Eutectic temperatures and melting relations in the Fe–O–S system at high pressures and temperatures

We have investigated melting relations in the Fe–O–S ternary system in the pressure range of 15–27 GPa and 1873 K. Subsolidus phase relations are Fe, Fe₃S₂, and FeO up to 17 GPa and Fe, Fe₃S, and FeO above this pressure. The eutectic temperature slightly decreases from ambient pressure to 17 GPa, whereas increases above this pressure. The eutectic temperature in this study is 100 K lower than that in the Fe–S binary system. The oxygen content in the Fe–O–S eutectic liquid drops when the coexisting solid phases changes from FeS to Fe₃S₂. The cotectic lines in the ternary phase diagram lie close to the Fe–FeS binary axis. The isothermal sections indicate that oxygen solubility in the Fe–O–S liquid increases with increasing temperature, and with increasing sulfur content. The solubility of sulfur in the solid Fe has a maximum value at the eutectic temperature, and decreases with increasing temperature. Our results could have important implications for formation and composition of the Martian core.     

About the observed and future changes in temperature extremes over India

An attempt is made in the present study to analyse observed and model simulated temperature extremes over Indian region. Daily maximum and minimum temperature data at 121 well-distributed stations for the period 1970–2003 have been used to study the observed changes in objectively defined values of temperature extremes. In addition, an assessment of future scenarios of temperature extremes associated with increase in the concentration of atmospheric greenhouse gases is done using simulations of a state-of-the-art regional climate modelling system known as PRECIS (Providing Regional Climate for Impact Studies) performed to generate the climate for the present (1961–1990) and future projections for the period 2071–2100. Observational analysis done with 121 stations suggests the widespread warming through increase in intensity and frequency of hot events and also with decrease in frequency of cold events. More than 75% stations show decreasing trend in number of cold events and about 70% stations show increasing trend in hot events. Percentage of stations towards the warming through intensity indices of highest maximum temperature, lowest minimum temperature is 78 and 71% stations, respectively. Remaining stations show opposite trends, however, most of them are statistically insignificant. Observational analysis for India as a whole also shows similar results. Composite anomalies for monthly temperature extremes over two equal parts of the data period show increase (decrease) in the frequency of hot (cold) events for all months. In general, PRECIS simulations under both A2 and B2 scenarios indicate increase (decrease) in hot (cold) extremes towards the end of twenty-first century. Both show similar patterns, but the B2 scenario shows slightly lower magnitudes of the projected changes. Temperatures are likely to increase in entire calendar year, but the changes in winter season are expected to be prominent. Diurnal temperature range is expected to decrease in winter (JF) and pre-monsoon (MAM) months.     

Changes in cyanobacterial dominance following the invasion of the zebra mussel<Emphasis Type="Italic">Dreissena polymorpha</Emphasis>: Long-term results from the Hudson River estuary

The introduction of invasive bivalves such as the zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) can have profound effects on aquatic ecosystems, including decreases in phytoplankton biomass and changes in the taxonomic composition of phytoplankton. Zebra mussel introductions have been associated with increased dominance of cyanobacteria, especiallyMicrocystis, but this change may depend on interacting physical, chemical, or biotic conditions. We used a 12-yr record in the Hudson River to explore the relationship between phytoplankton composition and zebra mussel filtration. During this period (1993–2005), the mean July–September filtration rate of the zebra mussel (ZMF) varied by 8-fold, and the mean biovolume of cyanobacteria, which was dominated byMicrocystis, varied from 0 to 4.2 mm³ 1⁻¹ and comprised up to 52% of total phytoplankton biovolume. There was a tendency for high cyanobacterial biomass to be associated with low rather than high ZMF. Neither the absolute nor the relative amounts of either total cyanobacteria orMicrocystis were significantly correlated to ZMF alone or in combination with total phosphorus or any other, physical or chemical parameters that we measured. Cyanobacteria dominance and abundance were both strongly correlated to temperature, and over 80% of the among year variance in cyanobacterial dominance could be explained by temperature in a linear model. Temperature in combination with dissolved SiO₃ explained 90% of the variation in cyanobacterial dominance. At higher temperatures and lower dissolved SiO₃, cyanobacterial abundance increased, at the expense of diatoms that dominated at lower temperatures and a higher SiO₃ years. The high explanatory value of temperature is surprising as the variation in temperature among years was relatively low (24.0–26.8°C). The results suggest that event slightly increased temperatures could lead to higher biomass and dominance of cyanobacteria in some aquatic systems.     

Relation between temperature changes of the mid-upper troposphere over Eurasian mid-high latitudes and solar irradiance in the twentieth century

The δ¹⁸O data obtained from an 18.7 m ice core drilled in Chongce Ice Cap at an elevation of 6,530 m a.s.l. in the West Kunlun Mountains on the northern Tibetan Plateau show a strong correlation with the summer temperature of the middle to upper troposphere over the mid-high latitudes of Eurasia. Based on this, the δ¹⁸O record can be used as a proxy of the June–September mean temperature of the mid-upper troposphere (MUT) from 1903 to 1992. The time span of the ice core record is much longer than the meteorological data available only after 1948. Using the empirical mode decomposition method (EMD), the δ¹⁸O record is decomposed into various frequency components and compared with the solar irradiance variations of the same period. The results show that (1) The June–September mean temperature of the MUT over Eurasian mid-high latitudes is completely decomposed into four IMF (intrinsic mode function) components and an increasing trend. (2) Solar irradiance is decomposed into the Schwabe cycle, the Hale cycle, the Gleissberg cycle, and an increasing trend. (3) The correlation coefficients between the June and September mean temperatures of the MUT over Eurasian mid-high latitudes and solar irradiance on the longer timescales (at least more than 11-year) show the significant correlations; their phase changes are basically identical in general, and (4) the 11-year Schwabe cycle exists in the June–September mean temperature of the MUT over Eurasian mid-high latitudes during most of the time from 1903 to 1992, and only in the two high-temperature phases (1929–1944 and from 1975 to the present) may global warming disturb this relation. A full understanding of this phenomenon would shed insight into the potential consequence of global warming on the MUT.     

Internal Differentiation of the Archean Continental Crust: Fluid-Controlled Partial Melting of Granulites and TTG-Amphibolite Associations in Central Finland

Fault bound blocks of granulite and enderbite occur within upperamphibolite-facies migmatitic tonalitic–trondhjemitic–granodioritic(TTG) gneisses of the Iisalmi block of Central Finland. Theseunits record reworking and partial melting of different levelsof the Archean crust during a major tectonothermal event at2·6–2·7 Ga. Anhydrous mineral assemblagesand tonalitic melts in the granulites formed as a result ofhydrous phase breakdown melting reactions involving amphiboleat peak metamorphic conditions of 8–11 kbar and 750–900°C.A nominally fluid-absent melting regime in the granulites issupported by the presence of carbonic fluid inclusions. Thegeochemical signature of light rare earth element (LREE)-depletedmafic granulites can be modelled by 10–30 wt % partialmelting of an amphibolite source rock leaving a garnet-bearingresidue. The degree of melting in intermediate granulites isinferred to be less than 10 wt % and was restricted by the availabilityof quartz. Pressure–temperature estimates for the TTGgneisses are significantly lower than for the granulites at660–770°C and 5–6 kbar. Based on the P–Tconditions, melting of the TTG gneisses is inferred to haveoccurred at the wet solidus in the presence of an H₂O-rich fluid.A hydrous mineralogy, abundant aqueous fluid inclusions andthe absence of carbonic inclusions in the gneisses are in accordancewith a water-fluxed melting regime. Low REE contents and strongpositive Eu anomalies in most leucosomes irrespective of thehost rock composition suggest that the leucosomes are not meltcompositions, but represent plagioclase–quartz assemblagesthat crystallized early from felsic melts. Furthermore, similarplagioclase compositions in leucosomes and adjacent mesosomesare not a ‘migmatite paradox’, as both record equilibrationwith the same melt phase percolating along grain boundaries. KEY WORDS: Archean continental crust; fluid inclusion; granulite; migmatite; partial melting     

Geochronological constraints on the Legs Lake shear zone with implications for regional exhumation of lower continental crust, western Churchill Province, Canadian Shield

The Legs Lake shear zone marks the southeastern boundary of an extensive region (>20,000 km²) of high-pressure (0.8–1.5+ GPa) granulite-facies rocks in the western Churchill Province, Canada. The shear zone is one of the largest exhumation-related structures in the Canadian Shield and coincides with the central segment of the ∼2,800 km long Snowbird tectonic zone. The movement history of this shear zone is critical for the development of models for the exhumation history of the high-pressure region. We used electron microprobe U–Th–Pb dating of monazite with supplemental ID-TIMS U–Pb geochronology to place constraints on the timing of shear zone activity. Combining these and other data, we suggest that regional exhumation occurred during at least three distinct phases over an ∼150 million year period. The first phase involved high temperature decompression from ∼1.0 to 0.8–0.7 GPa shortly following 1.9 Ga peak metamorphism, possibly under an extensional regime. The second phase involved rock uplift and decompression of the hanging wall to 0.5–0.4 GPa during east-vergent thrusting across the Legs Lake shear zone at ca. 1.85 Ga. This phase was likely driven by early collision-related convergence in the Trans-Hudson orogen. The final phase of regional exhumation, involving the removal of 15–20 km of overburden from both footwall and hanging wall, likely occurred after ∼1.78 Ga and may have been related to regional extensional faulting.Electronic Supplementary Material Supplementary material is available to authorised users in the online version of this article at .     

North Indian Ocean warming and sea level rise in an OGCM

The variability in the long-term temperature and sea level over the north Indian Ocean during the period 1958–2000 has been investigated using an Ocean General Circulation Model, Modular Ocean Model version 4. The model simulated fields are compared with the sea level observations from tide-gauges, Topex/Poseidon (T/P) satellite, in situ temperature profile observations from WHOI moored buoy and sea surface temperature (SST) observations from DS1, DS3 and DS4 moored buoys. It is seen that the long (6–8 years) warming episodes in the SST over the north Indian Ocean are followed by short episodes (2–3 years) of cooling. The model temperature and sea level anomaly over the north Indian Ocean show an increasing trend in the study period. The model thermocline heat content per unit area shows a linear increasing trend (from 1958–2000) at the rate of 0.0018 × 10¹¹ J/m² per year for north Indian Ocean. North Indian Ocean sea level anomaly (thermosteric component) also shows a linear increasing trend of 0.31 mm/year during 1958–2000.     

Speleothems as high-resolution paleoenvironment archives: Records from northeastern China

The isotopic compositions of oxygen and carbon and trace concentrations of magnesium and strontium in speleothems formed in limestone caves respond to climate changes outside the caves. Measurements of these properties on a stalagmite from Shihua Cave near Beijing, China, allowed reconstruction of the regional changes in precipitation, temperature and nature of vegetation. Over the last ∼ 500 years, there were fourteen precipitation cycles with a periodicity of 30–40 years, which may well reflect fluctuations in the strength of the East Asian summer monsoons reaching northeastern China. Relative to the mean temperature of this time interval, the period 1620–1900 AD was cold and periods 1520–1620 and 1900–1994 were warm. Over the last ∼ 3000-years, about eight wet/cool-dry/warm climatic cycles of 300–400 years duration occurred, the latest wet/cool half cycle corresponding to the Little Ice Age. The δ¹³C record registers the anthropogenic activities of fossil fuel CO₂ combustion in recent decades and regional deforestation between 13 and 16 centuries when Beijing was bustling with palatial constructions and being developed into the world’s most populated city.     

Microclimatic characterization of a karstic cave: human impact on microenvironmental parameters of a prehistoric rock art cave (Candamo Cave, northern Spain)

The Candamo Cave contains an important group of paleolithic paintings which have been seriously deteriorated due to mass tourism. In this work, an analysis was carried out of different climatic parameters (CO₂, temperature, humidity, ²²²Rn) during annual cycles with the cave closed to the public and during an experimental period of controlled visits. The effect of visits on the geochemical characteristics of karstic water was also analyzed together with the cave ventilation. The natural variations in the cave air CO₂ were above 3000 ppm, the increase produced through visits was only 100–110 ppm and since the humidity is almost permanently at saturation point, the critical parameter which limits the visitor capacity becomes air temperature. The temperature changes during the annual cycle are of the order of 1  °C in the external part and less than 0.5  °C in the internal part of the cave and a maximum increase of 0.13  °C was observed during the period of the visits. The ²²²Rn and CO₂ concentration minimums in the summer period (July–October) show that this is the most propitious time for visits, since the greatest ventilation is produced in the cave at this time and, therefore, the greatest capacity for recovery. The geochemistry of the water, on the other hand, indicated that this is the period of the year in which processes of wall corrosion can be most easily introduced, although this would be of limited magnitude. The visitor capacity calculated was 29 visitors/day. Received: 29 August 1996 · Accepted: 23 June 1997     

Prograde and retrograde history of the Junction School eclogite,California, and an evaluation of garnet–phengite–clinopyroxene thermobarometry

Quantitative thermobarometry of inclusions in zoned garnet from a Franciscan eclogite block record a counter-clockwise P–T path from blueschist to eclogite and back. Garnet retains prograde zoning from inclusion-rich Alm₅₂Grs₃₀Pyp₆Sps₁₂ cores to inclusion-poor Alm₆₂Grs₂₅Pyp₁₂Sps₁ mantles, with overgrowths of highly variable composition. Barometry using the Waters–Martin version of the garnet–phengite–omphacite thermobarometer yields conditions of 7–15 kbar, 400–500°C (garnet cores), 18–22 kbar, ∼550°C (mantles), and 10–14 kbar, 350–450°C (overgrowths), in agreement with clinozoisite–sphene–rutile–garnet–quartz barometry. These pressures are ∼10–15 kbar less than those obtained using more recent, fully thermodynamic calibrations of the phengite–omphacite–garnet thermobarometer. Low early temperatures suggest that the block was subducted in a thermally mature subduction zone and not at the inception of subduction when prograde temperature is expected to be higher. Franciscan high-grade blocks likely represent crust subducted throughout the history of this convergent margin, rather than only at the inception of the subduction zone.     

Monitoring and evaluation of seasonal snow cover in Kashmir valley using remote sensing,GIS and ancillary data

Seasonal snow cover is a vital natural resource in the Himalaya. Monitoring of the areal extent of seasonal snow cover is important for both climatological studies as well as hydrological applications. In the present paper, snow cover monitoring was carried out to evaluate the region-wise accumulation and ablation pattern of snow cover in Pir Panjal and Shamshawari ranges of Kashmir valley. The study was carried out for the winter period between November and April of 2004–05, 2005–06 and 2006–07, using multi-temporal WiFS sensor data of IRS-1C/1D satellites. The study shows reduction in the areal extent of seasonal snow cover and rising trend of maximum temperature in three winters for the entire Kashmir valley. This has been validated with 20 years (1988–89 to 2007–08) climatic conditions prevailed in both ranges of Kashmir valley. Region-wise study shows the spatial and temporal variability in seasonal snow cover within Kashmir valley. Advance melting was observed in Banihal and Naugam/Tangdhar regions than Gurez and Machhal regions. Different geographical parameters of these regions were studied to evaluate the influence on snow cover and it was observed that altitude and position of region with respect to mountain range are the deciding factors for retaining the seasonal snow cover for longer duration. Such region-wise study of snow cover monitoring, can provide vital inputs for planning the hydropower projects, development in habitat areas, recreational and strategic planning in the region.     

Pulsations of the water-vapor maser in NGC 7538 IRS 1 with a period of about 0.9 year

We report the results of a study of fast variations of the H₂O maser emission toward NGC 7538 IRS 1, which is associated with a star-forming region. The study is based on monitoring data in the 1.35 cm line obtained in 1996–2003 on the 22-meter radio telescope of the Pushchino Radio Astronomy Observatory (Russia). Periodic flux variations of four long-lived emission features with an average period of about 0.9 year have been detected. The flux variations of these features are correlated, suggesting that the detected variability is a consequence of pulsation of, e.g., stellar wind from the protostar in NGC 7538 IRS 1, with a period of about 0.9 year (0.87 ± 0.03 year). These pulsations are superimposed on long-term variability of the integrated maser emission with a period of 13 years.     

The effects of dock shading on the seagrass Halodule wrightii in Perdido Bay, Alabama

Aboveground and belowground biomass, density, blade length, and chlorophyll content of seagrass growing directly under docks were compared with adjacent unshaded sites. The amount of light reduction due to dock shading was measured using quantum spherical irradiance meters. Seagrasses were present under docks; they were shaded such that light levels were 19% and 16% of surface irradiance, at shallow and deep sites, respectively. Shoot density was 40–47% lower in shaded plots than in unshaded plots; total biomass was 30–33% lower in shaded plots than in unshaded plots. In contrast, blade length and chlorophyll content were increased at shaded plots relative to unshaded plots. Seagrasses were not found under docks at light levels less than 14% of surface irradiance. These results are in agreement with published in situ compensation irradiance estimates of 15–18% for Halodule wrightii in Texas coastal waters. Shading effects were most apparent between the hours of 1000 and 1500; therefore, the light received during the early morning and late afternoon hours may be critical for plants growing under docks. The north-south orientation of the docks in this study is likely an important factor contributing to the continued survival and growth of the seagrasses.     

On the impact of temperature on tropospheric ozone concentration levels in urban environments

The influence of temperature on tropospheric ozone (O₃) concentrations in urban and photochemically polluted areas in the greater Athens region are investigated in the present study. Hourly values of the ambient air temperature used for studying the urban heat island effect in Athens were recorded at twenty-three experimental stations while ozone concentration values were measured at three of the above-mentioned stations and for a period of two years (1996–1997). The linear correlation between ozone concentration and air temperature values as well as the temporal variation of temperature and ozone concentration, for the above-mentioned experimental stations, were calculated and analysed. Moreover, a neural network approach was used for investigating the impact of temperature on the ozone concentration values over the greater Athens area. The neural network model used ambient air temperature as one of its input parameters and it was found that temperature is a predominant parameter, affecting considerably the ozone concentration values.     

Pressure–volume–temperature equations of state: a comparative study based on numerical simulations

 The P–V–T equation of state (EoS) models of Birch–Murnaghan, Vinet and Poirier–Tarantola have been compared with one another and discussed in the light of their ability to reproduce thermoelastic functions and parameters by means of fitting to pressure–volume–temperature data artificially generated for spinel, corundum and forsterite. Numerical simulations relying upon semi-empirical potentials, lattice dynamics and the quasiharmonic approximation have been used to generate P–V–T data. The results obtained indicate that all the P–V–T EoSs tested predict bulk modulus at ambient conditions with errors confined, at worst, within a few percent, and reproduce correctly its dependence on temperature. The derivatives of the bulk modulus versus P and PT are less satisfactorily modelled. The bulk thermal expansion is determined by EoSs within a few percent error, but the deviations increase significantly if the approximation of linear dependence of EoS on temperature is used (linearised thermal pressure model). Received: 30 January 2001 / Accepted: 16 June 2001     

Atlanta’s urban heat island under extreme heat conditions and potential mitigation strategies

The urban heat island (UHI), together with summertime heat waves, foster’s biophysical hazards such as heat stress, air pollution, and associated public health problems. Mitigation strategies such as increased vegetative cover and higher albedo surface materials have been proposed. Atlanta, Georgia, is often affected by extreme heat, and has recently been investigated to better understand its heat island and related weather modifications. The objectives of this research were to (1) characterize temporal variations in the magnitude of UHI around Metro Atlanta area, (2) identify climatological attributes of the UHI under extremely high temperature conditions during Atlanta’s summer (June, July, and August) period, and (3) conduct theoretical numerical simulations to quantify the first-order effects of proposed mitigation strategies. Over the period 1984–2007, the climatological mean UHI magnitude for Atlanta-Athens and Athens-Monticello was 1.31 and 1.71°C, respectively. There were statistically significant minimum temperature trends of 0.70°C per decade at Athens and −1.79°C per decade at Monticello while Atlanta’s minimum temperature remained unchanged. The largest (smallest) UHI magnitudes were in spring (summer) and may be coupled to cloud-radiative cycles. Heat waves in Atlanta occurred during 50% of the years spanning 1984–2007 and were exclusively summertime phenomena. The mean number of heat wave events in Atlanta during a given heat wave year was 1.83. On average, Atlanta heat waves lasted 14.18 days, although there was quite a bit of variability (standard deviation of 9.89). The mean maximum temperature during Atlanta’s heat waves was 35.85°C. The Atlanta-Athens UHI was not statistically larger during a heat wave although the Atlanta-Monticello UHI was. Model simulations captured daytime and nocturnal UHIs under heat wave conditions. Sensitivity results suggested that a 100% increase in Atlanta’s surface vegetation or a tripling of its albedo effectively reduced UHI surface temperature. However, from a mitigation and technological standpoint, there is low feasibility of tripling albedo in the foreseeable future. Increased vegetation seems to be a more likely choice for mitigating surface temperature.     

Climatic Signals in the Last 200 Years from Stable Isotope Record in the Shells of Freshwater Snails in Lake Xingcuo,Eastern Tibet Plateau,China

Lake Xingcuo is a small closed,hard-water lake ,situated on eastern Tibet Plateau.Stable isotope data(δ^18O and δ^13C) from the freshwater snail Gyraulus sibirica(Dunker)in a34 cm long,radioactive isotope-dated sediment core represent the last 200 years of Lake Xingcuo environmental history.Carbon and oxygen isotope ratios in the shells of the freshwater snail bear information on the isotopic composition of the water in which the shells were formed ,which in turn characterizes the climatic conditions prevailing during the snail‘s life span.Whole-shell and incremental growth data were collected from modern and fossil shells from Lake Xingcuo.The δ18^O values of modern shells from Lake Xingcuo are in equilibrium with high δ^13CTDIC.By calibrating δ^18O and δ^13C in the shell Gyraulus sibirica(Dunker)with in-strument-measured data for the period 1954-1992,we found that the δ^18O of the snail shells is an efficient indicator to reveal air temperature in the warmer half year instead of that around the whole year,and that there is a certain positive correlation between index δ^18O and the run-ning average temperature in the warmer half-yiar period.Climatic variability on eastern Tibet Plateau,for the last two centuries,has been successfully inferred from the δ^18O record in freshwater snails in the sediments of Lake Xingcuo.As such,the last 200 years of palaeocli-matic record for this region can be separated into three periods representing oscillations between warming and cooling,which are confirmed by the Guliya ice record on the Tibet Plateau.     

Experimental evidence of gravity waves at 80–90 km altitude from OH night airglow observations

Measurements of intensities at two fixed wavelengths in the OH (7-2) band were carried out at Mt Abu (24.6° N, 76.7° E) from 1973–76 to estimate neutral temperature in the region of 80–90 km altitude. It was observed that on some nights the temperature in this region shows periodic oscillations throughout the night. It was found from statistical analysis that the periods of these fluctuations are comparable to the theoretically predicted periods of internal gravity waves. If the periodic temperature variations observed in this region are attributed to the influence of gravity waves, according to the Hines theory only the magnitude of the horizontal component of wave-induced wind velocity can be computed. Using the measured relative temperature fluctuations it is found that the magnitude is 15–30 m/sec.     

Tree-ring variation in teak (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Tectona grandis</Emphasis> L.) from Allapalli,Maharashtra in relation to moisture and Palmer Drought Severity Index,India

We developed a ring-width chronology of teak (Tectona grandis L.) from a moisture stressed area in Maharashtra, India. Bootstrapped correlation analysis indicated that moisture index (MI) and Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI) showed better performance rather than same year rainfall over the region. Tree-ring variations were most correlated positively with PDSI during different seasons compared with MI. Significant strong positive correlation with MI, and negative association with temperature and potential evapotranspiration (PET) were found during previous and current year post-monsoon (ON). This study shows that the moisture availability during the post-monsoon of the previous year has a significant role in the development of annual growth rings. The reconstructed previous year post-monsoon (−ON) moisture index for the period 1866–1996 indicates 3.5 and 29.3 years periodicities.