No abstract

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)-series satellite thermal images(STI) study showed the presenceof positive anomalies of the outgoing Earth radiation flux recorded at night time and associated with largest linear structures and fault systems of the crust. The analysis of a continuous series (100-250 days) of nightly STl data for a period of 10 years allowed identification of a set of IR radiation anomalies in the Central Asian seismoactive region, Iran, Egypt, etc. About 10000 NOAA images were analysed. It was actually discovered that there was a statistically significant correlation between the activity of IR anomalies (mean value of area per year or month) and the seismic activation of the Central Asian seismoactive region. At present the nature of stable and non-stable IR anomalies is not clear. In all probability hydrogeological factors or the greenhouse effect playa main role in forming the anomalies. Thus, satellite thermal survey is a tool for investigations of seismoactive regions and for earthquake predictions.

BackgroundThe increase in tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) incidence is observed in recent decades in a number of subarctic countries. The reasons of it are widely discussed in scientific publications. The objective of this study was to understand if the climate change in Arkhangelsk Oblast (AO) situated in the north of European subarctic zone of Russia has real impact on the northward expansion of Ixodid ticks and stipulates the increase in TBE incidence.MethodsThis study analyzes: TBE incidence in AO and throughout Russia, the results of Ixodid ticks collecting in a number of sites in AO, and TBE virus prevalence in those ticks, the data on tick bite incidence in AO, and meteorological data on AO mean annual air temperatures and precipitations.ResultsIt is established that in recent years TBE incidence in AO tended to increase contrary to its apparent decrease nationwide. In last 10 years, there was nearly 50-fold rise in TBE incidence in AO when compared with 1980–1989. Probably, the increase both in mean annual air temperatures and temperatures during tick active season resulted in the northward expansion of Ixodes Persulcatus, main TBE virus vector. The Ixodid ticks expansion is confirmed both by the results of ticks flagging from the surface vegetation and by the tick bite incidence in the population of AO locations earlier free from ticks. Our mathematical (correlation and regression) analysis of available data revealed a distinct correlation between TBE incidence and the growth of mean annual air temperatures in AO in 1990–2009.ConclusionNot ruling out other factors, we conclude that climate change contributed much to the TBE incidence increase in AO.

Formation of ultrathin films of CdS nanostructures on solid substrate has been achieved by selective removal of the fatty acid matrix from Langmuir-Blodgett films of cadmium arachidate exposed to an atmosphere of hydrogen sulfide. By means of nanogravimetric assays it was possible to monitor the formation of CdS nanoparticles during the reaction and to reveal the presence of a film, nonsoluble in organic solvent, after treating the sample with chloroform. Changes in the film structure due to the formation of CdS particles were shown by X-ray study. Optical ellipsometry made it possible to measure the average thickness of the obtained film. Optical absorption spectra proved the presence of Q-state CdS particles before and after removing the fatty acid matrix and showed, moreover, an increase of the effective size of the particles from about 3 to about 4.4 nm. STM of the CdS residual film revealed, in turn, an interconnected structure formed by bumps of about 2-3 nm in diameter when the film was obtained from one cadmium arachidate bilayer and a similar structure with bumps of increased size (4-5 nm) in the case of a sample derived from 20 bilayers, indicating that a mechanism of particle aggregation is responsible for the semiconductor film formation.In the latter case, atomic resolution was achieved, revealing a CdS lattice.

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

A wide range of satellite methods is applied now in seismology. The first applications of satellite data for earthquake exploration were initiated in the '70s, when active faults were mapped on satellite images. It was a pure and simple extrapolation of airphoto geological interpretation methods into space. The modern embodiment of this method is alignment analysis. Time series of alignments on the Earth's surface are investigated before and after the earthquake. A further application of satellite data in seismology is related with geophysical methods. Electromagnetic methods have about the same long history of application for seismology. Stable statistical estimations of ionosphere-lithosphere relation were obtained based on satellite ionozonds. The most successful current project "DEMETER" shows impressive results. Satellite thermal infra-red data were applied for earthquake research in the next step. Numerous results have confirmed previous observations of thermal anomalies on the Earth's surface prior to earthquakes. A modern trend is the application of the outgoing long-wave radiation for earthquake research. In '80s a new technology-satellite radar interferometry-opened a new page. Spectacular pictures of co-seismic deformations were presented. Current researches are moving in the direction of pre-earthquake deformation detection. GPS technology is also widely used in seismology both for ionosphere sounding and for ground movement detection. Satellite gravimetry has demonstrated its first very impressive results on the example of the catastrophic Indonesian earthquake in 2004. Relatively new applications of remote sensing for seismology as atmospheric sounding, gas observations, and cloud analysis are considered as possible candidates for applications.