Peter Israelevich

Desert aerosol transport in the Mediterranean region as inferred from the TOMS aerosol index

[1] We proposed to identify the sources of desert dust aerosols with local maxima of the TOMS aerosol index distribution averaged for the long period. Being simpler than the approach based on a dusty days occurrence, our method gives the same results. It was first shown that in spring-summer, the flux of dust from the sources located at latitude � 16� N and longitude � 16� E and around latitude � 19� N and longitude � 6� W exceed the sinks due to settling and transport. As a result the atmosphere over North Africa is almost permanently loaded with a significant amount of mineral desert dust in spring and in summer. It is also shown that the Chad basin source located around latitude 16� N and longitude 16� E is relatively more stable with a maximum activity around April. The region around latitude 19� N and longitude 6� Wappears as a more variable source with maximum in July. Low pressure systems, called Sharav cyclones, mobilize the already suspended mineral dust and transport it eastward and northward along the Mediterranean basin. A new method for description of dust plumes propagation was applied to the study of dust events in the Mediterranean Sea and enabled us to follow their dynamics. Identifiable dust plumes appear first in the western sector of the sea and then move eastward with a speed of about 7 to 8 degrees per day. In spring, this motion continues at least up to the eastern coast of the Mediterranean. In summer the dustplume is prevented from penetrating further east of about 15� E. INDEX TERMS: 0305 Atmospheric Composition and Structure: Aerosols and particles (0345, 4801); 0322 Atmospheric Composition and Structure: Constituent sources and sinks; 4801 Oceanography: Biological and Chemical: Aerosols (0305); KEYWORDS: Aerosols, desert dust, dust storms, dust sources, Mediterranean Citation: Israelevich, P. L., Z. Levin, J. H. Joseph, and E. Ganor, Desert aerosol transport in the Mediterranean region as inferred from the TOMS aerosol index, J. Geophys. Res., 107(D21), 4572, doi:10.1029/2001JD002011, 2002.

Interaction of the Saturnian magnetosphere with Titan: Results of a three‐dimensional MHD simulation

The results of our three-dimensional multiscale magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) model describing the interaction of Saturns magnetosphere with Titans upper atmosphere and exosphere are presented. The effects of a conducting ionosphere, exospheric mass loading and ion-neutral charge exchange are taken into consideration. Because the ion gyroradius, in general, is not small compared to the radius of Titan the MHD approximation is not strictly applicable. However, it is still useful for the understanding of the general large-scale features of the magnetospheric interaction. The upstream parameters are set for the typical case when Titan is inside the Saturnian magnetosphere. Although Titan certainly does not have a strong intrinsic magnetic field, some observed structures in Titans wake might be explained by assuming the existence of a small intrinsic magnetic field. Thus we also considered the possibility that Titan has a small intrinsic dipole moment. The results of the simulations are compared with Voyager measurements and provide estimates of the total mass loading and the rate of ion-neutral charge exchange. The simulation results reproduce the overall behavior of the observations, but it is clear that non-MHD effects also play a role in the interaction between Saturns magnetosphere and Titan.

The induced magnetosphere of comet Halley: Interplanetary magnetic field during Giotto Encounter

Direction of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) which governs the orientation of the Halleys magnetosphere was restored by using Giotto magnetic field data. The Giotto trajectory was a twisted curve in the coordinate system rotating with IMF vector and covered rather uniformly the transverse cross section of the comet. Magnetic field vectors show a regular structure arising from the field line draping about the cometary ionosphere. Violations of the field line draping occur only at the moments of rapid changes of IMF orientation.

Suicide-homicide temporal interrelationship, links with other fatalities, and environmental physical activity

UNLABELLED Homicide and suicide are extremes in human behavior. The aim of this study is to investigate the connection by time between suicide and homicide, between them and other fatalities, and their links with the level of cosmophysical activity. METHODS Using the national database of Lithuania (1990-2002) we found that 547,875 deaths, 4,638 homicides (3,374 male) and 19,527 (16,019 male) suicides were registered in that period. Their temporal distribution over 156 months was compared with solar and cosmic-ray activity. Pearson correlation coefficients and their probabilities were established. RESULTS There was a correlation between monthly rates of homicide and male groups. Female suicide rates correlated with male and total homicide numbers. Both homicide and suicide rates were inversely correlated with solar and cosmic-ray activity. Suicide numbers, but not homicides, were inversely related to geomagnetic activity. Suicide rates were inversely correlated with total, cardiovascular, traffic accident, and sudden deaths; homicide with total, traffic accident, and sudden deaths. CONCLUSION Temporal distribution of homicide and suicide is significantly interrelated. Both are linked to parameters of cosmophysical activity. The influence of cosmic rays deserves special attention.

Links between Monthly Rates of Four Subtypes of Acute Myocardial Infarction and Their Corresponding Cosmophysical Activity Parameters

UNLABELLED The aim of this study was (1) to examine the relation between the monthly rate of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and three cosmophysical activity parameters: solar activity (SA), geomagnetic activity (GMA), and cosmic rays activity (CRA) levels; (2) to study whether different subtypes of AMI: ST-elevation MI (STEMI), non-ST-elevation (NSTEMI), Q-wave (Q-waveMI) and non-Q-wave (NQ-wave MI) are linked with monthly cosmophysical indices or with the daily level (I degrees-IV degrees) of GMA. METHODS For the first question, we studied for 204 consecutive months (1983-1999) 16,683 patients (including 10405 males) with AMI who were included in the Kaunas Registry and for the second, 3824 AMI patients (2342 males), 72-month data. Cosmophysical data were obtained from the Apatity Neutron Monitoring Station of the Russian Academy of Science. RESULTS According to neutron monitoring data, total AMI and all its subtypes significantly correlated with monthly levels of CRA and inversely correlated with SA and GMA indices (r = 0.32-0.45; p = 0.0007-0.0001). No significant correlation was found between AMI subtypes and the daily level (I degrees-IV degrees) of GMA. All cosmophysical parameters were stronger in female patients. CONCLUSION The monthly rates of all subtypes of AMI were significantly correlated with CRA and inversely correlated with SA and GMA, more strongly in female patients. We presume that the environmental factors studied here affect the general patho-physiological components of AMI, and that different subtypes are a consequence of the localization and extent of the process.

Neutrons and sudden cardiac death (SCD) codes 121-125 ICD 10

Recent studies have shown that (1) monthly neutron activity (NA) (imp/min) correlates with monthly number of acute myocardial infarction (AMI); (2) NA is higher on days of automatic implantable cardioverter defibrillators (AICD) discharges for VT, VF. Here we checked the level of NA in relation to timing and type of sudden cardiac death (SCD) patients [n=848 (579, 68.28% male)] obtained from the Kaunas registry for the years 2002-2004. All underwent Forensic Medicine post mortem examination and classification according to ICD10 by code 121-125. Daily NA data were obtained from Oulu U-ty, Finland and Moscow Monitoring Station of the Russian Academy of Sciences. No difference in NA was found on days with or without SCD. In men < 65, SCD occurred on days with higher NA than in women of the same age (p = 0.01) or in > 65 y old men (p = 0.045). Days of SCD with myocardial ruptures showed the highest level of NA, significantly higher than on all days (n = 669) of SCD (p = 0.037) and all 1096 days of the study (p = 0.0048). Three groups were accompanied by significantly higher NA: repeated AMI, myocardial ruptures (codes122, 123), and coronary atherothrombosis without AMI, related to electrical heart instability. The mechanism of possible neutron role in pathophysiology needs special studies.

Cosmic rays activity and monthly number of deaths: a correlative study.

We studied the relation between the intensity of cosmic rays, the level of solar/geomagnetic activity, and the monthly numbers of deaths in a large hospital in Israel and in all Lithuania. The Israeli data include 30526 hospital deaths, two groups of fatal suicides (2359, 2763), and 15435 suicidal attempts for two periods of 108 and 236 consecutive months. The national data for the entire Republic of Lithuania include 424925 deaths for the period of 120 consecutive months. Cosmic rays intensity was measured by an Apatity neutron monitor. We obtained the data on solar, geomagnetic radiovawe propagation, ionosphere ionization hours, proton flux of two energy levels (>90 and 60 MeV) from the National Geophysical Data Center at Goddard Space Flight Center, National Space Environment Center at Boulder, Colorado, USA, and from the Institute of Terrestrial Magnetism, Ionosphere and Radio Wave Propagation (IZMIRAN), Russia. We calculated Pearson coefficients and their probabilities for correlation between monthly space activity level and monthly number of male and female deaths from different causes. Cosmic rays activity revealed significant negative correlation with solar/geomagnetic activity indices and related physical phenomena levels. This activity strongly correlated with flux of protons with the energies >90 MeV proton flux and did not exhibit significant correlation with 60 MeV proton fluxes. Cosmic rays intensity correlation with monthly numbers of deaths was strong for noncardiovascular deaths, suicides, and traffic accidents. The correlation was much weaker for deaths caused by ishemic heart disease and strokes.

Are neutrons involved in the pathogenesis of life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias?

Geomagnetic fields protect the earth from the adverse effects of cosmic rays, whose activity can be indirectly measured by monitoring the level of neutrons in the environment. The number and days of discharges from automatic implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICD) in patients with cardiac arrhythmias are inversely correlated with the daily level of geomagnetic activity (GMA). The aim of the present was to determine whether neutron levels on days of AICD discharges are higher than average. Days on which discharges occurred were recorded in 31 patients bearing ICDs for managing ischemic cardiomyopathy. Daily neutron levels obtained from the monitoring data of the Russian Academy of Sciences in Moscow were analyzed using Students t test. The mean (+/-SD) daily neutron level for the 1096-day period was 8299.29 +/- 294.236 imp/min (median 8252), and for days of ACID discharge, 8423.93 +/- 274.187 imp/min (median 8443) (p = 0.0002). The mean neutron activity on days of AICD discharges in response to ventricular disturbances was significantly higher than the mean level over the 1096-day study period. Whether this relation is a direct result of low GMA or due to an independent role of neutrons in the pathogenesis and timing of cardiac arrhythmias is unknown.

Detection of dust plumes and their sources in northeastern Libya

The common source area of long and narrow dust plumes that emanate frequently from an area southeast of Benghazi in Libya is identified by computerized image analysis. Four examples are shown in SeaWiFS data at that location. Similar plumes are found in many locations over the globe. The direction of propagation of plumes from the source depends on the synoptic situation. Plumes travel both northwards, reaching the Mediterranean Sea, and southwards, to the interior of the Sahara. Such plumes may ultimately assemble into massive dust palls that frequently travel long distances out of North Africa.

The induced magnetosphere of comet Halley: 4. Comparison of in situ observations and numerical simulations

A comprehensive comparison between the results of a multiscale three-dimensional adaptive MHD model of the comet Halley magnetosphere and in situ observations by the Giotto mission is presented. It is shown how a steady state model can describe the effects of the varying IMF direction on the cometary magnetosphere. The simulation results reproduce the observed profiles of the magnetic field and plasma velocity very well. There are only two discrepancies. First, the magnitudes of both the magnetic field strength and plasma velocity are slightly but systematically lower in numerical simulation as compared with the experiment. This can be attributed to some inaccuracy in our knowledge of plasma interaction parameters (ion-neutral momentum exchange rate, photoinization and recombination rates). Second, the observed and simulated magnetic field profiles show some differences in the anticipated ion pile-up region along the outbound trajectory. This means that the ion pile-up region on the outbound leg (if it existed) differed significantly from that on the inbound leg.