Southeast Russia Research Articles

Local fractal and wavelet analysis of aerogeophysical data: An integrated approach in target generation of Cu-Au-Fe skarn and gold-polymetallic epithermal porphyry-related systems in eastern Transbaikalia, Russia

Three geophysical fields (anomalous magnetic, exposure dose rate, and apparent resistance) were investigated by local fractal and two-dimensional wavelet analyses for ore prospectivity mapping (scale 1:25000). The study region is part of the Gazimuro-Zavodsky gold-polymetallic ore district (Transbaikalia, South-East Russia) and includes 9 recognized hypogene ore deposits and 40 ore occurrences of Au, Fe, Cu, Pb, W, Sb, As, boron, talc, and fluorite (skarn and hydrothermal formations related to felsic and mafic magmatism). The results show that fractal and wavelet analyses of the geophysical fields demonstrate a certain specialization in the delineation of different mineralization types. The best prospective efficiency (in terms of quality/cost) was achieved by integrating the six individual prospective maps using the ensemble approach.

Drivers of the spatiotemporal dynamics of the local breeding population of the endangered Scaly-sided Mergansers Mergus squamatus

Scaly-sided Merganser is an endangered species confined to eastern Asia, primarily breeding in southeast Russia and northeast China. Its breeding range is quite large, with limited information on population dynamics. The Kievka River catchment in far east Russia is one of the most densely populated breeding grounds, providing the only extensive, long-term monitoring on breeding Scaly-sided Merganser. This study assessed the current status of Scaly-sided Merganser and investigated the environmental factors influencing the population. From 2014–2021, the population size at each river reach fluctuated with no directional trends, while the density of Scaly-sided Merganser increased. The result suggested a higher concentration of breeding Scaly-sided Merganser in Kievka River catchment in recent years, particularly preferring downstream area. The species also demonstrated an affinity to less riparian vegetation and higher flow rates. Notably, river flow rate emerges as a potential key issue for designing environmental flows of the breeding habitat for Scaly-sided Merganser, presenting a challenge for researchers and managers.

Climate change is associated with asynchrony in arrival between two sympatric cuckoos and both host arrival and prey emergence.

Matching the timing of spring arrival to the breeding grounds with hosts and prey is crucial for migratory brood parasites such as cuckoos. Previous studies have focused mostly on phenological mismatch between a single cuckoo species and its hosts but information regarding climate-driven mismatch between multiple sympatric cuckoo species and their hosts and invertebrate prey is still lacking. Here, we analysed long-term data (1988-2023) on the first arrival date of two declining migratory cuckoo species and their 14 migratory host species breeding in sympatry and prey emergence date in Tatarstan (southeast Russia). We found that the common cuckoo (Cuculus canorus; wintering in Africa) generally arrived on breeding grounds earlier than the oriental cuckoo (Cuculus optatus; wintering in southeast Asia and Australia). Both cuckoos have advanced their arrival dates over 36 years but less than their hosts, potentially resulting in an increasing arrival mismatch between cuckoos and their hosts. Moreover, cuckoo arrival advanced less than the emergence date of their prey over time. These observations indicate that climate change may disrupt co-fluctuation in the phenology of important life stages between multiple sympatric brood parasites, their hosts and prey with potential cascading consequences for population dynamics of involved species.

A «necklace» of large clusters of strategic raw materials over a stagnant oceanic slab in East Asia

<p>An analysis of geological-geophysical, metallogenic, geochronological, and seismic tomographic studies in territories joining Southeast Russia, East Mongolia, and Northeast China led to the conclusion that deep geodynamics significantly influenced the formation of highly productive ore-magmatic systems in the Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous. This influence was likely manifested through the initiation of decompression processes around stagnant slab boundaries in the Late Mesozoic. Decompression and advection, which are particularly active near the natural boundaries of the slab, act as triggers for the intense interaction of under and over subduction asthenospheric fluids with adjacent sections of the mantle and for the directed upwelling of powerful flows of matter and energy into the lithosphere. These flows determine the locations of intermediate and peripheral magma chambers: Primary chambers in the lower lithosphere among the metasomatized mantle and lower crust and associated chambers in the middle and upper cratonized parts of the lithosphere. Large ore clusters containing noble metals (Au, PGE), uranium, fluorite, and Cu-Mo-porphyry deposits are associated with late- and postmagmatic derivatives of the emerging magma chambers over the frontal and peripheral (paleotransform) boundaries of a stagnant Pacific slab. These large Late Mesozoic ore clusters and districts form a distinctive "necklace" of strategic materials in East Asia.</p>

First-Pass prospectivity mapping for Au–Ag mineralization in Sikhote–Alin Superterrane, Southeast Russia through field sampling, image enhancement on ASTER data, and MaxEnt modeling

First-Pass prospectivity mapping for Au–Ag mineralization in Sikhote–Alin Superterrane, Southeast Russia through field sampling, image enhancement on ASTER data, and MaxEnt modeling

Petrography, Geochemical Features and Absolute Dating of the Mesozoic Igneous Rocks of Medvedev and Taezhniy Massifs (Southeast Russia, Aldan Shield)

The paper presents the results of the petrographic and geochemical studies of igneous rocks of the Medvedev and Taezhniy massifs, including their first absolute dating. The massifs are located in central Nimnyr block of the n shield within the Leglier ore cluster of the Evotinskiy ore district (Southeast Russia, Aldan Shield). For the first time, the three-phase structure of the Medvedev massif has been defined, as observed in our expedition and petrographic studies. Rocks from the three phases of the Medvedev massif include quartz syenites, syenites, and monzonites, and rocks from the two phases of the Taezhniy massif include quartz monzonites and syenites. Geochemically, the rocks are close to volcanic island arcs, the formation of which was related by subducted oceanic crust of the Mongol–Okhotsk Ocean. The defined duality of the geochemical compositions of the igneous rocks of the massifs may be due to the presence of both mantle and crustal sources; however, it is most likely that these rocks resulted from the melting of a mixed mantle source or the latter was contaminated by the crust with further differentiation of melts in intermediate crust chambers. Additionally, geochemical characteristics suggest that the analyzed rocks are close to latite and shoshonite derivatives and can be considered as part of the monzonite–syenite formation type. The first identified periods of formation of igneous rocks in the Medvedev massif are 122.0–118.0 Ma and Taezhniy 117.5–114.5 Ma, which correspond to the Early Cretaceous (Aptian).

The study of the relations between the countries of Southeast Asia and Russia by sociological methods

At the moment, major geopolitical changes are taking place in the world. In the East, a new sub-region of Indo-Pacifica is being formed instead of the Asia-Pacific region, initiated by the United States, Japan, India and Australia in order to confront China and its significance. Competition between the USA, China, India and Russia is growing in the region, this process is monitored by the authors using the methodology of system analysis, which allows us to give a comprehensive description of the current situation. Using sociological research methods, in particular expert surveys in the form of a 70% longitudinal study, the authors managed to obtain empirical data in 16 countries of the Asia-Pacific region, characterizing their relationships, inter-country hierarchy, the level of security in the region. The authors emphasize the conduct of representative research, the professionalism of the implementation of sociological surveys, the submission and processing of material, the correctness, objectivity and impartiality of the analysis of the data obtained and in-depth work with the text (based on the use of the Sorbonne method), as well as the content analysis of scientific publications and publications in the media.

Climatology of Northeast China cold vortices during the warm season: A comparison of ERA5 and MERRA‐2 reanalyses

AbstractThe Northeast China cold vortex (NCCV) is an important type of synoptic scale system, which often induces local torrential rainfall events, strong winds, and lightning during warm seasons (May–September). By using an automatic identification method that involves a three‐step algorithm, NCCVs during warm seasons of 1980–2018 were identified based on ERA5 and MERRA‐2, the latest generation of reanalysis. Employing this recognition result and intensive surface observations, climatology of the NCCV was analysed. With respect to average climatic characteristics, the results indicate that the NCCV is most frequently located from the east of the Yablonov Mountains to the west of the Xiao Hinggan Mountains. The average rain belt and cold tongues resulting from NCCVs both mainly fall within Northeast China, Japan, Southeast Russia, and the Korean Peninsula, causing precipitation and temperature anomalies there, especially in Northeast China. Regarding interannual variation, the number of NCCV‐occurrence hours varies at a cycle of about 3 years, and has increased in the last 10 years compared to 1999–2008. The intensity of the NCCV also fluctuates in a cycle of approximately 3 years and shows a weakening trend, particularly from July to September. As for life characteristics, NCCVs usually form at the border area between China, Mongolia, and Russia, then develop and move eastwards, and finally disappear in areas of Heilongjiang in China, southeastern Russia, and the Okhotsk Sea. The NCCV moves in complex paths; among all 55 types of routes that occurred in warm seasons of 1980–2018, the most favoured paths are east, southeast, northeast, southeast‐to‐northeast, and circular. The above results based on the up‐to‐date reanalysis datasets with high resolutions are updates and supplements to previous studies, further improving our understanding of the NCCV in aspects of its cooling effects, weakening trends, and crucially, paths of movement and their occurrence frequency.

Exchanging atoms for influence: Competition in Southeast Asia’s nuclear market

ABSTRACT Although nuclear energy has yet to enter any of the energy mixes of the countries of Southeast Asia, there is the potential that some of these countries – in particular the Philippines, Indonesia, and Thailand – will launch nuclear energy generation projects in the near future. Despite rampant anti-nuclear sentiment in the region (exacerbated by the 2011 Fukushima incident), the need to meet fast-growing energy demands while simultaneously reducing carbon emissions has caused some Southeast Asian countries to consider nuclear energy as a theoretically clean, safe, and reliable alternative to fossil fuel. To satisfy this potential Southeast Asian nuclear market, China, Russia, South Korea, and Japan are stepping in. Each of these countries has strengths and weaknesses as a nuclear vendor. Consequently, given the enormous strategic as well as economic benefits that nuclear exports offer, countries that make forays into the Southeast Asian nuclear market will likely wield significant influence in the region for a considerable period of time. Therefore, although the prospect for a nuclear market in Southeast Asia is still hazy, the relative competitiveness of these potential nuclear vendors in the region deserves attention.

Comprehensive transcriptome characterization of Grus japonensis using PacBio SMRT and Illumina sequencing

The red-crowned crane (Grus japonensis) is an endangered species distributed across southeast Russia, northeast China, Korea, and Japan. Here, we sequenced for the first time the full-length unreferenced transcriptome of red-crowned crane mixed samples using a PacBio Sequel platform. A total of 359,136 circular consensus sequences (CCS) were obtained via clustering to remove redundancy. A total of 303,544 full-length non-chimeric sequences were identified by judging whether CCS contained 5′ and 3′ adapters, and the poly(A) tail. Eight samples were sequenced using Illumina, and PacBio sequencing data were corrected according to the collected Illumina data to obtain more accurate full-length transcripts. A total of 4,100 long non-coding RNAs, 13,115 simple sequences repeat loci and 29 transcription factor families were identified. The expression of lncRNAs and TFs in pancreas was lowest comparing with other tissues. Many enriched immune-related transmission pathways (MHC and IL receptors) were identified in the spleen. This study will contribute to a better understanding of the gene structure and post-transcriptional regulatory network, and provide references for future studies on red-crowned cranes.

Influences of North Pacific anomalies on Indian summer monsoon onset

AbstractThis study finds a significantly decreasing (increasing) trend (1979–2018) of sea level pressure (SLP) over coastal East Asia (far North Pacific) during May and June, which resembles the negative (positive) Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) (North Pacific Oscillation, NPO)‐like pattern. Thus, we examine May composite differences between early and late Indian summer monsoon (ISM) onset years. Sea surface temperature (SST) differences show that early (late) ISM onset is accompanied by a negative (positive) PDO‐like state. Whereas, in SLP, an intense low pressure over northwestern India, the Arabian Sea to Southeast Asia (far North Pacific, East Asia) is associated with the early (late) onset. During the early onset, warm surface air temperature (SAT) anomalies over southeast Russia propagate towards Central Asia to the Middle East and the northwest Indian subcontinent, strengthening the land‐sea thermal contrast, which subsequently strengthens the monsoon low. We thus show how the positive NPO, negative PDO, and high spring Bering Sea ice link with the SAT anomalies. In the early onset, more wave packets generated in response to these North Pacific anomalies propagate towards the Atlantic and European region, reaching and converging over the northwest Indian subcontinent. The warm surface anomalies possibly draw eastward‐propagating waves towards northwest India, thus intensifying the monsoon low there. Meanwhile, in the CAM5 PDO simulation, we observe a similar pattern of atmospheric responses, where warm SAT anomalies associated with stationary Rossby wave trains propagate from the North Pacific towards the North Atlantic to Central Asia and the northwest Indian subcontinent, strengthening the monsoon low. Terefore, our study highlights the crucial role of the North Pacific anomalies in modulating the ISM onset processes via atmospheric pathways.

Modelling suitable breeding habitat and GAP analysis for the endangered Scaly-sided Merganser Mergus squamatus: implications for conservation

SummaryThe Scaly-sided Merganser Mergus squamatus is a globally ‘Endangered’ species breeding in north-east Asia. Limited by information on the geographic distribution of suitable habitat, the conservation management programme has not been comprehensive or spatially explicit for the breeding population. This study combines potentially important environmental variables with extensive data on species occurrence to create the first species distribution model for the breeding Scaly-sided Merganser, followed by a GAP analysis to highlight the unprotected areas containing suitable habitat. The predictive map showing the most suitable breeding habitat for the Scaly-sided Merganser covered broad-leaved deciduous forest distributed in six provincial regions in south-east Russia, north-east China, and North Korea. The conservation GAP, i.e. 90% (38,813 km2) of highly suitable habitat, is mainly concentrated in the Sikhote-Alin and Changbai mountain ranges. This study suggests that prioritizing conservation of unprotected broad-leaved deciduous riverine forests within the above two mountainous regions should be included in international conservation planning, and the remaining suitable patches need to be preserved to allow range expansion in future. This predictive map improves the expert global assessment of breeding Scaly-sided Merganser distribution and provides a basic reference for establishing conservation areas or implementing conservation actions for the breeding Scaly-sided Merganser in north-east Asia.

HINT1 neuropathy in Norway: clinical, genetic and functional profiling

BackgroundAutosomal recessive axonal neuropathy with neuromyotonia has been linked to loss of functional HINT1. The disease is particularly prevalent in Central and South-East Europe, Turkey and Russia due to the high carrier frequency of the c.110G > C (p.Arg37Pro) founder variant.ResultsIn a cohort of 748 Norwegian patients with suspected peripheral neuropathy, we identified two seemingly unrelated individuals, compound heterozygous for a new variant (c.284G > A, p.Arg95Gln) and the most common pathogenic founder variant (c.110G > C, p.Arg37Pro) in the HINT1 gene. Probands presented with motor greater than sensory neuropathy of various onset, accompanied by muscle stiffness and cramps in the limbs. Furthermore, they displayed non-classical symptoms, including pain in the extremities and signs of central nervous system involvement. Haplotype analysis in both patients revealed a common chromosomal background for p.Arg95Gln; moreover, the variant was identified in Swedish carriers. Functional characterization in HINT1-knockout and patient-derived cellular models, and in HNT1-knockout yeast, suggested that the new variant is deleterious for the function of HINT1 and provided mechanistic insights allowing patient stratification for future treatment strategies.ConclusionOur findings broaden the genetic epidemiology of HINT1-neuropathy and have implications for molecular diagnostics of inherited peripheral neuropathies in Scandinavia.

Военные юбилеи рубежа XX–XXI веков: современные тенденции в теории и практики мемориальной культуры

The article based on materials from military anniversaries of the late XX – early XXI centuries reveals the main trends in the politics of memory in relation to the history of wars of the XIX–XX centuries against the backdrop of digitalization of the information space. The 50th anniversary of the end of World War II (1995) and the events related to the 80th anniversary of the beginning of this war (2019), as well as the 250th anniversary of the birth of Napoleon (2019) are taken as milestone events. As a result of the study, the author identified two trends. Firstly, a trend of a transnational and transcultural nature, focused mainly on general humanistic values. Secondly, the tendency towards a nationally-oriented and politically biased policy, which became prevailing from 2004-2005. The second trend has become characteristic, first of all, for most countries of the post-Soviet space, including the countries of Central and Southeast Europe and Russia. Judging by the fact that a number of Asian countries (primarily China and Japan) have come to the forefront of anniversary events related to World War II, the tendency to decisively revise the transnational and transcultural vectors in the politics of memory in these countries has also become dominant. Western countries also, regardless of attempts to maintain a commitment to tolerance and transnationalism, were caught up in “memory wars” and, as a rule, in connection with the events of military history. The activation of the “memory wars” is largely associated with fundamental changes in the information environment, primarily in connection with the processes of its digitalization. The author believes that the prevalence of the second trend was predetermined by the end of the modernist revolution, which by the end of the twentieth century ended as the dominant world process that determined main parameters of the historical process in the second half of the twentieth century. The consequence of this from the turn of the century has been an increase in the fragmentation of the world and an explosion of thirst for identity. In this regard, historical memory and its twin-antipode, historical politics, have become the main tools (and often creators) of this identity - national, state, religious, ethnic, group and any other form of identity.

Eighteenth-Century Samara in the Diary by English Officer of the Orenburg Expedition

This article examines the Diary of the Englishman John Castle, an important source on the history of the Orenburg Expedition (Commission) and regions where it operated. The expedition made a notable contribution to the annexation of new territories in southeast Russia and their development. The Diary is one of the few graphical testimonies on the history of the territory, as Castle was a draughtsman. The Diary was published in German in 1784 while a translation into Russian was only released in 1998. The article’s author also refers to another translation of parts of the Diary devoted to Samara translated by A. Ognev in the same year. The research demonstrates that Castle’s work contains noteworthy data on matters other than Kazakhstan, which until now has been of primary importance for specialists working with the source. It contains authentic and unique data on the daily life of Russian towns bordering Asian countries in the eighteenth century. The Diary also relates its author’s communications with the outstanding statesmen I. Kirilov and V. Tatishchev, Castle’s superiors. They headed the Orenburg Expedition (Commission) when its headquarters was located in Samara. Foreign specialists worked in the expedition because Russian modernisation relied on progressive foreign experience and a policy of attracting foreigners into Russian service. The view of a non-Russian expert on local realities is important given the presence of many actors on the outskirts of the empire. Social groups, including foreigners who served in Russia, participated in the process of forming “collective representations” of a society undergoing modernisation. This process had its own peculiarities in territories where modernisation and colonisation via the “frontier model”: Bashkiria, the Southern Urals, the Trans-Urals, and the Trans-Volga regions. Beyond any doubt, the search for and analysis of the written and artistic heritage of foreign witnesses of the development of southeastern Russia in the first half of the eighteenth century will add to our knowledge about an important epoch of Russian history and the life of its southeastern territories.

Accurate estimation of conservation unit contribution to coho salmon mixed-stock fisheries in British Columbia, Canada, using direct DNA sequencing for single nucleotide polymorphisms

Determination of population structure and stock identification is a ubiquitous problem in fisheries assessment and management. Pacific salmon fishery management regimes are evolving to require higher resolution of stock composition on increasingly smaller reporting units. For coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch), a stock identification baseline composed of some 57 982 individuals from 332 populations ranging from southeast Russia to California was employed for genetic stock identification (GSI). GSI analysis based upon variation at up to 480 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) was demonstrated to provide accurate estimates of stock composition for 37 conservation units (CU) in British Columbia, 13 reporting groups in the United States, and one reporting group in Russia. In many instances, accurate population-specific estimates of stock composition within a CU were possible in fishery samples, as well as identifying individuals to some specific populations. A genetics-based assessment system provides an opportunity for conservation-based management of Canadian coho salmon.

Factors determining variation in colour morph frequencies in invasive Harmonia axyridis populations

The Harlequin ladybird Harmonia axyridis Pallas, native to eastern Asia, is an invasive, non-native species that has recently achieved an almost worldwide distribution. A conspicuous feature of this species is colour polymorphism of the elytra. In its native area, the populations consist of a recessive non-melanic morph, several dominant melanic morphs and small numbers of other (rare) morphs. The morph proportions in native populations have been intensively studied and vary with geographic area, climate and time. In contrast, colour polymorphism in invaded regions has been little studied. We examine and try to account for the morph frequencies observed across the different invaded regions. In America, monomorphic populations consist of the non-melanic morphs while European populations contain also melanic morphs. In particular geographic areas of Europe, the average percentage of the non-melanic morphs varied between 78 and 99%. It was highest in the lowlands of northern Italy and central and northern Europe and decreased in the Alps and western (Spain, UK) and eastern (southeast Russia) margins of the recently invaded area. In central Europe the frequency of the non-melanic morphs decreased over the course of the year but increased over the years from 2010 to 2018. The local differences might thus arise through gradual change of the morph composition of the founder invasive, non-native population. However, the variation in non-melanic morph frequency was not correlated with climatic characteristics that might affect coccinellid polymorphism. The observed rate of change in morph proportions in our data was too small to explain the diversification of what was supposedly a uniform invasive, non-native population at the point of introduction.

Boundaries of the Amurian Plate identified using multiple geophysical methods

One of the most topical issues regarding the recent geodynamics of Eastern Asia is identifying the boundaries of the Amurian (AM) block, it has great significance to research the relationship between the Northeast Asia and the Pacific Plate. In this study, continuous Global Positioning System (GPS) measurement data from Northeast China, Southeast Russia, the Korean Peninsula (KP) and Eastern Mongolia are used to calculate the velocity field and Euler pole. The results show that the two sides of the Tanlu fault zone have different velocity directions and Euler centers. And the movement velocity and rotation velocity of the two blocks are different. Chi-square (χ2) statistics indicate significant relative movement between the AM and KP blocks, confirming that they are generally independent and do not belong to the same block. The focal mechanism solutions and energy release indicate that Tanlu fault zone is a large dextral strike-slip fault, there are many deep-focus earthquakes, shallow-focus earthquakes and volcanic earthquakes in this fault zone, which release a lot of energy. Under the strong pushing of the Pacific plate, the KP block is forced to changed direction from SEE to SE along the Tanlu fault zone. These comprehensive calculations show that the AM and KP blocks are two mutually independent blocks, the boundary between them is the Tanlu fault zone.

Geodynamic position of large and super large precious metal and uranium ore districts and nodes in the East Asia

The analysis results of the geophysical, seismic tomography and mineragenic data are presented, revealing the prerequisites for the regular of the location large and unique precious metals and uranium ore nodes of Southeast Russia, East Mongolia and Northern China. Shown that probable causes localization of the world-class ore clusters and districts above a stagnant oceanic slab perimeter are predetermined by concentration of the lower mantle fluid-heat fluxes at the frontal part of the slab and on its flanks, which are represented by sublatitudinal paleotransformal faults.

The sky is not falling!

As of October 2018, almost half of US imports of goods from China are subject to new US tariffs at various rates, mostly at 10% until the year-end of 2018, when the rates were scheduled to be raised to 25%. These tariff rates will prove to be prohibitive for most if not all of the US imports from China. Assuming that US imports from China will be reduced by half, the initial direct real impact on the Chinese economy may be estimated at a loss of 0.43% of GDP. If indirect effects are included, the full real impact may be estimated at a maximum loss of 1.12% of Chinese GDP. These estimated impacts are relatively small and quite manageable. There is a possibility that the scope of the US tariffs may be expanded to cover all US imports from China, in which case the full negative economic impact will be doubled, but still leaving an expected rate of economic growth in excess of 4%. The Renminbi is not likely to be significantly devalued as a result of the trade war. However, there are also longer-term underlying forces at work behind the China–US trade war – the competition for economic and technological dominance and the rise of populism, isolationism, nationalism and protectionism. It is important for China–US relations, and China’s relations with the rest of the world, in particular with the European Union, Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Japan and Russia, to be carefully managed going forward.