Features of optical characteristics of atmospheric aerosol in the Middle Urals

The results of studies into the aerosol optical depth (AOD) for the atmosphere in the Middle Urals in the spectrum range of 0.34-1.02 μm for 2004-2010 is presented. The interannual, annual, seasonal, and daily variations in the AOD are analyzed. The major statistical characteristics of the AOD, the parameters of the probability density function of distributions over different wave lengths, and the parameters of Angstrom's formula for the different seasons are calculated. The monitoring stations in the Russian segment of the AERONET network are ranked with respect to the AOD value. A shift from March to May in the spring maximum of the AOD is revealed in comparison with the results of the actinometric observations for the period of 1960-1986. A qualitative assessment is given to the influence of forest and peat fires in the region on the AOD. A classification of the states of aerosol haze in the atmosphere according to the AOD values is proposed. © 2013 Pleiades Publishing, Ltd

Interplay of non-linear elasticity and dislocation-induced superfluidity in solid Helium-4

The mechanism of the roughening induced partial depinning of gliding dislocations from Helium-3 impurities is proposed as an alternative to the standard "boiling off". We give a strong argument that Helium-3 remains bound to dislocations even at large temperatures due to very long equilibration times. A scenario leading to the similarity between elastic and superfluid responses of solid Helium-4 is also discussed. Its main ingredient is a strong suppression of the superfluidity along dislocation cores by dislocation kinks (D. Aleinikava, et. al., arXiv:0812.0983). These kinks, on one hand, determine the temperature and Helium-3 dependencies of the generalized shear modulus and, on the other hand, control the superfluid response. Several proposals for theoretical and experimental studies of solid Helium-4 are suggested.Comment: final version accepted to the special JLTP issue on Supersolid, 16 pages, 6 figures: typos corrected, more explanations give

(Table 1) Activity of strontium-90 in waters of the Northeast Atlantic at the end of 1965 and the beginning of 1966

In 1965-1966 R/V Mikhail Lomonosov conducted studies on concentrations of artificial radioactive products in the Northeast Atlantic. Concentration of strontium-90 at the end of 1965 and the beginning of 1966 was higher than the average level for the ocean and reached about 53 dpm/100 l in the surface layer. The most intense transport of artificial radioactive products out of the Irish Sea was detected in the northern and northeastern directions along the Hebrides and the Orkneys. In addition to radioactive fission products from nuclear weapons tests, radioactive wastes of atomic industrial facilities discharged into the ocean are an important source of radioactive contamination of some regions of the world ocean

Quantification of the sediment budget of a river basin, based on reconstruction of the post-fallout redistribution of Chernobyl particle-bound 137Cs

Quantitative assessment of the sediment budget of a fluvial system is a key approach to understanding its geomorphic behaviour and an essential tool for investigating the redistribution of particle-bound contaminants along the sediment cascade. Here, we present a study involving the application of several independent approaches for quantifying the post-fallout (1986-2009) redistribution of Chernobyl particle-bound 137Cs and the basin-scale sediment budget for the River Plava basin situated in the northern part of the Srednerusskaya Upland (Central European Russia). The techniques employed include 137Cs-based sediment tracing, two soil erosion models and the analysis of soil profile morphology. The results show that most of the sediment originating from human-accelerated soil erosion on cultivated slopes is redeposited on the uncultivated lower parts of the slopes or in the bottoms of infilled gullies, hollows and 1 - 3rd order valleys. The River Plava valley itself represents a system dominated by efficient transport, with very limited floodplain sediment storage. The 137Cs-contaminated sediment export from the River Plava basin outlet exerts a significant impact on the River Upa. Its floodplain sediment contamination by 137Cs downstream of the River Plava mouth increases by almost an order of magnitude. Copyright © 2012 IAHS Press