Diffusion spreading of middle-latitude ionospheric plasma irregularities

In contrast to the way that the spreading of irregularities in a plasma is usually considered, the diffusion spreading of irregularities stretched along the geomagnetic field B is examined using a three-dimensional rigorous numerical model of quasi-neutral diffusion in the presence of a magnetic field, in conjunction with the actual height variations of the diffusion and conductivity tensors in the ionosphere. A comparison with the earlier constructed approximate model of unipolar diffusion was made. As in the previous case, the same peculiarities of irregularity spreading in the inhomogeneous background ionospheric plasma were observed. The accuracy of the approximate model for describing the process of spreading of anisotropic ionospheric irregularities is established. Time relaxation effects of real heating-induced ionospheric irregularities on their scale transverse to B are presented using the approximate analytical model for the case of a quasi-homogeneous ionospheric plasma. The calculated results have a vivid physical meaning and can be directly compared with experimental data on the radiophysical observations of artificial heating-induced irregularities created by powerful radio waves in the ionosphere.     

SPECTROPHOTOMETRIC DETERMINATION OF FERROUS IRON IN EIGHTEEN UNITED STATES GEOCHEMICAL REFERENCE STANDARDS

Iron (II) oxide in 50 mg samples of silicate rocks, deposits, and soils is measured after digestion with HF and HCl in the presence of ICl. The iodine produced is measured spectrophotometrically. Results are presented for the eighteen available USGS geochemical reference standards including the GXR series.     

Gold ore-forming fluids of the Tanami region, Northern Australia

Fluid inclusion studies have been carried out on major gold deposits and prospects in the Tanami region to determine the compositions of the associated fluids and the processes responsible for gold mineralization. Pre-ore, milky quartz veins contain only two-phase aqueous inclusions with salinities ≤19 wt% NaCl eq. and homogenization temperatures that range from 110 to 410°C. In contrast, the ore-bearing veins typically contain low to moderate salinity (<14 wt% NaCl eq.), H₂O + CO₂ ± CH₄ ± N₂-bearing fluids. The CO₂-bearing inclusions coexist with two-phase aqueous inclusions that exhibit a wider range of salinities (≤21 wt% NaCl eq.). Post-ore quartz and carbonate veins contain mainly two-phase aqueous inclusions, with a last generation of aqueous inclusions being very CaCl₂-rich. Salinities range from 7 to 33 wt% NaCl eq. and homogenization temperatures vary from 62 to 312°C. Gold deposits in the Tanami region are hosted by carbonaceous or iron-rich sedimentary rocks and/or mafic rocks. They formed over a range of depths at temperatures from 200 to 430°C. The Groundrush deposit formed at the greatest temperatures and depths (260–430°C and ≤11 km), whereas deposits in the Tanami goldfield formed at the lowest temperatures (≥200°C) and at the shallowest depths (1.5–5.6 km). There is also evidence in the Tanami goldfield for late-stage isothermal mixing with higher salinity (≤21 wt% NaCl eq.) fluids at temperatures between 100 and 200°C. Other deposits (e.g., The Granites, Callie, and Coyote) formed at intermediate depths and at temperatures ranging from 240 to 360°C. All ore fluids contained CO₂ ± N₂ ± CH₄, with the more deeply formed deposits being enriched in CH₄ and higher level deposits being enriched in CO₂. Fluids from deposits hosted mainly by sedimentary rocks generally contained appreciable quantities of N₂. The one exception is the Tanami goldfield, where the quartz veins were dominated by aqueous inclusions with rare CO₂-bearing inclusions. Calculated δ ¹⁸O values for the ore fluids range from 3.8 to 8.5‰ and the corresponding δD values range from −89 to −37‰. Measured δ ¹³C values from CO₂ extracted from fluid inclusions ranged from −5.1 to −8.4‰. These data indicate a magmatic or mixed magmatic/metamorphic source for the ore fluids in the Tanami region. Interpretation of the fluid inclusion, alteration, and structural data suggests that mineralization may have occurred via a number of processes. Gold occurs in veins associated with brittle fracturing and other dilational structures, but in the larger deposits, there is also an association with iron-rich rocks or carbonaceous sediments, suggesting that both structural and chemical controls are important. The major mineralization process appears to be boiling/effervescence of a gas-rich fluid, which leads to partitioning of H₂S into the vapor phase resulting in gold precipitation. However, some deposits also show evidence of desulfidation by fluid–rock interaction and/or reduction of the ore-fluid by fluid mixing. These latter processes are generally more prevalent in the higher crustal-level deposits.     

Decadal- to interannual-scale source water variations in the Caribbean Sea recorded by Puerto Rican coral radiocarbon

Water that forms the Florida Current, and eventually the Gulf Stream, coalesces in the Caribbean from both subtropical and equatorial sources. The equatorial sources are made up of, in part, South Atlantic water moving northward and compensating for southward flow at depth related to meridional overturning circulation. Subtropical surface water contains relatively high amounts of radiocarbon (¹⁴C), whereas equatorial waters are influenced by the upwelling of low ¹⁴C water and have relatively low concentrations of ¹⁴C. We use a 250 year record of Δ¹⁴C in a coral from southwestern Puerto Rico along with previously published coral Δ¹⁴C records as tracers of subtropical and equatorial water mixing in the northern Caribbean. Data generated in this study and from other studies indicate that the influence of either of the two water masses can change considerably on interannual to interdecadal time scales. Variability due to ocean dynamics in this region is large relative to variability caused by atmospheric ¹⁴C changes, thus masking the Suess effect at this site. A mixing model produced using coral Δ¹⁴C illustrates the time varying proportion of equatorial versus subtropical waters in the northern Caribbean between 1963 and 1983. The results of the model are consistent with linkages between multidecadal thermal variability in the North Atlantic and meridional overturning circulation. Ekman transport changes related to tradewind variability are proposed as a possible mechanism to explain the observed switches between relatively low and high Δ¹⁴C values in the coral radiocarbon records.     

Paleoproterozoic gold deposits in the Bald Hill and Coyote areas, Western Tanami, Western Australia

Significant gold deposits in the western Tanami region of Western Australia include deposits in the Bald Hill and Coyote areas. The ca. 1,864 Ma Bald Hill sequence of turbiditic and mafic volcanic rocks hosts the Kookaburra and Sandpiper deposits and a number of smaller prospects. The ca. 1,835 Ma turbiditic Killi Killi Formation hosts the Coyote deposit and several nearby prospects. The Kookaburra deposit forms as a saddle reef within a syncline, and the Sandpiper deposit is localized within graphitic metasedimentary rocks along a limb of an anticline. Gold in these deposits is hosted by anastomosing quartz–(–pyrite–arsenopyrite) veins within quartz–sericite schist with disseminated arsenopyrite, pyrite, and marcasite (after pyrrhotite). Based on relative timing relationships with structural elements, the auriferous veins are interpreted to have been emplaced before or during the ca. 1,835–1,825 Ma Tanami Orogeny (regional D₁). Gold deposition is thought to have been caused by pressure drops associated with saddle reef formation (Kookaburra) and chemical reactions with graphitic rocks (Sandpiper). The Coyote deposit, the largest in the western Tanami region, consists of a number of ore lenses localized along the limbs of the Coyote Anticline, which formed during the Tanami Orogeny. The largest lenses are associated with the Gonzalez Fault, which is located along the steeply dipping southern limb of this fold. Gold was introduced at ca. 1,790 Ma into dilatant zones that formed in local perturbations along this fault during later reactivation (regional D₅) towards the end of a period of granite emplacement. Gold is associated with quartz–chlorite–pyrite–(arsenopyrite–galena–sphalerite) veins with narrow (<?5 mm) chloritic selvages. A quartz–muscovite–biotite–K–feldspar–(tourmaline–actinolite–arsenopyrite) assemblage, which is interpreted to relate to granite emplacement, overprints the regional greenschist facies metamorphic assemblage. The mineralogical similarity between this overprinting assemblage and the vein assemblage suggests that the auriferous veins at the Coyote deposit are associated with the granite-related metamorphic–metasomatic assemblage. Gold deposition is thought to have been caused by pressure drops within dilatant zones.     

Why delaying emission reductions is a gamble

In the debate on the timing of greenhouse gas emissions reductions the aspect of political feasibility has often been missing. We introduce this aspect and show that, if we decide to delay emissions reductions, and the environmental effectiveness of global mitigation efforts is to remain the same in terms of temperature change, we must be willing and able to undertake much more substantial emission reductions than with early action. Even under conservative assumptions on initial political feasibility (maximum 0.25% year-on-year reductions), a 20-year delay means that we must reduce emissions at an annual rate that is 5 to 11 times greater than with early climate action. Our capacity for technological progress, political change and the inertia of the socio-economic system gives us reason to be concerned about our ability to achieve such higher rates of emission reductions. If we are not able to achieve such higher rates, delaying action will inevitably result in higher temperatures in 2100. Unless we are willing to accept higher temperatures, choosing to delay climate action is a gamble that political feasibility will increase over time as a result of the delay itself.     

The clustering of K∼20 galaxies in 17 radio galaxy fields

We investigate the angular correlation function, ο(θ), of the galaxies detected in the 2.1-μm K ' band in 17 fields (101.5 arcmin² in total), each containing a z ∼1.1 radio galaxy. There is a significant detection of galaxy clustering at a limit of K ∼20, with a ο(θ) amplitude similar to that estimated by Carlberg et al. at K =21.5. The ο(θ) amplitudes of these K -limited samples are higher than expected from the faint galaxy clustering in the blue and red passbands, but consistent with a pure luminosity evolution model if clustering is stable (ε=0) and the correlation function of early-type galaxies is steeper than that of spirals.
We do not detect a significant cross-correlation between the radio galaxies and the other galaxies in these fields. The upper limits on the cross-correlation are consistent with a mean clustering environment of Abell class 0 for z ∼1.1 radio galaxies, similar to that observed for radio galaxies at z ∼0.5, but would argue against an Abell class 1 or richer environment. As Abell 0 clustering around the radio galaxies would not significantly increase the ο(θ) amplitude of galaxies in these fields, stable clustering with a steep ξ( r ) for E/S0 galaxies appears to remain the most likely interpretation of the ο(θ) amplitude.
At K ≤20, the number of galaxy–galaxy pairs of 2–3 arcsec separation exceeds the random expectation by a factor of 2.15±0.26. The excess of close pairs is comparable to that previously reported for R -band data, and consistent with a ∼(1+ z )² evolution of the galaxy merger rate.     

Petrology of filicudi,aeolian archipelago

Volcanic rocks on the island of Filicudi are typical of the cale-alkaline association of the Aeolian archipelago, and range in composition from basalt to high-K andesite. All specimens contain abundant phenocrystic plagioclase (cores of An_82–97, rims becoming progressively more sodic with increasing Differentiation Index), clinopyroxene, and magnetite; the most basic samples contain olivine, which is replaced by orthopyroxene at around D.I.=44. SiO₂ generally increases with time, and this in conjunction with the continuity in mineralogy suggests that the lavas are the differentiation products of a single batch of magma. Least-squares mixing calculations are consistent with a shallow fractional model, as is the variation in trace element abundances.     

Fine‐scale diet of the Australian sea lion (Neophoca cinerea) using DNA‐based analysis of faeces

We applied DNA‐based faecal analysis to determine the diet of female Australian sea lions (n = 12) from two breeding colonies in South Australia. DNA dietary components of fish and cephalopods were amplified using the polymerase chain reaction and mitochondrial DNA primers targeting the short (~100 base pair) section of the 16S gene region. Prey diversity was determined by sequencing ~50 amplicons generated from clone libraries developed for each individual. Faecal DNA was also combined and cloned from multiple individuals at each colony and fish diversity determined. Diets varied between individuals and sites. Overall, DNA analysis identified a broad diversity of prey comprising 23 fish and five cephalopod taxa, including many species not previously described as prey of the Australian sea lion. Labridae (wrasse), Monacanthidae (leatherjackets) and Mullidae (goat fish) were important fish prey taxa. Commonly identified cephalopods were Octopodidae (octopus), Loliginidae (calamary squid) and Sepiidae (cuttlefish). Comparisons of fish prey diversity determined by pooling faecal DNA from several samples provided a reasonable but incomplete resemblance (55–71%) to the total fish diversity identified across individual diets at each site. Interpretation of diet based on the recovery of prey hard‐parts identified one cephalopod beak (Octopus sp.) and one fish otolith (Parapriacanthus elongatus). The present study highlights the value of DNA‐based analyses and their capabilities to enhance information of trophic interactions.     

<Superscript>10</Superscript>Be, <Superscript>18</Superscript>O and radiogenic isotopic constraints on the origin of adakitic signatures: a case study from Solander and Little Solander Islands,New Zealand

Subduction-related Quaternary volcanic rocks from Solander and Little Solander Islands, south of mainland New Zealand, are porphyritic trachyandesites and andesites (58.20–62.19 wt% SiO₂) with phenocrysts of amphibole, plagioclase and biotite. The Solander and Little Solander rocks are incompatible element enriched (e.g. Sr ~931–2,270 ppm, Ba ~619–798 ppm, Th ~8.7–21.4 ppm and La ~24.3–97.2 ppm) with MORB-like Sr and Nd isotopic signatures. Isotopically similar quench-textured enclaves reflect mixing with intermediate (basaltic-andesite) magmas. The Solander rocks have geochemical affinities with adakites (e.g. high Sr/Y and low Y), whose origin is often attributed to partial melting of subducted oceanic crust. Solander sits on isotopically distinct continental crust, thus excluding partial melting of the lower crust in the genesis of the magmas. Furthermore, the incompatible element enrichments of the Solander rocks are inconsistent with partial melting of newly underplated mafic lower crust; reproduction of their major element compositions would require unrealistically high degrees of partial melting. A similar argument precludes partial melting of the subducting oceanic crust and the inability to match the observed trace element patterns in the presence of residual garnet or plagioclase. Alternatively, an enriched end member of depleted MORB mantle source is inferred from Sr, Nd and Pb isotopic compositions, trace element enrichments and εHf ? 0 CHUR in detrital zircons, sourced from the volcanics. ¹⁰Be and Sr, Nd and Pb isotopic systematics are inconsistent with significant sediment involvement in the source region. The trace element enrichments and MORB-like Sr and Nd isotopic characteristics of the Solander rocks require a strong fractionation mechanism to impart the high incompatible element concentrations and subduction-related (e.g. high LILE/HFSE) geochemical signatures of the Solander magmas. Trace element modelling shows that this can be achieved by very low degrees of melting of a peridotitic source enriched by the addition of a slab-derived melt. Subsequent open-system fractionation, involving a key role for mafic magma recharge, resulted in the evolved andesitic adakites.