On the nature of transversal zonation in the Ural fold belt

Cross-basin heterogeneity in lanternfish (family Myctophidae) assemblages and isotopic niches (δ13C and δ15N) in the southern Tasman Sea abyssal basin

One of the most persistent rain-making events over East Asia is the development of an early summer monsoon trough (Mei-Yu) which extends from southeastern China to southern Japan. This work studies the structure and vorticity budget of a Mei-Yu system for the period 10–15 June 1975. Subjectively analyzed grid-point data are time composited with respect to the trough axis along three cross sections over southeastern China (western section), southern East China Sea (central section) and southern Japan (eastern section), respectively, during the mature and decaying stages of the trough. The results indicate that the structure of the eastern and central sections resembles a typical midlatitude baroclinic front with strong vertical tilt toward an upper level cold core and a strong horizontal temperature gradient. On the other band, the western section resembles a semitropical disturbance with an equivalent barotropic, warm core structure, a weak horizontal temperature gradient, and a rather strong horizontal wind shear in the lower troposphere. Cumulus convection activity south of the 850 mb trough is significant in all three sections and contributes substantially to the thermally direct secondary circulation, but the large-scale organizing mechanism differs from one section to another. In the eastern and central sections it is mainly due to differential vorticity advection while in the western section it is due to Ekman pumping (CISK). The generation of cyclonic vorticity is counteracted by cumulus damping in the eastern section and by boundary layer friction in the mountainous western section.

Lithostratigraphy, microfacies and paleogeography of the shallow marine Middle Limestone Member of the Early Eocene Rusayl Formation, Oman: Relationship to the Early Eocene Climatic Optimum, sea-level changes and regional uplift

Purpose: the studies of the Proletarskiy reservoir is to use the Novo-Manych dam in regulating the operation of the western and eastern sections with a water regulating structure between them. Materials and methods: the issues on use and regulation of water resources of the Proletarsk reservoir are considered, including the Novo-Manych dam, which divides the reservoir into the western and eastern sections. Results. The western section of the Proletarskiy reservoir is located between the Proletarskiy hydroelectric complex and the Novo-Manych dam and is a stretch of about 20 km. Under normal operating conditions, water flows from the western section to the eastern one through the water regulating structure in the Novo-Manych dam. At the same time, the main amount of water enters the western section along the river Egorlyk, it is discharged through the drain of the Proletarskiy hydroelectric dam into the Veselovskoye reservoir. The eastern section of the Proletarskiy reservoir is limited by the Novo-Manych dam on the western side and a blind dam on the eastern side. According to the initial project, the water resources of the Proletarskiy reservoir were used for shipping, irrigation, fisheries, and hydropower. The actual use of the reservoir's water resources for navigation is practically absent, irrigation is not performed, the fishery has lost its importance, and the hydropower industry has been out of service. Only recreation is used: the sanatorium “Manych”, about 30 hunting farms, the “Rostovsky” and “Chernye Zemli” reserves, the natural monument “Primanychskaya steppe”. The network of reservoirs and Manych-Gudilo lake is a wetland of international importance as a habitat for waterfowl. Conclusions. The issues of the use and regulation of water resources of the Proletarskiy reservoir and the Novo-Manych dam, dividing the reservoir into the western and eastern sections are considered.

In order to examine the spatial variability of the aerosol characteristics across the Brahmaputra valley, a land campaign was conducted during late winter (February 3–March 2) 2011. Measurements of particulate matter (PM, PM10, PM2.5) and black carbon (BC) concentrations were made onboard an interior redesigned vehicle. The length of the campaign trail stretched about 700 km, covering the longitude belt of 89.97°–95.55°E and latitude belt of 26.1°–27.6°N, comprising 13 measurement locations. The valley is divided into three sectors longitudinally: western sector (R1: 89.97°–91.75°E), middle sector (R2: 92.5°–94.01°E) and eastern sector (R3: 94.63°–95.55°E). Spatial heterogeneity in aerosol distribution has been observed with higher PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations at the western and middle sectors compared to the eastern sector. The locations in the western sector are found to be rich in BC compared to the other two sectors and there is a gradual decrease in BC concentrations from west to east of the Brahmaputra valley. Two hotspots within the western and middle sectors with high PM and BC concentrations have been identified. The associated physico-optical parameters of PM reveal abundance of PM2.5 aerosols along the entire valley. High population density in the western and middle sectors, together with the contribution of remote aerosols, leads to higher anthropogenic aerosols over those regions. Spectral Radiation-Transport Model for Aerosol Species (SPRINTARS) slightly underestimates the measured PM10 and PM2.5 at the eastern sector while the model overestimates the measurements at a number of locations in the western sector. In general, BC is underestimated by the model. The variation of BC within the campaign trail has not been adequately captured by the model leading to higher variance in the western locations as compared to the middle and eastern locations.

The paper analytically discusses certain palaeoecological criteria in the reconstruction of Lower Miocene (Aquitanian-Burdigalian) palaeobiogeography of the Indian subcontinent. The period is characterised by major marine transgressions and a prolific marine invertebrate and terrestrial vertebrate faunas. Faunal affinities of molluscs from western (Sind-Baluchistan) and eastern (Garo Hills) sectors are distinct and different. Molluscs of Garo Hills show affinity to Burmese species, whereas Sind-Baluchistan species shows similarity to that of the Mediterranean region. Marine molluscs resemble with the present-day taxa of the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal, where more than 35% species are common. This similarity is also evidenced by marine elasmobranchs, where approximately 33% species and 86% genera are similar to that of the Recent taxa. Terrestrial mammals show an intermingling of southern U.S.S.R. and African forms along with the presence of probably some groups belonging to the Indian subcontinent. Angiosperms are the dominant group. The Lower Miocene floras of the eastern and the western sectors are entirely different. The palm,Sabal major andPinus are reported from various localities. The climate in the western sector and South India was tropical, whereas in the eastern sector, it was variable. The Lower Miocene period is also marked by the contraction of Sindhu Sea, Bangla Sea and the Burmese Gulf southwards resulting in the final disappearance of the sea by the Pliocene.

Lake Burullus represents an economically important brackishwater coastal lagoon in Egypt, due to its rich fishery resources. In addition to the remains of agricultural wastes, the lake is exposed to many kinds of chemical and biological pollutants that are disposed into it. So, the study was carried out on three sectors in the lake. Western sector of the lake where agricultural drainage was discharged, eastern sector where agricultural and industrial effluents was entered, and middle sector where the least pollution was occurred among them. The present study was controlled to assess the harmful effects of heavy metals on the biochemical and antioxidant defense system in Nile tilapia collected from three sectors. The studied heavy metals in gills, liver, and muscles of the Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) collected from the eastern and western sectors of the lake was much higher than that of fish collected from middle sector. Biochemical profile and antioxidant defense system of Nile tilapia were significantly (P<0.05) higher in fish collected from western and eastern sectors during summer and winter seasons compared to the middle sector. The results obtained from the present study also revealed that the meat quality of the collected fish from middle sector was more superior to those of fish collected from the eastern and western sectors of the lake. The study also indicates that the alterations in the biochemistry profile and antioxidant defense system of Nile tilapia can be used as biomarkers of metal pollution for monitoring aquatic life.

The Lower Cretaceous Leza Formation is an essentially carbonate unit deposited at the northernmost active margin of the Cameros Basin (N Spain) under an extensional tectonic regime. This unit is composed of freshwater, marine-influenced, marginal-marine and hypersaline marine carbonate facies, interbedded with variable amounts of alluvial deposits, mainly derived from the erosion of the Jurassic substrate. 87Sr/86Sr, δ18O and δ13C analyses were obtained from carbonate facies of the Eastern and Western sectors of the basin. δ18O values follow the expected trend in both sectors: they are more negative (down to − 7.9‰) in freshwater carbonates and more positive (up to + 2.8‰) in marginal-marine to hypersaline facies. However, independently of the seawater or freshwater influence, in the Western Sector the 87Sr/86Sr values (0.707373–0.707801) are significantly lower and closer to the published Lower Cretaceous seawater 87Sr/86Sr ratios, than those of the Eastern Sector (0.707988–0.709033), where the overall marine influence was relatively high and the alluvial input low. These data strongly suggest that 87Sr/86Sr ratios were mainly controlled by those of the riverine freshwater arriving to the coastal and marine areas after the weathering and erosion of the Jurassic carbonates or siliciclastic rocks, in the Western and Eastern sectors, respectively. Thus, data indicate that, in coastal and shallow marine carbonates, the influence of the riverine water on the 87Sr/86Sr ratios should be systematically evaluated. This is particularly necessary in active tectonic settings, where the uplifted areas are significantly prone to weathering and erosion and where alluvial fan systems commonly developed, eventually discharging into coastal and shallow marine areas.

Heteroptera is a worldwide distributed group of insects inhabiting both terrestrial and aquatic habitats and has an important ecological role. A survey of aquatic and semiaquatic Heteroptera from Cuba is provided based on literature reports and field collections. General data on species geographical distribution are given, along with altitude and collection season. Representatives of 86 species and morphospecies of the infraorders Dipsocoromorpha, Leptopodomorpha, Gerromorpha and Nepomorpha are listed, distributed in 35 genera and 16 families were found. Based on distributional data, a preference for habitats of stagnant water or slow current and lower altitudes is inferred. Fifteen species are distributed throughout the entire island. A higher species diversity was found in the Eastern sector, with 53 species (61.63%), 16 of which (18.60%) are confined to this area. The strongest biological similarity was found between Eastern and Western sectors (25%), and the weakest between Western and Central sectors (14%).

To obtain critical information on distribution and abundance of Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins (Sousa chinensis) residing in the Pearl River Estuary (PRE), systematic line-transect surveys and photo-identification studies were conducted in the eastern and western sections of the estuary in 2005–2006 and 2007–2008, respectively. Dolphins in the eastern section occurred throughout Lingding Bay, whereas their distribution in the western section extended from the mouth of Modaomen to the channel between Shangchuan and Xiachuan islands. Variations in dolphin distribution during the wet and dry seasons were evident and probably associated with movements of their prey species. Photo-identification of individuals confirmed exchange of at least some individuals between the western and eastern sections of PRE, and thus dolphins from both areas almost certainly comprise a single population. Using line-transect analysis, the total population size of the PRE humpback dolphins was estimated to be 2555 during the wet season and 2517 during the dry season. However, these should be considered preliminary as the coefficients of variation in some survey areas were high. Further studies should focus on refining these estimates and working towards understanding the western boundary of the PRE population.

Invertebrates such as Asellus aquaticus, halacarid mites, copepods and cladocerans are common in drinking water distribution systems. The Zeeuws-Vlaanderen drinking water distribution system (DWDS) of Evides water company is divided into western and eastern sections, initially supplied with drinking water derived from a eutrophic reservoir (water) and groundwater, respectively. The drinking water derived from eutrophic reservoir water was characterised as less biologically stable than the drinking water from groundwater. Due to groundwater level protection measures, since 2015 the groundwater supply to the eastern section has been gradually replaced with supply from the drinking water treatment plant, which uses eutrophic reservoir water as source water. This change caused increased regrowth conditions, as observed by regulated microbial regrowth indicators (HPC22 and Aeromonas), increased invertebrate biomass, and the dominant occurrence of Asellus aquaticus, confirming observations in other Evides DWDSs. The results from the western section supplied with the same less biological stable drinking water, however, showed that the occurrence of microbial regrowth, invertebrate biomass and A. aquaticus is not only related to the biological stability of the supplied drinking water, but also to the influence of DWDS-specific conditions. The DWDS configuration as well as higher water demands in summer (western section) and/or higher sediment and Fe accumulation in the DWDS (eastern section) are suggested factors affecting regrowth and therefore subjects for further research.

The variabilities of the upper layer of the western Pacific warm pool (WPWP) were observed using satellite infrared data from 1982 to 1991 and altimeter data from November 1986 to September 1989. The warm pool was defined as the area where the sea surface temperatures are above 28 C. The eastern boundary oscillation, the centroid movement, and the upper-layer volume variation of the WPWP were intensively studied. Spectral analysis revealed that the eastern boundary oscillation of the WPWP was related to the El Nino event and the annual cycle. The centroid of the WPWP traced an ellipselike trajectory during a year and moved counterclockwise in most years. However, in 1982 and 1986, the years of the onset of El Nino events, the movements were clockwise. The upper-layer volume of the WPWP was divided latitudinally into three sections. The annual cycles in the northern (from 3 deg to 30 deg N) and southern (from 3 deg to 30 deg S) sections were dominant. No annual cycle was found in the equatorial section (from 3 deg S to 3 deg N), but the volume of warm water in the equatorial Pacific increased during the 1986/87 El Nino event. The equatorial section was further divided into the eastern and western sectors along 165 deg W. During the 1986/87 El Nino event, the volume of warm water increased in the eastern sector, but the variation was smaller in the western sector than that in the eastern sector. During the 1988 La Nina event, the warm water volumes decreased in both sectors.

Placer mineral deposits of Russian Arctic zone: Genetic prerequisites of formation and prospect of development of mineral resources

The Laojunshan Formation is a suite of molasse formed during the rapid uplift of the North Qilian Orogenic Belt (NQOB). Forty-one samples of sandstone have been collected from the Sunan and Minle sections in the western sector and the Gulang and Jingyuan sections in the eastern sector of the NQOB belt. Geochemical analyses of those samples indicated: 1) The MgO+Fe2O3 T and Al2O3/SiO2 values are higher, and K2O/Na2O ratios are lower in the western sector than those in the eastern sector. 2) All of them are depleted in Nb and Ta elements. The samples from the western sector are depleted in Rb element and enriched with Sc, Co, Ni, V, and Cr elements in the Upper Crust-normalized patterns. However, those from the eastern sector are depleted in Sr without enrichments of Sc, Co, Ni, V, and Cr. 3) All of the samples display a right-inclined REE pattern after Chondrite-normalized REE pattern. But LaN/YbN and Eu/Eu* ratios of the samples from the western sector are lower than those of the samples from the eastern sector. These geochemical characteristics suggest the prominent input of mafic clast with minor granitic rocks into the Sunan area, felsic clast into the Gulang and Jingyuan area, and both mafic and felsic clast into the Minle area. The angular shapes of gravels imply that these ill-sorted sediments were deposited near their sources without recycling. Geochemical features above also demonstrated that no major chemical weathering occurred for the western provenance, but deposits in the eastern sector resulted from low or middle degree chemical weathering. Evidences combining tectonic discriminations and comparisons with potential provenances revealed that sediments in the Sunan area were derived mainly from the North Qilian Continental arc, whereas sediments in the Minle, Gulang, and Jingyuan areas were derived not only from the North Qilian Continental arc but also from the basement of the Middle Qilian block. Integrated with the characteristics of development of Silurian and Devonian, these imply that the orogeny of NQOB is diachronous in the trending direction due to the oblique collision.

Rajaji National Park, which forms the north-western limit of the range of the tiger Panthera tigris in India, is bisected into western and eastern sectors by development activities along the banks of the river Ganga. Following a voluntary pastoral Gujjar resettlement programme initiated in the Park by the Uttarakhand Forest Department, we assessed the status of the tiger and its prey. We used sign surveys for tigers, leopards Panthera pardus and their prey, estimated prey densities using line transects and distance sampling, and estimated the density of tigers using photographic capture-recapture analysis. Our results indicate that the use of the area by tigers differed significantly between the two sectors of the Park, with pug mark encounter rates per 250 m segment from sign surveys of 0.07 ± SE 0.04 in the west and 1.6 ± SE 0.3 in the east. Although the high estimated prey densities (> 80 km-2) in the Park have the potential to support high densities of tigers, we photo-captured only one tigress in the western sector and five adult tigers and two cubs in the east (the latter with a mean density of 5.12 ± SE 0.7 per 100 km2). Whereas recovery of the tiger population in the eastern sector following the resettlement of Gujjars is evident, the lack of connectivity to source populations (Corbett Tiger Reserve and eastern Rajaji National Park) and increased anthropogenic pressures appear to have inhibited the recovery of tiger populations in the western sector. Restoration, therefore, of the Chilla-Motichur corridor to facilitate the dispersal of tigers from the eastern to the western sector of the Park is of critical importance.