Low temperature magnetic properties of titanomagnetites

New measurements of high field magnetisation (I_s), remanence (I_s), and coercive force (H_c) are presented between 4 and 300 K for x = 0.4, 0.5, 0.6 and 0.8 (Fe_3−xTi_xO₄). For x = 0.4 a pronounced minimum is found at T100 K and for X = 0.5 and 0.6 broad minima occur around T200 K, apparently coinciding with the temperature for K₁0. The magnetic properties below T60 K ar complex and were found to be significantly changed by cooling in the presence of a high magnetic field. With no applied field during cooling, a distinct decrease in I_s is observed for T60 K, at which temperature there is a peak in the value of I_rs. The effe cooling is to eliminate the sharp decrease in I_s, reduce H_c and to increase I_rs below 60 K to a value the peak value, giving essentially a square hysteresis loop. The results are interpreted in terms of a form of crystallographic phase transition coupled to the magnetisation direction, possibly by the magnetostriction. Square hysteresis loops in ferrites have been explained by the presence of Jahn-Teller ions and, in the present case, the low temperature of the observed effect may be a consequence of the weak Fe²⁺ Jahn-Teller ion coupled to other effects such as spin-lattice coupling.

Details of this work can be found in Schmidbauer, E. and Readman, P.W., 1982. Low temperature magnetic properties of Ti-rich Fe---Ti spinels. J. Magn. Magn. Mat., 27: 114–118. A paper reporting further work on Fe_2.4Ti0.6O0.4 is in preparation.     

Silicate perovskite analogue ScAlO3: temperature dependence of elastic moduli

The elastic moduli of ScAlO₃ perovskite, a very close structural analogue for MgSiO₃ perovskite, have been measured between 300 and 600 K using high precision ultrasonic interferometry in an internally heated gas-charged pressure vessel. This new capability for high temperature measurement of elastic wave speeds has been demonstrated on polycrystalline alumina. The temperature derivatives of elastic moduli of Al₂O₃ measured in this study agree within 15% with expectations based on published single-crystal data. For ScAlO₃ perovskite, the value of (∂K_S/∂T)_P is −0.033 GPa K⁻¹ and (∂G/∂T)_P is −0.015 GPa K⁻¹. The relative magnitudes of these derivatives agree with the observation in Duffy and Anderson [Duffy, T.S., Anderson, D.L., 1989. Seismic velocities in mantle minerals and the mineralogy of the upper mantle. J. Geophys. Res. 94, 1895–1912.] that |(∂K_S/∂T)_P| is typically about twice |(∂G/∂T)_P|. The value of (∂K_S/∂T)_P for ScAlO₃ is intermediate between those inferred less directly from V(P,T) studies of Fe-free and Fe- and Al-bearing MgSiO₃ perovskites [Wang, Y., Weidner, D.J., Liebermann, R.C., Zhao, Y., 1994. P–V–T equation of state of (Mg,Fe)SiO₃ perovskite: constraints on composition of the lower mantle. Phys. Earth Planet. Inter. 83, 13–40; Mao, H.K., Hemley, R.J., Shu, J., Chen, L., Jephcoat, A.P., Wu, Y., Bassett, W.A., 1991. Effect of pressure, temperature and composition on the lattice parameters and density of (Mg,Fe) SiO₃ perovskite to 30 GPa. J. Geophys. Res. 91, 8069–8079; Zhang, Weidner, D., 1999. Thermal equation of state of aluminum-enriched silicate perovskite. Science 284, 782–784]. The value of |(∂G/∂T)|_P for ScAlO₃ is similar to those of most other mantle silicate phases but lower than the recent determination for MgSiO₃ perovskite [Sinelnikov, Y., Chen, G., Neuville, D.R., Vaughan, M.T., Liebermann, R.C., 1998. Ultrasonic shear wave velocities of MgSiO₃ perovskite at 8 GPa and 800K and lower mantle composition. Science 281, 677–679].

Combining the results from the previous studies and current measurements on ScAlO₃ perovskite, we extracted the parameters (q and γ₀) needed to fully specify its Mie–Grüneisen–Debye equation-of-state. In this study, we have demonstrated that acoustic measurements of K_S(T), unlike V(P,T) data, tightly constrain the value of q. It is concluded that ScAlO₃ has ‘normal’ γ₀ (1.3) and high q (3.6). The high value of q indicates that ScAlO₃ has very strong intrinsic temperature dependence of the bulk modulus; similar behaviour has been observed in measurements on Fe- and Al-bearing silicate perovskites (Mao et al., 1991; Zhang and Weidner, 1999).     

Some magnetic properties of synthetic and natural haematite of different grain size

The behaviour of some magnetic properties of natural and synthetic haematite of different grain size is examined. The natural haematite was obtained from the hydrothermal deposit Kada (Czech and Slovak Federal Rep.). Six grain-size fractions ranging from 120 to 40 μm were prepared by means of sieving and two further fractions down to 5 μm by wet ultrasonic sieving. Since the behaviour of the fractions is similar, that of only four representative samples is reported. In addition, the behaviour of one submicron synthetic haematite fraction (0.5 μm) prepared by oxidation of ferrous sulphate (uniform in size and shape) was investigated.

The initial remanence value (J_r) seems to increase with decreasing grain size. During alternating field (AF) demagnetization, all fractions behaved similarly, except for the submicron fraction which is considerably softer than the others. Normalized (isothermal remanent magnetization) IRM acquisition curves were similar for all fractions.

Parameters of the anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS) display significant changes, mainly during IRM acquisition. During AF demagnetization, the anisotropy degree P exhibits a slight increase (some %), while the behaviour of the shape factor T is complicated. The anisotropy ellipsoid exhibits a tendency to rotate. Significant changes in the AMS parameters occur during IRM acquisition. Curves of P and T vs. IRM acquisition field, for various grain-size fractions, show no coherent pattern. For all the samples studied, the T vs. H curve exhibits a threshold value at which change in the type of arrangement of easy axis of magnetization occurs. For the IRM acquisition fields higher than some 320 kA m⁻¹, the minimum susceptibility axis parallels the direction of the IRM acquisition field.

Hysteresis curves of the fractions are similar to each other. The Preisach distribution function was determined and it indicates that the reversible part of the magnetization process plays an important role comparatively. Based on the coercivity data presented no unambiguous conclusion could be drawn from the single-domain (SD)-multidomain (MD) transition, associated with a coercivity maximum.     

SOTEM响应特性分析与最佳观测区域研究

电性源短偏移距瞬变电磁法(SOTEM)是目前研究和应用较为广泛的一种人工源时间域电磁法工作装置,对深部资源地球物理精细探测具有一定的实际意义.为了深入理解方法内涵并更好地进行推广应用,本文基于电性源瞬变电磁一维正演理论,研究了SOTEM地下感应电流扩散、多分量电磁响应平面分布、多偏移距衰减等特性,然后根据上述特性研究了SOTEM的最佳观测区域.研究结果表明:电性源在地下可以产生水平和垂直两个方向的感应电流.其中,水平感应电流又分为上部水平感应电流和下部水平感应电流(又称作返回电流),水平感应电流的极大值主要集中于发射源附近并垂直向下扩散;垂直感应电流极大值沿与地面呈45°角的方向向下、向外扩散,并且具有较低的振幅和较快的扩散速度.电性源激发的六个方向的电磁场分量都具有一定的探测能力,但是考虑到地面观测的方便性和各分量的传播、分布特点,大多数情况仅利用垂直磁场分量Hz(B/t)和水平电场分量Ex.其中,Hz仅对低阻目标体敏感,且敏感区域位于赤道向区域,并集中在发射源附近;Ex既对低阻体敏感也对高阻体敏感,对低阻体的敏感区域位于赤道向区域,而对高阻体的敏感区域位于轴向区域,并且敏感区域距发射源的距离与目标体埋深和围岩电性有关.     

Executive summary of the Tucson Aggregation Workshop

‘Aggregation’ refers to spatial averaging of some heterogeneous surface variable to obtain an effective value representative of an area. The effect of surface heterogeneity on interactions between land and atmosphere is relevant to near-surface hydrology, ecology, and climate, and is the common theme of the papers in this issue. Even though the full effect of heterogeneity must be neglected owing to limited spatial resolution of large-scale models, it is important to understand when and how the presence of heterogeneity requires recognition in any aggregate representation. In March 1994, a workshop, which has come to be known as the ‘Tucson Aggregation Workshop’, was convened to assess the state of the art in aggregation research, and the papers in this issue are the product of that workshop. The principal findings of the workshop can be summarized as follows:

1. 1. substantial progress has been made in producing aggregated representations of flat terrain. Simple aggregation rules applied to surface properties have given rise, in some studies, to simulated surface energy fluxes that are within 10% of fluxes produced from models with full representation of heterogeneity.

2. 2. Aggregation rules are relatively straightforward in the case of patch-scale heterogeneity (variability on the order of hundreds to thousands of meters) of vegetative characteristics which control surface exchanges, although aggregation of soil hydraulic properties and possibly of soil moisture remains problematic. In addition, some of the effects of meso-scale heterogeneity (variability on the order or 10–100 km) in surface cover will need to be addressed through more complicated types of parameterization.

3. 3. There is convincing evidence that the regional energy balance (over, say, 10⁵ km²) is insensitive to gentle topography, provided that surface vegetation and water availability are uniform, but in mountainous terrain the influence of topography on near-surface meteorology must be considered.

4. 4. It appears that the value of simple combinations of remotely sensed radiances representing areal-average measurements are influenced only slightly by unresolved variability, although the averaging of some derived variables based on these radiances offers a greater challenge, especially with sparse canopies.

     

The crust and upper mantle discontinuity structure beneath Alaska inferred from receiver functions

In this study, three receiver function stacking methods are used to study the detailed crust and upper mantle structure beneath south-central Alaska. We used teleseismic waveform data recorded by 36 stations in the Broadband Experiment Across the Alaska Range (BEAAR) and 4 permanent stations in Alaska. H − κ stacking method using P-to-S converted wave and its multiply reflected waves between the Earth's surface and the Moho discontinuity is adopted to estimate the crustal thickness (H) and average crustal V_P/V_S ratio (κ) in this region. The receiver function results for 24 stations show that the crustal thickness under Alaska ranges from 26.0 to 42.6 km with an average value of 33.8 km, and the V_P/V_S ratio varies from 1.66 to 1.94 with an average value of 1.81 which corresponds to an average Poisson's ratio of 0.277 with a range from 0.216 to 0.320. High Poisson's ratios under some stations are possibly caused by partial melting in the crust and the uppermost mantle. Common converted point (CCP) stacking results of receiver functions along three lines show clear Moho and slab images under this subduction zone. The depths of the slab from our CCP stacking images are consistent with those estimated from the Wadati–Benioff Zone (WBZ). In the area between two stations DH2 (147.8°W, 63.3°N) and DH3 (147.1°W, 63.0°N), a Moho depth offset of about 10 km is found by both the H − κ and CCP stacking techniques. Common depth point (CDP) stacking of receiver functions shows not only the 410-, 520- and 660-km discontinuities, but also significant variations (−30 to 15 km) in the transition zone thickness under the southwest and southeast parts of the study region. The transition zone becomes thinner by 20–30 km, indicating that the temperature there is 150–200 K higher than that of the normal mantle.     

Prediction of siderophile element metal-silicate partition coefficients to 20 GPa and 2800°C: the effects of pressure, temperature, oxygen fugacity, and silicate and metallic melt compositions

We report new metal-silicate partition coefficients for Ni, Co and P at 7.0 GPa (1650–1750°C), and Ni, Co, Mo, W and P at 0.8, 1.0 and 1.5 GPa (1300–1400°C). Guided by thermodynamics, all available metal-silicate partition coefficients, D(i), where i is Ni, Co, P, Mo and W, are regressed against 1/T, P/T, lnf(O₂), ln(1 − X_s) (X_S is mole fraction of S in metallic liquid) and nbo/t (non-bridging oxygen/tetrahedral cation ratio, a silicate melt compositional-structural parameter) to derive equations of the following form: ln D(i) = aln f(O₂) + (b/T) + (cP/T) + d(nbo/t) + eln(1 − X_S) + f. Expressions for solid metal-liquid silicate and liquid metal-liquid silicate partition coefficients are derived for S-free and S-bearing systems.

We investigate whether Earth's upper-mantle siderophile element abundances can be reconciled with simple metal-silicate equilibrium. Sulfur-free metallic compositions do not allow a good fit. However, Ni, Co, Mo, W and P abundances in the upper mantle are consistent with simple metal-silicate equilibrium at mantle pressures and temperatures (27 GPa, 2200 K, ΔIW(iron-wüstite) = −0.15, nbo/t = 2.7; X_S = 0.15). Although these conditions are near the anhydrous peridotite solidus, they are well above the hydrous solidus and probably closer to the liquidus. A hydrous magma ocean and early mantle are consistent with predicted planetary accretion models. These results suggest that siderophile element abundances in Earth's upper mantle were established by liquid metal-liquid silicate equilibrium near the upper-mantle-lower-mantle boundary.     

Response spectra for differential motion of columns paper II: Out-of-plane response

It is shown that the common response spectrum method for synchronous ground motion can be extended to make it applicable for earthquake response analyses of extended structures experiencing differential out-of-plane ground motion. A relative displacement spectrum for design of first-story columns SDC (T, T_T, ζ, ζ_T, τ, δ) is defined. In addition to the natural period of the out-of-plane response, T, and the corresponding fraction of critical damping, ζ, this spectrum also depends on the fundamental period of torsional vibrations, T_T, and the corresponding fraction of critical damping, ζ_T, on the “travel time,” τ (of the waves in the soil over a distance of about one-half the length of the structure), and on a dimensionless factor δ, describing the relative response of the first floor. The new spectrum, SDC, can be estimated by using the empirical scaling equations for relative displacement spectra, SD, and for peak ground velocity, v_max. For recorded strong-motion acceleration, and for symmetric buildings, the new spectrum can be computed from Duhamel's integrals of two uncoupled equations for dynamics equilibrium describing translation and rotation of a two-degree-of-freedom system. This representation is accurate when the energy of the strong-motion is carried by waves in the ground the wavelengths of which are one order of magnitude or more longer than the characteristic length of the structure.     

The microstructure and domain structure of multiphase oxidized titanomagnetites

An estimation of the domain state of 15 natural and synthetic samples containing both homogeneous and multiphase oxidized titanomagnetites was made by means of J_rs/J_s and H_cr/H_c ratios, the Lowrie-Fuller criterion, the thermomagnetic criterion, F criterion and the Preisach diagram. The J_rs/J_s and H_cr/H_c ratios and the Lowrie-Fuller criterion are shown to be not sufficiently informative for a determination of the domain state. In the case where the lamellae thickness became thinner than 0.1 μm, titanomagnetite grains demonstrate multidomain behaviour independent of the size of the interlamellar regions (cells). If the lamellae become thicker than 0.1 μm the domain state depends on the size of the cells. Single-domain behaviour is obtained for a cell size less than 1 × 1 μm; in agreement with the results of others, larger cells have multidomain properties.     

Spatial and temporal variability in the stable isotope systematics of modern precipitation in China: implications for paleoclimate reconstructions

The stable isotopic composition of materials such as glacial ice, tree rings, lake sediments, and speleothems from low-to-mid latitudes contains information about past changes in temperature (T) and precipitation amount (P). However, the transfer functions which link δ¹⁸O_p to changes in T or P, dδ¹⁸O_p/dT and dδ¹⁸O_p/dP, can exhibit significant temporal and spatial variability in these regions. In areas affected by the Southeast Asian monsoon, past variations in δ¹⁸O and δD of precipitation have been attributed to variations in monsoon intensity, storm tracks, and/or variations in temperature. Proper interpretation of past δ¹⁸O_p variations here requires an understanding of these complicated stable isotope systematics. Since temperature and precipitation are positively correlated in China and have opposite effects on δ¹⁸O_p, it is necessary to determine which of these effects is dominant for a specific region in order to perform even qualitative paleoclimate reconstructions. Here, we evaluate the value of the transfer functions in modern precipitation to more accurately interpret the paleorecord. The strength of these transfer functions in China is investigated using multiple regression analysis of data from 10 sites within the Global Network for Isotopes in Precipitation (GNIP). δ¹⁸O_p is modeled as a function of both temperature and precipitation. The magnitude and signs of the transfer functions at any given site are closely related to the degree of summer monsoon influence. δ¹⁸O_p values at sites with intense summer monsoon precipitation are more dependent on the amount of precipitation than on temperature, and therefore exhibit more negative values in the summer. In contrast, δ¹⁸O_p values at sites that are unaffected by summer monsoon precipitation exhibit strong relationships between δ¹⁸O_p and temperature. The sites that are near the northern limit of the summer monsoon exhibit dependence on both temperature and amount of precipitation. Comparison with simple linear models (δ¹⁸O_p as a function of T or P) and a geographic model (δ¹⁸O_p as a function of latitude and altitude) shows that the multiple regression model is more successful at reproducing δ¹⁸O_p values at sites that are strongly influenced by the summer monsoon. The fact that the transfer function values are highly spatially variable and closely related to the degree of summer monsoon influence suggests that these values may also vary temporally. Since the Southeast Asian monsoon intensity is known to exhibit large variations on a number of timescales (annual to glacial–interglacial), and the magnitude and sign of the transfer functions is related to monsoon intensity, we suggest that as monsoon intensity changes, the magnitude and possibly even the sign of the transfer functions may vary. Therefore, quantitative paleoclimate reconstructions based on δ¹⁸O_p variations may not be valid.     

The impact of using area-averaged land surface properties —topography, vegetation condition, soil wetness—in calculations of intermediate scale (approximately 10 km) surface-atmosphere heat and moisture fluxes

It is commonly assumed that biophysically based soil-vegetation-atmosphere transfer (SVAT) models are scale-invariant with respect to the initial boundary conditions of topography, vegetation condition and soil moisture. In practice, SVAT models that have been developed and tested at the local scale (a few meters or a few tens of meters) are applied almost unmodified within general circulation models (GCMs) of the atmosphere, which have grid areas of 50–500 km². This study, which draws much of its substantive material from the papers of Sellers et al. (1992c, J. Geophys. Res., 97(D17): 19033–19060) and Sellers et al. (1995, J. Geophys. Res., 100(D12): 25607–25629), explores the validity of doing this. The work makes use of the FIFE-89 data set which was collected over a 2 km × 15 km grassland area in Kansas. The site was characterized by high variability in soil moisture and vegetation condition during the late growing season of 1989. The area also has moderate topography.

The 2 km × 15 km ‘testbed’ area was divided into 68 × 501 pixels of 30 m × 30 m spatial resolution, each of which could be assigned topographic, vegetation condition and soil moisture parameters from satellite and in situ observations gathered in FIFE-89. One or more of these surface fields was area-averaged in a series of simulation runs to determine the impact of using large-area means of these initial or boundary conditions on the area-integrated (aggregated) surface fluxes. The results of the study can be summarized as follows:

1. 1. analyses and some of the simulations indicated that the relationships describing the effects of moderate topography on the surface radiation budget are near-linear and thus largely scale-invariant. The relationships linking the simple ratio vegetation index (SR), the canopy conductance parameter (_F) and the canopy transpiration flux are also near-linear and similarly scale-invariant to first order. Because of this, it appears that simple area-averaging operations can be applied to these fields with relatively little impact on the calculated surface heat flux.

2. 2. The relationships linking surface and root-zone soil wetness to the soil surface and canopy transpiration rates are non-linear. However, simulation results and observations indicate that soil moisture variability decreases significantly as an area dries out, which partially cancels out the effects of these non-linear functions.In conclusion, it appears that simple averages of topographic slope and vegetation parameters can be used to calculate surface energy and heat fluxes over a wide range of spatial scales, from a few meters up to many kilometers at least for grassland sites and areas with moderate topography. Although the relationships between soil moisture and evapotranspiration are non-linear for intermediate soil wetnesses, the dynamics of soil drying act to progressively reduce soil moisture variability and thus the impacts of these non-linearities on the area-averaged surface fluxes. These findings indicate that we may be able to use mean values of topography, vegetation condition and soil moisture to calculate the surface-atmosphere fluxes of energy, heat and moisture at larger length scales, to within an acceptable accuracy for climate modeling work. However, further tests over areas with different vegetation types, soils and more extreme topography are required to improve our confidence in this approach.

     

陇东黄土高原下垫面不均匀性指标的建立及其对大孔径闪烁仪(LAS)观测感热通量的影响

目前定量研究下垫面不均匀性对大孔径闪烁仪(LAS)、涡动相关仪(ECS)观测感热通量差异的影响还比较少.本文利用黄土高原庆阳观测站2012年6、7月典型晴天两主风向范围E-SE和SW-W的陆面过程数据,在建立了下垫面不均匀性定量化指标的基础上,分析了下垫面不均匀性与地表温度变率的关系及其对LAS、ECS观测感热通量差异的影响.结果表明:庆阳站下垫面不均匀性大小η和地表温度变率г具有很好的相关性,相关系数达到0.566以上,证明了新建立指标的合理性.下垫面不均匀性大小η和LAS、ECS观测的感热通量差异HLAS-HECS具有很好的一致性,相关系数达到0.634.下垫面不均匀性对LAS和ECS的感热通量差异影响显著,下垫面越不均匀LAS和ECS测量的感热通量差异越大.对两主风向分别进行分析,在E-SE风向范围η和HLAS-HECS的相关系数为0.430,HLAS和HEC拟合的线性趋势系数为1.279,在SW-W风向范围η和HLAS-HECS的相关系数为0.680,HLAS和HEC拟合的线性趋势系数为1.297.下垫面不均匀性的影响程度越大,LAS和ECS观测的感热通量差异越大.     

Magnetic domain observations of nucleation processes in natural pyrrhotite and titanomagnetite

Magnetic domain patterns have been observed on particles of natural pyrrhotite and titanomagnetite undergoing hysteresis. These observations indicate that hysteresis properties are governed by two distinct mechanisms: (1) wall-pinning and (2) nucleation of reverse domains. Particles which are dominated by wall-pinning spontaneously nucleate reverse domains in saturation remanence (J_rs). The coercivity of such grains is determined by the presence of potential wells encountered by the wall in its traverse across the grain. However, many pseudosingle-domain particles (PSD) between 5 and 30 μm in diameter do not nucleate reverse domains in J_rs, but remain as saturated single-domains. These particles require a reverse field H_n to nucleate domain walls. When H_n is sufficiently large, the nucleating field controls magnetization reversal by driving the wall across the particle in a single Barkhausen jump, and the muscopic coercivity is nucleation-dominated.

The proportion P (w=0) of particles of a given size d which fail to nucleate walls in J_rs is found to be given by A exp(−Bd^1/2), where A and B are experimentally determined constants. The nucleation field H_n in pyrrhotite is observed to increase with decreasing grain size, exceeding 500 Oe in 5 μm particles.

The difficulty with which reverse domains are nucleated subsequent to saturation may thus provide a mechanism for achieving the high values of J_rs/J_s and coercive force observed in fine, pseudosingle-domain particles.     

Predicting runoff in ungauged catchments by using Xinanjiang model with MODIS leaf area index

Vegetation processes are seldom considered in lumped conceptual rainfall–runoff (RR) models although they have significant impacts on runoff via the control of evapotranspiration. This paper incorporates the remotely-sensed the moderate resolution imaging spectrometer mounted on the polar-orbiting terra satellite-leaf area index (MODIS-LAI) data into Xinanjiang rainfall–runoff model and assesses the model performance on 210 catchments in south-east Australia. The results show that the inclusion of LAI data improves both the model calibration results as well as the daily runoff prediction in ungauged catchments. It is likely that more significant improvements to the model structure to integrate the remotely-sensed vegetation and other data can further reduce the uncertainty in runoff prediction in ungauged catchments.     

Mid-latitude Southern Indian Ocean response to Northern Hemisphere Heinrich events

The lack of temporal resolution and accurate chronology of Southern Ocean marine cores has hampered comparison of glacial millennial-scale oscillations between the Southern Ocean, Antarctic ice and other records from both hemispheres. In this study, glacial climate variability is investigated over the last 50 ka using a multi-proxy approach. A precise chrono-stratigraphy was developed on the high-sedimentation rate core MD94-103 (Indian Southern Ocean, 45°35′S 86°31′E, 3560 m water depth) by geomagnetic synchronization between the later core and NAPIS75, and ¹⁴C dates. High-resolution time-series of δ¹⁸O in planktonic foraminifera Globigerina bulloides and Neogloboquadrina pachyderma, and sea surface temperatures (SSTs) estimated from the alkenone U^K′₃₇ index and foraminifera assemblages have been generated. Temporal evolution of the two temperature proxy records is notably different during the last glacial period. While foraminifera data indicate a consistent cooling towards the last glacial maximum, anomalous warm glacial alkenone temperatures suggest a strong advection of warm “detrital” alkenones by surface waters of the Agulhas current. Superimposed to this general trend, during Heinrich events, foraminiferal SSTs point to warmer surface waters, while concurrent alkenone SSTs exhibit apparent coolings probably caused by enhanced local alkenone production. By analogy to modern observations, possible influence of ENSO-like conditions on the subantarctic Southern Ocean SSTs is discussed.     

Spatial variability and temporal stability of throughfall water under a dominant beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) tree in relationship to canopy cover

Although the spatial heterogeneity of throughfall water (TF) under forest canopies has been related to vegetation structure in several forest types, few reports have been made of the driving factors of small-scale TF variability in deciduous stands. Therefore, the spatial variability of the amount of TF water under one dominant beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) tree was quantified in high temporal and spatial resolution over a 2-year period to examine the temporal stability of spatial TF variability and to relate spatial TF patterns to canopy cover determined photographically above each TF collector (n = 48). The spatial variability of TF was significantly higher during the leafed periods (coefficient of variation (CV) = 18%) than during the leafless periods (CV = 8%), and a strong negative relationship was observed between the CV of event TF and the TF fraction of rainfall in the open field. Geostatistical analysis showed that the cumulative TF water during the leafed periods was spatially correlated up to a distance of 3–4 m. There was a significant temporal stability of spatial TF patterns in the growing periods and in the dormant periods, but patterns differed largely between the two periods of the year. TF water during the growing periods significantly decreased with increasing canopy cover above the sampling locations (r = −0.54, p = 0.014, n = 20), but was more closely correlated with branch cover (r = −0.77, p < 0.001). However, the spatial pattern of TF during defoliated conditions was not related to the measured variation in branch cover.     

Melting of β-quartz up to 2.0 GPa and thermodynamic optimization of the silica liquidus up to 6.0 GPa

Melting relations of β-quartz were experimentally determined at 1.0 GPa (1900±20 °C), 1.5 GPa (2033±20 °C), and 2.0 GPa (2145±20 °C) using a new high-pressure assembly in a piston–cylinder apparatus and substantial differences were found with data previously reported. The new melting data of β-quartz were combined and optimized with all available thermodynamic, volumetric, and phase equilibria data for β-cristobalite, β-quartz and coesite to produce a P–T liquidus diagram for silica valid up to 6.0 GPa. Using the new optimized thermodynamic parameters, the invariant point β-cristobalite+β-quartz+liquid and β-quartz+coesite+liquid were determined to lie at 1687±17 °C and 0.457 GPa, and 2425±25 °C and 5.00 GPa, respectively.     

Mantle thermal structure and active upwelling during continental breakup in the North Atlantic

Seismic reflection and refraction data acquired on four transects spanning the Southeast Greenland rifted margin and Greenland–Iceland Ridge (GIR) provide new constraints on mantle thermal structure and melting processes during continental breakup in the North Atlantic. Maximum igneous crustal thickness varies along the margin from >30 km in the near-hotspot zone (<500 km from the hotspot track) to 18 km in the distal zone (500–1100 km). Magmatic productivity on summed conjugate margins of the North Atlantic decreases through time from 1800±300 to 600±50 km³/km/Ma in the near-hotspot zone and from 700±200 to 300±50 km³/km/Ma in the distal zone. Comparison of our data with the British/Faeroe margins shows that both symmetric and asymmetric conjugate volcanic rifted margins exist. Joint consideration of crustal thickness and mean crustal seismic velocity suggests that along-margin changes in magmatism are principally controlled by variations in active upwelling rather than mantle temperature. The thermal anomaly (ΔT) at breakup was modest (100–125°C), varied little along the margin, and transient. Data along the GIR indicate that the potential temperature anomaly (125±50°C) and upwelling ratio (4 times passive) of the Iceland hotspot have remained roughly constant since 56 Ma. Our results are consistent with a plume–impact model, in which (1) a plume of radius 300 km and ΔT of 125°C impacted the margin around 61 Ma and delivered warm material to distal portions of the margin; (2) at breakup (56 Ma), the lower half of the plume head continued to feed actively upwelling mantle into the proximal portion of the margin; and (3) by 45 Ma, both the remaining plume head and the distal warm layer were exhausted, with excess magmatism thereafter largely confined to a narrow (<200 km radius) zone immediately above the Iceland plume stem. Alternatively, the warm upper mantle layer that fed excess magmatism in the distal portion of the margin may have been a pre-existing thermal anomaly unrelated to the plume.     

Scaling effects on modeled surface energy-balance components using the NOAH-OSU land surface model

As surface exchange processes are highly non-linear and heterogeneous in space and time, it is important to know the appropriate scale for the reasonable prediction of these exchange processes. For example, the explicit representation of surface variability has been vital in predicting mesoscale weather events such as late-afternoon thunderstorms initiated by latent heat exchanges in mid-latitude regions of the continental United States. This study was undertaken to examine the effects of different spatial scales of input data on modeled fluxes, so as to better understand the resolution needed for accurate modeling. A statistical procedure was followed to select two cells from the Southern Great Plains 1997 hydrology experiment region, each 20 km×20 km, representing the most homogeneous and the most heterogeneous surface conditions (based on soil and vegetation) within the study region. The NOAH-OSU (Oregon State University) Land Surface Model (LSM) was employed to estimate surface energy fluxes. Three scales of study (200 m, 2 and 20 km) were considered in order to investigate the impacts of the aggregation of input data, especially soil and vegetation inputs, on the model output. Model results of net radiation and latent, sensible and ground heat fluxes were compared for the three scales. For the heterogeneous area, the model output at the 20-km resolution showed some differences when compared with the 200-m and 2-km resolutions. This was more pronounced in latent heat (12% decrease), sensible heat (22% increase), and ground heat flux (44% increase) estimation than in net radiation. The scaling effects were much less for the relatively homogeneous land area with 5% increase in sensible heat and 4% decrease in ground heat flux estimation. All of the model outputs for the 2- and 20-km resolutions were in close agreement. The results suggested that, for this study region, soils and vegetation input resolution of about 2 km should be chosen for realistic modeling of surface exchange processes. This resolution was sufficient to capture the effects of sub-grid scale heterogeneity, while avoiding the data and computational difficulties associated with higher spatial resolutions.