Insolation Intensity Research Articles

INFLUENCE OF ATMOSPHERIC AEROSOLS ON THE AMOUNT OF SOLAR ENERGY REACHING THE EARTH’S SURFACE IN THE SOUTHERN PART OF WARSAW

The efficiency of photovoltaic installations depends on a number of factors. Aerosols cansignificantly influence the available resources of solar energy and thus the effectiveness of solarpanel performance. The work was an attempt to assess the influence of atmospheric aerosols onthe transmission of solar radiation in a selected region of Warsaw. The results of measurementsof specific meteorological elements and the concentration of contaminants come from themeteorological station of the Warsaw University of Life Sciences in the years 2014-2019. Theanalysis of correlation and the MLP model path were used to carry out the analysis. The obtainedresults and relationships show that there is an influence of air contaminant concentrations onthe intensity of solar radiation and insolation. High variability of the given parameters was alsorevealed, depending on the range of horizontal visibility as well as relative air humidity. The valueof the correlation coefficient r=0.80 and comparison of the intensity of measured and predictedsolar radiation of the analysed parameters make it possible to claim that the developed MLP modelfacilitates good prediction of the intensity of solar radiation based on the implemented inputdata. The analysis of the sensitivity of the model revealed that the air temperature has the greatestinfluence on the value of solar radiation intensity, and as far as air contaminants are concerned, theconcentration of particulate matter PM10 has a greatest influence on lowering its value.

Course of Helicobacter pylori-associated gastritis in adolescents with hypovitaminosis D

Introduction. The multifactorial nature of the occurrence and phasing of inflammatory changes in the gastric mucosa determine the need to search for conditions that can affect the slowing of the progression of gastritis in children.
 Aim: to determine the manifestations of Helicobacter pylori-associated antrum gastritis in adolescents with hypovitaminosis D.
 Material and methods. Ninety three 12–17 years adolescents with a morphologically confirmed diagnosis of gastritis were exa­mined. The content of vitamin D in the blood was determined using the ELISA method. Adolescents were divided into groups depending on the level of vitamin D supply and the period of solar insolation at the time of the examination. 
 Results. H. pylori infection in adolescents with hypovitaminosis D had a pronounced tendency to increase — 75% (53.6% in child­ren with sufficient vitamin D levels; p = 0.067).
 The frequency of H. pylori among adolescents examined during low solar insolation was higher than during high solar insolation (p = 0.015). During the period of low solar insolation, the highest rates of H. pylori infection in children were found among adolescents with vitamin D deficiency (88.2% compared to 62.1% among children with a normal vitamin D supply; p = 0.057). During the period of high insolation, H. pylori infection was approximately the same (p = 0.82).
 Antral gastritis with high activity was predominantly detected in adolescents infected with H. pylori and its frequency did not depend on the level of vitamin D in the blood.
 Conclusion. Hypovitaminosis D is associated with H. pylori-associated gastritis, characterized by greater activity of the inflammatory process and has a clear relationship with the intensity of solar insolation.

The content of phenols and activity of polyphenol oxidase in the hametophyte of dominant mosses in forest ecosystems of the Ukrainian Roztochia

Bryophytes are indicators of the state of forest ecosystems. Dominant species of forest mosses are sensitive to the influence of abiotic factors and demonstrate adaptive reactions different from vascular plants, which are decisive for the prediction of changes in the natural environment. We have analyzed the changes in the content of water-soluble phenols and the activity of polyphenol oxidase n the hametophyte of dominant epigean forest mosses depending on changes in the intensity of insolation, the water and temperature regime of soils and air in experimental localities of forest ecosystems of the Ukrainian Roztochia. The highest content of water-soluble phenolic compounds was found in the resistant mosses Polytrichum formosum and Atrichum undulatum on the territory of protected beech forest under conditions of low light intensity and sufficient humidity of local vegetation. The maximum indicators of the content of phenolic compounds were found in A. undulatum (199.5±9.8 μg/g of dry matter mass), and the lowest – in Plagiomnium affine (54.7±2.6 μg/g of dry matter mass) that is sensitive to changes in the ecological conditions of local vegetation in all studied areas. A significant decrease in the content of phenolic compounds in areas of disturbed ecosystems may indicate the active participation of phenols in the adaptation of mosses to the effects of high light intensity, elevated temperatures and moisture deficit. The highest indicators of polyphenol oxidase activity were determined in P. affine (120.4±6.1 relative units/g of dry matter mass*s) and P. formosum (41.8±2.1 relative units/g of dry matter mass*s) from local vegetation under unfavorable conditions on the territory of stationary recreation. A direct correlation between the content of phenolic compounds and the activity of polyphenol oxidase was not established. The higher activity of this enzyme under conditions of high light intensity than in shaded local plants may indicate a relationship between polyphenol oxidase and photosynthesis. An increase in the activity of polyphenol oxidase contributes to the significant formation of quinones, which, accumulating in cell walls, reduce the processes of lipid peroxidation, regulate their permeability and ensure better moisture storage in the moss turfs.

Geospatial model for allocating favorable plots for groundwater-dependent cultivation activities in Egypt

Moving towards horizontal expansion in the vast barren lands to alleviate overpopulation along the Nile River is imperative to Egypt’s 2030 sustainable development strategy. Accordingly, a mega reclamation project was advocated with a key goal of achieving food self-sufficiency. Solar-powered groundwater pumping system was adopted as the main water supply. Planning efforts are therefore inevitable to help locate the most favourable sites for such extensive cultivation activities. Herein, a multicriteria decision analysis was conducted to facilitate the zoning of potential rural communities across the northern portions of the Western Desert of Egypt. For this purpose, data of groundwater exploration, soil characterization, terrestrial accessibility, insolation intensity, and terrain information were fused to produce a high-resolution suitability map. The analytical hierarchy process approach was adopted to set the weighted importance of adopted criteria. The study area was categorized into Best, Good, Moderate, Fair, Poor, and Restricted classes at 1.7%, 13%, 42.6%, 26%, 10%, and 3%, respectively, of the entire region, while the constrained plots were masked out. The implemented and proposed wells fields within the underway national rural development project extend over agriculturally suitable pixels affirming the validity of the developed geospatial model. About 1.5 million ha, representing 7.2% of the undeveloped area, were found to be highly suitable for future expansion of agribusiness activities. The generated priority map will assist the decision-makers in the planning procedures for ongoing reclamation activities throughout Egypt.

Late Pleistocene 100-kyr glacial cycles paced by precession forcing of summer insolation

Climate variability over the past 800,000 years has long been described as being dominated by ~100-kyr glacial cycles, and researchers have debated whether these glacial cycles were driven by Earth’s orbital cycles of eccentricity, obliquity and precession. Some recent studies have suggested that these ~100-kyr glacial cycles are best characterized as groupings of two or three 41-kyr obliquity cycles; however, age uncertainties have made it difficult to distinguish whether the dramatic changes in ice-sheet size were more associated with 41-kyr obliquity or ~23-kyr precession cycles. We compare the impacts of obliquity and precession on glacial cycles using improved age estimates to analyse orbital phases during the onset of glacial terminations. Terminations are dated using a 640-kyr multiproxy stack of eight North Atlantic benthic δ18O records with well-constrained probabilistic age estimates derived from correlating North Atlantic ice-rafted debris to instances of abrupt Asian monsoon variability in high-resolution 230Th-dated speleothems. Rayleigh’s R statistics for the precession and obliquity phases of terminations demonstrate that, although both have statistically significant effects, the precession phase is more predictive of termination onset, particularly for the largest events. Thus, we conclude that Late Pleistocene ice sheets were sensitive to the precession forcing of Northern Hemisphere summer insolation intensity.

Early diagenesis effects on Mg/Ca thermometry during the MIS 9–5 in the Gulf of Mexico, evaluation on foraminifera tests and geochemical signals

Analyses of Mg/Ca in planktonic foraminifera Globigerinoides ruber (white) tests were made to evaluate burial influences and preservation before reconstructing paleotemperatures. We studied samples from the eastern Gulf of Mexico marine sediment core EN32-18PC at a glacial-interglacial scale. The core chronology is based on planktonic foraminifera biostratigraphy and δ18OG. ruber stratigraphy, showing that the core spans the biozones V2 - Y and the Marine Isotope Stages (MIS) 9 to 4 (i.e., 319.3 to 66.0 ka). Based on Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and LA-ICP-MS analysis of Mg/Ca, Sr/Ca, Mn/Ca, Fe/Ca, and Mn/Fe ratios, we found evidence of test alteration by early diagenesis. Some tests show material infillings, pore reduction, polygonal patterns between pores, and wall thickening by calcareous overgrowth. Values of Mg/Ca >6 mmol/mol and δ18O > 2‰ must be carefully evaluated before reconstructions. Values of Mn/Ca >0.6 mmol/mol and Fe/Ca >0.2 mmol/mol indicate the adherence of clays or coatings (Mn or Fe oxides). Nevertheless, we did not find evidence of severe diagenesis in the tests (like recrystallization or euhedral crystals grown by inorganic precipitates); thus, their alteration degree is incipient, and calcite overgrowth is the most severe diagenetic effect during MIS-6 and early MIS-5. After calculating paleotemperatures, we obtained SST values comparable to other cores in the region (i.e., 24 °C - 31 °C). The paleotemperature record fluctuates over MIS 9 to 5, in agreement with the insolation intensity cycle controlled by precession. However, suborbital trends could not be reconstructed due to the studied effects imprinted on the specimens.

Seasonal temperatures in West Antarctica during the Holocene

The recovery of long-term climate proxy records with seasonal resolution is rare because of natural smoothing processes, discontinuities and limitations in measurement resolution. Yet insolation forcing, a primary driver of multimillennial-scale climate change, acts through seasonal variations with direct impacts on seasonal climate1. Whether the sensitivity of seasonal climate to insolation matches theoretical predictions has not been assessed over long timescales. Here, we analyse a continuous record of water-isotope ratios from the West Antarctic Ice Sheet Divide ice core to reveal summer and winter temperature changes through the last 11,000 years. Summer temperatures in West Antarctica increased through the early-to-mid-Holocene, reached a peak 4,100 years ago and then decreased to the present. Climate model simulations show that these variations primarily reflect changes in maximum summer insolation, confirming the general connection between seasonal insolation and warming and demonstrating the importance of insolation intensity rather than seasonally integrated insolation or season duration2,3. Winter temperatures varied less overall, consistent with predictions from insolation forcing, but also fluctuated in the early Holocene, probably owing to changes in meridional heat transport. The magnitudes of summer and winter temperature changes constrain the lowering of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet surface since the early Holocene to less than 162 m and probably less than 58 m, consistent with geological constraints elsewhere in West Antarctica4–7.

A cosmogenic nuclide-derived chronology of pre-Last Glacial Cycle glaciations during MIS 8 and MIS 6 in northern Patagonia

Abstract. The precise environmental mechanisms controlling Quaternary glacial cycles remain ambiguous. To address this problem, it is critical to better comprehend the drivers of spatio-temporal variability in ice-sheet evolution by establishing reliable chronologies of former outlet-glacier advances. When spanning multiple glacial cycles, such chronologies have the capacity to contribute to knowledge on the topic of interhemispheric phasing of glaciations and climate events. In southern Argentina, reconstructions of this kind are achievable, as Quaternary expansions of the Patagonian Ice Sheet have emplaced a well-preserved geomorphological record covering several glacial cycles. Moreover, robust ice-sheet reconstructions from Patagonia are powerful barometers of former climate change, as Patagonian glaciers are influenced by the Southern Westerly Winds and the Antarctic Circumpolar Current coupled to them. It is essential to better constrain former shifts in these circulation mechanisms as they may have played a critical role in pacing regional and possibly global Quaternary climate change. Here, we present a new set of cosmogenic 10Be and 26Al exposure ages from pre-Last Glacial Cycle moraine boulder, glaciofluvial outwash cobble, and bedrock samples. This dataset constitutes the first direct chronology dating pre-Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) glacier advances in northern Patagonia and completes our effort to date the entire preserved moraine record of the Río Corcovado valley system (43∘ S, 71∘ W). We find that the outermost margins of the study site depict at least three distinct pre-Last Glacial Cycle stadials occurring around 290–270, 270–245, and 130–150 ka. Combined with the local LGM chronology, we discover that a minimum of four distinct Pleistocene stadials occurred during Marine Isotope Stages 8, 6, and 2 in northern Patagonia. Evidence for Marine Isotope Stage 4 and 3 deposits were not found at the study site. This may illustrate former longitudinal and latitudinal asynchronies in the Patagonian Ice Sheet mass balance during these Marine Isotope Stages. We find that the most extensive middle-to-late Pleistocene expansions of the Patagonian Ice Sheet appear to be out of phase with local summer insolation intensity but synchronous with orbitally controlled periods of longer and colder winters. Our findings thus enable the exploration of the potential roles of seasonality and seasonal duration in driving the southern mid-latitude ice-sheet mass balance, and they facilitate novel glacio-geomorphological interpretations for the study region. They also provide empirical constraints on former ice-sheet extent and dynamics that are essential for calibrating numerical ice-sheet and glacial isostatic adjustment models.

Coordination of the Development of Renewable Energy and Small Business as a Mechanism for Ensuring the Sustainable Development of Russia

The article deals with the development of renewable energy in Russia, taking into account the coordination of this sector with small and medium-sized businesses. The aim of the study is to theoretically substantiate the strategy for the transition to renewable energy based on small and medium-sized businesses and to develop practical recommendations using the example of solar energy in Russia. The methodological basis of the article is the general organizational science of tectology A.A. Bogdanov, which was subsequently developed in the general theory of systems by L. von Bertalanffy. On the basis of a system analysis of a transformable energy complex, the authors carried out a theoretical justification for the emergence of synergy as a result of the involvement of small and medium-sized businesses in the development of renewable energy. It is shown that the formation of new links between small and medium-sized businesses and renewable energy has a positive effect, consisting in diversifying the country's fuel and energy balance and reducing the negative anthropogenic impact on nature without increasing electricity prices for end consumers. Using the example of installing solar panels on the vertical enclosing surfaces of buildings and structures with the involvement of small and medium-sized businesses, the reserves currently not fully used for the development of solar energy, mainly in the northern and eastern regions of Russia, without withdrawing territories from economic circulation, have been identified. The information base of the study is the data of the International Energy Agency, IRENA, and the Photovoltaic Geographical Information System. A graphical method was used to determine the feasibility of installing solar panels in different regions, taking into account seasonal fluctuations in the intensity of insolation, as well as the dependence of the coefficient of conversion of sunlight energy into electricity on temperature and snow cover albedo. The results of the study can be recommended for countries with similar natural and environmental conditions to Russia.

Trend Analysis of Meteorological Variables in the Lake Van Basin, Turkey

Climate change is one of the most important issues of our century and its effects are manifested in different ways around the world. In this study, both the aligned and the intra-block methods were used to detect trends to see climate change's impact. 6 meteorological parameters were selected in the Lake Van basin, which contains Turkey's largest lake. The 47-year time series of mean monthly temperature (℃), total monthly rainfall (mm), mean monthly relative humidity (%), total monthly surface evaporation (mm), mean monthly snow depth (cm), and total monthly insolation intensity (cal/cm2) parameters of 15 stations in the basin were evaluated for each month using non-parametric tests. In the series in which a statistically significant trend was detected, the beginning year and slope of the change were also determined. For the temperature parameter, the increasing trends were detected at all seasons. In the total monthly rainfall series, the upward trends were determined in March and September in the northeastern part of the basin. Upward trends were detected in the average monthly relative humidity series in winter. From the total monthly insolation intensity time series, autumn and spring were determined to have increasing trends. The trend analysis of mean monthly snow depth showed that there were downward trends in November and February. For the evaporation parameter, a decreasing trend was detected only in October.

Timing and climatic drivers for the MIS 6 glaciation in the central Himalaya: 10Be surface exposure dating of hummocky moraine northwest of Mt. Gang Benchhen, Paiku Gangri

Quantifying the timing and extent of Quaternary mountain glaciations can help us in understanding the cause of ice-age cycles. As such, impressive achievements have been made in glacial dynamics across many mountain ranges around the world, such as the Himalayas. Yet, the Marine Isotope Stage 6 (MIS 6) glacial histories have not been well determined across the Himalayan regions due to a lack of adequate chronological controls. Here, we present a 10Be surface-exposure chronology northwest of Mt. Gang Benchhen, Paiku Gangri. Twelve 10Be exposure-ages show that the outermost hummocky moraine outside of the Laqu Valley was formed around ∼165.7 ka, reflecting the MIS 6 glacial maximum in the central Himalaya. The minimum age constraint is consistent with the low atmospheric CO2 levels as well as low summer solar insolation intensity at northern high-latitude, which indicate that glaciers in the Laqu Valley culminated during cold climate condition. Also, we identified a potential correlation between the MIS 6 glacial advance in the central Himalaya and Heinrich-like event. We thus hypothesize that there seems to be a response of Himalayan glaciers to the combined forcing of the boreal summer solar insolation intensities, atmospheric CO2 concentrations, and North Atlantic climate oscillations during the MIS 6 glaciation.

Computer technology applications to calculate the insolation of photoelectric power plant

The article considers the method of calculating solar insolation, the algorithm and the program operation for calculating insolation, the graphs are obtained showing the change in solar radiation due to the influence of weather factors and the location of solar-heat collectors installation. The results of the study of the regionally adapted photoelectric power plant using the developed computer model in the Simulink program are presented. The developed model allows to investigate the influence of the main input parameters, such as: latitude and longitude of the power plant installation, difference between the local official time and Greenwich Mean Time, inclination angle of the solar panel, the simulated day, atmospheric transparency factor, albedo and azimuth angle on the insolation intensity of the photoelectric power plant. The obtained dependences can be taken into account in the optimization of power supply systems that use solar energy conversion.

THERMAL OPERATING CONDITIONS OF THE HYBRID PHOTOMODULE WITH ANY EXPENSE OF THE HEAT CARRIER

Thermal operating conditions of the photomodule considerably define production efficiency of the electric power. Introduction to the photomodule of the device of forced cooling allows to operate the thermal mode. The choice of a way of management of process of cooling and the mode of its realization gives the chance of achievement of a rational combination of electric and thermal performance of the photomodule. In this work analytical researches formation of the temperature field of an absorber of a hybrid solar collector (PVT) when cooling with a variable expense of the heat carrier are conducted. The method of a research allows to analyze characteristics of the PVT collector – temperature of heating of an absorber and cooling liquid depending on external and regime operating conditions of the device. The work purpose – development of a method of calculation of heattechnical operational characteristics of work of a hybrid solar collector in various conditions determined by an expense of the cooling heat carrier. The complex mathematical model of the local analysis of processes of heat exchange of a hybrid solar collector for real conditions of a dynamic solar and climatic situation is used. The analysis of heat exchange in alternative conditions showed that efficiency of transfer of heat in the cooling system of the collector ηТ, otherwise - the ratio of temperature of an absorber and final temperature of the heat carrier, is not a constant and considerably changes under the influence of external and internal factors. It is influenced by intensity of insolation, ambient temperature and an expense of the heat carrier.With growth of these parameters ηТ decreases. The generalizing dependences for determination of temperature of liquid at the exit from the device and the average temperature of an absorber are received at change of an expense of the heat carrier which can be used for assessment of efficiency of transformation of solar energy in electric and thermal in problems of constructive and regime optimization.

Seasonal changes in the content of plastid pigments in the hametophyte of dominant mosses in forest ecosystems of Ukrainian Roztochchya

Poikilohydric mosses, as one of the most sensitive groups of plants to the influence of habitat conditions, responding to environmental factors, demonstrate adaptations, which differ from vascular plants, for the prediction of changes in the natural environment. The changes in the content of photosynthesis pigments and their ratio in dominant deciduous epigeal species of mosses depending on changes in stand crowns, insolation intensity, water-temperature regime of soil and air in local ecosystems of Ukrainian Roztochchya were analyzed. Due to the significant projective cover and closed crowns in the area of ancient forests, the 30-50% lower indicators of light intensity, 8-12% of substrate temperature under moss turf, and 43-50% higher indicators of its humidity compared to pine plantations were identified. Anthropogenic impact in the area of stationary recreation was conditioned by the intensive trampling, which led to a decrease in the closure of the tree crowns (up to 0,4-0,5), an increase in light intensity by 2,5 times, and a decrease in soil moisture under moss turf by 2-4 times. The shade-tolerant Polytrichastrum formosum, Atrichum undulatum and Plagiomnium affine mosses compensated the limited amount of light energy available for growth by intensively increasing of the content of pigments (chlorophylls a and b), light-harvesting complexes and reducing of the chlorophylls a/b ratio to 1,6-2,1. A significant variability in the ratio of chlorophylls to carotenoids from 5 to 9 was found. Significant limits of variation in the content of carotenoids and the ratio of chlorophylls to carotenoids served as an indicator for assessing the edapho-climatic changes in the living conditions of bryophytes in forest ecosystems. Significant variability in the ratio of chlorophylls a/b (2,35-4,25) in autumn in comparison with such indicators in summer is associated with increased illumination of the experimental areas and the activity of the reactions of mutual transformations of chlorophylls a and b. The increase in the values of the ratio of chlorophylls a/b caused by the activation of pigment metabolism indicates their adaptation to both light and shadow. In autumn, the decrease in the ratio of chlorophylls to carotenoids (in the range of 4,31-5,08) is associated with the intensity of synthesis and decomposition of chlorophylls a and b, and carotenoids, which can be used as an important indicator of plant adaptation ability to the changes in light intensity, humidity, and temperature.

Experimental study on solar distillation system for oil extraction from eucalyptus plant leaves

Most of the industrial process requires a temperature level below 250?C which is easily achievable using solar energy. Pakistan is fortunate enough to have long sunlight hours and high intensity of solar insolation. The mean total irradiation falling on a horizontal plane is about 200-250 W/m2 per day. This precious source of natural energy has tremendous potential in the agro-based industry like the distillation of medicinal plants. The main objective of this study was to conduct a quantitative and qualitative analyses of solar distilled oil of the medicinal plant. Solar distillation systems had been installed at Agricultural Engineering Workshop, Faculty of Agricultural Engineering, and Technology and Rosa Lab, Institute of Horticultural Sciences, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad. This distillation system was designed according to the latitude of Faisalabad. This system comprised of primary reflector, secondary reflector, condenser, and Florentine flask. In this study Eucalyptus Camaldulensis and Eucalyptus Citriodora, essential oils were distilled by solar distillation system and by a conventional distillation system for comparing the results. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis of Eucalyptus Camaldulensis and Eucalyptus Citriodora essential oils were carried out at National Institute of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Faisalabad. The results of quantitative and qualitative analyses of essential oils showed that the quantity and the quality of essential oils of same species of eucalyptus, distilled by solar distillation system and conventional controlled distillation system were same. So, it was concluded that the quality and quantity of essential oils of same species do not differ significantly either distilled by solar distillation system or by conventional controlled distillation system.

Перспективи використання геліоенергетики для енергопостачання в місті Одеса

This article considers the possibilities of using solar energy for energy supply of residential and communal facilities in the winter period of the year. The efficiency and, as a result, the amount of received energy depends on the intensity of solar radiation per unit area, therefore, to evaluate the prospects for the use of solar energy, modeling of the intensity of solar radiation throughout the year and in particular during the heating period was carried out. When modeling solar radiation, three components of radiation falling on an inclined surface were taken into account, namely: direct, diffuse and reflected components. In the calculations of all components, the indicators that can affect the intensity of insolation were taken into account as much as possible, and the obtained radiation results were compared with the models of other researchers, and showed sufficient adequacy of the obtained values. In order to maximize solar radiation, the optimal angle of the surface was selected, as a result of which the angle of the irradiated surface was chosen to be 50º, but this angle of installation of the surface reduces the amount of solar radiation reaching the surface in the summer. For the summer period, the optimal angle is 15…20 °, but since the purpose of the work was to study the efficiency of solar installations in the winter period, an angle of 50º was used for evaluation. Three types of devices were considered as solar installations: solar collector, solar photovoltaic panel and hybrid solar collector. Two types of hybrid solar collectors were considered: with a predominant orientation on the generation of electrical energy and with an orientation on thermal energy. According to the results of the assessment of the amount of energy obtained, the most effective are hybrid collectors with an orientation to thermal energy, which on average allows to obtain 30 % more energy than other solar installations.

Estimation of temporal snowmelt runoff using geospatial technique in Gangotri glacier basin, Uttarakhand, India

The Greater Himalaya, accommodating huge ice mass in the form of glaciers and snow cover, comprises a source of many perennial rivers. Gangotri glacier, one of the largest glaciers, located in the Central Himalaya is a major source of water for the river Bhagirathi, a tributary of the Ganges. In the present study, an attempt is made to model glacier melt runoff of the Gangotri glacier basin, over a continuous time period from the year 2010–2019 using MODIS satellite data and by employing the SNOWMOD model in the GIS domain. Parameters pertaining to snow cover area, snow-free area, and subsurface flow including climatic parameters viz., temperature, and precipitation, for different elevation zones, were computed. The peak discharge was observed in the year 2010 (256.79m3/sec) in contrast to the lowest melt discharge (80.65 m3/sec) in the year 2019 reflecting marked changes possibly due to reduced precipitation and higher intensity of insolation. The decrement in the melt discharge from 2010 (256.79m3/sec) to 2012 (83.53 m3/sec) followed by increment up to 2016 (204.06 m3/sec), and subsequent fall till 2019 (80.65 m3/sec) reflects vast climatic fluctuation. A positive correlation of estimated discharge with temperature and precipitation reflects glacier melt discharge as a potential indicator of climate change. The study proved the potential of satellite data in the accurate assessment of snowmelt runoff in data-scarce and inaccessible terrain of the Himalayas.

Geomorphology and 10Be chronology of the Last Glacial Maximum and deglaciation in northeastern Patagonia, 43°S-71°W

In southern South America, well-dated glacial geomorphological records constrain the last glacial cycle across much of the former Patagonian Ice Sheet, but its northeastern sector remains comparatively understudied and unconstrained. This knowledge gap inhibits our understanding of the timing of maximum glacier extent, the duration of the glacial maximum, the onset of deglaciation, and whether asynchronies exist in the behaviour of the former ice sheet with latitude, or with location (east or west) relative to the ice divide. Robust glacial reconstructions from this region are thus required to comprehend the mechanisms driving Quaternary glaciations at the southern mid-latitudes. We here present 10Be surface exposure ages from five moraine sets along with Bayesian age modelling to reconstruct a detailed chronology of Last Glacial Maximum expansions of the Río Corcovado glacier, a major former ice conduit of northern Patagonia. We find that the outlet glacier reached maximum expansion of the last glacial cycle during the global Last Glacial Maximum at ∼26.5–26 ka, and that at least four subsequent advances/stillstands occurred over a 2–3 ka period, at ∼22.5–22 ka, ∼22–21.5 ka, ∼21–20.5 ka and 20–19.5 ka. The onset of local ice sheet deglaciation likely occurred between 20 and 19 ka. Contrary to several other Patagonian outlet glaciers, including from similar latitudes on the western side of the Andes, we find no evidence for MIS 3/4 advances. Exposure dating of palaeo-shoreline cobbles reconstructing the timing of proglacial lake formation and drainage shifts in the studied region indicate three glaciolacustrine phases characterised by Atlantic-directed drainage. Phase one occurred from 26.4 ± 1.4 ka, phase two between ∼21 and ∼19 ka and phase three between ∼19 ka and ∼16.3 ka. Exposure dating of ice-moulded bedrock in the interior of the cordillera indicates local disintegration of the Patagonian Ice Sheet and the Atlantic-Pacific drainage reversal had occurred by ∼16.3 ka. We find that local Last Glacial Maximum glacier expansions were coeval with Antarctic and southern mid-latitude atmospheric and oceanic cooling signals, but out of phase with local summer insolation intensity. Our results indicate that local Patagonian Ice Sheet deglaciation occurred 1–2 ka earlier than northwestern, central eastern and southeastern Patagonian outlet glaciers, which could indicate high regional Patagonian Ice Sheet sensitivity to warming and drying during the Varas interstade (∼22.5–19.5 ka).

Interstadial conditions over the Southern Alps during the early penultimate glacial (MIS 6): a multiproxy record from Rio Martino Cave (Italy)

Identifying the hydrological and environmental response of the European Alpine region to different combinations of climate boundary conditions is crucial to advance the reliability of predictive climate models and thus shape climate adaptation policies that will impact millions of people in seven countries. Here we present a high-resolution multiproxy speleothem record (stable oxygen and carbon isotope ratios, petrography and magnetic properties) from Rio Martino Cave (Piedmont, Southern Alps, Italy), which covers the first part of the Penultimate Glacial (early MIS 6, 182–157 ka). During early MIS 6, the combination of high climatic precession and obliquity amplified the peak in Northern Hemisphere (NH) summer insolation intensity at ca. 174 ka to almost interglacial levels, leading to northward migration of the Intertropical Convergence Zone and the enhancement of the boreal monsoon system. At orbital scale, the hydroclimatic record from Rio Martino closely follows the precession pattern, and shows a wet interstadial phase between 180 and 170 ka, peaking at the precession minimum, characterized by glacial retreat and by the likely development of soils and vegetation up to 1900–2000 m a.s.l. in this alpine sector. This phase can be traced across the Southern Alps, and corresponds to pluvial conditions inferred from Western Mediterranean records, and to the interval of deposition of the cold Sapropel S6 in the eastern Mediterranean. We suggest that the interaction between an intensified northwesterly cold flow (relating to increased ice volume under glacial conditions), and the relatively warm waters of the NW Mediterranean (due to the peculiar atmospheric configuration occurring at the precession minimum) strongly enhanced the autumn cyclogenesis in the Northern Tyrrhenian Sea, fuelling intense precipitation to reach the Southern Alps. The Rio Martino record also shows a prominent sub-orbital variability, the overall structure of which is coherent with hemispheric changes in climate driven by cyclic perturbations of North Atlantic conditions related to the operation of the bipolar seesaw.

Areas of Probable Air Pollution in Mountains and Valleys

Many cities of the world are located in river valleys or are associated with mountains. The article presents the characteristic landscape positions of many cities in the world. Among them is very important to study the wind regime, which is located in the conditions of the basin. In these cities, general pollution and deterioration of the microclimatic regime of the atmosphere are observed during periods of windless weather, and especially during inversions. It occurs either due to the gradual accumulation of harmful impurities of road transport under adverse meteorological conditions. The contribution of vehicles to the total air pollution is up to 80%. Currently, their composition of vehicle exhaust gases contains more than 200 different substances. With 95 … 99% of emissions t represent an aerosol of complex composition, depending on the engine operating condition and the composition of the mixture. The composition of the atmosphere of cities should meet the established standards for the content of the main components of air and harmful impurities (dust, gases), taking into account existing state standards. Biomedical requirements for the composition of air in cities are determined by the maximum permissible concentrations (MAC). However, the content of toxic substances in the air at the level of the MPC cannot be considered as the optimal composition of the air environment. In cities located in the depressions, deterioration of air exchange conditions is observed, which is associated both with a drop in wind flow activity and a decrease in the intensity of solar insolation per unit area of exposed surfaces of the slopes. In the work to improve the wind mode, the base for establishing the main stages for regulation is set to be direct; recycling; and combined i-recirculation direct-flow, as well as direct-flow-recirculation schemes of natural ventilation. The formulas for determining the criterion for evaluating the effectiveness of ventilation are given. We used computer modeling technologies that significantly simplify the analysis of the wind regime and reduce the time spent on research, the purpose of which was to compare the results of experiments in a wind tunnel with the data of virtual studies of the wind flow around natural wind patterns in a wind tunnel with the use of SolidWorks 2015, with the addition of Flow Simulation.