20 research outputs found
Comparative fruit quality parameters of âNinfaâ apricot (Prunus armeniaca L.) grafted on two different rootstocks in a newly established organic orchard
The fruit quality parameters of Prunus armeniaca L. cv âNinfaâ grafted on âMyrobalan 29Câ (Prunus cerasifera Ehrh.) and âReal Finoâ apricot seedling (Prunus armeniaca L.) were analysed in an experimental orchard under organic management. The study was performed between 2010 and 2012 in the province of Seville (SW Spain). Colour, fruit and stone weights, firmness, soluble solid concentration, and acidity were measured for fruit quality evaluation. Trunk cross-sectional area, main branches, and fruit yield were also determined. In general, âMyrobalan 29Câ rootstock produced fruit slightly larger in size and with a bigger weight. By contrast, apricots on âMyrobalan 29Câ had less firmness and a lower solid soluble concentration than on âReal Finoâ. There was little difference in the colour, acidity, and stone dry weights. Trees on âReal Finoâ had larger areas of trunk and branches but no significant differences were obtained in relation to fruit yields
Phenomenology of the Lense-Thirring effect in the Solar System
Recent years have seen increasing efforts to directly measure some aspects of
the general relativistic gravitomagnetic interaction in several astronomical
scenarios in the solar system. After briefly overviewing the concept of
gravitomagnetism from a theoretical point of view, we review the performed or
proposed attempts to detect the Lense-Thirring effect affecting the orbital
motions of natural and artificial bodies in the gravitational fields of the
Sun, Earth, Mars and Jupiter. In particular, we will focus on the evaluation of
the impact of several sources of systematic uncertainties of dynamical origin
to realistically elucidate the present and future perspectives in directly
measuring such an elusive relativistic effect.Comment: LaTex, 51 pages, 14 figures, 22 tables. Invited review, to appear in
Astrophysics and Space Science (ApSS). Some uncited references in the text
now correctly quoted. One reference added. A footnote adde
Diet of two syntopic species of Crenuchidae (Ostariophysi: Characiformes) in an Amazonian rocky stream
Abstract This study assessed the diet of two poorly known syntopic fish species of the family Crenuchidae, Characidium aff. declivirostre and Leptocharacidium omospilus, in a Presidente FigueiredoÂŽ rocky stream, Amazonas, Brazil. The stomach contents were analyzed and their Frequency of Occurrence (FO %) and Relative Volume (Vol %) were combined in a Feeding Index (IAi). We examined 20 individuals of C. aff. declivirostre and 23 of L. omospilus. The Morisita-Horn Index was used to estimate the overlap between the diets of these species. Immature insects were the most valuable items consumed by both fish species. The diet of C. aff. declivirostre was mainly composed of larvae and pupae of Chironomidae, while L. omospilus predominantly consumed larvae of Hydroptilidae, Hydropyschidae and Pyralidae. Thus, both species were classified as autochthonous insectivorous. Characidium aff. declivirostre was considered a more specialized species, probably reflecting lower feeding plasticity or the use of more restricted microhabitats compared to L. omospilus. When the food items were analyzed at the family taxonomic level, the diet overlap between these species was considered moderate (Morisita-Horn Index = 0.4). However, a more thorough analysis, at the genus level, indicates a very low diet overlap. Therefore, we conclude that the feeding segregation between C. aff. declivirostre and L. omospilus may favor their co-existence, despite their high phylogenetic closeness
ON THE POSSIBLE CONNECTION BETWEEN AFRICAN DUST OUTBREAKS AND STRATOSPHERE-TO-TROPOSPHERE EXCHANGE AS MEASURED IN THE IBERIAN PENINSULA
The FRESA (\u201cImpacto de las intrusiones de masas de aire
con polvo aFRicano y de masas de aire EStratosf\ue9rico en
la Pen\uednsula Ib\ue9rica. Influencia de El Atlas\u201d) Spanish
national project aims to study the interaction between
upper level disturbances and the Atlas Mountains in
promoting low-level instability and cyclone formation in
the lee of the Atlas Mountains, responsible of dust uplift
over the Sahara Desert and also of upper tropospherelower
stratosphere (UT-LS) to troposphere transport.
This work presents an overview of the results obtained
during a preliminary campaign of the FRESA project
(June-October 2016) at Sierra Nevada (Granada)
(37.096 N, 3.387 W, 2550 m a.s.l.) analysing weekly
samples of 7Be, 210Pb (tracers of UTLS and continental
origin, respectively) and PM10, as well as hourly particle
number size distribution from a Grimm OPC. 96-hour 3D
backward trajectories starting every 6 h (00, 06, 12, and
18Z) were calculated using the HYSPLIT4 model with the
meteorological input from the ERA-Interim 0.5 deg
meteorological dataset. Moreover, potential vorticity
(PV) data was associated to each of the 96 trajectory
endpoints by performing a 3D nearest-neighbour
interpolation to the 27 isobaric levels between 100 and
1000 hPa of the ERA-Interim reanalysis.
During this pre-campaign, 12 Saharan dust and 14
stratospheric intrusions days were identified analysing
back-trajectories, BSC-DREAM model, particle number
concentrations and synoptic charts: the meteorological
situation leading to these outbreaks will be further
studied in detail. The analysis of the source-receptor
relationship for 7
Be, 210Pb and PM10 shows the influence
of the Sahara Desert and of air parcels which passed over
the North Sea with strong subsidence and then at lower
heights over the western Mediterranean basin on all the
three parameters. The analysis also shows that the
Atlantic air masses are more associated to 7
Be than 210Pb
increases. The fine and coarse fractions (smaller and
larger than 1 \ub5m in diameter) were analysed on both a
weekly and 6-hourly basis. Locations to the south of the
Atlas and the western Mediterranean were identified as
important sources of the coarse fraction while the origin
of the fine fraction was quite similar to that of 7
Be,
probably because of the attachment of 7
Be nuclide to
accumulation-mode aerosols soon after its production.
The comparison between 7
Be/210Pb potential sources
with those of high PV crossing shows that the Atlas is
connected both to events of high PV values and to a
strong PSCF probability of the 7
Be/210Pb ratio. This result
suggests that the high PV areas located around the Atlas
Mountains are not linked to friction and turbulence over
the mountains themselves, but are rather associated to
tropopause crossing and Stratosphere-TroposphereExchange
(STE) occurring in the leeward side of mountain
ranges, in agreement with the recent work of Brattich et
al. (submitted).
This work was supported by the Spanish MINECO under
grant CGL2015-70741-R (FRESA).
Brattich et al. (submitted to JGR), Influence of
stratospheric air masses on radiotracers and ozone
over the central Mediterranean
ON THE POSSIBLE CONNECTION BETWEEN AFRICAN DUST OUTBREAKS AND STRATOSPHERE-TO-TROPOSPHERE EXCHANGE AS MEASURED IN THE IBERIAN PENINSULA
The FRESA (\u201cImpacto de las intrusiones de masas de aire
con polvo aFRicano y de masas de aire EStratosf\ue9rico en
la Pen\uednsula Ib\ue9rica. Influencia de El Atlas\u201d) Spanish
national project aims to study the interaction between
upper level disturbances and the Atlas Mountains in
promoting low-level instability and cyclone formation in
the lee of the Atlas Mountains, responsible of dust uplift
over the Sahara Desert and also of upper tropospherelower
stratosphere (UT-LS) to troposphere transport.
This work presents an overview of the results obtained
during a preliminary campaign of the FRESA project
(June-October 2016) at Sierra Nevada (Granada)
(37.096 N, 3.387 W, 2550 m a.s.l.) analysing weekly
samples of 7Be, 210Pb (tracers of UTLS and continental
origin, respectively) and PM10, as well as hourly particle
number size distribution from a Grimm OPC. 96-hour 3D
backward trajectories starting every 6 h (00, 06, 12, and
18Z) were calculated using the HYSPLIT4 model with the
meteorological input from the ERA-Interim 0.5 deg
meteorological dataset. Moreover, potential vorticity
(PV) data was associated to each of the 96 trajectory
endpoints by performing a 3D nearest-neighbour
interpolation to the 27 isobaric levels between 100 and
1000 hPa of the ERA-Interim reanalysis.
During this pre-campaign, 12 Saharan dust and 14
stratospheric intrusions days were identified analysing
back-trajectories, BSC-DREAM model, particle number
concentrations and synoptic charts: the meteorological
situation leading to these outbreaks will be further
studied in detail. The analysis of the source-receptor
relationship for 7
Be, 210Pb and PM10 shows the influence
of the Sahara Desert and of air parcels which passed over
the North Sea with strong subsidence and then at lower
heights over the western Mediterranean basin on all the
three parameters. The analysis also shows that the
Atlantic air masses are more associated to 7
Be than 210Pb
increases. The fine and coarse fractions (smaller and
larger than 1 \ub5m in diameter) were analysed on both a
weekly and 6-hourly basis. Locations to the south of the
Atlas and the western Mediterranean were identified as
important sources of the coarse fraction while the origin
of the fine fraction was quite similar to that of 7
Be,
probably because of the attachment of 7
Be nuclide to
accumulation-mode aerosols soon after its production.
The comparison between 7
Be/210Pb potential sources
with those of high PV crossing shows that the Atlas is
connected both to events of high PV values and to a
strong PSCF probability of the 7
Be/210Pb ratio. This result
suggests that the high PV areas located around the Atlas
Mountains are not linked to friction and turbulence over
the mountains themselves, but are rather associated to
tropopause crossing and Stratosphere-TroposphereExchange
(STE) occurring in the leeward side of mountain
ranges, in agreement with the recent work of Brattich et
al. (submitted).
This work was supported by the Spanish MINECO under
grant CGL2015-70741-R (FRESA).
Brattich et al. (submitted to JGR), Influence of
stratospheric air masses on radiotracers and ozone
over the central Mediterranean