The distribution and behavior of mercury in snow

<p>With atmospheric precipitation to 28% of mercury (from their total input into this basin) is transported to the Azov Sea via precipitation [1,2]. There is an increasing tendency in the mercury concentrations in rain and snow sampled in the cities of the Rostov Region, compared to precipitation over the sea and its coast. The maximum mercury concentrations in the hydrometeors were found in the cities in autumn and winter. It is due to its penetration into the troposphere as a result of the rapidly increasing dust amounts and gas emissions sourced by combustion of coal, fuel oil, and gas during the heating season. The mercury concentrations in the hydrometeors are higher in stale snow than in just-fallen snow. It is suggested that stale snow is a depositing material absorbing mercury from the troposphere, where it accumulates due to activity of various enterprises with pollutant emissions. This statement is confirmed indirectly by the fact that the Donbass coals are characterized by high mercury concentrations [1]. Another mechanism could be mercury re-distribution during the compaction of snow cover and its interaction with soil. In the course of the winter expeditions, a clear snow stratification was registered: just-fallen powder and stale crystallized grey snow with a large amount of mineral and organic material. In stale snow, the dissolved and suspended form of mercury migration prevailed over its content in freshly fallen snow. The mercury content in hydrometeors was influenced by such factors as wind activity and the amount of atmospheric precipitation. On the one hand, when wind activity increases, the atmosphere surface layers in the cities are cleared from technological substances, and the input of soil particles increases during dust storms. There is intensive mercury leaching from the atmosphere during torrential rains. It leads to a sharp decrease in its atmospheric concentrations. On the other hand, there is an increase in the mercury content in the rainfall after a dry period under calm weather conditions.</p><p>The work was carried out with the financial support of the RF President grant No. MK-1862.2020.5., RFBR projects No. 19-05-50097.</p><p>Литература</p><ul><li>[1]. Fedorov Yu. A., Mikhailenko V., Dmitrik L. Y., Dotsenko I. V., Solodko D. F., Chepurnaya V. I. Mercury and iron in precipitation of the Azov Sea basin<strong>// </strong>Limnology and Freshwater Biology, 2020,№1,pp. pp.838-839<strong>.</strong></li> <li>[2]. Klenkin A. A., Korpakova I. G., Pavlenko L. F., Temerdashev Z. A. Ecosystem of the Sea of Azov: anthropogenic pollution. Krasnodar: "Enlightenment-SOUTH", 2007. – 324p.</li> </ul>

CHAOS WITHOUT COSMOS (ON THE POEM BY O. E. MANDELSTAM “TELL ME, DESERT DRAFTSMAN…”)

In the article there is carried out a structural-semantic analysis of Mandelstam’s poem “Tell me, Desert Draftsman…”. Interpretation of a number of mysterious fragments is suggested. In particular, this concerns “Judaic troubles”. We argue that in this context they are connected with the motif of scattering because of the wind activity. We also find interlingual interference between Russian and French. Its meaning is related to the motifs of mutual metamorphosis and inseparability of entities typical of primary chaos. The key feature of the world embodied in the poem consists in the impossibility of unambiguous separation to opposite entities such as creator and destroyer, creation and annihilation, linear and cyclic processes, etc. In this case, no cosmos creates from chaos, the world remains “not embodied”.

Age of sediments on Danube terraces of the Pest Plain (Hungary) based on optically stimulated luminescence dating of quartz and feldspar

The numerical ages available for the sediments on the Danube terraces in the Pest Plain are scarce. In this study, we present quartz OSL and K feldspar post-IR IRSL290 ages for the sandy fluvial, aeolian and slope sediments collected from Danube terraces IIb, III and V.The feldspar post-IR IRSL290 ages without residual dose subtraction are older than the quartz OSL ages, except for one sample, but the two sets of ages are overlapping within one or two sigma errors.In the bleaching experiment under natural sunlight during summer, an unbleachable component ranging from 2.5±0.7 Gy to 5.2±0.3 Gy after 30 h exposure to bright sunshine is observed and it corresponds to 3−8% of the measured K feldspar post-IR IRSL290 equivalent doses. These facts indicate that residual dose subtraction would be necessary before age calculation, in most cases.The saturated fluvial gravelly sand of terrace V of the Danube is older than ~ 296 ka based on feldspar post-IR IRSL290 measurements. This age does not contradict the traditional terrace chronology and the earlier published age data of this terrace. The other studied sediments on the surface of the terraces V, III and IIb deposited much later than the formation of these terraces. They infer aeolian activity and fluvial sedimentation of small streams during the MIS 3 and MIS 2 periods. The age of the dated dune sands with coeval aeolian sediments in Hungary indicate the cold and dry periods with strong wind activity of the Late Weichselian.

Assessment of wind energy potential ofthe Murmansk Regionand performance of Kola wind farm

The paper gives an analysis of perspectives for development of wind power generation, information on the share of wind energy in electricity generation in the world and in Russian Federation is provided as well. Data on gross, technical, economic potential of wind energy of Russia and the Murmansk Region has been presented. When calculating the gross wind energy potential of the region, data from the last 10 years of observations carried out at 37 meteorological stations have been used. The territory of the region has been divided into 6 distinctive zones, based on the wind activity. Gross energy potential has been calculated for each zone: for the heights of 10, 50, 100, and 150 m. Gross wind energy potential of the region at the height of 150 m has thus been estimated at 23,090 billion kWh. The Murmansk Region's 201 MW Kola wind farm, which consists of 57 Siemens Gamesa SG 3.4-132 wind turbines with a unit capacity of 3.465 MW, is to be constructed by 2021 under the direction of Enel Green Power. Wind energy potential and annual power generation of the Kola wind farm have been assessed. The difference between the obtained results and calculations of Enel Group's specialists amounts to less than 15 %. For the cases of relocation of Kola wind farm to different wind zones, the annual power generation of the wind farm has been estimated. It has been determined, that in case of Kola wind farm's relocation to the zone with the highest wind activity its annual electricity generation could be increased up to 1.5 times. A model of the Kola energy system has been developed in NEPLAN software, its validity has been proven. The calculations of the wind farm's operation modes show that voltage levels of the system nodes and powerflows are within the boundaries defined by normative documents. The effectiveness of reactive power regulation of the wind farm has been shown.

SOIL USE AND OCCUPATION OF WIND FARM AGRICULTURAL AREAS

Wind energy, despite being considered clean and renewable, has negative impacts in the social and environmental scope, significantly altering coastal areas and the interior of Northeast Brazil, this is mainly due to the new land uses arising from the installation of wind towers. Thus, the objective of this research was to analyze changes in land use and occupation of agricultural areas exploited by wind energy, to identify the potential of these agricultural areas for the construction of wind farms and to verify the reconciliation between wind and agricultural activity. Primary and secondary data collection was used, covering semi-structured interviews and analysis of satellite images. The study area was the municipality of Serra do Mel, located in the State of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. The results obtained were processed in the geographic information system QGIS and demonstrated through thematic maps and graphs. It was possible to conclude that the installation of wind farms caused few changes in the classes of use and occupation of the land, it was found that the agricultural areas of Serra do Mel have great potential for wind energy due to the speed of the winds and the condition of the land and identified there is also the possibility of reconciling agricultural and wind activity.

Variability of hydrometeorological situation during fish kill events in the summer seasons of 2010–2018 in the Sea of Azov

Hydrometeorological situations during the fish kill events that took place in the Belosaray, Obitochny and Kazantip Bays in the summer seasons of 2010–2018 have been analyzed. Average monthly background water and air temperatures and wind velocity are considered, as well as their average daily values before, during and after a fish kill event. It is shown that background characteristics of water temperature and wind velocity influenced the development of a fish kill event more directly and definitely than air temperature, which influence was only indirect. In the majority of cases, hydrometeorological situation, leading to fish kill event, developed according to the typical pattern with increasing air and water temperature and decreasing wind activity. In the northern bays, the Belosaray and Obitochny Bays, fish kill events were recorded during the first half of summer season, and in the southern bay, the Kazantip Bay, they occurred in the second half of it. Since 2012, due to significant decrease in vertical thermohaline stability and increase in water homogeneity, no significant fish kill events were recorded under various temperature and wind conditions. Satellite imaging of sea surface temperature confirmed typical course of fish kill event development: the temperature increased in the pre-event period and then, after the event, stayed high in the southern bays and decreased in the northern ones.

Aeolian Changes at the Insight Landing Site on Mars: Multi-instrument Observations

<p>The InSight (Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport) mission landed in western Elysium Planitia on November 26, 2018. Because of its stationary position and a multi-instrument package, InSight offers the unique opportunity of detecting changes induced by aeolian activity and constraining the atmospheric conditions responsible for particle motion.</p><p>In this work, we present the most significant changes from aeolian activity as detected by the InSight lander during its first 400 Martian days of operations. We will show that particle entrainment by wind activity around InSight is a subtle process and report simultaneous measurements observed across multiple instruments. The changes observed are episodic and are seen correlated with excursions in both seismic and magnetic signals, which will be discussed further. Our observations show that all aeolian movements are consistent with the passage of deep convective vortices between noon to 3 pm local time. These vortices may be the primary initiators for aeolian transportation at InSight, inducing episodic particulate motion of grains up to 3 mm in diameter.</p>

Red Supergiants, Yellow Hypergiants, and Post-RSG Evolution

How massive stars end their lives remains an open question in the field of star evolution. While the majority of stars above ≳9 M ⊙ will become red supergiants (RSGs), the terminal state of these massive stars can be heavily influenced by their mass-loss histories. Periods of enhanced circumstellar wind activity can drive stars off the RSG branch of the HR Diagram. This phase, known as post-RSG evolution, may well be tied to high mass-loss events or eruptions as seen in the Luminous Blue Variables (LBVs) and other massive stars. This article highlights some of the recent observational and modeling studies that seek to characterize this unique class of stars, the post-RSGs and link them to other massive objects on the HR Diagram such as LBVs, Yellow Hypergiants and dusty RSGs.