Upper Pleistocene sediments of the western Balearic Basin enclose a sapropelic interlayer 16 cm thick. The quantitative analysis of planktonic foraminiferal assemblages shows that the interlayer deposition was related to an episode of climatic warming and salinity decrease in surface seawater. That episode was complicated by a short-term cooling and associated elevated influx of Atlantic waters.

In the past two decades, active seismology studies in Russia have made use of powerful (40- and 100-ton) low-frequency vibrators. These sources create a force amplitude of up to 100 tons and function in the 1.5–3, 3–6, and 5–10 Hz frequency bands. The mobile versions of the vibrator have a force amplitude of 40 tons and a 6–12 Hz frequency band. Recording distances for the 100-ton vibrator are as large as 350 km, enabling the refracted waves to penetrate down to 50 km depths. Vibrator operation sessions are highly repeatable, having distinct “summer” or “winter” spectral patterns. A long profile of seismic records allows estimation of fault zone depths using changes in recorded spectra. Other applications include deep seismic profiling, seismic hazard mapping, structural testing, stress-induced anisotropy studies, seismic station calibration, and large-structure integrity testing. The theoretical description of the low-frequency vibrator is given in the appendices, which contain numerical examples.

Two new crab species, Neacrocarcinus tauricus sp. nov. and Hemioon yanini sp. nov. from the Upper Albian of the Bakhchisarai District, The Crimea.