the Peninsula, with a northward and eastward extension into the Scotia Sea and a southward extension onto the western slopes of Palmer Land. Correlation of Peninsula surface temperatures with surface temperatures over the rest of continental Antarctica is poor confirming that the west Peninsula is in a different climate regime. The analysis has been used to identify sites where ice core proxy records might be representative of variations on the west coast of the Peninsula. Of the five existing core sites examined, only one is likely to provide a representative record for the west coast.

The Resurrection Peninsula ophiolite

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nelson, Steven W.; Miller, M.L.; Dumoulin, Julie A.; Nelson, Steven W.; Hamilton, Thomas D.

1989-01-01

The Resurrection Peninsula forms the east side of Resurrection Bay (fig. 3). Relief ranges from 437 m (1,434 ft) at the southern end of the peninsula to more than 1,463 m (4,800 ft) opposite the head of the bay. All rock units composing the informally named Resurrection Peninsula ophiolite of Nelson and others (1987) are visible or accessible by boat."Ophiolite" has been a geologic term since 1827 (Coleman, 1977). The term "ophiolite" initially referred to the rock serpentinite; the Greek root "ophi" (meaning snake or serpent) alluded to the greenish, mottled, and shiny appearance of serpentinites. In 1927, Steinmann described a rock association in the Alps, sometimes known as the "Steinmann Trinity', consisting of serpentine, diabase and spilitic lavas, and chert. Recognition of this suite led to the idea that ophiolites represent submarine magmatism that took place early in the development of a eugeosyncline. In the early 1970s the Steinmann Trinity was reconsidered in light of the plate tectonic theory, new petrologic studies, and the recognition of abducted oceanic lithosphere in orogenic belts of the world. In 1972 at a Geological Society of America Penrose Conference (Anonymous, 1972) the term "ophiolite" was defined as a distinctive assemblage of mafic to ultramafic rocks, with no emphasis on their origin. A complete ophiolite should contain, from bottom to top:1) Tectonized ultramafic rocks (more or less serpentinized)2) Gabbro complex containing cumulus textures and commonly cumulus peridotites3) Mafic sheeted-dike complex, grading upward into;4) Submarine pillow lavas of basaltic composition. Common associated rock types include plagiogranite (Na-rich) and an overlying sedimentary section typically dominated by chert.

The influence of climate on peatland extent in Western Siberia since the Last Glacial Maximum

PubMed Central

Alexandrov, G. A.; Brovkin, V. A.; Kleinen, T.

2016-01-01

Boreal and subarctic peatlands are an important dynamical component of the earth system. They are sensitive to climate change, and could either continue to serve as a carbon sink or become a carbon source. Climatic thresholds for switching peatlands from sink to source are not well defined, and therefore, incorporating peatlands into Earth system models is a challenging task. Here we introduce a climatic index, warm precipitation excess, to delineate the potential geographic distribution of boreal peatlands for a given climate and landscape morphology. This allows us to explain the present-day distribution of peatlands in Western Siberia, their absence during the Last Glacial Maximum, their expansion during the mid-Holocene, and to form a working hypothesis about the trend to peatland degradation in the southern taiga belt of Western Siberia under an RCP 8.5 scenario for the projected climate in year 2100. PMID:27095029

The influence of climate on peatland extent in Western Siberia since the Last Glacial Maximum.

PubMed

Alexandrov, G A; Brovkin, V A; Kleinen, T

2016-04-20

Boreal and subarctic peatlands are an important dynamical component of the earth system. They are sensitive to climate change, and could either continue to serve as a carbon sink or become a carbon source. Climatic thresholds for switching peatlands from sink to source are not well defined, and therefore, incorporating peatlands into Earth system models is a challenging task. Here we introduce a climatic index, warm precipitation excess, to delineate the potential geographic distribution of boreal peatlands for a given climate and landscape morphology. This allows us to explain the present-day distribution of peatlands in Western Siberia, their absence during the Last Glacial Maximum, their expansion during the mid-Holocene, and to form a working hypothesis about the trend to peatland degradation in the southern taiga belt of Western Siberia under an RCP 8.5 scenario for the projected climate in year 2100.

[Julian Talko-Hryncewicz--physician, anthropologist and Siberia explorer].

PubMed

Supady, Jerzy

2007-01-01

Julian Talko-Hryncewicz was born in Polish family of noble descent in Lithuania in 1850. He graduated from University in Kiev with diploma in medicine in 1876. He begun his practice in Zwinogródka in Ukraine. He left to Siberia in 1891 where he got the job of regional physician in the town Troickosowsk. He got back to Poland to run the Department of Anthropology at the Jagiellonian University in 1809. During the First World War he organised the Buriacki Field Hospital (1915-1917) in Petersburg. In the independent Poland he got back to the Jagiellonian University where he published many medical and anthropological publications. He died in Cracow in 1936.

Climate-Driven Changes Within the Larch Forest of Northern Siberia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kharuk, V.

2015-12-01

Thanks to the support of NASA's Carbon Cycle and Ecosystem Focus Area programs, joint NASA/ Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences studies have been conducted throughout Siberia. The overall objective has been to obtain field and satellite measurements to examine carbon stocks and track changes in forests across this vast area. In this presentation, we discuss some of the finding from this 25+ year collaboration' i.e., observed climate-driven changes within larch communities in northern Siberia. Field measurements and satellite data, including Terra/MODIS, Landsat, GRACE and QuickBird were used for analysis of forest conditions. The following results will be discussed. (1). At the northern limit of larch (Larix gmelinii) range (i.e.,~72°N) tree mortality was observed during the cooling period from the 16th century to the beginning of the 19th century. Post- Little Ice Age (LIA) trees re-establishment followed warming temperatures by the middle of the19th century. The current tree line has recovered to the pre-LIA line location although tree heights and stand densities are comparatively lower. The mean rate of upward migration was found to be 0.35 m yr-1 (with a range of 0.21-0.58). (2) The migration of the "dark needle conifers" (DNC: Abies sibirica, Pinus sibirica, Picea obovata) into the southern margin zone of larch dominated forest was documented. Meanwhile, within the traditional DNC range decline and mortality of both Siberian pine and fir were observed and attributed, primarily, due to an increased drought. (3) Within Central Siberia larch growth is limited by early summer temperatures and available water from thawing permafrost. Larch tree ring width (TRW) correlated with early summer temperatures and water vapor pressure (r = 0.73 and r = 0.69, respectively), drought (SPEI; r = 0.68-0.82), snow accumulation (r = 0.61), previous year precipitation (r = 0.63) and soil water anomalies (r = 0.79). Larch TRW growth and Gross Primary Productivity

Teaching Soil Science and Ecology in West Siberia: 17 Years of Field Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Siewert, Christian; Barsukov, Pavel; Demyan, Scott; Babenko, Andrey; Lashchinsky, Nikolay; Smolentseva, Elena

2014-01-01

Since 1995, soil-ecological field courses across climatic zones in West Siberia have been organized by scientists from Russia and Germany to meet growing demands for better land use practices. They are focused on virgin landscapes and soils undisturbed by anthropogenic influences to facilitate the learning processes by excluding concealing changes…

Simulating the effects of soil organic nitrogen and grazing on arctic tundra vegetation dynamics on the Yamal Peninsula, Russia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Q.; Epstein, H. E.; Walker, D. A.

2009-12-01

Sustainability of tundra vegetation under changing climate on the Yamal Peninsula, northwestern Siberia, home to the world’s largest area of reindeer husbandry, is of crucial importance to the local native community. An integrated investigation is needed for better understanding of the effects of soils, climate change and grazing on tundra vegetation in the Yamal region. In this study we applied a nutrient-based plant community model (ArcVeg) to evaluate how two factors (soil organic nitrogen [SON] levels and grazing) interact to affect tundra responses to climate warming across a latitudinal climatic gradient on the Yamal Peninsula. Model simulations were driven by field-collected soil data and expected grazing patterns along the Yamal Arctic Transect (YAT), within bioclimate subzones C (High Arctic), D (northern Low Arctic) and E (southern Low Arctic). Plant biomass and NPP (net primary productivity) were significantly increased with warmer bioclimate subzones, greater soil nutrient levels and temporal climate warming, while they declined with higher grazing frequency. Temporal climate warming of 2 °C caused an increase of 665 g/m2 in total biomass at the high SON site in subzone E, while only 298 g/m2 in the low SON site. When grazing frequency was also increased, total biomass increased by only 369 g/m2 in the high SON site in contrast to 184 g/m2 in the low SON site in subzone E. When comparing low grazing to high grazing effects on soil organic nitrogen pools over time (Figure 1), higher grazing frequency led to either slower SON accumulation rates or more rapid SON depletion rates. Warming accentuated these differences caused by grazing, suggesting the interaction between grazing and warming may yield greater differences in SON levels across sites. Our results suggest that low SON and grazing may limit plant response to climate change. Interactions among bioclimate subzones, soils, grazing and warming significantly affect plant biomass and productivity in

Carbon Emission from Forest Fires on Scots Pine Logging Sites in the Angara Region of Central Siberia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ivanova, G. A.; Conard, S. G.; McRae, D. J.; Kukavskaya, E. A.; Bogorodskaya, A. V.; Kovaleva, N. M.

2010-12-01

Wildfire and large-scale forest harvesting are the two major disturbances in the Russian boreal forests. Non-recovered logged sites total about a million hectares in Siberia. Logged sites are characterized by higher fire hazard than forest sites due to the presence of generally untreated logging slash (i.e., available fuel) which dries out much more rapidly compared to understory fuels. Moreover, most logging sites can be easily accessed by local population; this increases the risk for fire ignition. Fire impacts on the overstory trees, subcanopy woody layer, and ground vegetation biomass were estimated on 14 logged and unlogged comparison sites in the Lower Angara Region in 2009-2010 as part of the NASA-funded NEESPI project, The Influence of Changing Forestry Practices on the Effects of Wildfire and on Interactions Between Fire and Changing Climate in Central Siberia. Based on calculated fuel consumption, we estimated carbon emission from fires on both logged and unlogged burned sites. Carbon emission from fires on logged sites appeared to be twice that on unlogged sites. Soil respiration decreased on both site types after fires. This reduction may partially offset fire-produced carbon emissions. Carbon emissions from fire and post-fire ecosystem damage on logged sites are expected to increase under changing climate conditions and as a result of anticipated increases in future forest harvesting in Siberia.

Neanderthals in central Asia and Siberia.

PubMed

Krause, Johannes; Orlando, Ludovic; Serre, David; Viola, Bence; Prüfer, Kay; Richards, Michael P; Hublin, Jean-Jacques; Hänni, Catherine; Derevianko, Anatoly P; Pääbo, Svante

2007-10-18

Morphological traits typical of Neanderthals began to appear in European hominids at least 400,000 years ago and about 150,000 years ago in western Asia. After their initial appearance, such traits increased in frequency and the extent to which they are expressed until they disappeared shortly after 30,000 years ago. However, because most fossil hominid remains are fragmentary, it can be difficult or impossible to determine unambiguously whether a fossil is of Neanderthal origin. This limits the ability to determine when and where Neanderthals lived. To determine how far to the east Neanderthals ranged, we determined mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequences from hominid remains found in Uzbekistan and in the Altai region of southern Siberia. Here we show that the DNA sequences from these fossils fall within the European Neanderthal mtDNA variation. Thus, the geographic range of Neanderthals is likely to have extended at least 2,000 km further to the east than commonly assumed.

Endurance of larch forest ecosystems in eastern Siberia under warming trends

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sato, H.; Iwahana, G.; Ohta, T.

2015-12-01

The larch (Larix spp.) forest in eastern Siberia is the world's largest coniferous forest. However, its existence depends on near-surface permafrost, which increases water availability for trees, and the boundary of the forest closely follows the permafrost zone. Therefore, the degradation of near-surface permafrost due to forecasted warming trends during the 21st century is expected to affect the larch forest in Siberia. However, predictions of how warming trends will affect this forest vary greatly, and many uncertainties remain about land-atmospheric interactions within the ecosystem. We developed an integrated land surface model to analyze how the Siberian larch forest will react to current warming trends. This model analyzed interactions between vegetation dynamics and thermo-hydrology and showed that, under climatic conditions predicted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) scenarios 2.6 and 8.5, annual larch net primary production (NPP) increased about 2 and 3 times, respectively, by the end of 21st century compared with that in the 20th century. Soil water content during larch growing season showed no obvious trend, even after decay of surface permafrost and accompanying sub-surface runoff. A sensitivity test showed that the forecasted warming and pluvial trends extended leafing days of larches and reduced water shortages during the growing season, thereby increasing productivity.

Investigation of ancient DNA from Western Siberia and the Sargat culture.

PubMed

Bennett, Casey C; Kaestle, Frederika A

2010-04-01

Mitochondrial DNA from 14 archaeological samples at the Ural State University in Yekaterinburg, Russia, was extracted to test the feasibility of ancient DNA work on their collection. These samples come from a number of sites that fall into two groupings. Seven samples are from three sites, dating to the 8th-12th century AD, that belong to a northern group of what are thought to be Ugrians, who lived along the Ural Mountains in northwestern Siberia. The remaining seven samples are from two sites that belong to a southern group representing the Sargat culture, dating between roughly the 5th century BC and the 5th century AD, from southwestern Siberia near the Ural Mountains and the present-day Kazakhstan border. The samples are derived from several burial types, including kurgan burials. They also represent a number of different skeletal elements and a range of observed preservation. The northern sites repeatedly failed to amplify after multiple extraction and amplification attempts, but the samples from the southern sites were successfully extracted and amplified. The sequences obtained from the southern sites support the hypothesis that the Sargat culture was a potential zone of intermixture between native Ugrian and/or Siberian populations and steppe peoples from the south, possibly early Iranian or Indo-Iranian, which has been previously suggested by archaeological analysis.

Recent Antarctic Peninsula warming relative to Holocene climate and ice-shelf history.

PubMed

Mulvaney, Robert; Abram, Nerilie J; Hindmarsh, Richard C A; Arrowsmith, Carol; Fleet, Louise; Triest, Jack; Sime, Louise C; Alemany, Olivier; Foord, Susan

2012-09-06

Rapid warming over the past 50 years on the Antarctic Peninsula is associated with the collapse of a number of ice shelves and accelerating glacier mass loss. In contrast, warming has been comparatively modest over West Antarctica and significant changes have not been observed over most of East Antarctica, suggesting that the ice-core palaeoclimate records available from these areas may not be representative of the climate history of the Antarctic Peninsula. Here we show that the Antarctic Peninsula experienced an early-Holocene warm period followed by stable temperatures, from about 9,200 to 2,500 years ago, that were similar to modern-day levels. Our temperature estimates are based on an ice-core record of deuterium variations from James Ross Island, off the northeastern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula. We find that the late-Holocene development of ice shelves near James Ross Island was coincident with pronounced cooling from 2,500 to 600 years ago. This cooling was part of a millennial-scale climate excursion with opposing anomalies on the eastern and western sides of the Antarctic Peninsula. Although warming of the northeastern Antarctic Peninsula began around 600 years ago, the high rate of warming over the past century is unusual (but not unprecedented) in the context of natural climate variability over the past two millennia. The connection shown here between past temperature and ice-shelf stability suggests that warming for several centuries rendered ice shelves on the northeastern Antarctic Peninsula vulnerable to collapse. Continued warming to temperatures that now exceed the stable conditions of most of the Holocene epoch is likely to cause ice-shelf instability to encroach farther southward along the Antarctic Peninsula.

Possible climate warming effects on vegetation, forests, biotic (insect, pathogene) disturbances and agriculture in Central Siberia for 1960- 2050

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tchebakova, N. M.; Parfenova, E. I.; Soja, A. J.; Lysanova, G. I.; Baranchikov, Y. N.; Kuzmina, N. A.

2012-04-01

Regional Siberian studies have already registered climate warming over the last half a century (1960-2010). Our analysis showed that winters are already 2-3°C warmer in the north and 1-2°C warmer in the south by 2010. Summer temperatures increased by 1°C in the north and by 1-2°C in the south. Change in precipitation is more complicated, increasing on average 10% in middle latitudes and decreasing 10-20% in the south, promoting local drying in already dry landscapes. Our goal was to summarize results of research we have done for the last decade in the context of climate warming and its consequences for biosystems in Central Siberia. We modeled climate change effects on vegetation shifts, on forest composition and agriculture change, on the insect Siberian moth (Dendrolimus suprans sibiricus Tschetv) and pathogene (Lophodermium pinastri Chev) ranges in Central Siberia for a century (1960-2050) based on historical climate data and GCM-predicted data. Principal results are: In the warmer and drier climate projected by these scenarios, Siberian forests are predicted to decrease and shift northwards and forest-steppe and steppe ecosystems are predicted to dominate over 50% of central Siberia due to the dryer climate by 2080. Permafrost is not predicted to thaw deep enough to sustain dark (Pinus sibirica, Abies sibirica, and Picea obovata) taiga. Over eastern Siberia, larch (Larix dahurica) taiga is predicted to continue to be the dominant zonobiome because of its ability to withstand continuous permafrost. The model also predicts new temperate broadleaf forest and forest-steppe habitats; At least half of central Siberia is predicted to be climatically suitable for agriculture at the end of the century although potential croplands would be limited by the availability of suitable soils agriculture in central Siberia would likely benefit from climate warming Crop production may twofold increase as climate warms during the century; traditional crops (grain, potato

Modeling of larch forest dynamics under a changing climate in eastern Siberia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nakai, T.; Kumagai, T.; Iijima, Y.; Ohta, T.; Kotani, A.; Maximov, T. C.; Hiyama, T.

2017-12-01

According to the projection by an earth system model under RCP8.5 scenario, boreal forest in eastern Siberia (near Yakutsk) is predicted to experience significant changes in climate, in which the mean annual air temperature is projected to be positive and the annual precipitation will be doubled by the end of 21st century. Since the forest in this region is underlain by continuous permafrost, both increasing temperature and precipitation can affect the dynamics of forest through the soil water processes. To investigate such effects, we adopted a newly developed terrestrial ecosystem dynamics model named S-TEDy (SEIB-DGVM-originated Terrestrial Ecosystem Dynamics model), which mechanistically simulates "the way of life" of each individual tree and resulting tree mortality under the future climate conditions. This model was first developed for the simulation of the dynamics of a tropical rainforest in the Borneo Island, and successfully reproduced higher mortality of large trees due to a prolonged drought induced by ENSO event of 1997-1998. To apply this model to a larch forest in eastern Siberia, we are developing a soil submodel to consider the effect of thawing-freezing processes. We will present a simulation results using the future climate projection.

Analysis of Climatic and Environmental Changes Using CLEARS Web-GIS Information-Computational System: Siberia Case Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Titov, A. G.; Gordov, E. P.; Okladnikov, I.; Shulgina, T. M.

2011-12-01

Analysis of recent climatic and environmental changes in Siberia performed on the basis of the CLEARS (CLimate and Environment Analysis and Research System) information-computational system is presented. The system was developed using the specialized software framework for rapid development of thematic information-computational systems based on Web-GIS technologies. It comprises structured environmental datasets, computational kernel, specialized web portal implementing web mapping application logic, and graphical user interface. Functional capabilities of the system include a number of procedures for mathematical and statistical analysis, data processing and visualization. At present a number of georeferenced datasets is available for processing including two editions of NCEP/NCAR Reanalysis, JMA/CRIEPI JRA-25 Reanalysis, ECMWF ERA-40 and ERA Interim Reanalysis, meteorological observation data for the territory of the former USSR, and others. Firstly, using functionality of the computational kernel employing approved statistical methods it was shown that the most reliable spatio-temporal characteristics of surface temperature and precipitation in Siberia in the second half of 20th and beginning of 21st centuries are provided by ERA-40/ERA Interim Reanalysis and APHRODITE JMA Reanalysis, respectively. Namely those Reanalyses are statistically consistent with reliable in situ meteorological observations. Analysis of surface temperature and precipitation dynamics for the territory of Siberia performed on the base of the developed information-computational system reveals fine spatial and temporal details in heterogeneous patterns obtained for the region earlier. Dynamics of bioclimatic indices determining climate change impact on structure and functioning of regional vegetation cover was investigated as well. Analysis shows significant positive trends of growing season length accompanied by statistically significant increase of sum of growing degree days and total

Close genetic relationships in vast territories: autosomal and X chromosome Alu diversity in Yakuts from Siberia.

PubMed

Rocañín-Arjó, Ares; Rodríguez-Botigué, Laura; Esteban, Esther; Theves, Catherine; Evdokimova, Larissa E; Fedorova, Sardana A; Gibert, Morgane; Crubezy, Eric; Moral, Pedro

2013-01-01

Twelve autosomal and 8 X chromosome Alu markers were genotyped for the first time in 161 Central and West Yakuts to test their ability to reconstruct the genetic history of these populations, the northernmost Turkic-speaker ethnic group living in Siberia. Autosomal data revealed that both groups showed extremely close genetic distances to other populations of Siberian origins that occupied areas from Lake Baikal, the ancestral place of origin of Yakuts, to North Siberia, their current territories. Autosomal and X chromosome data revealed some discrepancies on the genetic differentiation and the effective sizes of Central and West Yakuts. Such discrepancies could be related to the patrilineal and occasionally polygamous structure of these populations. Autosomal and X Alu markers are informative markers to reconstruct population past demography and history, but their utility is limited by the available data. This study represents a contribution for further investigations on these populations.

Human evolution in Siberia: from frozen bodies to ancient DNA.

PubMed

Crubézy, Eric; Amory, Sylvain; Keyser, Christine; Bouakaze, Caroline; Bodner, Martin; Gibert, Morgane; Röck, Alexander; Parson, Walther; Alexeev, Anatoly; Ludes, Bertrand

2010-01-25

The Yakuts contrast strikingly with other populations from Siberia due to their cattle- and horse-breeding economy as well as their Turkic language. On the basis of ethnological and linguistic criteria as well as population genetic studies, it has been assumed that they originated from South Siberian populations. However, many questions regarding the origins of this intriguing population still need to be clarified (e.g. the precise origin of paternal lineages and the admixture rate with indigenous populations). This study attempts to better understand the origins of the Yakuts by performing genetic analyses on 58 mummified frozen bodies dated from the 15th to the 19th century, excavated from Yakutia (Eastern Siberia). High quality data were obtained for the autosomal STRs, Y-chromosomal STRs and SNPs and mtDNA due to exceptional sample preservation. A comparison with the same markers on seven museum specimens excavated 3 to 15 years ago showed significant differences in DNA quantity and quality. Direct access to ancient genetic data from these molecular markers combined with the archaeological evidence, demographical studies and comparisons with 166 contemporary individuals from the same location as the frozen bodies helped us to clarify the microevolution of this intriguing population. We were able to trace the origins of the male lineages to a small group of horse-riders from the Cis-Baïkal area. Furthermore, mtDNA data showed that intermarriages between the first settlers with Evenks women led to the establishment of genetic characteristics during the 15th century that are still observed today.

Human evolution in Siberia: from frozen bodies to ancient DNA

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background The Yakuts contrast strikingly with other populations from Siberia due to their cattle- and horse-breeding economy as well as their Turkic language. On the basis of ethnological and linguistic criteria as well as population genetic studies, it has been assumed that they originated from South Siberian populations. However, many questions regarding the origins of this intriguing population still need to be clarified (e.g. the precise origin of paternal lineages and the admixture rate with indigenous populations). This study attempts to better understand the origins of the Yakuts by performing genetic analyses on 58 mummified frozen bodies dated from the 15th to the 19th century, excavated from Yakutia (Eastern Siberia). Results High quality data were obtained for the autosomal STRs, Y-chromosomal STRs and SNPs and mtDNA due to exceptional sample preservation. A comparison with the same markers on seven museum specimens excavated 3 to 15 years ago showed significant differences in DNA quantity and quality. Direct access to ancient genetic data from these molecular markers combined with the archaeological evidence, demographical studies and comparisons with 166 contemporary individuals from the same location as the frozen bodies helped us to clarify the microevolution of this intriguing population. Conclusion We were able to trace the origins of the male lineages to a small group of horse-riders from the Cis-Baïkal area. Furthermore, mtDNA data showed that intermarriages between the first settlers with Evenks women led to the establishment of genetic characteristics during the 15th century that are still observed today. PMID:20100333

Effectiveness of forest management strategies to mitigate effects of global change in south-central Siberia

Treesearch

Eric J. Gustafson; Anatoly Z. Shvidenko; Robert M. Scheller

2011-01-01

We investigated questions about the ability of broad silvicultural strategies to achieve multiple objectives (reduce disturbance losses, maintain the abundance of preferred species, mitigate fragmentation and loss of age-class diversity, and sequester aboveground carbon) under future climate conditions in Siberia. We conducted a factorial experiment using the LANDIS-II...

Geology and assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources of the Laptev Sea Shelf Province, 2008

USGS Publications Warehouse

Klett, Timothy; Pitman, Janet K.; Moore, Thomas E.; Gautier, Donald L.

2017-12-21

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) recently assessed the potential for undiscovered oil and gas resources of the Laptev Sea Shelf Province as part of the 2008 Circum-Arctic Resource Appraisal (CARA) program. The province is situated in the Russian Federation and is located between the Taimyr Peninsula and the Novosibirsk (New Siberian) Islands. Three assessment units (AUs) were defined for this study: the West Laptev Grabens AU, the East Laptev Horsts AU, and the Anisin-Novosibirsk AU, two of which were assessed for undiscovered, technically recoverable resources. The East Laptev Horsts AU was not quantitatively assessed. The estimated mean volumes of undiscovered oil and gas for the Laptev Sea Shelf Province are approximately 3 billion barrels of crude oil, 32 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, and <1 billion barrels of natural gas liquids, all north of the Arctic Circle.

Siberia Integrated Regional Study megaproject: approaches, first results and challenges

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gordov, E. P.; Vaganov, E. A.

2010-12-01

Siberia Integrated Regional Study (SIRS, http://sirs.scert.ru/en/) is a NEESPI megaproject coordinating national and international activity in the region in line with Earth System Science Program approach whose overall objectives are to understand impact of Global change on on-going regional climate and ecosystems dynamics; to study future potential changes in both, and to estimate possible influence of those processes on the whole Earth System dynamics. Needs for SIRS are caused by accelerated warming occurring in Siberia, complexity of on-going and potential land-surface processes sharpened by inherent hydrology pattern and permafrost presence, and lack of reliable high-resolution meteorological and climatic modeling data. The SIRS approaches include coordination of different scale national and international projects, capacity building targeted to early career researchers thematic education and training, and development of distributed information-computational infrastructure required in support of multidisciplinary teams of specialists performing cooperative work with tools for sharing of data, models and knowledge. Coordination within SIRS projects is devoted to major regional and global risks rising with regional environment changes and currently is concentrated on three interrelated problems, whose solution has strong regional environmental and socio-economical impacts and is very important for understanding potential change of the whole Earth System dynamics: Permafrost border shift, which seriously threatens the oil and gas transporting infrastructure and leads to additional carbon release; Desert - steppe- forest-tundra ecosystems changes, which might vary region input into global carbon cycle as well as provoke serious socio-economical consequences for local population; and Temperature/precipitation/hydrology regime changes, which might increase risks of forest and peat fires, thus causing significant carbon release from the region under study. Some

Investigation of Breakwater Stability at Presque Isle Peninsula Erie, Pennsylvania

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-05-01

PRESQUE ISLE PENINSULA AD-A208 528 ERIE , PENNSYLVANIA by Peter J. Grace...STABILITY AT PRESQUE ISLE PENINSULA, ERIE . PENNSYLVANIA PART I: INTRODUCTION The Prototype 1. Harbor facilities at Erie , Pennsylvania , are protected...at Presque Isle Beaches, Erie , Pennsylvania ," Technical Report HL-83-15, US Army Engineer Waterways Experiment Station, Vicksburg, MS. Stevens, J.

46 CFR 7.175 - Alaska Peninsula, AK to Nunivak, AK.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 46 Shipping 1 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Alaska Peninsula, AK to Nunivak, AK. 7.175 Section 7.175 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY PROCEDURES APPLICABLE TO THE PUBLIC BOUNDARY LINES Alaska § 7.175 Alaska Peninsula, AK to Nunivak, AK. (a) A line drawn from the northernmost extremity of...

46 CFR 7.175 - Alaska Peninsula, AK to Nunivak, AK.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 46 Shipping 1 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Alaska Peninsula, AK to Nunivak, AK. 7.175 Section 7.175 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY PROCEDURES APPLICABLE TO THE PUBLIC BOUNDARY LINES Alaska § 7.175 Alaska Peninsula, AK to Nunivak, AK. (a) A line drawn from the northernmost extremity of...

46 CFR 7.175 - Alaska Peninsula, AK to Nunivak, AK.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 46 Shipping 1 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Alaska Peninsula, AK to Nunivak, AK. 7.175 Section 7.175 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY PROCEDURES APPLICABLE TO THE PUBLIC BOUNDARY LINES Alaska § 7.175 Alaska Peninsula, AK to Nunivak, AK. (a) A line drawn from the northernmost extremity of...

46 CFR 7.175 - Alaska Peninsula, AK to Nunivak, AK.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 46 Shipping 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Alaska Peninsula, AK to Nunivak, AK. 7.175 Section 7.175 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY PROCEDURES APPLICABLE TO THE PUBLIC BOUNDARY LINES Alaska § 7.175 Alaska Peninsula, AK to Nunivak, AK. (a) A line drawn from the northernmost extremity of...

46 CFR 7.175 - Alaska Peninsula, AK to Nunivak, AK.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 46 Shipping 1 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Alaska Peninsula, AK to Nunivak, AK. 7.175 Section 7.175 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY PROCEDURES APPLICABLE TO THE PUBLIC BOUNDARY LINES Alaska § 7.175 Alaska Peninsula, AK to Nunivak, AK. (a) A line drawn from the northernmost extremity of...

Black Carbon Measurement and Modeling in the Arabian Peninsula

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zawad, Faisal Al; Khoder, Mamdouh; Almazroui, Mansour; Alghamdi, Mansour; Lihavainen, Heikki; Hyvarinen, Antti; Henriksson, Svante

2017-04-01

Black carbon is an important atmospheric aerosol as an effective factor in public health, changing the global and regional climate, and reducing visibility. Black carbon absorbs light, warms the atmosphere, and modifies cloud droplets and the amount of precipitation. In spite of this significance, knowledge of black carbon over the Arabian Peninsula is hard to find in literature until recently. The total mass of black carbon and wind direction and speeds were measured continuously at Hada Al-Sham, Saudi Arabia for the year 2013. In addition, a state of the art global aerosol - climate model (ECHAM5-HAM) was used to determine black carbon climatology over the Arabian Peninsula. Simulation of the model was carried out for the years eight years (2004 - 2011). The daily mean values of the concentrations of black carbon had a minimum of 15.0 ng/m3 and a maximum of 6372 ng/m3 with a mean of at 1899 ng/m3. The diurnal pattern of black carbon showed higher values overnight, and steady low values during daytimes caused by sea and land breezes. Seasons of black carbon vary over the Arabian Peninsula, and the longest is in the Northern Region where it lasts from July to October. High concentrations of black carbon at Hada Al-Sham was observed with a mean of 1.9 µm/m3, and seasons of black carbon vary widely across the Arabian Peninsula. Assessment of the effects of black carbon over the Arabian Peninsula on the global radiation balance. Initiating a black carbon monitoring network is highly recommended to assess its impacts on health, environment, and climate.

Mission and modern citrus species diversity of Baja California Peninsula cases

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The spring-fed mission oases of the Baja California peninsula, Mexico, hold several species, varieties and unique hybrids of heritage citrus, which may represent valuable genetic resources. Citrus species first arrived to the peninsula with the Jesuit missionaries (1697-1768), and new varieties were...

Long-term persistence of subduction earthquake segment boundaries - evidence from Mejillones Peninsula, N-Chile

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Victor, P.; Sobiesiak, M.; Nielsen, S.; Glodny, J.; Oncken, O.

2010-12-01

The Mejillones Peninsula in N-Chile is a strong anomaly in coastline morphology along the Chilean convergent margin. The location of the Peninsula coincides with the northern limit of the 1995 Mw=8.0 Antofagasta earthquake and the southern limit of the 2007 Mw=7.8 Tocopilla earthquake and, probably, also with the southern limit of the 1877 Mw=8.5 Iquique earthquake. Although it is tempting to recognise the Mejillones Peninsula as the surface expression of a major segment boundary for large subduction earthquakes, so far evidence for its stability over multiple seismic cycles is lacking. We introduce a detailed analysis of the aftershock sequences in combination with new age data of the surface uplift evolution since the late Pliocene to test the hypothesis whether earthquake rupture propagation is limited at the latitude of Mejillones Peninsula since a longer time period. If the Peninsula really is linked to a persistent segment boundary, then the surface deformation of the Peninsula in fact holds the record about a deep-seated mechanism revealing the interaction between the subduction process and near-surface deformation. In our study we present new chronostratigraphic and structural data that allow reconstructing the evolution of the Peninsula at the surface and correlation of the latter with seismic cycle deformation on the interface. We investigated sets of paleo-strandlines preserved in beach ridges and uplifted cliffs to reconstruct the uplift history of the Peninsula. Our results show that the central graben area on the Peninsula started uplifting above sea level as an anticlinal hinge zone prior to 400 ky ago, most probably 790 ky ago. The resulting E-W trending hinge exactly overlies the limit between the rupture planes of the Antofagasta and Tocopilla earthquakes. By correlating the uplift data with the slip distribution of the Antofagasta and Tocopilla earthquakes, we demonstrate that deformation and uplift is focussed during the postseismic and

3-D crustal structure beneath the southern Korean Peninsula from local earthquakes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, K. H.; Park, J. H.; Park, Y.; Hao, T.; Kang, S. Y.; Kim, H. J.

2017-12-01

Located at the eastern margin of the Eurasian continent, the geology and tectonic evolution of the Korean Peninsula are closely related to the rest of the Asian continent. Although the widespread deformation of eastern Asia and its relation to the geology and tectonics of the Korean Peninsula have been extensively studied, the answers to many fundamental questions about the peninsula's history remain inconclusive. The three-dimensional subsurface structure beneath the southern Korean Peninsula is poorly known, even though such information could be key in verifying or rejecting several competing models of the tectonic evolution of East Asia. We constructed a three-dimensional velocity model of the upper crust beneath the southern Korean Peninsula using 19,935 P-wave arrivals from 747 earthquakes recorded by high-density local seismic networks maintained by Korea Meteorological Administration and Korea Institute of Geosciences and Mineral Resources. Results show significant lateral and vertical variations: velocity increases from northwest to southeast at shallow depths, and significant velocity variations are observed across the South Korea Tectonic Line between the Okcheon Fold Belt and the Youngnam Massif. Collision between the North China and South China blocks during the Early Cretaceous might have caused extensive deformation and the observed negative velocity anomalies in the region. The results of the tomographic inversion, combined with the findings of previous studies of Bouguer and isostatic gravity anomalies, indicate the presence of high-density material in the upper and middle crust beneath the Gyeongsang Basin in the southeastern Korean Peninsula. Although our results partially support the indentation tectonic model, it is still premature to discard other tectonic evolution models because our study only covers the southern half of the peninsula.

Warmth and friendship abound in Siberia

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Whitworth, K.

1978-08-01

Despite the harsh climate, 20,000,000 people occupy 6,500,000 square kilometers of land, which contains approximately 60% of all the known fuel resources of the Soviet Union. More than 12% of the world's coal reserves are concentrated in Central Siberia between the Kuznetsk basin and the Yenisei, in an area no more than two percent of the land surface. It is for this reason and knowing that many technological advances in mining had been made in this area that, in discussion with the Soviet Coal Ministry, it was agreed that a WORLD COAL Editor, in pursuant to the agreement made betweenmore » the Soviet coal magazine UGOL and WORLD COAL should visit surface openpit, deep mines and coal preparation plants and prepare this article in the issue specially devoted to Russian coal mining achievements. The trip was undertaken in the short summer months around July when the climate is unbelievably like that of the Mediterranean. Four main areas were visited, Novokusnetsk, Mezdurechensk, Irkutsk and Cheremhovo.« less

A teleconnection study of interannual sea surface temperature fluctuations in the northern North Atlantic and precipitation and runoff over Western Siberia

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Peng, S.; Mysak, L.A.

The spatial distributions of northern North Atlantic sea surface temperature and the high-latitude Northern Hemisphere sea level pressure anomalies averaged over six consecutive warm SST winters (1951-1956) and six consecutive cold SST winters (1971-1976) are examined. Three SLP anomaly difference (i.e., warm - cold winters) centers, significant at the 5% level, are observed over the northern North Atlantic, Europe, and western Siberia. This anomaly pattern is consistent in principle with what was identified in a related analyses by Palmer and Sun, who used composite data from selected winter months. The SLP difference centers over the northern North Atlantic and westernmore » Siberia are in phase. The impact of the latter center upon the runoff from the underlying Ob and Yenisey rivers and especially the teleconnection between SST anomalies in the northern North Atlantic and runoff of those two rivers via the atmosphere are investigated. The temporal cross-correlation analyses of 50 years (1930-1979) of records of SST, precipitation, and runoff anomalies indicate that the winter SST anomalies in the northern North Atlantic are significantly correlated with the winter and following summer runoff fluctuations of the Ob and Yenisey rivers. Positive (negative) northern North Atlantic SST anomalies are related to less (more) precipitation, and hence, less (more) runoff, over western Siberia. Discussions of possible physical mechanisms and processes that lead to the above relationships are attempted. The analyses of spatial distributions of precipitation in the warm and cold SST winters suggest that precipitation fluctuations over Europe and western Siberia may be affected by shifts of cyclone tracks associated with the SST variations in the northern North Atlantic. 27 refs., 9 figs.« less

Variability of fire behavior, fire effects, and emissions in Scotch pine forests of central Siberia

Treesearch

D. J. McRae; Susan Conard; G. A. Ivanova; A. I. Sukhinin; Steve Baker; Y. N. Samsonov; T. W. Blake; V. A. Ivanov; A. V. Ivanov; T. V. Churkina; WeiMin Hao; K. P. Koutzenogij; Nataly Kovaleva

2006-01-01

As part of the Russian FIRE BEAR (Fire Effects in the Boreal Eurasia Region) Project, replicated 4-ha experimental fires were conducted on a dry Scotch pine (Pinus sylvestris)/lichen (Cladonia sp.)/feathermoss (Pleurozeum schreberi) forest site in central Siberia. Observations from the initial seven surface fires (2000-2001) ignited under a range of burning...

Geyser Valley on the Kamchatka Peninsula

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-06-12

A devastating mudslide in the world-renowned Geyser Valley on the Kamchatka Peninsula virtually obliterated the natural wonder, forcing the emergency evacuation of visitors and national park personnel. This image was acquired by NASA Terra spacecraft.

Warm Arctic-cold Siberia: comparing the recent and the early 20th-century Arctic warmings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wegmann, Martin; Orsolini, Yvan; Zolina, Olga

2018-02-01

The Warm Arctic-cold Siberia surface temperature pattern during recent boreal winter is suggested to be triggered by the ongoing decrease of Arctic autumn sea ice concentration and has been observed together with an increase in mid-latitude extreme events and a meridionalization of tropospheric circulation. However, the exact mechanism behind this dipole temperature pattern is still under debate, since model experiments with reduced sea ice show conflicting results. We use the early twentieth-century Arctic warming (ETCAW) as a case study to investigate the link between September sea ice in the Barents-Kara Sea (BKS) and the Siberian temperature evolution. Analyzing a variety of long-term climate reanalyses, we find that the overall winter temperature and heat flux trend occurs with the reduction of September BKS sea ice. Tropospheric conditions show a strengthened atmospheric blocking over the BKS, strengthening the advection of cold air from the Arctic to central Siberia on its eastern flank, together with a reduction of warm air advection by the westerlies. This setup is valid for both the ETCAW and the current Arctic warming period.

New Approach to Road Construction in Oil-Producing Regions of Western Siberia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Piirainen, V. Y.; Estrin, Y.

2017-10-01

This article presents, as a polemic exercise, a new approach to road construction in marshland areas of oil and gas producing regions of Western Siberia. The approach is based on the use of novel modular elements that can be assembled into an integral structure by means of topological interlocking. The use of modern superlight concrete in conjunction with the new design systems based on the modular principle opens up new avenues to solving problems of road construction in regions with unstable, boggy soils.

Pattern or process? Evaluating the peninsula effect as a determinant of species richness in coastal dune forests

PubMed Central

Olivier, Pieter I.; van Aarde, Rudi J.

2017-01-01

The peninsula effect predicts that the number of species should decline from the base of a peninsula to the tip. However, evidence for the peninsula effect is ambiguous, as different analytical methods, study taxa, and variations in local habitat or regional climatic conditions influence conclusions on its presence. We address this uncertainty by using two analytical methods to investigate the peninsula effect in three taxa that occupy different trophic levels: trees, millipedes, and birds. We surveyed 81 tree quadrants, 102 millipede transects, and 152 bird points within 150 km of coastal dune forest that resemble a habitat peninsula along the northeast coast of South Africa. We then used spatial (trend surface analyses) and non-spatial regressions (generalized linear mixed models) to test for the presence of the peninsula effect in each of the three taxa. We also used linear mixed models to test if climate (temperature and precipitation) and/or local habitat conditions (water availability associated with topography and landscape structural variables) could explain gradients in species richness. Non-spatial models suggest that the peninsula effect was present in all three taxa. However, spatial models indicated that only bird species richness declined from the peninsula base to the peninsula tip. Millipede species richness increased near the centre of the peninsula, while tree species richness increased near the tip. Local habitat conditions explained species richness patterns of birds and trees, but not of millipedes, regardless of model type. Our study highlights the idiosyncrasies associated with the peninsula effect—conclusions on the presence of the peninsula effect depend on the analytical methods used and the taxon studied. The peninsula effect might therefore be better suited to describe a species richness pattern where the number of species decline from a broader habitat base to a narrow tip, rather than a process that drives species richness. PMID

Paleobiology of the Mesoproterozoic Billyakh Group, Anabar Uplift, northern Siberia.

PubMed

Sergeev, V N; Knoll, A H; Grotzinger, J P

1995-01-01

Silicified peritidal carbonates of the Mesoproterozoic Kotuikan and Yusmastakh Formations, Anabar Uplift, northeastern Siberia, contain exceptionally well-preserved microfossils. The assemblage is dominated by ellipsoidal akinetes of nostocalean cyanobacteria (Archaeoellipsoides) and problematic spheroidal unicells (Myxococcoides); both are allochthonous and presumably planktonic. The assemblage also includes distinctive mat-forming scytonematacean and entophysalidacean cyanobacteria, diverse short trichomes interpreted as cyanobacterial hormogonia or germinated akinetes, rare longer trichomes, and several types of colonial unicells. Although many taxa in the Kotuikan-Yusmastakh assemblage are long-ranging prokaryotes, the overall character of the assemblage is distinctly Mesoproterozoic, with its major features shared by broadly coeval floras from Canada, China, India, and elsewhere in Siberia. Microfossils also occur in middle to inner shelf shales of the Ust'-Il'ya and lower Kotuikan Formations. Leiosphaerid acritarchs (up to several hundred microns in diameter) characterize this facies. As in other Mesoproterozoic acritarch assemblages, acanthomorphic and other complex forms that typify Neoproterozoic assemblages are absent. The combination in Billyakh assemblages of exceptional preservation and low eukaryotic diversity supports the hypothesis that nucleated organisms diversified markedly near the Mesoproterozoic-Neoproterozoic boundary. The assemblages also demonstrate the antiquity of cyanobacteria capable of cell differentiation and suggest the importance of both changing peritidal substrates and evolving eukaryotes in determining stratigraphic patterns of Proterozoic prokaryotes. The permineralized assemblage contains 33 species belonging to 17 genera. Ten new species or new combinations are proposed: Archaeoellipsoides costatus n. sp., A. elongatus n. comb., A. dolichos n. comb., A. minor n. nom., A. crassus n. comb., A. major n. comb., A. bactroformis n

Paleobiology of the Mesoproterozoic Billyakh Group, Anabar Uplift, northern Siberia

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sergeev, V. N.; Knoll, A. H.; Grotzinger, J. P.

1995-01-01

Silicified peritidal carbonates of the Mesoproterozoic Kotuikan and Yusmastakh Formations, Anabar Uplift, northeastern Siberia, contain exceptionally well-preserved microfossils. The assemblage is dominated by ellipsoidal akinetes of nostocalean cyanobacteria (Archaeoellipsoides) and problematic spheroidal unicells (Myxococcoides); both are allochthonous and presumably planktonic. The assemblage also includes distinctive mat-forming scytonematacean and entophysalidacean cyanobacteria, diverse short trichomes interpreted as cyanobacterial hormogonia or germinated akinetes, rare longer trichomes, and several types of colonial unicells. Although many taxa in the Kotuikan-Yusmastakh assemblage are long-ranging prokaryotes, the overall character of the assemblage is distinctly Mesoproterozoic, with its major features shared by broadly coeval floras from Canada, China, India, and elsewhere in Siberia. Microfossils also occur in middle to inner shelf shales of the Ust'-Il'ya and lower Kotuikan Formations. Leiosphaerid acritarchs (up to several hundred microns in diameter) characterize this facies. As in other Mesoproterozoic acritarch assemblages, acanthomorphic and other complex forms that typify Neoproterozoic assemblages are absent. The combination in Billyakh assemblages of exceptional preservation and low eukaryotic diversity supports the hypothesis that nucleated organisms diversified markedly near the Mesoproterozoic-Neoproterozoic boundary. The assemblages also demonstrate the antiquity of cyanobacteria capable of cell differentiation and suggest the importance of both changing peritidal substrates and evolving eukaryotes in determining stratigraphic patterns of Proterozoic prokaryotes. The permineralized assemblage contains 33 species belonging to 17 genera. Ten new species or new combinations are proposed: Archaeoellipsoides costatus n. sp., A. elongatus n. comb., A. dolichos n. comb., A. minor n. nom., A. crassus n. comb., A. major n. comb., A. bactroformis n

Estimating groundwater discharge into the ocean in the Yucatán Peninsula

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alvarez Rodriguez, G.; Gutierrez-Jurado, H. A.; Uuh-Sonda, J.

2017-12-01

The Yucatán peninsula is an emerged flat carbonate block abundant in soluble rocks. High permeability and dissolution of the rock, facilitates the development of channels, sinkholes and caves where underground rivers discharge into the ocean. There are no rivers or streams acting as a surface drainage system, all rainfall water entering the peninsula is discharged either as evapotranspiration (ET) or as underground runoff into the ocean. To date there are no estimates of the total groundwater discharge from the peninsula into the sea, and of the spatial distribution of recharge and discharge areas thereby hindering efforts to understand the dynamics of a complex hydrologic system. In this study, we estimate the discharge (Q) by solving the water balance equation (ΔS=PPT-ET-Q) using remote sensing products over a period of 12 years; the change in storage (ΔS) was retrieved from the satellite GRACE; precipitation (PPT) from the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission; and evapotranspiration (ET) from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer. Results show that freshwater discharge via evapotranspiration can be a significant portion of the water budget depending on the climatic conditions throughout the year. We observe high recharge-discharge inter-annual variability in the center of the peninsula and some clearly defined recharge and discharge zones around the perimeter. On average the dryer north-east and wetter north-western parts of the peninsula act as recharge zones (where the influx of water is higher than the outflow), while the central-northern part of the peninsula corresponding to agricultural lands, acts as a discharge zone (outflow is higher than influx). The most southern region of the peninsula and the western mangroves are always discharge zones. Finally, our analyses reveal a number of highly subsidized zones, where precipitation levels are consistently lower than evapotranspiration, hence indicating the presence of groundwater dependent

Drought variability and change across the Iberian Peninsula

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coll, J. R.; Aguilar, E.; Ashcroft, L.

2017-11-01

Drought variability and change was assessed across the Iberian Peninsula over more than 100 years expanding through the twentieth century and the first decade of the twenty-first century. Daily temperature and precipitation data from 24 Iberian time series were quality controlled and homogenized to create the Monthly Iberian Temperature and Precipitation Series (MITPS) for the period 1906-2010. The Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI), driven only by precipitation, and the Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI), based on the difference between the precipitation and the reference evapotranspiration (ET0), were computed at annual and seasonal scale to describe the evolution of droughts across time. The results confirmed that a clear temperature increase has occurred over the entire Iberian Peninsula at the annual and seasonal scale, but no significant changes in precipitation accumulated amounts were found. Similar drought variability was provided by the SPI and SPEI, although the SPEI showed greater drought severity and larger surface area affected by drought than SPI from 1980s to 2010 due to the increase in atmospheric evaporative demand caused by increased temperatures. Moreover, a clear drying trend was found by the SPEI for most of the Iberian Peninsula at annual scale and also for spring and summer, although the SPI did not experience significant changes in drought conditions. From the drying trend identified for most of the Iberian Peninsula along the twentieth century, an increase in drought conditions can also be expected for this region in the twenty-first century according to future climate change projections and scenarios.

International Permafrost Field Courses in Siberia: the Synthesis of Research and Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ablyazina, D.; Boitsov, A.; Grebenets, V.; Kaverin, D.; Klene, A.; Kurchatova, A.; Pfeiffer, E. M.; Zschocke, A.; Shiklomanov, N.; Streletskiy, D.

2009-04-01

During summers of 2007 and 2008 a series of International University Courses on Permafrost (IUCP) were conducted in West Siberia, Russia. Courses were organized as part of the International Permafrost Association (IPA) International Polar Year activities. The North of West Siberia region was selected to represent diverse permafrost, climatic and landscape conditions. The courses were jointly organized by the Moscow State University (MSU) and the Tumen' Oil and Gas University (TOGU) with the help from German and U.S. institutions. The program attracted undergraduate and graduate students with diverse interests and backgrounds from Germany, Russia and the U.S. and involved instructors specializing in different aspects of permafrost research. Courses were designed to address three major topics of permafrost-related research: a) permafrost environments characteristic of the discontinuous and continuous zones; b) field instrumentation and techniques; c) permafrost engineering and problems of development in permafrost regions. Methodologically, courses consisted of systematic permafrost investigations at long-term monitoring sites and survey-type expeditions. Systematic, process-based investigations were conducted at a network of sites which constitute the TEPO established by TOGU in collaboration with the gas company NadymGasProm. The observation complex includes an array of 30-m deep boreholes equipped with automatic data collection systems and representing characteristic permafrost landscapes of West Siberia. Boreholes are complemented by sites for snow cover, vegetation, soil, ground ice, and geomorphologic investigations. As part of student research activities, four new Circumpolar Active Layer Monitoring (CALM) sites were established in proximity to boreholes for monitoring spatial distribution and long-term dynamic of the active layer. New sites represent diverse landscapes characteristic of the West Siberian previously underrepresented in the CALM network

Paleomagnetic data for Siberia and Baltica in the context of testing some geodynamic models of the formation of the Central Asian Mobile Belt

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shatsillo, A. V.; Kuznetsov, N. B.; Dronov, A. V.

2017-09-01

The synthesis of the paleomagnetic data for the Siberian (Siberia) and East European (Baltica) platforms shows that since the Early Paleozoic they could have experienced coherent movements as a part of consolidated continental agglomeration (a composite continent), which also includes the Arctida continent. Based on the paleomagnetic data, the relative positions of the Siberia and Baltica during the Ordovician is reconstructed, and a series of paleogeographical reconstructions describing the drift of the composite continent is suggested. The results of the lithologic-facial analysis of the sedimentation settings within the Ordovician basins of the Siberian and East European platforms and paleoclimatic markers are consistent with the suggested configuration and paleogeographical position of the composite continent. The suggested reconstructions and the ages of detrital zircons from the Early Paleozoic complexes of the platform margins and some objects of the Central Asian Mobile Belt (CAMB) reasonably well agree with the hypothesis (Sengör et al., 1993) which interprets the formation of the structure of CAMB Paleozoides as a result of the evolution of the island arc stretching along the margins of Siberia and Baltica.

46 CFR 7.170 - Alaska Peninsula, AK to Aleutian Islands, AK.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 46 Shipping 1 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Alaska Peninsula, AK to Aleutian Islands, AK. 7.170 Section 7.170 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY PROCEDURES APPLICABLE TO THE PUBLIC BOUNDARY LINES Alaska § 7.170 Alaska Peninsula, AK to Aleutian Islands, AK. (a) A line drawn from the...

46 CFR 7.165 - Kenai Peninsula, AK to Kodiak Island, AK.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 46 Shipping 1 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Kenai Peninsula, AK to Kodiak Island, AK. 7.165 Section 7.165 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY PROCEDURES APPLICABLE TO THE PUBLIC BOUNDARY LINES Alaska § 7.165 Kenai Peninsula, AK to Kodiak Island, AK. (a) A line drawn from the...

46 CFR 7.170 - Alaska Peninsula, AK to Aleutian Islands, AK.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 46 Shipping 1 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Alaska Peninsula, AK to Aleutian Islands, AK. 7.170 Section 7.170 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY PROCEDURES APPLICABLE TO THE PUBLIC BOUNDARY LINES Alaska § 7.170 Alaska Peninsula, AK to Aleutian Islands, AK. (a) A line drawn from the...

46 CFR 7.165 - Kenai Peninsula, AK to Kodiak Island, AK.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 46 Shipping 1 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Kenai Peninsula, AK to Kodiak Island, AK. 7.165 Section 7.165 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY PROCEDURES APPLICABLE TO THE PUBLIC BOUNDARY LINES Alaska § 7.165 Kenai Peninsula, AK to Kodiak Island, AK. (a) A line drawn from the...

46 CFR 7.165 - Kenai Peninsula, AK to Kodiak Island, AK.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 46 Shipping 1 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Kenai Peninsula, AK to Kodiak Island, AK. 7.165 Section 7.165 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY PROCEDURES APPLICABLE TO THE PUBLIC BOUNDARY LINES Alaska § 7.165 Kenai Peninsula, AK to Kodiak Island, AK. (a) A line drawn from the...

46 CFR 7.165 - Kenai Peninsula, AK to Kodiak Island, AK.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 46 Shipping 1 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Kenai Peninsula, AK to Kodiak Island, AK. 7.165 Section 7.165 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY PROCEDURES APPLICABLE TO THE PUBLIC BOUNDARY LINES Alaska § 7.165 Kenai Peninsula, AK to Kodiak Island, AK. (a) A line drawn from the...

46 CFR 7.165 - Kenai Peninsula, AK to Kodiak Island, AK.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 46 Shipping 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Kenai Peninsula, AK to Kodiak Island, AK. 7.165 Section 7.165 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY PROCEDURES APPLICABLE TO THE PUBLIC BOUNDARY LINES Alaska § 7.165 Kenai Peninsula, AK to Kodiak Island, AK. (a) A line drawn from the...

46 CFR 7.170 - Alaska Peninsula, AK to Aleutian Islands, AK.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 46 Shipping 1 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Alaska Peninsula, AK to Aleutian Islands, AK. 7.170 Section 7.170 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY PROCEDURES APPLICABLE TO THE PUBLIC BOUNDARY LINES Alaska § 7.170 Alaska Peninsula, AK to Aleutian Islands, AK. (a) A line drawn from the...

Engineering a Business School in a Former Soviet-Era Closed City: The Case of Omsk, Siberia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chukhlomin, Valeri; Chukhlomina, Irina

2013-01-01

This article describes a modernization project undertaken by a nationally accredited Russian university located in Omsk, Siberia, and aimed at developing a new international business school. A unique feature of the project is that it was successfully implemented in a former Soviet-era closed city. Until 1991, the university hadn't had any…

Klyuchevskaya, Volcano, Kamchatka Peninsula, CIS

NASA Image and Video Library

1991-05-06

STS039-77-010 (28 April 1991) --- The Kamchatka Peninsula, USSR. This oblique view of the eastern margin of the Kamchatka Peninsula shows pack-ice along the coast, which is drifting along with local currents and delineates the circulation patterns. Also visible are the Kamchatka River (left of center), and the volcanic complex with the active volcano Klyuchevskaya (Kloo-chevs'-ska-ya), 15,584 feet in elevation. The last reported eruption of the volcano was on April 8, but an ash and steam plume extending to the south can be seen in this photograph, taken almost three weeks later (April 28). On April 29, the crew observed and photographed the volcano again, and it was no longer visibly active. However, the flanks of the mountain are dirty from the ash fall. Just north of the Kamchatka River (to the left, just off frame) is Shiveluch, a volcano which was active in early April. There are more than 100 volcanic edifices recognized on Kamchatka, with 15 classified as active.

Aniakchak Crater, Alaska Peninsula

USGS Publications Warehouse

Smith, Walter R.

1925-01-01

The discovery of a gigantic crater northwest of Aniakchak Bay (see fig. 11) closes what had been thought to be a wide gap in the extensive series of volcanoes occurring at irregular intervals for nearly 600 miles along the axial line of the Alaska Peninsula and the Aleutian Islands. In this belt there are more active and recently active volcanoes than in all the rest of North America. Exclusive of those on the west side of Cook Inlet, which, however, belong to the same group, this belt contains at least 42 active or well-preserved volcanoes and about half as many mountains suspected or reported to be volcanoes. The locations of some of these mountains and the hot springs on the Alaska Peninsula and the Aleutian Islands are shown on a map prepared by G. A. Waring. Attention has been called to these volcanoes for nearly two centuries, but a record of their activity since the discovery of Alaska is far from being complete, and an adequate description of them as a group has never been written. Owing to their recent activity or unusual scenic beauty, some of the best known of the group are Mounts Katmai, Bogoslof, and Shishaldin, but there are many other beautiful and interesting cones and craters.

Pest Risk Assessment of the Importation of Larch from Siberia and the Soviet Far East

Treesearch

USDA Forest Service

1991-01-01

Several timber companies in the United States have expressed an interest in importing unprocessed larch logs from Siberia and the Soviet Far East. A variety of exotic forest pests, including insects, nematodes, and fungi, can be transported on or in logs. Many of these organisms can survive in transit and have a high potential to colonize suitable hosts near ports of...

Shaded Relief Color Wrapped, Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia

NASA Image and Video Library

2000-02-16

This shaded relief topographic acquired by NASA Shuttle Radar Topography Mission SRTM image from data collected on February 12, 2000 shows the western side of the volcanically active Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia.

On-farm research in Western Siberia: Potential of adapted management practices for sustainable intensification of crop production systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kühling, Insa; Trautz, Dieter

2015-04-01

Western Siberia is of global significance in terms of agricultural production, carbon sequestration and biodiversity preservation. Abandonment of arable land and changes in the use of permanent grasslands were triggered by the dissolution of the Soviet Union in and the following collapse of the state farm system. The peatlands, forests and steppe soils of Western Siberia are one of the most important carbon sinks worldwide. These carbon stocks are, if deteriorated, an important source of radiative forcing even in comparison to anthropogenic emissions. This situation is aggravated by recent and future developments in agricultural land use in the southern part of Western Siberia, in particular in Tyumen province. The increase of drought risk caused by climate change will led to more challenges in these water-limited agricultural production systems. The German-Russian interdisciplinary research project "SASCHA" aims to provide sustainable land management practices to cope with these far-reaching changes for Tyumen province. In particular, on farm scale agricultural strategies are being developed for increased efficiencies in crop production systems. Therefore a 3-factorial field trial with different tillage and seeding operations was installed with spring wheat on 10 ha under practical conditions in 2013. Within all combinations of tillage (no-till/conventional), seed rate (usual/reduced) and seed depth (usual/shallower) various soil parameters as well as plant development and yield components were intensively monitored during the growing seasons. Results after 2-years show significant impacts of the tillage operation on soil moisture and soil temperature. Also a higher trend in nitrogen mineralization could be observed without tillage. Plant development in terms of phenological growth stages took place simultaneously in all variants. Under no-till regime we measured slightly higher grain yields and significant advantages in protein yields. In conjunction with

3-D Perspective View, Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia

NASA Image and Video Library

2000-03-23

This perspective view shows the western side of the volcanically active Kamchatka Peninsula in eastern Russia. The image was generated using the first data collected during NASA Shuttle Radar Topography Mission SRTM.

Long-Term Arctic Peatland Dynamics, Vegetation and Climate History of the Pur-Taz Region, Western Siberia

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Peteet, Dorothy; Andreev, Andrei; Bardeen, William; Mistretta, Francesca

1998-01-01

Stratigraphic analyses of peat composition, LOI, pollen, spores, macrofossils, charcoal, and AMS ages are used to reconstruct the peatland, vegetation and climatic dynamics in the Pur-Taz region of western Siberia over 5000 years (9300 - 4500 BP). Section stratigraphy shows many changes from shallow lake sediment to different combinations of forested or open sedge, moss, and Equisetum fen and peatland environments. Macrofossil and pollen data indicate that Larix sibirica and Betula pubescens trees were first to arrive, followed by Picea obovata. The dominance of Picea macrofossils 6000-5000 BP in the Pur-Taz peatland along with regional Picea pollen maxima indicate warmer conditions and movement of the spruce treeline northward at this time. The decline of pollen and macrofossils from all of these tree species in uppermost peats suggests a change in the environment less favorable for their growth, perhaps cooler temperatures and/or less moisture. Of major significance is the evidence for old ages of the uppermost peats in this area of Siberia, suggesting a real lack of peat accumulation in recent millennia or recent oxidation of uppermost peat.

[Brant goose colonies near snowy owls: internest distances in relation to lemming and arctic fox abundance].

PubMed

Kharitonov, S P; Volkov, A E; Willems, F; van Kleef, H; Klaassen, R H G; Nowak, D J; Nowak, A I; Bublichenko, A G

2008-01-01

Brant goose colonies around snowy owl nests have been studied near Meduza Bay (73 degrees 21' N, 80 degrees 32' E) and in the lower reaches of the Uboinaya River (73 degrees 37' N, 82 degrees 10' E), the northwestern Taimyr Peninsula, from 1999 to 2006. All brant nests within 680 m from an owl nest have been regarded as an individual colony. The results show that the area of the colony is always larger than the guarded area around the owl nest. In years of high abundance of lemmings, brant geese nest generally closer to the owl nest than in years of high abundance. When arctic foxes are abundant, however, brant geese nest significantly closer to owls than when the foxes are scarce, irrespective of lemming abundance. The mechanism of brant colony formation around owl nests is based on a number of stimuli.

[Brent goose colonies near snowy owls: internest distances in relation to breeding Arctic fox densities].

PubMed

Kharitonov, S P; Ebbinge, B S; De Fou, J

2013-01-01

This study was conducted in 2005 near Medusa Bay (73 degrees 21' N, 80 degrees 32' E) and the delta of the Pyasina River (74 degrees 10' N, 86 degrees 45' E), northwest of the Taimyr Peninsula. It was shown that in the years when the numbers of the Arctic foxes are high, even though the lemming numbers are high as well, Brent geese nest considerably closer to owls' nests than in the years with low Arctic fox numbers. At values of the Arctic fox densities greater than one breeding pair per 20 km2, the factor of lemming numbers ceases to affect the distance between owl and geese nests. This distance becomes dependent on the Arctic fox density (numbers). When the Arctic fox density is greater than the pronounced threshold, the owl-Brent internest distance is inversely and linearly related to the Arctic fox density.

Simulating topographic controls on the abundance of larch forest in eastern Siberia, and its consequences under changing climate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sato, H.; Kobayashi, H.

2017-12-01

In eastern Siberia, larches (Larix spp.) often exist in pure stands, constructing the world's largest coniferous forest, of which changes can significantly affect the earth's albedo and the global carbon balance. Our previous studies tried to reconstruct this vegetation, aiming to forecast its structures and functions under changing climate (1, 2). In previous studies of simulating vegetation at large geographical scales, the examining area is divided into coarse grid cells such as 0.5 × 0.5 degree resolution, and topographical heterogeneities within each grid cell are just ignored. However, in Siberian larch area, which is located on the environmental edge of existence of forest ecosystem, abundance of larch trees largely depends on topographic condition at the scale of tens to hundreds meters. In our preliminary analysis, we found a quantitative pattern that topographic properties controls the abundance of larch forest via both drought and flooding stresses in eastern Siberia. We, therefore, refined the hydrological sub-model of our dynamic vegetation model SEIB-DGVM, and validated whether the modified model can reconstruct the pattern, examined its impact on the estimation of biomass and vegetation productivity under the current and forecasted future climatic conditions. -- References --1. Sato, H., et al. (2010). "Simulation study of the vegetation structure and function in eastern Siberian larch forests using the individual-based vegetation model SEIB-DGVM." Forest Ecology and Management 259(3): 301-311. 2. Sato, H., et al. (2016). "Endurance of larch forest ecosystems in eastern Siberia under warming trends." Ecology and Evolution

Climate-Induced Mortality of Siberian Pine and Fir in the Lake Baikal Watershed, Siberia

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kharuk, Viacheslav I.; Im, Sergei T.; Petrova, IIya A.; Golyukov, Alexei S.; Ranson, Kenneth J.; Yagunov, Mikhail N.

2016-01-01

Siberian pine (Pinus sibirica) and fir (Abies sibirica) (so called "dark needle conifers", DNC) showed decreased radial growth increment within the Lake Baikal watershed since the 1980s with increasing mortality recorded since the year 2000. Tree ring width was strongly correlated with vapor pressure deficit, aridity and root zone moisture. Water stress from droughts made trees more susceptible to insect attacks causing mortality in about 10% of DNC stands within the Lake Baikal watershed. Within Siberia DNC mortality increased in the southern part of the DNC range. Biogeographically, tree mortality was located within the DNC - forest-steppes transition. Tree mortality was significantly correlated with drought and soil moisture anomalies. Within the interior of the DNC range mortality occurred within relief features with high water stress risk (i.e., steep convex south facing slopes with shallow well-drained soils). In general, DNC mortality in Siberia was induced by increased aridity and severe drought (inciting factors) in synergy with biotic attacks (contributing factor). In future climate scenarios with predicted increase in aridity DNC could be eliminated from the southern part of its current range and will be replaced by drought-resistant conifers and broadleaf species (e.g., Larix sibirica, Pinus silvestris, and Betula pubescence).

Climate-Induced Mortality of Siberian Pine and Fir in the Lake Baikal Watershed, Siberia

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kharuk, Viacheslav I.; Im, Sergei T.; Petrov, Ilya A.; Golyukov, Alexei S.; Ranson, Kenneth J.; Yagunov, Mikhail N.

2016-01-01

Siberian pine (Pinus sibirica) and fir (Abies sibirica) (so called ''dark needle conifers", DNC) showed decreased radial growth increment within the Lake Baikal watershed since the 1980s with increasing mortality recorded since the year 2000. Tree ring width was strongly correlated with vapor pressure deficit, aridity and root zone moisture. Water stress from droughts made trees more susceptible to insect attacks causing mortality in about 10% of DNC stands within the Lake Baikal watershed. Within Siberia DNC mortality increased in the southern part of the DNC range. Biogeographically, tree mortality was located within the DNC - forest-steppes transition. Tree mortality was significantly correlated with drought and soil moisture anomalies. Within the interior of the DNC range mortality occurred within relief features with high water stress risk (i.e., steep convex south facing slopes with shallow well-drained soils). In general, DNC mortality in Siberia was induced by increased aridity and severe drought (inciting factors) in synergy with biotic attacks (contributing factor). In future climate scenarios with predicted increase in aridity DNC could be eliminated from the southern part of its current range and will be replaced by drought-resistant conifers and broadleaf species (e.g., Larix sibirica, Pinus silvestris, and Betula pubescence).

Origin of elemental carbon in snow from western Siberia and northwestern European Russia during winter-spring 2014, 2015 and 2016

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Evangeliou, Nikolaos; Shevchenko, Vladimir P.; Espen Yttri, Karl; Eckhardt, Sabine; Sollum, Espen; Pokrovsky, Oleg S.; Kobelev, Vasily O.; Korobov, Vladimir B.; Lobanov, Andrey A.; Starodymova, Dina P.; Vorobiev, Sergey N.; Thompson, Rona L.; Stohl, Andreas

2018-01-01

Short-lived climate forcers have been proven important both for the climate and human health. In particular, black carbon (BC) is an important climate forcer both as an aerosol and when deposited on snow and ice surface because of its strong light absorption. This paper presents measurements of elemental carbon (EC; a measurement-based definition of BC) in snow collected from western Siberia and northwestern European Russia during 2014, 2015 and 2016. The Russian Arctic is of great interest to the scientific community due to the large uncertainty of emission sources there. We have determined the major contributing sources of BC in snow in western Siberia and northwestern European Russia using a Lagrangian atmospheric transport model. For the first time, we use a recently developed feature that calculates deposition in backward (so-called retroplume) simulations allowing estimation of the specific locations of sources that contribute to the deposited mass. EC concentrations in snow from western Siberia and northwestern European Russia were highly variable depending on the sampling location. Modelled BC and measured EC were moderately correlated (R = 0.53-0.83) and a systematic region-specific model underestimation was found. The model underestimated observations by 42 % (RMSE = 49 ng g-1) in 2014, 48 % (RMSE = 37 ng g-1) in 2015 and 27 % (RMSE = 43 ng g-1) in 2016. For EC sampled in northwestern European Russia the underestimation by the model was smaller (fractional bias, FB > -100 %). In this region, the major sources were transportation activities and domestic combustion in Finland. When sampling shifted to western Siberia, the model underestimation was more significant (FB < -100 %). There, the sources included emissions from gas flaring as a major contributor to snow BC. The accuracy of the model calculations was also evaluated using two independent datasets of BC measurements in snow covering the entire Arctic. The model underestimated BC concentrations in

High-Resolution Regional Biomass Map of Siberia from Glas, Palsar L-Band Radar and Landsat Vcf Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, G.; Ranson, K.; Montesano, P.; Zhang, Z.; Kharuk, V.

2015-12-01

The Arctic-Boreal zone is known be warming at an accelerated rate relative to other biomes. The taiga or boreal forest covers over 16 x106 km2 of Arctic North America, Scandinavia, and Eurasia. A large part of the northern Boreal forests are in Russia's Siberia, as area with recent accelerated climate warming. During the last two decades we have been working on characterization of boreal forests in north-central Siberia using field and satellite measurements. We have published results of circumpolar biomass using field plots, airborne (PALS, ACTM) and spaceborne (GLAS) lidar data with ASTER DEM, LANDSAT and MODIS land cover classification, MODIS burned area and WWF's ecoregion map. Researchers from ESA and Russia have also been working on biomass (or growing stock) mapping in Siberia. For example, they developed a pan-boreal growing stock volume map at 1-kilometer scale using hyper-temporal ENVISAT ASAR ScanSAR backscatter data. Using the annual PALSAR mosaics from 2007 to 2010 growing stock volume maps were retrieved based on a supervised random forest regression approach. This method is being used in the ESA/Russia ZAPAS project for Central Siberia Biomass mapping. Spatially specific biomass maps of this region at higher resolution are desired for carbon cycle and climate change studies. In this study, our work focused on improving resolution ( 50 m) of a biomass map based on PALSAR L-band data and Landsat Vegetation Canopy Fraction products. GLAS data were carefully processed and screened using land cover classification, local slope, and acquisition dates. The biomass at remaining footprints was estimated using a model developed from field measurements at GLAS footprints. The GLAS biomass samples were then aggregated into 1 Mg/ha bins of biomass and mean VCF and PALSAR backscatter and textures were calculated for each of these biomass bins. The resulted biomass/signature data was used to train a random forest model for biomass mapping of entire region from 50o

Hereditary pediatric cataract on the Arabian Peninsula

PubMed Central

Khan, Arif O.

2011-01-01

Hereditary pediatric cataract on the Arabian Peninsula does not follow the same epidemiological patterns as described for Western populations. This article describes selected genetic causes for inherited pediatric cataract in the region. PMID:23960971

Holocene Faunal Trends in West Siberia and Their Causes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gashev, S. N.; Aleshina, A. O.; Zuban, I. A.; Lupinos, M. Y.; Mardonova, L. B.; Mitropolskiy, M. G.; Selyukov, A. G.; Sorokina, N. V.; Stolbov, V. A.; Shapovalov, S. I.

2017-12-01

Based on an analysis of the transformation of vertebrate and invertebrate fauna of West Siberia in the Holocene, the classification and periodization of the main faunal trends are presented. Against the background of changing environmental conditions, the key regularities of the faunal dynamics, and the ways some species penetrate into the territory of the region and others disappear from the beginning of the Holocene to the present time have been indicated. Three global and four fluctuating trends are identified. The anthropogenic trend is ascertained separately. A conclusion is made about the prevailing causes of these changes, associated primarily with periodic climatic processes of different levels, determined by planetary geological and cosmic cycles. It is emphasized that, in the historical period, anthropogenic factors play a significant role in the regional faunal dynamics.

Diptera of forensic importance in the Iberian Peninsula: larval identification key.

PubMed

Velásquez, Y; Magaña, C; Martínez-Sánchez, A; Rojo, S

2010-09-01

A revision of the species and families of sarcosaprophagous flies (Diptera: Calliphoridae, Sarcophagidae, Muscidae, Fanniidae, Drosophilidae, Phoridae, Piophilidae and Stratiomyidae) suitable for forensic purposes in the Iberian Peninsula is presented. Morphological characteristics that allow the accurate identification of third instars of the species present in the Iberian Peninsula are described and presented in the form of a diagnostic key. For larval Calliphoridae, characteristics such as the spines of the body segments were useful for the genus Calliphora whereas features of the anal segment and the cephalopharyngeal skeleton were useful for larvae of Lucilia. Identification of three Chrysominae species present in the Iberian Peninsula is included. For larval Sarcophagidae, characters such as the arrangement and shape of spiracular openings, structures of the anal segment and the cephalopharyngeal skeleton were used for the first time. A new record of Sarcophaga cultellata Pandellé, from a human corpse, is also included as well as recent incursions into the European cadaveric entomofauna such as Synthesiomyia nudiseta (van der Wulp) and Hermetia illucens (Linnaeus). This work provides useful new information that could be applied to forensic investigations in the Iberian Peninsula and in southern Europe.

Forest fire plumes sampled above Siberia during YAK-AEROSIB/POLARCAT airborne campaigns: properties and sources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paris, J.-D.; Nedelec, P.; Stohl, A.; Arshinov, M. Yu.; Belan, B. D.; Ciais, P.

2009-04-01

The composition of the Siberian troposphere remains highly unknown due to a lack of measurements in this area. Siberia is a key region for a quantified understanding of many land-atmosphere exchange processes. As an example, Siberian forest fire emissions are a major extratropical source of CO to the atmosphere. Fire-emitted trace gases and particles are subject to long-range transport and may contribute to pollution of nearby Arctic. However, establishing precise top-down estimates of sources strengths based on satellite or surface network measurements for species such as CO is limited by models' ability to represent sub-grid-scale dynamics associated to the wildfire (pyroconvection) and the injection height of the plume. In an experimental effort to address this issue and to increase our knowledge of the properties of the Siberian troposphere, CO, O3, CO2 and fine particles were measured onboard a research aircraft in the frame of the YAK-AEROSIB project, partially as a contribution to the Summer 2008 POLARCAT programme. Two large scale transects were established over Northern and Central Siberia between 7 and 21 July 2008. The aircraft flight pattern consisted of ramp ascents and descents so as to sample as many vertical profiles as possible. Very high CO concentrations were observed at various altitudes, essentially in Eastern Siberia near Yakutsk and Chokurdakh. The highest concentrations (up to 600ppb) were observed between 2 and 5 km (flight ceiling being at 7km) in very thin layers (few hundreds of m thick). A Lagrangian modelling analysis (FLEXPART) revealed that the aircraft sampled fire plumes from regional fire emissions, east of Yakutsk, after about 2 days of transport. The observed fire plumes are also characterized by anomalies in O3 and excess particle concentrations. These data provide new constraints on our understanding of forest fire plume transport. They also constitute a critical testbench for the models used to assess pyrogenic emissions and

A sketch of language history in the Korean Peninsula.

PubMed

Lee, Sean

2015-01-01

Among 7100 languages spoken on Earth, the Koreanic language is the 13th largest, with about 77 million speakers in and around the Korean Peninsula. In comparison to other languages of similar size, however, surprisingly little is known about the evolution of the Koreanic language. This is mainly due to two reasons. The first reason is that the genealogical relationship of the Koreanic to other neighboring languages remains uncertain, and thus inference from the linguistic comparative method provides only provisional evidence. The second reason is that, as the ancestral Koreanic speakers lacked their own writing system until around 500 years ago, there are scant historical materials to peer into the past, except for those preserved in Sinitic characters that we have no straightforward way of interpreting. Here I attempt to overcome these disadvantages and shed some light on the linguistic history of the Korean Peninsula, by analyzing the internal variation of the Koreanic language with methods adopted from evolutionary biology. The preliminary results presented here suggest that the evolutionary history of the Koreanic language is characterized by a weak hierarchical structure, and intensive gene/culture flows within the Korean Peninsula seem to have promoted linguistic homogeneity among the Koreanic variants. Despite the gene/culture flows, however, there are still three detectable linguistic barriers in the Korean Peninsula that appear to have been shaped by geographical features such as mountains, elevated areas, and ocean. I discuss these findings in an inclusive manner to lay the groundwork for future studies.

ENSO-related PM10 variability on the Korean Peninsula

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wie, Jieun; Moon, Byung-Kwon

2017-10-01

Particulate matter, defined as particles of less than 10 μm in diameter (PM10), was analyzed over the Korean Peninsula from 2001 to 2015 to examine the influence of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) on subseasonal PM10 variability. The PM10 data were obtained from 151 air quality monitoring stations provided by the Korea Environment Corporation (KECO). Lead-lag correlation analysis, which was performed to investigate the connection between NDJF (November-February) NINO3 index and seasonal mean PM10 data, did not yield any statistically significant correlations. However, using five-pentad moving-averaged PM10 data, statistically significant correlations between NDJF NINO3 index and PM10 variability were found in four subseasonal periods, with alternating positive and negative correlations. In the periods during which PM10 levels on the Korean Peninsula were positively (negatively) correlated with the ENSO index, the positive PM10 anomalies are associated with El Niño (La Niña) years, which implies that the occurrence of high-PM10 events could be modulated by the ENSO phase. In addition, this ENSO-related PM10 variation is negatively correlated with ENSO-related precipitation in the Korean Peninsula, indicating that more (less) wet deposition leads to lower (higher) PM10 level. Therefore, we conclude that the ENSO-induced precipitation anomalies over the Korean Peninsula are mainly responsible for ENSO-related PM10 variations. This study will be helpful for further identifying detailed chemistry-climate processes that control PM10 concentrations.

Sinai peninsula taken by the STS-109 crew

NASA Image and Video Library

2002-03-02

STS109-708-024 (1-12 March 2002) --- The astronauts on board the Space Shuttle Columbia took this 70mm picture featuring the Sinai Peninsula and the Dead Sea Rift. The left side of the view is dominated by the great triangle of the Sinai peninsula, which is partly obscured by an unusual cloud mass on this day. The famous Monastery of St. Catherine lies in the very remote, rugged mountains in the southern third of the peninsula (foreground). The Gulf of Aqaba is a finger of the Red Sea bottom center, pointing north to the Dead Sea, the small body of water near the center of the view. According to NASA scientists studying the STS-109 photo collection, the gulf and the Dead Sea are northerly extensions of the same geological rift that resulted in the opening of the Red Sea . The Gulf of Suez appears in the lower left corner. Northwest Saudi Arabia occupies the lower right side of the view, Jordan and Syria the right and top right, and the Eastern Mediterranean Sea the top left. Thin white lines of cloud have formed along the coastal mountains of southern Turkey and stretch across the top of the view near the Earth's limb.

Dynamical Structure of Madden-Julian Oscillation over Malay Peninsula

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Djamil, Y. S.; Koh, T. Y.; Chandimala, J.; Teo, C. K.

2014-12-01

Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO) is the dominant weather event in the intraseasonal time scale over Malay Peninsula region. The MJO signals are represented by the first two modes of radiosonde records extracted using Extended Empirical Orthogonal Function (EEOF) analyses which we label as Local Multivariate MJO (LMM). LMM is able to capture the spatio-temporal profile of MJO along the global tropics in all seasons. With the help of LMM, we clarify the dynamical and thermodynamical structure of the MJO over Malay Peninsula, including the unique "boomerang-shaped" feature in the time-height temperature profile identified in previous literature.

Changes in ice dynamics along the northern Antarctic Peninsula

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seehaus, Thorsten; Marinsek, Sebastian; Cook, Alison; Van Wessem, Jan-Melchior; Braun, Matthias

2017-04-01

The climatic conditions along the Antarctic Peninsula have undergone considerable changes during the last 50 years. A period of pronounced air temperature rise, increasing ocean temperatures as well as changes in the precipitation pattern have been reported by various authors. Consequently, the glacial systems showed changes including widespread retreat, surface lowering as well as variations in flow speeds. During the last decades numerous ice shelves along the Antarctic Peninsula retreated, started to break-up or disintegrated completely. The loss of the buttressing effect caused tributary glaciers to accelerate with increasing ice discharge along the Antarctic Peninsula. Quantification of the mass changes is still subject to considerable errors although numbers derived from the different methods are converging. The aim is to study the reaction of glaciers at the northern Antarctic Peninsula to the changing climatic conditions and the readjustments of tributary glaciers to ice shelf disintegration, as well as to better quantify the ice mass loss and its temporal changes. We analysed time series of various satellite sensors (ERS-1/2 SAR, ENVISAT ASAR, RADARSAT-1, ALOS PALSAR, TerraSAR-X/TanDEM-X, ASTER, Landsat) to detect changes in ice dynamics of 74 glacier basins along the northern Antarctic Peninsula (<65°). Intensity feature tracking techniques were applied on data stacks from different SAR satellites over the last 20 years to infer temporal trends in glacier surface velocities. In combination with ice thickness reconstructions and modeled climatic mass balance fields regional imbalances were calculated. Variations in ice front position were mapped based on optical and SAR satellite data sets. Along the west coast of the northern Antarctic Peninsula an increase in flow speeds by 40% between 1992 and 2014 was observed, whereas glaciers on the east side (north of former Prince-Gustav Ice Shelf) showed a strong deceleration. Nearly all former ice shelf

Changes in ice dynamics along the northern Antarctic Peninsula

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seehaus, T.; Braun, M.; Cook, A.; Marinsek, S.

2016-12-01

The climatic conditions along the Antarctic Peninsula have undergone considerable changes during the last 50 years. Numerous ice shelves along the Antarctic Peninsula retreated, started to break-up or disintegrated. The loss of the buttressing effect caused tributary glaciers to accelerate with increasing ice discharge along the Antarctic Peninsula. The aim is to study the reaction of glaciers at the northern Antarctic Peninsula to the changing climatic conditions and the readjustments of tributary glaciers to ice shelf disintegration, as well as to better quantify the ice mass loss and its temporal changes.We analysed time series of various SAR satellite sensors to detect changes in ice flow speed and surface elevation. Intensity feature tracking techniques were applied on data stacks from different SAR satellites over the last 20 years to infer changes in glacier surface velocities. High resolution bi-static TanDEM-X data was used to derive digital elevation models by differential SAR interferometry. In combination with ASTER and SPOT stereo images, changes in surface elevations were determined. Altimeter data from ICESat, CryoSat-2 and NASA operation IceBridge ATM were used for vertical referencing and quality assessment of the digital elevation models. Along the west coast of the northern Antarctic Peninsula an increase in flow speeds by 40% between 1992 and 2014 was observed, whereas glaciers on the east side (north of former Prince-Gustav Ice Shelf) showed a strong deceleration. In total an ice discharge of 17.93±6.22 Gt/a was estimated for 74 glaciers on the Antarctic Peninsula north of 65°S. Most of the former ice shelf tributaries showed similar reactions to ice shelf disintegration. At the Sjögren-Inlet a total ice mass loss of -37.5±8.2 Gt and a contribution to sea level rise of 20.9±5.2 Gt were found in the period 1993-2014. The average surface lowering rate in the period 2012-2014 amounts to -2.2 m/a. At Dinsmoor-Bombardier-Edgeworth glacier

Anaglyph with Landsat Overlay, Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia

NASA Image and Video Library

2000-02-16

This 3-D anaglyph shows an area on the western side of the volcanically active Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia as seen by the instrument onboard NASA Shuttle Radar Topography Mission. 3D glasses are necessary to view this image.

Dynamical Downscaling over Siberia: Is there an added value in representing recent climate conditions?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klehmet, K.; Rockel, B.

2012-04-01

The analysis of long-term changes and variability of climate variables for the large areal extent of Siberia - covering arctic, subarctic and temperate northern latitudes - is hampered by the sparseness of in-situ observations. To counteract this deficiency we aimed to provide a reconstruction of regional climate for the period 1948-2010 getting homogenous, consistent fields of various terrestrial and atmospheric parameters for Siberia. In order to obtain in addition a higher temporal and spatial resolution than global datasets can provide, we performed the reconstruction using the regional climate model COSMO-CLM (climate mode of the limited area model COSMO developed by the German weather service). However, the question arises whether the dynamically downscaled data of reanalysis can improve the representation of recent climate conditions. As global forcing for the initialization and the regional boundaries we use NCEP-1 Reanalysis of the National Centers for Environmental Prediction since it has the longest temporal data coverage among the reanalysis products. Additionally, spectral nudging is applied to prevent the regional model from deviating from the prescribed large-scale circulation within the whole simulation domain. The area of interest covers a region in Siberia, spanning from the Laptev Sea and Kara Sea to Northern Mongolia and from the West Siberian Lowland to the border of Sea of Okhotsk. The current horizontal resolution is of about 50 km which is planned to be increased to 25 km. To answer the question, we investigate spatial and temporal characteristics of temperature and precipitation of the model output in comparison to global reanalysis data (NCEP-1, ERA40, ERA-Interim). As reference Russian station data from the "Global Summary of the Day" data set, provided by NCDC, is used. Temperature is analyzed with respect to its climatologically spatial patterns across the model domain and its variability of extremes based on climate indices derived

Climate-Induced Landslides within the Larch Dominant Permafrost Zone of Central Siberia.

PubMed

Kharuk, Viacheslav I; Shushpanov, Alexandr S; Im, Sergei T; Ranson, Kenneth J

2016-04-01

Climate impact on landslide occurrence and spatial patterns were analyzed within the larch-dominant communities associated with continuous permafrost areas of Central Siberia. We used high resolution satellite imagery (i.e. QuickBird, WorldView) to identify landslide scars over an area of 62000 km 2 . Landslide occurrence was analyzed with respect to climate variables (air temperature, precipitation, drought index SPEI), and GRACE satellite derived equivalent of water thickness anomalies (EWTA). Landslides were found only on southward facing slopes, and the occurrence of landslides increased exponentially with increasing slope steepness. Lengths of landslides correlated positively with slope steepness. The observed upper elevation limit of landslides tended to coincide with the tree line. Observations revealed landslides occurrence was also found to be strongly correlated with August precipitation (r = 0.81) and drought index (r = 0.7), with June-July-August soil water anomalies (i.e., EWTA, r = 0.68-0.7), and number of thawing days (i.e., a number of days with t max > 0°C; r = 0.67). A significant increase in the variance of soil water anomalies was observed, indicating that occurrence of landslides may increase even with a stable mean precipitation level. The key-findings of this study are (1) landslides occurrence increased within the permafrost zone of Central Siberia in the beginning of the 21st century; (2) the main cause of increased landslides occurrence are extremes in precipitation and soil water anomalies; and (3) landslides occurrence are strongly dependent on relief features such as southward facing steep slopes.

Climate-Induced Landsliding within the Larch Dominant Permafrost Zone of Central Siberia

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kharuk, Viacheslav I.; Shushpanov, Alexandr S.; Im, Sergei T.; Ranson, Kenneth J.

2016-01-01

Climate impact on landslide occurrence and spatial patterns were analyzed within the larch-dominant communities associated with continuous permafrost areas of central Siberia. We used high resolution satellite imagery (i.e. QuickBird, WorldView) to identify landslide scars over an area of 62 000 km2. Landslide occurrence was analyzed with respect to climate variables (air temperature, precipitation, drought index SPEI), and Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment satellite derived equivalent of water thickness anomalies (EWTA). Landslides were found only on southward facing slopes, and the occurrence of landslides increased exponentially with increasing slope steepness. Lengths of landslides correlated positively with slope steepness. The observed upper elevation limit of landslides tended to coincide with the tree line. Observations revealed landslides occurrence was also found to be strongly correlated with August precipitation (r = 0.81) and drought index (r = 0.7), with June-July-August soil water anomalies (i.e., EWTA, r = 0.68-0.7), and number of thawing days (i.e., a number of days with t (max) > 0 deg C; r = 0.67). A significant increase in the variance of soil water anomalies was observed, indicating that occurrence of landslides may increase even with a stable mean precipitation level. The key-findings of this study are (1) landslides occurrence increased within the permafrost zone of central Siberia in the beginning of the 21st century; (2) the main cause of increased landslides occurrence are extremes in precipitation and soil water anomalies; and (3) landslides occurrence are strongly dependent on relief features such as southward facing steep slopes.

Climate-Induced Landslides within the Larch Dominant Permafrost Zone of Central Siberia

PubMed Central

Shushpanov, Alexandr S; Im, Sergei T; Ranson, Kenneth J

2017-01-01

Climate impact on landslide occurrence and spatial patterns were analyzed within the larch-dominant communities associated with continuous permafrost areas of Central Siberia. We used high resolution satellite imagery (i.e. QuickBird, WorldView) to identify landslide scars over an area of 62000 km2. Landslide occurrence was analyzed with respect to climate variables (air temperature, precipitation, drought index SPEI), and GRACE satellite derived equivalent of water thickness anomalies (EWTA). Landslides were found only on southward facing slopes, and the occurrence of landslides increased exponentially with increasing slope steepness. Lengths of landslides correlated positively with slope steepness. The observed upper elevation limit of landslides tended to coincide with the tree line. Observations revealed landslides occurrence was also found to be strongly correlated with August precipitation (r = 0.81) and drought index (r = 0.7), with June-July-August soil water anomalies (i.e., EWTA, r = 0.68–0.7), and number of thawing days (i.e., a number of days with tmax > 0°C; r = 0.67). A significant increase in the variance of soil water anomalies was observed, indicating that occurrence of landslides may increase even with a stable mean precipitation level. The key-findings of this study are (1) landslides occurrence increased within the permafrost zone of Central Siberia in the beginning of the 21st century; (2) the main cause of increased landslides occurrence are extremes in precipitation and soil water anomalies; and (3) landslides occurrence are strongly dependent on relief features such as southward facing steep slopes. PMID:29326754

Using MODIS and GLAS Data to Develop Timber Volume Estimates in Central Siberia

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ranson, K. Jon; Kimes, Daniel; Sun, Guoqing; Kharuk, Viatcheslav; Hyde, Peter; Nelson, Ross

2007-01-01

The boreal forest is the Earth's largest terrestrial biome, covering some 12 million km2 and accounting for about one third of this planet's total forest area. Mapping of boreal forest's type, structure parameters and biomass are critical for understanding the boreal forest's significance in the carbon cycle, its response to and impact on global climate change. Ground based forest inventories, have much uncertainty in the inventory data, particularly in remote areas of Siberia where sampling is sparse and/or lacking. In addition, many of the forest inventories that do exist for Siberia are now a decade or more old. Thus, available forest inventories fail to capture the current conditions. Changes in forest structure in a particular forest-type and region can change significantly due to changing environment conditions, and natural and anthropogenic disturbance. Remote sensing methods can potentially overcome these problems. Multispectral sensors can be used to provide vegetation cover maps that show a timely and accurate geographic distribution of vegetation types rather than decade old ground based maps. Lidar sensors can be used to directly obtain measurements that can be used to derive critical forest structure information (e.g., height, density, and volume). These in turn can used to estimate biomass components using allometric equations without having to use out dated forest inventory. Finally, remote sensing data is ideally suited to provide a sampling basis for a rigorous statistical estimate of the variance and error bound on forest structure measures. In this study, new remote sensing methods were applied to develop estimates timber volume using NASA's MODerate resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and unique waveform data of the geoscience laser altimeter system (GLAS) for a 10 deg x 10 deg area in central Siberia. Using MODIS and GLAS data, maps were produced for cover type and timber volume for 2003, and a realistic variance (error bound) for

Ecologically Safe Geothermal Energy Resources in Western Siberia near high-rise construction zones

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shevchenko, Alexandr; Shiganova, Olga

2018-03-01

The development of geothermal energy in combination with other renewable energy sources (the sun, the wind) will help to solve the problem of heat supply and electrification in near high-rise construction zones of the country, especially in sparsely populated parts, where centralized energy and heat supply is economically unacceptable, and will improve the ecological situation. The aim of the research is to analyze the geothermal resources of the main aquifers in Western Siberia and to develop recommendations for further study and use of heat and power resources of this territory. The article gives retrospective of state research programs and potential use of hydrothermal resources of administrative units geographically entering the territory under consideration. It is noted that by now such programs have been curtailed for various reasons, although there are examples of their successful and effective use in various fields of industry and agriculture. According to the decision of the Supreme Ecological Council of the State Duma Committee of the Russian Federation adopted in 2014 on the beginning of the development of federal targeted programs for the use of heat power water as a source of electricity and heat supply, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Ecology of the Russian Federation made proposals for further research and use of hydrothermal waters in Western Siberia. Implementation of the programs proposed by the authors, alongside with other positive aspects, will solve the problems of heat supply in remote territories and improve the environmental situation in the region.

Physicochemical and Microbiological Characteristics of Tundra Soils on the Rybachii Peninsula

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Evdokimova, G. A.; Mozgova, N. P.; Myazin, V. A.

2018-01-01

The Rybachii Peninsula is composed of Proterozoic sedimentary rocks and differs sharply from the rest of the Kola Peninsula in its geological structure, topographic forms, and parent rocks. It is dominated by Al-Fe-humus soils formed on moraines with an admixture of local rock fragments, including slates. Organic horizons of tundra soils in the peninsula are less acid than those on granitoids of adjacent mainland of the Kola Peninsula. The content of exchangeable calcium in the organic horizons varies from 17.4 to 68.0 cmolc/kg, and the content of water-soluble carbon reaches 400 mg/100 g amounting to 1-2% of the total soil organic matter content. The total number of bacteria in the organic horizons of tundra soils varies from 3.5 × 109 to 4.8 × 109 cells/g; and bacterial biomass varies from 0.14 to 0.19 mg/g. The length of fungal mycelium and its biomass in the organic horizons are significant (>1000 m/g soil). The biomass of fungal mycelium in the organic horizons exceeds the bacterial biomass by seven times in podzols (Albic Podzols) and by ten times in podbur (Entic Podzol), dry-peat soil (Folic Histosol), and low-moor peat soil (Sapric Histosol).

Merida, Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1992-01-01

This rare cloud free view of the city of Merida (21.0N, 90.0W) on the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico was taken as an experiment with color infrared film to determine the best applications of this unique film. Color film presents an image as it appears to the eye but color infrared film eliminates haze and better defines vegetation and its vitality by the shade of red or pink. Note that much of the native forests have been cut down for farm lands.

Marine pelagic ecosystems: the West Antarctic Peninsula

PubMed Central

Ducklow, Hugh W; Baker, Karen; Martinson, Douglas G; Quetin, Langdon B; Ross, Robin M; Smith, Raymond C; Stammerjohn, Sharon E; Vernet, Maria; Fraser, William

2006-01-01

The marine ecosystem of the West Antarctic Peninsula (WAP) extends from the Bellingshausen Sea to the northern tip of the peninsula and from the mostly glaciated coast across the continental shelf to the shelf break in the west. The glacially sculpted coastline along the peninsula is highly convoluted and characterized by deep embayments that are often interconnected by channels that facilitate transport of heat and nutrients into the shelf domain. The ecosystem is divided into three subregions, the continental slope, shelf and coastal regions, each with unique ocean dynamics, water mass and biological distributions. The WAP shelf lies within the Antarctic Sea Ice Zone (SIZ) and like other SIZs, the WAP system is very productive, supporting large stocks of marine mammals, birds and the Antarctic krill, Euphausia superba. Ecosystem dynamics is dominated by the seasonal and interannual variation in sea ice extent and retreat. The Antarctic Peninsula is one among the most rapidly warming regions on Earth, having experienced a 2°C increase in the annual mean temperature and a 6°C rise in the mean winter temperature since 1950. Delivery of heat from the Antarctic Circumpolar Current has increased significantly in the past decade, sufficient to drive to a 0.6°C warming of the upper 300 m of shelf water. In the past 50 years and continuing in the twenty-first century, the warm, moist maritime climate of the northern WAP has been migrating south, displacing the once dominant cold, dry continental Antarctic climate and causing multi-level responses in the marine ecosystem. Ecosystem responses to the regional warming include increased heat transport, decreased sea ice extent and duration, local declines in ice-dependent Adélie penguins, increase in ice-tolerant gentoo and chinstrap penguins, alterations in phytoplankton and zooplankton community composition and changes in krill recruitment, abundance and availability to predators. The climate/ecological gradients

Stand structure and dynamics of sand pine differ between the Florida panhandle and peninsula

USGS Publications Warehouse

Drewa, P.B.; Platt, W.J.; Kwit, C.; Doyle, T.W.

2008-01-01

Size and age structures of stand populations of numerous tree species exhibit uneven or reverse J-distributions that can persist after non-catastrophic disturbance, especially windstorms. Among disjunct populations of conspecific trees, alternative distributions are also possible and may be attributed to more localized variation in disturbance. Regional differences in structure and demography among disjunct populations of sand pine (Pinus clausa (Chapm. ex Engelm.) Vasey ex Sarg.) in the Florida panhandle and peninsula may result from variation in hurricane regimes associated with each of these populations. We measured size, age, and growth rates of trees from panhandle and peninsula populations and then compiled size and age class distributions. We also characterized hurricanes in both regions over the past century. Size and age structures of panhandle populations were unevenly distributed and exhibited continuous recruitment; peninsula populations were evenly sized and aged and exhibited only periodic recruitment. Since hurricane regimes were similar between regions, historical fire regimes may have been responsible for regional differences in structure of sand pine populations. We hypothesize that fires were locally nonexistent in coastal panhandle populations, while periodic high intensity fires occurred in peninsula populations over the past century. Such differences in local fire regimes could have resulted in the absence of hurricane effects in the peninsula. Increased intensity of hurricanes in the panhandle and current fire suppression patterns in the peninsula may shift characteristics of sand pine stands in both regions. ?? 2007 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.

GEMINI-TITAN (GT)-11 - EARTH SKY - OVERLAY - SINAI PENINSULA - POINTS OF INTEREST - OUTER SPACE

NASA Image and Video Library

1966-09-14

S66-54893 (14 Sept. 1966) --- Near East area as seen from the orbiting Gemini-11 spacecraft during its 26th revolution of Earth. The United Arab Republic (Egypt) is in foreground. Triangular-shaped area is the Sinai Peninsula. Saudi Arabia is at upper right. The Mediterranean Sea is at upper left. The Gulf of Suez separates Egypt from the Sinai Peninsula. The Red Sea is at bottom right. The Gulf of Aqaba is the body of water in right center of photograph separating the Sinai Peninsula and the Arabian Peninsula. The Dead Sea, Sea of Galilee, Jordan and Israel are in top center of picture. Iraq is at top right edge of photograph. Taken with a J. A. Maurer 70mm camera, using Eastman Kodak, Ektachrome, MS (S.O. 368) color film. Photo credit: NASA

Influence of wildfires in the boreal forests of Eastern Siberia on atmospheric aerosol parameters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tomshin, Oleg A.; Solovyev, Vladimir S.

2017-11-01

The results of studies of the dynamics of forest fires in the boreal forests of Yakutia (Eastern Siberia) for 2001-2016 are presented. Variations of aerosol optical thickness (AOT), aerosol index (AI) and total carbon monoxide content during May-September were studied depending on the different forest fire activity level. It is shown that the seasonal variations of AOT, AI and CO in the most fire-dangerous years differ significantly from the fire seasons when forest fire activity was medium or low.

Peculiarities of the atmospheric blocking events over the Siberia and Russian Far East region during summertime

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Antokhina, Olga Yu.; Devjatova, Elena V.; Mordvinov, Vladimir I.

2017-11-01

We study the atmospheric blocking event evolution peculiarities over the Siberia and Far Eastern region (Russia) during summertime. Compared are two methods to identify blockings: from the 500 hPa (Z500) isobaric surface height distribution, and from the potential temperature at the dynamic tropopause (PV-θ) for every July 1979 through 2016. We revealed the situations, where blockings are identified only in one of the characteristics. Blocking identification by the PV-θ characteristics is complicated in the cases, when its cyclonic part appears to be filled with air masses of the southern origin, due to which there is no meridional gradient reversal in the PV-θ region. In the Z500 region, the difficulties to identify blocking events may arise in those cases, when the baric field fails to adapt to rapid changes in the temperature field associated with the air mass advection. For example, such events often occur over the ocean surface. We performed a synoptic analysis for several blocking events from the data on the velocity field dynamics at 850 hPa and PV-θ supplemented by the analysis of the observational rainfall data at the stations during those events. Distinguished were several stages of the blocking evolution over the Siberia and Far Eastern region that involved air masses from the East Asian summer monsoon region: 1. The formation of a blocking over Western Siberia; 2. Cold inflow on the blocking eastern periphery, the East Asian summer monsoon front activation, and a cyclone formation (east of Lake Baikal), in whose system the monsoon air was actively involved. Such monsoon cyclones, as a rule, are deep long-living formations, and they bring abnormal precipitations; 3. The formation of a ridge or anticyclone east of the monsoon cyclone, caused by the advection of the same monsoon flow, whose part is involved in a cyclone system. In general, the East Asian summer monsoon influence comes to the effects of regeneration and intensification of the blocking

An annotated checklist of the Chilopoda and Diplopoda (Myriapoda) of the Abrau Peninsula, northwestern Caucasus, Russia

PubMed Central

Semenyuk, Irina I.; Tuf, Ivan H.

2016-01-01

Abstract Background The Abrau Peninsula is located in northwestern Caucasus between the cities of Novorossiysk and Anapa, Krasnodar Province, Russia. This paper contains an annotated checklist of the Chilopoda and Diplopoda inhabiting the Abrau Peninsula. New information The fauna of the Abrau Peninsula comprises 17 centipede (4 orders) and 16 millipede (6 orders) species. Henia taurica, hitherto known only from the Crimea, has now been reported from several localities in the studied region. The study also reveals two possibly new millipede species. Statistical analyses showed that habitat preferences of myriapod species within the Abrau Peninsula are caused by species geographic distribution pattern and microbiotope preferences. PMID:27346949

Neogene amphibians and reptiles (Caudata, Anura, Gekkota, Lacertilia, and Testudines) from the south of Western Siberia, Russia, and Northeastern Kazakhstan.

PubMed

Vasilyan, Davit; Zazhigin, Vladimir S; Böhme, Madelaine

2017-01-01

The present-day amphibian and reptile fauna of Western Siberia are the least diverse of the Palaearctic Realm, as a consequence of the unfavourable climatic conditions that predominate in this region. The origin and emergence of these herpetofaunal groups are poorly understood. Aside from the better-explored European Neogene localities yielding amphibian and reptile fossil remains, the Neogene herpetofauna of Western Asia is understudied. The few available data need critical reviews and new interpretations, taking into account the more recent records of the European herpetofauna. The comparison of this previous data with that of European fossil records would provide data on palaeobiogeographic affiliations of the region as well as on the origin and emergence of the present-day fauna of Western Siberia. An overview of the earliest occurrences of certain amphibian lineages is still needed. In addition, studies that address such knowledge gaps can be useful for molecular biologists in their calibration of molecular clocks. In this study, we considered critically reviewed available data from amphibian and reptile fauna from over 40 Western Siberian, Russian and Northeastern Kazakhstan localities, ranging from the Middle Miocene to Early Pleistocene. Herein, we provided new interpretations that arose from our assessment of the previously published and new data. More than 50 amphibians and reptile taxa were identified belonging to families Hynobiidae, Cryptobranchidae, Salamandridae, Palaeobatrachidae, Bombinatoridae, Pelobatidae, Hylidae, Bufonidae, Ranidae, Gekkonidae, Lacertidae, and Emydidae. Palaeobiogeographic analyses were performed for these groups and palaeoprecipitation values were estimated for 12 localities, using the bioclimatic analysis of herpetofaunal assemblages. The Neogene assemblage of Western Siberia was found to be dominated by groups of European affinities, such as Palaeobatrachidae, Bombina, Hyla , Bufo bufo , and a small part of this assemblage

Geology of the Prince William Sound and Kenai Peninsula region, Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wilson, Frederic H.; Hults, Chad P.

2012-01-01

The Prince William Sound and Kenai Peninsula region includes a significant part of one of the world’s largest accretionary complexes and a small part of the classic magmatic arc geology of the Alaska Peninsula. Physiographically, the map area ranges from the high glaciated mountains of the Alaska and Aleutian Ranges and the Chugach Mountains to the coastal lowlands of Cook Inlet and the Copper River delta. Structurally, the map area is cut by a number of major faults and postulated faults, the most important of which are the Border Ranges, Contact, and Bruin Bay Fault systems. The rocks of the map area belong to the Southern Margin composite terrane, a Tertiary and Cretaceous or older subduction-related accretionary complex, and the Alaska Peninsula terrane. Mesozoic rocks between these two terranes have been variously assigned to the Peninsular or the Hidden terranes. The oldest rocks in the map area are blocks of Paleozoic age within the mélange of the McHugh Complex; however, the protolith age of the greenschist and blueschist within the Border Ranges Fault zone is not known. Extensive glacial deposits mantle the Kenai Peninsula and the lowlands on the west side of Cook Inlet and are locally found elsewhere in the map area. This map was compiled from existing mapping, without generalization, and new or revised data was added where available.

[Industrial production of the LDRD "Siberia-N" digital radiographic devices].

PubMed

Baru, S E; Ukraintsev, Iu G

2004-01-01

It is envisaged, as a key task, in the Federal Program on Tuberculosis Monitoring, that preventive measures and early TB detection is a priority. Fluorography, which is important for the recognition of pulmonary tuberculosis at its early stages, has been used in the diagnostics of pulmonary pathologies. However, according to the statistics provided by the Russian Ministry of Healthcare, around 80% of available medical equipment is now worn and obsolete. Owing to a fruitful research activity related with designing a digital low-dose X-Ray unit (Siberia-N) carried out by the Budker Institute of Nuclear Physics, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Novosibirsk), a certain progress can be stated in perfecting the fluorography equipment in Russia. The above unit incorporates all advanced achievements in the field of digital X-Ray diagnostics.

Sub-fossil beetle assemblages associated with the "mammoth fauna" in the Late Pleistocene localities of the Ural Mountains and West Siberia.

PubMed

Zinovyev, Evgeniy

2011-01-01

The distribution of beetles at the end of the Middle Pleninglacial (=terminal Quaternary) was examined based on sub-fossil material from the Ural Mountains and Western Siberia, Russia. All relevant localities of fossil insects have similar radiocarbon dates, ranging between 33,000 and 22,000 C14 years ago. Being situated across the vast territory from the southern Ural Mountains in the South to the middle Yamal Peninsula in the North, they allow latitudinal changes in beetle assemblages of that time to be traced. These beetles lived simultaneously with mammals of the so-called "mammoth fauna" with mammoth, bison, and wooly rhinoceros, the often co-occurring mega-mammalian bones at some of the sites being evidence of this. The beetle assemblages found between 59° and 57°N appear to be the most interesting. Their bulk is referred to as a "mixed" type, one which includes a characteristic combination of arcto-boreal, boreal, steppe and polyzonal species showing no analogues among recent insect complexes. These peculiar faunas seem to have represented a particular zonal type, which disappeared since the end of the Last Glaciation to arrive here with the extinction of the mammoth biota. In contrast, on the sites lying north of 60°N, the beetle communities were similar to modern sub-arctic and arctic faunas, yet with the participation of some sub-boreal steppe components, such as Poecilus ravus Lutshnik and Carabus sibiricus Fischer-Waldheim. This information, when compared with our knowledge of synchronous insect faunas from other regions of northern Eurasia, suggests that the former distribution of beetles in this region could be accounted for both by palaeo-environmental conditions and the impact of grazing by large ruminant mammals across the so-called "mammoth savannas".

Earth - Northeast Africa and the Arabian Peninsula

NASA Image and Video Library

1996-01-29

This image of northeast Africa and the Arabian Peninsula was taken from an altitude of about 500,000 kilometers 300,000 miles by NASA’s Galileo spacecraft on December 9, 1992, as it left Earth en route to Jupiter. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA00127

STS-42 Earth observation of Kamchatka Peninsula

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1992-01-01

STS-42 Earth observation taken aboard Discovery, Orbiter Vehicle (OV) 103, with an electronic still camera (ESC) is of Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia. Mid-afternoon sun projects long shadows from volcanoes on the Kamchatka Peninsula. This flat-topped volcano with the sharp summit crater is Tobachinsky, over 3,085 kilometers high. Its last major eruption was in 1975 and 1976, but it has been very active since the middle of the Sixteenth Century. The shadows cast by the low sunlight brings out the dramatic relief of the volcano as well as the smaller morphologic features. For example, the small hills in the foreground and behind the central volcano are cinder cones, approximately only 200 meters high. Note the sharp triangular shadow from the conical volcano at right. Electronic still photography is a relatively new technology that enables a camera to electronically capture and digitize an image with resolution approaching film quality. The digital images from STS-42 were stored on a disk

STS-42 Earth observation of Kamchatka Peninsula

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1992-01-01

STS-42 Earth observation taken aboard Discovery, Orbiter Vehicle (OV) 103, with an electronic still camera (ESC) is of Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia. Mid-afternoon sun projects long shadows from volcanoes on the Kamchatka Peninsula. This flat-topped volcano with the sharp summit crater is Tobachinsky, over 3,085 kilometers high. Its last major eruption was in 1975 and 1976, but it has been very active since the middle of the Sixteenth Century. The shadows cast by the low sunlight brings out the dramatic relief of the volcano as well as the smaller morphologic features. Electronic still photography is a relatively new technology that enables a camera to electronically capture and digitize an image with resolution approaching film quality. The digital images from STS-42 were stored on a disk and brought home with the flight crewmembers for processing. ESC was developed by the JSC Man-Systems Division and this mission's application of it is part of a continuing evolutionary development le

Hurricane Ike Deposits on the Bolivar Peninsula, Galveston Bay, Texas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Evans, C. A.; Wilkinson, M. J.; Eppler, D.

2011-12-01

In September 2008, Hurricane Ike made landfall on Galveston Bay, close to the NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC). The storm flooded much of the area with a storm surge ranging from 11-20 feet. The Bolivar peninsula, the southeastern coast of Galveston Bay, experienced the brunt of the surge. Several agencies collected excellent imagery baselines before the storm and complementary data a few days afterward that helped define the impacts of the storm. In April of 2011, a team of scientists and astronauts from JSC conducted field mapping exercises along the Bolivar Peninsula, the section of the Galveston Bay coast most impacted by the storm. Astronauts routinely observe and document coastal changes from orbit aboard the International Space Station. As part of their basic Earth Science training, scientists at the Johnson Space Center take astronauts out for field mapping exercises so that they can better recognize and understand features and processes that they will later observe from the International Space Station. Using pre-storm baseline images of the Bolivar Peninsula near Rollover Pass and Gilchrist (NOAA/Google Earth Imagery and USGS aerial imagery and lidar data), the astronauts mapped current coastline positions at defined locations, and related their findings to specific coastal characteristics, including channel, jetties, and other developments. In addition to mapping, we dug trenches along both the Gulf of Mexico coast as well as the Galveston Bay coast of the Bolivar peninsula to determine the depth of the scouring from the storm on the Gulf side, and the amount of deposition of the storm surge deposits on the Bay side of the peninsula. The storm signature was easy to identify by sharp sediment transitions and, in the case of storm deposits, a layer of storm debris (roof shingles, PVC pipes, etc) and black, organic rich layers containing buried sea grasses in areas that were marshes before the storm. The amount of deposition was generally about 20-25 cm; the

Hurricane Ike Deposits on the Bolivar Peninsula, Galveston Bay, Texas

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Evans, Cynthia A.; Wilkinson, M. J.; Eppler, Dean

2011-01-01

In September 2008, Hurricane Ike made landfall on Galveston Bay, close to the NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC). The storm flooded much of the area with a storm surge ranging from 11 -20 feet. The Bolivar peninsula, the southeastern coast of Galveston Bay, experienced the brunt of the surge. Several agencies collected excellent imagery baselines before the storm and complementary data a few days afterward that helped define the impacts of the storm. In April of 2011, a team of scientists and astronauts from JSC conducted field mapping exercises along the Bolivar Peninsula, the section of the Galveston Bay coast most impacted by the storm. Astronauts routinely observe and document coastal changes from orbit aboard the International Space Station. As part of their basic Earth Science training, scientists at the Johnson Space Center take astronauts out for field mapping exercises so that they can better recognize and understand features and processes that they will later observe from the International Space Station. Using pre -storm baseline images of the Bolivar Peninsula near Rollover Pass and Gilchrist (NOAA/Google Earth Imagery and USGS aerial imagery and lidar data), the astronauts mapped current coastline positions at defined locations, and related their findings to specific coastal characteristics, including channel, jetties, and other developments. In addition to mapping, we dug trenches along both the Gulf of Mexico coast as well as the Galveston Bay coast of the Bolivar peninsula to determine the depth of the scouring from the storm on the Gulf side, and the amount of deposition of the storm surge deposits on the Bay side of the peninsula. The storm signature was easy to identify by sharp sediment transitions and, in the case of storm deposits, a layer of storm debris (roof shingles, PVC pipes, etc) and black, organic rich layers containing buried sea grasses in areas that were marshes before the storm. The amount of deposition was generally about 20 -25 cm

New data on stratigraphy (palynomorphs, ostracods, paleomagnetism) of Cenozoic continental deposits of the Ishim plain, Western Siberia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuzmina, O. B.; Gnibidenko, Z. N.; Khazin, L. B.; Khazina, I. V.

2017-05-01

New micropaleontological and paleomagnetic data were obtained by studying core samples of Cenozoic continental deposits from two boreholes drilled in the south of Tyumen oblast (Western Siberia). Palynological assemblages in deposits of the Tavda (upper part), Novomikhailovka, Turtas, Abrosimovka, Tobolsk, Smirnovka, and Suzgun formations were described. Deposits of these formations are enriched in spore-pollen assemblages, which can be correlated with assemblages of regional palynozones of the West Siberian Plain. Ostracods were described in Quaternary deposits. On the basis of biostratigraphic and paleomagnetic data, the Late Eocene (Priabonian)-Holocene age of deposits was substantiated. For the first time, beds with dinocysts of genus Pseudokomewuia were identified in deposits of the Turtas Formation (Upper Oligocene) of the Ishim lithofacial area. In total, nine regional magnetozones were distinguished in the paleomagnetic section. On the basis of palynological and paleomagnetic data, sections of two boreholes were correlated, and hiatuses in sedimentation were revealed. A large hiatus is at the Eocene-Oligocene boundary (Western Siberia): the Lower Oligocene Atlym Horizon and Miocene-Pliocene and Eopleistocene sediments are missing. The Oligocene interval of the section is represented in a reduced volume.

Ground-water conditions and quality in the western part of Kenai Peninsula, southcentral Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Glass, R.L.

1996-01-01

The western part of Kenai Peninsula in southcentral Alaska is bounded by Cook Inlet and the Kenai Mountains. Ground water is the predominant source of water for commercial, industrial, and domestic uses on the peninsula. Mean daily water use in an oil, gas, and chemical processing area north of Kenai is more than 3.5 million gallons. Unconsolidated sediments of glacial and fluvial origin are the most productive aquifers. In the upper (northwestern) peninsula, almost all water used is withdrawn from unconsolidated sediments, which may be as thick as 750 feet. In the lower peninsula, unconsolidated sediments are thinner and are absent on many hills. Water supplies in the lower peninsula are obtained from unconsolidated sediments and bedrock, and a public-water supply in parts of Homer is obtained from Bridge Creek. Throughout the peninsula, ground-water flow occurs primarily as localized flow controlled by permeability of aquifer materials and surface topography. The concentration of constituents analyzed in water from 312 wells indicated that the chemical quality of ground water for human consumption varies from marginal to excellent. Even though the median concentration of dissolved solids is low (152 milligrams per liter), much of the ground water on the peninsula does not meet water-quality regulations for public drinking water established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). About 8 percent of wells sampled yielded water having concentrations of dissolved arsenic that exceeded the USEPA primary maximum contaminant level of 50 micrograms per liter. Concentrations of dissolved arsenic were as great as 94 micrograms per liter. Forty-six percent of wells sampled yielded water having concentrations of dissolved iron greater than the USEPA secondary maximum contaminant level of 300 micrograms per liter. Unconsolidated sediments generally yield water having calcium, magnesium, and bicarbonate as its predominant ions. In some areas, ground water at

Cumulative effects of rapid climate and land-use changes on the Yamal Peninsula, Russia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walker, D. A.; Leibman, M. O.; Forbes, B. C.; Epstein, H. E.

2008-12-01

Our principal goal is to develop better, more far-looking tools to predict the cumulative effects of resource development, climate-change, and traditional land use. Here we use remote sensing, climate-change analyses, socio-economic analyses, and vegetation-change models to examine the cumulative effects of climate change, gas development, and reindeer herding on the Yamal Peninsula in northwest Siberia as part of the Northern Eurasia Earth Science Partnership Initiative (NEESPI). We find: 1. Direct (planned) impacts of industrial activities on the Yamal Peninsula are currently local and limited in extent, but this is changing rapidly as extensive gas fields are developed and land and sea transportation corridors are developed to get the gas to market. Indirect impacts of the development at Bovanenkovo, the largest gas field, exceed the direct impacts by a factor of three, and the total area of influence of the development on the reindeer pasturelands (e.g., area where migration routes and access to pasturelands is affected) exceeds the direct impacts by a factor of about 40. 2. The trend in land-surface temperatures has co-varied with the trend in sea-ice. Low sea ice in the preceding December-March period is correlated to warmer land temperature the following summer. The sea- ice trends in the Kara Sea-Yamal region are tied to variation in the North Atlantic Oscillation index. 4. Only a small greening response to warming has been detected on the Yamal in comparison with some other areas in the Arctic (e.g. Northern Alaska). The actual effects of climate-change on vegetation are currently hard to document at the ground level because of lack of baseline and long-term ground observations and difficulty of excluding reindeer in these studies. 5. There is high potential for extensive landscape effects due to unstable sandy soils, and extremely ice-rich permafrost near the surface on slopes. 6. Two different vegetation modeling approaches are being used to predict

Timber resource statistics for the Olympic Peninsula, Washington.

Treesearch

Patricia M. Bassett; Daniel D. Oswald

1961-01-01

This report summarizes a 1978-79 timber resource inventory of five counties in the Olympic Peninsula of Washington: Clallam, Grays Harbor, Jefferson, Mason, and Thurston. Detailed tables of forest area, timber volume, growth, mortality, and harvest are presented.

Experience and Perspectives of Art History Development in Educational Space of Siberia at the Turn of XX-XXI ?enturies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nekhvyadovich, Larisa Ivanovna; Chernyaeva, Irina Valerievna

2016-01-01

The article has a program-analytical nature, contains an analysis and assessment of the scientific school of T. M. Stepanskaya, Doctor of Arts, professor, member of Russian Union of Artists. The goal of T. M. Stepanskaya's professional activity is incorporation of Art History in higher educational institutions in Siberia. The authors consider the…

Marine exotic isopods from the Iberian Peninsula and nearby waters.

PubMed

Martínez-Laiz, Gemma; Ros, Macarena; Guerra-García, José M

2018-01-01

Effective management of marine bioinvasions starts with prevention, communication among the scientific community and comprehensive updated data on the distribution ranges of exotic species. Despite being a hotspot for introduction due to numerous shipping routes converging at the Strait of Gibraltar, knowledge of marine exotics in the Iberian Peninsula is scarce, especially of abundant but small-sized and taxonomically challenging taxa such as the Order Isopoda. To fill this gap, we conducted several sampling surveys in 44 marinas and provide the first comprehensive study of marine exotic isopods from the Iberian Peninsula, the southern side of the Strait of Gibraltar (northern Africa) and the Balearic Islands. Exotic species included Ianiropsis serricaudis (first record for the Iberian Peninsula and Lusitanian marine province), Paracerceis sculpta (first record for the Alboran Sea ecoregion), Paradella dianae , Paranthura japonica (earliest record for the Iberian Peninsula) and Sphaeroma walkeri . Photographs with morphological details for identification for non-taxonomic experts are provided, their worldwide distribution is updated and patterns of invasion are discussed. We report an expansion in the distribution range of all species, especially at the Strait of Gibraltar and nearby areas. Ianiropsis serricaudis and Paranthura japonica are polyvectic, with shellfish trade and recreational boating being most probable vectors for their introduction and secondary spread. The subsequent finding of the studied species in additional marinas over the years points at recreational boating as a vector and indicates a future spread. We call for attention to reduce lags in the detection and reporting of small-size exotics, which usually remain overlooked or underestimated until the invasion process is at an advanced stage.

Marine exotic isopods from the Iberian Peninsula and nearby waters

PubMed Central

Ros, Macarena; Guerra-García, José M.

2018-01-01

Effective management of marine bioinvasions starts with prevention, communication among the scientific community and comprehensive updated data on the distribution ranges of exotic species. Despite being a hotspot for introduction due to numerous shipping routes converging at the Strait of Gibraltar, knowledge of marine exotics in the Iberian Peninsula is scarce, especially of abundant but small-sized and taxonomically challenging taxa such as the Order Isopoda. To fill this gap, we conducted several sampling surveys in 44 marinas and provide the first comprehensive study of marine exotic isopods from the Iberian Peninsula, the southern side of the Strait of Gibraltar (northern Africa) and the Balearic Islands. Exotic species included Ianiropsis serricaudis (first record for the Iberian Peninsula and Lusitanian marine province), Paracerceis sculpta (first record for the Alboran Sea ecoregion), Paradella dianae, Paranthura japonica (earliest record for the Iberian Peninsula) and Sphaeroma walkeri. Photographs with morphological details for identification for non-taxonomic experts are provided, their worldwide distribution is updated and patterns of invasion are discussed. We report an expansion in the distribution range of all species, especially at the Strait of Gibraltar and nearby areas. Ianiropsis serricaudis and Paranthura japonica are polyvectic, with shellfish trade and recreational boating being most probable vectors for their introduction and secondary spread. The subsequent finding of the studied species in additional marinas over the years points at recreational boating as a vector and indicates a future spread. We call for attention to reduce lags in the detection and reporting of small-size exotics, which usually remain overlooked or underestimated until the invasion process is at an advanced stage. PMID:29507825

Analysis of recent climatic changes in the Arabian Peninsula region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nasrallah, H. A.; Balling, R. C.

1996-12-01

Interest in the potential climatic consequences of the continued buildup of anthropo-generated greenhouse gases has led many scientists to conduct extensive climate change studies at the global, hemispheric, and regional scales. In this investigation, analyses are conducted on long-term historical climate records from the Arabian Peninsula region. Over the last 100 years, temperatures in the region increased linearly by 0.63 °C. However, virtually all of this warming occurred from 1911 1935, and over the most recent 50 years, the Arabian Peninsula region has cooled slightly. In addition, the satellite-based measurements of lower-tropospheric temperatures for the region do not show any statistically significant warming over the period 1979 1991. While many other areas of the world are showing a decrease in the diurnal temperature range, the Arabian Peninsula region reveals no evidence of a long-term change in this parameter. Precipitation records for the region show a slight, statistically insignificant decrease over the past 40 years. The results from this study should complement the mass of information that has resulted from similar regional climate studies conducted in the United States, Europe, and Australia.

The Peninsula Academies. Third Yearly Interim Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reynolds, Dorothy F.

The performance of the Peninsula Academies of Electronics and Computer Technology was assessed for the program's third year of operation in two host schools in the Sequoia Union High School District. Data were collected for approximately 190 Academy students and for a comparison group of non-Academy students. Academies students missed fewer days…

27 CFR 9.114 - Old Mission Peninsula.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... boundary in Grand Traverse County, Michigan, consists of all of Peninsula Township, excluding Marion and Bassett Islands. In addition, the viticultural area takes in a small portion of Traverse City Township. (1... Grand Traverse Bay at Section 1, Township 27 North, Range 11 West (T27N, R11W), approximately 500 feet...

27 CFR 9.114 - Old Mission Peninsula.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... boundary in Grand Traverse County, Michigan, consists of all of Peninsula Township, excluding Marion and Bassett Islands. In addition, the viticultural area takes in a small portion of Traverse City Township. (1... Grand Traverse Bay at Section 1, Township 27 North, Range 11 West (T27N, R11W), approximately 500 feet...

Mining legacy across a wetland landscape: high mercury in Upper Peninsula (Michigan) rivers, lakes, and fish.

PubMed

Kerfoot, W Charles; Urban, Noel R; McDonald, Cory P; Zhang, Huanxin; Rossmann, Ronald; Perlinger, Judith A; Khan, Tanvir; Hendricks, Ashley; Priyadarshini, Mugdha; Bolstad, Morgan

2018-04-25

A geographic enigma is that present-day atmospheric deposition of mercury in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan is low (48%) and that regional industrial emissions have declined substantially (ca. 81% reduction) relative to downstate. Mercury levels should be declining. However, state (MDEQ) surveys of rivers and lakes revealed elevated total mercury (THg) in Upper Peninsula waters and sediment relative to downstate. Moreover, Western Upper Peninsula (WUP) fish possess higher methyl mercury (MeHg) levels than Northern Lower Peninsula (NLP) fish. A contributing explanation for elevated THg loading is that a century ago the Upper Peninsula was a major industrial region, centered on mining. Many regional ores (silver, copper, zinc, massive sulfides) contain mercury in part per million concentrations. Copper smelters and iron furnace-taconite operations broadcast mercury almost continuously for 140 years, whereas mills discharged tailings and old mine shafts leaked contaminated water. We show that mercury emissions from copper and iron operations were substantial (60-650 kg per year) and dispersed over relatively large areas. Moreover, lake sediments in the vicinity of mining operations have higher THg concentrations. Sediment profiles from the Keweenaw Waterway show that THg accumulation increased 50- to 400-fold above modern-day atmospheric deposition levels during active mining and smelting operations, with lingering MeHg effects. High MeHg concentrations are geographically correlated with low pH and dissolved organic carbon (DOC), a consequence of biogeochemical cycling in wetlands, characteristic of the Upper Peninsula. DOC can mobilize metals and elevate MeHg concentrations. We argue that mercury loading from mining is historically superimposed upon strong regional wetland effects, producing a combined elevation of both THg and MeHg in the Western Upper Peninsula.

Fuel Consumption and Fire Emissions Estimates in Siberia: Impact of Vegetation Types, Meteorological Conditions, Forestry Practices and Fire Regimes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kukavskaya, Elena; Conard, Susan; Ivanova, Galina; Buryak, Ludmila; Soja, Amber; Zhila, Sergey

2015-04-01

Boreal forests play a crucial role in carbon budgets with Siberian carbon fluxes and pools making a major contribution to the regional and global carbon cycle. Wildfire is the main ecological disturbance in Siberia that leads to changes in forest species composition and structure and in carbon storage, as well as direct emissions of greenhouse gases and aerosols to the atmosphere. At present, the global scientific community is highly interested in quantitative and accurate estimates of fire emissions. Little research on wildland fuel consumption and carbon emission estimates has been carried out in Russia until recently. From 2000 to 2007 we conducted a series of experimental fires of varying fireline intensity in light-coniferous forest of central Siberia to obtain quantitative and qualitative data on fire behavior and carbon emissions due to fires of known behavior. From 2009 to 2013 we examined a number of burned logged areas to assess the potential impact of forest practices on fire emissions. In 2013-2014 burned areas in dark-coniferous and deciduous forests were examined to determine fuel consumption and carbon emissions. We have combined and analyzed the scarce data available in the literature with data obtained in the course of our long-term research to determine the impact of various factors on fuel consumption and to develop models of carbon emissions for different ecosystems of Siberia. Carbon emissions varied drastically (from 0.5 to 40.9 tC/ha) as a function of vegetation type, weather conditions, anthropogenic effects and fire behavior characteristics and periodicity. Our study provides a basis for better understanding of the feedbacks between wildland fire emissions and changing anthropogenic disturbance patterns and climate. The data obtained could be used by air quality agencies to calculate local emissions and by managers to develop strategies to mitigate negative smoke impacts on the environmentand human health.

Changes in glacier dynamics in the northern Antarctic Peninsula since 1985

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seehaus, Thorsten; Cook, Alison J.; Silva, Aline B.; Braun, Matthias

2018-02-01

The climatic conditions along the northern Antarctic Peninsula have shown significant changes within the last 50 years. Here we present a comprehensive analysis of temporally and spatially detailed observations of the changes in ice dynamics along both the east and west coastlines of the northern Antarctic Peninsula. Temporal evolutions of glacier area (1985-2015) and ice surface velocity (1992-2014) are derived from a broad multi-mission remote sensing database for 74 glacier basins on the northern Antarctic Peninsula ( < 65° S along the west coast and north of the Seal Nunataks on the east coast). A recession of the glaciers by 238.81 km2 is found for the period 1985-2015, of which the glaciers affected by ice shelf disintegration showed the largest retreat by 208.59 km2. Glaciers on the east coast north of the former Prince Gustav Ice Shelf extent in 1986 receded by only 21.07 km2 (1985-2015) and decelerated by about 58 % on average (1992-2014). A dramatic acceleration after ice shelf disintegration with a subsequent deceleration is observed at most former ice shelf tributaries on the east coast, combined with a significant frontal retreat. In 2014, the flow speed of the former ice shelf tributaries was 26 % higher than before 1996. Along the west coast the average flow speeds of the glaciers increased by 41 %. However, the glaciers on the western Antarctic Peninsula revealed a strong spatial variability of the changes in ice dynamics. By applying a hierarchical cluster analysis, we show that this is associated with the geometric parameters of the individual glacier basins (hypsometric indexes, maximum surface elevation of the basin, flux gate to catchment size ratio). The heterogeneous spatial pattern of ice dynamic evolutions at the northern Antarctic Peninsula shows that temporally and spatially detailed observations as well as further monitoring are necessary to fully understand glacier change in regions with such strong topographic and climatic variances.

Neogene amphibians and reptiles (Caudata, Anura, Gekkota, Lacertilia, and Testudines) from the south of Western Siberia, Russia, and Northeastern Kazakhstan

PubMed Central

Zazhigin, Vladimir S.

2017-01-01

Background The present-day amphibian and reptile fauna of Western Siberia are the least diverse of the Palaearctic Realm, as a consequence of the unfavourable climatic conditions that predominate in this region. The origin and emergence of these herpetofaunal groups are poorly understood. Aside from the better-explored European Neogene localities yielding amphibian and reptile fossil remains, the Neogene herpetofauna of Western Asia is understudied. The few available data need critical reviews and new interpretations, taking into account the more recent records of the European herpetofauna. The comparison of this previous data with that of European fossil records would provide data on palaeobiogeographic affiliations of the region as well as on the origin and emergence of the present-day fauna of Western Siberia. An overview of the earliest occurrences of certain amphibian lineages is still needed. In addition, studies that address such knowledge gaps can be useful for molecular biologists in their calibration of molecular clocks. Methods and Results In this study, we considered critically reviewed available data from amphibian and reptile fauna from over 40 Western Siberian, Russian and Northeastern Kazakhstan localities, ranging from the Middle Miocene to Early Pleistocene. Herein, we provided new interpretations that arose from our assessment of the previously published and new data. More than 50 amphibians and reptile taxa were identified belonging to families Hynobiidae, Cryptobranchidae, Salamandridae, Palaeobatrachidae, Bombinatoridae, Pelobatidae, Hylidae, Bufonidae, Ranidae, Gekkonidae, Lacertidae, and Emydidae. Palaeobiogeographic analyses were performed for these groups and palaeoprecipitation values were estimated for 12 localities, using the bioclimatic analysis of herpetofaunal assemblages. Conclusion The Neogene assemblage of Western Siberia was found to be dominated by groups of European affinities, such as Palaeobatrachidae, Bombina, Hyla, Bufo

Coastal-Change and Glaciological Maps of the Antarctic Peninsula

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ferrigno, Jane G.; Williams, Richard S.; Thomson, Janet W.

2002-01-01

In 2000, the Glacier Studies Project (GSP) of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the Mapping and Geographic Information Centre (MAGIC) of the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) began a formal cooperative 3-year endeavor to prepare three maps of the Antarctic Peninsula region. The maps will be based on a large variety of cartographic, aerial photograph, satellite image, and ancillary historical datasets archived at each institution. The maps will document dynamic changes on the peninsula during the past 50 years. The three maps are part of a planned 24-map series (I-2600) being published by the USGS in both paper and digital format (see USGS Fact Sheet FS-050-98 at http://pubs.usgs.gov/factsheet/fs50-98/); the maps are of the Trinity Peninsula area (I-2600-A), the Larsen Ice Shelf area (I-2600-B), and the Palmer Land area (I-2600-C). The 1:1,000,000-scale maps will encompass an area 1,800 kilometers (km) long and with an average width of 400 km (range of 200 to 600 km wide); the area is between lats 60? and 76? S. and longs 52? and 80? W. Each of the three maps will include an interpretive booklet that analyzes documented historical changes in the fronts of the ice shelves and termini of the outlet glaciers.

Database of in-situ field measurements for estimates of fuel consumption and fire emissions in Siberia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kukavskaya, Elena; Conard, Susan; Buryak, Ludmila; Ivanova, Galina; Soja, Amber; Kalenskaya, Olga; Zhila, Sergey; Zarubin, Denis; Groisman, Pavel

2016-04-01

Wildfires show great variability in the amount of fuel consumed and carbon emitted to the atmosphere. Various types of models are used to calculate global or large scale regional fire emissions. However, in the databases used to estimate fuel consumptions, data for Russia are typically under-represented. Meanwhile, the differences in vegetation and fire regimes in the boreal forests in North America and Eurasia argue strongly for the need of regional ecosystem-specific data. For about 15 years we have been collecting field data on fuel loads and consumption in different ecosystem types of Siberia. We conducted a series of experimental burnings of varying fireline intensity in Scots pine and larch forests of central Siberia to obtain quantitative and qualitative data on fire behavior and carbon emissions. In addition, we examined wildfire behavior and effects in different vegetation types including Scots pine, Siberian pine, fir, birch, poplar, and larch-dominated forests; evergreen coniferous shrubs; grasslands, and peats. We investigated various ecosystem zones of Siberia (central and southern taiga, forest-steppe, steppe, mountains) in the different subjects of the Russian Federation (Krasnoyarsk Kray, Republic of Khakassia, Republic of Buryatia, Tuva Republic, Zabaikalsky Kray). To evaluate the impact of forest practices on fire emissions, burned and unburned logged sites and forest plantations were examined. We found large variations of fuel consumption and fire emission rates among different vegetation types depending on growing conditions, fire behavior characteristics and anthropogenic factors. Changes in the climate system result in an increase in fire frequency, area burned, the number of extreme fires, fire season length, fire season severity, and the number of ignitions from lightning. This leads to an increase of fire-related emissions of carbon to the atmosphere. The field measurement database we compiled is required for improving accuracy of existing

Past penguin colony responses to explosive volcanism on the Antarctic Peninsula

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roberts, Stephen J.; Monien, Patrick; Foster, Louise C.; Loftfield, Julia; Hocking, Emma P.; Schnetger, Bernhard; Pearson, Emma J.; Juggins, Steve; Fretwell, Peter; Ireland, Louise; Ochyra, Ryszard; Haworth, Anna R.; Allen, Claire S.; Moreton, Steven G.; Davies, Sarah J.; Brumsack, Hans-Jürgen; Bentley, Michael J.; Hodgson, Dominic A.

2017-04-01

Changes in penguin populations on the Antarctic Peninsula have been linked to several environmental factors, but the potentially devastating impact of volcanic activity has not been considered. Here we use detailed biogeochemical analyses to track past penguin colony change over the last 8,500 years on Ardley Island, home to one of the Antarctic Peninsula's largest breeding populations of gentoo penguins. The first sustained penguin colony was established on Ardley Island c. 6,700 years ago, pre-dating sub-fossil evidence of Peninsula-wide occupation by c. 1,000 years. The colony experienced five population maxima during the Holocene. Overall, we find no consistent relationships with local-regional atmospheric and ocean temperatures or sea-ice conditions, although the colony population maximum, c. 4,000-3,000 years ago, corresponds with regionally elevated temperatures. Instead, at least three of the five phases of penguin colony expansion were abruptly ended by large eruptions from the Deception Island volcano, resulting in near-complete local extinction of the colony, with, on average, 400-800 years required for sustainable recovery.

Past penguin colony responses to explosive volcanism on the Antarctic Peninsula

PubMed Central

Roberts, Stephen J.; Monien, Patrick; Foster, Louise C.; Loftfield, Julia; Hocking, Emma P.; Schnetger, Bernhard; Pearson, Emma J.; Juggins, Steve; Fretwell, Peter; Ireland, Louise; Ochyra, Ryszard; Haworth, Anna R.; Allen, Claire S.; Moreton, Steven G.; Davies, Sarah J.; Brumsack, Hans-Jürgen; Bentley, Michael J.; Hodgson, Dominic A.

2017-01-01

Changes in penguin populations on the Antarctic Peninsula have been linked to several environmental factors, but the potentially devastating impact of volcanic activity has not been considered. Here we use detailed biogeochemical analyses to track past penguin colony change over the last 8,500 years on Ardley Island, home to one of the Antarctic Peninsula's largest breeding populations of gentoo penguins. The first sustained penguin colony was established on Ardley Island c. 6,700 years ago, pre-dating sub-fossil evidence of Peninsula-wide occupation by c. 1,000 years. The colony experienced five population maxima during the Holocene. Overall, we find no consistent relationships with local-regional atmospheric and ocean temperatures or sea-ice conditions, although the colony population maximum, c. 4,000–3,000 years ago, corresponds with regionally elevated temperatures. Instead, at least three of the five phases of penguin colony expansion were abruptly ended by large eruptions from the Deception Island volcano, resulting in near-complete local extinction of the colony, with, on average, 400–800 years required for sustainable recovery. PMID:28398353

Klyuchevskaya, Volcano, Kamchatka Peninsula, CIS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1991-01-01

Klyuchevskaya, Volcano, Kamchatka Peninsula, CIS (56.0N, 160.5E) is one of several active volcanoes in the CIS and is 15,584 ft. in elevation. Fresh ash fall on the south side of the caldera can be seen as a dirty smudge on the fresh snowfall. Just to the north of the Kamchatka River is Shiveluch, a volcano which had been active a short time previously. There are more than 100 volcanic edifices recognized on Kamchatka, 15 of which are still active.

Shaded Relief with Height as Color, Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-03-06

This shaded relief image of Mexico Yucatan Peninsula show a subtle, but unmistakable, indication of the Chicxulub impact crater. Most scientists now agree that this impact was the cause of the Cretatious-Tertiary Extinction.

Peninsula Academies Replications: 1985-86 Evaluation Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dayton, Charles; And Others

The Peninsula Academies is a three-year high school program for at-risk students, designed to provide them with incentives both to graduate and to acquire labor market-relevant skills. An academy combines academic and technical training in a school-within-a-school setting, and is based on school-business partnerships. In the fall of 1985, 10…

3D Electromagnetic Imaging of Fluid Distribution Below the Kii Peninsula, SW Japan Forearc

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kinoshita, Y.; Ogawa, Y.; Ichiki, M.; Yamaguchi, S.; Fujita, K.; Umeda, K.; Asamori, K.

2017-12-01

Although Kii peninsula is located in the forearc of southwest Japan, it has high temperature hot springs and fluids from mantle are inferred from the isotopic ratio of helium. Non-volcanic tremors underneath the Kii Peninsula suggest rising fluids from the slab.Previously, in the southern part of the Kii Peninsula, wide band magnetotelluric measurements were carried out (Fujita et al. ,1997; Umeda et al., 2004). These studies could image the existence of the conductivity anomaly in the shallow and deep crust, however they used two dimensional inversions and three-dimensionality is not fully taken into consideration. As part of the "Crustal Dynamics" project, we have measured 20 more stations so that the whole wide-band MT stations constitute grids for three-dimensional modeling of the area. In total we have 51 wide-band magnetotelluric sites. Preliminary 3d inverse modeling showed the following features. (1) The high resistivity in the eastern Kii Peninsula at depths of 5-40km. This may imply consolidated magma body of Kumano Acidic rocks underlain by resistive Philippine Sea Plate which subducts with a low dip angle. (2) The northwestern part of Kii Peninsula has the shallow low resistivity in the upper crust, around which high seismicity is observed. (3) The northwestern part of the survey area has a deeper conductor. This implies a wedge mantle where the Philippine Sea subduction has a higher dip angle.

Influence of logging on the effects of wildfire in Siberia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kukavskaya, E. A.; Buryak, L. V.; Ivanova, G. A.; Conard, S. G.; Kalenskaya, O. P.; Zhila, S. V.; McRae, D. J.

2013-12-01

The Russian boreal zone supports a huge terrestrial carbon pool. Moreover, it is a tremendous reservoir of wood products concentrated mainly in Siberia. The main natural disturbance in these forests is wildfire, which modifies the carbon budget and has potentially important climate feedbacks. In addition, both legal and illegal logging increase landscape complexity and affect burning conditions and fuel consumption. We investigated 100 individual sites with different histories of logging and fire on a total of 23 study areas in three different regions of Siberia to evaluate the impacts of fire and logging on fuel loads, carbon emissions, and tree regeneration in pine and larch forests. We found large variations of fire and logging effects among regions depending on growing conditions and type of logging activity. Logged areas in the Angara region had the highest surface and ground fuel loads (up to 135 t ha-1), mainly due to logging debris. This resulted in high carbon emissions where fires occurred on logged sites (up to 41 tC ha-1). The Shushenskoe/Minusinsk and Zabaikal regions are characterized by better slash removal and a smaller amount of carbon emitted to the atmosphere during fires. Illegal logging, which is widespread in the Zabaikal region, resulted in an increase in fire hazard and higher carbon emissions than legal logging. The highest fuel loads (on average 108 t ha-1) and carbon emissions (18-28 tC ha-1) in the Zabaikal region are on repeatedly burned unlogged sites where trees fell on the ground following the first fire event. Partial logging in the Shushenskoe/Minusinsk region has insufficient impact on stand density, tree mortality, and other forest conditions to substantially increase fire hazard or affect carbon stocks. Repeated fires on logged sites resulted in insufficient tree regeneration and transformation of forest to grasslands. We conclude that negative impacts of fire and logging on air quality, the carbon cycle, and ecosystem

The Impact of Increasing Fire Frequency on Forest Transformations in the Zabaikal Region, Southern Siberia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Conard, S. G.; Kukavskaya, E. A.; Buryak, L. V.; Shvetsov, E.; Kalenskaya, O. P.; Zhila, S.

2017-12-01

The Zabaikal region of southern Siberia is characterized by some of the highest fire activity in Russia. There has been a significant increase of fire frequency and burned area in the region over the last two decades due to a combination of high anthropogenic pressure, decreased funding to the forestry sector, and increased fire danger, which was associated with higher frequency and intensity of extreme weather events. Central and southern parts of the Zabaikal region where population density is higher and road network is relatively more developed are the most disturbed by fires. Larch stands cover the largest proportion of fire-disturbed lands in the region, while the less common pine and birch stands are characterized by higher fire frequency. About 13% (3.9 M ha) of the total forest area in the Zabaikal region was burned more than once in the 20 years from 1996 to 2015, with many sites burned multiple times. Repeat disturbances led to inadequate tree regeneration on all but the moistest sites. Pine stands on dry soils, which are common in the forest-steppe zone, were the most vulnerable. After repeat burns and over large burned sites we observed transformation of the forests to steppe ecosystems. The most likely causes of insufficient forest regeneration are soil overheating, dominance of tall grasses, and lack of nearby seed sources. Extensive tree plantations have potential to mitigate negative fire impacts; however, due to high fire hazard in the recent decade about half of the plantation area has been burned. Changes in the SWVI index were used to assess postfire reforestation based on a combination of satellite and field data. In the southwestern part of the Zabaikal region, we estimated that reforestation had been hampered over 11% of the forest land area. Regional climate models project increasing temperatures and decreasing precipitation across Siberia by the end of the 21st century, with changes in the Zabaikal region projected to be more than twice the

Highly pathogenic influenza H5N1 virus of clade 2.3.2.1c in Western Siberia.

PubMed

Marchenko, V Y; Susloparov, I M; Kolosova, N P; Goncharova, N I; Shipovalov, A V; Ilyicheva, T N; Durymanov, A G; Chernyshova, O A; Kozlovskiy, L I; Chernyshova, T V; Pryadkina, E N; Karimova, T V; Mikheev, V N; Ryzhikov, A B

2016-06-01

In the spring of 2015, avian influenza virus surveillance in Western Siberia resulted in isolation of several influenza H5N1 virus strains. The strains were isolated from several wild bird species. Investigation of biological features of those strains demonstrated their high pathogenicity for mammals. Phylogenetic analysis of the HA gene showed that the strains belong to clade 2.3.2.1c.

High-latitude regions of Siberia and Northeast Russia in the Paleogene: Stratigraphy, flora, climate, coal accumulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Akhmetiev, M. A.

2015-07-01

The geological structure and development history of superposed depressions on the Arctic coast of East Siberia and Bering Sea region (Chukotka, Koryakiya, northern Kamchatka) in the Early Paleogene are considered with the analysis of their flora and climatic parameters. The paleofloral analysis revealed thermophilic assemblages that reflect phases of maximum warming at the Paleocene-Eocene transition and in the Early Eocene. The appearance of thermophilic plants (Magnoliaceae, Myrtaceae, Lauraceae, Araliaceae, Loranthaceae, and others) in the Siberian segment of the Arctic region is explained by the stable atmospheric heat transfer from the Tethys to higher latitudes and absence of the latitudinal orographic barrier (Alpine-Himalayan belt). The plants migrated to high latitudes also along the meridional seaway that connected the Tethys with the Arctic Ocean via marine basins of the Eastern Paratethys, Turgai Strait, and West Siberia. The migration from the American continent was realized along the southern coast of Beringia under influence of a warm current flowing from low latitudes along the western coast of North America. The palm genus Sabal migrated to northern Kamchatka and Koryakiya precisely in this way via southern Alaska. In the Oligocene, shallow-water marine sediments in high-latitude regions were replaced by terrestrial facies. The Late Oligocene was marked by maximum cooling. Coal accumulation in Northeast Russia through the Paleogene is reviewed.

Faltering lemming cycles reduce productivity and population size of a migratory Arctic goose species

PubMed Central

Nolet, Bart A; Bauer, Silke; Feige, Nicole; Kokorev, Yakov I; Popov, Igor Yu; Ebbinge, Barwolt S

2013-01-01

birds and, more recently, possibly population dynamics of resident bird species, but this is the first evidence for effects of lemming abundance on population size of a migratory bird species. Why lemming cycles are faltering in the last two decades is unclear, but this may be associated with changes in winter climate at Taimyr Peninsula (Siberia). PMID:23419215

Faltering lemming cycles reduce productivity and population size of a migratory Arctic goose species.

PubMed

Nolet, Bart A; Bauer, Silke; Feige, Nicole; Kokorev, Yakov I; Popov, Igor Yu; Ebbinge, Barwolt S

2013-07-01

recently, possibly population dynamics of resident bird species, but this is the first evidence for effects of lemming abundance on population size of a migratory bird species. Why lemming cycles are faltering in the last two decades is unclear, but this may be associated with changes in winter climate at Taimyr Peninsula (Siberia). © 2013 The Authors. Journal of Animal Ecology © 2013 British Ecological Society.

Ca²⁺ signal contributing to the synthesis and emission of monoterpenes regulated by light intensity in Lilium 'siberia'.

PubMed

Hu, Zenghui; Li, Tianjiao; Zheng, Jian; Yang, Kai; He, Xiangfeng; Leng, Pingsheng

2015-06-01

The floral scent is an important part of plant volatile compounds, and is influenced by environmental factors. The emission of monoterpenes of Lilium 'siberia' is regulated by light intensity, but the mechanism is large unknown. In this study, the expression of Li-mTPS, a monoterpene synthase gene in the tepals of Lilium 'siberia', and net Ca(2+) flux were investigated after exposure to different levels of light intensity (0, 100, 300, 600, 1000, and 1500 μmol m(-2) s(-1)). Moreover the effect of LaCl3 and ethylene glycol-bis-(2-aminoethylether)-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid (EGTA) on the Li-mTPS expression, monoterpene emission, and net Ca(2+) flux were examined at 600 μmol m(-2) s(-1). The results showed that along with the enhancement of light intensity, the expression level of Li-mTPS increased gradually, and the net Ca(2+) influx was also enhanced showing a similar pattern. It was found that LaCl3 and EGTA effectively inhibited the increase in expression of Li-mTPS and the net Ca(2+) influx induced by light treatment. Moreover, the release amounts of monoterpenes decreased significantly after treatment with LaCl3 and EGTA. So it can be concluded that Ca(2+) signal contributed to the biosynthesis and emission of monoterpenes regulated by light intensity in Lilium 'siberia' tepals. The increased light intensity firstly triggered the Ca(2+) influx to cytoplasm, and then the gene expression of monoterpene synthases downstream was activated to regulate the biosynthesis and emission of monoterpenes. But in the signaling pathway other mechanisms were thought to be involved in the emission of monoterpenes regulated by light intensity, which need to be investigated in future research. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

An arctic fox rabies virus strain as the cause of human rabies in Russian Siberia.

PubMed

Kuzmin, I V

1999-01-01

A case of human rabies in the arctic zone of Siberia is described. The victim was bitten by a wolf, but characterization of the isolate by monoclonal antibodies showed that it was an arctic fox virus strain. This discovery reaffirmed the value of strain typing rabies virus isolates in regions where this has not been done already: such characterization pertains to the identification of the reservoir host, to the natural history of the virus in the reservoir, and to future surveillance, post-exposure treatment, and public education in the region.

The Yudomian of Siberia, Vendian and Ediacaran systems of the International stratigraphic scale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khomentovsky, V. V.

2008-12-01

In Russia, the terminal Neoproterozoic formally includes the Vendian of western part of the East European platform and the concurrent Yudoma Group of Siberia. As is shown in this work, the designated subdivisions correspond in the stratotypes only to the upper, Yudomian Series of the Vendian. In the Siberian platform, the Ust-Yudoma and Aim horizons of the Yudomian are tightly interrelated. The lower of them, bearing remains of Ediacaran Fauna, represents the Ediacarian Stage, whereas the upper one containing small-shelled fossils (SSF) corresponds to the Nemakit-Daldynian Stage divided into the trisulcatus and antiqua superregional zones. In more complete sections of the platform periphery, sediments of these subdivisions conformably rest on siliciclastic succession that should be ranked as basal subdivision of the Yudomian. The succession is concurrent to the Laplandian Stage of the East European platform. According to geochronological dates obtained recently, the Yudomian Series spans interval of 600-540 Ma. In the East European platform, the Upper Vendian (Yudomian) begins with the Laplandian basal tillites of synonymous stage. In the west of the platform, tillites are dated at 600 Ma like the Upper Vendian base in Siberia. The next Ediacarian Stage of the East European platform is stratigraphic equivalent of the Redkino Horizon, while summary range of the Kotlin and Rovno horizons is concurrent to that of the Nemakit-Daldynian Stage. The Vendian of Russia is conformably overlain by the Tommotian Stage of the Lower Cambrian. Intense pre-Vendian events constrained distribution areas of the Lower Vendian sediments in Russia. The Lower Vendian deposits of the East European platform are most representative and well studied in the central Urals, where they are attributed to the Serebryanka Group. In Siberia, separate subdivisions representing the Lower Vendian are the Maastakh Formation of the Olenek Uplift, two lower members of the Ushakovka Formation in the Baikal

Timber resources of Michigan's Eastern Upper Peninsula, 1980.

Treesearch

W. Brad Smith

1982-01-01

The fourth inventory of the timber resource of Michigan's Eastern Upper Peninsula Survey Unit shows a 9% decline in commercial forest area and a 19% gain in growing-stock volume between 1966 and 1980. Presented are highlights and statistics on area, volume, growth, mortality, removals, utilization, and biomass.

Timber resource of Michigan's Northern Lower Peninsula, 1980.

Treesearch

Pamela J. Jakes

1982-01-01

The fourth inventory of the timber resource of Michigan's Northern Lower Peninsula Survey Unit shows a 4% decline in commercial forest area and a 38% gain in growing-stock volume between 1966 and 1980. Presented are highlights and statistics on area, volume, growth, mortality, removals, utilization, and biomass.

Preliminary timber resource statistics for the Olympic Peninsula, Washington.

Treesearch

Colin D. MacLean; Janet L. Ohmann; Patricia M. Bassett

1991-01-01

This report summarizes a 1989 timber resource inventory of five counties in the Olympic Peninsula region of Washington: Clallam, Grays Harbor, Jefferson, Mason, and Thurston. Detailed tables of forest area, timber volume, growth, mortality, and harvest are presented.

The Neoproterozoic-Paleozoic Arctic Margins: early stages of geodynamic evolution and plate reconstructions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vernikovsky, V. A.; Metelkin, D. V.; Vernikovskaya, A. E.; Matushkin, N. Yu.; Lobkovsky, L. I.; Shipilov, E. V.

2012-04-01

Available data on the existence of Precambrian metamorphic complexes among the main structures of the Arctic led to the suggestion that a large continental mass existed between Laurentia, Baltica and Siberia - an Arctic continent, more often called Arctida (Zonenshain, Natapov, 1987). It is inferred that as an independent continental mass Arctida was formed after the breakup of Rodinia, and in general it can have a pre-Grenvillian (including Grenvillian) basement age. The breakup of this mass and the collision of its fragments with adjacent cratons led to the formation of heterochronous collisional systems. Arctida probably included the Kara, Novosibirsk, Alaska-Chukotka blocks, the blocks of northern Alaska and the submerged Lomonosov Ridge, small fragments of the Inuit fold belt in the north of Greenland and the Canadian archipelago, the structures of the Svalbard and maybe the Timan-Pechora plates. However the inner structure of this paleocontinent, the mutual configuration of the blocks and its evolution in the Neoproterozoic-Paleozoic is still a matter of discussion. The most accurate way of solving these issues is by using paleomagnetic data, but those are nonexistent for most of the defined blocks. Reliable paleomagnetic determinations for the Neoproterozoic-Paleozoic time interval we are concerned with are available only for fragments of an island arc from Central Taimyr, which are 960 m.y. old (Vernikovsky et al., 2011) and for which the paleomagnetic pole is very close to the pole of Siberia from (Pavlov et al., 2002), and of the Kara microcontinent. This includes three paleomagnetic poles for 500, 450 and 420 Ma (Metelkin et al., 2000; Metelkin et al., 2005). It is those data that made up the basis of the presented paleotectonic reconstructions along with an extensive paleomagnetic database for the cratons of Laurentia, Baltica, Siberia and Gondwana. The paleogeographic position of the cratons is corrected (within the confidence levels for the

Neoproterozoic-Paleozoic Evolution of the Arctida Paleocontinent and Plate Reconstructions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vernikovsky, V. A.; Metelkin, D. V.; Vernikovskaya, A. E.; Matushkin, N. Y.; Lobkovsky, L. I.; Shipilov, E. V.; Scientific Team of Arctida

2011-12-01

Available data on the existence of Precambrian metamorphic complexes among the main structures of the Arctic led to the suggestion that a large continental mass existed between Laurentia, Baltica and Siberia - an Arctic continent, more often called Arctida (Zonenshain, Natapov, 1987). It is inferred that as an independent continental mass Arctida was formed after the breakup of Rodinia, and in general it can have a pre-Grenvillian (including Grenvillian) basement age. The breakup of this mass and the collision of its fragments with adjacent cratons led to the formation of heterochronous collisional systems. Arctida probably included the Kara, Novosibirsk, Alaska-Chukotka blocks, the blocks of northern Alaska and the submerged Lomonosov Ridge, small fragments of the Inuit fold belt in the north of Greenland and the Canadian archipelago, the structures of the Svalbard and maybe the Timan-Pechora plates. However the inner structure of this paleocontinent, the mutual configuration of the blocks and its evolution in the Neoproterozoic-Paleozoic is still a matter of discussion. The most accurate way of solving these issues is by using paleomagnetic data, but those are nonexistent for most of the defined blocks. Reliable paleomagnetic determinations for the Neoproterozoic-Paleozoic time interval we are concerned with are available only for fragments of an island arc from Central Taimyr, which are 960 m.y. old (Vernikovsky et al., 2011) and for which the paleomagnetic pole is very close to the pole of Siberia from (Pavlov et al., 2002), and of the Kara microcontinent. This includes three paleomagnetic poles for 500, 450 and 420 Ma (Metelkin et al., 2000; Metelkin et al., 2005). It is those data that made up the basis of the presented paleotectonic reconstructions along with an extensive paleomagnetic database for the cratons of Laurentia, Baltica, Siberia and Gondwana. The paleogeographic position of the cratons is corrected (within the confidence levels for the

Forest Aboveground Biomass Estimation in the Greater Mekong, Subregion and Russian Siberia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pang, Yong; Li, Zengyuan; Sun, Gouqing; Zhang, Zhiyu; Schmullius, Christiane; Meng, Shili; Ma, Zhenyu; Lu, Hao; Li, Shiming; Liu, Qingwang; Bai, Lina; Tian, Xin

2016-08-01

Forests play a vital role in sustainable development and provide a range of economic, social and environmental benefits, including essential ecosystem services such as climate change mitigation and adaptation. We summarized works in forest aboveground biomass estimation in Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) and Russian Siberia (RuS). Both regions are rich in forest resources. These mapping and estimation works were based on multiple-source remote sensing data and some field measurements. Biomass maps were generated at 500 m and 30 m pixel size for RuS and GMS respectively. With the available of the 2015 PALSAR-2 mosaic at 25 m spacing, Sentinel-2 data at 20 m, we will work on the biomass mapping and dynamic study at higher spatial resolution.

EDITORIAL: Siberia Integrated Regional Study: multidisciplinary investigations of the dynamic relationship between the Siberian environment and global climate change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gordov, E. P.; Vaganov, E. A.

2010-03-01

This is an editorial overview of the Siberia Integrated Regional Study (SIRS), which is a large-scale investigation of ongoing and future environmental change in Siberia and its relationship to global processes, approaches, existing challenges and future direction. Introduction The SIRS is a mega-project within the Northern Eurasia Earth Science Partnership Initiative (NEESPI), which coordinates interdisciplinary, national and international activities in Northern Eurasia that follow the Earth System Science Program (ESSP) approach. Under the direction of the International Geosphere-Biosphere Program (IGBP), SIRS is one of the Integrated Regional Studies (IRS) that aims to investigate environmental change in Siberia under the current environment of global change, and the potential impact on Earth system dynamics [1]. The regions of interest are those that may function as 'choke or switch points' for the global Earth system, where changes in regional biophysical, biogeochemical and anthropogenic components may have significant consequences for the Earth system at the global scale. Siberia is a large and significant region that may compel change [2]. Regional consequences of global warming (e.g. anomalous increases in cold season temperatures) have already been documented for Siberia [3]. This result is also supported by climate modeling results for the 20th-22nd centuries [4]. Future climatic change threatens Siberia with the shift of permafrost boundaries northward, dramatic changes in land cover (redistribution among boreal forest, wetlands, tundra, and steppe zones often precipitated by fire regime change) and the entire hydrological regime of the territory [5-8]. These processes feed back to and influence climate dynamics through the exchange of energy, water, greenhouse gases and aerosols [9]. Even though there have been a handful of national and international projects focused on the Siberian environment, scientists have minimal knowledge about the processes

Storage of treated sewage effluent and stormwater in a saline aquifer, Pinellas Peninsula, Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rosenshein, J.S.; Hickey, J.J.

1977-01-01

The Pinellas Peninsula, an area of 750 square kilometres (290 square miles) in coastal west-central Florida, is a small hydrogeologic replica of Florida. Most of the Peninsula's water supply is imported from well fields as much as 65 kilometres (40 miles) inland. Stresses on the hydrologic environment of the Peninsula and on adjacent water bodies, resulting from intensive water-resources development and waste discharge, have resulted in marked interest in subsurface storage of waste water (treated effluent and untreated storm water) and in future retrieval of the stored water for nonpotable use. If subsurface storage is approved by regulatory agencies, as much as 265 megalitres per day (70 million gallons a day) of waste water could be stored underground within a few years, and more than 565 megalitres per day (150 million gallons a day) could be stored in about 25 years. This storage would constitute a large resource of nearly fresh water in the saline aquifers underlying about 520 square kilometres (200 square miles) of the Peninsula.The upper 1,060 metres (3,480 feet) of the rock column underlying four test sites on the Pinellas Peninsula have been explored. The rocks consist chiefly of limestone and dolomite. Three moderately to highly transmissive zones, separated by leaky confining beds, (low permeability limestone) from about 225 to 380 metres (740 to 1,250 feet) below mean sea level, have been identified in the lower part of the Floridan aquifer in the Avon Park Limestone. Results of withdrawal and injection tests in Pinellas County indicate that the middle transmissive zone has the highest estimated transmissivity-about 10 times other reported values. The chloride concentration of water in this zone, as well as in the two other transmissive zones in the Avon Park Limestone in Pinellas Peninsula, is about 19,000 milligrams per litre. If subsurface storage is approved and implemented, this middle zone probably would be used for storage of the waste water and

Plants and soil microbes respond to recent warming on the Antarctic Peninsula

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amesbury, M. J.; Royles, J.; Hodgson, D.; Convey, P.; Griffiths, H.; Charman, D.

2013-12-01

The Antarctic Peninsula is one of the most rapidly warming regions on Earth, with temperature increases of as much as 3°C recorded since the 1950s. However, the longer-term context of this change is limited and existing records are not suitably located to be able to trace the spatial signature of change over time. This paper will present the first published results from a wider project exploiting peat moss banks spanning 10 degrees of latitude along the Antarctic Peninsula as an archive of late Holocene climate variability. These moss banks are ideal archives for palaeoclimate research as they are well-preserved by freezing, generally monospecific, easily dated by radiocarbon techniques and have sufficiently high accumulation rates to permit decadal resolution. A unique time series of past moss growth and soil microbial activity has been produced from a 150 year old moss bank at Lazarev Bay, Alexander Island, a site at the southern limit of significant plant growth in the Antarctic Peninsula region. We use accumulation rates, cellulose δ13C and fossil testate amoebae to provide an indication of ecosystem productivity. We show that both moss and microbial population growth rates rose rapidly in the 1960s, consistent with temperature change, although recently may have stalled, concurrent with other evidence. The increase in terrestrial plant growth rates and soil microbial activity is unprecedented in the last 150 years. The observed relationship between moss growth, microbial activity and climate at Lazarev Bay suggests that moss bank records have the potential to test the regional expression of temperature variability shown by instrumental data on the Antarctic Peninsula over centennial to millennial timescales, by providing long-term records of summer growth conditions, complementing the more distant and widely dispersed ice core records. As a result, we will conclude by placing the Lazarev Bay record into the wider context of the latest progress of analysis of

Tectonic map of the Arabian Peninsula

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brown, Glen F.

1972-01-01

This tectonic map of the Arabian peninsula, prepared for the Audi Arabian Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resource, is the first of a series of peninsular maps that attempt to show regional features. Much recent information resulting from detailed geologic mapping notably within the Arabian craton, from geophysical surveys, both airborne and oceanographic in adjacent seas, from deep exploratory drilling, and from photography from the Gemini and Apollo space programs, has been used in the tectonic evaluation.

Advective pathways near the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula: Trends, variability and ecosystem implications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Renner, Angelika H. H.; Thorpe, Sally E.; Heywood, Karen J.; Murphy, Eugene J.; Watkins, Jon L.; Meredith, Michael P.

2012-05-01

Pathways and rates of ocean flow near the Antarctic Peninsula are strongly affected by frontal features, forcings from the atmosphere and the cryosphere. In the surface mixed layer, the currents advect material from the northwestern Weddell Sea on the eastern side of the Peninsula around the tip of the Peninsula to its western side and into the Scotia Sea, connecting populations of Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) and supporting the ecosystem of the region. Modelling of subsurface drifters using a particle tracking algorithm forced by the velocity fields of a coupled sea ice-ocean model (ORCA025-LIM2) allows analysis of the seasonal and interannual variability of drifter pathways over 43 years. The results show robust and persistent connections from the Weddell Sea both to the west into the Bellingshausen Sea and across the Scotia Sea towards South Georgia, reproducing well the observations. The fate of the drifters is sensitive to their deployment location, in addition to other factors. From the shelf of the eastern Antarctic Peninsula, the majority enter the Bransfield Strait and subsequently the Bellingshausen Sea. When originating further offshore over the deeper Weddell Sea, drifters are more likely to cross the South Scotia Ridge and reach South Georgia. However, the wind field east and southeast of Elephant Island, close to the tip of the Peninsula, is crucial for the drifter trajectories and is highly influenced by the Southern Annular Mode (SAM). Increased advection and short travel times to South Georgia, and reduced advection to the western Antarctic Peninsula can be linked to strong westerlies, a signature of the positive phase of the SAM. The converse is true for the negative phase. Strong westerlies and shifts of ocean fronts near the tip of the Peninsula that are potentially associated with both the SAM and the El Niño-Southern Oscillation restrict the connection from the Weddell Sea to the west, and drifters then predominantly follow the open

Influence of topographic heterogeneity on the abandance of larch forest in eastern Siberia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sato, H.; Kobayashi, H.

2016-12-01

In eastern Siberia, larches (Larix spp.) often exist in pure stands, constructing the world's largest coniferous forest, of which changes can significantly affect the earth's albedo and the global carbon balance. We have conducted simulation studies for this vegetation, aiming to forecast its structures and functions under changing climate (1, 2). In previous studies of simulating vegetation at large geographical scales, the examining area is divided into coarse grid cells such as 0.5 * 0.5 degree resolution, and topographical heterogeneities within each grid cell are just ignored. However, in Siberian larch area, which is located on the environmental edge of existence of forest ecosystem, abundance of larch trees largely depends on topographic condition at the scale of tens to hundreds meters. We, therefore, analyzed patterns of within-grid-scale heterogeneity of larch LAI as a function of topographic condition, and examined its underlying reason. For this analysis, larch LAI was estimated for each 1/112 degree from the SPOT-VEGETATION data, and topographic properties such as angularity and aspect direction were estimated form the ASTER-GDEM data. Through this analysis, we found that, for example, sign of correlation between angularity and larch LAI depends on hydrological condition on the grid cell. We then refined the hydrological sub-model of our vegetation model SEIB-DGVM, and validated whether the modified model can reconstruct these patterns, and examined its impact on the estimation of biomass and vegetation productivity of entire larch region. -- References --1. Sato, H., et al. (2010). "Simulation study of the vegetation structure and function in eastern Siberian larch forests using the individual-based vegetation model SEIB-DGVM." Forest Ecology and Management 259(3): 301-311.2. Sato, H., et al. (2016). "Endurance of larch forest ecosystems in eastern Siberia under warming trends." Ecology and Evolution

Radiative Characteristics of Aerosol During Extreme Fire Event over Siberia in Summer 2012

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zhuravleva, Tatiana B.; Kabanov, Dmitriy M.; Nasrtdinov, Ilmir M.; Russkova, Tatiana V.; Sakerin, Sergey M.; Smirnov, Alexander; Holben, Brent N.

2017-01-01

Microphysical and optical properties of aerosol were studied during a mega-fire event in summer 2012 over Siberia using ground-based measurements of spectral solarradiation at the AERONET site in Tomsk and satellite observations. The data were analyzed using multi-year (2003-2013) measurements of aerosol characteristics under back-ground conditions and for less intense fires, differing in burning biomass type, stage of fire, remoteness from observation site, etc. (ordinary smoke). In June-August 2012, the average aerosol optical depth (AOD, 500 nm) had been 0.95+/-0.86, about a factor of 6 larger than background values (0.16+/-0.08), and a factor of 2.5 larger than in ordinary smoke. The AOD values were extremely high on 24-28 July and reached 3-5. A comparison with satellite observations showed that ground-based measurements in the region of Tomsk not only reflect the local AOD features, but are also characteristic for the territory of Western Siberia as a whole. Single scattering albedo (SSA, 440 nm) in this period ranged from 0.91 to 0.99 with an average of approx. 0.96 in the entire wavelength range of 440-1020 nm. The increase in absorptance of aerosol particles (SSA(440 nm)=0.92) and decrease in SSA with wavelength observed in ordinary smoke agree with the data from multi-year observations in analogous situations in the boreal zone of USA and Canada. Volume aerosol size distribution in extreme and ordinary smoke had a bimodal character with significant prevalence of fine-mode particles, but in summer 2012 the mean median radius and the width of the fine-mode distribution somewhat increased. In contrast to data from multi-year observations, in summer 2012 an increase in the volume concentration and median radius of the coarse mode was observed with growing AOD.

Linking trace gas measurements and molecular tracers of organic matter in aerosols for identification of ecosystem sources and types of wildfires in Central Siberia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Panov, A. V.; Prokushkin, A. S.; Korets, M. A.; Bryukhanov, A. V.; Myers-Pigg, A. N.; Louchouarn, P.; Sidenko, N. V.; Amon, R.; Andreae, M. O.; Heimann, M.

2016-11-01

Summer 2012 was one of the extreme wildfire years in Siberia. At the surface air monitoring station “ZOTTO” (60°48'N, 89°21'E, 114 m a.s.l.) in Central Siberia we observed biomass burning (BB) influence on the ongoing atmospheric measurements within more than 50 % of the time in June-July 2012 that indicates a 30 times greater wildfire signal compared to previously reported ordinary biomass burning signature for the study area. While previous studies thoroughly estimated a relative input of BB into aerosol composition (i.e. size distribution, physical and optical parameters etc.) at ZOTTO, in this paper we characterize the source apportionment of the smoke aerosols with molecular tracer techniques from large-scale wildfires occurred in 2012 in the two prevailing types of Central Siberian ecosystems: complexes of pine forests and bogs and dark coniferous forests. Wildfires in the selected ecosystems are highly differed by their combustion phase (flaming/smoldering), the type of fire (crown/ground), biomass fuel, and nature of soil that greatly determines the smoke particle composition. Anhydrosugars (levoglucosan and its isomers) and lignin phenols taken as indicators of the sources and the state of particulate matter (PM) inputs in the specific fire plumes were used as powerful tools to compare wildfires in different environmental conditions and follow the role and contribution of different sources of terrestrial organic matter in the transport of BB pollutants into the pristine atmosphere of boreal zone in Central Siberia.

The Malaria Transition on the Arabian Peninsula: Progress toward a Malaria-Free Region between 1960–2010

PubMed Central

Snow, Robert W.; Amratia, Punam; Zamani, Ghasem; Mundia, Clara W.; Noor, Abdisalan M.; Memish, Ziad A.; Al Zahrani, Mohammad H.; Al Jasari, Adel; Fikri, Mahmoud; Atta, Hoda

2014-01-01

The transmission of malaria across the Arabian Peninsula is governed by the diversity of dominant vectors and extreme aridity. It is likely that where malaria transmission was historically possible it was intense and led to a high disease burden. Here, we review the speed of elimination, approaches taken, define the shrinking map of risk since 1960 and discuss the threats posed to a malaria-free Arabian Peninsula using the archive material, case data and published works. From as early as the 1940s, attempts were made to eliminate malaria on the peninsula but were met with varying degrees of success through to the 1970s; however, these did result in a shrinking of the margins of malaria transmission across the peninsula. Epidemics in the 1990s galvanised national malaria control programmes to reinvigorate control efforts. Before the launch of the recent global ambition for malaria eradication, countries on the Arabian Peninsula launched a collaborative malaria-free initiative in 2005. This initiative led a further shrinking of the malaria risk map and today locally acquired clinical cases of malaria are reported only in Saudi Arabia and Yemen, with the latter contributing to over 98% of the clinical burden. PMID:23548086

A "Mesosiderite" Rock from Northern Siberia, Russia: Not a Meteorite

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Treiman, Allan H.; Lindstrom, David J.; Schwandt, Craig S.; Franchi, Ian A.; Morgan, Matthew L.

2002-01-01

A possible mesosiderite meteorite was found in the area of the Putorana Plateau, Noril'sk district, Siberia, Russia. Although this rock resembles a mesosiderite in its hand-sample aspect and in having Ni-bearing iron metal, it is not a meteorite. This inference is based on the lack of a fusion crust, the lack of cosmogenic nuclides, oxygen with terrestrial isotope ratios, and several mineral chemical criteria. Most likely, the rock is from the iron-metal-bearing basalts of the Siberian Trap basalt sequence, which are mined for their base and platinum-group metals. Mesosiderite imposters like this may be recognized by: (1) the presence of Cu metal in hand sample or as microscopic blebs in the low-Ni metal (kamacite), (2) the absence of high-Ni metal (taenite), and (3) the presence of iron carbide (cohenite) enclosing the kamacite. Even if these macroscopic tests are inconclusive, isotopic and mineral chemical tests will also distinguish rocks like this from mesosiderites.

Fallout traces of the Fukushima NPP accident in southern West Siberia (Novosibirsk, Russia).

PubMed

Melgunov, M S; Pokhilenko, N P; Strakhovenko, V D; Sukhorukov, F V; Chuguevskii, A V

2012-05-01

The fallout of artificially produced radioactive isotopes has been recorded at a site in southern West Siberia (54°50'43.6″ N, 083°06'22.4″ E, Novosibirsk, Russia). The highest activities of (131)I, (134)Cs, and (136)Cs were found in fresh snow precipitated on 02 April 2011, at 0.83, 0.092, and 0.002 Bq L(-1) of meltwater, respectively. The (131)I/(134)Cs ratio decreased from 9.0 on 02 April to 1.2 on 27 April, which is consistent with the radioactive decay of (131)I. This fallout can only have originated from the accidental emission of Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant, Japan, in March 2011.

Detroit and the Lower Peninsula of Michigan

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1973-01-01

This scene displays the southeastern part of Michigan's Lower Peninsula and adjacent Ontario, Canada (43.0N, 84.0W). Detroit can be recognized by its radial pattern of development and sediment plumes in the rivers from the massive industrial activity. The area pockmarked by lakes northwest of Detroit essentially outlines the limits of the Defiance Moraine caused by the stagnation and melting of Ice Age glaciers.

Timberland resources of the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska, 1987.

Treesearch

Willem W.S. van Hees; Frederic R. Larson

1991-01-01

The 1987 inventory of the forest resources of the Kenai Peninsula was designed to assess the impact of the spruce beetle (Dendroctonus rufipennis (Kirby)) on the timberland component of the forest resource. Estimates of timberland area, volumes of timber, and growth and mortality of timber were developed. These estimates of timber resource...

Evaluation's Contribution to the Success of a Silicon Valley School/Industry Partnership: The Peninsula Academies Evaluation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jung, Steven M.; And Others

In an effort to encourage the participation of educationally disadvantaged youth in the Silicon Valley's high technology employment boom, the Peninsula Academies program was established utilizing a triad-partnership arrangement among the Sequoia Union High School District, high technology employers in the area, and the Stanford Mid-Peninsula Urban…

Birch Stands Growth Increase in Western Siberia

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kharuk, Viacheslav I.; Kuzmichev, Valeriy V.; Im, Sergey T.; Ranson, Kenneth J.

2014-01-01

Birch (Betula pendula Roth) growth within the Western Siberia forest-steppe was analyzed based on long-term (1897-2006) inventory data (height, diameter at breast height [dbh], and stand volume). Analysis of biometry parameters showed increased growth at the beginning of twenty-first century compared to similar stands (stands age = 40-60 years) at the end of nineteenth century. Mean height, dbh, and stem volume increased from 14 to 20 m, from 16 to 22 cm, and from approx. 63 to approx. 220 cu m/ha, respectively. Significant correlations were found between the stands mean height, dbh, and volume on the one hand, and vegetation period length (r(sub s) = 0.71 to 0.74), atmospheric CO2 concentration (r(sub s) = 0.71 to 0.76), and drought index (Standardized Precipitation-Evapotranspiration Index, r(sub s) = -0.33 to -0.51) on the other hand. The results obtained have revealed apparent climate-induced impacts (e.g. increase of vegetation period length and birch habitat drying due to drought increase) on the stands growth. Along with this, a high correlation of birch biometric parameters and [CO2] in ambient air indicated an effect of CO2 fertilization. Meanwhile, further drought increase may switch birch stand growth into decline and greater mortality as has already been observed within the Trans-Baikal forest-steppe ecotone.

The lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary beneath the Korean Peninsula from S receiver functions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, S. H.; Rhie, J.

2017-12-01

The shallow lithosphere in the Eastern Asia at the east of the North-South Gravity Lineament is well published. The reactivation of the upper asthenosphere induced by the subducting plates is regarded as a dominant source of the lithosphere thinning. Additionally, assemblage of various tectonic blocks resulted in complex variation of the lithosphere thickness in the Eastern Asia. Because, the Korean Peninsula located at the margin of the Erasian Plate in close vicinity to the trench of subducting oceanic plate, significant reactivation of the upper asthenosphere is expected. For the study of the tectonic history surrounding the Korean Peninsula, we determined the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary (LAB) beneath the Korean Peninsula using common conversion point stacking method with S receiver functions. The depth of the LAB beneath the Korean Peninsula ranges from 60 km to 100 km and confirmed to be shallower than that expected for Cambrian blocks as previous global studies. The depth of the LAB is getting shallower to the south, 95 km at the north and 60 km at the south. And rapid change of the LAB depth is observed between 36°N and 37°N. The depth change of the LAB getting shallower to the south implies that the source of the lithosphere thinning is a hot mantle upwelling induced by the northward subduction of the oceanic plates since Mesozoic. Unfortunately, existing tectonic models can hardly explain the different LAB depth in the north and in the south as well as the rapid change of the LAB depth.

Cap-shaped gastropods from Upper Jurassic and Lower Cretaceous deposits of northern East Siberia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guzhov, A. V.; Zakharov, V. A.

2015-09-01

Cap-shaped gastropods are first identified in Upper Jurassic and Lower Cretaceous sections of northern East Siberia. They belong to three new genera of the subclass Pectinibranchia ( Boreioconus gen. nov., Nixepileolus gen. nov., and Taimyroconus gen. nov.), which are identified at the species level ( B. bojarkensis sp. nov., N. depressus sp. nov., T. zakharovi sp. nov.), and several species with the open nomenclature. The genus Taimyroconus attributed to the family Calyptraeidae is considered as an ancestral form of the genus Crepidula. The stratigraphic position of each taxon is determined for several sections. The facies confinement, habitat conditions, and ethology of defined genera are considered with the analysis of their geographic distribution.

Three-dimensional upper crustal velocity structure beneath San Francisco Peninsula, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Parsons, T.; Zoback, M.L.

1997-01-01

This paper presents new seismic data from, and crustal models of the San Francisco Peninsula. In much of central California the San Andreas fault juxtaposes the Cretaceous granitic Salinian terrane on its west and the Late Mesozoic/Early Tertiary Franciscan Complex on its east. On San Francisco Peninsula, however, the present-day San Andreas fault is completely within a Franciscan terrane, and the Pilarcitos fault, located southwest of the San Andreas, marks the Salinian-Franciscan boundary. This circumstance has evoked two different explanations: either the Pilarcitos is a thrust fault that has pushed Franciscan rocks over Salinian rocks or the Pilarcitos is a transform fault that has accommodated significant right-lateral slip. In an effort to better resolve the subsurface structure of the peninsula faults, we established a temporary network of 31 seismographs arrayed across the San Andreas fault and the subparallel Pilarcitos fault at ???1-2 km spacings. These instruments were deployed during the first 6 months of 1995 and recorded local earthquakes, air gun sources set off in San Francisco Bay, and explosive sources. Travel times from these sources were used to augment earthquake arrival times recorded by the Northern California Seismic Network and were inverted for three-dimensional velocity structure. Results show lateral velocity changes at depth (???0.5-7 km) that correlate with downward vertical projections of the surface traces of the San Andreas and Pilarcitos faults. We thus interpret the faults as high-angle to vertical features (constrained to a 70??-110?? dip range). From this we conclude that the Pilarcitos fault is probably an important strike-slip fault that accommodated much of the right-lateral plate boundary strain on the peninsula prior to the initiation of the modern-day San Andreas fault in this region sometime after about 3.0 m.y. ago.

78 FR 10595 - Olympic Peninsula Resource Advisory Committee

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-02-14

... becomes a full time member when and if an assigned member can not complete his or her four-year term. The... reimbursed for travel expenses. Members must be Washington residents, preferably living in one of the Olympic Peninsula counties. Meetings are held at least once and up to four times per year within Thurston, Mason...

Decadal changes in tundra land cover on Yamal Peninsula, Northwest Siberia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Forbes, B. C.; Kumpula, T.; Macias-Fauria, M.

2017-12-01

The Yamal-Nenets Okrug in Russia has experienced significant changes in land use and climate in recent decades. Average year-round air temperatures have increased ca. 2°C since the 1970's, with much - but not all - of the warming taking place in winter. In association with ongoing summer warming, the annual growth of erect deciduous shrubs has been accelerating while growing season seasonality has diminished, characterized by shifts in the spatial patterns of key phenological parameters. We prepared LANDSAT-derived land cover classifications for 1988 and 2014 using change detection analysis, supported by extensive ground truthing bolstered with data from Very High-Resolution (VHR) imagery (e.g. Quickbird-2, Worldview-2/3). Research was conducted within summer reindeer pastures utilized by the Yarsalinksi sovhoz, whose animals are collectively owned, as well as many privately-owned herds. The area represents bioclimatic Subzone D of the Circumpolar Arctic Vegetation Map and covers about 8500 km2. This is a key subzone for several reasons: (1) it includes Bovanenkovo, the first and largest gas deposit on Yamal to be developed; (2) it is a zone of extremely active periglacial processes (e.g. active layer detachment slides, lake drainage and recent methane-mediated craters); and (3) it is characterized by steadily increasing growth of tall willow shrubs (Salix spp.), which comprise an important source of fodder by reindeer migrating through the area in summer. These results are unique as our dataset: (1) covers sizable inland regions lying entirely within the Russian tundra zone; (2) derives from extensive ground truthing; and (3) treats all plant taxonomic groups (vascular, bryophytes, lichens) at the plot scale. Here we present the first such classifications, based on LANDSAT images from 1988 and 2014. We identify 16 classes ranging from bare ground and drained lakes, anthropogenic disturbances, through several wetland types, to various dwarf and erect tundra shrub habitats. Given that Yamal is such a highly dynamic periglacial environment, our change detection results over a 36-year period strongly indicate that several processes, such as drying tundra lakes, landslides, expanding gas development, will continue to influence the changes in landscape-level vegetation and permafrost substrate processes.

Sinai Peninsula, Middle East as seen from STS-66 orbiter Atlantis

NASA Image and Video Library

1994-11-14

A high oblique view of the Middle East centered at approximately 28.0 degrees north and 34.0 degrees east. Portions of the countries of Egypt, Israel, Jordan and Saudi Arabia are visible. The Dead Sea Rift Valley continuing into the Gulf of Aqaba marks the boundary between Israel and Jordan. The vegetation change in the Sinai Peninsula is the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt. In Egypt, the Suez Canal connects the Gulf of Suez with the Mediterranean Sea and forms the western boundary of the Sinai Peninsula. The green ribbon of the Nile River is in marked contrast to this arid region. Even the Jordan River does not support large scale agriculture.

Colorectal cancer risk factors among the population of South-East Siberia: a case-control study.

PubMed

Zhivotovskiy, Alexey S; Kutikhin, Anton G; Azanov, Artur Z; Yuzhalin, Arseniy E; Magarill, Yuri A; Brusina, Elena B

2012-01-01

Colorectal cancer remains one of the most widespread malignancies in the world. However, there is a lack of comprehensive studies considering colorectal cancer risk factors among Russian populations, particularly in Siberia. The aim of this investigation was to determine the impact of various lifestyle, dietary, family, and socioeconomical factors on colorectal cancer risk in South-East Siberia. We recruited 185 Russian colorectal cancer cases and 210 gender-, age-, and ethnicity-matched asymptomatic controls with no history of any malignant tumor, using a specially designed questionnaire to obtain relevant information. After the statistical analysis, we defined several significant factors affecting colorectal cancer risk. Among these were smoking (OR=2.13, 95%CI=1.4- 3.24, P=0.0004), being overweight (BMI between 25-30, OR=2.45, 95%CI=1.49-4.03, P=0.0004), alcohol drinking (OR=8.73, 95%CI=5.49-13.87, P<0.0001), beer drinking (OR=9.24, 95%CI=5.14-16.61, P<0.0001), consumption of hard liquor (OR=9.37, 95%CI=5.92-14.82, P<0.0001), excessive red meat consumption (P<0.0001), excessive intake of red meat products (P<0.0001), excessive intake of dairy products (P<0.0001), excessive sour cream and cheese consumption (P<0.0001 and 0.0002, respectively), spicy food consumption (OR=2.87, 95%CI=1.9-4.33, P<0.0001), family history of gastrointestinal malignant tumors (OR=3.99, 95%CI=2.09-7.59, P<0.0001), and income exceeding twice the subsistence minimum (OR=5.34, 95%CI=3.35-8.53, P<0.0001). Certain factors, such as high concentration of salt in the food and precancerous colonic lesions, demonstrated borderline significance (OR=3.45, 95%CI=1.68-7.1, P=0.0008, and OR=5.25, 95%CI=1.94-14.22, P=0.001, respectively). Some factors were established as protective, like consumption of rye bread and both rye and wheat bread (OR=0.32, 95%CI=0.21-0.5, P<0,0001, and OR=0.07, 95%CI=0.02-0.21, P<0.0001, respectively), and also low concentration of salt in the food, although this was of

Late Quaternary uplift rate across the Shimokita peninsula, northeastern Japan forearc

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matsu'Ura, T.

2009-12-01

I estimated the late Quaternary uplift rate across the northeastern Japan forearc (Shimokita peninsula) by using the height distribution of MIS 5.5 marine terraces as determined from tephra and cryptotephra stratigraphy. The heights of inner-margins (shoreline angles) of the MIS 5.5 marine terrace surface were previously reported to be 43-45 m and 30 m around Shiriyazaki and Gamanosawa, respectively. These heights decrease westward and are possibly due to a west-dipping offshore fault. But in some places, the heights of terrace inner-margins are probably overestimated by thick sediments. I found the MIS 5.5 wave-cut platform which is overlain by gravels and loess deposits containing a basal Toya tephra horizon (MIS 5.4) at Shiriyazaki by boring. The MIS 5.5 wave-cut platform (paleo sea level) is about 25 m above sea level, nearly half of the reported height of the terrace inner-margin. My result shows that the late Quaternary uplift rate across the Shimokita peninsula should be reconsidered. Further studies are also required whether or not the intra-plate (offshore) fault is a factor of the forearc uplifting at the peninsula. This research project has been conducted under the research contract with Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency (NISA).

The timber resources of the Olympic Peninsula, Washington.

Treesearch

C.L. Bolsinger

1969-01-01

The fourth inventory of the timber resources of the Olympic Peninsula shows a total of 3,105,000 acres of commercial forest land and 81,464 million board feet (International 114-inch scale) of sawtimber volume. Total timber volume has remained about the same for the past 12 years, and cut and growth currently are nearly in balance.

Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia as seen from STS-59

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1994-01-01

View southwestward across the Kamchatka Peninsula. The cluster of volcanoes in the middle distance are active, including Klutchevskaya whose summit reaches 15,580 feet. Changes in volcanic deposits, snow, and ice are being studied by Russian and American Space Radar Laboratory (SRL) investigators. Seasonal changes in sea ice are also of interest, for example, in Kamchatskiy Bay (upper left).

Characteristics of storms that contribute to extreme precipitation events over the Iberian Peninsula

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trigo, Ricardo; Ramos, Alexandre M.; Ordoñez, Paulina; Liberato, Margarida L. R.; Trigo, Isabel F.

2014-05-01

Floods correspond to one of the most deadly natural disasters in the Iberian Peninsula during the last century. Quite often these floods are associated to intense low pressure systems with an Atlantic origin. In recent years a number of episodes have been evaluated on a case-by-case approach, with a clear focus on extreme events, thus lacking a systematic assessment. In this study we focus on the characteristics of storms for the extended winter season (October to March) that are responsible for the most extreme rainfall events over large areas of the Iberian Peninsula. An objective method for ranking daily precipitation events during the extended winter is used based on the most comprehensive database of high resolution (0.2º latitude by 0.2º longitude) gridded daily precipitation dataset available for the Iberian Peninsula. The magnitude of an event is obtained after considering the total area affected as well as its intensity in every grid point (taking into account the daily normalised departure from climatology). Different precipitation rankings are studied considering the entire Iberian Peninsula, Portugal and also the six largest river basins in the Iberian Peninsula (Duero, Ebro, Tagus, Minho, Guadiana and Guadalquivir). Using an objective cyclone detecting and tracking scheme [Trigo, 2006] the storm track and characteristics of the cyclones were obtained using the ERA-Interim reanalyses for the 1979-2008 period. The spatial distribution of extratropical cyclone positions when the precipitation extremes occur will be analysed over the considered sub-domains (Iberia, Portugal, major river basins). In addition, we distinguish the different cyclone characteristics (lifetime, direction, minimum pressure, position, velocity, vorticity and radius) with significant impacts in precipitation over the different domains in the Iberian Peninsula. This work was partially supported by FEDER (Fundo Europeu de Desenvolvimento Regional) funds through the COMPETE (Programa

Redistribution of vegetation zones and populations of Larix sibirica Ledb. and Pinus sylvestris L. in central Siberia in a warming climate

Treesearch

N.M. Tchebakova; G.E. Rehfeldt; E.I. Parfenova

2003-01-01

Evidence for global warming over the past 200 years is overwhelming (Hulme et al. 1999), based on both direct weather observation and indirect physical and biological indicators such as retreating glaciers and snow/ice cover, increasing sea level, and longer growing seasons (IPCC 2001). Recent GCM projections of the Hadley Centre (Gordon et al. 2000) for Siberia show...

Population genetic structure of endangered Mongolian racerunner (Eremias argus) from the Korean Peninsula.

PubMed

Park, Han-Chan; Suk, Ho Young; Jeong, Eu-Jin; Park, Dae-Sik; Lee, Hang; Min, Mi-Sook

2014-11-01

The Mongolian racerunner (Eremias argus) is a small lacertid lizard species, and its distribution range encompasses the Korean Peninsula, Mongolia, China and Russia. Eremias argus is widespread, but populations on the Korean Peninsula are small and declining, provoking concerns that genetic diversity is being lost. This species is currently listed under the Protection of Wild Fauna and Flora Act in South Korea. In this study, nine novel microsatellites for E. argus were developed with a biotin-enrichment method and used to understand its population genetic structure and delineate conservation units on the Korean Peninsula. Overall, low intrapopulation genetic diversity was observed (mean number of alleles per locus = 2.463; mean H E = 0.398) from 10 populations investigated (n = 110). Two populations (among five with n≥ 10) showed an excess of heterozygosity expected under HWE relative to that expected at mutation-drift equilibrium, indicating severe reduction in population sizes. With only a few exceptions, the overall genetic differentiation among populations was substantial with the high levels of pairwise-F ST (0.006-0.746) and -R ST (0.034-0.940) values. The results of Bayesian STRUCTURE analysis showed that E. argus populations on the Korean Peninsula were most likely partitioned into three genetic clusters. Taken all together, such low levels of gene flow and strong genetic structuring have critical implications for the conservation of this endangered species and its management.

Database of Alluvial Radiocarbon Dates in European Russia and Siberia and its Palaeohydrological Interpretation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matlakhova, Ekaterina; Panin, Andrei

2017-04-01

We collected and analyzed published radiocarbon dates from East European Plain (EEP) and Siberia to pick absolute dates on alluvial and associated deposits. After filtering unreliable dates, 1000 radiocarbon dates from EEP and 500 from Siberia were included into the database. Each date was supplied with information on geographic location and coordinates, catchment area, geomorphological position, characteristics of geological section and dated materials. Also the information about published sources was given. Documented sections refer to fluvial forms in a wide range of catchment sizes. To extract palaeohydrological signal we used two kinds of proxies: sedimentological and geomorphological. We used the following indicators of low activity: organic horizons (soil, peat) in overbank alluvium, balka bottoms and gully fans, small river palaeochannels; and the following indicators of high activity: active sedimentation on river floodplains (burial of organic horizons), balka bottoms and gully fans, erosion by flood flows on floodplains, in bottoms of balkas and gullies, river incision, big palaeochannels, channel avulsions and chute cutoffs. 
 Each date that received palaeohydrological interpretation was regarded as the indicator of a particular Local Palaeohydrological Event. Combined probability density functions of high- and low-activity dates were used to detect time intervals of different palaeohydrological status. For EEP after low fluvial activity during LGM two palaeohydrological epochs were designated: extremely high activity in the end of MIS 2 (ca. 18-11.7 ka b2k), and much lower activity in the Holocene. Within the Holocene two hierarchical levels of hydroclimatic variability were designated according to their duration and magnitude - regional palaeohydrological phases (centuries to few millennia) and regional palaeofluvial episodes (decades to few centuries). Tendency is rather clear of activity lowering in the first half and rise in the second half of

Morphotectonic Index Analysis as an Indicator of Neotectonic Segmentation of the Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morrish, S.; Marshall, J. S.

2013-12-01

The Nicoya Peninsula lies within the Costa Rican forearc where the Cocos plate subducts under the Caribbean plate at ~8.5 cm/yr. Rapid plate convergence produces frequent large earthquakes (~50yr recurrence interval) and pronounced crustal deformation (0.1-2.0m/ky uplift). Seven uplifted segments have been identified in previous studies using broad geomorphic surfaces (Hare & Gardner 1984) and late Quaternary marine terraces (Marshall et al. 2010). These surfaces suggest long term net uplift and segmentation of the peninsula in response to contrasting domains of subducting seafloor (EPR, CNS-1, CNS-2). In this study, newer 10m contour digital topographic data (CENIGA- Terra Project) will be used to characterize and delineate this segmentation using morphotectonic analysis of drainage basins and correlation of fluvial terrace/ geomorphic surface elevations. The peninsula has six primary watersheds which drain into the Pacific Ocean; the Río Andamojo, Río Tabaco, Río Nosara, Río Ora, Río Bongo, and Río Ario which range in area from 200 km2 to 350 km2. The trunk rivers follow major lineaments that define morphotectonic segment boundaries and in turn their drainage basins are bisected by them. Morphometric analysis of the lower (1st and 2nd) order drainage basins will provide insight into segmented tectonic uplift and deformation by comparing values of drainage basin asymmetry, stream length gradient, and hypsometry with respect to margin segmentation and subducting seafloor domain. A general geomorphic analysis will be conducted alongside the morphometric analysis to map previously recognized (Morrish et al. 2010) but poorly characterized late Quaternary fluvial terraces. Stream capture and drainage divide migration are common processes throughout the peninsula in response to the ongoing deformation. Identification and characterization of basin piracy throughout the peninsula will provide insight into the history of landscape evolution in response to

ENSO relationship to Summer Rainfall Variability and its Potential Predictability over Arabian Peninsula Region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adnan Abid, Mohammad; Almazroui, Mansour; Kucharski, Fred

2017-04-01

Summer seasonal rainfall falls mainly over the south and southwestern parts of the Arabian Peninsula (AP). The relationship between this mean summer seasonal rainfall pattern and El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is analyzed with the aid of a 15-member ensemble of simulations using the King Abdulaziz University (KAU) Atmospheric Global Climate Model (AGCM). Each simulation is forced with Hadley Sea Surface Temperature (SST) for the period 1980-2015. The southwestern peninsula rainfall is linked towith the SST anomalies in the central-eastern pacific region. This relation is established through an atmospheric teleconnection which shows an upper-level convergence (divergence) anomalies over the southern Arabian Peninsula compensating the central-eastern Pacific region upper-level divergence (convergence) anomalies for the warm (cold) El Niño Southern Oscillaton (ENSO) phase. The upper-level convergence (divergence) over the southern Arabian Peninsula leads to sinking (rising) motion, low-level divergence (convergence) and consequently to reduced (enhanced) rainfall. The correlation coefficient between the observed area-averged Niño3.4 index and athe South Arabian Rainfall Index (SARI) is -0.54. This indicates that AP receives less rainfall during the warm (El Niño) phase, while the opposite happens in the cold (La Niña) El Niño Southern Oscillaton (ENSO) phase. The lower tropospheric cyclonic circulation anomalies strongly modulate the ENSO-related rainfall in the region. Overall, the model shows a 43% potential predictability (PP) for the Southern Arabian Peninsula Rainfall Index (SARI). Further, the predictability during the warm ENSO (El Niño) events is higher than during cold ENSO (La Niña) events. This is not only because of a stronger signal, but also noise reduction contributes to the increase of the regional PP in El Niño compared to that of La Niña years.

Paleomagnetism and Geochronology of the Precambrian Dikes in NE Fennoscandia, Kola Peninsula

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Veselovskiy, R. V.; Samsonov, A.; Stepanova, A.

2017-12-01

Paleomagnetism of Proterozoic dikes of Scandinavia, Karelia, and southern part of the Kola Peninsula is extensively explored in many studies (Veikkolainen et al., 2014). In particular, the paleomagnetism of intrusive formations in the southern part of the Kola Peninsula is thoroughly scrutinized in the study authored by Alexey Khramov and his colleagues (Khramov et al., 1997). However, information about the systematic paleomagnetic studies of the Archaean and Proterozoic dikes of the Central Kola block and, especially, Murmansk block are absent. Based on the results of preliminary paleomagnetic investigation of 57 Precambrian dikes of the Kola Peninsula, in 31 of them a stable monopolar component of natural remanent magnetization is revealed. The peculiarities of distribution of this magnetization component within the Kola Peninsula and the rock magnetic characteristics of the dikes in which this component is isolated suggest its secondary nature and relate the mechanism and formation time to the remagnetization processes which took place in the northwest of Fennoscandia about 1.8 Ga during the Svecofennian orogeny. The corresponding geomagnetic pole of Fennoscandia is located in the immediate vicinity of the known Paleoproterozoic (1.9-1.7 Ga) poles of Baltica (Khramov et al., 1997; Veikkolainen et al., 2014). We also present the new geochronological Ar/Ar, Sm-Nd, Rb-Sr and U-Pb data which allow to determine the age of remagnetization as 1.86 Ga. The studies were supported by the Russian Science Foundation (project no. 16-17-10260), partially supported by the Russian Federation Government (project no. 14.Z50.31.0017) and Russian Foundation for Basic Research (project no. 17-05-01121a).

Zoonoses in the Arabian Peninsula

PubMed Central

Wernery, Ulrich

2014-01-01

The human population is rising and will soon reach 9 billion people. In parallel, the demand for animal protein is increasing and with it is the threat of zoonotic diseases. We must therefore be on our guard. The close association of people with animals promotes the opportunity for zoonotic infections and real danger may arise when animals are imported with no health background. Therefore, it is essential to implement strict import controls, and establish efficient quarantine facilities. Many viral, bacterial, and zoonotic diseases have been diagnosed on the Arabian Peninsula, either by isolating the pathogens or through serological surveys. Most of them are briefly discussed in this paper. PMID:25491209

A net volume equation for Michigan's Upper and Lower Peninsulas.

Treesearch

Gerhard K. Raile; W. Brad Smith; Carol A. Weist

1982-01-01

Describes a volume equation for Michigan's Upper and Lower Peninsulas developed as part of the 1981 Michigan Forest Inventory. Equation coefficients are presented by species groupings for both cubic-foot and board-foot volumes for three tree categories.

Acadia National Park : assessment of alternate transportation for Schoodic Peninsula

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2002-11-01

The National Park Service is developing reuse alternatives in anticipation of the U.S. Navys turnover of its base on Big Moose Island on Schoodic Peninsula. This report identifies and assesses alternate transportation alternatives to help ensure t...

Morphology and biology of Cyclops scutifer Sars, 1863 in high mountain lakes of East Siberia (including Lake Amut)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sheveleva, Natalya G.; Itigilova, Mydygma Ts.; Chananbaator, Ayushcuren

2017-03-01

Data on zooplankton from 13 high-mountain lakes of East Siberia have shown that the Holarctic copepod Cyclops scutifer Sars, 1863 dominates among crustaceans. In July, its abundance comprised 64%-98% of the total plankton fauna in the pelagial of these lakes, approximately 30% in the littoral zone and 10% in small northern thermokarst lakes. Biometric measurements and morphological descriptions based on scanning microscope images are supplemented by the data on its geographic distribution and phenology.

Peninsula College--P.C.F.A. Agreement, 1989-1992.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peninsula Coll., Port Angeles, WA.

The collective bargaining agreement between Peninsula College, the Penninsula College Faculty Association, and the Board of Trustees of Community College District Number 1 is presented. This contract, covering the period from 1989 through 1992, deals with the following topics: bargaining agent recognition; compliance and conformity to law;…

Timber resource of Michigan's Southern Lower Peninsula Unit, 1980.

Treesearch

Jerold T. Hahn

1982-01-01

The fourth inventory of the timber resource of Michigan's Southern Lower Peninsula Survey Unit shows a 12% decline in commercial forest area and a 26% gain in growing-stock volume between 1966 and 1980. Presented are highlights and statistics on area, volume, growth, mortality, removals, utilization, and biomass.

Timber resource of Michigan's Western Upper Peninsula Unit, 1980.

Treesearch

John S. Jr. Spencer

1982-01-01

The fourth inventory of the timber resource of Michigan's Western Upper Peninsula Survey Unit shows an 8% decline in commercial forest area and a 22% gain in growing-stock volume between 1966 and 1980. Presented are highlights and statistics on area, volume, growth, motility, removals, utilization, and biomass.

Forest statistics for Michigan's Southern Lower Peninsula Unit, 1994.

Treesearch

Thomas L. Schmidt

1993-01-01

The fifth inventory of Michigan's Southern Lower Peninsula forests reports 14,429.0 thousand acres of land, of which 3,053.7 thousand acres are forested. This bulletin presents statistical highlights and contains detailed tables of forest area, as well as timber volume, growth, removals, mortality, and ownership.

Forest statistics for Michigan's Northern Lower Peninsula Unit, 1993.

Treesearch

Earl C. Leatherberry

1994-01-01

The fifth inventory of Michigan's Northern Lower Peninsula forests reports 11,345.1 thousand acres of land, of which 7,415.2 thousand acres are forested. This bulletin presents statistical highlights and contains detailed tables of forest area, as well as timber volume, growth, removals, mortality, and ownership.

Forest statistics for Michigan's Western Upper Peninsula Unit, 1993.

Treesearch

Earl C. Leatherberry

1994-01-01

The fifth inventory of Michigan's Western Upper Peninsula Unit reports 12,329.1 million acres of land, of which 4,836.5 million acres are forested. This bulletin presents statistical highlights and contains detailed tables of forest area, as well as timber volume, growth, removals, mortality, and ownership.

Forest statistics for Michigan's Eastern Upper Peninsula Unit, 1993.

Treesearch

Thomas L. Schmidt

1993-01-01

The fifth inventory of Michigan's Eastern Upper Peninsula forests reports 4,989.1 thousand acres of land, of which 3,973.1 thousand acres are forested. This bulletin presents statistical highlights and contains detailed tables of forest area, as well as timber volume, growth, removals, mortality, and ownership.

Kuwait Oil Fires, Persian Gulf, Qatar Peninsula

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1991-01-01

This view up the Persian Gulf from the Qatar Peninsula into southern Iraq (25.5N, 51.0E) shows an excursion of the smoke plumes from the Kuwait oil fires set during the short Persian Gulf War. Smoke from the fires north of Kuwait City, extends across the Persian Gulf while a larger smoke plume from the southern fires heads into southern Saudi Arabia before beginning to spread out and become more diffuse.

Qatar Peninsula, United Arab Emirates, Persian Gulf

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1983-01-01

In this view of the Qatar Peninsula, United Arab Emirates, Persian Gulf, (25.0N, 51.0E) a large oil spill, seen as a large dark toned mass in the water covers much of the surface of the western Persian Gulf. Qatar is one of several of the oil rich United Arab Emirate states. Oil spills and oil pollution of the environment are common occurrances associated with oil tanker loading operations.

Simulating the Permafrost Distribution on the Seward Peninsula, Alaska

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Busey, R.; Hinzman, L. D.; Yoshikawa, K.; Liston, G. E.

2005-12-01

Permafrost extent has been estimated using an equivalent latitude / elevation model based upon good climate, terrain and soil property data. This research extends a previously developed model to a relatively data sparse region. We are applying the general equivalent attitude model developed for Caribou-Poker Creeks Research Watershed over the much larger area of the Seward Peninsula, Alaska. This region of sub-Arctic Alaska is a proxy for a warmer Arctic due to the broad expanses of tussock tundra, invading shrubs and fragile permafrost with average temperatures just below freezing. The equivalent latitude model combines elevation, slope, and aspect with snow cover, where the snow cover distribution was defined using MicroMet and SnowModel. Source data for the distributed snow model came from meteorological stations across the Seward Peninsula from the National Weather Service, SNOTEL, RAWS, and our own stations. Simulations of permafrost extent will enable us to compare the current distribution to that existing during past climates and estimate the future state of permafrost on the Seward Peninsula. The broadest impacts to the terrestrial arctic regions will result through consequent effects of changing permafrost structure and extent. As the climate differentially warms in summer and winter, the permafrost will become warmer, the active layer (the layer of soil above the permafrost that annually experiences freeze and thaw) will become thicker, the lower boundary of permafrost will become shallower and permafrost extent will decrease in area. These simple structural changes will affect every aspect of the surface water and energy balances. As permafrost extent decreases, there is more infiltration to groundwater. This has significant impacts on large and small scales.

Sedimentary provenance of Trinity Peninsula Group, Antarctic Peninsula: petrography, geochemistry and SHRIMP U-Pb zircon age constraints.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Castillo, P.; Lacassie, J. P.; Hervé, F.; Fanning, C. M.

2009-04-01

The Trinity Peninsula Group (TPG) crops out in northern Graham Land and consists of a mostly non-fossiliferous metasedimentary succession of Permo-Triassic(?) age, which was accreted prior to the initiation of the Gondwana breakup. This succession has been sub-divided, from north to south, into five formations, namely: Hope Bay (HBF), View Point (VPF), Legoupil (LgF), Charlotte Bay (ChBF) and Paradise Harbour (PHF) formations. However, there are still large areas with unknown stratigraphic allocation, age and extension. Twenty TPG samples (12 sandstones and 8 mudstones) were collected from four localities in the Antarctic Peninsula, including Hope Bay; Paradise Harbour, Cape Legoupil and Charlotte Bay. Twelve sandstones were selected for modal analysis and 15 samples (7 sandstones and 8 mudstones) for whole rock chemical analysis. The geochemical data of the TPG samples was compared with the geochemical data of other sedimentary successions of different provenance and tectonic setting, by using unsupervised artificial neural networks. The modal composition of the sandstones is dominated by quartz and, in similar but smaller proportions by feldspar, and according to the discrimination scheme of Dickinson et al. (1983) is consistent with the product of erosion of the plutonic roots of a magmatic arc. The chemical data suggest a relatively evolved source, with a composition similar to a typical granodioritic continental magmatic arc. The deposition of the detritus is most likely to have occurred within an active continental margin. Three sandstone samples from the HBF, LgF and PHF were selected for U-Pb dating of detrital zircons by SHRIMP. For the HBF and PHF samples, the major age component is Permian (270-280 Ma). Only the sample from LgF has two important peaks at ~270 and ~470 Ma. In all cases, the youngest dated zircon is Permian (~257 Ma). These results show that there are strong chemical and chronological similarities between the TPG, the Duque de York Complex

Satellite Analysis of the Severe 1987 Forest Fires in Northern China and Southeastern Siberia

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cahoon, Donald R., Jr.; Stocks, Brian J.; Levine, Joel S.; Cofer, Wesley R., III; Pierson, Joseph M.

1994-01-01

Meteorological conditions, extremely conducive to fire development and spread in the spring of 1987, resulted in forest fires burning over extremely large areas in the boreal forest zone in northeastern China and the southeastern region of Siberia. The great China fire, one of the largest and most destructive forest fires in recent history, occurred during this period in the Heilongjiang Province of China. Satellite imagery is used to examine the development and areal distribution of 1987 forest fires in this region. Overall trace gas emissions to the atmosphere from these fires are determined using a satellite-derived estimate of area burned in combination with fuel consumption figures and carbon emission ratios for boreal forest fires.

Satellite analysis of the severe 1987 forest fires in northern China and southeastern Siberia

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cahoon, Donald R, Jr.; Stocks, Brian J.; Levine, Joel S.; Cofer, Wesley R., III; Pierson, Joseph M.

1994-01-01

Meteorological conditions, extremely conducive to fire development and spread in the spring of 1987, resulted in forest fires burning over extremely large areas in the boreal forest zone in northeastern China and the southeastern region of Siberia. The great China fire, one of the largest and most destructive forest fires in recent history, occurred during this period in the Heilongjiang Province of China. Satellite imagery is used to examine the development and areal distribution of 1987 forest fires in this region. Overall trace gas emissions to the atmosphere from these fires are determined using a satellite-derived estimate of area burned in combination with fuel consumption figures and carbon emission ratios for boreal forest fires.

Remote Sensing-Based, 5-m, Vegetation Distributions, Kougarok Study Site, Seward Peninsula, Alaska, ca. 2009 - 2016

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Langford, Zachary; Kumar, Jitendra; Hoffman, Forrest

A multi-sensor remote sensing-based deep learning approach was developed for generating high-resolution (5~m) vegetation maps for the western Alaskan Arctic on the Seward Peninsula, Alaska. This data was developed using the fusion of hyperspectral, multispectral, and terrain datasets. The current data is located in the Kougarok watershed but we plan to expand this over the Seward Peninsula.

Byers Peninsula: A reference site for coastal, terrestrial and limnetic ecosystem studies in maritime Antarctica

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Quesada, A.; Camacho, A.; Rochera, C.; Velázquez, D.

2009-11-01

This article describes the development of an international and multidisciplinary project funded by the Spanish Polar Programme on Byers Peninsula (Livingston Island, South Shetlands). The project adopted Byers Peninsula as an international reference site for coastal and terrestrial (including inland waters) research within the framework of the International Polar Year initiative. Over 30 scientists from 12 countries and 26 institutions participated in the field work, and many others participated in the processing of the samples. The main themes investigated were: Holocene changes in climate, using both lacustrine sediment cores and palaeo-nests of penguins; limnology of the lakes, ponds, rivers and wetlands; microbiology of microbial mats, ecology of microbial food webs and viral effects on aquatic ecosystems; ornithology, with investigations on a Gentoo penguin rookery ( Pygoscelis papua) as well as the flying ornithofauna; biocomplexity and life cycles of species from different taxonomic groups; analysis of a complete watershed unit from a landscape perspective; and human impacts, specifically the effect of trampling on soil characteristics and biota. Byers Peninsula offers many features as an international reference site given it is one of the largest ice-free areas in the Antarctic Peninsula region, it has a variety of different landscape units, and it hosts diverse aquatic ecosystems. Moreover, the Byers Peninsula is a hotspot for Antarctic biodiversity, and because of its high level of environmental protection, it has been very little affected by human activities. Finally, the proximity to the Spanish polar installations on Livingston Island and the experience derived from previous expeditions to the site make it logistically feasible as a site for ongoing monitoring and research.

Spruce reproduction dynamics on Alaska's Kenai Peninsula, 1987-2000.

Treesearch

Willem W.S. van Hees

2005-01-01

During the past 30 years, spruce forests of Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula have undergone dramatic changes resulting from widespread spruce bark beetle(Dendroctonus rufipennis (Kirby)) infestation. In 1987 and again in 2000, the Pacific Northwest Research Station's Forest Inventory and Analysis Program conducted initial and remeasurement inventories...

The gastropod Phorcus sauciatus (Koch, 1845) along the north-west Iberian Peninsula: filling historical gaps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rubal, Marcos; Veiga, Puri; Moreira, Juan; Sousa-Pinto, Isabel

2014-03-01

The intertidal gastropod Phorcus sauciatus is a subtropical grazer that reaches its northern boundary in the Iberian Peninsula. Distribution of P. sauciatus along the Iberian Peninsula shows, however, gaps in its distribution. The present study was aimed at detecting possible recent changes on the population structure and distribution of P. sauciatus along the north-west Atlantic coast of the Iberian Peninsula. To achieve this aim, we adopted a qualitative sampling design to explore the presence of P. sauciatus along a region within its historical gap of distribution (north Portuguese coast). In addition, a quantitative sampling design was adopted to test hypotheses about the abundance and size structure of P. sauciatus populations among regions with different historical records of its abundance and among shores with different exposure. Results showed that P. sauciatus was present along the north Portuguese coast. However, the abundance and size structure of the newly settled populations were significantly different to those of the historically recorded populations. Moreover, P. sauciatus was able to establish populations at sheltered shores. Considering these results, we propose models for the distribution of P. sauciatus along the Iberian Peninsula, based on effects of sea surface temperature, and to explain the size-frequency of their populations based on their density.

Kinematics and segmentation of the South Shetland Islands-Bransfield basin system, northern Antarctic Peninsula

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taylor, Frederick W.; Bevis, Michael G.; Dalziel, Ian W. D.; Smalley, Robert; Frohlich, Cliff; Kendrick, Eric; Foster, James; Phillips, David; Gudipati, Krishnavikas

2008-04-01

New GPS measurements demonstrate tectonic segmentation of the South Shetland Islands platform, regarded as a microplate separating the Antarctic Peninsula from the oceanic portion of the Antarctic plate. King George, Greenwich, and Livingston islands on the central and largest segment are separating from the Antarctic Peninsula at 7-9 mm/a, moving NNW, roughly perpendicular to the continental margin. Smith and Low islands on the small southwestern segment are moving in the same direction, but at 2.2-3.0 mm/a. The Elephant Island subgroup in the northeast moves at ˜7 mm/a relative to the Peninsula, like the central group, but toward the WNW. This implies that it is presently coupled to the Scotia plate on the northern side of the South Scotia Ridge transform boundary; thus the uplift of these northeasternmost islands may be caused by Scotia-Antarctic plate convergence rather than by subduction of thickened oceanic crust.

New genetic lineage within the Siberian subtype of tick-borne encephalitis virus found in Western Siberia, Russia.

PubMed

Tkachev, Sergey E; Chicherina, Galina S; Golovljova, Irina; Belokopytova, Polina S; Tikunov, Artem Yu; Zadora, Oksana V; Glupov, Victor V; Tikunova, Nina V

2017-12-01

Tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV), a member of the Flaviviridae family, is a causative agent of a severe neurological disease. There are three main TBEV subtypes: the European (TBEV-Eu), Far Eastern (TBEV-FE), and Siberian (TBEV-Sib). Currently, three lineages within TBEV-Sib have been recorded. In this study, the genetic and biological characteristics of a new original strain, TBEV-2871, isolated in the Novosibirsk province of Western Siberia, Russia were investigated. The strain has low neuroinvasiveness in mice. Phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that TBEV-2871 belongs to TBEV-Sib, but does not cluster with any of the TBEV-Sib lineages. The TBEV-2871 strain has 88-89% nucleotide sequence identity with the other TBEV-Sib strains, 84-86% nucleotide sequence identity with the TBEV-FE and TBEV-Eu subtypes and is genetically close to the subtype division border. The TBEV-2871 polyprotein sequence includes 43 unique amino acid substitutions, 30 of which are recorded at positions that are conserved among all TBEV subtypes. Strain TBEV-2871 and two similar but not identical isolates found in Kemerovo province, Western Siberia are separated into a new lineage tentatively named Obskaya after the name of Ob riber, in the vicinity of which the TBEV-2871 was first found. A molecular evolution investigation demonstrated that within TBEV-Sib, the Obskaya lineage likely separated 1535years ago, which is even earlier than the Baltic lineage. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Comparison of current and paleorecharge on the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Van Pelt, S.; Allen, D. M.; Kohfeld, K. E.

2016-12-01

During the Terminal Classic Period (TCP) 800-1000 AD, the Yucatan Peninsula is thought to have experienced a 150-year long series of droughts that contributed to the demise of the Mayan civilization. The occurrence of this type of event suggests that similar precipitation extremes could occur again, and severely impact water supplies. Studying the past occurrence of droughts may provide more insight into the possible timing and intensity of droughts. However, observed data of the past climate is limited to proxy records, which are not detailed enough for groundwater modeling. The goals of this study were two-fold: (a) to generate a daily paleoclimate time series for use in a recharge model, and (b) to compare current and past recharge on the Yucatan Peninsula. Past temperature and precipitation were reconstructed using a novel backwards shift factor approach using output from two experiments of the Community Climate System Model Version 4 (CCSM4). Shift factors were applied using two approaches: (1) application of shift factors to a stochastic weather series based on the observed climate, and (2) application of shift factors directly to the observed climate. The second method (direct shift factor approach) was found to be more suitable for the Yucatan Peninsula, as the observed median annual precipitation was poorly reproduced in the stochastic data. The reconstructed precipitation was used in the recharge model, which used the unsaturated component of the modeling program MIKE SHE. The comparison of the TCP and the current climate models indicated that on average, 1.74% more recharge occurred annually during the TCP. The seasonal water balance components showed that the majority of this higher recharge occurred during the wet season, with little to no increase in recharge during the dry season. Due to issues with the CCSM4 model data, changes in climate variability were not able to be incorporated into this study. If variability were incorporated, the TCP climate

Detroit and the Lower Peninsula of Michigan

NASA Image and Video Library

1973-06-22

SL2-05-389 (22 June 1973) --- This scene displays the southeastern part of Michigan's Lower Peninsula and adjacent Ontario, Canada (43.0N, 84.0W). Detroit can be recognized by its radial pattern of development and sediment plumes in the rivers from the massive industrial activity. The area pockmarked by lakes northwest of Detroit essentially outlines the limits of the Defiance Moraine caused by the stagnation and melting of Ice Age glaciers. Photo credit: NASA

The diversity and prevalence of hard ticks attacking human hosts in Eastern Siberia (Russian Federation) with first description of invasion of non-endemic tick species.

PubMed

Khasnatinov, Maxim Anatolyevich; Liapunov, Alexander Valeryevich; Manzarova, Ellina Lopsonovna; Kulakova, Nina Viktorovna; Petrova, Irina Viktorovna; Danchinova, Galina Anatolyevna

2016-02-01

Hard ticks are the vectors of many pathogens including tick-borne encephalitis virus and the Lyme disease agent Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato. In Eastern Siberia, Ixodes persulcatus, Dermacentor nuttalli, Dermacentor silvarum and Haemaphysalis concinna are regarded as aggressive to humans. Recently, significant changes in world tick fauna have been reported and this affects the spread of tick-borne pathogens. We studied the current species diversity, population structure and prevalence of tick-borne pathogens of hard ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) that attacked humans in Eastern Siberia (Irkutsk region, Russia). In total, 31,892 individual ticks were identified and analysed during the years 2007-2014. The majority (85.4%) of victims was bitten by I. persulcatus, 14.55% of attacks on humans were caused by D. nuttalli and D. silvarum, whereas H. concinna was documented only in 15 cases (0.05%). The seasonal activity and the age/gender structure of the tick population were studied as well. Among all the studied ticks, three unconventional species, i.e. Rhipicephalus sanguineus, Dermacentor reticulatus and Amblyomma americanum, were identified. Analysis of tick bite histories indicates at least three events of invasion of non-endemic ticks into the ecosystems of northern Eurasia with harsh continental climates. Invading ticks are able to reach the adult life stage and are aggressive to the local human population. Phylogenetic analysis of mt 16S rRNA gene fragments suggests multiple independent routes of tick migration to Eastern Siberia. Possible implications to human health and epidemiology of tick-borne infections are discussed.

77 FR 61046 - The Amendment of the Designation of Al-Qa'ida in the Arabian Peninsula, aka Al-Qa'ida of Jihad...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-10-05

... DEPARTMENT OF STATE [Public Notice 8054] The Amendment of the Designation of Al-Qa'ida in the Arabian Peninsula, aka Al-Qa'ida of Jihad Organization in the Arabian Peninsula, aka Tanzim Qa'idat al-Jihad fi Jazirat al-Arab, aka Al- Qa'ida in Yemen, aka Al-Qa'ida in the South Arabian Peninsula, as a...

77 FR 61046 - The Review and Amendment of the Designation of Al-Qa'ida in the Arabian Peninsula, aka Al-Qa'ida...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-10-05

... DEPARTMENT OF STATE [Public Notice 8055] The Review and Amendment of the Designation of Al-Qa'ida in the Arabian Peninsula, aka Al-Qa'ida of Jihad Organization in the Arabian Peninsula, aka Tanzim Qa'idat al-Jihad fi Jazirat al-Arab, aka Al- Qa'ida in Yemen, aka Al-Qa'ida in the South Arabian Peninsula...

Helminths of brown bears (Ursus arctos) in the Kola Peninsula.

PubMed

Bugmyrin, S V; Tirronen, K F; Panchenko, D V; Kopatz, A; Hagen, S B; Eiken, H G; Kuznetsova, A S

2017-06-01

We present data on the species composition of helminths in brown bears (Ursus arctos) from the Murmansk Region, Russia. The absence of any information about helminths of brown bear in the region necessitated the conduct of these studies. Samples were collected in 2014 and 2015 in the southern part of the Kola Peninsula from the White Sea coastal habitats. Annually, in the study area, 1-3 bears are legally hunted and biological samples for examination are very difficult to obtain. Therefore, we used fecal samples. We studied 93 feces and identified parasite eggs identified in 43 of them by morphometric criteria. The surveys revealed eggs of the following helminths: Dicrocoelium sp., Diphyllobothrium sp., Anoplocephalidae, Capillariidae, Baylisascaris sp., Strongylida 1, and Strongylida 2. These results represent the first reconnaissance stage, which allowed characterizing the taxonomic diversity and prevalence of parasites of brown bears of the Kola Peninsula.

Oxygen isotope and deuterium composition of snow cover on the profile of Western Siberia from Tomsk to the Gulf of Ob

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vasil'chuk, Yu. K.; Shevchenko, V. P.; Lisitzin, A. P.; Budantseva, N. A.; Vorobiov, S. N.; Kirpotin, S. N.; Krizkov, I. V.; Manasypov, R. M.; Pokrovsky, O. S.; Chizhova, Ju. N.

2016-12-01

The purpose of this work is to study the variability of the isotope composition (δ18O, δD, d exc) of the snow cover on a long transect of Western Siberia from the southern taiga to the tundra. The study of the snow cover is of paleogeographic, paleogeocryological, and paleohydrological value. The snow cover of western Siberia was sampled on a broadly NS transzonal profile from the environs of Tomsk (southern taiga zone) to the eastern coast of the Gulf of Ob (tundra zone) from February 19 to March 4, 2014. Snow samples were collected at 31 sites. Most of the samples represented by fresh snow, i.e., snow that had fallen a day before the moment of sampling were collected in two areas. In the area of Yamburg, the snow specimens collected from the surface are most probably settled snow of different ages. The values of δ18O in the snow from Tomsk to Yamburg varied from-21.89 to-32.82‰, and the values of δD, from-163.3 to-261.2‰. The value of deuterium excess was in the range of 4.06-19.53‰.

SRTM Colored Height and Shaded Relief: Sredinnyy Khrebet, Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia

NASA Image and Video Library

2001-07-05

The Kamchatka Peninsula in eastern Russia is shown in this scene created from a preliminary elevation model derived from the first data collected during NASA Shuttle Radar Topography Mission SRTM on February 12, 2000.

Military confidence building on the Korean Peninsula: possible first steps toward cooperation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Vannoni, M.

The Korean Peninsula is one of the world`s most tense military confrontational sites. Nearly 2 million North Korean, South Korean, and U.S. troops face each other along the 255-km long military demarcation line. Confidence building measures (CBMs), particularly military ones, that address the security needs of both countries could decrease the danger of conflict and help create an environment where a peace regime might be negotiated. In spite of the present high level of mutual distrust, steps can still be taken to prepare for future development and implementation of CBMs. This paper defines some simple and specific first steps towardmore » CBMs that might be useful on the Korean Peninsula.« less

Resurrection Peninsula and Knight Island ophiolites and recent faulting on Montague Island, southern Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nelson, Steven W.; Miller, Marti L.; Dumoulin, Julie A.

1987-01-01

The Resurrection Peninsula forms the east side of Resurrection Bay (Fig. 1). The city of Seward is located at the head of the bay and can be reached from Anchorage by highway (127 mi;204 km). Relief ranges from 1,434 ft (437 m) at the southern end of the peninsula to more than 4,800 ft (1,463 m) 17 mi (28 km) to the north. All rock units composing the informally named Resurrection Peninsula ophiolite are visible and (or) accessible by boat.The eastern half of the peninsula is located within the Chugach National Forest; the western half is mainly state land, but there is some private land with recreational cabins. The Seward A6 and A7 and Blying Sound D6 and D7 maps at 1:63,360 scale (mile-to-the-inch) cover the entire Resurrection Peninsula.Knight Island is located 53 mi (85 km) east of Seward (Fig. 1). Numerous fiords indent the 31-mi-long (50 km) by 7.4-mi-wide (12 km) island and offer excellent bedrock exposures. The island is rugged and has a maximum elevation of 3,000 ft (914 m). It has numerous mineral prospects (Tysdal, 1978; Nelson and others, 1984; Jansons and others, 1984; Koski and others, 1985), and several abandoned canneries are located on the island. Knight Island lies entirely within the Chugach National Forest—state and private inholdings constitute less than five percent of its total land area. The Seward A2, A3, B2, B3, and C2, 1:63,360-scale U.S. Geological Survey topographic maps cover the entire island.Montague Island, 50 mi (80 km) long and up to 11 mi (18 km) wide, lies 10.6 mi (17 km) southeast of Knight Island. It belongs to an island group that forms the southern margin of Prince William Sound (Fig. 1). Montague Island is less rugged and less heavily vegetated than either the Resurrection Peninsula or Knight Island. Rock exposures are excellent along the beaches, and ground disruption due to recent fault movements is clearly visible. The Seward Al and A2 and Blying Sound Dl, D2, and D3 maps cover the areas of interest on Montague Island

Coastal barium cycling at the West Antarctic Peninsula

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pyle, K. M.; Hendry, K. R.; Sherrell, R. M.; Meredith, M. P.; Venables, H.; Lagerström, M.; Morte-Ródenas, A.

2017-05-01

Barium cycling in the ocean is associated with a number of processes, including the production and recycling of organic matter, freshwater fluxes, and phenomena that affect alkalinity. As a result, the biogeochemical cycle of barium offers insights into past and present oceanic conditions, with barium currently used in various forms as a palaeoproxy for components of organic and inorganic carbon storage, and as a quasi-conservative water mass tracer. However, the nature of the oceanic barium cycle is not fully understood, particularly in cases where multiple processes may be interacting simultaneously with the dissolved and particulate barium pools. This is particularly the case in coastal polar regions such as the West Antarctic Peninsula, where biological drawdown and remineralisation occur in tandem with sea ice formation and melting, glacial meltwater input, and potential fluxes from shelf sediments. Here, we use a high-precision dataset of dissolved barium (Bad) from a grid of stations adjacent to the West Antarctic Peninsula in conjunction with silicic acid (Si(OH)4), the oxygen isotope composition of water, and salinity measurements, to determine the relative control of various coastal processes on the barium cycle throughout the water column. There is a strong correlation between Bad and Si(OH)4 present in deeper samples, but nevertheless persists significantly in surface waters. This indicates that the link between biogenic opal and barium is not solely due to barite precipitation and dissolution at depth, but is supplemented by an association between Bad and diatom tests in surface waters, possibly due to barite formation within diatom-dominated phytodetritus present in the photic zone. Sea-ice meltwater appears to exert a significant secondary control on barium concentrations, likely due to non-conservative biotic or abiotic processes acting as a sink for Bad within the sea ice itself, or sea-ice meltwater stimulating non-siliceous productivity that acts

Forest Fire Danger Rating (FFDR) Prediction over the Korean Peninsula

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Song, B.; Won, M.; Jang, K.; Yoon, S.; Lim, J.

2016-12-01

Approximately five hundred forest fires occur and inflict the losses of both life and property each year in Korea during the forest fire seasons in the spring and autumn. Thus, an accurate prediction of forest fire is essential for effective forest fire prevention. The meteorology is one of important factors to predict and understand the fire occurrence as well as its behaviors and spread. In this study, we present the Forest Fire Danger Rating Systems (FFDRS) on the Korean Peninsula based on the Daily Weather Index (DWI) which represents the meteorological characteristics related to forest fire. The thematic maps including temperature, humidity, and wind speed produced from Korea Meteorology Administration (KMA) were applied to the forest fire occurrence probability model by logistic regression to analyze the DWI over the Korean Peninsula. The regional data assimilation and prediction system (RDAPS) and the improved digital forecast model were used to verify the sensitivity of DWI. The result of verification test revealed that the improved digital forecast model dataset showed better agreements with the real-time weather data. The forest fire danger rating index (FFDRI) calculated by the improved digital forecast model dataset showed a good agreement with the real-time weather dataset at the 233 administrative districts (R2=0.854). In addition, FFDRI were compared with observation-based FFDRI at 76 national weather stations. The mean difference was 0.5 at the site-level. The results produced in this study indicate that the improved digital forecast model dataset can be useful to predict the FFDRI in the Korean Peninsula successfully.

An 40Ar/39Ar geochronology on a mid-Eocene igneous event on the Barton and Weaver peninsulas: Implications for the dynamic setting of the Antarctic Peninsula

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Fei; Zheng, Xiang-Shen; Lee, Jong I. K.; Choe, Won Hie; Evans, Noreen; Zhu, Ri-Xiang

2009-12-01

The genesis of basaltic to andesitic lavas, mafic dikes, and granitoid plutons composing the subaerial cover on the Barton and Weaver peninsulas, Antarctica, is related to arc formation and subduction processes. Precise dating of these polar rocks using conventional 40Ar/39Ar techniques is compromised by the high degree of alteration (with loss on ignition as high as 8%). In order to minimize the alteration effects we have followed a sample preparation process that includes repeated acid leaching, acetone washing, and hand picking, followed by an overnight bake at 250°C. After this procedure, groundmass samples can yield accurate age plateaus consisting of 70%-100% of the total 39Ark released using high-resolution heating schedules. The different rock types studied on the Barton and Weaver peninsulas yielded almost coeval ages, suggesting a giant igneous event in the Weaver and Barton peninsulas at 44.5 Ma. A compilation of newly published ages indicate that this event took place throughout the whole South Shetland Islands, suggesting a dynamic incident occurred at this stage during the arc evolution history. We related this igneous event to a mantle delamination mechanism during Eocene times. The delamination process began at ˜52 Ma, and the resultant upwelling of asthenosphere baffled the subduction of Phoenix plate, causing an abrupt decrease in convergence rate. Then multiple magmatic sources were triggered, resulting in a culminating igneous activity during 50-40 Ma with a peak at ˜45 Ma along the archipelago. The delamination also caused the extension regime indicated by the dike swarm, plugs and sills all over the archipelago, and the uplift of Smith metamorphic complex and Livingston Island. Delamination process may have finished at some time during 40-30 Ma, leaving a weak igneous activity at that stage and thereafter. The convergence rate then recovered gradually, as indicated by the magnetic anomaly identifications. This model is supported by seismic

Dinosaur evolution. A Jurassic ornithischian dinosaur from Siberia with both feathers and scales.

PubMed

Godefroit, Pascal; Sinitsa, Sofia M; Dhouailly, Danielle; Bolotsky, Yuri L; Sizov, Alexander V; McNamara, Maria E; Benton, Michael J; Spagna, Paul

2014-07-25

Middle Jurassic to Early Cretaceous deposits from northeastern China have yielded varied theropod dinosaurs bearing feathers. Filamentous integumentary structures have also been described in ornithischian dinosaurs, but whether these filaments can be regarded as part of the evolutionary lineage toward feathers remains controversial. Here we describe a new basal neornithischian dinosaur from the Jurassic of Siberia with small scales around the distal hindlimb, larger imbricated scales around the tail, monofilaments around the head and the thorax, and more complex featherlike structures around the humerus, the femur, and the tibia. The discovery of these branched integumentary structures outside theropods suggests that featherlike structures coexisted with scales and were potentially widespread among the entire dinosaur clade; feathers may thus have been present in the earliest dinosaurs. Copyright © 2014, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Middle pleistocene mollusks from St. Lawrence Island and their significance for the paleo-oceanography of the Bering Sea

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hopkins, D.M.; Rowland, R.W.; Patton, W.W.

1972-01-01

Drift, evidently of Illinoian age, was deposited on St. Lawrence Island at the margin of an ice cap that covered the highlands of the Chukotka Peninsula of Siberia and spread far eastward on the continental shelf of northern Bering Sea. Underlying the drift on the northwestward part of the island are mollusk-bearing beds deposited during the Kotzebuan Transgression. A comparison of mollusk faunas from St. Lawrence Island, Chukotka Peninsula, and Kotzebue Sound suggests that the present northward flow through Bering and Anadyr Straits was reversed during the Kotzebuan Transgression. Cold arctic water penetrated southward and southwestward bringing an arctic fauna to the Gulf of Anadyr. Warmer Pacific water probably entered eastern Bering Sea, passed eastward and northeastward around eastern and northern St. Lawrence Island, and then became entrained in the southward currents that passed through Anadyr Strait. ?? 1972.

Food and water security issues in Russia III: food- and waterborne diseases in the Russian Arctic, Siberia and the Far East, 2000-2011.

PubMed

Dudarev, Alexey A; Dorofeyev, Vitaliy M; Dushkina, Eugenia V; Alloyarov, Pavel R; Chupakhin, Valery S; Sladkova, Yuliya N; Kolesnikova, Tatjana A; Fridman, Kirill B; Nilsson, Lena Maria; Evengard, Birgitta

2013-01-01

The food- and waterborne disease situation in Russia requires special attention. Poor quality of centralized water supplies and sewage systems, biological and chemical contamination of drinking water, as well as contamination of food products, promote widespread infectious diseases, significantly exceeding nationwide rates in the population living in the two-thirds of Russian northern territories. The general aim was to assess the levels of food- and waterborne diseases in selected regions of Russian Arctic, Siberia and the Far East (for the period 2000-2011), and to compare disease levels among regions and with national levels in Russia. This study is the first comparative assessment of the morbidity in these fields of the population of 18 selected regions of Russian Arctic, Siberia and the Far East, using official statistical sources. The incidences of infectious and parasitic food- and waterborne diseases among the general population (including indigenous peoples) have been analyzed in selected regions (per 100,000 of population, averaged for 2000-2011). Among compulsory registered infectious and parasitic diseases, there were high rates and widespread incidences in selected regions of shigellosis, yersiniosis, hepatitis A, tularaemia, giardiasis, enterobiasis, ascariasis, diphyllobothriasis, opistorchiasis, echinococcosis and trichinellosis. Incidences of infectious and parasitic food- and waterborne diseases in the general population of selected regions of the Russian Arctic, Siberia and the Far East (2000-2011) are alarmingly high. Parallel solutions must be on the agenda, including improvement of sanitary conditions of cities and settlements in the regions, modernization of the water supply and of the sewage system. Provision and monitoring of the quality of the drinking water, a reform of the general healthcare system and the epidemiological surveillance (including gender-divided statistics), enhancement of laboratory diagnostics and the introduction of

Tectonic implications of the 2017 Ayvacık (Çanakkale) earthquakes, Biga Peninsula, NW Turkey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Özden, Süha; Över, Semir; Poyraz, Selda Altuncu; Güneş, Yavuz; Pınar, Ali

2018-04-01

The west to southwestward motion of the Anatolian block results from the relative motions between the Eurasian, Arabian and African plates along the right-lateral North Anatolian Fault Zone in the north and left-lateral East Anatolian Fault Zone in the east. The Biga Peninsula is tectonically influenced by the Anatolian motion originating along the North Anatolian Fault Zone which splits into two main (northern and southern) branches in the east of Marmara region: the southern branch extends towards the Biga Peninsula which is characterized by strike-slip to oblique normal faulting stress regime in the central to northern part. The southernmost part of peninsula is characterized by a normal to oblique faulting stress regime. The analysis of both seismological and structural field data confirms the change of stress regime from strike-slip character in the center and north to normal faulting character in the south of peninsula where the earthquake swarm recently occurred. The earthquakes began on 14 January 2017 (Mw: 4.4) on Tuzla Fault and migrated southward along the Kocaköy and Babakale's stepped-normal faults of over three months. The inversion of focal mechanisms yields a normal faulting stress regime with an approximately N-S (N4°E) σ3 axis. The inversion of earthquakes occurring in central and northern Biga Peninsula and the north Aegean region gives a strike-slip stress regime with approximately WNW-ESE (N85°W) σ1 and NNE-SSW (N17°E) σ3 axis. The strike-slip stress regime is attributed to westward Anatolian motion, while the normal faulting stress regime is attributed to both the extrusion of Anatolian block and the slab-pull force of the subducting African plate along the Hellenic arc.

Draft genome sequence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis strain B9741 of Beijing B0/W lineage from HIV positive patient from Siberia.

PubMed

Shur, K V; Zaychikova, M V; Mikheecheva, N E; Klimina, K M; Bekker, O B; Zhdanova, S N; Ogarkov, O B; Danilenko, V N

2016-12-01

We report a draft genome sequence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis strain B9741 belonging to Beijing B0/W lineage isolated from a HIV patient from Siberia, Russia. This clinical isolate showed MDR phenotype and resistance to isoniazid, rifampin, streptomycin and pyrazinamide. We analyzed SNPs associated with virulence and resistance. The draft genome sequence and annotation have been deposited at GenBank under the accession NZ_LVJJ00000000.

Habitat Selection and Foraging Behavior of Southern Elephant Seals in the Western Antarctic Peninsula

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huckstadt, L.; Costa, D. P.; McDonald, B. I.; Tremblay, Y.; Crocker, D. E.; Goebel, M. E.; Fedak, M. E.

2006-12-01

We examined the foraging behavior of 18 southern elephant seals foraging over two seasons in the Western Antarctic Peninsula. The foraging behavior and habitat utilization of 7 females in 2005 and 12 in 2006 were followed using satellite linked Satellite Relay Data Loggers that measured diving behavior as well collected salinity and temperature profiles as the animals dove. Animals were tagged after the annual molt during February at Cape Shirreff Livngston Island, South Shetland Islands. There was significant interannual variation in the regions of the Southern Ocean used by seals from Livingston Island. In 2005 of the 7 animals tagged one foraged 4700 km due west of the Antarctic Peninsula going as far as 150 W. The remaining females headed south along the Western Antarctic Peninsula bypassing Marguerite Bay moving south along Alexander Island. Three of these animals continued to forage in the pack ice as it developed. On their return trip all females swam past Livingston Island, continuing on to South Georgia Island where they apparently bred in the austral spring. One animal returned to Cape Shirreff to molt and her tag was recovered. During 2006 animals initially followed a similar migratory pattern going south along the Antarctic Peninsula, but unlike 2005 where the majority of the animals remained in the immediate vicinity of the Western Antarctic Peninsula, most of the animals in 2006 moved well to the west foraging as far as the Amundsen Sea. We compared the area restricted search (focal foraging areas) areas of these animals using a newly developed fractal landscape technique that identifies and quantifies areas of intensive search. The fractal analysis of area restricted search shows that the area, distance and coverage (Fractal D) searched were not different between years, while the time spent in the search areas was higher in 2005. Further analysis will examine how the physical properties of the water column as determined from the CTD data derived from

Lower Troposphere Stratification and Pollutant Transport over Siberia in April 2006

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paris, J.; Nedelec, P.; Ramonet, M.; Golitsyn, G. S.; Belan, B. D.; Granberg, I. G.; Arshinov, M. Y.; Athier, G.; Boumard, F.; Cousin, J.; Ciais, P.

2006-12-01

In-situ airborne measurement of trace gases CO2, CO and O3 were performed during an intensive campaign over Central and Eastern Siberia, as part of the YAK-AEROSIB project. The campaign took place in April 11-14, 2006. At that time, the region was a weak source of CO2 (<1 gC m-2 d-1) but a number of fires occurred (http://maps.geog.umd.edu) south of the flight track, over north-eastern China. A total of 26 vertical profiles were collected from the ground level up to 7 km along a flight track of 5000 km between Novossibirsk and Yakutsk. The signature of local and more remote pollution sources was observed, associated with layers of elevated CO2 and CO concentrations, typically higher than 390 ppm and 250 ppb respectively. In most layers, a positive correlation between CO2 and CO is observed. The spatial extent of these layers can be tracked coherently on profiles up to 800 km apart. Layers are encountered above 3500 m, but they are more marked above 5000 m. This agrees well with a previously established climatology of ozone and water vapour layers in the troposphere from the MOZAIC programme. The representation of such layers in current chemistry transport is challenging, due to the model's limited vertical resolution and vertical mixing parameterization. The CO vertical distribution indicated a high variability near the surface (140-300 ppbv), more stable, but still variable concentrations between 1 and 4 km (120-200 ppbv) and surprisingly elevated CO values aloft, reaching up to 250 ppbv in the Eastern part of the flight track. High ozone values were occasionally found in the free troposphere (50-60 ppbv) with one intrusion of stratospheric air and one occurrence of active photochemistry in the Kemerovo area. Elsewhere, the lack of correlation between CO and ozone suggests the presence of aged air masses, without active photochemistry. Systematic back-trajectories calculated for each profile pointed out to zonal flow conditions, bringing pollution from Europe to

Shaded Relief with Height as Color and Landsat, Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-03-06

The top picture is a shaded relief image of the northwest corner of Mexico Yucatan Peninsula generated from NASA Shuttle Radar Topography Mission SRTM data, and shows a subtle, but unmistakable, indication of the Chicxulub impact crater.

Larch Forests of Middle Siberia: Long-Term Trends in Fire Return Intervals

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kharuk, Viacheslav I.; Dvinskaya, Mariya L.; Petrov, Ilya A.; Im, Sergei T.; Ranson, Kenneth J.

2016-01-01

Fire history within the northern larch forests of Central Siberia was studied (65 + deg N). Fires within this area are predominantly caused by lightning strikes rather than human activity. Mean fire return intervals (FRIs) were found to be 112 ± 49 years (based on fire scars) and 106 ± 36 years (based on fire scars and tree natality dates). FRI were increased with latitude increase and observed to be about 80 years at 64 deg N, about 200 years near the Arctic Circle and about 300 years nearby the northern range limit of larch stands (approximately 71 deg + N). Northward FRI increase correlated with incoming solar radiation (r = -0.95). Post Little Ice Age (LIA) warming (after 1850) caused approximately a doubling of fire events (in comparison with a similar period during LIA). The data obtained support a hypothesis of climate-induced fire frequency increase.

Genetic history of an archaic hominin group from Denisova Cave in Siberia

PubMed Central

Reich, David; Green, Richard E.; Kircher, Martin; Krause, Johannes; Patterson, Nick; Durand, Eric Y.; Viola, Bence; Briggs, Adrian W.; Stenzel, Udo; Johnson, Philip L. F.; Maricic, Tomislav; Good, Jeffrey M.; Marques-Bonet, Tomas; Alkan, Can; Fu, Qiaomei; Mallick, Swapan; Li, Heng; Meyer, Matthias; Eichler, Evan E.; Stoneking, Mark; Richards, Michael; Talamo, Sahra; Shunkov, Michael V.; Derevianko, Anatoli P.; Hublin, Jean-Jacques; Kelso, Janet; Slatkin, Montgomery; Pääbo, Svante

2015-01-01

Using DNA extracted from a finger bone found in Denisova Cave in southern Siberia, we have sequenced the genome of an archaic hominin to about 1.9-fold coverage. This individual is from a group that shares a common origin with Neanderthals. This population was not involved in the putative gene flow from Neanderthals into Eurasians; however, the data suggest that it contributed 4–6% of its genetic material to the genomes of present-day Melanesians. We designate this hominin population ‘Denisovans’ and suggest that it may have been widespread in Asia during the Late Pleistocene epoch. A tooth found in Denisova Cave carries a mitochondrial genome highly similar to that of the finger bone. This tooth shares no derived morphological features with Neanderthals or modern humans, further indicating that Denisovans have an evolutionary history distinct from Neanderthals and modern humans. PMID:21179161

Larch Forests of Middle Siberia: Long-Term Trends in Fire Return Intervals

PubMed Central

Kharuk, Viacheslav I.; Dvinskaya, Mariya L.; Petrov, Ilya A.; Im, Sergei T.; Ranson, Kenneth J.

2017-01-01

Fire history within the northern larch forests of Central Siberia was studied (65+°N). Fires within this area are predominantly caused by lightning strikes rather than human activity. Mean fire return intervals (FRI) were found to be 112 ± 49 years (based on fire scars) and 106 ± 36 years (based on fire scars and tree natality dates). FRI were increased with latitude increase, and observed to be about 80 years at 64°N, about 200 years near the Arctic Circle, and about 300 years nearby the northern range limit of larch stands (~71°+N). Northward FRI increase correlated with incoming solar radiation (r = − 0.95). Post Little Ice Age (LIA) warming (after 1850) caused approximately a doubling of fire events (in comparison with a similar period during LIA). The data obtained support a hypothesis of climate-induced fire frequency increase. PMID:28966554

GPS and GIS-Based Data Collection and Image Mapping in the Antarctic Peninsula

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sanchez, Richard D.

1999-01-01

High-resolution satellite images combined with the rapidly evolving global positioning system (GPS) and geographic information system (GIS) technology may offer a quick and effective way to gather information in Antarctica. GPS- and GIS-based data collection systems are used in this project to determine their applicability for gathering ground truthing data in the Antarctic Peninsula. These baseline data will be used in a later study to examine changes in penguin habitats resulting in part from regional climate warming. The research application in this study yields important information on the usefulness and limits of data capture and high-resolution images for mapping in the Antarctic Peninsula.

Current Status of Research on the Shorebirds, Marsh Birds, and Waders of the Peninsula of Baja California

Treesearch

Eric Mellink

2005-01-01

Regarding the information on its birds, the peninsula of Baja California has a luxury status, compared to other regions of México. In this sense, it is useful to compare it with its nearest states: Sonora and Sinaloa. While the peninsula measures 143,790 km², Sonora is 184,937 km². Sinaloa (58,092 km²), although much smaller, has a...

Ground-water resources of the North Beach Peninsula, Pacific County, Washington

USGS Publications Warehouse

Tracy, James V.

1977-01-01

The anticipated water demand of 425 million gallons per year for the North Brach Peninsula, Pacific County, Wash., can be met by properly developing the ground-water supplies of the area 's water-table aquifer. Of the approximately 77 inches of annual precipitation on the peninsula, an estimated 23 inches is lost to evapotranspiration, and approximately 36 inches is discharged by the water-table aquifer into the ocean and bay. The remaining water either runs off the surface or is leaked to a deeper aquifer that ultimately discharges to the ocean. At least 12 inches of the water that discharges naturally through the aquifer is available for additional development. This quantity of water is approximately equivalent to 860,000 gallons per day. Wells spaced at least 1,000 feet apart along the major axis of the peninsula and pumped at average rates of no more than 80 gallons per minute could ensure that water-level declines do not exceed 6 feet near the wells and 1 foot at the shoreline, thereby preventing seawater intrusion. Lowering of the water table may be beneficial in reducing waterlogging problems, but care must be taken not to lower the levels near cranberry bogs, which require a shallow water table. Treatment of the otherwise good quality water for iron may be required, as about 75 percent of the well water sampled from the aquifer had iron concentrations in excess of limits recommended by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (Woodard-USGS)

Spatial and temporal characteristics of wildfire activity over the Iberian Peninsula

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Calado, Teresa; DaCamara, Carlos C.; Ermida, Sofia; Trigo, Isabel.

2013-04-01

According to the official reports of the European Commission, during the period 1980-2010 the Iberian Peninsula has contributed to 60% of the total burned area of 14 620 968 ha, which was recorded in the five Southern Member States with higher wildfire activity (Portugal, Spain, France, Italy and Greece). The aim of the present study is to assess fire activity over the Iberian Peninsula based on time series of hot spots extracted from the MODIS global daily active fire product (MOD14A1 and MYD14A1). This dataset, which contains the coordinates of MODIS pixels where fire events were identified together with the respective date and quality indicators, covers the period from July 2002 to August 2012. It is first shown that overall hot spot activity exhibits power law behaviour. A spatial analysis is then undertaken based on land cover information as obtained from Globcover - an ESA initiative relying on observations from the 300m MERIS on board the ENVISAT. Temporal analysis of hot spot activity is also performed based on daily information about meteorological conditions provided by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts. Results obtained allow defining a set of fire regions over the Iberian Peninsula determined essentially by the respective land cover type, which present coherent statistical behaviour in space and time. Finally, models of fire risk are developed for each region and their potential operational use by forest and civil protection services is discussed.

Molecular & genetic characteristics of Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains circulating in the southern part of West Siberia

PubMed Central

Pasechnik, Oksana; Dymova, Maya Alexandrovna; Stasenko, Vladimir Leonidovich; Blokh, Aleksey Igorevich; Tatarintseva, Marina Petrovna; Kolesnikova, Lyubov Pavlovna; Filipenko, Maksim Leonidovich

2017-01-01

Background & objectives: A complicated epidemiological situation characterized by significantly high tuberculosis (TB) morbidity is observed in West Siberia. This study was aimed to investigate the genetic characteristics of Mycobacterium tuberculosis circulating in the southern part of West Siberia (in the Omsk region). Methods: From March 2013 to January 2015, 100 isolates of M. tuberculosis were obtained from patients with pulmonary TB living in the Omsk region. Drug susceptibility testing was performed on Lowenstein-Jensen medium (absolute concentration method). Genetic typing of isolates was carried out by variable number tandem repeats of mycobacterial interspersed repetitive units (MIRU-VNTR) typing and polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) analysis. The genetic types and characteristics of cluster strains were determined using 15 MIRU-VNTR loci. Results: Thirty six VNTR types were found. Twenty six (26.0%) isolates had a unique profile, and the remaining 74 were grouped in 10 clusters containing from 2 to 23 isolates. The Beijing genotype was found in 72 isolates, 61 (85.0%) of which were part of five clusters that included two large clusters containing 23 isolates. Other genetic families, such as Latin-American Mediterranean (LAM, 11.0%), S family (2.0%) and Haarlem (4.0%), were also detected. The genetic family of 11 isolates could not be determined. Six different VNTR profiles were found in these non-classified isolates. Only 16 per cent of isolates were sensitive to anti-TB drugs. The katG315 (94.8%) and rpoB531 (92.2%) mutations were identified in 77 multidrug-resistant M. tuberculosis isolates. Interpretation & conclusions: This study showed that the M. tuberculosis population in the Omsk region was heterogeneous. The Beijing genotype predominated and was actively spreading. The findings obtained point to the need for the implementation of more effective preventive measures to stop the spread of drug-resistant M

Greenhouse gas aerosols and pollutants over Siberia: the YAK-AEROSIB French Russian Joint International Laboratory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paris, Jean-Daniel; Belan, Boris D.; Ancellet, Gérard; Nédélec, Philippe; Arshinov, Mikhail Yu.; Pruvost, Arnaud; Berchet, Antoine; Arzoumanian, Emmanuel; Pison, Isabelle; Ciais, Philippe; Law, Kathy

2014-05-01

Despite the unique scientific value of better knowing atmospheric composition over Siberia, regional observations of the tropospheric composition over this region are still lacking. Large local anthropogenic emissions, strong ecosystem gas exchange across the vast forest expanse, and processes feeding back to global climate such as wetlands CH4 emissions, seabed hydrates destabilization and degrading permafrost make this region particularly crucial to investigate. We aim at addressing this need in the YAK-AEROSIB program by collecting high-precision in-situ measurements of the vertical distribution of CO2, CH4, CO, O3, black carbon and ultrafine particles distribution in the Siberian troposphere, as well as other parameters including aerosol lidar profiles, on a pan-Siberian aircraft transect. Campaigns are performed almost annually since 2006 until now on this regular route, while special campaigns are occasionnally arranged to sample the troposphere elsewere (e.g. Russian Arctic coast). We show the background tropospheric composition obtained from these surveys, the variability and the impact of large-scale transport of anthropogenic emissions from Europe and Asia, as well as the impact of biomass burning plumes both from local wildfires (2012) and from remote sources elsewhere in Asia. Long range transport of anthropogenic emissions is shown to have a discernible impact on O3 distribution, although its lower-tropospheric variability is largely driven by surface deposition. Regional sources and sinks drive the lower troposphere CO2 and CH4 concentrations. Recent efforts aim at better understanding the respective role of CH4 emission processes (including methanogenesis in wetlands and emissions by wildfires) in driving its large scale atmospheric variability over the region. Generally, the YAK AEROSIB provide unique observations over Siberia, documenting both direct impact of regional sources and aged air masses experiencing long range transport toward the high

Direct observations of reactive atmospheric gases at ZOTTO station in the middle of Siberia as a base for large-scale modeling of atmospheric chemistry over Northern Eurasia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Skorokhod, Andrey; Belikov, Igor; Shtabkin, Yury; Moiseenko, Konstantin; Pankratova, Natalia; Vasileva, Anastasia; Rakitin, Vadim; Heimann, Martin

2015-04-01

Direct observations of atmospheric air composition are very important for a comprehensive understanding of atmospheric chemistry over Northern Eurasia and its variability and trends driven by abrupt climatic and ecosystem changes and anthropogenic pressure. Atmospheric air composition (including greenhouse gases and aerosols), its trends and variability is still insufficiently known for most of the nearly uninhabited areas of Northern Eurasia. This limits the accuracy of both global and regional models, which simulate climatological and ecosystem changes in this highly important region. From that point of view, the Zotino Tall Tower Observatory (ZOTTO) in the middle of Siberia (near 60N, 90E), launched in 2006 and governed by a scientific international consortium plays an important role providing unique information about concentrations of greenhouse and reactive trace gases, as well as aerosols. Simulations of surface concentrations of O3, NOx and CO performed by global chemical-transport model GEOS-Chem using up-to-date anthropogenic and biogenic emissions databases show very good agreement with values observed at ZOTTO in 2007-2012. Observed concentration of ozone has a pronounced seasonal variation with a clear peak in spring (40-45 ppbv in average and up to 80 ppbv in extreme cases) and minimum in winter. Average ozone level is about 20 ppbv that corresponds to the background conditions. Enhanced concentration in March-July is due to increased stratospheric-tropospheric exchange. In autumn and winter distribution of ozone is close to uniform. NOx concentration does not exceed 1 ppb that is typical for background areas but may vary by order and some more in few hours. Higher surface NOx(=NO+NO2) concentrations during day time generally correspond to higher ozone when NO/NO2 ratio indicates on clean or slightly polluted conditions. CO surface concentration has a vivid seasonal course and varies from about 100 ppb in summer till 150 ppb in winter. But during

The recent (upper Miocene to Quaternary) and present tectonic stress distributions in the Iberian Peninsula

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Herraiz, M.; de Vicente, G.; Lindo-Ñaupari, R.; Giner, J.; Simón, J. L.; GonzáLez-Casado, J. M.; Vadillo, O.; RodríGuez-Pascua, M. A.; CicuéNdez, J. I.; Casas, A.; CabañAs, L.; Rincón, P.; CortéS, A. L.; RamíRez, M.; Lucini, M.

2000-08-01

A general synthesis of the recent and present stress situation and evolution in the Iberian Peninsula was obtained from microstructural and seismological analysis. The stress evolution was deduced from (1) fault population analysis (FPA) from 409 sites distributed throughout the Iberian Peninsula, (2) paleostress indicators given by 324 stations taken from the bibliography, and (3) seismic data corresponding to 161 focal mechanisms evenly spread in the studied region. The application of FPA together with the determination of stress tensors and focal mechanisms for the whole Iberian microplate has provided two main results: (1) the Iberian Peninsula is undergoing a NW-SE oriented compression, except for the northeastern part (Pyrenees, Ebro Basin, and Iberian Chain), where it is N-S to NE-SW, and the Gulf of Cádiz, where it seems to be E-W, and (2) the main trends of the stress field have remained almost constant since the upper Miocene. The analysis performed by zones suggests the presence of local heterogeneities in the stress field.

Pumas and Prepositions: Training Nature Guides in the Yucatan Peninsula.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Cynthia

2000-01-01

In the Yucatan Peninsula (Mexico), the 10-week Nature Guide Training Program integrates English immersion with natural history and environmental interpretation to train rural adults as nature guides and conservation leaders. Most graduates have found work as ecotourism guides or in conservation-related activities, and many have provided English…

An outbreak of type E botulism among common loons (Gavia immer) in Michigan's Upper Peninsula

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brand, Christopher J.; Schmitt, Stephen; Duncan, Ruth M.; Cooley, Thomas M.

1988-01-01

An epizootic of type E botulism (Clostridium botulinum) occurred among common loons (Gavia immer) along the Lake Michigan shore of Michigan's Upper Peninsula (USA) during October and November 1983. An estimated 592 dead loons washed ashore along the Garden Peninsula. Type E botulinal toxin was demonstrated in blood samples and stomach contents of dead loons, and in samples of three species of dead fish found on the Lake Michigan shore. We suspect that loons acquired botulism by ingesting sick or dead fish containing type E toxin.

Sedimentary ancient DNA and pollen reveal the composition of plant organic matter in Late Quaternary permafrost sediments of the Buor Khaya Peninsula (north-eastern Siberia)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hildegard Zimmermann, Heike; Raschke, Elena; Saskia Epp, Laura; Rosmarie Stoof-Leichsenring, Kathleen; Schwamborn, Georg; Schirrmeister, Lutz; Overduin, Pier Paul; Herzschuh, Ulrike

2017-02-01

Organic matter deposited in ancient, ice-rich permafrost sediments is vulnerable to climate change and may contribute to the future release of greenhouse gases; it is thus important to get a better characterization of the plant organic matter within such sediments. From a Late Quaternary permafrost sediment core from the Buor Khaya Peninsula, we analysed plant-derived sedimentary ancient DNA (sedaDNA) to identify the taxonomic composition of plant organic matter, and undertook palynological analysis to assess the environmental conditions during deposition. Using sedaDNA, we identified 154 taxa and from pollen and non-pollen palynomorphs we identified 83 taxa. In the deposits dated between 54 and 51 kyr BP, sedaDNA records a diverse low-centred polygon plant community including recurring aquatic pond vegetation while from the pollen record we infer terrestrial open-land vegetation with relatively dry environmental conditions at a regional scale. A fluctuating dominance of either terrestrial or swamp and aquatic taxa in both proxies allowed the local hydrological development of the polygon to be traced. In deposits dated between 11.4 and 9.7 kyr BP (13.4-11.1 cal kyr BP), sedaDNA shows a taxonomic turnover to moist shrub tundra and a lower taxonomic richness compared to the older samples. Pollen also records a shrub tundra community, mostly seen as changes in relative proportions of the most dominant taxa, while a decrease in taxonomic richness was less pronounced compared to sedaDNA. Our results show the advantages of using sedaDNA in combination with palynological analyses when macrofossils are rarely preserved. The high resolution of the sedaDNA record provides a detailed picture of the taxonomic composition of plant-derived organic matter throughout the core, and palynological analyses prove valuable by allowing for inferences of regional environmental conditions.

[Features of the structure and parameters of the intra-alveolar septa in residents of Western Siberia].

PubMed

Shishkin, G S; Ustiuzhaninova, N V

1998-01-01

In inhabitants of Novosibirsk and Moscow district intraalveolar septum, the basic functional element of the lung consists of interstitial connective tissue and capillar network, limited with basement membranes, on which cells of epithelial lining are placed. There are no principal differences in septal structure between individuals from both regions. The majority of morphometric parameters are statistically similar, although certain peculiarities were noted in human subjects from Siberia, the most important of which is that air-blood barrier in them is 33% thinner than those in inhabitants of Moscow district. Majority of capillaries possess the air-blood barrier from both sides. This increases diffous capacity of the lungs and blood oxygenation level.

Food and water security issues in Russia III: food- and waterborne diseases in the Russian Arctic, Siberia and the Far East, 2000–2011

PubMed Central

Dudarev, Alexey A.; Dorofeyev, Vitaliy M.; Dushkina, Eugenia V.; Alloyarov, Pavel R.; Chupakhin, Valery S.; Sladkova, Yuliya N.; Kolesnikova, Tatjana A.; Fridman, Kirill B.; Nilsson, Lena Maria; Evengard, Birgitta

2013-01-01

Background The food- and waterborne disease situation in Russia requires special attention. Poor quality of centralized water supplies and sewage systems, biological and chemical contamination of drinking water, as well as contamination of food products, promote widespread infectious diseases, significantly exceeding nationwide rates in the population living in the two-thirds of Russian northern territories. Objectives The general aim was to assess the levels of food- and waterborne diseases in selected regions of Russian Arctic, Siberia and the Far East (for the period 2000–2011), and to compare disease levels among regions and with national levels in Russia. Study design and methods This study is the first comparative assessment of the morbidity in these fields of the population of 18 selected regions of Russian Arctic, Siberia and the Far East, using official statistical sources. The incidences of infectious and parasitic food- and waterborne diseases among the general population (including indigenous peoples) have been analyzed in selected regions (per 100,000 of population, averaged for 2000–2011). Results Among compulsory registered infectious and parasitic diseases, there were high rates and widespread incidences in selected regions of shigellosis, yersiniosis, hepatitis A, tularaemia, giardiasis, enterobiasis, ascariasis, diphyllobothriasis, opistorchiasis, echinococcosis and trichinellosis. Conclusion Incidences of infectious and parasitic food- and waterborne diseases in the general population of selected regions of the Russian Arctic, Siberia and the Far East (2000–2011) are alarmingly high. Parallel solutions must be on the agenda, including improvement of sanitary conditions of cities and settlements in the regions, modernization of the water supply and of the sewage system. Provision and monitoring of the quality of the drinking water, a reform of the general healthcare system and the epidemiological surveillance (including gender

Terrestrial Birds and Conservation Priorities in Baja California Peninsula

Treesearch

Ricardo Rodriguez-Estrella

2005-01-01

The Baja California peninsula has been categorized as an Endemic Bird Area of the world and it is an important wintering area for a number of aquatic, wading and migratory landbird species. It is an important area for conservation of bird diversity in northwestern México. In spite of this importance, only few, scattered studies have been done on the ecology...

Tephra compositions from Late Quaternary volcanoes around the Antarctic Peninsula

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kraus, S.

2009-12-01

Crustal extension and rifting processes opened the Bransfield Strait between the South Shetland Islands and the Antarctic Peninsula during the last 4 Ma. Similar processes on the Peninsula's eastern side are responsible for volcanism along Larsen Rift. There are at least 11 volcanic centers with known or suspected Late Pleistocene / Holocene explosive activity (Fig. 1). Fieldwork was carried out on the islands Deception, Penguin, Bridgeman and Paulet, moreover at Melville Peak (King George Is.) and Rezen Peak (Livingston Is.). Of special importance is the second ever reported visit and sampling at Sail Rock, and the work on never before visited outcrops on the northern slopes and at the summit of Cape Purvis volcano (Fig. 1). The new bulk tephra ICP-MS geochemical data provide a reliable framework to distinguish the individual volcanic centers from each other. According to their Mg-number, Melville Peak and Penguin Island represent the most primitive magma source. Nb/Y ratios higher than 0.67 in combination with elevated Th/Yb and Ta/Yb ratios and strongly enriched LREE seem to be diagnostic to distinguish the volcanoes located along the Larsen Rift from those associated with Bransfield Rift. Sr/Y ratios discriminate between the individual Larsen Rift volcanoes, Paulet Island showing considerably higher values than Cape Purvis volcano. Along Bransfield Rift, Bridgeman Island and Melville Peak have notably lower Nb/Y and much higher Th/Nb than Deception Island, Penguin Island and Sail Rock. The latter displays almost double the Th/Yb ratio as compared to Deception Island, and also much higher LREE enrichment but extraordinarily low Ba/Th, discriminating it from Penguin Island. Such extremely low Ba/Th ratios are also typical for Melville Peak, but for none of the other volcanoes. Penguin Island has almost double the Ba/Th and Sr/Y ratios higher than any other investigated volcano. Whereas the volcanoes located in the northern part of Bransfield Strait have Zr

Neogene Basin Evolution Along the Northern Flank of the Papuan Peninsula, Goodenough Bay, Eastern Papua New Guinea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Horton, B. K.; Gillis, R. J.; Mann, P.

2009-12-01

Although large-magnitude extension in the Woodlark Rift of eastern Papua New Guinea (PNG) and the D’Entrecasteaux Islands has been addressed through previous research on the late Cenozoic structure and cooling history of metamorphic domes, few studies have evaluated the exhumational record contained within adjacent sedimentary basins. Onshore exposures of Neogene basin fill in PNG along the northern flank of the Papuan peninsula (east of the Dayman metamorphic dome and west-southwest of the domes of the D’Entrecasteaux Islands) provide a record of basin evolution prior to and during growth of the active spreading center that defines the boundary between the Australian plate and Woodlark microplate. Along the northern margin of the Papuan peninsula, a collection of lithofacies associations consisting of sandstone and subordinate conglomerate and mudstone represent deposition in bottomset, foreset, and topset subenvironments in a series of marine Gilbert-type deltas. Internal angular unconformities within the basin-fill succession indicate slope instability likely related to syndepositional deformation. This deformation is attributed to principally down-to-the north motion along extensional and strike-slip structures bordering the northern margin of Papuan peninsula, notably the ESE-striking Goodenough fault zone. Small-scale folding is interpreted as the product of late Miocene to Quaternary fault-related folding in an extensional setting, although we cannot rule out possible contraction coeval with significant collision-related shortening on the southern flank of the Papuan peninsula within the south-directed Papuan fold-thrust belt. Differences in sandstone petrographic results for the northern margin of the Papuan peninsula and the smaller Vogel peninsula suggest a multiphase history of basin evolution, with early Neogene subsidence of uncertain origin and late Neogene subsidence linked to regional extension. The timing of basin evolution will be assessed

Eruption of Shiveluch Volcano, Kamchatka Peninsula

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2007-01-01

On March 29, 2007, the Shiveluch Volcano on the Russian Federation's Kamchatka Peninsula erupted. According to the Alaska Volcano Observatory the volcano underwent an explosive eruption between 01:50 and 2:30 UTC, sending an ash cloud skyward roughly 9,750 meters (32,000 feet), based on visual estimates. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) flying onboard NASA's Aqua satellite took this picture at 02:00 UTC on March 29. The top image shows the volcano and its surroundings. The bottom image shows a close-up view of the volcano at 250 meters per pixel. Satellites often capture images of volcanic ash plumes, but usually as the plumes are blowing away. Plumes have been observed blowing away from Shiveluch before. This image, however, is different. At the time the Aqua satellite passed overhead, the eruption was recent enough (and the air was apparently still enough) that the ash cloud still hovered above the summit. In this image, the bulbous cloud casts its shadow northward over the icy landscape. Volcanic ash eruptions inject particles into Earth's atmosphere. Substantial eruptions of light-reflecting particles can reduce temperatures and even affect atmospheric circulation. Large eruptions impact climate patterns for years. A massive eruption of the Tambora Volcano in Indonesia in 1815, for instance, earned 1816 the nickname 'the year without a summer.' Shiveluch is a stratovolcano--a steep-sloped volcano composed of alternating layers of solidified ash, hardened lava, and volcanic rocks. One of Kamchatka's largest volcanoes, it sports a summit reaching 3,283 meters (10,771 feet). Shiveluch is also one of the peninsula's most active volcanoes, with an estimated 60 substantial eruptions in the past 10,000 years.

Energy and Resource-Saving Sources of Energy in Small Power Engineering of Siberia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baranova, Marina

2017-11-01

The sustainable development of distant areas of Siberia is associated with the structures of energy demand and supply, the implementation and promotion of the process of environmentally safe restructuring of the energy supply system. It has been established that suspension coal fuels derived from brown coal, coal mining, coal processing wastes can be used as fuel. The results of experimental and industrial boilers on suspension water coal fuel are presented. The designs of vortex combustion chambers of various powers are developed and tested. The possibility of using coal-enrichment wastes and substandard coals for the production of manure-coal fuel briquettes was studied. It is shown that the strength and thermal power characteristics of briquettes depend on the moisture content and degree of metamorphism of the raw materials. The most effective percentage of the solid phase and manure, as a binder, was determined.

Upper Cenozoic deposits of the central Delmarva Peninsula, Maryland and Delaware

USGS Publications Warehouse

Owens, James Patrick; Denny, Charles Storrow

1979-01-01

The surface and shallow subsurface sediments of the lower Delmarva Peninsula include beds ranging in age from Miocene to Holocene. The oldest beds appear to be typical shelf deposits of the Chesapeake Group (Calvert-Choptank age). These marine units are overlain by deltaic deposits, which range from fluviatile facies in the north (Pensauken Formation) to marginal marine and marine beds in the south ('Yorktown(?) and Cohansey(?)' Formations as used by Rasmussen and Slaughter in 1955). This large deltaic mass underlies most of the Delmarva Peninsula. Fossil age determinations supplemented by some radiometric dates indicate the delta to be largely late Miocene in age. The nonmarine facies of the delta, the Pensauken Formation, previously was considered to be Pleistocene in age. The late Miocene delta and possibly the Yorktown Formation (lower to middle Pliocene) are overlain by a feldspathic sand, the Beaverdam, which is at least in part marginal marine. Microflora recovered from this formation include species no longer indigenous to the Delmarva region ('exotics'). On the basis of existing information, microfloral assemblages containing 'exotics' are pre-Pleistocene in age. The Beaverdam therefore is pre-Pleistocene in age, probably late Pliocene. A highly dissected and weathered unit, the Walston Silt, caps the uplands of the central Delmarva Peninsula, where it overlies the Beaverdam. The Walston has a microflora containing 'exotics' and therefore is considered to be the youngest Tertiary unit (uppermost Pliocene) in this area. Sediments forming a barrier-back-barrier sequence fringe most of the southern Maryland-Delaware part of the Delmarva Peninsula and are found at altitudes of as much as 15 m (50 ft) above sea level. This sequence, the Omar Formation, is Sangamon in age and has been dated radiometrically as 60,000 to about 100,000 years old. The microflora in these beds contains no 'exotics,' and the assemblage suggests a warm-temperate environment. The Omar

[Soil functioning in foci of Siberian moth population outbreaks in the southern taiga subzone of Central Siberia].

PubMed

Krasnoshchekov, Iu N; Beskorovaĭnaia, I N

2008-01-01

The results of experimental studies on the contribution of zoogenic debris to transformation of soil properties in the southern taiga subzone of Central Siberia are analyzed. They show that water-soluble carbon outflow from the forest litter increases by 21-26% upon a Siberian moth invasion, with this value decreasing to 14% one year later. The burning of forest in an area completely defoliated by the pest leads to changes in the stock, fractional composition, actual acidity, and ash element contents of the litter. The litter-dwelling invertebrate assemblage is almost completely destroyed by fire and begins to recover only after two years.

Past Penguin Colony Linkages to Climate Change and Catastrophic Volcanism on the Northern Antarctic Peninsula

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roberts, S. J.; Monien, P.; Foster, L. C.; Loftfield, J.; Schnetger, B.; Pearson, E. J.; Hocking, E. P.; Fretwell, P.; Ireland, L.; Ochyra, R.; Haworth, A.; Allen, C. S.; Brumsack, H. J.; Bentley, M.; Hodgson, D.

2016-12-01

Recent warming and reductions in sea-ice in some parts of Antarctica are thought to be having a negative impact on populations of `ice-dependent' penguin species (e.g., Emperor, Adélie) that feed at the sea-ice edge because populations of `ice-avoiding'/more `adaptable' species (e.g., Gentoo, Chinstrap) have remained stable or increased, and some Adélie colonies located in areas of sea-ice expansion have increased. This hypothesis is based on short observational records and limited subfossil evidence, but has not been tested over longer, mid-late Holocene, timescales on the Antarctic Peninsula. Between 1950-1997, the northern Antarctic Peninsula was one of the most rapidly warming regions in the Southern Hemisphere and, over the last 30 years, the largest breeding population of Gentoo penguins in Antarctica on Ardley Island, north-western Antarctic Peninsula, has increased. We tracked past changes in the Ardley Island penguin colony size by comparing detailed biogeochemical analysis of an 8,500-year Ardley Lake sediment profile with past records of penguin presence, climate and sea-ice extent across the Antarctic Peninsula and found that the colony also responded positively during some local-regionally warmer parts of the late Holocene. However, at least three large volcanic eruptions from nearby Deception Island had a devastating impact on the colony between 7000-2000 years ago, with colony recovery taking up to 800 years following the most disruptive period of volcanic activity c. 5500-5000 years ago.

Distribution and abundance of Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) along the Antarctic Peninsula

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Siegel, Volker; Reiss, Christian S.; Dietrich, Kimberly S.; Haraldsson, Matilda; Rohardt, Gerhard

2013-07-01

Net-based data on the abundance, distribution, and demographic patterns of Antarctic krill are quantified from a contemporaneous two ship survey of the Antarctic Peninsula during austral summer 2011. Two survey areas were sampled focussed on Marguerite Bay in the south, and the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula in the north. Data from 177 stations showed that the highest concentrations of krill were found in the southern sampling area. Differences between areas were associated with a few large catches of one year old krill found in anomalously warm and productive waters in Marguerite Bay, and small krill catches in the less-productive, offshore waters in the north. Estimated krill density across the survey area was 3.4 krill m-2, and was low compared to the long-term average of 45 krill m-2 for the Elephant Island area. Overall recruitment between the two survey regions was similar, but per capita recruitment was about 60% lower than historical mean recruitment levels measured at Elephant Island since the late 1970s. Demographic patterns showed small krill concentrated near the coast, and large krill concentrated offshore on the shelf and slope all along the survey area. The offshore distribution of adult krill was delineated by the warm (˜1 °C), low salinity (33.8) water at 30 m, suggesting that most krill were present shoreward of the southern boundary of Antarctic Circumpolar Current Front. Distributions of larvae indicated that three hotspot areas were important for the production of krill: slope areas outside Marguerite Bay and north of the South Shetland Islands, and near the coast around Antarctic Sound. Successful spawning, as inferred from larval abundance, was roughly coincident with the shelf break and not with inshore waters. Given the rapid changes in climate along the Antarctic Peninsula and the lower per capita recruitment observed in recent years, studies comparing and contrasting production, growth, and recruitment across the Peninsula will be

Evaluating export container pooling options in MN, WI, and MI's Upper Peninsula.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-04-01

Research was undertaken to investigate the issues impacting the expansion of containerized cargo in : Wisconsin, Minnesota and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Best practices in container pooling, load matching, : inland ports and electronic tracking...

Sandstone detrital modes and basinal setting of the Trinity Peninsula Group, northern Graham Land, Antarctic Peninsula: A preliminary survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smellie, J. L.

Sandstone detrital modes for a representative sample of the Trinity Peninsula Group in northern Graham Land are described and assessed. Whereas the volumetrically dominant quartz and feldspar were derived principally from erosion of a plutonic and high-rank metamorphic terrane, the lithic population was derived mainly from a volcanic cover. The data clearly indicate the presence of two major sandstone suites (petro-facies I and II) with distinctive and probably separate provenances. Further scope for subdivision is limited by the small sample set, but four petrofacies (Ia, Ib, IIa, and IIb) may be present, three of which correspond with previously described lithostratigraphical units (Legoupil, Hope Bay, and View Point formations). The sample distribution and detrital modes enable approximate geographical limits to be assigned to each petrofacies for the first time, although the nature of the boundaries (stratigraphical or structural) is unknown. Petrofacies II could have been derived from an active magmatic arc and deposited in a forearc basin (sensu lato) or series of basins at a major consuming margin. Petrofacies I is a much more quartzose suite, although otherwise petrographically very similar to petrofacies II. Its depositional setting is ambiguous on the basis of the data presently available, and deposition can only be said to have occurred at either an active or a passive continental margin. Finally, there is the possibility that strike-slip faulting has structurally shuffled the Trinity Peninsula Group, causing the pronounced age and compositional contrasts observed.

Larch Forests of Middle Siberia: Long-Term Trends in Fire Return Intervals

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kharuk, Viacheslav I.; Dvinskaya, Mariya L.; Petrov, Ilya A.; Im, Sergei T.; Ranson, Kenneth J.

2016-01-01

Fire history within the northern larch forests of Central Siberia was studied (65+degN). Fires within this area are predominantly caused by lightning strikes rather than human activity. Mean fire return intervals (FRIs) were found to be 112 +/- 49 years (based on firescars) and 106 +/- 36 years (based on firescars and tree natality dates). FRIs were increased with latitude increase and observed to be about 80 years at 64N, about 200 years near the Arctic Circle and about 300 years nearby the northern range limit of larch stands (approx.71+degN). Northward FRIs increase correlated with incoming solar radiation (r = -0.95). Post- Little Ice Age (LIA) warming (after 1850) caused approximately a doubling of fire events (in comparison with a similar period during LIA). The data obtained support a hypothesis of climate-induced fire frequency increase. Keywords Fire ecology Fire history Fire frequency Siberian wildfires Larch forests Climate change

An ikaite record of late Holocene climate at the Antarctic Peninsula

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lu, Zunli; Rickaby, Rosalind E. M.; Kennedy, Hilary; Kennedy, Paul; Pancost, Richard D.; Shaw, Samuel; Lennie, Alistair; Wellner, Julia; Anderson, John B.

2012-04-01

Calcium carbonate can crystallize in a hydrated form as ikaite at low temperatures. The hydration water in ikaite grown in laboratory experiments records the δ18O of ambient water, a feature potentially useful for reconstructing δ18O of local seawater. We report the first downcore δ18O record of natural ikaite hydration waters and crystals collected from the Antarctic Peninsula (AP), a region sensitive to climate fluctuations. We are able to establish the zone of ikaite formation within shallow sediments, based on porewater chemical and isotopic data. Having constrained the depth of ikaite formation and δ18O of ikaite crystals and hydration waters, we are able to infer local changes in fjord δ18O versus time during the late Holocene. This ikaite record qualitatively supports that both the Medieval Warm Period and Little Ice Age extended to the Antarctic Peninsula.

Radiological dose in Muria peninsula from SB-LOCA event

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sunarko; Suud, Zaki

2017-01-01

Dose assessment for accident condition is performed for Muria Peninsula region using source-term from Three-Mile Island unit 2 SB-LOCA accident. Xe-133, Kr-88, 1-131 and Cs-137 isotopes are considered in the calculation. The effluent is assumed to be released from a 50 m stack. Lagrangian particle dispersion method (LPDM) employing non-Gaussian dispersion coefficient in 3-dimensional mass-consistent wind-field is employed to obtain periodic surface-level concentration which is then time-integrated to obtain spatial distribution of ground-level dose. In 1-hour simulation, segmented plumes with 60 seconds duration with a total of 18.000 particles involved. Simulations using 6-hour worst-case meteorological data from Muria peninsula results in a peak external dose of around 1.668 mSv for low scenario and 6.892 mSv for high scenario in dry condition. In wet condition with 5 mm/hour and 10 mm/hour rain for the whole duration of the simulation provides only minor effect to dose. The peak external dose is below the regulatory limit of 50 mSv for effective skin dose from external gamma exposure.

Viral hemorrhagic fevers in the Tihamah region of the western Arabian Peninsula

PubMed Central

Al-habal, Mohammed; Taher, Rola; Alaoui, Altaf; El Mzibri, Mohammed

2017-01-01

Viral hemorrhagic fever (VHF) refers to a group of diseases characterized by an acute febrile syndrome with hemorrhagic manifestations and high mortality rates caused by several families of viruses that affect humans and animals. These diseases are typically endemic in certain geographical regions and sometimes cause major outbreaks. The history of hemorrhagic fever in the Arabian Peninsula refers to the 19th century and most outbreaks were reported in the Tihamah region—the Red Sea coastal plain of the Arabian Peninsula in the west and southwest of Saudi Arabia and Yemen. Herein, we describe the agents that cause VHFs and their epidemiology in Tihamah, the history of the diseases, transmission, species affected, and clinical signs. Finally, we address challenges in the diagnosis and control of VHFs in this region. PMID:28384205

Perspectives on Fire Research Collaboration in Siberia: What Have We Learned; Why Does It Matter; and Where Do We Go from Here?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Conard, S. G.

2010-12-01

My first experience of the vast taiga forests of Russia, and my first chance to meet and work with Russian fire researchers, was at a 1993 conference and field experiment planned jointly by Johann G. Goldammer from Germany and Valentin V. Furyaev from Russia. This meeting was the beginning of a long and fruitful collaboration among US, Canadian, and Russian fire scientists. We all became increasingly aware of the global signifiance of the circumpolar boreal zone, and of the need for better information on the extent and effects of boreal fires. Wildfires are the dominant disturbance regime in the Russian boreal zone, burning 10 to 20 million hectares per year. These fires are a significant source of CO2 and other greenhouse gases and aerosols. Our research team published some of the first remote-sensing based estimates of the extent of fire in Russia and of the potential variability in emissions that could result from different burning conditions. Through a series of 20 prescribed burns we were able to mimic a wide range of burning conditions and obtain information on the impacts on soils, vegetation, and fuel consumption. Based on these experimental fires, we have modeled the effects of weather and fuels on fuel consumption and other factors, and related fire characteristics to emissions, carbon stocks, and soil and vegetation processes. For the past 10 years, we have focused on the ecosystem effects of fires of varying severity in the Scots pine and mixed larch forests of central Siberia, on improved remote-sensing based estimates of burned area and fire effects, and on relating fire weather indices to fire potential and fuel consumption. Logging is an increasingly important disturbance in Russia’s forests, and logged sites, with their high fuel loads seem particularly susceptible to fire. We are currently studying interactions between logging and fire, with an emphasis on the differences in fuel consumption, emissions, and carbon stocks when fires burn in

Alpine forest-tundra ecotone response to temperature change,Sayan Mountains, Siberia

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ranson, K Jon; Kharuk, Vyetcheslav I.

2007-01-01

Models of climate change predict shifts of vegetation zones. Tree response to climate trends is most likely observable in the forest-tundra ecotone, where temperature mainly limits tree growth. There is evidence of vegetation change on the northern treeline However, observations on alpine tree line response are controversial. In this NEESPI related study we show that during the past three decades in the forest-tundra ecotone of the Sayan Mountains, Siberia, there was an increase in forest stand crown closure, regeneration propagation into the alpine tundra, and transformation of prostrate Siberian pine and fir into arboreal forms. We found that these changes occurred since the mid 1980s, and strongly correlates with positive temperature (and to a lesser extent, precipitation) trends. Improving climate for forest growth( i.e., warmer temperatures and increased precipitation) provides competitive advantages to Siberian pine in the alpine forest-tundra ecotone, as well as in areas typically dominated by larch, where it has been found to be forming a secondary canopy layer. Substitution of deciduous conifer, larch, for evergreen conifers, decreases albedo and provides positive feedback for temperature increase.

Genetic diversity and structure of Iberian Peninsula cowpeas compared to world-wide cowpea accessions using high density SNP markers.

PubMed

Carvalho, Márcia; Muñoz-Amatriaín, María; Castro, Isaura; Lino-Neto, Teresa; Matos, Manuela; Egea-Cortines, Marcos; Rosa, Eduardo; Close, Timothy; Carnide, Valdemar

2017-11-21

Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp) is an important legume crop due to its high protein content, adaptation to heat and drought and capacity to fix nitrogen. Europe has a deficit of cowpea production. Knowledge of genetic diversity among cowpea landraces is important for the preservation of local varieties and is the basis to obtain improved varieties. The aims of this study were to explore diversity and the genetic structure of a set of Iberian Peninsula cowpea accessions in comparison to a worldwide collection and to infer possible dispersion routes of cultivated cowpea. The Illumina Cowpea iSelect Consortium Array containing 51,128 SNPs was used to genotype 96 cowpea accessions including 43 landraces and cultivars from the Iberian Peninsula, and 53 landraces collected worldwide. Four subpopulations were identified. Most Iberian Peninsula accessions clustered together with those from other southern European and northern African countries. Only one accession belonged to another subpopulation, while two accessions were 'admixed'. A lower genetic diversity level was found in the Iberian Peninsula accessions compared to worldwide cowpeas. The genetic analyses performed in this study brought some insights into worldwide genetic diversity and structure and possible dispersion routes of cultivated cowpea. Also, it provided an in-depth analysis of genetic diversity in Iberian Peninsula cowpeas that will help guide crossing strategies in breeding programs.

A reconstruction of vegetation and paleohydrologycal changes from peatland in Kansk forest-steppe, Yenisei Siberia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodionova, Alexandra

2016-04-01

Peatlands are an important natural archive for past climatic changes. Climatic changes throughout the Holocene have been reconstructed from peat using a wide array of biological and other proxies. Many different proxy indicators can be derived from peat cores allowing for a multi-proxy approach to climatic reconstructions. Peat-based climatic and environmental reconstructions are currently available from many sites in Yenisei Siberia, mainly for its northern territories. The purpose of this paper is to study some features of peatland development and environmental reconstructions from the Holocene period in the south part of Yenisei Siberia (Kansk forest-steppe zone). The main method used in this research is macrofossil analysis. It can be used to reconstruct the development of local vegetation and surface wetness on peatlands. The macrofossil analysis in the peat resulted from the study of the vegetation in a particular place over a period of time, and it allowed the reconstruction of environmental changes that have occurred since the Late Glacial. Then we used ecological scales of moisture and reconstructed surface wetness for the entire period of the bog formation. Radiocarbon dating was carried out at Sobolev Institute of Geology and Mineralogy, Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk . Peatland "Pinchinskoye" was selected for investigation in Kansk forest-steppe. It is located on the right bank of the Yenisei River in the floodplain of Esaulovka River. Peat cores of 350 cm were selected in the southern part of the peatbog, including 225 cm of peat (with loam layers in the range of 90 to 135 cm), 75 cm of organic and mineral sapropel with the inclusion of fossil shells of mollusks and different plant macrofossils and 50 cm of the loam below. The process of peat accumulation dated back 8400 ± 140 years, which is the oldest date for the forest-steppe zone of Yenisei Siberia. The climate of Boreal period of the Holocene was chilly. Under these conditions, in the

Petrological and geochemical compositions of beach sands of the Barton and Weaver peninsulas of King George Island, West Antarctica: implications for provenance and deglacial history

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Y. I.; Lim, H. S.; Choi, T.

2017-12-01

We studied the provenance of beach sediments of the Baton and Weaver peninsulas of King George Island, the South Shetland Islands of West Antarctica. The studied beach sand sediments of the both peninsulas are predominantly composed of volcanic-rock fragment, followed by altered grain and plutonic rock fragment in that order. In rock fragments, the volcanic rock fragments are about four times more than the plutonic rock fragments. The median quartz-feldspar-rock fragment (Q-F-R) ratios of the beach sands of the Weaver and Barton peninsulas are Q3.4-F5.5-R99.1 and Q0.5-F2.7-R96.8, respectively. These beach sands may have been originated from basaltic andesite-andesite distributed in the ice-free areas of the Barton and Weaver peninsulas and granodiorite of the Barton Peninsula. According to the geochemistry of the beach sand sediments of the two peninsulas, most of the sand samples are interpreted as originating from intermediate rocks that have experienced little chemical weathering. Taking together the modal composition and geochemical composition of the beach sand samples, the tectonic setting of the source area is interpreted as a magmatic arc setting. This interpretation is consistent with geology of the ice-free areas of the Barton and Weaver peninsulas and the tectonic setting of King George Island. However, the sand samples of the Barton Peninsula southern beach and the Weaver Peninsula beach were not derived from basement rocks currently exposed in the ice-free areas of the corresponding peninsula, but were formerly glaciomarine sediments derived from erosion of ice-covered subglacial basement rocks and transported to the submerged glacier grounding line prior to deglaciation. Sand sediments derived from wave erosion of basement rocks of paleoshoreline might have been mixed with these glaciomarine sediments. King George Island became uplifted due to deglaciation 6,000 years ago. The studied beach sediments might have been reworked after the uplift of the

Geophysical anomalies associated with Imjin River Belt (IRB) in the middle Korean Peninsula revealed by geomagnetic depth sounding and seismological data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, J.; Choi, H.; Noh, M.; Im, C.

2012-12-01

Imjin River Belt (IRB), located in the middle of the Korean Peninsula, has been one of long-standing geological issues because it is a very important tectonic link to understand a tectonic evolution of north-eastern Asia including China, Korea and Japan. Although the IRB has been considered as an extension of collision belt between the North China Block (NCB) and South China Block (SCB), there is little geophysical observation or study on this issue. In recent, we compiled a new induction arrow map for the Korean Peninsula, on the basis of long-period magneto-telluric (MT) data and the geomagnetic depth sounding data performed since the late 1990's. This newly compiled map has finer spatial resolution expecially in the middle area of the peninsula, which helps us to present the geophysical evidence that the IRB is the continuation or extension of the collision belt to the peninsula. The overall pattern of induction arrows in the peninsula appears to indicate a northwest-southeast direction, which is well-known 'sea effect' by the surrounding seas. However, the results of observations in the middle of the peninsula distinctly show an anomalous pattern around the IRB, which can not be explained only by the surrounding seas. This anomalous pattern may be attributed to enhanced conductivity associated with tectonic events that Imjin River Belt has experienced. The 3-D electromagnetic modeling results, considering both surrounding seas and enhanced conductivity of the IRB, explain well the anomalous observations around the IRB. Furthermore, recent seismological study demonstrates that focal mechanism around the IRB is mainly normal faulting event, which may be interpreted as the reactivation of paleo structures that are related to the post collisional lithospheric delamination. All the geophysical evidences convince us that the IRB is an extension of the collision belt between the NCB and SCB to the peninsula.

The YAK-AEROSIB transcontinental aircraft campaigns: new insights on the transport of CO2, CO and O3 across Siberia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paris, J.-D.; Ciais, P.; Nédélec, P.; Ramonet, M.; Belan, B. D.; Arshinov, M. Yu.; Golitsyn, G. S.; Granberg, I.; Stohl, A.; Cayez, G.; Athier, G.; Boumard, F.; Cousin, J.-M.

2008-09-01

Two airborne campaigns were carried out to measure the tropospheric concentrations and variability of CO2, CO and O3 over Siberia. In order to quantify the influence of remote and regional natural and anthropogenic sources, we analysed a total of 52 vertical profiles of these species collected in April and September 2006, every ~200 km and up to 7 km altitude. CO2 and CO concentrations were high in April 2006 (respectively 385-390 ppm CO2 and 160-200 ppb CO) compared to background values. CO concentrations up to 220 ppb were recorded above 3.5 km over eastern Siberia, with enhancements in 500-1000 m thick layers. The presence of CO enriched air masses resulted from a quick frontal uplift of a polluted air mass exposed to northern China anthropogenic emissions and to fire emissions in northern Mongolia. A dominant Asian origin for CO above 4 km (71.0%) contrasted with a dominant European origin below this altitude (70.9%) was deduced both from a transport model analysis, and from the contrasted ΔCO/ΔCO2 ratio vertical distribution. In September 2006, a significant O3 depletion (~ -30 ppb) was repeatedly observed in the boundary layer, as diagnosed from virtual potential temperature profiles and CO2 gradients, compared to the free troposphere aloft, suggestive of a strong O3 deposition over Siberian forests.

Clusters of Earthquakes In The Southern of Iberian Peninsula

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Posadas, A. M.; Luzón, F.; Vidal, F.

The southern part of the Iberian Peninsula forms part of the western border of Eurasia- Africa plate boundary. This area is characterized by the occurrence of earthquakes of moderate magnitude (the maximum magnitude ranging from 4.5 to 5.5). From the point of view of seismic activity, this region is the most active one in he Iberian Penin- sula. Until earlier 80, only the National Seismic Network belonging to the National Geographic Institute monitores the activity in the south of Iberian Peninsula. From 1983 to the actuality, the Andalusian Seismic Network belonging to the Andalusian Geophysics Institute and Seismic Disaster Prevention, records the microseismicity of the area. Nowadays, the earthquakes catalogue used belongs to the Andalusian Insti- tute of Geophysics and Seismic Disaster Prevention and it counts on more than 20000 events registered from 1985 to 2001. Today, after 20 years of recording seismic ac- tivity, statistics analysis of the catalogue have sense. In this paper we present a first approach to the clustering properties of the seismicity in the south of the Iberian Penin- sula. The analysis carried out starts with the study of clustering properties (temporal and spatial properties) in the Southern of Iberian Peninsula seismicity to demonstrate, by using the Fractal Dimension of the temporal earthquake distribution and the Mor- ishita Index of the spatial distribution of earthquakes, that this seismicity is charac- terized by a tendency to form earthquake clusters, both spatial and temporal clusters. As an example, five seismogenetic areas of the zone are analyzed (Adra-Berja, Agron, Alboran, Antequera and Loja). This particular study of the series find out the b param- eter from the Gutenberg-Richter's Law (which characterizes the energetic relaxation of events), the p parameter from Omori's Law (that characterizes the temporal relax- ation of aftershocks) and the Fractal Dimension of the spatial distribution of earth- quakes (to find the

Focal Mechanisms of Recent Earthquakes in the Southern Korean Peninsula

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, J.; Kim, W.; Chung, T.; Baag, C.; Ree, J.

2005-12-01

There has been a lack of seismic data in the Korean Peninsula mainly because it is in a seismically stable area within the Eurasian plate (or Amurian microplate) and because a network of seismic stations has been poor until recently. Consequently, first motion studies on the peninsula showed a large uncertainty or covered only local areas. Also, a tectonic province map constructed based on pre-Cenozoic tectonic events in Korea has been used for a seismic zonation. To solve these problems, we made focal mechanism solutions for 71 earthquakes (ML = 1.9 to 5.2) occurred in and around the peninsula from 1999 to 2004 and collected by a new dense seismic network established since 1995. For this, we relocated the hypocenters and obtained fault plane solutions with errors of fault parameter less than 15° from the data set of 1,270 clear P-wave polarities and from 46 SH/P amplitude ratios. The focal mechanism solutions show that subhorizontal ENE P- and subhorizontal NNW T-axes are predominant, representing the common direction of P- and T-axes within the Amurian plate. The faulting mechanisms are mostly strike-slip faulting or strike-slip-dominant-oblique-slip faulting with a reverse-slip component, although normal-slip-dominant-oblique-slip faultings occur locally probably due to a local reorientation of stress. These results incorporated with those from the kinematic studies of the Quaternary faults imply that NNE-striking faults (dextral strike-slip or oblique-slip with a reverse-slip component) are highly likely to generate earthquakes in South Korea. The spatial distribution of the maximum horizontal stress direction and faulting types does not correlate with the preexisting tectonic province map of Korea, and a new construction of seismic zonation map is required for a better seismic evaluation.

Agrolandscape Research of Geosystems in the South of Central Siberia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lysanova, G.; Soja, A. J.

2012-12-01

Minusinskaya basin, the area under research, is situated in the south of Central Siberia and is an agrarian region, which differs from another territories of Siberia. The territory provides for foodstuff not only its population but another regions as well. Nature-climate conditions favour the development of agriculture and cattle-breeding. Complex geographical study of rural lands, which is implemented by two approaches: a natural and industrial system block is necessary for rational use of agrolandscapes. Agrolandscapes are objects for rationalization of land management in agricultural regions. From our point of view application of a landscape map as a base for working out of agrolandscape map (Fig. 1a) and a map of agronatural potential of geosystems (Fig. 2), gives an opportunity to take stock of reserves of agricultural lands not only in quantitative but qualitative respects and also to determine the ways of optimal transformation of arable lands depending on nature conditions of regions and their development. Landscape maps that reflect differentiation of not only natural formations, changed by anthropogenious influence and also natural analogues, concern to a number of important tools of planning for optimal land use. The main principles of working out of typological landscape map of a medium scale aroused from targets and tasks of agrolandscape estimation of the territory [1]. The landscape map was worked out according to V.A. Nikolaev's methodology [2]: types of landscapes correlated with types of lands use, composition of cereals in rotation of crops, agro-techniques, crop capacity, climate indices, etc. Existing natural-agricultural systems are shown in the map. Their characteristics includes information about natural and agricultural blocks. Agronatural potential had been calculated by summarize estimations of its component parts. As a result of these calculations 30 arable agrolandscapes, marked out into the landscape map, were joined according to summ

Rural freight rail and multimodal transportation improvements - the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-07-01

Affordable freight transportation is a requirement for survival for rural industries, and in many : cases requires the presence of freight rail systems. This study investigated the transportation : system in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan (U.P.). Th...

Net ecosystem exchange in a sedge-sphagnum fen at the South of West Siberia, Russia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dyukarev, Egor

2017-04-01

The model of net ecosystem exchange was used to study the influence of different environmental factors and to calculate daily and growing season carbon budget for minerotrophic fen at South of West Siberia, Russia. Minerotrophic sedge-sphagnum fen occupies the central part of the Bakcharskoe bog. The model uses air and soil temperature, incoming photosynthetically active radiation, and leaf area index as the explanatory factors for gross primary production, heterotrophic and autotrophic respiration. The model coefficients were calibrated using data collected by automated soil CO2 flux system with clear long-term chamber. The studied ecosystem is a sink of carbon according to modelling and observation results. This study was supported by Russian Foundation for Basic Researches (grant numbers 16-07-01205 and 16-45-700562.

Siberia snow depth climatology derived from SSM/I data using a combined dynamic and static algorithm

USGS Publications Warehouse

Grippa, M.; Mognard, N.; Le, Toan T.; Josberger, E.G.

2004-01-01

One of the major challenges in determining snow depth (SD) from passive microwave measurements is to take into account the spatiotemporal variations of the snow grain size. Static algorithms based on a constant snow grain size cannot provide accurate estimates of snow pack thickness, particularly over large regions where the snow pack is subjected to big spatial temperature variations. A recent dynamic algorithm that accounts for the dependence of the microwave scattering on the snow grain size has been developed to estimate snow depth from the Special Sensor Microwave/Imager (SSM/I) over the Northern Great Plains (NGP) in the US. In this paper, we develop a combined dynamic and static algorithm to estimate snow depth from 13 years of SSM/I observations over Central Siberia. This region is characterised by extremely cold surface air temperatures and by the presence of permafrost that significantly affects the ground temperature. The dynamic algorithm is implemented to take into account these effects and it yields accurate snow depths early in the winter, when thin snowpacks combine with cold air temperatures to generate rapid crystal growth. However, it is not applicable later in the winter when the grain size growth slows. Combining the dynamic algorithm to a static algorithm, with a temporally constant but spatially varying coefficient, we obtain reasonable snow depth estimates throughout the entire snow season. Validation is carried out by comparing the satellite snow depth monthly averages to monthly climatological data. We show that the location of the snow depth maxima and minima is improved when applying the combined algorithm, since its dynamic portion explicitly incorporate the thermal gradient through the snowpack. The results obtained are presented and evaluated for five different vegetation zones of Central Siberia. Comparison with in situ measurements is also shown and discussed. ?? 2004 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Testate amoebae analysis in the peat deposits of the swamp Dolgon’koye in the south of Western Siberia and peatland paleohydrology for last 3100 years

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kurina, Irina V.; Blyakharchuk, Tatiana A.

2018-03-01

Our research is devoted to paleohydrological reconstruction in the swamp located in the river valley on the piedmont of the Altai Mountains in the south of Western Siberia. The reconstruction was carried out based on rhizopod analysis for the last 3100 cal yr. A large amount of different testate amoebae was found in the peat. Total 64 testate amoebae taxa were recorded in the peat core with the most abundant being: Trinema lineare, Centropyxis aculeata, C. aerophila, Euglypha rotunda, Cryptodifflugia sp. Decrease of surface wetness in the swamp are observed 2280, 2140, 1900–600 cal yr BP and increase – in 2700, 2500–1900, 230–215 cal yr BP. The results of our reconstruction of the swamp paleohydrology agrees well with the paleoclimatic data obtained earlier for the central area of the south of Western Siberia Plain. It indicates a high sensitivity of the swamp to climatic changes in the Holocene. The rhizopod analysis proved to be very effective when used for paleohydrology reconstruction in minerotrophic peat.

Seismic Hazard Assessment for the Baku City and Absheron Peninsula, Azerbaijan

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Babayev, Gulam R.

2006-03-23

This paper deals with the seismic hazard assessment for Baku and the Absheron peninsula. The assessment is based on the information on the features of earthquake ground motion excitation, seismic wave propagation (attenuation), and site effect. I analyze active faults, seismicity, soil and rock properties, geological cross-sections, the borehole data of measured shear-wave velocity, lithology, amplification factor of each geological unit, geomorphology, topography, and basic rock and surface ground motions. To estimate peak ground acceleration (PGA) at the surface, PGA at the basic rock is multiplied by the amplification parameter of each surface layers. Quaternary soft deposits, representing a highmore » risk due to increasing PGA values at surface, are studied in detail. For a near-zone target earthquake PGA values are compared to intensity at MSK-64 scale for the Absheron peninsula. The amplification factor for the Baku city is assessed and provides estimations for a level of a seismic motion and seismic intensity of the studied area.« less

Non-timber forest products and livelihoods in Michigan's Upper Peninsula

Treesearch

Marla R. Emery

2001-01-01

Non-timber forest products (NTFPs) are increasingly looked to as potential income sources for forest communities. Yet little is known about the existing livelihood uses of NTFPs. Drawing on a case study in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, this paper describes the contemporary contributions of NTFPs to the livelihoods of people who gather them. First-hand use of...

High-Resolution Aeromagnetic Survey over the Yucatan Peninsula - Implications for Chicxulub Impact, Secondary Craters and Regional Crustal Structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fucugauchi, J. U.; Lopez-Loera, H.; Rebolledo-Vieyra, M.

2011-12-01

We present the initial results of a low-altitude high-resolution aeromagnetic study over the Yucatan peninsula. Area surveyed extends from 86W to 91W and 18N to 21N, covering the peninsula and adjacent continental margin of Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea. Aeromagnetic surveys are integrated into a regional map, and regional and residual anomalies are separated using spectral and least-squares methods. For the study, aeromagnetic field was reduced to the pole and several data filtering techniques were used, including first and second vertical derivatives, analytical signal, and upward and downward analytical continuations. The region is characterized by large amplitude broad elongated magnetic anomalies oriented north-south in the northern sector of the continental shelf, and northwest-southeast and northeast-southwest over the western and eastern sides of the peninsula, respectively. Major regional anomalies extend from the continental shelf into the peninsula, whereas other anomaly trends in the central northern sector, at northeast limit of Chicxulub crater, are restricted to the shelf. Largest anomaly on the east extends over the Holbox fracture zone. At its southern end, south of Chetumal a parallel trend extends over the Rio Hondo fault zone between Quintana Roo and Belize. On the western peninsula the anomaly is characterized by two parallel trends offset between Yucatan and Campeche. The central zone of Chicxulub is characterized by a semi-circular anomaly pattern, surrounded by long wavelength small amplitude anomalies extending to the east on the peninsula and shelf, isolated from the regional broad anomalies. To the south of Chicxulub anomaly, there is an elongated low with a central high extending southward from the terrace zone inside the crater rim. The elongated magnetic anomaly correlates with a broad gravity low, which is apparent south of the concentric zone of anomalies. To the north of Chicxulub anomaly, a magnetic high inside the crater is

[Cytogenetic status of the residents of the Gydansky Peninsula (Gydan)].

PubMed

Shinkaruk, E V; Agbalyan, E V

The relevance of the study on the Gydansky Peninsula lies in poor knowledge and inaccessibility of the territory, planned intensive industrial development of the Gydansky Peninsula, in 2011 there were received licenses for the exploration of license areas at the peninsula up to 2031. Industrial development will inevitably lead to certain environmental shifts, emission of the harmful substances into biosphere, the accumulation of anthropogenic pollutants in soil and water sources. The proposed development of the territory of the Peninsula Gydan sets the task of assessment of the impact of gas and oil production in conditions of the far North on health, as well indigenous persons as employees recruited to this of the region. One of the informative approaches to the assessment of population health is the assessment of the cytogenetic status with the use of noninvasive analysis of buccal epithelium. The aim of the study is to determine the cytogenetic status of the inhabitants of the village of Antipayuta of the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Okrug for the assessment of the impact of environmental factors on the health of the population at the present stage of the industrial development of the territory. Samples of buccal epithelium of 81 alien and indigenous people of the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous district were the object of the investigation. There was performed the analysis of indices of cells of buccal epithelium of the residents living in the village in comparison with the control group. The analysis of samples was performed on a Nikon Eclipse E100 microscope. For the assessment of the cytogenetic status of the individual there was used the proposed by Sycheva L. P. (2012-Index of accumulation of cytogenetic damages (Iac). It is shown that the frequency of occurrence of micronucleus and nuclear protrusions does not exceed the performance of the control group. The index of accumulation of cytogenetic damage for the population of the village is 0.78±0.07% and corresponds to

The superdeep well of the Kola Peninsula

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kozlovsky, Y.A.

1986-01-01

The structure of continental crusts is a subject of ever increasing importance in the geological sciences. Over 15 years ago, Soviet scientist began drilling a superdeep well on the Kola Peninsula near Murmansk. The well has reached a depth of 12 km and is thereby the deepest well in the world, yielding a vast amount of information on the structure of the continental crust. The geological, geophysical and technological data from the Kola well were initially published in a monographic account entitled ''Kol'skaja sverchglubokaja''. This English translation makes the results available to non-Soviet scientists as well.

Thermochronologic constraints on the tectonic evolution of the western Antarctic Peninsula in late Mesozoic and Cenozoic times

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brix, M.R.; Faundez, V.; Hervé, F.; Solari, M.; Fernandez, J.; Carter, A.; Stöckhert, B.

2007-01-01

West of the Antarctic Peninsula, oceanic lithosphere of the Phoenix plate has been subducted below the Antarctic plate. Subduction has ceased successively from south to north over the last 65 Myr. An influence of this evolution on the segmentation of the crust in the Antarctic plate is disputed. Opposing scenarios consider effects of ridge crest – trench interactions with the subduction zone or differences in slip along a basal detachment in the overriding plate. Fission track (FT) analyses on apatites and zircons may detect thermochronologic patterns to test these hypotheses. While existing data concentrate on accretionary processes in Palmer Land, new data extend information to the northern part of the Antarctic Peninsula. Zircons from different geological units over wide areas of the Antarctic Peninsula yield fission track ages between 90 and 80 Ma, indicating a uniform regional cooling episode. Apatite FT ages obtained so far show considerable regional variability

Pleistocene leopards in the Iberian Peninsula: New evidence from palaeontological and archaeological contexts in the Mediterranean region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sanchis, Alfred; Tormo, Carmen; Sauqué, Víctor; Sanchis, Vicent; Díaz, Rebeca; Ribera, Agustí; Villaverde, Valentín

2015-09-01

This study analyses the fossil record of leopards in the Iberian Peninsula. According to the systematic and morphometric features of new remains, identified mainly in Late Pleistocene palaeontological and archaeological sites of the Mediterranean region, they can be attributed to Panthera pardus Linnaeus 1758. The findings include the most complete leopard skeleton from the Iberian Peninsula and one of the most complete in Europe, found in a chasm (Avenc de Joan Guitón) south of Valencia. The new citations and published data are used to establish the leopard's distribution in the Iberian Peninsula, showing its maximum development during the Late Pleistocene. Some references suggest that the species survived for longer here (Lateglacial-Early Holocene) than in other parts of Europe. Finally, the contexts of appearance and origin of leopard remains are described and the processes of interaction with prehistoric human groups are assessed.

Microsatellite variation in Donax trunculus from the Iberian Peninsula, with particular attention to Galician estuaries (NW Spain)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nantón, A.; Arias-Pérez, A.; Freire, R.; Fernández-Pérez, J.; Nóvoa, S.; Méndez, J.

2017-10-01

Genetic variation and population structure information is essential for conservation and stock management policies. The wedge clam Donax trunculus is an important fishing resource in the Iberian Peninsula and in some areas, such as the northwestern Spain, wild stocks have decreased greatly. Despite this, information is mainly from the southwestern Atlantic to the northwestern Mediterranean of the Iberian Peninsula. In this study, fifteen microsatellite loci were examined at 17 localities along the Iberian Peninsula to characterize its genetic diversity and population structure. Particular attention was paid to the northwestern Atlantic area, and to test if the pattern previously described for this species is confirmed when localities distributed across the Atlantic coast are included and different microsatellite markers are used. All localities displayed similar allelic richness values and heterozygosity levels but when genetic diversity levels were compared among groups of localities, tests were significant and samples from the northwestern area (Galicia) showed the lowest values. The analysis of population structure indicated that localities from the Atlantic coast are genetically homogeneous although some samples showed significant pairwise Fst values. These values were low and Bayesian analysis of genetic differentiation did not show a consistent structure along the Atlantic coast of the Iberian Peninsula. However, Atlantic samples were genetically different from those located in Mediterranean coast, which may be explained by the existence of the Almeria-Oran front. Moreover, Fuengirola, locality situated in the Alboran Sea between the Strait of Gibraltar and Mediterranean Sea, showed significant differences from all remaining localities included in the study. Overall, the data showed the existence of genetic homogeneity along the Atlantic coast of the Iberian Peninsula and support the three management units (Atlantic Ocean, the Alboran Sea and the northwestern

Sinai Peninsula, Shaded Relief and Colored Height

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2004-01-01

The Sinai Peninsula, located between Africa and Asia, is a result of those two continents pulling apart from each other. Earth's crust is cracking, stretching, and lowering along the two northern branches of the Red Sea, namely the Gulf of Suez, seen here on the west (left), and the Gulf of Aqaba, seen to the east (right). This color-coded shaded relief image shows the triangular nature of the peninsula, with the coast of the Mediterranean Sea forming the northern side of the triangle. The Suez Canal can be seen as the narrow vertical blue line in the upper left connecting the Red Sea to the Mediterranean.

The peninsula is divided into three distinct parts; the northern region consisting chiefly of sandstone, plains and hills, the central area dominated by the Tih Plateau, and the mountainous southern region where towering peaks abound. Much of the Sinai is deeply dissected by river valleys, or wadis, that eroded during an earlier geologic period and break the surface of the plateau into a series of detached massifs with a few scattered oases.

Two visualization methods were combined to produce the image: shading and color coding of topographic height. The shade image was derived by computing topographic slope in the northwest-southeast direction, so that northwest slopes appear bright and southeast slopes appear dark. Color coding is directly related to topographic height, with green at the lower elevations, rising through yellow and tan, to white at the highest elevations.

Elevation data used in this image were acquired by the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour, launched on Feb. 11, 2000. SRTM used the same radar instrument that comprised the Spaceborne Imaging Radar-C/X-Band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SIR-C/X-SAR) that flew twice on the Space Shuttle Endeavour in 1994. SRTM was designed to collect 3-D measurements of the Earth's surface. To collect the 3-D data, engineers added a 60-meter (approximately 200-foot

Geological and Petrological Characteristics of Oligocene Magmatic Rocks in The Biga Peninsula, NW Turkey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Erenoglu, Oya

2016-04-01

Oligocene magmatic activity in the Biga Peninsula (NW-Anatolia) produced widespread volcano-plutonic complexes. The study region, where in north of the Evciler village in the middle of Biga Peninsula includes these igneous assemblages. In this study, the petrographic and geochemical characteristics of igneous rocks in the region were investigated as well as the geological locations. The magmatic rocks are classified as 6 different units using their lithostratigraphical properties. The volcanism in the region starts with basaltic andesite lava including basalt dykes in the Lower Oligocene. In the Upper Oligocene, the evolved magma by crustal contamination produced commonly dacitic and andesitic lavas. The volcanism continued with andesitic lavas which had significant alterations in the region during this period. Evciler pluton including granite and granodiorite composition with shallow intrusive, was located with the related volcanism at the same time. The volcanic products, i.e. andesitic and trachydacitic lavas, was completed in the interval between Upper Oligocene and Lower Miocene. The post-collisional Oligocene sequence is associated with calc-alkaline composition and it has middle, high-K. Trace and rare earth elements (REE) diagrams show the enrichment in both large-ion lithophile elements (LILE) and light rare earth elements (LREE) with respect to the high field strength elements (HFSE), and a significant increment in heavy rare earth element consumption (HREE). The features of major, trace and rare earth elements of plutonic and volcanic rocks and the compositional variations of Oligocene volcanic group indicate increasing amounts of partial melting, crustal contamination and/or assimilation. The Oligocene post-collisional volcanism in Biga Peninsula points out the lithospheric mantle source enriched by subduction which controlled by slab break-off and lithospheric delamination. Acknowledgement. This study was supported by Canakkale Onsekiz Mart University

Daily precipitation extreme events for the Iberian Peninsula and its association with Atmospheric Rivers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramos, Alexandre M.; Trigo, Ricardo M.; Liberato, Margarida LR

2014-05-01

Extreme precipitation events in the Iberian Peninsula during the extended winter months have major socio-economic impacts such as floods, landslides, extensive property damage and life losses. These events are usually associated with low pressure systems with Atlantic origin, although some extreme events in summer/autumn months can be linked to Mediterranean low pressure systems. Quite often these events are evaluated on a casuistic base and making use of data from relatively few stations. An objective method for ranking daily precipitation events is presented here based on the extensive use of the most comprehensive database of daily gridded precipitation available for the Iberian Peninsula (IB02) and spanning from 1950 to 2008, with a resolution of 0.2° (approximately 16 x 22 km at latitude 40°N), for a total of 1673 pixels. This database is based on a dense network of rain gauges, combining two national data sets, 'Spain02' for peninsular Spain and Balearic islands, and 'PT02' for mainland Portugal, with a total of more than two thousand stations over Spain and four hundred stations over Portugal, all quality-controlled and homogenized. Through this objective method for ranking daily precipitation events the magnitude of an event is obtained after considering the area affected as well as its intensity in every grid point and taking into account the daily precipitation normalised departure from climatology. Different precipitation rankings are presented considering the entire Iberian Peninsula, Portugal and also the six largest river basins in the Iberian Peninsula. Atmospheric Rivers (AR) are the water vapour (WV) core section of the broader warm conveyor belt occurring over the oceans along the warm sector of extra-tropical cyclones. They are usually W-E oriented steered by pre-frontal low level jets along the trailing cold front and subsequently feed the precipitation in the extra-tropical cyclones. They are relatively narrow regions of concentrated WV

Impact of acid and trace metals deposition on freshwater invertebrates in north-eastern Fennoscandia and Kola Peninsula

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Yakovlev, V.

1996-12-31

Freshwater invertebrate communities in a total 400 lakes and streams in northeastern Norway, Finnish Lapland and the Kola Peninsula, subjected to the atmospheric deposition were studied. The severe influence of toxic heavy metals, dusts from smelters and mineral enrichment factories were found in the Kola Peninsula. The negative acidification effects on benthic communities were found in the Jarfjord (Norway), Enontekio, Ranua-Posio and Kittila-Kolari (Finnish Lapland) areas and in the Kola Peninsula (Russia). Taxa groups, known to be sensitive to acidification, such as gammarids, snails, mayflies, stone flies, were represented with few species and in a low abundance. Heavy metals accumulationmore » in biota is recorded in areas surrounding nickel smelters in the Kola Peninsula. The metal concentration invertebrates in remote areas is rather wide and depend on an air deposition, characteristics of lake catchment areas, as well as water acidity. The environmental variables, such as lake hydrological type, altitude of lakes, dominant substratum type, abundance of macrophytes and mosses in sampling area, content of pollutants in water also show significant relationships with metal concentration in invertebrates. The most severe negative effects on biota were found in waters with low pH and simultaneously contaminated by heavy metals. The biological method for estimation of simultaneously water acidification and contamination is suggested.« less

Convergent tectonics in the Huon Peninsula region, Papua New Guinea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davies, H. L.; Lock, J.; Tiffin, D. L.; Honza, E.; Okuda, Y.; Murakami, F.; Kisimoto, K.

1987-09-01

The anticlinal nappe which forms the Huon Peninsula and adjacent ranges extends offshore as the Huon Ridge. The frontal thrust of the nappe is the Ramu-Markham Fault (onshore) and a deformation front along the line of the Markham Canyon (offshore). The timing and geometry of the Finisterre arc-continent collision is controversial, and the origin of the Finsch Deep is unresolved.

48. Photocopy of photograph (from Reflections, Peninsula Transportation District Commission, ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

48. Photocopy of photograph (from Reflections, Peninsula Transportation District Commission, 1985. Original three CRT buses in 1928. *FOR Photocopy of photograph (from the Charles H. Taylor Memorial Library), photographer unknown. Trolley car No. 315 shown April 25, 1929 at the Trolley Barn. SEE FIELD NOTES - Newport News & Old Point Railway & Electric Company, Trolley Barn & Administration Building, 3400 Victoria Boulevard, Hampton, Hampton, VA

46. Photocopy of photograph (Pentran file), (from Alexander Brown's Peninsula's ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

46. Photocopy of photograph (Pentran file), (from Alexander Brown's Peninsula's Last Street Cars, Daily Press, January 15, 1956) photographer unknown. The first streetcar (with dignitaries) to make the run from Newport News to a new housing development named Hilton Village in September 1918. - Newport News & Old Point Railway & Electric Company, Trolley Barn & Administration Building, 3400 Victoria Boulevard, Hampton, Hampton, VA

Preliminary classification of forest vegetation of the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska.

Treesearch

K.M. Reynolds

1990-01-01

A total of 5,597 photo points was systematically located on 1:60,000-scale high altitude photographs of the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska; photo interpretation was used to classify the vegetation at each grid position. Of the total grid points, 12.3 percent were classified as timberland; 129 photo points within the timberland class were randomly selected for field survey....

A stonefly species extinct in Europe (Taeniopteryx araneoides Klapalek, 1902, Taeniopterygidae, Plecoptera) is thriving in the Irtysh River in West Siberia and North Kazakhstan.

PubMed

Kosterin, Oleg E; Akimbekova, Nazymgul; Dubatolov, Vladimir V; Sivec, Ignac

2017-03-27

Taeniopteryx araneoides Klápalek, 1902, a stonefly species with brachypterous males, known historically from the Danube, Elbe, and Dniester rivers, but considered to be extinct at least in Europe for more than a century. This species has also been doubtfully reported from Krasnoyarsk, Central Siberia. However, we report this species to be still thriving in the Irtysh River at the cities of Omsk (West Siberia, Russia) and Pavlodar (North Kazakhstan). The occurrence of this species reported least fifty years ago from the Yenisey River at Krasnoyarsk, Russia is considered possible. Unlike the widespread Palaearctic T. nebulosa (Linnaeus, 1758) that occurs in a broad range of stream types, T. araneoides is a potomon species, apparently confined to large rivers. In this habitat, it appears vulnerable to anthropogenic impacts and may be unable to compete with T. nebulosa. The construction of dams and reservoirs has apparently extirpated T. araneoides from most of its former geographical range.

Dissolved organic matter composition and biodegradability in a permafrost-dominated watershed network in central Siberia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coble, A. A.; Rodriguez-Cardona, B.; Wymore, A.; Prokishkin, A. S.; Kolosov, R.; McDowell, W. H.

2016-12-01

Thawing permafrost soils can mobilize large quantities of dissolved organic matter (DOM) from soils to headwater streams, and DOM may undergo rapid transformations in streams and rivers in transit to the Arctic Ocean. With climate change an increased frequency of fire is also expected, which will further alter the DOM entering streams, and may contribute to changes in its biodegradability. Elucidating how DOM composition varies across a fire gradient within a river network underlain by continuous permafrost will therefore improve our understanding of the impact of climate change on Arctic ecosystems and its role in the global carbon cycle. To determine DOM composition we measured optical properties via excitation-emission matrices (EEMs) and subsequent parallel factor analysis across a spatially extensive collection of sites in central Siberia. Within a subset of streams in the Nizhnyaya Tunguska watershed network, we also measured biodegradable dissolved organic carbon (BDOC) incubated at in situ temperatures over a 7 day period during spring freshet on two dates in early June. Despite clear changes in optical properties of DOM and background DOC concentration along the fire gradient (range: 3 to >100 y since burn) BDOC did not vary systematically with years since fire for either incubation date. In the first incubation conducted near peak flow BDOC ranged from negligible to 7.6% (BDOC concentration = negligible to 1.4 mg C L-1) within a 7 day period. In the second incubation conducted 5 days later BDOC was negligible across all sites (as both a percentage and a concentration). Our results suggest that DOC exported from permafrost soils in the central Siberian plateau is relatively unreactive at in situ temperatures over 7 day time scales, which contrasts with previous studies conducted in watersheds underlain with Yedoma outcrops where biodegradability comprises a large fraction of DOC. Our preliminary results suggest that melting of permafrost soils in central

Landscape fire in East Siberia: medical, ecological and economic aspects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Efimova, N. V.; Rukavishnikov, V. S.; Zabuga, G. A.; Elfimova, T. A.

2018-01-01

More than 40 % of the forests in Siberia region are known to have a fire danger of high classes and high burning degrees. This paper describes air pollutants emission (PM10, nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide and others) in East Siberian region during a 10-year period in the forests fires focus. A total of 500 to 2000 fires occurred in Irkutsk oblast during the last ten years. At an average annual forest fires cover an area of 1 109 hectares on the model territory (Bratsk city). The plane pollutant emission source with a high productivity is formed on the significant forest fire area occurred in a relatively short-term time periods. The increase in hazard ratios was registered for the ingredients of emission-specific industrial enterprises and capable of accumulating in vegetation: carbon disulphide 1.9 times, fluorine-containing substances 1.8 times during the fire. The economic loss of energy resources resulting from reduced production of firewood was estimated at 56.6 million in Irkutsk oblast. The potential risk of negative effects for the respiratory system and cardiovascular system stipulated for the acute inhalation exposure was found to increase on the days, of the fires, as evidenced by the growth of the daily mortality and morbidity rates among the population.

Climate Change Scenarios in the Yucatan Peninsula to the year 2020

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Orellana, R.; Espadas, C.; Conde, C.; Gay, C.

2010-03-01

A topic that has not been sufficiently analyzed is that the global warming is already affecting, and that it will have worst consequences in those regions with transitional climates, which have more sensibility to changes. This is the case of the Yucatan Peninsula which is semi-arid in their northern portion, and toward the south is subhumid, with a tendency to be more rainy toward the south. To have an estimation of what could happen in the future, the Intergovernmental Panel of Climatic Change (IPCC) has promoted the use of General Circulation Models (GCM), as well as the construction of possible emission scenarios that integrate different global and regional socioeconomic and demographic conditions, which project then a possible increase of emissions of greenhouse gases. These conditions are recognized as the decisive forces that will determine the variations of temperature and of precipitation. These projections are useful for the analysis of climatic change, and in particular for the assessments of the possible impacts and of the initiatives of adaptation and of mitigation that should be implemented in every country or region. In Mexico, most of those evaluations of climate change have been carried out generally at country level. For that reason, it is necessary to direct the research at regional level. In this work, we evaluated the potential climatic changes on the Yucatan Peninsula, considering the different changes of temperature and precipitation as a consequence for different emission scenarios and for the horizon 2020. To project the environmental responses of the region, we used as a base scenario the available temperature and precipitation information of the period 1961-1990, registered in 85 meteorological stations of the peninsula. With these data, we generated climate change scenarios using the outputs of four General Circulation Models: HADLEY, ECHAM, GFDL and CGCM, and the emission scenarios A1FI, A2, B1 and B2. The outputs of these models were

The basement of the Mount Athos peninsula, northern Greece: insights from geochemistry and zircon ages

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Himmerkus, F.; Zachariadis, P.; Reischmann, T.; Kostopoulos, D.

2012-09-01

The Mount Athos Peninsula is situated in the south-easternmost part of the Chalkidiki Peninsula in northern Greece. It belongs to the Serbo-Macedonian Massif (SMM), a large basement massif within the Internal Hellenides. The south-eastern part of the Mount Athos peninsula is built by fine-grained banded biotite gneisses and migmatites forming a domal structure. The southern tip of the peninsula, which also comprises Mount Athos itself, is built by limestone, marble and low-grade metamorphic rocks of the Chortiatis Unit. The northern part and the majority of the western shore of the Mount Athos peninsula are composed of highly deformed rocks belonging to a tectonic mélange termed the Athos-Volvi-Suture Zone (AVZ), which separates two major basement units: the Vertiskos Terrane in the west and the Kerdillion Unit in the east. The rock-types in this mélange range from metasediments, marbles and gneisses to amphibolites, eclogites and peridotites. The gneisses are tectonic slivers of the adjacent basement complexes. The mélange zone and the gneisses were intruded by granites (Ierissos, Ouranoupolis and Gregoriou). The Ouranoupolis intrusion obscures the contact between the mélange and the gneisses. The granites are only slightly deformed and therefore postdate the accretionary event that assembled the units and created the mélange. Pb-Pb- and U-Pb-SHRIMP-dating of igneous zircons of the gneisses and granites of the eastern Athos peninsula in conjunction with geochemical and isotopic analyses are used to put Athos into the context of a regional tectonic model. The ages form three clusters: The basement age is indicated by two samples that yielded Permo-Carboniferous U-Pb-ages of 292.6 ± 2.9 Ma and 299.4 ± 3.5 Ma. The main magmatic event of the granitoids now forming the gneiss dome is dated by Pb-Pb-ages between 140.0 ± 2.6 Ma and 155.7 ± 5.1 Ma with a mean of 144.7 ± 2.4 Ma. A within-error identical age of 146.6 ± 2.3 Ma was obtained by the U

Mass Balance of the Northern Antarctic Peninsula and its Ongoing Response to Ice Shelf Loss

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scambos, T. A.; Berthier, E.; Haran, T. M.; Shuman, C. A.; Cook, A. J.; Bohlander, J. A.

2012-12-01

An assessment of the most rapidly changing areas of the Antarctic Peninsula (north of 66°S) shows that ice mass loss for the region is dominated by areas affected by eastern-Peninsula ice shelf losses in the past 20 years. Little if any of the mass loss is compensated by increased snowfall in the northwestern or far northern areas. We combined satellite stereo-image DEM differencing and ICESat-derived along-track elevation changes to measure ice mass loss for the Antarctic Peninsula north of 66°S between 2001-2010, focusing on the ICESat-1 period of operation (2003-2009). This mapping includes all ice drainages affected by recent ice shelf loss in the northeastern Peninsula (Prince Gustav, Larsen Inlet, Larsen A, and Larsen B) as well as James Ross Island, Vega Island, Anvers Island, Brabant Island and the adjacent west-flowing glaciers. Polaris Glacier (feeding the Larsen Inlet, which collapsed in 1986) is an exception, and may have stabilized. Our method uses ASTER and SPOT-5 stereo-image DEMs to determine dh/dt for elevations below 800 m; at higher elevations ICESat along-track elevation differencing is used. To adjust along-track path offsets between its 2003-2009 campaigns, we use a recent DEM of the Peninsula to establish and correct for cross-track slope (Cook et al., 2012, doi:10.5194/essdd-5-365-2012; http://nsidc.org/data/nsidc-0516.html) . We reduce the effect of possible seasonal variations in elevation by using only integer-year repeats of the ICESat tracks for comparison. Mass losses are dominated by the major glaciers that had flowed into the Prince Gustav (Boydell, Sjorgren, Röhss), Larsen A (Edgeworth, Bombardier, Dinsmoor, Drygalski), and Larsen B (Hektoria, Jorum, and Crane) embayments. The pattern of mass loss emphasizes the significant and multi-decadal response to ice shelf loss. Areas with shelf losses occurring 30 to 100s of years ago seem to be relatively stable or losing mass only slowly (western glaciers, northernmost areas). The

Lower Miocene Stratigraphy along the Panama Canal and Its Bearing on the Central American Peninsula

PubMed Central

Kirby, Michael Xavier; Jones, Douglas S.; MacFadden, Bruce J.

2008-01-01

Before the formation of the Central American Isthmus, there was a Central American Peninsula. Here we show that southern Central America existed as a peninsula as early as 19 Ma, based on new lithostratigraphic, biostratigraphic and strontium chemostratigraphic analyses of the formations exposed along the Gaillard Cut of the Panama Canal. Land mammals found in the Miocene Cucaracha Formation have similar body sizes to conspecific taxa in North America, indicating that there existed a terrestrial connection with North America that allowed gene flow between populations during this time. How long did this peninsula last? The answer hinges on the outcome of a stratigraphic dispute: To wit, is the terrestrial Cucaracha Formation older or younger than the marine La Boca Formation? Previous stratigraphic studies of the Panama Canal Basin have suggested that the Cucaracha Formation lies stratigraphically between the shallow-marine Culebra Formation and the shallow-to-upper-bathyal La Boca Formation, the latter containing the Emperador Limestone. If the La Boca Formation is younger than the Cucaracha Formation, as many think, then the peninsula was short-lived (1–2 m.y.), having been submerged in part by the transgression represented by the overlying La Boca Formation. On the other hand, our data support the view that the La Boca Formation is older than the Cucaracha Formation. Strontium dating shows that the La Boca Formation is older (23.07 to 20.62 Ma) than both the Culebra (19.83–19.12 Ma) and Cucaracha (Hemingfordian to Barstovian North American Land Mammal Ages; 19–14 Ma) formations. The Emperador Limestone is also older (21.24–20.99 Ma) than the Culebra and Cucaracha formations. What has been called the “La Boca Formation” (with the Emperador Limestone), is re-interpreted here as being the lower part of the Culebra Formation. Our new data sets demonstrate that the main axis of the volcanic arc in southern Central America more than likely existed as a

Lower Miocene stratigraphy along the Panama Canal and its bearing on the Central American Peninsula.

PubMed

Kirby, Michael Xavier; Jones, Douglas S; MacFadden, Bruce J

2008-07-30

Before the formation of the Central American Isthmus, there was a Central American Peninsula. Here we show that southern Central America existed as a peninsula as early as 19 Ma, based on new lithostratigraphic, biostratigraphic and strontium chemostratigraphic analyses of the formations exposed along the Gaillard Cut of the Panama Canal. Land mammals found in the Miocene Cucaracha Formation have similar body sizes to conspecific taxa in North America, indicating that there existed a terrestrial connection with North America that allowed gene flow between populations during this time. How long did this peninsula last? The answer hinges on the outcome of a stratigraphic dispute: To wit, is the terrestrial Cucaracha Formation older or younger than the marine La Boca Formation? Previous stratigraphic studies of the Panama Canal Basin have suggested that the Cucaracha Formation lies stratigraphically between the shallow-marine Culebra Formation and the shallow-to-upper-bathyal La Boca Formation, the latter containing the Emperador Limestone. If the La Boca Formation is younger than the Cucaracha Formation, as many think, then the peninsula was short-lived (1-2 m.y.), having been submerged in part by the transgression represented by the overlying La Boca Formation. On the other hand, our data support the view that the La Boca Formation is older than the Cucaracha Formation. Strontium dating shows that the La Boca Formation is older (23.07 to 20.62 Ma) than both the Culebra (19.83-19.12 Ma) and Cucaracha (Hemingfordian to Barstovian North American Land Mammal Ages; 19-14 Ma) formations. The Emperador Limestone is also older (21.24-20.99 Ma) than the Culebra and Cucaracha formations. What has been called the "La Boca Formation" (with the Emperador Limestone), is re-interpreted here as being the lower part of the Culebra Formation. Our new data sets demonstrate that the main axis of the volcanic arc in southern Central America more than likely existed as a peninsula

International Field Research with Undergraduate Students: Investigating Active Tectonics of the Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marshall, J. S.; Gardner, T. W.; Protti, M.

2005-12-01

Over the past eight years, 18 undergraduate students from 12 U.S. and Costa Rican universities and colleges have participated in field research projects investigating coastal tectonics on the Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica. These projects have been organized around two different models: 1) a month-long "field camp" with 10 students and 5 project faculty (Keck Geology Consortium Project, 1998), and 2) several two-week field projects with 1-3 students and one faculty advisor (Cal Poly Pomona University and Trinity University). Under the direction of the authors, each of these projects has been carefully designed to provide a new piece to a larger research puzzle. The Nicoya Peninsula lies along Costa Rica's northern Pacific coast inboard of the Middle America Trench where the Cocos and Caribbean plates converge at 10 cm/yr. In 1950, the peninsula was shaken by a ~M 7.7 subduction earthquake that produced widespread damage and 0.5-1.0 m of coseismic coastal uplift. With a large slip deficit since 1950, the Nicoya Peninsula is viewed as a high-potential seismic gap. Field study of uplifted Quaternary marine terraces along the Nicoya coastline provides undergraduate students with a unique opportunity to examine rapid forearc deformation related to large subduction earthquakes. The field research conducted by each of these students provides the basis for a senior thesis at their home institution. In most cases, the students have focused their individual work on separate, but adjacent field areas. Collectively, each of these projects has generated significant data that contribute toward of an ongoing investigation of fore arc tectonics and subduction cycle earthquakes along the Costa Rican Pacific margin.

Effect of aerosol feedback in the Korea Peninsula using WRF-CMAQ two-way coupled model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yoo, J.; Jeon, W.; Lee, H.; Lee, S.

2017-12-01

Aerosols influence the climate system by scattering and absorption of the solar radiation by altering the cloud radiative properties. For the reason, consideration of aerosol feedback is important numerical weather prediction and air quality models. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of aerosol feedback on PM10 simulation in Korean Peninsula using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) and the community multiscale air quality (CMAQ) two-way coupled model. Simulations were conducted with the aerosol feedback (FB) and without (NFB). The results of the simulated solar radiation in the west part of Korea decreased due to the aerosol feedback effect. The feedback effect was significant in the west part of Korea Peninsula, showing high Particulate Matter (PM) estimates due to dense emissions and its long-range transport from China. The decrease of solar radiation lead to planetary boundary layer (PBL) height reduction, thereby dispersion of air pollutants such as PM is suppressed, and resulted in higher PM concentrations. These results indicate that aerosol feedback effects can play an important role in the simulation of meteorology and air quality over Korea Peninsula.

Current Soviet exploration plays: Success and potential

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Grace, J.D.

1991-03-01

Soviet hydrocarbon exploration in the 1980s took four distinct directions. First was extension exploration and the search for smaller new fields in discrete traps in traditional producing regions, such as the Apsheron Peninsula, North Caucasus, and Volga-Urals. This strategy produced a large number of small discoveries close to established infrastructure. Second was new field exploration in West Siberia in the stratigraphically complex Jurassic and the lower Neocomian sections. Third was expansion of the prolific gas plays in northern West Siberia. Exploratory success in West Siberia has created a backlog of several hundred discoveries awaiting full delineation and development. Most ofmore » these fields are distant from the established oil production center in the Middle Ob region and, therefore, may remain in inventory. Fourth was initial tests of new exploration frontiers, most important, the Paleozoic and Mesozoic plays of the Barents and Kara seas and the subsalt plays of the North Caspian basin. While these plays have yielded very important discoveries, significant technological barriers impede their development. The outlook for Soviet oil exploration in the 1990s is for significant opportunities for discovery of large volumes of oil, but at radically increasing exploration and production costs. In established regions, these costs arise from small field sizes and low well productivities. In frontier regions, exploitation of new fields will require technology not currently available in the USSR. The outlook for gas exploration continues to be very bright, as the onshore northern West Siberia is not fully explored and initial results from the Barents and Kara seas promise more very large gas discoveries.« less

Relationship between glacier melting and atmospheric circulation in the southeast Siberia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Osipova, O. P.; Osipov, E. Y.

2018-01-01

The interaction between climate and cryosphere is a key issue in recent years. Changes in surface mass balance of mountain glaciers closely correspond to differential changes in atmospheric circulation. Mountain glaciers in southeast Siberia located on East Sayan, Baikalsky and Kodar ridges have been continuously shrinking since the end of the Little Ice Age. In this study we used daily synoptic weather maps (Irkutsk Center of Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring), 500 hPa, 700 hPa and 850 hPa geopotential height and air temperature data of NCEP/NCAR reanalysis to assess relationships between atmospheric circulation patterns and the sum of positive temperature (SPT), a predictor of summer ice/snow ablation. Results show that increased SPT (ablation) is generally associated with anticyclones and anticyclonic pressure fields (with cloudless weather conditions) and warm atmospheric fronts. Decreased SPT (ablation) is strongly correlated with cyclones and cyclonic type pressure fields, cold atmospheric fronts and air advections. Significant correlations have been found between ablation and cyclonic/anticyclonic activity. Revealed decreasing trends in the SPT in three glaciarized ridges at the beginning of the 21st century led to changes of air temperature and snow/ice melt climates.

Music as knowledge in Shamanism and other healing traditions of Siberia.

PubMed

Walker, Marilyn

2003-01-01

Several presenters made the point that one cannot look at narrative alone, without taking into account the music, dance, and drumming that, in many settings, go along with it. One of these presenters was Marilyn Walker, who has had the good fortune to work with healers in Siberia. Although academic in approach, Marilyn’s paper also recognizes the importance of experiential ways of knowing. In her Quebec City presentation, she shared some of this experiential dimension by showing and commenting on videotaped segments featuring three Siberian healers. Walker’s paper discusses healing at several levels. In addition to several healing dimensions that she lists at the end of her paper, she mentions the physiological effects of music, dance, and drumming. Current research is leading to a better understanding of how trauma affects the brain and the body, and ways that various therapies, including new therapies focusing on sensorimotor effects, can promote healing. Along with these developments has come a greater appreciation and understanding among some mental health practitioners of some of the neuropsychological processes by which traditional practices such as narrative, singing, drumming, and dancing, may bring about healing.

Characteristics of Forests in Western Sayani Mountains, Siberia from SAR Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ranson, K. Jon; Sun, Guoqing; Kharuk, V. I.; Kovacs, Katalin

1998-01-01

This paper investigated the possibility of using spaceborne radar data to map forest types and logging in the mountainous Western Sayani area in Siberia. L and C band HH, HV, and VV polarized images from the Shuttle Imaging Radar-C instrument were used in the study. Techniques to reduce topographic effects in the radar images were investigated. These included radiometric correction using illumination angle inferred from a digital elevation model, and reducing apparent effects of topography through band ratios. Forest classification was performed after terrain correction utilizing typical supervised techniques and principal component analyses. An ancillary data set of local elevations was also used to improve the forest classification. Map accuracy for each technique was estimated for training sites based on Russian forestry maps, satellite imagery and field measurements. The results indicate that it is necessary to correct for topography when attempting to classify forests in mountainous terrain. Radiometric correction based on a DEM (Digital Elevation Model) improved classification results but required reducing the SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) resolution to match the DEM. Using ratios of SAR channels that include cross-polarization improved classification and

A new glacier inventory for 2009 reveals spatial and temporal variability in glacier response to atmospheric warming in the Northern Antarctic Peninsula, 1988-2009

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davies, B. J.; Carrivick, J. L.; Glasser, N. F.; Hambrey, M. J.; Smellie, J. L.

2011-12-01

The Northern Antarctic Peninsula has recently exhibited ice-shelf disintegration, glacier recession and acceleration. However, the dynamic response of land-terminating, ice-shelf tributary and tidewater glaciers has not yet been quantified or assessed for variability, and there are sparse published data for glacier classification, morphology, area, length or altitude. This paper firstly uses ASTER images from 2009 and a SPIRIT DEM from 2006 to classify the area, length, altitude, slope, aspect, geomorphology, type and hypsometry of 194 glaciers on Trinity Peninsula, Vega Island and James Ross Island. Secondly, this paper uses LANDSAT-4 and ASTER images from 1988 and 2001 and data from the Antarctic Digital Database (ADD) from 1997 to document glacier change 1988-2009. From 1988-2001, 90 % of glaciers receded, and from 2001-2009, 79 % receded. Glaciers on the western side of Trinity Peninsula retreated relatively little. On the eastern side of Trinity Peninsula, the rate of recession of ice-shelf tributary glaciers has slowed from 12.9 km2 a-1 (1988-2001) to 2.4 km2 a-1 (2001-2009). Tidewater glaciers on the drier, cooler Eastern Trinity Peninsula experienced fastest recession from 1988-2001, with limited frontal retreat after 2001. Land-terminating glaciers on James Ross Island also retreated fastest in the period 1988-2001. Large tidewater glaciers on James Ross Island are now declining in areal extent at rates of up to 0.04 km2 a-1. This east-west difference is largely a result of orographic temperature and precipitation gradients across the Antarctic Peninsula. Strong variability in tidewater glacier recession rates may result from the influence of glacier length, altitude, slope and hypsometry on glacier mass balance. High snowfall means that the glaciers on the Western Peninsula are not currently rapidly receding. Recession rates on the eastern side of Trinity Peninsula are slowing as the floating ice tongues retreat into the fjords and the glaciers reach a

The use of normalized climatological anomalies to rank precipitation events in the Iberian Peninsula

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramos, Alexandre M.; Trigo, Ricardo M.; Liberato, Margarida L. R.

2013-04-01

Extreme precipitation events in the Iberian Peninsula during winter months have major socio-economic impacts such as flooding, landslides, extensive property damage and life losses, and are usually associated to deep low pressure systems with Atlantic origin, although some extreme events in summer/autumn months are fed by the Mediterranean. Quite often these events are evaluated on a casuistic base and with relatively few stations. An objective method for ranking daily precipitation events is presented based on the extensive use of the most comprehensive database of daily precipitation available for the Iberian Peninsula (IB02) and spanning from 1950 to 2003, with a resolution of 0.2° (approximately 16 x 22 km at latitude 40°N), for a total of 1673 pixels. This database is based on a dense network of rain gauges, combining two national data sets, 'Spain02' for peninsular Spain and Balearic islands (Herrera et al., 2012), and 'PT02' for mainland Portugal (Belo-Pereira et al., 2011), with a total of more than two thousand stations over Spain and four hundred stations over Portugal, all quality-controlled and homogenized. The daily precipitation data from 1950 to 2003 are compared with a 30-year (1961-90) precipitation climatology to achieve a daily normalized departure from the climatology. The magnitude of an event is given daily by an index that is obtained after multiplying 1) the area (in percentage) that has precipitation anomalies above two standard deviations by 2) the mean values of these anomalies over this area. With this criterion we are able to evaluate not only the spatial extent of the precipitation events but also their spatially integrated intensity. In addition, to stress out the hydrological responses to precipitation, rankings taking into account the sum of the normalized anomalies over different time periods (3 days, 5 days and 10 days) were also computed. Here different precipitation rankings will be presented considering the entire Iberian

Melt production and mantle refertilisation above a subduction zone: Direct constraints from Antarctic Peninsula spinel-peridotite xenoliths

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gibson, L. C.; Gibson, S. A.; Leat, P. T.

2010-12-01

Spinel peridotites and pyroxenites from the Antarctic Peninsula provide rare, direct evidence of mantle processes operating during and after a major subduction event. The Antarctic Peninsula consists of a series of suspect arc terranes accreted onto the Gondwana margin. Subduction occured off the west coast and lasted for 200Ma before ceasing after a series of ridge-trench collisions, which began at ~50Ma in the south of the peninsula and ended at ~4Ma in the north. The end of subduction was followed by extensive alkaline volcanism which hosts mantle xenoliths at several localities. The widest variety of peridotites and pyroxenites so far collected occur in ~ 5Ma basanites and tephrites on Alexander Island and Rothschild Island, in the southern fore-arc. Mineral textures and chemistry suggest that the constituent phases are in equilibrium in the xenoliths and can be used to estimate pressures and temperatures. The results of these calculations indicate that, at the time of xenolith entrainment, the Antarctic Peninsula had a normal, unperturbed mantle geotherm and a lithospheric thickness of ~70km. The Alexander and Rothschild Island xenolith suites show an almost continuous range of compositions from harzburgites and lherzolites to pyroxenites. This wide variation in lithologies is confirmed by large ranges in mineral chemistry. For example, olivine compositions range from Fo77 to Fo91 while Al2O3 contents of orthopyroxenes range from 0.17 to 5.84%. Some clinopyroxenes have low LREE/MREE ratios ([La/Sm]n=0.01) whereas others are enriched in LREE relative to MREE ([La/Sm]n=8.56). The ‘depleted’ xenoliths resemble abyssal peridotites and may represent either (i) accreted sub-oceanic lithosphere or (ii) residues of melting in the underlying mantle wedge that have been incorporated in to the base of the Antarctic Peninsula lithosphere post subduction. The ‘enriched’ peridotites and pyroxenites appear to have formed as a result of mantle �

Impacts of regional climatic fluctuations on radial growth of Siberian and Scots pine at Mukhrino mire (central-western Siberia).

PubMed

Blanchet, Guillaume; Guillet, Sébastien; Calliari, Baptiste; Corona, Christophe; Edvardsson, Johannes; Stoffel, Markus; Bragazza, Luca

2017-01-01

Ring width (TRW) chronologies from Siberian (Pinus sibirica) and Scots (Pinus sylvestris) pine trees were sampled at Mukhrino - a large mire complex in central-western Siberia - to evaluate the impacts of hydroclimatic variability on tree growth over the last three centuries. For this purpose, we compared climate-growth correlation profiles from trees growing on peat soils with those growing on adjacent mineral soils. Tree growth at both peat and mineral soils was positively correlated to air temperature during the vegetation period. This finding can be explained by (i) the positive influence of temperature on plant physiological processes (i.e. growth control) during the growing season and (ii) the indirect impact of air temperatures on water table fluctuations. We observe also a strong link between TRW and the winter Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI), especially in Siberian pine, reflecting the isolating effect of snow and limited freezing damage in roots. Significant negative relations were, by contrast, observed between bog TRW chronologies and hydroclimatic indices during spring and summer; they are considered an expression of the negative impacts of high water levels and moist peat soils on root development. Some unusually old bog pines - exhibiting >500 growth rings - apparently colonized the site at the beginning of the Little Ice Age, and therefore seem to confirm that (i) peat conditions may have been drier in Siberia than in most other regions of western Europe during this period. At the same time, the bog trees also point to (ii) their strong dependence on surface conditions. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Carbon exchange fluxes over peatlands in Western Siberia: Possible feedback between land-use change and climate change.

PubMed

Fleischer, Elisa; Khashimov, Ilhom; Hölzel, Norbert; Klemm, Otto

2016-03-01

The growing demand for agricultural products has been leading to an expansion and intensification of agriculture around the world. More and more unused land is currently reclaimed in the regions of the former Soviet Union. Driven by climate change, the Western Siberian grain belt might, in a long-term, even expand into the drained peatland areas to the North. It is crucial to study the consequences of this land-use change with respect to the carbon cycling as this is still a major knowledge gap. We present for the first time data on the atmosphere-ecosystem exchange of carbon dioxide and methane of an arable field and a neighboring unused grassland on peat soil in Western Siberia. Eddy covariance measurements were performed over one vegetation period. No directed methane fluxes were found due to an effective drainage of the study sites. The carbon dioxide fluxes appeared to be of high relevance for the global carbon and greenhouse gas cycles. They showed very site-specific patterns resulting from the development of vegetation: the persistent plants of the grassland were able to start photosynthesizing soon after snow melt, while the absence of vegetation on the managed field lead to a phase of emissions until the oat plants started to grow in June. The uptake peak of the oat field is much later than that of the grassland, but larger due to a rapid plant growth. Budgeting the whole measurement period, the grassland served as a carbon sink, whereas the oat field was identified to be a carbon source. The conversion from non-used grasslands on peat soil to cultivated fields in Western Siberia is therefore considered to have a positive feedback on climate change. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Short-term standard litter decomposition across three different ecosystems in middle taiga zone of West Siberia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Filippova, Nina V.; Glagolev, Mikhail V.

2018-03-01

The method of standard litter (tea) decomposition was implemented to compare decomposition rate constants (k) between different peatland ecosystems and coniferous forests in the middle taiga zone of West Siberia (near Khanty-Mansiysk). The standard protocol of TeaComposition initiative was used to make the data usable for comparisons among different sites and zonobiomes worldwide. This article sums up the results of short-term decomposition (3 months) on the local scale. The values of decomposition rate constants differed significantly between three ecosystem types: it was higher in forest compared to bogs, and treed bogs had lower decomposition constant compared to Sphagnum lawns. In general, the decomposition rate constants were close to ones reported earlier for similar climatic conditions and habitats.

Earthquake Swarm in Armutlu Peninsula, Eastern Marmara Region, Turkey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yavuz, Evrim; Çaka, Deniz; Tunç, Berna; Serkan Irmak, T.; Woith, Heiko; Cesca, Simone; Lühr, Birger-Gottfried; Barış, Şerif

2015-04-01

The most active fault system of Turkey is North Anatolian Fault Zone and caused two large earthquakes in 1999. These two earthquakes affected the eastern Marmara region destructively. Unbroken part of the North Anatolian Fault Zone crosses north of Armutlu Peninsula on east-west direction. This branch has been also located quite close to Istanbul known as a megacity with its high population, economic and social aspects. A new cluster of microseismic activity occurred in the direct vicinity southeastern of the Yalova Termal area. Activity started on August 2, 2014 with a series of micro events, and then on August 3, 2014 a local magnitude is 4.1 event occurred, more than 1000 in the followed until August 31, 2014. Thus we call this tentatively a swarm-like activity. Therefore, investigation of the micro-earthquake activity of the Armutlu Peninsula has become important to understand the relationship between the occurrence of micro-earthquakes and the tectonic structure of the region. For these reasons, Armutlu Network (ARNET), installed end of 2005 and equipped with currently 27 active seismic stations operating by Kocaeli University Earth and Space Sciences Research Center (ESSRC) and Helmholtz-Zentrum Potsdam Deutsches GeoForschungsZentrum (GFZ), is a very dense network tool able to record even micro-earthquakes in this region. In the 30 days period of August 02 to 31, 2014 Kandilli Observatory and Earthquake Research Institute (KOERI) announced 120 local earthquakes ranging magnitudes between 0.7 and 4.1, but ARNET provided more than 1000 earthquakes for analyzes at the same time period. In this study, earthquakes of the swarm area and vicinity regions determined by ARNET were investigated. The focal mechanism of the August 03, 2014 22:22:42 (GMT) earthquake with local magnitude (Ml) 4.0 is obtained by the moment tensor solution. According to the solution, it discriminates a normal faulting with dextral component. The obtained focal mechanism solution is

Historic anthropogenically maintained bear grass savannas of the southeastern Olympic Peninsula.

Treesearch

D.H. Peter; D. Shebitz

2006-01-01

A little-known fire-maintained anthropogenic ecosystem in the southeastern Olympic Peninsula of Washington is documented. Owing to cessation of burning, most of these areas have succeeded to forest. We present cultural, historical, and ecological data to describe the structure and function of this ecosystem. We believe that native peoples maintained this system for the...

Chlorinated hydrocarbons in lichen and moss samples from the Antarctic Peninsula

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bacci, E.; Calamari, D.; Gaggi, C.

1986-01-01

The concentrations of some chlorinated hydrocarbon residues (HCB, HCH isomers, p,p'DDT and DDE, PCB cogeners) in lichen and moss samples from the Antarctic Peninsula are reported and compared with available data from other parts of the world. The use of these materials as indicators of tropospheric contamination levels in Antarctica is discussed.

Surface Fire Influence on Carbon Balance Components in Scots Pine Forest of Siberia, Russia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kukavskaya, E.; Ivanova, G. A.; Conard, S. G.; Soja, A. J.

2008-12-01

Wildfire is one of the most important disturbances in boreal forests, and it can have a profound effect on forest-atmosphere carbon exchange. Pinus sylvestris (Scots pine) stands of Siberia are strongly impacted by fires of low to high severity. Biomass distribution in mature lichen/feathermoss Scots pine stands indicates that they are carbon sinks before fire. Fires contribute significantly to the carbon budget resulting in a considerable carbon efflux, initially through direct consumption of forest fuels and later as a result of tree mortality and decomposition of dead material accumulated on the forest floor. In initial postfire years these processes dominate over photosynthetic carbon assimilation, and the ecosystems become a carbon source. Over several postfire years, above-ground carbon in dead biomass tends to increase, with the increase depending significantly on fire severity. High-severity fire enhances dead biomass carbon, while moderate- and low-severity fires have minimal effect on above-ground carbon distribution in Scots pine ecosystems. Dead stand biomass carbon increases, primarily during the first two years following fires, due to tree mortality. This increase can account for up to 12.4% of the total stand biomass after low- and moderate- intensity fires. We found tree dieback following a high-intensity fire is an order of magnitude higher, and thus the dead biomass increases up to 88.1% of total above-ground biomass. Photosynthetic CO2 uptake decreases with increasing tree mortality, and needle foliage and bark are incorporated into the upper layer of the forest floor in the course of years. Ground vegetation and duff carbon were >90, 71-83, and 82% of prefire levels after fires of low, moderate, and high severity, respectively for the first 4 to 5 years after fire. Fires of low and moderate severity caused down woody fuel carbon to increase by 2.1 and 3.6 t ha-1 respectively by four years after burning as compared to the pre-fire values. Climate

Search for an astronomical site on the Arabian Peninsula: meteorological and climatological analyses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sultan, A. H.; Graham, E.

The Arabian Peninsula is the richest in oil but the poorest in A A -Astronomy and Astrophysics- the largest telescope in the region doesn t exceed 45cm To promote A A education and research we propose that all the countries of the region work together to install an optical regional observatory telescope diameter 2 meters on an accessible summit somewhere within the mountains of the Arabian Peninsula The first step is to make a climatological and meteorological study of the highest summits of the region A preliminary study has revealed only one mountain peak above 3000 meters in Saudi Arabia one in Oman but more than thirty in Yemen Of all these summits we have narrowed the selection to six candidate sites on which we are performing detailed meteorological and climatological analyses Our database is composed mainly of Reanalysis datasets from the European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting ECMWF and the National Center for Environmental Protection National Center for Atmospheric Research NCEP-NCAR Reanalysis datasets are reconstructions of all available past weather station data aeroplane sensor data weather balloon data weather ship data and satellite data from the 1950s onwards using sophisticated numerical weather prediction and data assimilation models This paper discusses ECMWF and NCEP-NCAR images of Arabian Peninsula for the following parameters at a monthly mean temporal resolution begin enumerate item Temperature variability at 700hPa item Precipitation item Geopotential height of the

Gulf Cooperation Council: Arabian Gulf Cooperation Continues Defense Forces (Peninsula Shield Force)

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-05-23

Lieutenant Colonel Rhett Champagne , USAF, “The Case for a Gulf Cooperation Council Peninsula Shield Force,” The FAOA Journal of International Affairs...Anthony J. Mastalir USAF, Lieutenant Colonel Jim Keating USA, and Lieutenant Colonel Rhett Champagne , USAF. “The Case for a Gulf Cooperation Council

Reproduction on cut-over swamplands in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan

Treesearch

Z.A. Zasada

1952-01-01

The 1 ¼ million acres of coniferous swamp forest in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan are important to industry, game management and water conservation. Because there was little knowledge on handling this type, foresters in 1950 began a program of research in swamp forest management. The first project was a survey of recent swamp cuttings. The survey shows that...

Assessment of undiscovered conventional oil and gas resources of the Arabian Peninsula and Zagros Fold Belt, 2012

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pitman, Janet K.; Schenk, Christopher J.; Brownfield, Michael E.; Charpentier, Ronald R.; Cook, Troy A.; Klett, Timothy R.; Pollastro, Richard M.

2012-01-01

Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated means of 86 billion barrels of oil and 336 trillion cubic feet of undiscovered natural gas resources in the Arabian Peninsula and Zagros Fold Belt. The USGS assessed the potential for undiscovered conventional oil and gas accumulations within the Arabian Peninsula and Zagros Fold Belt as part of the USGS World Petroleum Resources Project. Twenty-three assessment units within seven petroleum systems were quantitatively assessed in this study, which represents a reassessment of this area last published in 2000.

Isolated intermediate-depth seismicity north of the Izu peninsula, Japan: implications for subduction of the Philippine Sea Plate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nakajima, Junichi

2018-01-01

The subduction of the Philippine Sea (PHS) Plate toward the north of Izu peninsula, Japan, is of great interest because intraslab seismicity is absent where the buoyant Izu volcanic arc has been subducting over the past 15 Myr. This study analyzes 42 earthquakes in an isolated seismic cluster that occurred 100 km north of Izu peninsula at depths of 40-90 km and discusses seismogenesis in the context of plate subduction. We picked P- and S-wave arrival times of earthquakes to produce a complete hypocenter catalogue, carried out double-difference event relocations, and then determined focal mechanism solutions of 7 earthquakes from P-wave polarity data. Based on the focal mechanism solution, the largest earthquake (M3.1) is interpreted as a thrust earthquake along the upper surface of the PHS Plate. Locations of other earthquakes relative to the largest event suggest that most earthquakes occur within the subducting PHS Plate. Our results suggest that the PHS Plate north of Izu peninsula has temperatures low enough to facilitate thrust and intraslab earthquakes at depths of 60-90 km. Earthquakes are likely to occur where pore pressures are locally high, which weakens pre-existing faults. The presence of the intermediate-depth seismic cluster indicates the continuous subduction of the PHS Plate toward the north of Izu peninsula without any disruption.[Figure not available: see fulltext.

Late Pleniglacial vegetation in eastern-central Europe: are there modern analogues in Siberia?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Magyari, Enikő Katalin; Kuneš, Petr; Jakab, Gusztáv; Sümegi, Pál; Pelánková, Barbora; Schäbitz, Frank; Braun, Mihály; Chytrý, Milan

2014-07-01

To characterize Late Pleniglacial (LPG: 26.5-15 ka cal BP) and particularly Last Glacial Maximum (LGM: 21 ± 2 ka cal BP) vegetation and climate, fossil pollen assemblages are often compared with modern pollen assemblages. Given the non-analogue climate of the LPG, a key question is how glacial pollen assemblages and thereby vegetation compare with modern vegetation. In this paper we present three LPG pollen records from the Carpathian Basin and the adjoining Carpathian Mountains to address this question and provide a concise compositional characterization of the LPG vegetation. Fossil pollen assemblages were compared with surface pollen spectra from the Altai-Sayan Mountains in southern Siberia. This area shows many similarities with the LPG vegetation of eastern-central Europe, and has long been considered as its best modern analogue. Ordination and analogue matching were used to characterize vegetation composition and find the best analogues. Our results show that few LPG pollen assemblages have statistically significant analogues in southern Siberia. When analogue pairings occur they suggest the predominance of wet and mesic grasslands and dry steppe in the studied region. Wooded vegetation types (continental and suboceanic hemiboreal forest, continental taiga) appear as significant analogues only in a few cases during the LGM and more frequently after 16 ka cal BP. These results suggest that the LPG landscape of the Carpathian Basin was dominated by dry steppe that occurred outside the river floodplains, while wet and mesic grasslands occurred in the floodplains and on other sites influenced by ground water. Woody vegetation mainly occurred in river valleys, on wet north-facing hillsides, and scattered trees were likely also present on the loess plateaus. The dominant woody species were Larix, Pinus sylvestris, Pinus mugo, Pinus cembra, Picea abies, Betula pendula/pubescens, Betula nana, Juniperus, Hippophaë rhamnoides, Populus, Salix and Alnus. The pollen

Origin of carbon released from ecosystems affected by permafrost degradation in Northern Siberia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gandois, L.; Hoyt, A.; Xu, X.; Hatte, C.; Teisserenc, R.; Tananaev, N.

2016-12-01

Permafrost soils and peatlands store half of the soil organic carbon stock worldwide, and are rapidly evolving as a result of permafrost thaw. Determining the origin (permafrost or recent photosynthesis) of carbon which is released to surface waters and the atmosphere is crucial to assess Arctic ecosystems' potential feedback to climate change. In order to evaluate it, we investigated the stable and radioactive content of carbon in solid organic matter, dissolved organic matter (DOM) and dissolved CO2 and CH4 in a discontinuous permafrost area of Siberia affected by permafrost degradation (Igarka, Graviyka catchment (67°27'11''N, 86°32'07''E)). We collected samples from the active layer, permafrost, surface water and bubbles from thermokarst lakes. We further investigated DOM and dissolved CO2 and CH4 in porewater profiles, streams and the catchment outlet. In thermokarst lakes, DOM of surface water as well as CO2 and CH4 from bubbles from lake sediments predominantly originate from modern carbon. In two locations, CO2 and CH4 from bubbles have relatively low 14C contents, with ages greater than 700 yr BP, but still younger that what was previously reported in Eastern Siberia. In all samples the Δ14C of CH4 and CO2 were strongly correlated, with CH4 being consistently older than CO2, indicating strong interrelation between CO2 and CH4 cycles. In our study, permafrost influenced CO2 and CH4 is found in small ponds where palsa collapse and the resulting bank erosion has mobilized sequestered carbon. In peatland porewater, the Δ14C of DOM, CO2 and CH4 increases with depth (DOM: 1385 ±45 yr BP at 2m), indicating a contribution from Holocene peatlands affected by permafrost. In deep layers, CO2 reduction is the dominant pathway of CH4 production, whereas acetate fermentation dominates in thermokarst lakes. In summary, the majority of dissolved CO2 and CH4 analyzed from thermokarst lakes and degraded peatlands is modern and originates from recently fixed carbon

Extreme precipitation events in the Iberian Peninsula and its association with Atmospheric Rivers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramos, Alexandre M.; Liberato, Margarida L. R.; Trigo, Ricardo M.

2015-04-01

Extreme precipitation events in the Iberian Peninsula during the winter half of the year have major socio-economic impacts associated with floods, landslides, extensive property damage and life losses. In recent years, a number of works have shed new light on the role played by Atmospheric Rivers (ARs) in the occurrence of extreme precipitation events in both Europe and USA. ARs are relatively narrow regions of concentrated WV responsible for horizontal transport in the lower atmosphere corresponding to the core section of the broader warm conveyor belt occurring over the oceans along the warm sector of extra-tropical cyclones. Over the North Atlantic ARs are usually W-E oriented steered by pre-frontal low level jets along the trailing cold front and subsequently feed the precipitation in the extra-tropical cyclones. It was shown that more than 90% of the meridional WV transport in the mid-latitudes occurs in the AR, although they cover less than 10% of the area of the globe. The large amount of WV that is transported can lead to heavy precipitation and floods. An automated ARs detection algorithm is used for the North Atlantic Ocean Basin allowing the identification and a comprehensive characterization of the major AR events that affected the Iberian Peninsula over the 1948-2012 period. The extreme precipitation days in the Iberian Peninsula were assessed recently by us (Ramos et al., 2014) and their association (or not) with the occurrence of AR is analyzed in detail here. The extreme precipitation days are ranked by their magnitude and are obtained after considering 1) the area affected and 2) the precipitation intensity. Different rankings are presented for the entire Iberian Peninsula, Portugal and also for the six largest Iberian river basins (Minho, Duero, Tagus, Guadiana, Guadalquivir and Ebro) covering the 1950-2008 period (Ramos et al., 2014). Results show that the association between ARs and extreme precipitation days in the western domains (Portugal

Polychlorinated Biphenyl (PCB) Bioaccumulation in Fish: A Look at Michigan's Upper Peninsula

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sokol, E. C.; Urban, N. R.; Perlinger, J. A.; Khan, T.; Friedman, C. L.

2014-12-01

Fish consumption is an important economic, social and cultural component of Michigan's UpperPeninsula, where safe fish consumption is threatened due to polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB)contamination. Despite its predominantly rural nature, the Upper Peninsula has a history of industrialPCB use. PCB congener concentrations in fish vary 50-fold in Upper Peninsula lakes. Several factors maycontribute to this high variability including local point sources, unique watershed and lakecharacteristics, and food web structure. It was hypothesized that the variability in congener distributionscould be used to identify factors controlling concentrations in fish, and then to use those factors topredict PCB contamination in fish from lakes that had not been monitored. Watershed and lakecharacteristics were acquired from several databases for 16 lakes sampled in the State's fishcontaminant survey. Species congener distributions were compared using Principal Component Analysis(PCA) to distinguish between lakes with local vs. regional, atmospheric sources; six lakes were predictedto have local sources and half of those have confirmed local PCB use. For lakes without local PCBsources, PCA indicated that lake size was the primary factor influencing PCB concentrations. The EPA'sbioaccumulation model, BASS, was used to predict PCB contamination in lakes without local sources as afunction of food web characteristics. The model was used to evaluate the hypothesis that deep,oligotrophic lakes have longer food webs and higher PCB concentrations in top predator fish. Based onthese findings, we will develop a mechanistic watershed-lake model to predict PCB concentrations infish as a function of atmospheric PCB concentrations, lake size, and trophic state. Future atmosphericconcentrations, predicted by modeling potential primary and secondary emission scenarios, will be usedto predict the time horizon for safe fish consumption.

Crustal Structure of Southern Baja California Peninsula, Mexico, and its Margins

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gonzalez, A.; Robles-Vazquez, L. N.; Requena-Gonzalez, N. A.; Fletcher, J.; Lizarralde, D.; Kent, G.; Harding, A.; Holbrook, S.; Umhoefer, P.; Axen, G.

2007-05-01

Data from 6 deep 2D multichannel seismic (MCS) lines, 1 wide-angle seismic transect and gravity were used to investigate the crustal structure and stratigraphy of the southern Baja California peninsula and its margins. An array of air guns was used as seismic source shooting each 50 m. Each signal was recorded during 16 s by a 6 km long streamer with 480 channels and a spacing of 12.5 m. Seismic waves were also recorded by Ocean Bottom Seismometers (OBS) in the Pacific and the Gulf of California and by portable seismic instruments onshore southern Baja California. MCS data were conventionally processed, to obtain post-stack time-migrated seismic sections. We used a direct method for the interpretation of the wide-angle data, including ray tracing and travel times calculation. In addition to the gravity data recorded onboard, satellite and land public domain data were also used in the gravity modeling. The combined MCS, wide-angle and gravity transect between the Magdalena microplate to the center of Farallon basin in the Gulf of California, crossing the southern Baja California Peninsula to the north of La Paz, allows to verify the existence of the Magdalena microplate under Baja California. We have also confirmed an extensional component of the Tosco-Abreojos fault zone and we have calculated crustal thicknesses. We have also observed the continuation to the south of the Santa Margarita detachment. The MCS seismic sections show a number of fault scarps, submarine canyons and grabens and horsts associated to normal faults offshore southern Baja California peninsula. The normal displacement observed in the Tosco-Abreojos fault zone and some basins in the continental platform, as well as the presence of faulted acoustic basement blocks, evidence that not all extension was accommodated by the Gulf Extensional Province during the middle to late Miocene. Part of the extension was (and is) accommodated in the Baja California Pacific margin. This confirms the observations

Food and water security issues in Russia I: food security in the general population of the Russian Arctic, Siberia and the Far East, 2000-2011.

PubMed

Dudarev, Alexey A; Alloyarov, Pavel R; Chupakhin, Valery S; Dushkina, Eugenia V; Sladkova, Yuliya N; Dorofeyev, Vitaliy M; Kolesnikova, Tatijana A; Fridman, Kirill B; Nilsson, Lena Maria; Evengård, Birgitta

2013-01-01

Problems related to food security in Russian Arctic (dietary imbalance, predominance of carbohydrates, shortage of milk products, vegetables and fruits, deficit of vitamins and microelements, chemical, infectious and parasitic food contamination) have been defined in the literature. But no standard protocol of food security assessment has been used in the majority of studies. Our aim was to obtain food security indicators, identified within an Arctic collaboration, for selected regions of the Russian Arctic, Siberia and the Far East, and to compare food safety in these territories. In 18 regions of the Russian Arctic, Siberia and the Far East, the following indicators of food security were analyzed: food costs, food consumption, and chemical and biological food contamination for the period 2000-2011. Food costs in the regions are high, comprising 23-43% of household income. Only 4 out of 10 food groups (fish products, cereals, sugar, plant oil) are consumed in sufficient amounts. The consumption of milk products, eggs, vegetables, potatoes, fruits (and berries) is severely low in a majority of the selected regions. There are high levels of biological contamination of food in many regions. The biological and chemical contamination situation is alarming, especially in Chukotka. Only 7 food pollutants are under regular control; among pesticides, only DDT. Evenki AO and Magadan Oblast have reached peak values in food contaminants compared with other regions. Mercury in local fish has not been analyzed in the majority of the regions. In 3 regions, no monitoring of DDT occurs. Aflatoxins have not been analyzed in 5 regions. Nitrates had the highest percentage in excess of the hygienic threshold in all regions. Excesses of other pollutants in different regions were episodic and as a rule not high. Improvement of the food supply and food accessibility in the regions of the Russian Arctic, Siberia and the Far East is of utmost importance. Both quantitative and qualitative

Basement structure based on gravity anomaly in the northern Noto peninsula, Central Japan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mizubayashi, T.; Sawada, A.; Hamada, M.; Hiramatsu, Y.; Honda, R.

2012-12-01

Upper crustal block structures are usually defined by using surface information, such as geological and morphological data. The northern Noto Peninsula, central Japan, is divided into four geological block structures from tectonic geomorphologic perspectives (Ota and Hirakawa, 1979). This division is based on the surface crustal movement. To image the geological blocks three-dimensionally, it is necessary to construct a subsurface structure model. Gravity survey can clarify the detailed subsurface structure with dense gravity measurement. From the detailed Bouguer anomalies in the northwestern Noto Peninsula, Honda et al. (2008) suggested that the rupture size of the 2007 Noto Hanto earthquake was constrained by the geological block structures. Hiramatsu et al. (2008) also suggested the active faults on the seafloor, such as the source fault of the 2007 Noto Hanto earthquake plays a major role for the formation of the geological block structures. In this study, we analyze subsurface density structure based on the Bouguer anomaly and estimate the distribution of basement depth in the northern Noto Peninsula. We focus the relationship among the basement depth, the block structures and the active faults on the seafloor and discuss the block movement in the northern Noto Peninsula. We compiled the data measured and published previously (Gravity Database of Southwest Japan, 2001; Geological survey of Japan, 2004; Geographical survey institute of Japan, 2006; The Gravity Research Group in Southwest Japan, 2001; Komazawa and Okuma, 2010; Hokuriku electric power Co. Ltd., undisclosed) and calculated Bouguer anomaly in the northern Noto Peninsula. Based on this Bouguer anomaly, we analyzed subsurface density structures along 13 northeastern-southwestern profiles and 35 northwestern-southeastern profiles with the interval of 2 km using the two dimensional Talwani's method (Talwani et al., 1959). In the analysis, we assumed a density structure with four layers: basement

The Holocene environmental history of the Verkhoyansk Mountains region (northeastern Siberia, Russia) reconstructed from high-resolution pollen data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Müller, S.; Tarasov, P. E.; Andreev, A. A.; Diekmann, B.

2009-04-01

The study presented here is part of the IPY project 106 "Lake Records of late Quaternary Climate Variability in northeastern Siberia" and the German Research Foundation project RI 809/17-1,2 "Late Quaternary environmental history of interstadial and interglacial periods in the Arctic reconstructed from bioindicators in permafrost sequences in NE Siberia". Both projects focus on generating high-resolution vegetation and climate proxy records mainly from lacustrine sediments along a north-south transect from Yakutia, Republic of Russia. This region is known for its climate extremes, with the Verkhoyansk Mountain Range being the coldest area in the Northern Hemisphere - "Pole of Cold". Radiocarbon-dated pollen records from Lake Billyakh (65°17'N, 126°47'E; 340 m a.s.l.) located in the central part of the Verkhoyansk Mountains were used to reconstruct vegetation and climate changes. The longest and oldest sediment core from the lake reaches back to >30 kyr BP, thus covering the last two Late Pleistocene Interstadials in Siberia. The pollen record and pollen-based biome reconstruction of the core PG 1756, which covers the last 15 kyr BP, suggest that open cool steppe and grass and sedge tundra communities with Poaceae, Cyperaceae, Artemisia, Chenopodiaceae, Caryophyllaceae and Selaginella rupestris dominated the area from 15 to 13.5 kyr BP. On the other hand, the constant presence of Larix pollen in quantities comparable to today's values points to the constant presence of boreal deciduous conifer trees in the regional vegetation during the last glaciation. A major spread of shrub tundra communities, including birch (Betula sect. Nanae), alder (Duschekia fruticosa) and willow (Salix) species, is dated to 13.5-12.7 kyr BP, indicating a noticeable increase in precipitation toward the end of the last glaciation, particularly during the Allerød Interstadial. Between 12.7 and 11.4 kyr BP pollen percentages of herbaceous taxa rapidly increased, whereas shrub taxa

Impacts of the north and tropical Atlantic Ocean on the Antarctic Peninsula and sea ice.

PubMed

Li, Xichen; Holland, David M; Gerber, Edwin P; Yoo, Changhyun

2014-01-23

In recent decades, Antarctica has experienced pronounced climate changes. The Antarctic Peninsula exhibited the strongest warming of any region on the planet, causing rapid changes in land ice. Additionally, in contrast to the sea-ice decline over the Arctic, Antarctic sea ice has not declined, but has instead undergone a perplexing redistribution. Antarctic climate is influenced by, among other factors, changes in radiative forcing and remote Pacific climate variability, but none explains the observed Antarctic Peninsula warming or the sea-ice redistribution in austral winter. However, in the north and tropical Atlantic Ocean, the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (a leading mode of sea surface temperature variability) has been overlooked in this context. Here we show that sea surface warming related to the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation reduces the surface pressure in the Amundsen Sea and contributes to the observed dipole-like sea-ice redistribution between the Ross and Amundsen-Bellingshausen-Weddell seas and to the Antarctic Peninsula warming. Support for these findings comes from analysis of observational and reanalysis data, and independently from both comprehensive and idealized atmospheric model simulations. We suggest that the north and tropical Atlantic is important for projections of future climate change in Antarctica, and has the potential to affect the global thermohaline circulation and sea-level change.

The ambient stress field in the continental margin around the Korean Peninsula and Japanese islands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, J.; Hong, T. K.; Chang, C.

2016-12-01

The ambient stress field is mainly influenced by regional tectonics. The stress field composition is crucial information for seismic hazard assessment. The Korean Peninsula, Japanese Islands and East Sea comprise the eastern margin of the Eurasian plate. The regions are surrounded by the Okhotsk, Pacific, and Philippine Sea plates. We investigate the regional stress field around the Korean Peninsula and Japanese islands using the focal mechanism solutions of regional earthquakes. Complex lateral and vertical variations of regional crustal stress fields are observed around a continental margin. The dominant compression directions are ENE-WSW around the Korean Peninsula and eastern China, E-W in the central East Sea and northern and southern Japan, NW-SE in the central Japan, and N-S around the northern Nankai trough. The horizontal compression directions are observed to be different by fault type, suggesting structure-dependent stress field distortion. The regional stress field change by depth and location, suggesting that the compression and tension stress may alternate in local region. The stress field and structures affect mutually, causing stress field distortion and reactivation of paleo-structures. These observation may be useful for understanding of local stress-field perturbation for seismic hazard mitigation of the region.

Distribution of phthalate esters in agricultural soil with plastic film mulching in Shandong Peninsula, East China.

PubMed

Li, Kankan; Ma, Dong; Wu, Juan; Chai, Chao; Shi, Yanxi

2016-12-01

The content of phthalate esters (PAEs) was investigated in 36 vegetable fields with plastic film mulching in Shandong Peninsula, East China. Soils at depths of 0-10 cm, 10-20 cm, and 20-40 cm were collected, and 16 PAEs were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. PAEs were detected in all the analyzed samples. The total contents of the 16 PAEs (Σ 16 PAEs) ranged from 1.374 to 18.810 mg/kg, with an average of 6.470 mg/kg. Among the four areas of Shandong Peninsula, including Qingdao, Weihai, Weifang, and Yantai, the highest Σ 16 PAE in the soil was observed in Weifang district (9.786 mg/kg), which is famous for large-scale vegetable production. Despite the significant differences among the Σ 16 PAEs, the PAE compositions in soils with plastic film mulching in Shandong Peninsula were comparable. Diethyl phthalate (DEP), diisobutyl phthalate, and di(4-methyl-2-pentyl) phthalate were present in all the samples, whereas di-n-hexyl phthalate was detected only in Qingdao (∼1%) and dicyclohexyl phthalate was observed only in Weifang (5.7-8.2%) in low proportions. The ratios of dimethyl phthalate, DEP, and di-n-butyl phthalate, which exceeded allowable concentrations, were 63.9-100% at different soil depths, indicating high PAE pollution. The concentration of butyl benzyl phthalate detected only in Weifang exceeded the recommended allowable soil concentration. Overall, the high PAE content in the soil with plastic film mulching in Shandong Peninsula is an issue of concern because of the large amounts of plastic film used. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Abrupt along-strike change in tectonic style: San Andreas fault zone, San Francisco Peninsula

USGS Publications Warehouse

Zoback, M.L.; Jachens, R.C.; Olson, J.A.

1999-01-01

Seismicity and high-resolution aeromagnetic data are used to define an abrupt change from compressional to extensional tectonism within a 10- to 15-km-wide zone along the San Andreas fault on the San Francisco Peninsula and offshore from the Golden Gate. This 100-km-long section of the San Andreas fault includes the hypocenter of the Mw = 7.8 1906 San Francisco earthquake as well as the highest level of persistent microseismicity along that ???470-km-long rupture. We define two distinct zones of deformation along this stretch of the fault using well-constrained relocations of all post-1969 earthquakes based a joint one-dimensional velocity/hypocenter inversion and a redetermination of focal mechanisms. The southern zone is characterized by thrust- and reverse-faulting focal mechanisms with NE trending P axes that indicate "fault-normal" compression in 7- to 10-km-wide zones of deformation on both sides of the San Andreas fault. A 1- to 2-km-wide vertical zone beneath the surface trace of the San Andreas is characterized by its almost complete lack of seismicity. The compressional deformation is consistent with the young, high topography of the Santa Cruz Mountains/Coast Ranges as the San Andreas fault makes a broad restraining left bend (???10??) through the southernmost peninsula. A zone of seismic quiescence ???15 km long separates this compressional zone to the south from a zone of combined normal-faulting and strike-slip-faulting focal mechanisms (including a ML = 5.3 earthquake in 1957) on the northernmost peninsula and offshore on the Golden Gate platform. Both linear pseudo-gravity gradients, calculated from the aeromagnetic data, and seismic reflection data indicate that the San Andreas fault makes an abrupt ???3-km right step less than 5 km offshore in this northern zone. A similar right-stepping (dilatational) geometry is also observed for the subparallel San Gregorio fault offshore. Persistent seismicity and extensional tectonism occur within the San

How unique is the tiger beetle fauna (Coleoptera, Cicindelidae) of the Balkan Peninsula?

PubMed Central

Jaskuła, Radomir

2011-01-01

Abstract The tiger beetle fauna of the Balkan Peninsula is one of the richest in Europe and includes 19 species or 41% of the European tiger beetle fauna. Assembled by their biogeographical origins, the Balkan tiger beetle species fall into 14 different groups that include, Mediterranean, Middle Oriental, Central Asiatic, Euro-Siberian, South and East European, Pannonian-Sarmatian, West Palaearctic, Turano-European and Afrotropico Indo-Mediterranean species. The Mediterranean Sclerophyl and the Pontian Steppe are the Balkan biogeographical provinces with the highest species richness, while the Balkan Highlands has the lowest Cicindelidae diversity. Most species are restricted to single habitat types in lowland areas of the Balkan Peninsula and only Calomera aulica aulica and Calomera littoralis nemoralis occur in respectively 3 and 4 different types of habitat. About 60% of all Balkan Cicindelidae species are found in habitats potentially endangered by human activity. PMID:21738429

Drought trends in the Iberian Peninsula over the last 112 years

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gouveia, Célia M.; Ramos, Patrícia; Russo, Ana; Trigo, Ricardo M.

2015-04-01

The Iberian Peninsula is often affected by drought events with strong influences in ecosystems and the related social and economic impacts (Gouveia et al. 2012, Trigo et al., 2013). In the last decades the severity of droughts in Iberia have increased due to the higher atmospheric evaporative demand (Vicente-Serrano et al., 2014). The need for a deeper knowledge of drought frequency, duration and intensity over the Iberian Peninsula during the last 112 years is reinforced by the findings showing that the period of 1970-2010 over the Mediterranean region was considered drier when compared with 1901-1970. Together with the increasing dryness, the projections point for an increase of drought conditions during the twenty-first century (Hoerling et al., 2012) will tend to exacerbate these problems. The evolution of drought in the Iberian Peninsula was analyzed, using the Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) and the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI), for the period 1901-2012, and the sub-periods 1901-1937, 1938-1974 and 1975-2012. We have used SPI and SPEI for the time scale of 12 months, as obtained from CRU TS3.21 database between 1901 and 2012, using a spatial resolution of 0.5°. The drought indices were analyzed in order to identify significant trends during the entire period and sub-periods. Trends in annual precipitation and PET were also performed. Drought's duration, magnitude and time spanned between drought events were computed. SPI and SPEI significant trends show areas with opposite signals in the period 1901-2012, following precipitation patterns. Precipitation trends are significant and positive in the Northwestern region of the IP, and significant and negative in the Southern areas. SPEI identified dryer conditions and an increase in the area affected by droughts, which is in agreement with the increase in PET on the majority of the territory. The same spatial differences were identified in the drought duration, magnitude and

Sinai peninsula taken by the STS-112 crew

NASA Image and Video Library

2002-10-08

STS112-702-002 (7-18 October 2002) --- Egypt's triangular Sinai Peninsula lies in the center of this view, photographed from the Space Shuttle Atlantis, with the dark greens of the Nile delta lower right. In this southwesterly view, the Red Sea, with its characteristic parallel coastlines, stretches toward the top. At the bottom of the image, the Suez Canal appears as an irregular line joining the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea (lower left). The Dead Sea in central Israel, with its light blue salt ponds at the south end, appears on the left margin.

Adaptation of primocane fruiting raspberry plants to environmental factors under the influence of Bacillus strains in Western Siberia.

PubMed

Belyaev, Anatoly A; Shternshis, Margarita V; Chechenina, Nina S; Shpatova, Tatyana V; Lelyak, Anastasya A

2017-03-01

In geographical locations with a short vegetative season and continental climate that include Western Siberia, growing primocane fruiting raspberry varieties becomes very important. However, it is necessary to help the plants to overcome the environmental stress factors. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of the pre-planting treatment of primocane fruiting raspberry root system with Bacillus strains on the following plant development under variable environmental conditions. In 2012, Bacillus subtilis RCAM В-10641, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens RCAM В-10642, and Bacillus licheniformis RCAM В-10562 were used for inoculating the root system of primocane fruiting raspberry cultivar Nedosyagaemaya before planting. The test suspensions were 10 5  CFU/ml for each bacterial strains. The effects of this treatment on plant growth and crop productivity were estimated in 2012-2015 growing seasons differed by environmental conditions. The pre-planting treatment by the bacterial strains increased the number of new raspberry canes and the number of plant generative organs as well as crop productivity compared to control. In addition, these bacilli acted as the standard humic fertilizer. Variable environmental factors such as air temperature, relative humidity, and winter and spring frosts seriously influenced the plant biological parameters and crop productivity of control plants. At the same time, the pre-planting primocane fruiting root treatment by Bacillus strains decreased the negative effects of abiotic stresses on plants in all years of the research. Of the three strains studied, B. subtilis was shown to reveal the best results in adaptation of primocane fruiting raspberry plants to environmental factors in Western Siberia. For the first time, the role of Bacillus strains in enhancing frost resistance in primocane fruiting raspberry plants was shown. These bacilli are capable of being the basis of multifunctional biological formulations for effective plant and

A population-based study of the associations of stroke occurrence with weather parameters in Siberia, Russia (1982-92).

PubMed

Feigin, V L; Nikitin, Y P; Bots, M L; Vinogradova, T E; Grobbee, D E

2000-03-01

Previous studies have established a seasonal variation in stroke occurrence, but none have assessed the influence of inclement weather conditions on stroke incidence in a general population of Russia. We performed a stroke population-based study in the Oktiabrsky District of Novosibirsk, Siberia, Russia. Included in the analysis were 1929 patients with their first occurrence of ischemic stroke (IS), 215 patients with their first occurrence of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) and 64 patients with their first occurrence of subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH): all patients were aged between 25 and 74 years. The cumulative daily occurrence of total strokes and stroke subtypes was evaluated in relation to aggregated daily mean values of ambient temperature, relative humidity and air pressure by means of Poisson regression analysis to estimate the rate ratio (RR) with corresponding confidence interval (CI) and to identify the weather parameters of most importance. In a multivariate analysis, with adjustment for the effects of season, solar and geomagnetic activity, and age of the patients, low ambient temperature (RR 1.32; 95% CI 1.05-1.66) and mean value of air pressure (RR 0.986; 95% CI 0.972-0.999) were important predictors of IS occurrence, while mild ambient temperature (RR 1.52; 95% CI 1. 04-2.22) was an important predictor of ICH occurrence. No relationship between SAH occurrence and any one of the weather parameters studied was revealed. There was no interaction between any meteorological variables that was statistically significant. Inclement weather conditions are associated with the occurrence of IS and ICH in Siberia, Russia. Among the meteorological parameters studied, low ambient temperature and mean air pressure are the most important predictors of IS occurrence, whereas the occurrence of ICH is associated with mild ambient temperature. There is no association between any one of the weather parameters studied and the occurrence of SAH.

Osteoarthritis in Siberia's Cis-Baikal: Skeletal indicators of hunter-gatherer adaptation and cultural change.

PubMed

Lieverse, Angela R; Weber, Andrzej W; Bazaliiskiy, Vladimir Ivanovich; Goriunova, Olga Ivanovna; Savel'ev, Nikolai Aleksandrovich

2007-01-01

This examination of osteoarthritis in Siberia's Cis-Baikal region focuses on the reconstruction of mid-Holocene mobility and activity patterns with particular interest in an alleged fifth millennium BC biocultural hiatus. Five cemetery populations--two representing the pre-hiatus Kitoi culture (6800-4900 BC) and three the post-hiatus Serovo-Glaskovo (4200-1000 BC)-are considered. The objective is to investigate osteoarthritic prevalence and distribution (patterning) within and among these populations in order to reconstruct mobility and activity patterns among the Cis-Baikal foragers, and to test for possible disparities that may reflect differing adaptive strategies. The data reveal that levels of activity remained relatively constant throughout the mid-Holocene but that mobility and specific activity patterns did not. Although results are consistent with the current understanding of distinct Kitoi and Serovo-Glaskovo subsistence regimes, specifically the lower residential mobility and narrower resource base of the former, they also draw attention to adaptive characteristics shared by all occupants of the Cis-Baikal. (c) 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc

Cnidarian-like embryos associated with the first shelly fossils in Siberia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kouchinsky, Artem; Bengtson, Stefan; Gershwin, Lisa-Ann

1999-07-01

Phosphatized spheroids, ˜0.5 mm in diameter, in the Lower Cambrian Manykay Formation at the Bol'shaya Kuonamka River in northern Sakha (Yakutia) are interpreted as cnidarian embryos of late developmental stages. One of the poles has a double cross-like structure, consisting of two sets of four bands each. The bands of the upper set radiate at 90° from each other; those of the lower set also radiate at about right angles from each other, but the set is rotated 45° in respect to the upper set. Although there is a resemblance to the cross-like arrangements of cells in pregastrulation spiralian eggs, in particular those of annelids, the combined evidence favors an interpretation of the bands as incipient tentacles of a cnidarian actinula larva. The embryos occur with one of the first assemblages of shelly fossils in northern Siberia, that of the Angustiochrea lata zone. The co-occurring shelly fossils, anabaritids, probably also represent the phylum Cnidaria, but because their tubes have a consistent triradial symmetry, the connection with the tetraradially symmetrical embryos is problematic. The size of the embryos suggests that they are nonplanktotrophic, and the presence of actinula-like features suggests the lack of a free planula stage.

New Data on Vegetation and Climate Reconstruction in the Baikal-Patom Highland (Eastern Siberia) in the Last Glacial Maximum and Early Holocene

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Henry, A.; Bezrukova, E. V.; Teten'kin, A. V.; Kuz'min, M. I.

2018-02-01

The first results of anthracological investigation for Eastern Siberia on the carbonaceous remains of woody and shrubby plants at the archaeological sites Kovrizhka III and IV in the lower reaches of the Vitim River are presented. The results of anthracological studies enabled us to obtain new data on changes in vegetation and climate along the lower reaches of the Vitim River. As a result, new data on human habitation in the lower reaches of the Vitim River in the last glacial maximum and early Holocene were obtained.

Sredinnyy Khrebet, Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

The Kamchatka Peninsula in eastern Russia is shown in this scene created from a preliminary elevation model derived from the first data collected during the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) on February 12, 2000. Sredinnyy Khrebet, the mountain range that makes up the spine of the peninsula, is a chain of active volcanic peaks. Pleistocene and recent glaciers have carved the broad valleys and jagged ridges that are common here. The relative youth of the volcanism is revealed by the topography as infilling and smoothing of the otherwise rugged terrain by lava, ash, and pyroclastic flows, particularly surrounding the high peaks in the south central part of the image. Elevations here range from near sea level up to 2,618 meters (8,590 feet). Two visualization methods were combined to produce this image: shading and color coding of topographic height. The shade image was derived by computing topographic slope in the north-south direction. Northern slopes appear bright and southern slopes appear dark. Color coding is directly related to topographic height, with green at the lower elevations, rising through yellow, red, and magenta, to white at the highest elevations. Elevation data used in this image were acquired by the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) aboard Space Shuttle Endeavour, launched on February 11, 2000. SRTM used the same radar instrument that comprised the Spaceborne Imaging Radar-C/X-Band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SIR-C/X-SAR) that flew twice on Space Shuttle Endeavour in 1994. SRTM was designed to collect three-dimensional measurements of Earth's surface. To collect the 3-D data, engineers added a 60-meter-long (200-foot) mast, installed additional C-band and X-band antennas, and improved tracking and navigation devices. The mission is a cooperative project between the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the National Imagery and Mapping Agency (NIMA) of the U.S. Department of Defense, and the German and Italian space

Perspective View, Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2000-01-01

This perspective view shows the western side of the volcanically active Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia. The data are from the first C-band mapping swath of the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM). In the foreground is the broad, flat floodplain of the Amanina River, shown in blue. In background of the image is the Sredinnyy Khrebet, the volcanic mountain range that makes up the 3spine2 of the peninsula. The cluster of hills in the upper right is a field of small dormant volcanoes. High resolution SRTM topographic data will be used by geologists to study how volcanoes form and understand the hazards posed by future eruptions.

This shaded relief perspective view was generated using topographic data from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission. A computer-generated artificial light source illuminates the elevation data to produce a pattern of light and shadows. Slopes facing the light appear bright, while those facing away are shaded. On flatter surfaces, the pattern of light and shadows can reveal subtle features in the terrain. Colors show the elevation as measured by SRTM. Colors range from blue at the lowest elevations to white at the highest elevations. This image contains about 2300 meters (7500 feet) of total relief. To emphasize subtle differences in topography, the relief is exaggerated by a factor of 5.

The Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM), launched on February 11,2000, uses the same radar instrument that comprised the Spaceborne Imaging Radar-C/X-Band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SIR-C/X-SAR) that flew twice on the Space Shuttle Endeavour in 1994. The mission is designed to collect three-dimensional measurements of the Earth's surface. To collect the 3-D data, engineers added a 60-meter-long (200-foot) mast, an additional C-band imaging antenna and improved tracking and navigation devices. The mission is a cooperative project between the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the National Imagery and Mapping Agency (NIMA) and the

Food and water security issues in Russia I: food security in the general population of the Russian Arctic, Siberia and the Far East, 2000–2011

PubMed Central

Dudarev, Alexey A.; Alloyarov, Pavel R.; Chupakhin, Valery S.; Dushkina, Eugenia V.; Sladkova, Yuliya N.; Dorofeyev, Vitaliy M.; Kolesnikova, Tatijana A.; Fridman, Kirill B.; Nilsson, Lena Maria; Evengård, Birgitta

2013-01-01

Background Problems related to food security in Russian Arctic (dietary imbalance, predominance of carbohydrates, shortage of milk products, vegetables and fruits, deficit of vitamins and microelements, chemical, infectious and parasitic food contamination) have been defined in the literature. But no standard protocol of food security assessment has been used in the majority of studies. Objectives Our aim was to obtain food security indicators, identified within an Arctic collaboration, for selected regions of the Russian Arctic, Siberia and the Far East, and to compare food safety in these territories. Study design and methods In 18 regions of the Russian Arctic, Siberia and the Far East, the following indicators of food security were analyzed: food costs, food consumption, and chemical and biological food contamination for the period 2000–2011. Results Food costs in the regions are high, comprising 23–43% of household income. Only 4 out of 10 food groups (fish products, cereals, sugar, plant oil) are consumed in sufficient amounts. The consumption of milk products, eggs, vegetables, potatoes, fruits (and berries) is severely low in a majority of the selected regions. There are high levels of biological contamination of food in many regions. The biological and chemical contamination situation is alarming, especially in Chukotka. Only 7 food pollutants are under regular control; among pesticides, only DDT. Evenki AO and Magadan Oblast have reached peak values in food contaminants compared with other regions. Mercury in local fish has not been analyzed in the majority of the regions. In 3 regions, no monitoring of DDT occurs. Aflatoxins have not been analyzed in 5 regions. Nitrates had the highest percentage in excess of the hygienic threshold in all regions. Excesses of other pollutants in different regions were episodic and as a rule not high. Conclusion Improvement of the food supply and food accessibility in the regions of the Russian Arctic, Siberia and the

Characterization of synoptic patterns causing dust outbreaks that affect the Arabian Peninsula

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hermida, L.; Merino, A.; Sánchez, J. L.; Fernández-González, S.; García-Ortega, E.; López, L.

2018-01-01

Dust storms pose serious weather hazards in arid and semiarid regions of the earth. Understanding the main synoptic conditions that give rise to dust outbreaks is important for issuing forecasts and warnings to the public in cases of severe storms. The aim of the present study is to determine synoptic patterns that are associated with or even favor dust outbreaks over the Arabian Peninsula. In this respect, red-green-blue dust composite images from the Meteosat Second Generation (MSG) satellite are used to detect dust outbreaks affecting the Arabian Peninsula, with possible influences in southwestern Asia and northeastern Africa, between 2005 and 2013. The Meteosat imagery yielded a sample of 95 dust storm days. Meteorological fields from NCEP/NCAR reanalysis data of wind fields at 10 m and 250 hPa, mean sea level pressure, and geopotential heights at 850 and 500 hPa were obtained for the dust storm days. Using principal component analysis in T-mode and non-hierarchical k-means clustering, we obtained four major atmospheric circulation patterns associated with dust outbreaks during the study days. Cluster 4 had the largest number of days with dust events, which were constrained to summer, and cluster 3 had the fewest. In clusters 1, 2 and 3, the jet stream favored the entry of a low-pressure area or trough that varied in location between the three clusters. Their most northerly location was found in cluster 4, along with an extensive low-pressure area supporting strong winds over the Arabian Peninsula. The spatial distribution of aerosol optical depth for each cluster obtained was characterized using the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer data. Then, using METAR stations, clusters were also characterized in terms of frequency and visibility.

Water Quality in the Delmarva Peninsula, Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia, 1999-2001

USGS Publications Warehouse

Denver, Judith M.; Ator, Scott W.; Debrewer, Linda M.; Ferrari, Matthew J.; Barbaro, Jeffrey R.; Hancock, Tracy C.; Brayton, Michael J.; Nardi, Mark R.

2004-01-01

This report contains the major findings of a 1999-2001 assessment of water quality in the Delmarva Peninsula. It is one of a series of reports by the National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program that present major findings in 51 major river basins and aquifer systems across the Nation. In these reports, water quality is assessed at many scales?from local ground-water flow paths to regional ground-water networks and in surface water?and is discussed in terms of local, State, and regional issues. Conditions in the Delmarva Peninsula are compared to conditions found elsewhere and to selected national benchmarks, such as those for drinking-water quality and the protection of aquatic organisms. This report is intended for individuals working with water-resource issues in Federal, State, or local agencies; universities; public interest groups; or in the private sector. The information will be useful in addressing a number of current issues, such as the effects of agricultural and urban land use on water quality, human health, drinking water, source-water protection, hypoxia and excessive growth of algae and plants, pesticide registration, and monitoring and sampling strategies. This report is also for individuals who wish to know more about the quality of streams and ground water in areas near where they live, and how that water quality compares to the quality of water in other areas across the Nation. Other products describing water-quality conditions in the Delmarva Peninsula are available. Detailed technical information, data and analyses, methodology, models, graphs, and maps that support the findings presented in this report can be accessed from http://md.water.usgs.gov/delmarva. Other reports in this series and data collected from other basins can be accessed from the national NAWQA Web site (http://water.usgs.gov/nawqa).

Pack ice along the Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia as seen from STS-60

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1994-01-01

Pack ice is documented in this photograph along the coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula of Russia in Zaliv Ozernoj. Detailed photographs of the ice provide information to scientists in both Russia and the United States about the location and fluctuation of ice edges, and how this new sea ice interacts with ocean and littoral currents.

Acremonium camtosporum isolated as an endophyte of Bursera simaruba from Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Bursera simaruba (Burseraceae) is a frequent and co-dominant tree of tropical sub-caducifolious forest in the Yucatan Peninsula. This species is important ecologically because it can grow in poor, clay or sandy, saline soils. The Mayan communities use this plant medicinally for its analgesic, antimy...

Freshwater macroinvertebrate samples from a water quality monitoring network in the Iberian Peninsula.

PubMed

Escribano, Nora; Oscoz, Javier; Galicia, David; Cancellario, Tommaso; Durán, Concha; Navarro, Patricia; Ariño, Arturo H

2018-06-05

This dataset gathers information about the macroinvertatebrate samples and environmental variables collected on rivers of the Ebro River Basin (NE Iberian Peninsula), the second largest catchment in the Iberian Peninsula. The collection is composed of 1,776 sampling events carried out between 2005 and 2015 at more than 400 sampling sites. This dataset is part of a monitoring network set up by the Ebro Hydrographic Confederation, the official body entrusted with the care of the basin, to fulfill the requirements of the European Water Framework Directive. Biological indices based on the freshwater macroinvertebrate communities were used to evaluate the ecological status of the water bodies within the basin. Samples were qualitatively screened for all occurring taxa. Then, all individuals from all taxa in a quantitative subsample of each sample were counted. Biological indices were calculated to estimate water quality at each sampling site. All samples are kept at the Museum of Zoology of the University of Navarra.

Freshwater macroinvertebrate samples from a water quality monitoring network in the Iberian Peninsula

PubMed Central

Escribano, Nora; Oscoz, Javier; Galicia, David; Cancellario, Tommaso; Durán, Concha; Navarro, Patricia; Ariño, Arturo H.

2018-01-01

This dataset gathers information about the macroinvertatebrate samples and environmental variables collected on rivers of the Ebro River Basin (NE Iberian Peninsula), the second largest catchment in the Iberian Peninsula. The collection is composed of 1,776 sampling events carried out between 2005 and 2015 at more than 400 sampling sites. This dataset is part of a monitoring network set up by the Ebro Hydrographic Confederation, the official body entrusted with the care of the basin, to fulfill the requirements of the European Water Framework Directive. Biological indices based on the freshwater macroinvertebrate communities were used to evaluate the ecological status of the water bodies within the basin. Samples were qualitatively screened for all occurring taxa. Then, all individuals from all taxa in a quantitative subsample of each sample were counted. Biological indices were calculated to estimate water quality at each sampling site. All samples are kept at the Museum of Zoology of the University of Navarra. PMID:29870034

Food and water security issues in Russia II: water security in general population of Russian Arctic, Siberia and Far East, 2000-2011.

PubMed

Dudarev, Alexey A; Dushkina, Eugenia V; Sladkova, Yuliya N; Alloyarov, Pavel R; Chupakhin, Valery S; Dorofeyev, Vitaliy M; Kolesnikova, Tatjana A; Fridman, Kirill B; Evengard, Birgitta; Nilsson, Lena M

2013-01-01

Poor state of water supply systems, shortage of water purification facilities and disinfection systems, low quality of drinking water generally in Russia and particularly in the regions of the Russian Arctic, Siberia and Far East have been defined in the literature. However, no standard protocol of water security assessment has been used in the majority of studies. Uniform water security indicators collected from Russian official statistical sources for the period 2000-2011 were used for comparison for 18 selected regions in the Russian Arctic, Siberia and Far East. The following indicators of water security were analyzed: water consumption, chemical and biological contamination of water reservoirs of Categories I and II of water sources (centralized--underground and surface, and non-centralized) and of drinking water. Water consumption in selected regions fluctuated from 125 to 340 L/person/day. Centralized water sources (both underground and surface sources) are highly contaminated by chemicals (up to 40-80%) and biological agents (up to 55% in some regions), mainly due to surface water sources. Underground water sources show relatively low levels of biological contamination, while chemical contamination is high due to additional water contamination during water treatment and transportation in pipelines. Non-centralized water sources are highly contaminated (both chemically and biologically) in 32-90% of samples analyzed. Very high levels of chemical contamination of drinking water (up to 51%) were detected in many regions, mainly in the north-western part of the Russian Arctic. Biological contamination of drinking water was generally much lower (2.5-12%) everywhere except Evenki AO (27%), and general and thermotolerant coliform bacteria predominated in drinking water samples from all regions (up to 17.5 and 12.5%, correspondingly). The presence of other agents was much lower: Coliphages--0.2-2.7%, Clostridia spores, Giardia cysts, pathogenic bacteria, Rotavirus

Total Water-Vapor Distribution in the Summer Cloudless Atmosphere over the South of Western Siberia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Troshkin, D. N.; Bezuglova, N. N.; Kabanov, M. V.; Pavlov, V. E.; Sokolov, K. I.; Sukovatov, K. Yu.

2017-12-01

The spatial distribution of the total water vapor in different climatic zones of the south of Western Siberia in summer of 2008-2011 is studied on the basis of Envisat data. The correlation analysis of the water-vapor time series from the Envisat data W and radiosonde observations w for the territory of Omsk aerological station show that the absolute values of W and w are linearly correlated with a coefficient of 0.77 (significance level p < 0.05). The distribution functions of the total water vapor are calculated based on the number of its measurements by Envisat for a cloudless sky of three zones with different physical properties of the underlying surface, in particular, steppes to the south of the Vasyugan Swamp and forests to the northeast of the Swamp. The distribution functions are bimodal; each mode follows the lognormal law. The parameters of these functions are given.

Anaglyph, Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2003-01-01

This anaglyph (stereoscopic view) of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula was generated entirely from Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) data, and shows a subtle but distinctive indication of the Chicxulub impact crater. Most scientists now agree that this impact was the cause of the Cretatious-Tertiary extinction, the event 65 million years ago that marked the demise of the dinosaurs as well as the majority of life then on Earth. The crater's rim is marked by a shallow semicircular depression arcing about an offshore center point in the upper left of the picture. (The arcing depression is just above the blue line, when viewed with the naked eye.) This depression, or trough, only about 3 to 5 meters (10 - 15 feet) deep and about 5 kilometers (3 miles) wide, was likely caused by collapse of limestone caverns preferentially above the crater rim, resulting in an arcing chain of sinkholes. The limestone that covers most of the Yucatan Peninsula post-dates the impact crater. However, the crater pattern apparently controls the subsidence pattern just enough to show through.

This anaglyph was created by deriving a shaded relief image from the SRTM data, draping it back over the SRTM elevation model, and then generating two differing perspectives, one for each eye. Illumination is from the north (top). When viewed through special glasses, the anaglyph is a vertically exaggerated view of the Earth's surface in its full three dimensions. Anaglyph glasses cover the left eye with a red filter and cover the right eye with a blue filter. The total relief (range of elevations) across this entire image is less than 300 meters (1000 feet).

Elevation data used in this image were acquired by the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour, launched on Feb. 11, 2000. SRTM used the same radar instrument that comprised the Spaceborne Imaging Radar-C/X-Band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SIR-C/X-SAR) that flew twice on the Space Shuttle Endeavour in 1994. SRTM

Detrital Zircon U-Pb and Hf-isotope Constrains on Basement Ages, Granitic Magmatism, and Sediment Provenance in the Malay Peninsula

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sevastjanova, Inga; Clements, Benjamin; Hall, Robert; Belousova, Elena; Pearson, Norman; Griffin, William

2010-05-01

The Malay Peninsula forms the western part of central Sundaland in SE Asia. Sundaland comprises Indochina, the Thai-Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Java, Borneo, and the shallow shelf between these landmasses. It is a composite region of continental crustal fragments that are separated by sutures that represent remnant ocean basins and volcanic arcs. The Malay Peninsula includes two of these fragments - East Malaya and Sibumasu - separated by the Bentong-Raub Suture Zone. The latter is a Palaeo-Tethyan ocean remnant. Granitoids of the Malay Peninsula are the major sources of detrital zircon in Sundaland. East Malaya is intruded by Permian-Triassic Eastern Province granitoids interpreted as products of Palaeozoic subduction of oceanic crust beneath the East Malaya Volcanic Arc. Sibumasu is intruded by Triassic Main Range Province granitoids interpreted as syn- to post-collisional magmatism following suturing to East Malaya. Locally, there are minor Late Cretaceous plutons. Basements of Sibumasu and East Malaya are not exposed and their ages are poorly constrained. The exact timing of the collision between these fragments is also contentious. In order to resolve these uncertainties, 752 U-Pb analyses from 9 samples were carried out on detrital zircons from modern rivers draining the Malay Peninsula and, of these, 243 grains from 6 samples were selected for Hf-isotope analyses. U-Pb zircon ages show that small numbers of Neoarchean-Proterozoic grains are consistently present in all samples, but do not form prominent populations. Permian-Triassic populations are dominant. Only one sample contains a small Jurassic population probably sourced from the area of Thailand and most likely recycled from fluvial-alluvial Mesozoic 'red-beds'. Late Cretaceous populations are locally abundant. Hf-isotope crustal model ages suggest that basement beneath the Malay Peninsula is heterogeneous. Some basement may be Neoarchean but there is no evidence for basement older than 2.8 Ga beneath

Latest Early Pleistocene remains of Lynx pardinus (Carnivora, Felidae) from the Iberian Peninsula: Taxonomy and evolutionary implications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boscaini, Alberto; Alba, David M.; Beltrán, Juan F.; Moyà-Solà, Salvador; Madurell-Malapeira, Joan

2016-07-01

The Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus) is a critically endangered felid that, during the last fifty years, has been subject to an intensive conservation program in an attempt to save it from extinction. This species is first recorded at ca. 1.7-1.6 Ma (late Villafranchian, late Early Pleistocene) in NE Iberian Peninsula, roughly coinciding with the large faunal turnover that occurred around the middle to late Villafranchian boundary. Here we describe the largest collection of L. pardinus remains available to date from the Iberian late Early Pleistocene (Epivillafranchian), including localities from the Vallparadís Section (Vallès-Penedès Basin, NE Iberian Peninsula) and Cueva Victoria (Cartagena, SE Iberian Peninsula). The morphology and biometry of the studied material attests to the widespread occurrence of L. pardinus in the Mediterranean coast of the Iberian Peninsula since the latest Early Pleistocene, i.e., about 0.5 million years earlier than it was generally accepted (i.e., at the beginning of the Middle Pleistocene). Based on the features observed in the large sample studied in this paper, we conclude that Lynx spelaeus is a junior synonym of L. pardinus and further propose to assign all the Epivillafranchian and younger fossil lynxes from SW Europe to the extant species L. pardinus. Due to the arrival of the Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) into Europe at the beginning of the Late Pleistocene, the attribution of specimens younger than MIS 5e to either this species or L. pardinus solely on morphological grounds has proven equivocal. Here we discuss the main diagnostic features of both species of European lynxes and further review their evolutionary history and paleobiogeography throughout the Pleistocene.

Investigations of fungal diversity in wooden structures and soils at historic sites on the Antarctic Peninsula.

PubMed

Arenz, Brett E; Blanchette, Robert A

2009-01-01

Investigations of microbial diversity in Antarctic are important to begin to understand ecosystem functioning and decomposition processes. This study documents fungi at 9 historic sites on the Antarctic Peninsula collected from wooden structures, other organic materials, and soils during a joint National Science Foundation and British Antarctic Survey expedition in 2007. Many of these sites had wooden structures built by the British during the World War II Operation Tabarin, but others visited included the American "East Base" on Stonington Island and the Swedish hut on Snow Hill Island. Fungi were cultured on several different media and pure cultures were obtained and identified by DNA sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer region. Cadophora species previously found to attack historic wooden structures on Ross Island, Antarctica, were found at all but 1 location sampled in the Peninsula region. Fungi causing decay in the historic wooden structures and artifacts and those causing mold problems inside the structures are of great concern, and conservation efforts are urgently needed to help preserve these important polar heritage structures. The results presented also expand our knowledge on the identity of fungi present throughout the Antarctic Peninsula region and provide insights into the organisms responsible for decomposition and nutrient recycling.

The Last Glacial Ecosystems of North Siberia: Permafrost-Sealed Evidence from Fossiliferous Cryolithic Formations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chlachula, Jiri

2017-04-01

Multi-proxy palaeoecology and geoarchaeology records released from degrading permafrost in the Yana River Basin and the tributary valleys (66-67°N) confirm the past existence of natural conditions for sustainment of the Pleistocene megafauna as well as the last glacial peopling of this sub-polar area. Well-preserved and taxonomically diverse large fossil fauna skeletal remains sealed in the Pleistocene colluvial and alluvial-plain formations in intact geological positions 10-20 m above the present river and scattered on gravelly river banks after their erosion from the primary geo-contexts attest to a high biotic potential of the Late Pleistocene (MIS 3-2) sub-Arctic forest-tundra. Pollen records from the ancient interstratified boggy sediments and megafauna coprolites (14C-dated to 41-38 ka BP) show a predominance of the Siberian larch, dwarf birch and willow in the local vegetation cover accompanied by grassy communities during the mid-Last Glacial stage not dissimilar from the present northern taiga forest. Articulated and humanly used/worked fauna bones (mammoth, rhinoceros, horse, bison and reindeer among other species) point to co-existence of the large animals with the Upper Palaeolithic people within the mosaic open riverine ecosystems of the late Last Ice Age. The time-trangressive macro-lithic stone industry produced from pre-selected river gravel cobbles document some specific ways of human environmental adjustment to past periglacial settings. Geomorphology and hydrogeology indices of field mappings in congruence with the long-term statistical meteorology data illustrate a steadily increasing annual temperature trend in the broader Yana-Adycha Basins (current MAT -14.5°C) that triggers accelerated permafrost thaw across the Verkhoyansk Region of NE Siberia, particularly the lowlands, similarly as in the Indigirka and Kolyma Basins further East. The regional fluvial discharge is most dynamic during late spring due to the cumulative effects of snow

The maternal genetic make-up of the Iberian Peninsula between the Neolithic and the Early Bronze Age.

PubMed

Szécsényi-Nagy, Anna; Roth, Christina; Brandt, Guido; Rihuete-Herrada, Cristina; Tejedor-Rodríguez, Cristina; Held, Petra; García-Martínez-de-Lagrán, Íñigo; Arcusa Magallón, Héctor; Zesch, Stephanie; Knipper, Corina; Bánffy, Eszter; Friederich, Susanne; Meller, Harald; Bueno Ramírez, Primitiva; Barroso Bermejo, Rosa; de Balbín Behrmann, Rodrigo; Herrero-Corral, Ana M; Flores Fernández, Raúl; Alonso Fernández, Carmen; Jiménez Echevarria, Javier; Rindlisbacher, Laura; Oliart, Camila; Fregeiro, María-Inés; Soriano, Ignacio; Vicente, Oriol; Micó, Rafael; Lull, Vicente; Soler Díaz, Jorge; López Padilla, Juan Antonio; Roca de Togores Muñoz, Consuelo; Hernández Pérez, Mauro S; Jover Maestre, Francisco Javier; Lomba Maurandi, Joaquín; Avilés Fernández, Azucena; Lillios, Katina T; Silva, Ana Maria; Magalhães Ramalho, Miguel; Oosterbeek, Luiz Miguel; Cunha, Claudia; Waterman, Anna J; Roig Buxó, Jordi; Martínez, Andrés; Ponce Martínez, Juana; Hunt Ortiz, Mark; Mejías-García, Juan Carlos; Pecero Espín, Juan Carlos; Cruz-Auñón Briones, Rosario; Tomé, Tiago; Carmona Ballestero, Eduardo; Cardoso, João Luís; Araújo, Ana Cristina; Liesau von Lettow-Vorbeck, Corina; Blasco Bosqued, Concepción; Ríos Mendoza, Patricia; Pujante, Ana; Royo-Guillén, José I; Esquembre Beviá, Marco Aurelio; Dos Santos Goncalves, Victor Manuel; Parreira, Rui; Morán Hernández, Elena; Méndez Izquierdo, Elena; Vega Y Miguel, Jorge; Menduiña García, Roberto; Martínez Calvo, Victoria; López Jiménez, Oscar; Krause, Johannes; Pichler, Sandra L; Garrido-Pena, Rafael; Kunst, Michael; Risch, Roberto; Rojo-Guerra, Manuel A; Haak, Wolfgang; Alt, Kurt W

2017-11-15

Agriculture first reached the Iberian Peninsula around 5700 BCE. However, little is known about the genetic structure and changes of prehistoric populations in different geographic areas of Iberia. In our study, we focus on the maternal genetic makeup of the Neolithic (~ 5500-3000 BCE), Chalcolithic (~ 3000-2200 BCE) and Early Bronze Age (~ 2200-1500 BCE). We report ancient mitochondrial DNA results of 213 individuals (151 HVS-I sequences) from the northeast, central, southeast and southwest regions and thus on the largest archaeogenetic dataset from the Peninsula to date. Similar to other parts of Europe, we observe a discontinuity between hunter-gatherers and the first farmers of the Neolithic. During the subsequent periods, we detect regional continuity of Early Neolithic lineages across Iberia, however the genetic contribution of hunter-gatherers is generally higher than in other parts of Europe and varies regionally. In contrast to ancient DNA findings from Central Europe, we do not observe a major turnover in the mtDNA record of the Iberian Late Chalcolithic and Early Bronze Age, suggesting that the population history of the Iberian Peninsula is distinct in character.

75 FR 20991 - Upper Peninsula Power Company; Notice of Availability of Environmental Assessment

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-04-22

... Peninsula Power Company's plan to replace the spillway at the Bond Falls Development of the Bond Falls... Bond Falls Development is located on the Middle Branch of the Ontonagon River in Ontonagon County..., would not constitute a major federal action that would significantly affect the quality of the human...

Hydrogeologic framework, groundwater movement, and water budget of the Kitsap Peninsula, west-central Washington

USGS Publications Warehouse

Welch, Wendy B.; Frans, Lonna M.; Olsen, Theresa D.

2014-01-01

This report presents information used to characterize the groundwater-flow system on the Kitsap Peninsula, and includes descriptions of the geology and hydrogeologic framework, groundwater recharge and discharge, groundwater levels and flow directions, seasonal groundwater-level fluctuations, interactions between aquifers and the surface‑water system, and a water budget. The Kitsap Peninsula is in the Puget Sound lowland of west-central Washington, is bounded by Puget Sound on the east and by Hood Canal on the west, and covers an area of about 575 square miles. The peninsula encompasses all of Kitsap County, the part of Mason County north of Hood Canal, and part of Pierce County west of Puget Sound. The peninsula is surrounded by saltwater and the hydrologic setting is similar to that of an island. The study area is underlain by a thick sequence of unconsolidated glacial and interglacial deposits that overlie sedimentary and volcanic bedrock units that crop out in the central part of the study area. Geologic units were grouped into 12 hydrogeologic units consisting of aquifers, confining units, and an underlying bedrock unit. A surficial hydrogeologic unit map was developed and used with well information from 2,116 drillers’ logs to construct 6 hydrogeologic sections and unit extent and thickness maps. Unconsolidated aquifers typically consist of moderately to well-sorted alluvial and glacial outwash deposits of sand, gravel, and cobbles, with minor lenses of silt and clay. These units often are discontinuous or isolated bodies and are of highly variable thickness. Unconfined conditions occur in areas where aquifer units are at land surface; however, much of the study area is mantled by glacial till, and confined aquifer conditions are common. Groundwater in the unconsolidated aquifers generally flows radially off the peninsula in the direction of Puget Sound and Hood Canal. These generalized flow patterns likely are complicated by the presence of low

Assessments of Maize Yield Potential in the Korean Peninsula Using Multiple Crop Models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, S. H.; Myoung, B.; Lim, C. H.; Lee, S. G.; Lee, W. K.; Kafatos, M.

2015-12-01

The Korean Peninsular has unique agricultural environments due to the differences in the political and socio-economical systems between the Republic of Korea (SK, hereafter) and the Democratic Peoples' Republic of Korea (NK, hereafter). NK has been suffering from the lack of food supplies caused by natural disasters, land degradation and failed political system. The neighboring developed country SK has a better agricultural system but very low food self-sufficiency rate (around 1% of maize). Maize is an important crop in both countries since it is staple food for NK and SK is No. 2 maize importing country in the world after Japan. Therefore evaluating maize yield potential (Yp) in the two distinct regions is essential to assess food security under climate change and variability. In this study, we have utilized multiple process-based crop models capable of regional-scale assessments to evaluate maize Yp over the Korean Peninsula - the GIS version of EPIC model (GEPIC) and APSIM model that can be expanded to regional scales (APSIM regions). First we evaluated model performance and skill for 20 years from 1991 to 2010 using reanalysis data (Local Data Assimilation and Prediction System (LDAPS); 1.5km resolution) and observed data. Each model's performances were compared over different regions within the Korean Peninsula of different regional climate characteristics. To quantify the major influence of individual climate variables, we also conducted a sensitivity test using 20 years of climatology. Lastly, a multi-model ensemble analysis was performed to reduce crop model uncertainties. The results will provide valuable information for estimating the climate change or variability impacts on Yp over the Korean Peninsula.

Chemical quality of depositional sediments and associated soils in New Orleans and the Louisiana peninsula following Hurricane Katrina

USGS Publications Warehouse

Adams, C.; Witt, E.C.; Wang, Jingyuan; Shaver, D.K.; Summers, D.; Filali-Meknassi, Y.; Shi, H.; Luna, R.; Anderson, N.

2007-01-01

Hurricane Katrina made landfall on the Louisiana peninsula south of New Orleans on Aug 29, 2005. The resulting storm surge caused numerous levy breaches in the parishes of New Orleans as well as on the Louisiana peninsula. This study was conducted to determine the concentrations of inorganic and organic constituents in sediments and associated soils in New Orleans parishes and the Louisiana peninsula after the floodwaters had been removed and/or receded following Hurricane Katrina. A total of 46 sediment and soil samples were analyzed that were collected throughout New Orleans and the Louisiana peninsula. Approximately 20% of the sediment samples were analyzed, including shallow sediment samples from locations that included the top and beneath automobiles, in residential and commercial areas, and near refineries. Gasoline constituents, pesticides, and leachable heavy metals were analyzed using headspace gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS), organic extraction GC/MS, and inductively coupled plasma/mass spectrometry, respectively. A significant number of samples had leachable As and Pb concentrations in excess of drinking water standards. The remaining metals analyzed (i.e., Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, and V) generally had much lower leachable levels. Of the gasoline constituents, only benzene was observed above the limit of detection (of 5 ??g/kg), with no samples observed as being above the method detection limits of 10 ??g/kg. For the 18 pesticides analyzed, most were in the nondetectable range and all were in trace amounts that were orders of magnitude below regulatory guidelines. ?? 2007 American Chemical Society.

Effects of teleconnection patterns on the atmospheric routes, precipitation and deposition amounts in the north-eastern Iberian Peninsula

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Izquierdo, Rebeca; Alarcón, Marta; Aguillaume, Laura; Àvila, Anna

2014-06-01

The North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) has been identified as one of the atmospheric patterns which mostly influence the temporal evolution of precipitation and temperature in the Mediterranean area. Recently, the Western Mediterranean Oscillation (WeMO) has also been proposed to describe the precipitation variability in the eastern Iberian Peninsula. This paper examines whether the chemical signature and/or the chemical deposition amounts recorded over NE Iberian Peninsula are influenced by these climatic variability patterns. Results show a more relevant role of the WeMO compared to NAO in the deposition of either marine (Cl-, Na+, Mg2+) or anthropogenic pollutants (H+, NH4+, NO3- and SO42-). A cluster classification of provenances indicated that in winter (December to March) fast Atlantic air flows correspond to positive WeMO indices, while negative WeMOi are associated to Northeastern and Southwestern circulations. The negative phase of WeMO causes the entry of air masses from the Mediterranean into the Iberian Peninsula, that are enriched with marine ions and ions of anthropogenic origin (NH4+, NO3- and SO42-). For these later, this suggests the advection over the Mediterranean of polluted air masses from southern Europe and the scavenging and deposition of this pollution by precipitation during the WeMO negative phases. This will carry transboundary pollutants to the NE Iberian Peninsula. However, local pollutants may also contribute, as precipitation events from the Mediterranean and the Atlantic (associated to both WeMO phases) may incorporate emissions that accumulate locally during the winter anticyclonic episodes typical of the region.

Earthquake-triggered liquefaction in Southern Siberia and surroundings: a base for predictive models and seismic hazard estimation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lunina, Oksana

2016-04-01

The forms and location patterns of soil liquefaction induced by earthquakes in southern Siberia, Mongolia, and northern Kazakhstan in 1950 through 2014 have been investigated, using field methods and a database of coseismic effects created as a GIS MapInfo application, with a handy input box for large data arrays. Statistical analysis of the data has revealed regional relationships between the magnitude (Ms) of an earthquake and the maximum distance of its environmental effect to the epicenter and to the causative fault (Lunina et al., 2014). Estimated limit distances to the fault for the Ms = 8.1 largest event are 130 km that is 3.5 times as short as those to the epicenter, which is 450 km. Along with this the wider of the fault the less liquefaction cases happen. 93% of them are within 40 km from the causative fault. Analysis of liquefaction locations relative to nearest faults in southern East Siberia shows the distances to be within 8 km but 69% of all cases are within 1 km. As a result, predictive models have been created for locations of seismic liquefaction, assuming a fault pattern for some parts of the Baikal rift zone. Base on our field and world data, equations have been suggested to relate the maximum sizes of liquefaction-induced clastic dikes (maximum width, visible maximum height and intensity index of clastic dikes) with Ms and local shaking intensity corresponding to the MSK-64 macroseismic intensity scale (Lunina and Gladkov, 2015). The obtained results make basis for modeling the distribution of the geohazard for the purposes of prediction and for estimating the earthquake parameters from liquefaction-induced clastic dikes. The author would like to express their gratitude to the Institute of the Earth's Crust, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences for providing laboratory to carry out this research and Russian Scientific Foundation for their financial support (Grant 14-17-00007).

Creosote retention levels of timber highway bridge superstructures in Michigan’s Lower Peninsula.

Treesearch

James P. Wacker; Douglas M. Crawford; Merv O. Eriksson

2003-01-01

Environmental concerns about preservative bleeding (or migrating) from timber bridges have increased in recent years. This preliminary study examined the creosote retention levels at six timber highway bridges in Michigan's lower peninsula during the summer of 2000. Several test core samples were removed from the bridge superstructures (four bleeders and two...

Drug use and HIV risks among migrant workers on the DelMarVa Peninsula.

PubMed

Inciardi, J A; Surratt, H L; Colón, H M; Chitwood, D D; Rivers, J E

1999-01-01

Because high rates of drug use have been documented in the migrant farm worker population, the National Institute on Drug Abuse funded the Migrant Health Study to examine HIV risk behaviors among drug-using farm workers and their sexual partners. Many of these individuals were home-based in South Florida and migrated during the work season to various points along the Eastern Migratory Stream. The focus of this paper is a description of the characteristics and behaviors of the 151 respondents contacted on the DelMarVa Peninsula during 1994 and 1995. The data indicate that drug use was widespread in this population, a significant proportion were at risk for HIV infection, and 6% were HIV positive. As a result of these findings, public health agencies on the peninsula have instituted HIV education programs in those clinics utilized by both local and transient agricultural workers.

Stable isotopes and Antarctic moss banks: Plants and soil microbes respond to recent warming on the Antarctic Peninsula

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Royles, Jessica; Amesbury, Matthew; Ogée, Jérôme; Wingate, Lisa; Convey, Peter; Hodgson, Dominic; Griffiths, Howard; Leng, Melanie; Charman, Dan

2014-05-01

The Antarctic Peninsula is one of the most rapidly warming regions on Earth, with air temperature increases of as much as 3°C recorded since the 1950s. However, the longer-term context of this change is limited and existing records, largely relying on ice core data, are not suitably located to be able to trace the spatial signature of change over time. We are working on a project exploiting stable isotope records preserved in moss peat banks spanning 10 degrees of latitude along the Antarctic Peninsula as an archive of late Holocene climate variability. Here we present a unique time series of past moss growth and soil microbial activity that has been produced from a 150 year old moss bank at Lazarev Bay, Alexander Island (69°S), a site at the southern limit of significant plant growth in the Antarctic Peninsula region. These moss banks are ideal archives for palaeoclimate research as they are well-preserved by freezing, generally monospecific, easily dated by radiocarbon techniques, and have sufficiently high accumulation rates to permit decadal resolution. We use accumulation rates, cellulose δ13C and fossil testate amoebae to show that growth rates, assimilation and microbial productivity rose rapidly in the 1960s, consistent with temperature change, although recently may have stalled, concurrent with other evidence. The increase in biological activity is unprecedented in the last 150 years. Along with work completed on Signy Island (60°S), in the South Orkney Islands, in which we used carbon isotope evidence to show recent climate-related enhancement of CO2 assimilation and peat accumulation rates in Antarctica, the observed relationships between moss growth, microbial activity and climate suggests that moss bank records have the potential to test the regional expression of temperature variability shown by instrumental data on the Antarctic Peninsula over centennial to millennial timescales, by providing long-term records of summer growth conditions

Contemporary crustal deformations in the Izu peninsula, Honshu, Japan and acceleration of plate bending in the northernmost part of the Philippine Sea plate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fujii, Yoichiro

1991-07-01

Since the beginning of the anomalous vertical crustal movement in the Izu peninsul, Honshu, Japan, many repeated precise levellings have been carried out by the Geographical Survey Institute. Trilaterations covering the entire Izu peninsula have also been carried out by the Geographical Survey Institute. A new technique is developed to adjust the results of levellings, because they had been carried out for different epochs along each levelling route and because of rapid vertical crustal movements. In conventional least-squares adjustment of levelling network, only corrections to the approximate height are assumed to be unknown, while in the present analysis a special model in which rates of vertical deformation at any bench marks are also assumed to be unknown, is adopted. In addition, tidal stations along the coast of the Izu peninsula yield the rate of vertical crustal movement from analysis of tidal data independent of levelling data. We select several special bench marks in which rates of vertical movement are determined by tidal analysis, thereafter special adjustment is applied according to the type of network. The results show that the peninsula is inclined to the south-west. Uplift in the northeastern part of the peninsula is accompanied by remarkable subsidence in the southwest. The rate of contemporary inclination is many times higher than the rate during the period from 1929 to 1972. The deformation is concentrated in the area where Nakamura (1979, 1980) pointed out the bending of the Philippine Sea plate. The mode and rate of the detected crustal deformation suggest the accelerated bending of the peninsula. There are some local “uplift” that deviate from the general pattern of deformation. The most remarkable land uplift was observed near Ito, a city within the peninsula, and the focus of this uplift migrated with time. The accelerated plate bending will produce an extension at the earth's surface and contraction in the deeper part of the subcrustal

Population structure of Cicada barbara Stål (Hemiptera, Cicadoidea) from the Iberian Peninsula and Morocco based on mitochondrial DNA analysis.

PubMed

Pinto-Juma, G A; Quartau, J A; Bruford, M W

2008-02-01

We assess the genetic history and population structure of Cicada barbara in Morocco and the Iberian Peninsula, based on analysis of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene. The divergence between Morocco and the Iberian Peninsula populations was strongly corroborated by the molecular data, suggesting genetically isolated populations with a low level of gene flow. The Ceuta population from Spanish North Africa was more similar to the Iberian populations than the surrounding Moroccan populations, suggesting that the Strait of Gibraltar has not been acting as a strict barrier to dispersal while the Rif Mountains have. The Iberian Peninsula specimens showed a signature of demographic expansion before that which occurred in Morocco, but some of the assumptions related to the demographic parameters should be considered with caution due to the small genetic variation found. The high haplotype diversity found in Morocco implies higher demographic stability than in the Iberian Peninsula populations. These results do not, however, suggest a Moroccan origin for Iberian cicadas; but the most northwest region in Africa, such as Ceuta, might have acted as a southern refuge for Iberian cicadas during the most severe climatic conditions, from where they could expand north when climate improved. The separation of two subspecies within C. barbara (C. barbara lusitanica and C. barbara barbara) finds support with these results.

Late Eocene Hydrological Conditions on the Antarctic Peninsula

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feakins, S. J.; Deconto, R. M.; Warny, S.

2013-12-01

The late Eocene to Oligocene transition (EOT) witnessed a major ice advance on Antarctica. Little is known about hydrological conditions in the Antarctic Peninsula during the late Eocene prior to the major ice advance. Here we explore the hydrological conditions with proxy reconstructions from marine sediment core NBP0602A-3C, adjacent to the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula, with sediments dated to approximately 35.9 × 1.1 Ma providing a snapshot of conditions prior to the EOT. We combine plant leaf wax hydrogen isotopic evidence paired with previously-published evidence from pollen assemblages from the marine core, and compare to results of climate model experiments. The pollen from late Eocene sediments of NBP0602A-3C indicate a Nothofagidites (southern beech) dominated landscape. In the same sediments, leaf wax hydrogen isotope (δDwax) values average -202×7‰ (1σ, n=22) for the C28 n-alkanoic acid. Based on an estimated net fractionation of -100‰, these values suggest paleoprecipitation δD values on the order of -118×8‰. The similarity between Late Eocene precipitation isotopic reconstructions (with no ice on what was then an island) and in situ modern isotopic values (while ice-covered) is surprising as ice-free conditions should imply warmer temperatures which would normally imply more enriched isotopic values. Convergent isotopic compositions during demonstrably different environments require a dynamical test to evaluate this validity of this isotopic result. In order to test the isotopic response to an expanding Antarctic ice sheet across the EOT, we conducted experiments with an isotope-enabled GCM. We simulated conditions before, during, and after the transition by systematically decreasing carbon dioxide levels from 1000 to 560 ppm while increasing ice volume to represent an ice-free to fully glaciated continent. Model experiments predict changes in vegetation cover from mixed forest to tundra biomes, reductions in austral summer temperature of

Relationship of oil seep in Kudat Peninsula with surrounding rocks based on geochemical analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Izzati Azman, Nurul; Nur Fathiyah Jamaludin, Siti

2017-10-01

This study aims to investigate the relation of oil seepage at Sikuati area with the structural and petroleum system of Kudat Peninsula. The abundance of highly carbonaceous rocks with presence of lamination in the Sikuati Member outcrop at Kudat Peninsula may give an idea on the presence of oil seepage in this area. A detailed geochemical analysis of source rock sample and oil seepage from Sikuati area was carried out for their characterization and correlation. Hydrocarbon propectivity of Sikuati Member source rock is poor to good with Total Organic Carbon (TOC) value of 0.11% to 1.48%. and also categorized as immature to early mature oil window with Vitrinite Reflectance (VRo) value of 0.43% to 0.50 %Ro. Based on biomarker distribution, from Gas Chromatography (GC) and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis, source rock sample shows Pr/Ph, CPI and WI of 2.22 to 2.68, 2.17 to 2.19 and 2.46 to 2.74 respectively indicates the source rock is immature and coming from terrestrial environment. The source rock might be rich in carbonaceous material organic matter resulting from planktonic/bacterial activity which occurs at fluvial to fluvio-deltaic environment. Overall, the source rock from outcrop level of Kudat Peninsula is moderately prolific in term of prospectivity and maturity. However, as go far deeper beneath the surface, we can expect more activity of mature source rock that generate and expulse hydrocarbon from the subsurface then migrating through deep-seated fault beneath the Sikuati area.

Analysis of the relationship between the monthly temperatures and weather types in Iberian Peninsula

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peña Angulo, Dhais; Trigo, Ricardo; Nicola, Cortesi; José Carlos, González-Hidalgo

2016-04-01

In this study, the relationship between the atmospheric circulation and weather types and the monthly average maximum and minimum temperatures in the Iberian Peninsula is modeled (period 1950-2010). The temperature data used were obtained from a high spatial resolution (10km x 10km) dataset (MOTEDAS dataset, Gonzalez-Hidalgo et al., 2015a). In addition, a dataset of Portuguese temperatures was used (obtained from the Portuguese Institute of Sea and Atmosphere). The weather type classification used was the one developed by Jenkinson and Collison, which was adapted for the Iberian Peninsula by Trigo and DaCamara (2000), using Sea Level Pressure data from NCAR/NCEP Reanalysis dataset (period 1951-2010). The analysis of the behaviour of monthly temperatures based on the weather types was carried out using a stepwise regression procedure of type forward to estimate temperatures in each cell of the considered grid, for each month, and for both maximum and minimum monthly average temperatures. The model selects the weather types that best estimate the temperatures. From the validation model it was obtained the error distribution in the time (months) and space (Iberian Peninsula). The results show that best estimations are obtained for minimum temperatures, during the winter months and in coastal areas. González-Hidalgo J.C., Peña-Angulo D., Brunetti M., Cortesi, C. (2015a): MOTEDAS: a new monthly temperature database for mainland Spain and the trend in temperature (1951-2010). International Journal of Climatology 31, 715-731. DOI: 10.1002/joc.4298

A diverse assemblage of fossil hardwood from the Upper Tertiary (Miocene?) of the Arauco Peninsula, Chile

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schöning, Meike; Bandel, Klaus

2004-09-01

Silicified woods of 10 dicotyledonous tree families of probably Miocene age from the Arauco Peninsula, central Chile are described and classified according to their anatomy. The diversity is surprisingly high, in that of the 19 samples analyzed, virtually every one could belong to a different species of tree or shrub. Almost all species document a damp climate, and most have related species living in the central zone of modern Chile. The samples were collected in a narrow zone on Punta El Fraile, west of the town of Arauco. The following families are based on woods from the Arauco Peninsula: Anacardiaceae, Boraginaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Fagaceae, Lauraceae, Leguminosae, Monimiaceae, the first report of fossil Myristicaceae, Myrtaceae, and Proteaceae. Their diagenetic history is connected to tuffaceous material and calcareous concretions.

Virological surveillance and phylogenetic analysis of the PB2 genes of influenza viruses isolated from wild water birds flying from their nesting lakes in Siberia to Hokkaido, Japan in autumn.

PubMed

Samad, Rozanah Asmah Abdul; Sakoda, Yoshihiro; Tsuda, Yoshimi; Simulundu, Edgar; Manzoor, Rashid; Okamatsu, Masatoshi; Ito, Kimihito; Kida, Hiroshi

2011-02-01

Recent introduction of H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV) in wild birds from poultry in Eurasia signaled the possibility that this virus may perpetuate in nature. Surveillance of avian influenza especially in migratory birds, therefore, has been conducted to provide information on the viruses brought by them to Hokkaido, Japan, from their nesting lakes in Siberia in autumn. During 2008-2009, 62 influenza viruses of 21 different combinations of hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) subtypes were isolated. Up to September 2010, no HPAIV has been found, indicating that H5N1 HPAIV has not perpetuated at least dominantly in the lakes where ducks nest in summer in Siberia. The PB2 genes of 54 influenza viruses out of 283 influenza viruses isolated in Hokkaido in 2000-2009 were phylogenetically analysed. None of the genes showed close relation to those of H5N1 HPAIVs that were detected in wild birds found dead in Eurasia on the way back to their northern territory in spring.

Assessing the robustness and uncertainties of projected changes in temperature and precipitation in AR5 Global Climate Models over the Arabian Peninsula

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Almazroui, Mansour; Islam, M. Nazrul; Saeed, Fahad; Alkhalaf, Abdulrahman K.; Dambul, Ramzah

2017-09-01

The current study presents the future projection of temperature and precipitation based on ensemble from Couple Model Intercomparison Project 5 (CMIP5) at seasonal and annual time scales over the Arabian Peninsula. Various analysis methods and techniques including spatial plots with robustness analysis, line plots with likelihood spread, and bar plots as well as annual cycles with likelihood ranges of both temperature and precipitation have been employed. The Northern Arabian Peninsula (NAP) region shows an increase in projected signal of temperature higher than the Southern Arabian Peninsula (SAP). Moreover, the northwestern part of NAP shows a large decrease in precipitation for both the RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 scenarios. However, the SAP region shows a great increase in precipitation for both the scenarios. Further, the central, southern and eastern parts of Saudi Arabia also show a tendency of increase in precipitation. Moreover at annual time scale, NAP shows a consistent statistically significant (95% level) decreasing trend of precipitation at the rate of 0.66% (- 1.18/- 0.14 for RCP4.5/RCP8.5) per decade, whereas SAP shows statistically significant (99% level) increasing trend in precipitation at the rate of 1.67% (0.34/2.99 for RCP4.5/RCP8.5) per decade, while the precipitation significant (99% level) increasing trend 0.86% (- 0.27/2.00 for RCP4.5/RCP8.5) per decade over the Arabian Peninsula. The significant (99% level) warming is projected 0.42 °C (0.23 °C/0.60 °C for RCP4.5/RCP8.5) and 0.37 °C (0.20 °C/0.53 °C for RCP4.5/RCP8.5) per decade over NAP and SAP respectively, which is 0.39 °C (0.22 °C/0.57 °C for RCP4.5/RCP8.5) per decade over the whole Peninsula. Our results call for the development of immediate actions and policies in order to combat negative impacts of climate change over the Arabian Peninsula.

Dissimilar responses of larch stands in northern Siberia to increasing temperatures-a field and simulation based study.

PubMed

Wieczorek, Mareike; Kruse, Stefan; Epp, Laura S; Kolmogorov, Alexei; Nikolaev, Anatoly N; Heinrich, Ingo; Jeltsch, Florian; Pestryakova, Lyudmila A; Zibulski, Romy; Herzschuh, Ulrike

2017-09-01

Arctic and alpine treelines worldwide differ in their reactions to climate change. A northward advance of or densification within the treeline ecotone will likely influence climate-vegetation feedback mechanisms. In our study, which was conducted in the Taimyr Depression in the North Siberian Lowlands, w present a combined field- and model-based approach helping us to better understand the population processes involved in the responses of the whole treeline ecotone, spanning from closed forest to single-tree tundra, to climate warming. Using information on stand structure, tree age, and seed quality and quantity from seven sites, we investigate effects of intra-specific competition and seed availability on the specific impact of recent climate warming on larch stands. Field data show that tree density is highest in the forest-tundra, and average tree size decreases from closed forest to single-tree tundra. Age-structure analyses indicate that the trees in the closed forest and forest-tundra have been present for at least ~240 yr. At all sites except the most southerly ones, past establishment is positively correlated with regional temperature increase. In the single-tree tundra, however, a change in growth form from krummholz to erect trees, beginning ~130 yr ago, rather than establishment date has been recorded. Seed mass decreases from south to north, while seed quantity increases. Simulations with LAVESI (Larix Vegetation Simulator) further suggest that relative density changes strongly in response to a warming signal in the forest-tundra while intra-specific competition limits densification in the closed forest and seed limitation hinders densification in the single-tree tundra. We find striking differences in strength and timing of responses to recent climate warming. While forest-tundra stands recently densified, recruitment is almost non-existent at the southern and northern end of the ecotone due to autecological processes. Palaeo-treelines may therefore

Composition and microstructure of Roman metallic artefacts of Southwestern Iberian Peninsula

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Valério, P.; Voráčová, E.; Silva, R. J. C.; Araújo, M. F.; Soares, A. M. M.; Arruda, A. M.; Pereira, C.

2015-10-01

The Roman invasion introduces new alloys and metallurgical practices in Iberian Peninsula. The southwestern end of this region has many evidences of connections with the Roman World, but there are no studies about the manufacture and use of copper-based artefacts during this period. Therefore, a set of about 20 ornaments, tools and small attachments recovered at the Roman sites of Monte Molião and Cidade das Rosas was studied by an analytical approach combining micro-EDXRF, optical microscopy, SEM-EDS and Vickers microhardness testing. The artefact composition shows a good correlation with function, namely pure copper for nails and rivets, low-tin bronze (2-6 wt% Sn) for basic tools, high-tin bronze (14 wt% Sn) for fibulae and high-lead bronze (19 wt% Pb) for a decorated jug handle. The manufacture also depends on function because most artefacts were subjected to thermomechanical processing, except the ornaments that would not benefit from post-casting work. Brass and gunmetal were only present in the site with a later chronology. A metallurgy visibly ruled by economical, aesthetical and technological concerns reinforces the evidences about the total integration of Southwestern Iberian Peninsula in the Roman World, but further studies will be essential to determine the evolution of copper-based alloys in Lusitania under Roman influence.

Climatic record of the Iberian peninsula from lake Moncortes' sediments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cao, Min; Huguet, Carme; Rull, Valenti; Valero, Blas; Rosell-Mele, Antoni

2014-05-01

Climatic record of the Iberian peninsula from lake Moncortes' sediments Min Cao1, Carme Huguet1, Valenti Rull2, Blas L. Valero-Garces3, Antoni Rosell-Melé1,4 1Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals (ICTA), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Catalonia, Spain; 2Institut de Botanic de Barcelona (CSIC), Passeig del Migdia s/n, 08038, Barcelona, Spain, 3 Instituto Pirenaico de Ecologıa (CSIC), Avda. Montañana 1005, 50059 Zaragoza, Spain, 4Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), 08010 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. The continuing buildup of industrial greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and concomitant increase in global temperatures has made much of the world's society aware that decades to centuries of environmental change lie ahead, and that these will have profound economic, political and societal impacts. The Iberian Peninsula lies in the boundary between tropical and subtropical climates and seems to amplify the climatic signals form the northern hemisphere through both atmospheric and water circulation feedbacks, making it an ideal site to monitor Northern hemisphere climate changes. This extreme sensitivity to climatic changes also makes the Iberian Peninsula extremely vulnerable to future climate changes. This is why understanding sensitivity to climate change and the consequences it will have on both climate and the hydrological cycle is key to implement preventive measures. The aim of our study is to come up with a high resolution quantitative reconstruction of climate variability (temperature, production and precipitation) in the Iberian Peninsula from lake sediments. We also want to establish the relation between those changes and the ones observed in both ice cores from Greenland and paleotemperature records from marine sediments of the continental Iberian margin. For these reasons we sampled a core in Moncortes (42.3N, 0.99E), a lake of karstic origin with an average depth of 25m and an area of 0

Application of Space Technology to Discovery of Ancient Desert Trade Routes in the Southern Arabian Peninsula

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Blom, Ronald; Crippen, Robert; Hedges, George; Zarins, Juris

1997-01-01

Over the last decade, an unusual combination of historical research, traditional archaeology, and application of space technolgy has demonstrated the existence of trans-desert trade routes in the sourthern Arabian peninsula.

A Computerized Questionnaire for the Dialectal Survey of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Papers from the Michigan Linguistic Society Meeting, Vol. 1, No. 3.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peterson, Joseph; Thundyil, Zacharias

This questionnaire presents about 450 phonological, lexical, and grammatical items that are used in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. In composing the dialect survey, terms pertaining to climate, topography, and ethnic groups were taken into account, as were other words and phrases which might be used by Upper Peninsula native speakers. The survey…

[Energy and mass exchange and the productivity of the main ecosystems of Siberia (from eddy covariance measurements). 1. Heat balance structure in the vegetation season].

PubMed

Chebakova, N M; Vygodskaia, N N; Arnet, A; Belelli Markezini, L; Kolle, O; Kurbatova, Iu A; Parfenova, E I; Valentini, R; Vaganov, E A; Shul'tse, E D

2013-01-01

Direct measurements of heat balance (turbulent heat transfer and evaporation heat consumption) by the method of turbulent pulsations in 1998-2000 and 2002-2004 were used to obtain information on the daily, seasonal, and annual dynamics of energy fluxes and mass transfer between the atmosphere and the typical ecosystems of Siberia (middle-taiga pine forest and raised bog, true four-grass steppe, with the use of data for typical tundra) along the Yenisei meridian (90 degrees E).

Nitrogen dynamics in Turbic Cryosols from Siberia and Greenland.

PubMed

Wild, Birgit; Schnecker, Jörg; Bárta, Jiří; Capek, Petr; Guggenberger, Georg; Hofhansl, Florian; Kaiser, Christina; Lashchinsky, Nikolaj; Mikutta, Robert; Mooshammer, Maria; Santrůčková, Hana; Shibistova, Olga; Urich, Tim; Zimov, Sergey A; Richter, Andreas

2013-12-01

Turbic Cryosols (permafrost soils characterized by cryoturbation, i.e., by mixing of soil layers due to freezing and thawing) are widespread across the Arctic, and contain large amounts of poorly decomposed organic material buried in the subsoil. This cryoturbated organic matter exhibits retarded decomposition compared to organic material in the topsoil. Since soil organic matter (SOM) decomposition is known to be tightly linked to N availability, we investigated N transformation rates in different soil horizons of three tundra sites in north-eastern Siberia and Greenland. We measured gross rates of protein depolymerization, N mineralization (ammonification) and nitrification, as well as microbial uptake of amino acids and NH 4 + using an array of 15 N pool dilution approaches. We found that all sites and horizons were characterized by low N availability, as indicated by low N mineralization compared to protein depolymerization rates (with gross N mineralization accounting on average for 14% of gross protein depolymerization). The proportion of organic N mineralized was significantly higher at the Greenland than at the Siberian sites, suggesting differences in N limitation. The proportion of organic N mineralized, however, did not differ significantly between soil horizons, pointing to a similar N demand of the microbial community of each horizon. In contrast, absolute N transformation rates were significantly lower in cryoturbated than in organic horizons, with cryoturbated horizons reaching not more than 32% of the transformation rates in organic horizons. Our results thus indicate a deceleration of the entire N cycle in cryoturbated soil horizons, especially strongly reduced rates of protein depolymerization (16% of organic horizons) which is considered the rate-limiting step in soil N cycling.

Nitrogen dynamics in Turbic Cryosols from Siberia and Greenland☆

PubMed Central

Wild, Birgit; Schnecker, Jörg; Bárta, Jiří; Čapek, Petr; Guggenberger, Georg; Hofhansl, Florian; Kaiser, Christina; Lashchinsky, Nikolaj; Mikutta, Robert; Mooshammer, Maria; Šantrůčková, Hana; Shibistova, Olga; Urich, Tim; Zimov, Sergey A.; Richter, Andreas

2013-01-01

Turbic Cryosols (permafrost soils characterized by cryoturbation, i.e., by mixing of soil layers due to freezing and thawing) are widespread across the Arctic, and contain large amounts of poorly decomposed organic material buried in the subsoil. This cryoturbated organic matter exhibits retarded decomposition compared to organic material in the topsoil. Since soil organic matter (SOM) decomposition is known to be tightly linked to N availability, we investigated N transformation rates in different soil horizons of three tundra sites in north-eastern Siberia and Greenland. We measured gross rates of protein depolymerization, N mineralization (ammonification) and nitrification, as well as microbial uptake of amino acids and NH4+ using an array of 15N pool dilution approaches. We found that all sites and horizons were characterized by low N availability, as indicated by low N mineralization compared to protein depolymerization rates (with gross N mineralization accounting on average for 14% of gross protein depolymerization). The proportion of organic N mineralized was significantly higher at the Greenland than at the Siberian sites, suggesting differences in N limitation. The proportion of organic N mineralized, however, did not differ significantly between soil horizons, pointing to a similar N demand of the microbial community of each horizon. In contrast, absolute N transformation rates were significantly lower in cryoturbated than in organic horizons, with cryoturbated horizons reaching not more than 32% of the transformation rates in organic horizons. Our results thus indicate a deceleration of the entire N cycle in cryoturbated soil horizons, especially strongly reduced rates of protein depolymerization (16% of organic horizons) which is considered the rate-limiting step in soil N cycling. PMID:24302785

Fitting monthly Peninsula Malaysian rainfall using Tweedie distribution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yunus, R. M.; Hasan, M. M.; Zubairi, Y. Z.

2017-09-01

In this study, the Tweedie distribution was used to fit the monthly rainfall data from 24 monitoring stations of Peninsula Malaysia for the period from January, 2008 to April, 2015. The aim of the study is to determine whether the distributions within the Tweedie family fit well the monthly Malaysian rainfall data. Within the Tweedie family, the gamma distribution is generally used for fitting the rainfall totals, however the Poisson-gamma distribution is more useful to describe two important features of rainfall pattern, which are the occurrences (dry months) and the amount (wet months). First, the appropriate distribution of the monthly rainfall was identified within the Tweedie family for each station. Then, the Tweedie Generalised Linear Model (GLM) with no explanatory variable was used to model the monthly rainfall data. Graphical representation was used to assess model appropriateness. The QQ plots of quantile residuals show that the Tweedie models fit the monthly rainfall data better for majority of the stations in the west coast and mid land than those in the east coast of Peninsula. This significant finding suggests that the best fitted distribution depends on the geographical location of the monitoring station. In this paper, a simple model is developed for generating synthetic rainfall data for use in various areas, including agriculture and irrigation. We have showed that the data that were simulated using the Tweedie distribution have fairly similar frequency histogram to that of the actual data. Both the mean number of rainfall events and mean amount of rain for a month were estimated simultaneously for the case that the Poisson gamma distribution fits the data reasonably well. Thus, this work complements previous studies that fit the rainfall amount and the occurrence of rainfall events separately, each to a different distribution.

Modeling soil temperature change in Seward Peninsula, Alaska

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Debolskiy, M. V.; Nicolsky, D.; Romanovsky, V. E.; Muskett, R. R.; Panda, S. K.

2017-12-01

Increasing demand for assessment of climate change-induced permafrost degradation and its consequences promotes creation of high-resolution modeling products of soil temperature changes. This is especially relevant for areas with highly vulnerable warm discontinuous permafrost in the Western Alaska. In this study, we apply ecotype-based modeling approach to simulate high-resolution permafrost distribution and its temporal dynamics in Seward Peninsula, Alaska. To model soil temperature dynamics, we use a transient soil heat transfer model developed at the Geophysical Institute Permafrost Laboratory (GIPL-2). The model solves one dimensional nonlinear heat equation with phase change. The developed model is forced with combination of historical climate and different future scenarios for 1900-2100 with 2x2 km resolution prepared by Scenarios Network for Alaska and Arctic Planning (2017). Vegetation, snow and soil properties are calibrated by ecotype and up-scaled by using Alaska Existing Vegetation Type map for Western Alaska (Flemming, 2015) with 30x30 m resolution provided by Geographic Information Network of Alaska (UAF). The calibrated ecotypes cover over 75% of the study area. We calibrate the model using a data assimilation technique utilizing available observations of air, surface and sub-surface temperatures and snow cover collected by various agencies and research groups (USGS, Geophysical Institute, USDA). The calibration approach takes into account a natural variability between stations in the same ecotype and finds an optimal set of model parameters (snow and soil properties) within the study area. This approach allows reduction in microscale heterogeneity and aggregated soil temperature data from shallow boreholes which is highly dependent on local conditions. As a result of this study we present a series of preliminary high resolution maps for the Seward Peninsula showing changes in the active layer depth and ground temperatures for the current climate

Leishmanicidal evaluation of extracts from native plants of the Yucatan peninsula.

PubMed

Peraza-Sánchez, S R; Cen-Pacheco, F; Noh-Chimal, A; May-Pat, F; Simá-Polanco, P; Dumonteil, E; García-Miss, M R; Mut-Martín, M

2007-06-01

Methanol extracts were prepared from different parts of 18 plants collected in the Yucatan peninsula and evaluated in an in vitro bioassay for leishmanicidal activity against Leishmania mexicana promastigotes. The ten most potent plant extracts (IC(50)<50 microg/ml) were Aphelandra scabra leaves, Byrsonima bucidaefolia bark, Byrsonima crassifolia bark, Clusia flava leaves, Cupania dentata bark, Diphysa carthagenensis leaves, Dorstenia contrajerva whole plant, Milleria quinqueflora roots, Tridax procumbens whole plant, and Vitex gaumeri bark.

Shaded Relief, Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2000-01-01

This topographic image shows the western side of the volcanically active Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia. The data are from the first C-band mapping swath of the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM). On the left side are four rivers, which flow northwest to the Sea of Okhotsk. These rivers are, from the south to north, Tigil, Amanina, Voyampolka, and Zhilovaya. The broad, flat floodplains of the rivers are shown in blue. These rivers are important spawning grounds for salmon. In the right side of the image is the Sredinnyy Khrebet, the volcanic mountain range that makes up the 3spine2 of the peninsula. The cluster of hills to the lower right is a field of small dormant volcanoes. High resolution SRTM topographic data will be used by geologists to study how volcanoes form and understand the hazards posed by future eruptions.

This shaded relief image was generated using topographic data from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission. A computer-generated artificial light source illuminates the elevation data to produce a pattern of light and shadows. Slopes facing the light appear bright, while those facing away are shaded. On flatter surfaces, the pattern of light and shadows can reveal subtle features in the terrain. Colors show the elevation as measured by SRTM. Colors range from blue at the lowest elevations to white at the highest elevations. This image contains about 2300 meters (7500 feet) of total relief. Shaded relief maps are commonly used in applications such as geologic mapping and land use planning.

The Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM), launched on February 11,2000, uses the same radar instrument that comprised the Spaceborne Imaging Radar-C/X-Band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SIR-C/X-SAR) that flew twice on the Space Shuttle Endeavour in 1994. The mission is designed to collect three-dimensional measurements of the Earth's surface. To collect the 3-D data, engineers added a 60-meter-long (200-foot) mast, an additional C-band imaging antenna and

Impact of raized bogs on export of carbon and river water chemical composition in Western Siberia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Voistinova, Elena

2010-05-01

Bogs play an important role in functioning of the biosphere. Specific geochemical environment of the bogs results in formation of the special biogeochemical cycle of the elements. Processes of decay and transformation of organic material define the reductive conditions of bog water, form and migratory mobility of the chemical elements. Particular interest in recent years is aroused by the question of content and dynamics of the carbon in bog and river water according to indicated natural and climatic changes on the territory. The most important parts of the carbon balance in bog ecosystems together with processes of exhalation from deposit surface in the form of CO2 is its export with river water. The results of research carried out in scientific station "Vasyugansky" in south taiga subzone of Western Siberia showed that chemical composition of raised bog water includes high amounts of total iron (2,13 mg/l), ammonium ions (5,33 mg/l), humic and fulvic acids (5,21 mg/l and 45,8 mg/l), dissolved organic carbon (69,1 mg/l), COD (236,93 mgO/l), there are low mineralization and indicators of pH. Carbon comes in bog water in organic compounds: carboxylic acids, phenols, aromatic and paraffin hydrocarbons, organic phosphates, phthalates and other compounds. Formation of river waters composition in the Western Siberia takes place in the following context: high level of bogged river catchments (sometimes up to 70%), excess humidification and low heat provision. Basing on the results of study of hydrochemical runoff in small and medium rivers with different levels of bogged in river catchments (Chaya, Bakchar, Klyuch, Gavrilovka) it was noted that raised bog influence on river waters chemical composition shows in ion runoff decrease, organic substances runoff increase, increase of amounts of total iron, ammonium irons and water pH indicators decrease. Study of humic matters migration is very important in the context of formation of flexible complexes of humic and fulvic

Development of provisions for oil contaminated soil neutralizing in the conditions of Siberia and the Arctic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shtripling, L. O.; Kholkin, E. G.

2017-08-01

Siberia and the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation occupy a large area of the country and they differ from other regions in special climatic conditions, in particular, a long period of freezing temperatures and relatively poor infrastructure. The main problem of neutralizing soils contaminated with oil products in conditions of negative ambient temperature is that the contaminated soil is in a frozen state, and it prevents the normal course of neutralization process, so additional energy is required for preparing the soil. There is proposed a technology adapted to the conditions of Siberia and the Arctic for the operational elimination of emergency situations consequences accompanied with oil spills. The technology for neutralizing soils contaminated with petroleum products is based on the encapsulation of a pollutant (reagent capsulation technology) using an alkaline calcium-based reagent. Powdered building quicklime is used as a reagent, and it is a product of roasting carbonate rocks or a mixture of this product with mineral additives (calcium oxide). The encapsulated material obtained as a result of neutralizing soils contaminated with petroleum products is resistant to natural and man-made factors such as moisture, temperature fluctuations, acid rain and high pressure. Energy use from the chemical detoxification exothermic process of soils contaminated with petroleum products in combination with the forced supply of carbon dioxide to the neutralization zone during the formation of a shell from calcium carbonate on the surface of the pollutant makes it possible to neutralize soils contaminated with oil products in the extreme climatic conditions of the Arctic using reagent Encapsulation. The principle of equipment operation that allows neutralizing soils contaminated with petroleum products in the natural and climatic conditions of the Arctic using reagent capsulation technology has been described. The results of experimental studies have been presented that

Longitudinal and Cross-Sectional Genetic Diversity in the Korean Peninsula Based on the P vivax Merozoite Surface Protein Gene.

PubMed

Kim, Jung-Yeon; Suh, Eun-Jung; Yu, Hyo-Soon; Jung, Hyun-Sik; Park, In-Ho; Choi, Yien-Kyeoug; Choi, Kyoung-Mi; Cho, Shin-Hyeong; Lee, Won-Ja

2011-12-01

Vivax malaria has reemerged and become endemic in Korea. Our study aimed to analyze by both longitudinal and cross-sectional genetic diversity of this malaria based on the P vivax Merozoite Surface Protein (PvMSP) gene parasites recently found in the Korean peninsula. PvMSP-1 gene sequence analysis from P vivax isolates (n = 835) during the 1996-2010 period were longitudinally analyzed and the isolates from the Korean peninsula through South Korea, the demilitarized zone and North Korea collected in 2008-2010 were enrolled in an overall analysis of MSP-1 gene diversity. New recombinant subtypes and severe multiple-cloneinfection rates were observed in recent vivax parasites. Regional variation was also observed in the study sites. This study revealed the great complexity of genetic variation and rapid dissemination of genes in P vivax. It also showed interesting patterns of diversity depending, on the region in the Korean Peninsula. Understanding the parasiteninsula. Under genetic variation may help to analyze trends and assess the extent of endemic malaria in Korea.

Reconciliation of late Quaternary sea levels derived from coral terraces at Huon Peninsula with deep sea oxygen isotope records

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chappell, John; Omura, Akio; Esat, Tezer; McCulloch, Malcolm; Pandolfi, John; Ota, Yoko; Pillans, Brad

1996-06-01

A major discrepancy between the Late Quaternary sea level changes derived from raised coral reef terraces at the Huon Peninsula in Papua New Guinea and from oxygen isotopes in deep sea cores is resolved. The two methods agree closely from 120 ka to 80 ka and from 20 ka to 0 ka (ka = 1000 yr before present), but between 70 and 30 ka the isotopic sea levels are 20-40 m lower than the Huon Peninsula sea levels derived in earlier studies. New, high precision U-series age measurements and revised stratigraphic data for Huon Peninsula terraces aged between 30 and 70 ka now give similar sea levels to those based on deep sea oxygen isotope data planktonic and benthic δ 18O data. Using the sea level and deep sea isotopic data, oxygen isotope ratios are calculated for the northern continental ice sheets through the last glacial cycle and are consistent with results from Greenland ice cores. The record of ice volume changes through the last glacial cycle now appears to be reasonably complete.

Suez Canal, Gulf of Suez, Sinai Peninsula, Egypt, as seen from the Apollo 7

NASA Image and Video Library

1968-10-12

Suez Canal, Gulf of Suez, Sinai Peninsula, United Arab Republic (Egypt), Mediterranean Sea, as seen from the Apollo 7 spacecraft during its 13th revolution of the earth. Photographed from an altitude of 126 nautical miles, at ground elapsed time of 19 hours and 42 minutes.

Persistent genetic signatures of colonization in Brachionus manjavacas rotifers in the Iberian Peninsula.

PubMed

Gómez, Africa; Montero-Pau, Javier; Lunt, David H; Serra, Manuel; Campillo, Sergi

2007-08-01

Recent phylogeographical assessments have consistently shown that continental zooplankton display high levels of population subdivision, despite the high dispersal capacity of their diapausing propagules. As such, there is an apparent paradox between observed cosmopolitanism in the zooplankton that is associated with long-distance dispersal, and strong phylogeographical structures at a regional scale. Such population dynamics, far from migration-drift equilibrium, have been shown in the rotifer species complex Brachionus plicatilis, a group of over a dozen species inhabiting salt lakes and coastal lagoons worldwide. Here we present the mitochondrial DNA phylogeography of one of these species, Brachionus manjavacas, in the Iberian Peninsula, where it often co-occurs with the morphologically similar species B. plicatilis sensu stricto. We obtained sequences from 233 individuals from diapausing eggs and clonal cultures from 16 lakes in the Iberian Peninsula, and a Tunisian lake. Two strongly supported deep mitochondrial DNA clades were found (A and B). Phylogenetic and nested clade analysis showed that clade A has a strong phylogeographical structure, with a strong similarity of phylogeographical patterns between B. manjavacas clade A and B. plicatilis s.s. These include (i) signatures of allopatric fragmentation between central and southern populations, and (ii) range expansions in the Iberian Peninsula, both likely to have occurred during the Pleistocene. We find evidence for a glacial refugium in the Guadiana basin. Clades A and B co-occurred in several of these lakes because of range expansion and secondary contact between both clades. The co-occurrence between B. plicatilis s.s. and B. manjavacas is not recent, and both species might have experienced similar environmental challenges during the Pleistocene. The strong correlation of genetic and geographical distance found suggests that historical events can lead to such correlation, mirroring the effects of

A 220 ka terrestrial δ18O and deuterium excess biomarker record from an eolian permafrost paleosol sequence, NE-Siberia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tuthorn, Mario; Zech, Michael; Detsch, Florian; Rozanski, Kazimierz; Zech, Roland; Zöller, Ludwig; Zech, Wolfgang; Glaser, Bruno

2013-04-01

The natural abundances of stable oxygen (18O/16O) and hydrogen isotopes (D/H) are valuable proxies of climate changes in the past. Yet, to date no continuous δ18O and only few δD records are available from loess-paleosol sequences. Taking advantage of a recently developed method based on compound-specific δ18O analyzes of hemicellulose sugar biomarkers in soils (Zech and Glaser, 2009), we here present a first terrestrial δ18O biomarker record from an eolian permafrost paleosol sequence in NE-Siberia that covers the last ~220 ka. The δ18O values of the hemicellulose biomarkers arabinose and xylose range from 22.5 to 32.8‰ and from 21.3 to 31.9‰, respectively, and reveal systematic glacial - interglacial shifts. The modern topsoil and the interglacial paleosols exhibit more positive δ18O values, whereas the glacial paleosols are characterized by more negative δ18O values. This is in agreement with the δD record obtained for sedimentary n-alkane leaf wax biomarkers. We present a conceptual model for interpreting the combined δ18O and δD biomarker record. Based on this model, we suggest that both our δ18O and the δD record primarily reflect the temperature-controlled isotopic composition of paleoprecipitation modified by evaporative isotope enrichment of leaf water during transpiration. Considering fractionation factors during sugar and n-alkane biomarker biosynthesis allows reconstructing the leaf water isotopic composition and the deuterium excess of the leaf water. The deuterium excess may serve as proxy for evaporative enrichment and allows calculating relative humidity using a Craig-Gordon model. Accordingly, relative humidity in NE-Siberia was higher during marine isotope stage (MIS) 6 compared to MIS 2, 4 and 5d and thus could help explaining the much larger extent of the Late Saalian glaciation compared to the Weichselian glaciations. Using the Craig-Gordon model, we also calculated δ18O of the plant source water (δ18Osource water), which can

Recent Ice Loss from the Fleming and Other Glaciers, Wordie Bay, West Antarctic Peninsula

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rignot, E.; Casassa, G.; Gogineni, S.; Kanagaratnam, P.; Krabill, W.; Pritchard, H.; Rivera, A.; Thomas, R.; Turner, J.; Vaughan, D.

2005-01-01

Satellite radar interferometry data from 1995 to 2004, and airborne ice thickness data from 2002, reveal that the glaciers flowing into former Wordie Ice Shelf, West Antarctic Peninsula, discharge 6.8 +/- 0.3 km(exp 3)/yr of ice, which is 84 +/- 30 percent larger than a snow accumulation of 3.7 +/- 0.8 km(exp 3)/yr over a 6,300 km(exp 2) drainage basin. Airborne and ICESat laser altimetry elevation data reveal glacier thinning at rates up to 2 m/yr. Fifty km from its ice front, Fleming Glacier flows 50 percent faster than it did in 1974 prior to the main collapse of Wordie Ice Shelf. We conclude that the glaciers accelerated following ice shelf removal, and have been thinning and losing mass to the ocean over the last decade. This and other observations suggest that the mass loss from the northern part of the Peninsula is not negligible at present.

High resolution stalagmite climate record from the Yucatán Peninsula spanning the Maya terminal classic period

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Medina-Elizalde, Martín; Burns, Stephen J.; Lea, David W.; Asmerom, Yemane; von Gunten, Lucien; Polyak, Victor; Vuille, Mathias; Karmalkar, Ambarish

2010-09-01

The decline of the Classic Maya civilization was complex and geographically variable, and occurred over a ~ 150-year interval, known as the Terminal Classic Period (TCP, C.E. 800-950). Paleoclimate studies based on lake sediments from the Yucatán Peninsula lowlands suggested that drought prevailed during the TCP and was likely an important factor in the disintegration of the Classic Maya civilization. The lacustrine evidence for decades of severe drought in the Yucatán Peninsula, however, does not readily explain the long 150-year socio-political decline of the Classic Maya civilization. Here we present a new, absolute-dated, high-resolution stalagmite δ18O record from the northwest Yucatán Peninsula that provides a much more detailed picture of climate variability during the last 1500 years. Direct calibration between stalagmite δ18O and rainfall amount offers the first quantitative estimation of rainfall variability during the Terminal Classic Period. Our results show that eight severe droughts, lasting from 3 to 18 years, occurred during major depopulation events of Classic Maya city-states. During these droughts, rainfall was reduced by 52% to 36%. The number and short duration of the dry intervals help explain why the TCP collapse of the Mayan civilization occurred over 150 years.

Influence of finite-time Lyapunov exponents on winter precipitation over the Iberian Peninsula

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garaboa-Paz, Daniel; Lorenzo, Nieves; Pérez-Muñuzuri, Vicente

2017-05-01

Seasonal forecasts have improved during the last decades, mostly due to an increase in understanding of the coupled ocean-atmosphere dynamics, and the development of models able to predict the atmosphere variability. Correlations between different teleconnection patterns and severe weather in different parts of the world are constantly evolving and changing. This paper evaluates the connection between winter precipitation over the Iberian Peninsula and the large-scale tropospheric mixing over the eastern Atlantic Ocean. Finite-time Lyapunov exponents (FTLEs) have been calculated from 1979 to 2008 to evaluate this mixing. Our study suggests that significant negative correlations exist between summer FTLE anomalies and winter precipitation over Portugal and Spain. To understand the mechanisms behind this correlation, summer anomalies of the FTLE have also been correlated with other climatic variables such as the sea surface temperature (SST), the sea level pressure (SLP) or the geopotential. The East Atlantic (EA) teleconnection index correlates with the summer FTLE anomalies, confirming their role as a seasonal predictor for winter precipitation over the Iberian Peninsula.

Uranium-series ages of marine terraces, La Paz Peninsula, Baja California Sur, Mexico

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sirkin, L.; Szabo, B. J.; Padilla, G.A.; Pedrin, S.A.; Diaz, E.R.

1990-01-01

Uranium-series dating of coral samples from raised marine terrace deposits between 1.5 and 10 m above sea level in the La Paz Peninsula area, Baja California Sur, yielded ages between 123 ka and 138 ka that are in agreement with previously reported results. The stratigraphy and ages of marine units near the El Coyote Arroyo indicate the presence of two high stands of the sea during the last interglacial or oxygen isotope substage 5e at about 140 ka and 123 ka. Accepting 5 m for the sea level during the last interglacial transgression, we calculate average uplift rates for the marine terraces of about ???70 mm/ka and 40 mm/ka. These slow rates of uplift indicate a relative stability of the La Paz peninsula area for the past 140 000 years. In contrast, areas of Baja California affected by major faultf experienced higher rates of uplift. Rockwell et al. (1987) reported vertical uplift rates of 180 to 300 mm/ka at Punta Banda within the Aqua Blanea fault zone in northern Baja California. ?? 1990 Springer-Verlag.

Analysis of Terrestrial Carbon Stocks in a Small Catchment of Northeastern Siberia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heard, K.; Natali, S.; Bunn, A. G.; Loranty, M. M.; Kholodov, A. L.; Schade, J. D.; Berner, L. T.; Spektor, V.; Zimov, N.; Alexander, H. D.

2015-12-01

As arctic terrestrial ecosystems comprise about one-third of the global terrestrial ecosystem carbon total, understanding arctic carbon cycling and the feedback of terrestrial carbon pools to accelerated warming is an issue of global concern. For this research, we examined above- and belowground carbon stocks in a larch-dominated catchment underlain by yedoma and located within the Kolyma River watershed in northeastern Siberia. We quantified carbon stocks in vegetation, active layer, and permafrost, and we assessed the correlation between plant and active layer carbon pools and four environmental correlates — slope, solar insolation, canopy density, and leaf area index ­— at 20 sites. Carbon in the active layer was approximately four times greater than aboveground carbon pools (972 g C m-2), and belowground carbon to 1 m depth was approximately 18 times greater than aboveground carbon pools. Canopy density and slope had a robust positive association with aboveground carbon pools, and soil moisture was positively related to %C in organic, thawed mineral and permafrost soil. Thaw depth was negatively correlated with moss cover and larch biomass, highlighting the importance of vegetation and surface characteristics on permafrost carbon vulnerability. These data suggest that landscape and ecosystem characteristics affect carbon accumulation and storage, but they also play an important role in stabilizing permafrost carbon pools.

Tree-ring dating of meteorite fall in Sikhote-Alin, Eastern Siberia - Russia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fantucci, R.; Di Martino, Mario; Serra, Romano

2012-01-01

This research deals with the fall of the Sikhote-Alin iron meteorite on the morning of 12 February 1947, at about 00:38 h Utrecht, in a remote area in the territory of Primorsky Krai in Eastern Siberia (46°09‧36″N, 134°39‧22″E). The area engulfed by the meteoritic fall was around 48 km2, with an elliptic form and thousands of craters. Around the large craters the trees were torn out by the roots and laid radially to the craters at a distance of 10-20 m; the more distant trees had broken tops. This research investigated through dendrocronology n.6 Scots pine trees (Pinus Sibirica) close to one of the main impact craters. The analysis of growth anomalies has shown a sudden decrease since 1947 for 4-8 years after the meteoritic impact. Tree growth stress, detected in 1947, was analysed in detail through wood microsection that confirmed the winter season (rest vegetative period) of the event. The growth stress is mainly due to the lost crown (needle lost) and it did not seem to be caused due to direct damages on trunk and branches (missing of resin ducts).

Hydrological and climate changes in southeast Siberia over the last 33 kyr

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Katsuta, Nagayoshi; Ikeda, Hisashi; Shibata, Kenji; Saito-Kokubu, Yoko; Murakami, Takuma; Tani, Yukinori; Takano, Masao; Nakamura, Toshio; Tanaka, Atsushi; Naito, Sayuri; Ochiai, Shinya; Shichi, Koji; Kawakami, Shin-ichi; Kawai, Takayoshi

2018-05-01

Paleoenvironmental and paleoclimate changes in intracontinental Siberia were reconstructed by continuous, high-resolution records (biogenic silica, U, total organic carbon and N, total S, and grain size) from a sediment core retrieved from the Buguldeika Saddle, Lake Baikal, dating back to the last 33 cal. ka BP. The Holocene climate was wet relative to the last glacial period. The climate became gradually warm and wet from the early to middle Holocene, followed by a shift at ca. 6.5 cal. ka BP toward warm and dry, possibly because of evapotranspiration. This suggests that the climate system transition from the glacial to interglacial state occurred at that time. In the last glacial, the deposition of carbonate mud from the Primorsky Range was associated with Heinrich events (H3 and H1) and the Selenga River inflow during the Last Glacial Maximum was caused by meltwater of mountain glaciers in the Khamar-Daban Range. The anoxic bottom-water during the Allerød-Younger Dryas was probably a result of weakened ventilation associated with reduced Selenga River inflow and microbial decomposition of organic matters originating from moderate input of nutrients from the Primorsky Range. The rapid decline in precipitation during the early Holocene may have been a response to the 8.2 ka cooling event.

An 84-kyr paleomagnetic record from the sediments of Lake Baikal, Siberia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Peck, J.A.; King, J.W.; Colman, Steven M.; Kravchinsky, V.A.

1996-01-01

We have conducted a paleomagnetic study of sediment cores obtained from the Selenga prodelta region of Lake Baikal, Russia. This record, which spans approximately the last 84 kyr, contributes to a better understanding of the nature of geomagnetic field behavior in Siberia and is a useful correlation and dating tool. We demonstrate that the Lake Baikal sediments are recording variations in the geomagnetic field. The directional record displays secular variation behavior with a geomagnetic excursion at 20 ka and additional excursions appearing as large-amplitude secular variation at 41, 61, and 67 ka. Smoothing of the geomagnetic excursion behavior occurs in Lake Baikal sediments owing to the intermediate sedimentation rate (13 cm kyr-1). The Lake Baikal relative paleointensity record correlates to absolute paleointensity data for the last 10 kyr and to relative paleointensity records from the Mediterranean Sea and Indian Ocean for the last 84 kyr. This correlation suggests a strong global (i.e., dipole) component to these records and further supports the reliability of sediments as recorders of relative geomagnetic paleointensity. We show that a relative geomagnetic intensity stratigraphy has a potential resolution of 7 kyr by correlating continental and marine records. The geomagnetic intensity stratigraphy helps constrain the age of the difficult to date Lake Baikal sediments.

Informatics and computational method for inundation and land use study in Arctic Sea eastern Siberia, Russia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boori, Mukesh Singh; Choudhary, Komal; Kupriyanov, Alexander; Sugimoto, Atsuko

2016-11-01

Eastern Siberia, Russia is physically and socio-economically vulnerable to accelerated Arctic sea level rise due to low topography, high ecological value, harsh climatic conditions, erosion and flooding of coastal area and destruction of harbor constructions and natural coastal hazards. A 1 to 10m inundation land loss scenarios for surface water and sea level rise (SLR) were developed using digital elevation models of study site topography through remote sensing and GIS techniques by ASTER GDEM and Landsat OLI data. Results indicate that 10.82% (8072.70km2) and 29.73% (22181.19km2) of the area will be lost by flooding at minimum and maximum inundation levels, respectively. The most severely impacted sectors are expected to be the vegetation, wetland and the natural ecosystem. Improved understanding of the extent and response of SLR will help in preparing for mitigation and adaptation.

Monitoring of land-based glaciers on James Ross Island, Antarctic Peninsula

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Laska, Kamil; Nyvlt, Daniel; Engel, Zbynek; Stachon, Zdenek

2015-04-01

Antarctic Peninsula has been considered one of the most rapidly warming parts of our planet during the second half of the 20th century. Therefore, James Ross Island located near the northern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula, represents a unique place to study the sensitivity of glacier systems to regional atmospheric warming. Since 2006, an integrated multidisciplinary study of glaciers and terrestrial ecosystems has been carried out in the northern part of Ulu Peninsula, James Ross Island. In this contribution, glacier monitoring network consisting of four dominant land-based glaciers at the Ulu Peninsula is presented. Davies Dome (DD) is an ice dome, which originates on the surface of a flat volcanic mesa at >400 m a.s.l. and terminates as a single 700 m wide outlet in Whisky Bay. In 2006, Davies Dome had an area of 6.5 km2 and lay in the altitude range 0-514 m a.s.l. Whisky Glacier (WG) is a cold-based land-terminating valley glacier, which is surrounded by an extensive area of debris-covered ice. WG covered an area of 2.4 km2 and ranged from 215 to 520 m a.s.l. Triangular Glacier (TG) is a southwest-facing land-terminating glacier with an area of 0.6 km2 ranging from 302 to 107 m a.s.l. with well-developed ice-cored terminal moraine. San Jose Glacier (SJG) is a south-facing land-terminating piedmont glacier rejuvenated from the above lying Lachman Crags Dome (~640 m a.s.l.). SJG covers an area of 0.6 km2 and extends between 138 and 310 m a.s.l. Moreover, monitoring network consists of five automatic weather stations (AWS) placed in the central and marginal parts of the selected glaciers. Each AWS was equipped with the EMS33 air temperature and humidity probes placed inside the radiation shields. Apart from that, additional instruments, e.g. albedometer, propeller anemometer, snow depth sensors were installed on the central part of DD and WG. Since 2009, annual mass balance measurements have been realized on the DD, WG and TG glaciers. In 2010, ice thickness and

A comparison of daily evaporation downscaled using WRFDA model and GLEAM dataset over the Iberian Peninsula.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

José González-Rojí, Santos; Sáenz, Jon; Ibarra-Berastegi, Gabriel

2017-04-01

GLEAM dataset was presented a few years ago and since that moment, it has just been used for validation of evaporation in a few places of the world (Australia and Africa). The Iberian Peninsula is composed of different soil types and it is affected by different weather regimes, with different climate regions. It is this feature which makes it a very interesting zone for the study of the meteorological cycle, including evaporation. For that purpose, a numerical downscaling exercise over the Iberian Peninsula was run nesting the WRF model inside ERA Interim. Two model configurations were tested in two experiments spanning the period 2010-2014 after a one-year spin-up (2009). In the first experiment (N), boundary conditions drive the model. The second experiment (D) is configured the same way as the N case, but 3DVAR data assimilation is run every six hours (00Z, 06Z, 12Z and 18Z) using observations obtained from the PREPBUFR dataset. For both N and D runs and ERA Interim, the evaporation of the model runs was compared to GLEAM v3.0b and v3.0c datasets over the Iberian Peninsula, both at the daily and monthly time scales. GLEAM v3.0a was not used for validation as it uses for forcing radiation and air temperature data from ERA Interim. Results show that the experiment with data assimilation (D) improve the results obtained for N experiment. Moreover, correlations values are comparable to the ones obtained with ERA Interim. However, some negative correlation values are observed at Portuguese and Mediterranean coasts for both WRF runs. All of these problematic points are considered as urban sites by the NOAH land surface model. Because of that, the model is not able to simulate a correct evaporation value. Even with these discrepancies, better results than for ERA Interim are observed for seasonal Biases and daily RMSEs over Iberian Peninsula, obtaining the best values inland. Minimal differences are observed for the two GLEAM datasets selected.

Slow Long-Term Erosion Rates of Banks Peninsula, New Zealand

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dudunake, T.; Nichols, K. K.; Pugsley, E.; Nelson, S.; Colton, J.

2017-12-01

Banks Peninsula, located south of Christchurch, New Zealand, is composed of a multi-aged complex of volcanic centers. The oldest, Lyttelton Volcano is 12 to 10 Ma, and 350 km3. The largest volcano, Akaroa Volcano, is 9 to 8 Ma and 1200 km3. Both of these volcanoes have large embayments (Lyttelton Harbour and Akaroa Harbour) that connect the central volcano (the location of the former volcanic summits) to the ocean. The other eruptive centers, Mt. Herbert ( 9.5 to 8 Ma) and Diamond Harbor (7 to 5.8 Ma), have not eroded to sea level. We used inferred original surfaces and present day topography to calculate the volume of rock eroded from river valleys draining the flanks of Lyttelton (n=11) and Akaroa (n=26) volcanoes and from the large embayments that penetrate the eroding Lyttelton (n=8) and Akaroa (n=25) volcanoes. We used the youngest age of the eruptions as the start of erosion (Lyttelton = 10 Ma and Akaroa = 8 Ma) to determine erosion rates. Preliminary data suggest average erosion rates of 8.2 ± 2.4 m/My (averaged over 10 Ma) on the flanks of Lyttelton Volcano and 12 ± 5.1 m/My (averaged over 8 Ma) on the flanks of Akaroa Volcano. Dating control and formation processes of Lyttelton Harbour and Akaroa Harbour are poorly constrained. The youngest lava flows, Diamond Harbor, are 5.7 Ma and flow into the Lyttelton Harbour embayment. Using endmembers of embayment age for Lyttelton Harbour (10 Ma to 5.7 Ma) the erosion rates range between 18 ± 5.8 m/My and 31 ± 10 m/My. Similarly, the hillslopes of Akaroa Harbour have slow erosion rates (based on endmember ages of 8 Ma and 5.7 Ma) and range between 22 ± 18 and 31 ± 25 m/My. Even the fastest erosion rates on Banks Peninsula are an order of magnitude slower than the erosion rates of other basalt volcanoes in the world's oceans. Using a similar methodology, Tahiti is eroding between 1200 and 2700 m/Ma (Hildenbrand et al., 2008). Other erosion rates, based on sediment yields and water chemistry for La Reunion (400

Phylogeography of mitochondrial DNA variation in brown bears and polar bears.

PubMed

Shields, G F; Adams, D; Garner, G; Labelle, M; Pietsch, J; Ramsay, M; Schwartz, C; Titus, K; Williamson, S

2000-05-01

We analyzed 286 nucleotides of the middle portion of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene of 61 brown bears from three locations in Alaska and 55 polar bears from Arctic Canada and Arctic Siberia to test our earlier observations of paraphyly between polar bears and brown bears as well as to test the extreme uniqueness of mitochondrial DNA types of brown bears on Admiralty, Baranof, and Chichagof (ABC) islands of southeastern Alaska. We also investigated the phylogeography of brown bears of Alaska's Kenai Peninsula in relation to other Alaskan brown bears because the former are being threatened by increased human development. We predicted that: (1) mtDNA paraphyly between brown bears and polar bears would be upheld, (2) the mtDNA uniqueness of brown bears of the ABC islands would be upheld, and (3) brown bears of the Kenai Peninsula would belong to either clade II or clade III of brown bears of our earlier studies of mtDNA. All of our predictions were upheld through the analysis of these additional samples. Copyright 2000 Academic Press.

Phylogeography of mitochondrial DNA variation in brown bears and polar bears

USGS Publications Warehouse

Shields, Gerald F.; Adams, Deborah; Garner, Gerald W.; Labelle, Martine; Pietsch, Jacy; Ramsay, Malcolm; Schwartz, Charles; Titus, Kimberly; Williamson, Scott

2000-01-01

We analyzed 286 nucleotides of the middle portion of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene of 61 brown bears from three locations in Alaska and 55 polar bears from Arctic Canada and Arctic Siberia to test our earlier observations of paraphyly between polar bears and brown bears as well as to test the extreme uniqueness of mitochondrial DNA types of brown bears on Admiralty, Baranof, and Chichagof (ABC) islands of southeastern Alaska. We also investigated the phylogeography of brown bears of Alaska's Kenai Peninsula in relation to other Alaskan brown bears because the former are being threatened by increased human development. We predicted that: (1) mtDNA paraphyly between brown bears and polar bears would be upheld, (2) the mtDNA uniqueness of brown bears of the ABC islands would be upheld, and (3) brown bears of the Kenai Peninsula would belong to either clade II or clade III of brown bears of our earlier studies of mtDNA. All of our predictions were upheld through the analysis of these additional samples.

Mapping human environment connections on the Olympic Peninsula: an atlas of landscape values

Treesearch

R. McLain; L. Cerveny; Paul M. Montesano; André Beaudoin; Guoqing Sun; Hans-Erik Andersen; Michael A. Wulder; S. Rohdy

2015-01-01

The advent of computerized mapping has greatly expanded the ability of land managers to map many aspects of ecological systems, such as tree species, soil types, wildlife habitat, air quality, and water conditions. Mapping the social and cultural aspects of ecological systems, however, has proved much more challenging. This atlas uses the Olympic Peninsula in western...

Assessing present and future climate changes in Siberia and their regional socioeconomic consequences using a web-based big data geoprocessing platform

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alexeev, V. A.; Gordov, E. P.

2016-12-01

Recently initiated collaborative research project is presented. Its main objective is to develop high spatial and temporal resolution datasets for studying the ongoing and future climate changes in Siberia, caused by global and regional processes in the atmosphere and the ocean. This goal will be achieved by using a set of regional and global climate models for the analysis of the mechanisms of climate change and quantitative assessment of changes in key climate variables, including analysis of extreme weather and climate events and their dynamics, evaluation of the frequency, amplitude and the risks caused by the extreme events in the region. The main practical application of the project is to provide experts, stakeholders and the public with quantitative information about the future climate change in Siberia obtained on the base of a computational web- geoinformation platform. The thematic platform will be developed in order to facilitate processing and analysis of high resolution georeferenced datasets that will be delivered and made available to scientific community, policymakes and other end users as a result of the project. Software packages will be developed to implement calculation of various climatological indicators in order to characterize and diagnose climate change and its dynamics, as well as to archive results in digital form of electronic maps (GIS layers). By achieving these goals the project will provide science based tools necessary for developing mitigation measures for adapting to climate change and reducing negative impact on the population and infrastructure of the region. Financial support of the computational web- geoinformation platform prototype development by the RF Ministry of Education and Science under Agreement 14.613.21.0037 (RFMEFI61315X0037) is acknowledged.

History of views on the relative positions of Antarctica and South America: A 100-year tango between Patagonia and the Antarctic Peninsula

USGS Publications Warehouse

Miller, H.

2007-01-01

Discussion of continental drift around Antarctica began nearly 100 years ago. While the Gondwana connections of Antarctica to Africa and Australia have been well defined for decades, the relative pre-drift positions of the Antarctic Peninsula and Patagonia continue to be subjects of controversy. Certainly older figures, which showed a paleo-position of the Peninsula crossing over continental crust of the Falkland Plateau or even South Africa or Patagonia, are out of consideration now. But contradictory opinions remain over the relative paleo-position of the Peninsula as a more or less straight prolongation of the Patagonian Andes, versus a position parallel to Patagonia along the Pacific coast. Geological reasons are found for both opinions, but geophysical observations on the adjacent ocean floors, particularly the evolution of the Weddell Sea crust, speak for the last-mentioned reconstruction.

Clustering of Synoptic Pattern over the Korean Peninsula from Meteorological Models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Jinah; Heo, Kiyoung; Choi, Jungwoon; Jung, Sanghoon

2017-04-01

Numerical modeling data on meteorological and ocean science is one of example of big geographic data sources. The properties of the data including the volume, variety, and dynamic aspects pose new challenges for geographic visualization, and visual geoanalytics using big data analysis using machine learning method. A combination of algorithmic and visual approaches that make sense of large volumes of various types of spatiotemporal data are required to gain knowledge about complex phenomena. In the East coast of Korea, it is suffering from property damages and human causalities due to abnormal high waves (swell-like high-height waves). It is known to be caused by local meteorological conditions on the East Sea of Korean Peninsula in previous research and they proposed three kinds of pressure patterns that generate abnormal high waves. However, they cannot describe all kinds of pressure patterns that generate abnormal high waves. In our study, we propose unsupervised machine learning method for pattern clustering and applied it to classify a pattern which has occurred abnormal high waves using numerical meteorological model's reanalysis data from 2000 to 2015 and past historical records of accidents by abnormal high waves. About 25,000 patterns of total spatial distribution of sea surface pressure are clustered into 30 patterns and they are classified into seasonal sea level pressure patterns based on meteorological characteristics of Korean peninsula. Moreover, in order to determine the representative patterns which occurs abnormal high waves, we classified it again using historical accidents cases among the winter season pressure patterns. In this work, we clustered synoptic pattern over the Korean Peninsula in meteorological modeling reanalysis data and we could understand a seasonal variation through identifying the occurrence of clustered synoptic pattern. For the future work, we have to identify the relationship of wave modeling data for better understanding

Groundwater Dynamics in Fossil Fractured Carbonate Aquifers in Eastern Arabian Peninsula

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Farag, A. Z. A.; Heggy, E.; Helal, M.; Thirunavukkarasu, D.; Scabbia, G.; Palmer, E. M.

2017-12-01

The Eastern Arabian Peninsula, notably the Qatar Peninsula, represents one of the highest natural groundwater discharge areas for the Arabian platform fossil aquifer system. Groundwater flow dynamics in these aquifers trace the paleoclimatic conditions that have prevailed the Arabian Peninsula during the Quaternary. In such settings, connections between aquifers strongly affect the flow dynamics, water quality and availability as well as karst formation and landscape evolution. Geological structures such as folds, faults and fractures are central to aquifer connectivity, yet their role on groundwater flow is poorly understood. Herein, we performed a detailed mapping of exposed and buried structural features in Qatar using Landsat, Sentinel and ALOS-PalSAR scenes, correlated with field and laboratory measurements to understand their role in aquifer connectivity and groundwater dynamics. Our results suggest that E-W oriented fold-related faults act as vertical conduits along which artesian upward leakages from the deep aquifers (e.g. Aruma and Umm er Radhuma) take place into the shallower aquifers (e.g. Rus and Dammam). Evidence includes: (1) the high potentiometric surfaces of deep aquifers (6 to 25 m amsl) compare to the shallower aquifers (2-3 m amsl for the same region); (2) anomalous elevation of groundwater levels and steeper hydraulic gradients in densely faulted regions; (3) mixed isotopic composition in shallow aquifers (δ18O: -5 to -2 ‰, δ2H: -40 to -10 ‰) between reported deep fossil waters (δ18O: -6.3 ‰, δ2H: -55 ‰) and modern meteoric waters (weighted average: δ18O: -0.6 ‰, δ2H: 4 ‰); (4) abundant meso-crystalline fibrous gypsum veins along fault zones in the Dammam Formation (up to 28 m amsl) in southern Qatar where the anhydritic member of the Rus Formation predominates the subsurface leading to gypsum oversaturation of groundwater. The similarity of crystal morphology (platy crystals under SEM), mineralogical compositions from XRD

Forearc Morphotectonics and Megathrust Earthquakes Along the Middle America Convergent Margin, Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marshall, J. S.; Spotila, J. A.; Gardner, T.; Protti, M.; LaFromboise, E. J.; Morrish, S.; Robinson, M.; Barnhart, A.; Butcher, A.; Khaw, F.; Piestrzeniewicz, P.; Ritzinger, B.; Utick, J.; Wellington, K.

2015-12-01

The Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica forms a prominent morphologic high along the Middle America forearc where the Cocos plate subducts beneath the Caribbean plate at 8.5 cm/yr. This emergent coastal landmass lies directly above the megathrust along a seismogenic zone that produces frequent major earthquakes. Along the Nicoya coast, Quaternary marine and fluvial terraces record net uplift in a pattern that shadows the peninsula's overall topographic form. Terrace mapping, surveying, and age dating (14C, OSL, TCN) reveal uplift variations that coincide with three contrasting domains of subducting seafloor (EPR, CNS-1, CNS-2). Uplift rates vary between 0.1-0.2 m/ky inboard of older EPR crust in the north; 0.2-0.5 m/ky inboard of younger CNS-1 crust along the central coast; and 1.5-2.5 m/ky inboard of CNS-2 seamounts impacting the peninsula's southern tip. GIS digital terrain analysis reveals a deformation pattern consistent with field geomorphic and geologic observations. The two largest Nicoya earthquakes in the past century (1950 Mw7.8; 2012 Mw7.6) each generated decimeter-scale coseismic uplift along the central coast. The 2012 uplift pattern coincides with the area of pre-event locking, mainshock slip, prior 1950 rupture, and 1950 coseismic uplift. Most of the 1950 uplift was recovered by gradual interseismic subsidence during six decades of strain accumulation leading to the 2012 rupture. Paleoseismic sediment coring in Nicoya coastal wetlands reveals fragmentary stratigraphic evidence consistent with earlier Holocene earthquake induced changes in land level. While elastic strain accumulation and release produce short-term cycles of uplift and subsidence, long-term net uplift results in gradual coastal emergence and the growth of topographic relief. Net uplift along the central Nicoya segment may be the product of irrecoverable seismic cycle strain (shortening), coupled with tectonic erosion near the trench and subsequent underplating of eroded material at depth

Late Mesozoic tectonics of the Southern-Thai Peninsula: from transpression to basins opening

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sautter, Benjamin; Pubellier, Manuel; Menier, David

2015-04-01

The petroleum basins of the Southern Thailand Peninsula are poorly known and their final geometry is controlled by the Tertiary stress variations applied on pre-existing Paleozoic and Mesozoic basement structures. From the end of Mesozoic times, the arrival of Indian plate was accomodated by transpressionnal deformation along the Western Margin of Sunda Plate. Evidences of this strain are the motions along several regional strike Slip Faults (Sagaing, Three Pagodas, Mae Ping, Red River, Ranong and Klong Marui Faults) as well as compressional features (folds and thrusts) evidenced onshore. Due to changes in the boundary forces, these structures were reactivated during the Tertiary, leading to the opening of basins in this part of Sundaland. We present a structural analysis based on geomorphology, fieldwork and seismic interpretation of the Southern Thai Peninsula with emphasis on the deformation's style onshore from Ranong to Satun and offshore from Eastern Mergui to Songhkla. By analyzing morphostructures and drainage anomalies from Digital Elevation Model (SRTM and ASTER), we highlight a predominance of N-S structures in the Southern Thai Peninsula: both in the granitic belt and in the sedimentary cover. The Triassic-Jurassic (Indosinian) post-collision granitic belt is intensely fractured, with 2 penetrative directions: N140 and N50. On both sides, the sedimentary units appear folded at a large wavelength (~20km). On most of the studied outcrops, Triassic to Early Cretaceous series are gently tilted and weakly fractured whereas the Paleozoic ones shows intense fracturation and steep dipping beds. Moreover, all the Paleozoic stratas display a constant N-S S1 which does not appear in the Mezosoic sediments. Althought most of the post-Mesozoic sediments do not crop out due to thick vegetal cover, several Tertiary basins can be easily seen from seismic data both onshore and offshore. These data suggest that rifting started in the Eocene and was accommodated by large

Age and genesis of the Upper Cenozoic deposits of the Tyumen oblast (Western Siberia) enriched in biogenic silica

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aleksandrova, G. N.; Oreshkina, T. V.; Smirnov, P. V.; Konstantinov, A. O.; Kuzmina, O. B.

2017-07-01

An integrated micropaleontological study of deposits enriched in biogenic silica was conducted on material drilled in the Zyryanka and Uspenka fields of the southwestern Tyumen oblast (Western Siberia). The data obtained on palynology and diatoms allowed the assignment of the Zyryanka Field to the Turtas Formation (lower part of the Chattian Stage of the Oligocene) and the deposits of the Uspenka Field to be dated as Pleistocene. The absence in the Zyryanka Field diatom assemblage of in situ marine taxa and the mass occurrence of freshwater species, gemmuloscleres of freshwater sponges, and zygospores of Zygnematales algae suggest that a nonmarine basin existed in the early Turtas time. A considerable proportion of redeposited diatoms and dinocysts in the Quaternary deposits of the Uspenka Field suggest strong erosional processes during the time of deposition.

Geyser Valley on the Kamchatka Peninsula

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2007-01-01

On June 2, a devastating mudslide in the world-renowned Geyser Valley on the Kamchatka Peninsula virtually obliterated the natural wonder, forcing the emergency evacuation of visitors and national park personnel. The site, which is the Kamchatka Peninsula's main tourist attraction, consists of some 200 thermal pools created by the area's intense volcanic activity, including about 90 geysers covering an area of four square kilometers (2.5 square miles). It is one of only five sites in the world where the impressive eruptions of steam and boiling-hot water can be found. According to witnesses, a powerful mudslide 1.5 kilometers (one mile) long and 200 meters (600 feet) wide buried more than two-thirds of the valley beneath tens of meters of snow, dirt, trees and boulders (right image), and created a temporary lake submerging more geysers.

With its 14 spectral bands from the visible to the thermal infrared wavelength region, and its high spatial resolution of 15 to 90 meters (about 50 to 300 feet), ASTER images Earth to map and monitor the changing surface of our planet.

ASTER is one of five Earth-observing instruments launched December 18, 1999, on NASA's Terra spacecraft. The instrument was built by Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. A joint U.S./Japan science team is responsible for validation and calibration of the instrument and the data products.

The broad spectral coverage and high spectral resolution of ASTER provides scientists in numerous disciplines with critical information for surface mapping, and monitoring of dynamic conditions and temporal change. Example applications are: monitoring glacial advances and retreats; monitoring potentially active volcanoes; identifying crop stress; determining cloud morphology and physical properties; wetlands evaluation; thermal pollution monitoring; coral reef degradation; surface temperature mapping of soils and geology; and measuring surface heat balance.

The U.S. science team is

Radiative characteristics of aerosol during extreme fire event over Siberia in summer 2012

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhuravleva, Tatiana B.; Kabanov, Dmitriy M.; Nasrtdinov, Ilmir M.; Russkova, Tatiana V.; Sakerin, Sergey M.; Smirnov, Alexander; Holben, Brent N.

2017-01-01

Microphysical and optical properties of aerosol were studied during a mega-fire event in summer 2012 over Siberia using ground-based measurements of spectral solar radiation at the AERONET site in Tomsk and satellite observations. The data were analysed using multi-year (2003-2013) measurements of aerosol characteristics under background conditions and for less intense fires, differing in burning biomass type, stage of fire, remoteness from observation site, etc. (ordinary smoke). In June-August 2012, the average aerosol optical depth (AOD, 500 nm) had been 0.95 ± 0.86, about a factor of 6 larger than background values (0.16 ± 0.08), and a factor of 2.5 larger than in ordinary smoke. The AOD values were extremely high on 24-28 July and reached 3-5. A comparison with satellite observations showed that ground-based measurements in the region of Tomsk not only reflect the local AOD features, but are also characteristic for the territory of Western Siberia as a whole. Single scattering albedo (SSA, 440 nm) in this period ranged from 0.91 to 0.99 with an average of ˜ 0.96 in the entire wavelength range of 440-1020 nm. The increase in absorptance of aerosol particles (SSA(440 nm) = 0.92) and decrease in SSA with wavelength observed in ordinary smoke agree with the data from multi-year observations in analogous situations in the boreal zone of USA and Canada. Volume aerosol size distribution in extreme and ordinary smoke had a bimodal character with significant prevalence of fine-mode particles, but in summer 2012 the mean median radius and the width of the fine-mode distribution somewhat increased. In contrast to data from multi-year observations, in summer 2012 an increase in the volume concentration and median radius of the coarse mode was observed with growing AOD. The calculations of the average radiative effects of smoke and background aerosol are presented. Compared to background conditions and ordinary smoke, under the extreme smoke conditions the