Formation and evolution of carbonate chimneys at the Lost City Hydrothermal Field

The Lost City Hydrothermal Field at 30°N, near the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, is an off-axis, moderate temperature, high-pH (9-10.8), serpentinite-hosted vent system. The field is hosted on ∼1.5 Ma crust, near the summit of the Atlantis Massif. Within the field, actively venting carbonate chimneys tower up to 60 m above the seafloor, making them the tallest vent structures known. The chemistry of the chimneys and vent fluids is controlled by serpentinization reactions between seawater and underlying peridotite. Mixing of <40-91 °C calcium-rich vent fluids with seawater results in the precipitation of variable mixtures of aragonite, calcite, and brucite. The resultant deposits range from tall, graceful pinnacles to fragile flanges and delicate precipitates that grow outward from fissures in the bedrock. In this study, mineralogy, petrographic analyses, major and trace element concentrations, and Sr isotopic compositions are used to propose a model for the growth and chemical evolution of carbonate chimneys in a serpentinite-hosted environment. Our results show that nascent chimneys are characterized by a porous, interlacing network of aragonite, and brucite minerals that form extremely fragile structures. The chemistry of these young deposits is characterized by ∼10 wt% Ca and up to 27 wt% Mg, extremely low trace metal concentrations, and ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr isotope ratios near 0.70760. During aging of the chimneys, progressive reactions with seawater result in the dissolution of brucite, the conversion of aragonite to calcite, and infilling of pore spaces with calcite. The oldest chimneys are dominated by calcite, with bulk rock values of up to 36 wt% Ca and <1 wt% Mg. These older structures contain higher concentrations of trace metals (e.g., Mn and Ti), and have Sr isotope ratios near seawater values (0.70908). Exposed ultramafic rocks are prevalent along the Mid-Atlantic, Arctic, and Indian Ocean ridge networks and it is likely that other Lost City-type systems exist.     

Modelling fundamental waiting time distributions for earthquake sequences

The distribution of waiting times between time-neighbouring events for a time series obeying the Omori law is examined theoretically and numerically with the aim of understanding the characteristics of these distributions, how these characteristics change (e.g. scale) with the parameters of the Omori series, and thus how empirical waiting time data may be correctly interpreted. It is found that the waiting time distribution, for a single Omori aftershock sequence, consists in general of two power law segments followed by a rapid decay at larger waiting times. The analyses are illustrated using real data from the SIL network on Iceland. This data often shows characteristics predominantly consistent with the Omori law, but there are significant exceptions. We conclude that waiting time distributions and related statistical analysis has meaningful potential for the analysis of earthquake data sets, as a step towards developing physical models of the earthquake process.     

Anterior dental microwear texture analysis of the Krapina Neandertals

Some Neandertal anterior teeth show unusual and excessive gross wear, commonly explained by non-dietary anterior tooth use, or using the anterior dentition as a tool, clamp, or third hand. This alternate use is inferred from aboriginal arctic populations, who used their front teeth in this manner. Here we examine anterior dental microwear textures of the Krapina Neandertals to test this hypothesis and further analyze tooth use in these hominins. Microwear textures from 17 Krapina Dental People were collected by white-light confocal profilometry using a 100x objective lens. Four adjacent scans were generated, totaling an area of 204x276 ??m, and were analyzed using Toothfrax and SFrax SSFA software packages. The Neandertals were compared to six bioarchaeological/ethnographic samples with reported variation in diet, abrasive load, and non-dietary anterior tooth use. Results indicate that Krapina anterior teeth lack extreme microwear textures expected of hominins exposed to heavy abrasives or those that regularly generated high stresses associated with intense use of the front teeth as tools. Krapina hominins have microwear attributes in common with Coast Tsimshian, Aleut, and Puye Pueblo samples. Collectively, this suggests that the Krapina Neandertals faced moderate abrasive loads and only periodically used their anterior teeth as tools for non-diet related behaviors.     

Comparison of Multimission Altimetric Sea-Surface Heights with Tide Gauge Observations in the Southern Baltic Sea

One possible technique to validate the observations of altimeter missions is the comparison with sea-surface heights measured by tide gauges. In our investigation, we compared observations of the two tide gauge stations, Sassnitz and Warnemünde, which are located at the southern coast of the Baltic Sea, with sea-surface heights obtained from the altimeter missions Geosat, ERS-1, ERS-2, and TOPEX/Poseidon. For this purpose, the compared sea-surface heights were related to a common reference system and extrapolated to a common location. GPS observations, leveling data, regional geoid information, sea-surface topography, and postglacial rebound were included in the analysis. Considering the uncertainties of all model components, a more reliable estimation of the error budget (source, type, and magnitude of the errors) was performed. The obtained absolute altimeter biases are (-243 - 32) mm for Geosat, (467 - 19) mm for ERS-1, (76 - 19) mm for ERS-2, and (13 - 18) mm for TOPEX.     

Insights into Holocene relative sea-level changes in the southern North Sea using an improved microfauna-based transfer function

In light of global warming and rising relative sea level (RSL), detailed reconstructions of RSL histories and their controlling processes are essential in order to manage coastal-protection challenges. This study contributes to unravelling Holocene RSL change on the East Frisian North Sea coast in high resolution and with a new approach for the German Bight. For the first time, a transfer function (vertical error: 29.7 cm ? ~11% of the mean tidal range) for RSL change based on a combined training set of benthic foraminifers and ostracods from the back-barrier tidal basin of Spiekeroog is applied to the Holocene record of the back-barrier tidal basin of Norderney. The resulting RSL curve for the Norderney tidal basin is corrected for decompaction and shows a deceleration in RSL rise between 6000 and 5000 cal bp. The smallest possible error envelope (~1 m) results from the good suitability of salt-marsh layers between 5000 and 4000 cal bp. The RSL curve provides an approach towards the closure of the common data gap of peat-based curves for the southern North Sea related to a lack of basal peats in the youngest age range, and verifies regional differences in glacial isostatic adjustment.