Large impact features on middle-sized icy satellites

All of the large impact features of the middle-sized icy satellites of Saturn and Uranus that were clearly observed by the Voyager spacecraft are described. New image mosaics and stereo-and-photoclinometrically-derived digital elevation models are presented. Landforms related to large impact features, such as secondary craters and possible antipodal effects are examined and evaluated. Of the large impacts, Odysseus on Tethys appears to have had the most profound effect on its “target” satellite of any of the impact features we examined. Our modeling suggests that the Odysseus impact may have caused the prompt formation of Ithaca Chasma, a belt of tectonic troughs that roughly follow a great circle normal to the center of Odysseus, although other hypotheses remain viable. We identify probable secondary cratering from Tirawa on Rhea. We attribute a number of converging coalescing crater chains on Rhea to a putative, possibly relatively fresh, ∼350 km-diameter impact feature. We examine the antipodes of Odysseus, the putative ∼350 km-diameter Rhean impact feature, and Tirawa, and conclude that evidence from Voyager data for damage from seismic focusing is equivocal, although our modeling results indicate that such damage may have occurred. We propose a number of observations and tests for Cassini that offer the opportunity to differentiate among the various explanations and speculations reviewed and evaluated in this study.     

Rainfall interception by trees of Pinus radiata,and Eucalyptus viminalis,in a 1300 mm rainfall area of southeastern New South Wales: I. Gross losses and their variability

Interception loss, I, was determined by continuous concurrent measurements of the canopy precipitation balances of a mature seed orchard tree of Pinus radiata, and a dominant tree of Eucalyptus viminalis at a mountainous high rainfall site (900 m a.s.l.) in Tallaganda State Forest of the Upper Shoalhaven Catchment. Approximate canopy storage capacity (Sc) of the pine was 54 l, and that of the eucalypt was 11·3 l. Gross pine I was 26·5 per cent and eucalypt I was 8·3 per cent of total incident rainfall over a period of 18 months, from June 1975 to December 1976. The exponential model that provided the best fit to overall data relating I to gross rainfall (P_g) was of good precision for the pine (r² = 0·73) but rather poor precision for the eucalypt (r² = 0·27). A consistent pattern in interception data of the two canopy types suggested that variation in I was related to change in pervasive conditions influencing rates of evaporation from wet canopies during rainfall. Multiple regression analyses confirmed that factors such as rainfall intensity and windspeed explained some of the variation in eucalypt I but little in pine I. Negative eucalypt I and corresponding low values of pine I over a wide range of P_g (up to 20 mm) suggest that capture of wind-borne precipitation (cloud, mist, or fog) had also complicated the canopy precipitation balances.     

Determination of residence time and mixing processes of the Ubatuba,Brazil, inner shelf waters using natural Ra isotopes

Coastal waters contain elevated dissolved activities of short-lived radium isotopes, ²²³Ra and ²²⁴Ra, having half-lives of 11.4 and 3.66 days, respectively. The input of these isotopes near the coast must be balanced by decay and mixing into the open ocean, where excess activities are zero. Since the decay rate is known, in the ideal case the mixing rate may be determined from the offshore distribution of these isotopes. This study found that samples collected in June 2000 followed the expected exponential decrease with distance offshore. We assign a dispersion coefficient of 28–39 m² s⁻¹ for this study. During January 2002 and November 2003, there was not a consistent decrease of activity with distance offshore. This is likely due to the ruggedness of the coastline, where many bays and small islands interrupt simple mixing patterns. To estimate exchange rates during 2002 and 2003, we used a model based on the decrease in the ²²⁴Ra/²²³Ra activity ratio (AR) with time for samples isolated from fresh inputs of Ra. This model yielded residence times of 1–2 weeks for samples collected within 20 km of the coast. We used this residence time to calculate the flux of ²²⁸Ra (half-life = 5.7 years) to the study area necessary to maintain the enrichment relative to ocean water. This enrichment is a factor of ten greater than the flux of ²²⁸Ra expected from submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) occurring within 50 m of shore.     

THE CANYONLANDS METEORITE

The Canyonlands meteorite weighing 1,520 grams was found near the confluence of the Green and Colorado Rivers, Utah, near lat 38°11′N.; long 109°53′W. It is a shocked, brecciated H6 chondrite containing large black veins which do not differ in composition from the main chondritic mass. A black fusion crust remains on part of the meteorite.     

EVIDENCE FOR THE PRESENCE OF LOW MOLECULAR WEIGHT ALCOHOLS AND CARBONYL COMPOUNDS IN THE MURCHISON METEORITE†

Alcohols, aldehydes and ketones identified in the Murchison C2 chondrite include: methanol, ethanol, 2-propanol, butyl alcohols, formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, propionaldehyde, acetone, 2-butanone, 3-pentanone and 2-pentanone.     

Trapping of noble gases in proton-irradiated silicate smokes

Abstract— We have measured Ne, Ar, Kr and Xe in Si₂O₃ “smokes” that were condensed on Al substrates, vapor-deposited with various mixtures of CH₄, NH₃, H₂O and noble gases at 10 K and subsequently irradiated with 1 MeV protons to simulate conditions during grain mantle formation in interstellar clouds. The noble gases were analyzed using conventional stepwise heating and static noble gas mass spectrometry. Neither Ne nor Ar is retained by the samples upon warming to room temperature, but Xe is very efficiently trapped and retained. Kr is somewhat less effectively retained, typically depleted by factors of about 10–20 relative to Xe. Isotopic fractionation favoring the heavy isotopes of Xe and Kr of about 5–10‰/amu is observed. Correlations between the specific chemistry of the vapor deposition and heavy noble gas retention are most likely the result of competition by the various species for irradiation-produced trapping sites. The concentration of Xe retained by some of these smokes exceeds that observed in phase Q of meteorites and, like phase Q, they do not seem to be carriers of the light noble gases. Such artificially prepared material may, therefore, offer clues concerning the incorporation of the heavy planetary noble gases in meteoritic material and the nature of phase Q.