ALBERT

Description: A Note on the Chemical Composition of Nuffieldite Solid-Solution From Sulphide Mineralizations in the Western Carpathians, SlovakiaThe chemistry of the rare sulphosalt nuffieldite from three localities in Slovakia is examined. Nuffieldite is a part of a complex association of Bi sulphosalts accompanying tetrahedrite mineralization in some sulphide deposits in the Western Carpathians. Cu + Pb = (Bi, Sb) + vac. substitution in nuffieldite and the general formula Cu1+xPb2Bi2(PbxSbyBi1-x-y)S7where 0 〈 x 〈 0.34; and 0.32 〈 y 〈 0.45 are confirmed. Decreasing Sb content with increasing copper content indicates a predominant substitution of Bi by Sb in nuffieldite.

Description: Debt, as one of basic human relations, has profound effects on economic growth. Debt accumulation in the global economy was modeled by the stochastic logistic equation reflecting causality between leverage and its rate of change. The model, identifying interactions and feedbacks in aggregate behaviour of creditors and borrowers, addressed various issues of macrofinancial stability. Qualitatively diverse patterns, including the Wicksellian (normal) market, the Minsky financial bubbles and the Fisherian debt-deflation, were discerned by appropriate combinations of rates of return, spreads and leverage. The Kolmogorov-Fokker-Plank equation was used to find out the stationary gamma distribution of leverage that was instrumental for the evaluation of appropriate failure and survival functions. Two patterns corresponding to different forms of a stationary gamma distribution were recognized in the long run leverage dynamics and were simulated as scenarios of a possible system evolution. In particular, empirically parameterized asymptotical distribution indicated excessive leverage and unsustainable global debt accumulation. It underlined the necessity of comprehensive reforms aiming to decrease uncertainty, debt and leverage. Assuming these reforms were successfully implemented, global leverage distributions would have converged in the long run to a peaked gamma distribution with the mode identical to the anchor leverage. The latter corresponded to a balanced long run debt demand and supply, hence to fairly evaluated financial assets fully collateralized by real resources. A particular case of macrofinancial Tobin’s q-coefficients following the Ornstein-Ulenbeck process was studied to evaluate a reasonable range of squeezing the bloated world finance. The model was verified on data published by the IMF in Global Financial Stability Reports for the period 2003–2013.

Description: Mineralogy and Geochemistry of the Nižná Boca Sb-Au Hydrothermal Ore Deposit (Western Carpathians, Slovakia)Samples from hydrothermal Sb-Au mineralization in the area SE of Nižná Boca village in the N&iAzke Tatry Mountains were investigated using a variety of geochemical and mineralogical methods. Ore minerals typically occur in N-S striking quartz-carbonate veins hosted by an I-type biotite granodiorite to tonalite of Variscan Age (the Ďumbier Type). Paragenetic associations in the deposit are comparable to other mineralizations of the same type in the Ďumbierske Nízke Tatry Mountains. A quartz-arsenopyrite, pyrite stage of mineralization is the oldest with a calculated temperature of formation of about 445°C. It is followed by a quartz-carbonate-stibnite, zinkenite stage and, in turn, a quartz-carbonate-sphalerite-galena, boulangerite-gold stage. The gold typically contains between 9-18 wt.% Ag regardless of mineral association. No evidence for further generations of gold was found although it is possible that some gold was remobilized from the structure of the auriferous arsenopyrite. The Au and Ag content of the bulk ore ranges from 0.53 g.t-1to 20.2 g.t-1and from 0.9 g.t-1to 31.2 g.t-1, respectively. A tetrahedrite-chalcopyrite stage is followed by a barite-hematite stage - the youngest assemblage in the deposit. Fluid inclusions from the first mineralization stage are usually less than 3 μm in size and contain less than 3.6 wt.% CO2; salinity, density and homogenization temperature range from 2.7-16.3 wt.% NaCl(eq), 0.85-1.03 g.cm-1and 128-280°C, respectively.

Description: Well-founded data management systems are of vital importance for ocean observing systems as they ensure that essential data are not only collected but also retained and made accessible for analysis and application by current and future users. Effective data management requires collaboration across activities including observations, metadata and data assembly, quality assurance and control (QA\QC), and data publication that enables local and interoperable discovery and access and secures archiving that guarantees long-term preservation. To achieve this, data should be findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable (FAIR). Here, we outline how these principles apply to ocean data and illustrate them with a few examples. In recent decades, ocean data managers, in close collaboration with international organizations, have played an active role in the improvement of environmental data standardization, accessibility, and interoperability through different projects, enhancing access to observation data at all stages of the data life cycle and fostering the development of integrated services targeted to research, regulatory, and operational users. As ocean observing systems evolve and an increasing number of autonomous platforms and sensors are deployed, the volume and variety of data increase dramatically. For instance, there are more than 70 data catalogs that contain metadata records for the polar oceans, a situation that makes comprehensive data discovery beyond the capacity of most researchers. To better serve research, operational, and commercial users, more efficient turnaround of quality data in known formats and made available through Web services is necessary. In particular, automation of data workflows will be critical to reduce friction throughout the data value chain. Adhering to the FAIR principles with free, timely, and unrestricted access to ocean observation data is beneficial for the originators, has obvious benefits for users, and is an essential foundation for the development of new services made possible with big data technologies.

Description: In this paper, we investigate the seasonal and spatial variability of stratification on the Siberian shelves with a case study from the Laptev Sea based on shipboard hydrographic measurements, year-round oceanographic mooring records from 2013 to 2014 and chemical tracer-based water mass analyses. In summer 2013, weak onshore-directed winds caused spreading of riverine waters throughout much of the eastern and central shelf. In contrast, strong southerly winds in summer 2014 diverted much of the freshwater to the northeast, which resulted in 50% less river water and significantly weaker stratification on the central shelf compared with the previous year. Our year-long records additionally emphasize the regional differences in water column structure and stratification, where the northwest location was well-mixed for 6 months and the central and northeast locations remained stratified into spring due to the lower initial surface salinities of the river-influenced water. A 26 year record of ocean reanalysis highlights the region’s interannual variability of stratification and its dependence on winds and sea ice. Prior the mid-2000s, river runoff to the perennially ice-covered central Laptev Sea shelf experienced little surface forcing and river water was maintained on the shelf. The transition toward less summer sea ice after the mid-2000s increased the ROFI’s (region of freshwater influence) exposure to summer winds. This greatly enhanced the variability in mixed layer depth, resulting in several years with well-mixed water columns as opposed to the often year-round shallow mixed layers before. The extent of the Lena River plume is critical for the region since it modulates nutrient fluxes and primary production, and further controls intermediate heat storage induced by lateral density gradients, which has implications for autumnal freeze-up and the eastern Arctic sea ice volume. MAIN POINTS 1. CTD surveys and moorings highlight the regional and temporal variations in water column stratification on the Laptev Sea shelf. 2. Summer winds increasingly control the extent of the region of freshwater influence under decreasing sea ice. 3. Further reductions in sea ice increases surface warming, heat storage, and the interannual variability in mixed layer depth.