Status of climate and water resources at Saguaro National Park: Water year 2019

Climate and hydrology are major drivers of ecosystems. They dramatically shape ecosystem structure and function, particularly in arid and semi-arid ecosystems. Understanding changes in climate, groundwater, and water quality and quantity is central to assessing the condition of park biota and key cultural resources. The Sonoran Desert Network collects data on climate, groundwater, and surface water at 11 National Park Service units in south-ern Arizona and New Mexico. This report provides an integrated look at climate, groundwater, and springs conditions at Saguaro National Park (NP) during water year 2019 (October 2018–September 2019). Annual rainfall in the Rincon Mountain District was 27.36" (69.49 cm) at the Mica Mountain RAWS station and 12.89" (32.74 cm) at the Desert Research Learning Center Davis station. February was the wettest month, accounting for nearly one-quarter of the annual rainfall at both stations. Each station recorded extreme precipitation events (>1") on three days. Mean monthly maximum and minimum air temperatures were 25.6°F (-3.6°C) and 78.1°F (25.6°C), respectively, at the Mica Mountain station, and 37.7°F (3.2°C) and 102.3°F (39.1°C), respectively, at the Desert Research Learning Center station. Overall temperatures in WY2019 were cooler than the mean for the entire record. The reconnaissance drought index for the Mica Mountain station indicated wetter conditions than average in WY2019. Both of the park’s NOAA COOP stations (one in each district) had large data gaps, partially due to the 35-day federal government shutdown in December and January. For this reason, climate conditions for the Tucson Mountain District are not reported. The mean groundwater level at well WSW-1 in WY2019 was higher than the mean for WY2018. The water level has generally been increasing since 2005, reflecting the continued aquifer recovery since the Central Avra Valley Storage and Recovery Project came online, recharging Central Arizona Project water. Water levels at the Red Hills well generally de-clined starting in fall WY2019, continuing through spring. Monsoon storms led to rapid water level increases. Peak water level occurred on September 18. The Madrona Pack Base well water level in WY2019 remained above 10 feet (3.05 m) below measuring point (bmp) in the fall and winter, followed by a steep decline starting in May and continuing until the end of September, when the water level rebounded following a three-day rain event. The high-est water level was recorded on February 15. Median water levels in the wells in the middle reach of Rincon Creek in WY2019 were higher than the medians for WY2018 (+0.18–0.68 ft/0.05–0.21 m), but still generally lower than 6.6 feet (2 m) bgs, the mean depth-to-water required to sustain juvenile cottonwood and willow trees. RC-7 was dry in June–September, and RC-4 was dry in only September. RC-5, RC-6 and Well 633106 did not go dry, and varied approximately 3–4 feet (1 m). Eleven springs were monitored in the Rincon Mountain District in WY2019. Most springs had relatively few indications of anthropogenic or natural disturbance. Anthropogenic disturbance included spring boxes or other modifications to flow. Examples of natural disturbance included game trails and scat. In addition, several sites exhibited slight disturbance from fires (e.g., burned woody debris and adjacent fire-scarred trees) and evidence of high-flow events. Crews observed 1–7 taxa of facultative/obligate wetland plants and 0–3 invasive non-native species at each spring. Across the springs, crews observed four non-native plant species: rose natal grass (Melinis repens), Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis), crimson fountaingrass (Cenchrus setaceus), and red brome (Bromus rubens). Baseline data on water quality and chemistry were collected at all springs. It is likely that that all springs had surface water for at least some part of WY2019. However, temperature sensors to estimate surface water persistence failed...

Vertical Structure of a Snowfall Event Based on Observations From the Aircraft and Mountain Station in Beijing

An aircraft platform, ground-based disdrometer, cloud radar, radiometer, and automatic station were combined to study a snowfall case (16:30–21:00 observed by ground cloud radar) on the Yangqing Mountains in Beijing. Comparing the variation of ice habit and number concentration at aircraft altitude (2.9–3.2 km) and ground, we discussed the ice growth mechanisms in the Beijing Mountains. Results indicated that the snowfall was steady but not strong with reflectivity less than 20dBZ, and cloud top altitude less than 4.5 km. The number concentrations for both liquid and ice crystals at aircraft altitude and ground were very similar, both dominated by small particles at diameters of 0.1–1.2 mm, and the proportion of mean number concentrations at small diameters both in the aircraft and on the ground was large, peaking at 44 L−1 mm−1 and 8826 L−1 mm−1 respectively, and decreased rapidly as the diameter increased. There was no mixed phase in clouds with little liquid water. Particles were relatively regular, and were transparent with dendritic and disk-hexagonal shapes. The ice crystals and snowflakes were mainly grown by the deposition and aggregation, rarely by the riming process, and no secondary ice formation was observed.

Unknown facts of history of the Natural science museum of the Iilmeny state reserve, South Urals

The history of establishing the museum of the Ilmeny State Reserve in the South Urals is described during 1924–1941. Information about the location of the museum, the number of samples and exhibi¬tions in various years is given. During 1926–1930, when the reserve was headed by the director D.I. Rudenko, the frst collections of the museum were stored in a building on Remeslennaya street in Miass. In 1931–1936, the museum was located in apartments of the central base of the reserve. The location of the museum in the South Urals Mountain Station of the Academy of Sciences from 1937 to 1941 was fruitful.

EFFICIENCY OF REGISTRATION OF LOW ENERGY NEUTRONS BY NEUTRON DETECTORS BASED ON GAS DISCHARGE 3He COUNTERS

When analyzing the results obtained in measurements on neutron detectors with a low energy threshold, it is necessary to know the dependence of the neutron detection efficiency on their kinetic energy in information channels of various types, both for "open" neutron counters, and for counters surrounded by a moderator. Having a physical model of particle interactions based on the Geant4 package, it is possible to calculate the detection efficiency for various types of detectors, which are used in experiments conducted at the Tien Shan high-mountain station related to the registration of a neutron flux. The paper presents several simulation models developed for neutron detectors.

Determination of the multiple-scattering correction factor and its cross-sensitivity to scattering and wavelength dependence for different AE33 Aethalometer filter tapes: A multi-instrumental approach

Accurate measurements of light absorption by aerosolized particles, especially black carbon (BC), are of utter importance since BC represents the second most important climate-warming agent after carbon dioxide (CO2). Reducing the uncertainties related to the absorption measurement techniques will improve the global estimation of BC concentration and the radiative effects of light absorbing aerosols. Currently, one of the most widely used instruments for BC and absorption measurements is the dual-spot aethalometer, AE33, which derives the absorption coefficients of aerosol particles at 7 different wavelengths from the measurements of optical attenuation through a filter where particles are continuously collected. An accurate determination of the absorption coefficient relies on the quantification of non-linear processes related to the collection of sample on the filter. The multiple-scattering correction factor (C(λ)), which depends on the filter tape used and on the optical properties of the collected particles, is the parameter with the greatest uncertainty.An in-depth analysis of the AE33 multiple-scattering correction factor and its wavelength dependence for different filter tapes, i.e. the old most referenced known as TFE-coated glass and the current most widely used M8060, has been carried out by comparing the AE33 attenuation measurements with the absorption measurements from different filter-based techniques. Online co-located multi-angle absorption photometer (MAAP) measurements and offline PP_UniMI polar photometer measurements were used with this aim. We used data from three different measurement stations in North-East of Spain: an urban background station (Barcelona; BCN), a regional background station (Montseny; MSY) and a mountain-top station (Montsec d'Ares; MSA). The median C values (at 637 nm) measured at the three stations ranged between 2.29 (at BCN and MSY; lowest 5th percentile of 1.97 and highest 95th percentile of 2.68) and 2.51 (at MSA; lowest 5th percentile of 2.06 and highest 95th percentile of 3.06). The C factor was wavelength-dependent only at the mountain-top station, whereas at the urban and regional stations no statistically significant difference was found at the 7 different AE33 wavelengths. The wavelength-dependence of C at the mountain station was in part driven by the predominant effect of dust particles during Saharan dust outbreaks at this station. At the mountain station, neglecting the wavelength dependence of the C factor led to an underestimation of the Absorption Ångström Exponent (AAE) of 12 %. The analysis of the cross-sensitivity to scattering for different filter tapes revealed a large increase of the C factor at the three stations when the single scattering albedo (SSA) of the collected particles was above 0.90–0.95, with up to a 3-fold increase above the average values. The result of the cross-sensitivity to scattering displayed a fitted constant multiple scattering parameter, Cf, of 2.21 and 1.96 and a cross-sensitivity factor, ms, of 0.8 % and 1.7 % for MSY and MSA stations, respectively, for the TFE-coated glass filter tape. For the M8060 filter tape, Cf of 2.50, 1.96, 1.82 and a ms of 0.7 %, 1.5 %, 2.7 %, for BCN, MSY and MSA stations, respectively, were obtained. Differences in the absorption coefficient determined from AE33 measurements at BCN, MSY and MSA of around a 35–40 % can be expected when using the site-dependent C determined experimentally instead of the nominal C value.

"...From lapp tent ("vezha") to the palace of science": sources on the history of organization and construction of "Tietta" (Khibiny mountain station —Kola research base of theUSSR Academy of sciences) from the facilities of the Museum-Archive of the BCH KSC RAS.

The article presents an archaeographical publication of two narratives of academician A. E. Fersman and poet L.I. Oshanin, presented to the readers of the newspaper "Khibinogorsky Rabochiy" on September 29, 1934, and working drawings-plans of the building of "Tietta" —the Khibiny mountain station (1930–1934), since 1934 —the Kola base of the USSR Academy of Sciences —the first peripheral stationary institution of the USSR Academy of Sciences. The primary sources are kept in the funds of the Museum-Archives of the Central State Archive of the KSC RAS.

The first report of ants (Formicidae: Hymenoptera) in salt marshes and salt pans in central parts of Iran

The present study was conducted in Salt marshes and Salt pans in central parts of Iran. 121 specimens of ants were collected by trapping and hand during spring, summer and autumn 2017 to 2019. Nine species belong to two subfamilies of Myrmicinae and Formicinae were identified. The vegetation, physical and chemical parameters of soil such as salinity, Ph, and other factors were investigated. Darband Shoor Mountain station with five species had the highest diversity and vegetation density and the lowest salinity of soil (72.14 ds/m) whereas Salt Lake station had only one species, with no vegetation and the highest salinity of soil (153.15 ds/m). Cataglyphis lividus (André, 1881) was the dominant species in all the stations except in Darband Shoor Mountain station. All the species were reported for the first time from salt marshes and salt pans in the central parts of Iran and were approved by Prof. Brian Taylor, in Royal Entomological Society of London, England.