Volcano-seismic crisis in Montserrat,West Indies, 1966–67

The Soufriere Hills volcano in the south-eastern part of Montserrat erupted pyroclast flows as recently as A. D. 1646 ± 54 years and must therefore be considered dormant, not extinct. The highly destructive nature of pyroclast flow eruptions makes it imperative that such activity should be predicted and, if the threat of eruption becomes sufficiently large, the population should be moved to a sale distance from the volcano. Sharp increases in seismic and solfataric activity occurred in 1966 and these events indicated the abnormally high risk of an eruption in the near future. A network of four short period seismographs was established in the island in May 1966 and between this date and the end of 1967, 723 local earthquakes were recorded, of which 32 were reported felt in the island. Hypocentres were determined for 189 of these earthquakes, and most of these lay in a WNW to ESE belt beneath the Soufriere Hills, at depths of less than 15 km. The average rate of seismic energy release decreased with time throughout the series but there was a strong seasonal variation with maxima in May and November–December of each year. The average depth of the earthquakes decreased from 5.2 km in April and May 1966 to a minimum of 2.8 km from July to September 1966. After September the mean focal depths increased again and by the end of the crisis in November 1967 the mean depth was 9.7 km. Measurements carried out using water-tube tiltmeters showed that the region 2–3 km south-east of the Soufriere Hills was doming upwards until January 1967, then subsided between January–March 1967 and finally rose again at a slower rate between March and September 1967. Heat flow from Galway’s Soufriere which was 3 × 10⁵ cal/sec in 1954 increased to a maximum of 2 × 10⁵ cal/sec in October 1966, then declined to 5 × 10⁵ cal/sec in September 1967. The earthquake series was not the aftershock sequence of any major tectonic earthquake, and only two hypocentres were determined at depths greater than 15 km. It is concluded that magma was intruded into the upper crust beneath the Soufriere Hills volcano and that the earthquakes and other phenomena resulted from the upward migration of this magma.     

Sensitivity of seismic structural response to interpretation of soils data

This paper investigates the sensitivity of the predicted seismic response of buildings in a PWR nuclear power station to the potential changes in the techniques and methods of interpreting soil data that have occurred over the last decade. The investigation is based on the soil-structure interaction (SSI) response of a typical PWR reactor building on a soft site during a seismic event. The current techniques and methods of interpretation of soils data tend to lead to a stiffer site with lower soil material damping than the earlier techniques. This leads to an increase in the SSI natural frequencies of typical buildings and an increase in its seismic response. This increase in the seismic response could put into question any seismic design based on seismic loads derived using the previously accepted generic soil data. The paper concludes with a recommendation for further consideration of the proposed departure from the previously accepted soil data.     

The Lyngen Gabbro: the lower crust of an Ordovician Incipient Arc

We present evidence for the origin of the Lyngen Gabbro of the Ordovician Lyngen Magmatic Complex in Troms, Northern Norway. The two magmatic suites of the Lyngen Gabbro strike parallel NNE-SSW, and have distinct magmatic signatures. We define these signatures by using major and trace-element analyses together with selected major- and trace-element mineral analyses and ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd-isotope whole-rock analyses of gabbroic to tonalitic plutonic rocks from seven detailed cross-sections from this large gabbro-complex. The Western suite of the Lyngen Gabbro precipitated from magma that may have been derived from the same system as the associated volcanic rocks. The gabbros have high An-content (An_>90) of their plagioclases relative to co-existing mafic minerals. Together with somewhat high _Nd(t) values (+6), this implies that the parental magmas were hydrous tholeiites similar to those found in back arc basins today. The Eastern suite, on the other hand, consist of cumulates that were precipitated from melts resembling those of ultra-depleted high-Ca boninitic magmas found in fore-arcs. Extremely high-An plagioclases (An_>95) co-exist with evolved mafic minerals and oxides, and the _Nd(t) values are lower (+4) than in the Western suite. The Eastern suite has no volcanic counterpart, but dikes intersecting the suites have compositions that possibly represent its parental magma. The oceanic Rypdalen Shear Zone generally separates the two suites in the north, but several non-tectonic transitions from boninitic to tholeiitic signatures southwards advocate that the magmatism happened concurrently. The magmatic proximity between the suites, the hydrous magmatism and the absence of a silicic or calc-alkaline mature arc section, suggests that the Lyngen Gabbro formed in the Iapetus Ocean under conditions presently found in incipient arcs later emplaced as outer arc highs.     

Multi-Wavelength Observations of an Unusual Impulsive Flare Associated with Cme

We present the results of a detailed analysis of multi-wavelength observations of a very impulsive solar flare 1B/M6.7, which occurred on 10 March, 2001 in NOAA AR 9368 (N27 W42). The observations show that the flare is very impulsive with a very hard spectrum in HXR that reveal that non-thermal emission was most dominant. On the other hand, this flare also produced a type II radio burst and coronal mass ejections (CME), which are not general characteristics for impulsive flares. In H we observed bright mass ejecta (BME) followed by dark mass ejecta (DME). Based on the consistency of the onset times and directions of BME and CME, we conclude that these two phenomena are closely associated. It is inferred that the energy build-up took place due to photospheric reconnection between emerging positive parasitic polarity and predominant negative polarity, which resulted as a consequence of flux cancellation. The shear increased to >80 due to further emergence of positive parasitic polarity causing strongly enhanced cancellation of flux. It appears that such enhanced magnetic flux cancellation in a strongly sheared region triggered the impulsive flare.     

Impacts of the Jessica oil spill on intertidal and shallow subtidal plants and animals

Densities of fishes, invertebrates and plants at rocky intertidal and shallow subtidal sites were censused 1-2 days prior to the Jessica oil spill and compared with information obtained for the same sites one month after the spill, both for sites impacted by oil and unaffected reference sites. While the availability of pre-spill data made this analysis one of the most powerful to date for testing impacts of oil on shoreline environments, no clear changes attributable to oiling could be identified. Discharged oil appeared to cause very little impact in the intertidal and shallow subtidal zones, with such impacts lying within the range of natural spatial and temporal variation at sites investigated. Factors considered to minimize impact in Galápagos included paucity of fully sheltered shores in spill path, moderate wave action, warm temperature, high levels of sunlight, and mixing of bunker oil with diesel.     

Rocket measurements of oxygen and nitrogen emissions in the aurora

Altitude distributions of electronically excited atoms and molecules of oxygen and nitrogen in the aurora have been obtained by means of rocket-borne wavelength scanning interference filter photometers launched from Fort Churchill, Manitoba (58.4°N, 94.1°W) on January 23, 1974. Atomic oxygen densities derived from mass spectrometer measurements obtained during the flight are used in conjunction with the volume emission rate ratio of the N₂(C³Π_u?B³Π_g) (0-0) second positive and N₂(A³Σ_u⁺, v = 1?X¹Σ_g⁺) Vegard-Kaplan bands to derive a rate constant for quenching of the N₂(A³Σ_u⁺, v = 1) level with O(³P) of 1.7(±0.8) × 10^?11 cm³ s^?1 These data, together with O den derived from the O₂(b¹Σ_g⁺) state nightglow emission observed during the rocket ascent, suggest that quenching of the N₂(A³Σ_u⁺, v = 1) level by O₂ has a significant positive temperature dependence. The processes involved in the production and loss of the N₂(A³Σ_u⁺) state are considered and energy transfer from the N₂(A³Σ_u⁺) state to O(³P) is found to be a significant source of the OI 5577 Å green line in this aurora at altitudes below 130 km. Emission from the NO(A²Σ⁺?X²Π) gamma bands was not detected, an observation which is consistent with the mass spectrometer data obtained during the flight indicating that the NO density was <10⁸ cm³ at 110 km. On the basis of previous rocket and satellite measurements of the NO gamma bands, energy transfer from the N₂(A³Σ_u⁺) state to NO(X²Π) is shown to be an insignificant source of the gamma bands in aurora. Altitude profiles of the N₂(a¹Π_g?X¹Σ_g⁺) Lyman-Birge-Hopfield band system are presented.     

Direct measurement of conjugate photoelectrons and predawn 630 nm airglow

A sounding rocket was flown during the predawn on 17 January, 1976 from Uchinoura, Japan, to measure directly the behaviour of the conjugate photoelectrons at magnetically low latitudes. On board the rocket were an electron energy analyzer, 630 nm airglow photometer, and plasma probes to measure electron density and temperature. The incoming flux of the photoelectrons was measured in the altitude range between 210 and 340 km. The differential flux at the top of the atmosphere was determined to be $\text{F = (1.3 ± 0.4) × 10}{}^{11}\text{exp}\text{[?}\text{E(}\text{eV}\text{)}\text{12}\text{]}$ electron · m^?2 · sr^?1 · s^?1 in the energy range 10 ? E ? 50 eV. The emission rate of the 630 nm airglow was observed in the altitude range between 90 and 360 km. The apparent emission rate observed at 80 km was 32 ± 5 R. From a theoretical calculation of the optical excitation rate using the observed electron flux data along with a model distribution of atomic oxygen, it was estimated that more than 65% of the emission could be produced by direct impact of the photoelectrons with atomic oxygen in the thermosphere between 200 and 360 km. Using the observed electron density and the model distribution of oxygen molecules the residual of the emission was ascribed to the excitation of O(¹D) through dissociative recombination, $\text{O}{}_2{}^{\mathrm{+}}\text{+}\text{e}\text{→}\text{O}{}^1\text{+}\text{O}{}^7$. The direct collisional excitation by ambient electrons is estimated to be negligibly small at the level of observed electron temperature.     

Solid-state astrochemistry in star-forming regions

Surface-catalysed chemical reactions, the molecules they form, and the implications for star formation were key themes in an international workshop on "Solid-state chemistry in star-forming regions" at the Lorentz Centre, Leiden University, the Netherlands from 14–17 April 2003. Helen Fraser, David Williams, Ian Sims, Anita Richards and Jeremy Yates report.     

Late Paleozoic orogeny in Alaska's Farewell terrane

Evidence is presented for a previously unrecognized late Paleozoic orogeny in two parts of Alaska's Farewell terrane, an event that has not entered into published scenarios for the assembly of Alaska. The Farewell terrane was long regarded as a piece of the early Paleozoic passive margin of western Canada, but is now thought, instead, to have lain between the Siberian and Laurentian (North American) cratons during the early Paleozoic. Evidence for a late Paleozoic orogeny comes from two belts located 100–200 km apart. In the northern belt, metamorphic rocks dated at 284–285 Ma (three ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar white-mica plateau ages) provide the main evidence for orogeny. The metamorphic rocks are interpreted as part of the hinterland of a late Paleozoic mountain belt, which we name the Browns Fork orogen. In the southern belt, thick accumulations of Pennsylvanian-Permian conglomerate and sandstone provide the main evidence for orogeny. These strata are interpreted as the eroded and deformed remnants of a late Paleozoic foreland basin, which we name the Dall Basin. We suggest that the Browns Fork orogen and Dall Basin comprise a matched pair formed during collision between the Farewell terrane and rocks to the west. The colliding object is largely buried beneath Late Cretaceous flysch to the west of the Farewell terrane, but may have included parts of the so-called Innoko terrane. The late Paleozoic convergent plate boundary represented by the Browns Fork orogen likely connected with other zones of plate convergence now located in Russia, elsewhere in Alaska, and in western Canada.     

Bifurcations of the thermohaline circulation in a simplified three-dimensional model of the world ocean and the effects of inter-basin connectivity

A coarse-resolution, global, three-dimensional, idealised model of the world ocean, based on the thermocline equations, is described. It is demonstrated that, at suitable resolution, such a model can be integrated for hundreds or thousands of millenia, and could therefore form a component of an earth system model designed to investigate climate change on these time scales. As in other ocean models, the thermohaline circulation is found to exhibit multiple stable states. The bifurcation structure of the model has been explored, as a function of surface saline forcing, and is found to depend on the inter-basin connectivity, the topography, and the form of the imposed wind forcing.