The rotation period of comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1 determined from the dust structures (Jets) in the coma

The results of the photometric observations of comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1 are analyzed. The comet demonstrates substantial activity at heliocentric distances larger than 5 AU, i.e., outside the water ice sublimation zone. The CCD images of the comet were obtained in wideband R filters at the 6-meter telescope of the Special Astrophysical Observatory of the Russian Academy of Sciences (SAO RAS) and at the 2-meter Zeiss-2000 telescope of the Peak Terskol Observatory. The processing of the images with special digital filters allowed the active structures (jets) to be distinguished in the dust coma of the comet. With the cross-correlation method, the rotation period of the cometary nucleus was determined as 12.1 ± 1.2 and 11.7 ± 1.5 days for the observations taken in December 2008, and February 2009, respectively. The probable causes of the difference in the estimates of the rotation period of the cometary nucleus obtained by different authors are discussed.     

The Ufimian Stage of the East European scale: Status, validity, and correlation potential

The resolution of the Commission on the Permian System of the Interdepartmental Stratigraphic Committee (ISC) to exclude the Ufimian Stage from the General (East European) stratigraphic scale is questioned. This resolution led to substantial changes in the charactristics of several stage units and violated rules of the stratigraphic nomenclature. The paleontological characteristic of the Ufimian Stage differs from that of the Kungurian Stage in its initial volume. It is shown that the Ufimian Stage is characterized by its high correlation potential.     

Interaction between artificial ionospheric turbulence and geomagnetic pulsations

Quasiperiodical variations in the Doppler shift of HF signals scattered by artificial ionospheric turbulence have been investigated experimentally. It is assumed that a possible cause for these variations might be natural ionospheric MHD-waves. The amplitude of the magnetic component of such waves resulting in the observed Doppler shift magnitudes has been estimated as 1 γ.     

A computer-aided framework for subsurface identification of white shark pigment patterns

Subsurface video footage can be used as a successful identification tool for various marine organisms; however, processing of such information has proven challenging. This study tests the use of automated software to assist with photo-identification of the great white shark Carcharodon carcharias in the region of Gansbaai, on the south coast of South Africa. A subsurface photo catalogue was created from underwater video footage. Single individuals were identified by using pigmentation patterns. From this catalogue, two images of the head for each individual were inserted into automated contour-recognition software (Interactive Individual Identification System Beta Contour 3.0). One image was used to search the database, the other served as a reference image. Identification was made by means of a contour, assigned using the software to the irregular border of grey and white on the shark's head. In total, 90 different contours were processed. The output provided ranks, where the first match would be a direct identification of the individual. The method proved to be accurate, in particular for high-quality images where 88.24% and 94.12%, respectively, were identified by two independent analysts as first match, and with all individuals identified within the top 10 matches. The inclusion of metadata improved accuracy and precision, allowing identification of even low-quality images.     

On the role of diffractions in velocity model building: a full-waveform inversion example

Studia Geophysica et Geodaetica - Imaging of small-scale heterogeneities is important for the geological exploration in complex environments. It requires a processing sequence tuned to...     

Complex Studies in the 44th Cruise of R/V Akademik Boris Petrov

Oceanology - The 44th cruise of R/V Akademik Boris Petrov was carried out from October 5 to 30, 2018 in the Baltic Sea and Skagerrak Strait. The studies included investigation of the water column...     

Fenestral limestones: Specific features of late Devonian seas in the Timan-northern Ural region

The article is dedicated to the lithological-paleoecological analysis of Upper Devonian fenestral limestones from different areas of the Timan-northern Ural region, which reflect paleogeographic settings from the coastal zone to the marginal part of the shelf. It is established that their main structural elements are represented by fenestrae, peloids, calcispheres, and occasional microzoo- and phytobenthos remains. The presence of a dark micritic envelope on calcispheres is their specific textural feature. The envelope of calcispheres represents mineralized vegetable mucus, which reflects their planktonic type of dwelling. These structures include representatives of radiolarian skeletons, Charophyceae and Chlorophyceae algae, and foraminiferal tests. The trophic system consists of five levels. Carbonate sediments accumulated in relatively shallowwater and lagoonal settings occupied mostly by tidal and shallow-water subtidal microbial mats. In these lagoons, intermittently limited circulation stimulated the formation of anoxic conditions in bottom waters. Development of anoxic conditions in the bottom water layer, sulfate reduction, and freshwater influence determined the formation of a specific paleocoenosis of fenestral limestones, which could not form biogenic frameworks.     

Metamorphic-hydrothermal parkerite and associated minerals in the Noril’sk ore field

In the Noril’sk ore field, parkerite is a characteristic mineral of sulfide ore that metamorphosed under conditions of zeolite and prehnite-pumpellyite facies and of arsenide-calcite veins. The mineral occurs in ores containing bornite, anhydrite, magnetite, mackinawite (3–5 wt % Ni), valleriite, calcite, ankerite, native silver, native bismuth, violarite, Te-rich bismutohauchecornite, cupropentlandite enriched in Fe, Pd-rich breithauptite (1.5–2.5 wt % Pd), galena enriched in Cu (3.8 wt % Cu), and Ni arsenides and antimonides. Parkerite occurs in those place, where the primary ores have contained pockets and veins of graphic galena and chalcopyrite aggregates with associated Pt-Pd-Au-Ag minerals. Parkerite metacrysts in galena and Fe-Cu-Ni sulfides contain 6–16 and up to 5 wt % Pb, respectively. Parkerite rims replacing PGM aggregates and galena contain 1–3 wt % Pb. In calcite veins hosted in metamorphosed sulfide ores, parkerite is associated with native silver and bismuth, maucherite, cobaltite, chalcocite, and uraninite. Parkerite from these veins contains up to 0.5 wt % Pb. Thus, the Pb and Bi contents in parkerite basically depend on those of replaced minerals. Rare bismutohauchecornite is associated with parkerite.     

Organic carbon and sulphur compounds in wetland soils: insights on structure and transformation processes using K-edge XANES and NMR spectroscopy

X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy were used in combination to characterize organic carbon structures in a series of wetland soils in Saskatchewan, and XANES spectroscopy was also used to examine sulphur speciation in the soils. The organic C contents of most of the wetland soils are consistently higher by a factor of two to five times compared to adjacent well-drained soils. NMR analyses indicate that the organic matter in the wetland soils consists of predominantly aliphatic structures such as carbohydrates and long chain poly(methylene) units which are refractory structures found in plant waxes. The poly(methylene) structures have a significant capacity to sorb nonpolar organic molecules. The phenolic OH and carboxyl group content of the wetland soils studied is an additional significant factor in their sequestering ability for heavy metals or pesticides. Carbon XANES spectroscopy shows that the surface (∼10 nm) layer of particulate organic matter has a structure dominated by aromatic, carbohydrate and carboxylic acid-like material apparently derived from partially degraded lignin and cellulose polymers which are adsorbed onto clay minerals. The aliphatic structures remaining in this surface layer are probably recalcitrant (poly)methylene units. At a depth of ∼100 nm, the aliphatic content significantly increases suggesting the presence of more labile structures. The presence of these more labile aliphatic compounds may be due to slow decomposition rates in the wet, often cool environments present and to the protective action of the more refractory components in the surface ∼10 nm of the organic matter. Drying of the wetlands, either by draining or as a result of climate change, is likely to result in the rapid decomposition of these labile organic structures releasing carbon dioxide. Our data indicate that the preservation of the organic carbon compounds in these soils is a result of their presence as surface adsorbed layers on the soil mineral particles. The soils contain three different classes of sulphur compounds: reduced organic sulphur such as sulphides, low valent oxidized sulphur such as sulphoxides, and high valent oxidized sulphur such as sulphonate and sulphate. Of these, reduced sulphur species constitute between one-third and two-thirds of the total. Sulphonate structures comprise between a fifth and a third of the total. Sulphates exhibit a wide variation in content, and sulphoxides are either not detected or are present to a lesser extent (<5%). Drying of the wetlands would cause oxidation of sulphides to sulphates.