The gawler ranges,South Australia: an unusual volcanic massif

The volcanic residuals of the Gawler Ranges together form an extensive massif that in its gross morphology differs markedly from most exposures of silicic volcanic rocks. The upland developed in two stages, the first involving differential fracture‐controlled subsurface weathering, the second the stripping of the regolith. As a result, an irregular weathering front was exposed, with domical projections prominent. These bornhardts are etch forms, and they are of considerable antiquity.

The differential weathering of the rock mass reflects the exploitation of various fracture systems by shallow groundwaters. Orthogonal fracture systems at various scales, sheet fractures and columnar joints control the morphology of the bornhardts in gross and in detail.

The exploitation of the structural base, which was established in the Middle Protero‐zoic, probably took place throughout the Late Proterozoic and the Palaeozoic, though only minor remnants of the Proterozoic land surface remain. The major landscape features developed during the Mesozoic. The weathering which initiated the bornhardts occurred in the Jurassic or earlier Mesozoic, and the landforms were exposed in Late Cretaceous to Early Tertiary times.

Though structural forms dominate the present landscape, some major and some minor landforms are best explained in terms of climatic changes of the later Cainozoic. The palaeodrainage system, established under humid conditions by the Early Tertiary, was alluviated during the Cainozoic arid phases, and salinas were formed. The sand dunes of the region also reflect this aridity.     

The Petrology, Curie Points and Natural Magnetizations of Basic Lavas

Working out the history of the Earth's magnetic field will require a better understanding than now exists of the ways that rocks in fact obtain and sometimes change their fossil magnetizations. The contribution in this paper consists of finding correlations between the petrology, Curie points, and polarities of natural magnetization of basalt lavas.
The evidence contradicts previous evidence on which was based the hypothesis of exsolution of ülvospinel and magnetite from a titano-magnetite solid solution. It suggests strongly that this exsolution does     

Complex reservoir sedimentation revealed by an unusual combination of sediment records,Kangaroo Creek Reservoir,South Australia

Despite their direct links to human use, reservoirs are not widely utilised, relative to natural lakes, for deriving sediment histories. One explanation is the complex sedimentation patterns observed in water storages. Here a highly unusual combination of sedimentary records is used to determine the sedimentation history of Kangaroo Creek Reservoir, South Australia. We compare contiguous high resolution (0.5 cm sampling interval) diatom records from an almost 1.3 m core extracted from the bottom of the reservoir and from a 0.4 m monolith of sediment perched 15 m above the reservoir bottom on a disused bridge that was submerged following initial reservoir filling in 1970. The diatom histories are supplemented by evidence provided by other indicators, most notably radionuclide concentrations and ratios. Interestingly, despite the fact that the reservoir has been >20 m deep for more than 70% of its recorded history, distinct sections of the reservoir bottom core, but not the bridge monolith, are dominated by non-planktonic diatoms. We attribute the occurrences of these phases to inflows that occur following heavy catchment rains at times when the reservoir is drawn down. These characteristic sections have, in turn, been used to refine the site’s chronology. Despite having a length of almost 1.3 m, a variety of data suggests that the core has not recovered pre-reservoir sediment, but rather spans the period from 1981 (11 years after first filling) to 2001, when the core was extracted. It is clear, therefore, that sediments in the bottom of the reservoir are accumulating rapidly (>7 cm year⁻¹), although more than 40% of this deposition occurs in less than 5% of the time. It appears that in the period 1996–2001, quiescent sedimentation rates, both in the perched bridge locality and on the reservoir bottom, slowed in response to reduced stream flow. Our findings indicate that, with caution, complex patterns of sedimentation in water storages can be disentangled. However, it was difficult to precisely correlate diatom sequences from the two records even in periods of quiescent sedimentation, suggesting that reservoir bottom diatom sequences should be interpreted with considerable caution. Furthermore, while storm-derived inflows such as those identified may deliver a substantial proportion of sediment and phosphorus load to storages, the ensuing deposition patterns may render much of the phosphorus unavailable to the overlying waters.     

Exposure ages and radiogenic ages of ureilite(GRV 024516) and ordinary chondrite(GRV 024517) from Antarctica

The GRV 024516 and GRV 024517 meteorite samples collected from Grove Montains,Antactica are ureilite and H5 ordinary chondrite,respectively.Based on the study of mineralogy-petrology,the cosmic-ray exposure ages and gas retention ages of these two meteorites were determinated and calculated.Their cosmic-ray exposure ages are 33.3 Ma,51.7 Ma,and gas retention ages are 1936.8 Ma and 3720 Ma,respectively.The ureilite contains diamond,graphite and amorphous C,which are mainly carrier of noble gases indicating obviously shock metamorphism effects,which induced 40Ar partial loss.The H5 chondrite indicates thermal metamorphism of parent body,its gas retention age fall the range between 3220 Ma and 4510 Ma of the least shocked H5 chondrites     

Petrology and geochemistry of Yamato 984028: a cumulate lherzolitic shergottite with affinities to Y 000027, Y 000047, and Y 000097

We report the petrography, mineral and whole-rock chemistry (major-, trace-, and highly-siderophile element abundances, and osmium and oxygen isotope compositions) of a newly recognized lherzolitic shergottite, Yamato (Y) 984028. Oxygen isotopes (Δ¹⁷O = 0.218‰) confirm a martian origin for this meteorite. Three texturally distinctive internal zones and a partially devitrified fusion crust occur in the polished section of Y 984028 studied here. The zones include: 1) a poikilitic region with pyroxene enclosing olivine and chromite (Zone A); 2) a non-poikilitic zone with cumulate olivine, interstitial pyroxene, maskelynite and Ti-rich chromite (Zone B) and; 3) a monomict breccia (Zone C). The pyroxene oikocryst in Zone A is chemically zoned from Wo_3–7En_76–71 in the core region to Wo_33–36En_52–49 at the rim, and encloses more Mg-rich olivine (Fo_74–70) in the core, as compared with olivines (Fo_69–68) located at the oikocryst rim. Constraints from Fe–Mg partitioning between crystals and melt indicate that constituent minerals are not in equilibrium with the corresponding bulk-rock composition, implying that Y 984028 represents a cumulate. The whole-rock major- and trace-element compositions, and initial ¹⁸⁷Os/¹⁸⁸Os value (0.1281 ± 0.0002) of Y 984028 are similar to other lherzolitic shergottites and this sample is probably launch-paired with Y 793602, Y 000027, Y 000047, and Y 000097. The Os isotopic composition and highly-siderophile element (HSE) abundances of Y 984028 and other lherzolitic shergottites are consistent with derivation from a martian mantle source that evolved with chondritic Re/Os.     

Further examples of ventifacts and unusual patterned ground from the Falkland Islands, South Atlantic

Abstract Examples of ventifacts and forms of unusual patterned ground that differ in situation, characteristics and/or origin to types reported previously are described from the Falkland Islands, South Atlantic. The ventifacts, represented by clasts projecting from an eroding tillite shore platform, have been grooved by the passage of windblown sand. The patterned ground forms comprise stone polygons on clay loam regolith, stone polygons on peat, peat‐filled desiccation cracks on peat, and clusters of on‐edge clasts (stone packings) on a gravel beach. Aeolian transport of particles is considered responsible for the infill of the polygonal cracks. The clusters of on‐edge clasts are thought to have developed as a result of wave action, in particular backwash and/or undertow. Although these features occupy small surface areas they provide useful information about local geomorphic processes and testify to the marked diversity of such features in nature.     

Petrology and mineralogy of the shock-melted H chondrites Yamato–791088 and LaPaz Ice Field 02240

We studied the petrology and mineralogy of two types of shock-melted H chondrites: Yamato (Y)–791088 and LaPaz Ice Field (LAP) 02240. Y–791088, which consists of numerous coarse-grained relict phases (40%) and euhedral fine-grained minerals solidified from the shock melt (60%), experienced incomplete melting; a quiescent melt is indicated by the existence of abundant relict phases, pseudomorphed chondrules, and two types of glass. LAP 02240, which consists of small amounts of coarse-grained relict phases (～10%) and fine-grained minerals (～90%), experienced near-complete melting; a rapidly cooled mobilized melt is indicated by the homogeneous compositions of glass and opaque veins.The homogeneous compositions of relict olivines indicate that the precursors of both chondrites were equilibrated H chondrites. The melting features of Y–791088 and LAP 02240 are very similar to those of Y–790964 (LL) and the fine-grained lithology of Y–790519 (LL), respectively. These two types of shock-melted ordinary chondrites possibly formed in situ during dike formation. The quiescent melt is thought to have originated from the injection of shock-heated chondrite blocks into mobilized melt. These two types of melting could have occurred during dike formation on the H chondrite parent body. The textures of the two types of shock melts were not simply affected by the degree of shock melting: they were also controlled by the degree of shear stress.     

The 1984 July 19 North Wales earthquake—a lower crustal continental event indicating brittle behaviour at an unusual depth

Summary. Attention has recently been focused on the structure and composition of the lower crust in continental areas. It is generally believed that, except in special circumstances, ductile behaviour below mid-crustal depths precludes the brittle processes that cause earthquakes. The 1984 July 19 earthquake in North Wales occurred at the unexpected depth of 23 km. We report here the location of the larger aftershocks and the relocation of the main shock with respect to one of them. The lower crustal depths of the events are confirmed by tests with a wide range of models. The occurrence of earthquakes at these depths may be related to low heat flow in the region.     

Diatoms from an ice-wedge furrow, Ungava Peninsula, Quebec, Canada

The first recorded information about living fresh water diatoms on an ice-wedge furrow is presented. One sample has been analysed and two species, Cymbella aequatis and Tabellaria flocculosa , formed almost half of the diatom population. Some rather rare species for the Canadian Eastern Arctic were identified: Fragilaria constricta, Eunotia lunaris, Eunotia microcephala, Pinnularia gibba, Anomoeoneis zellensis , and Cymbella aspea . Of the 37 species identified, most are common elsewhere in the Arctic.     

The forced nutations of an elliptical, rotating, elastic and oceanless earth

Summary. We compute the luni-solar forced nutations of an elliptical, rotating, self-gravitating, elastic, hydrostatically prestressed and oceanless earth. Several recent structural models are considered, each possessing a fluid outer core and solid inner core. Complete results are given for the nutation of the 'axis of figure for the Tisserand mean surface' which best represents the observational effects of the Earth's nutational motion. Differences between results for different structural models are observationally insignificant. Differences between our results and Molodensky's are as large as ∼ 0.002 arcsec at six month and at 18.6 yr.     

Biomarker-based paleo-record of environmental change for an eutrophic,tropical freshwater lake,Lake Valencia,Venezuela

The lipids in a sediment core from Lake Valencia, a hypereutrophic freshwater lake in Venezuela, are examined to understand environmental changes over the last ∼13,000 years. From the latest Pleistocene to the earliest Holocene, total organic carbon (TOC) substantially increased from 2.2 to 10%, while total organic carbon over total nitrogen (TOC/TN) decreased from as high as 34 to as low as 10. Correspondingly, the concentration of terrestrially derived triterpenoids markedly decreased, and the dominant n-alkane shifted from C₃₁ to C₂₃ or C₂₅. During the same period, algal biomarkers such as botryococcenes, dinosterol, isoarborinol, C₂₀ HBIs and 1,15C₃₂ keto-ol markedly increased in abundance. These changes suggested a greater contribution of algal organic matter at the onset of the Holocene, which was concurrent with increasing rainfall and the formation of a permanent lake (Lake Valencia) in the Aragua Valley, Venezuela. The age profile of Paq, a n-alkane based proxy, showed large oscillations (0.20–0.81), reflecting historical variations in source strength of submerged/floating vs. terrestrial/emergent OM inputs. An abrupt increase in tetrahymanol abundance at ∼7,260 cal years BP suggests the establishment of an oxic–anoxic boundary in the lake’s water column. After reaching its maximum abundance at ∼2,100 cal year BP, botryococcenes, a biomarker of Botryococcus braunii, gradually decreased to below the detection limit in the uppermost sediments, while different algal/microbial biomarkers such as diploptene, dinosterol and isoarborinol substantially increased. These different historical profiles of algal/microbial biomarkers reflect different responses of source organisms to environmental changes throughout this period. The δ¹³C determinations presented exceptionally enriched values for botryococcene isomers (−7.7 to −15.1‰), indicating the utilization of bicarbonate as carbon sources in an extremely productive ecosystem.     

Body tides on an elliptical, rotating, elastic and oceanless earth

Summary. The Earth's deformation caused by the luni-solar tidal force is defined as the 'body tide'. We compute the effects of the Earth's rotation and elliptical stratification on the body tide for a number of modern elastic structural models. Rotation and ellipticity within the mantle are found to affect tidal observations by about 1 per cent. A consequence is an improved estimate for the fluid core resonance in the diurnal tidal band. Agreement between results for the different structural models is very good. As a result, the results computed here can be used to model the tidal effects of a globally averaged, oceanless, rotating, elliptical and elastic earth to an accuracy of at least one part in 300.     

Geomorphic impact and system recovery following an extreme flood in an upland stream: Thinhope Burn, northern England, UK

Quantitative assessments of the impacts of extreme floods on channel morphology are rare. Real Time Kinematic (RTK) GPS surveys of a 500-m reach of the Thinhope Burn, an upland gravel-bed stream in the UK, taken in 2003 and 2004 permitted an assessment of geomorphic work whilst the channel was at steady-state. A large flood that occurred on 17 July 2007 resulted in a catastrophic impact to the Thinhope Burn valley floor. The reach was re-surveyed after the event in 2007, and again in 2008 and in 2011. Digital elevation models were produced from the survey data, which allowed the spatial patterns of erosion and deposition and volumetric changes between surveys to be established. A total of 5202 m³ of deposition and 2125 m³ of erosion was recorded in the reach following the flood event. Field walking of the catchment and comparison of aerial photographs for 2003 and 2007 suggested that most of the material mobilised had originated from existing sediment held in terraces and paleoberms on the valley floor. Although slope failures were evident, including peat slides in the headwaters, delivery of sediment from coupling zones to the channel was thought to play a secondary role in the geomorphic response shown by the channel. Similarly, large volumes of erosion and deposition were found after resurveys in 2008 and 2011, suggesting that the system was still in its relaxation phase. The results obtained in this investigation coupled with historical information on the flood history of Thinhope Burn dating back to 1766 suggested that rare large floods are the geomorphically effective flows in the catchment.     

The geomorphic character and hydrological function of an upland swamp,Budderoo plateau,southern highlands,NSW, Australia

Upland swamps are a form of topogenous mire that occur on the plateau areas of eastern Australia. These systems are well recognized for their ecological value, but little is known about their internal hydrological function and how this relates to their geomorphic structure and evolution. In this study, the geomorphic, sedimentological, and hydrological properties of an intact upland swamp on the Budderoo Plateau NSW are investigated. The geomorphic structure of the swamp is simple, and the sedimentology comprises basal layers of coarse sands, overlain by several layers of organic accumulation up to 3.3?m in thickness. Each of these sedimentary units has different hydrological behaviors (rates of water throughflow and discharge) that drive the overall function of the swamp in response to rainfall of various magnitudes and duration. Four hydrological response types have been identified in the functioning of this swamp. These response types (RT) are characterized by different peaks and recession responses to rainfall. The form of the hydrograph produced is controlled by antecedent water table position and the amount, timing and duration of rainfall. Depending on antecedent moisture conditions, the swamp can operate either as a store for water or as a rapid conduit for water throughflow and overland flow.     

Nature and Dynamics of an Active Block Stream, Kunlun Pass, Qinghai Province, People's Republic of China

Active block streams are common on the slopes of mountains on the northern, drier portion of the Qinghai-Xizang (Tibetan) Plateau. Between 1990 and 1995, the authors studied a block stream northeast of the crest of the Kunlun Pass at latitude 35°50’N, longitude 94°05’ E. It occurs on a 31° slope facing southwest at 4800 m altitude and consists of a 15 cm layer of blocks moving downslope over a sandy loam of lacustrine origin. The blocks are derived from both frost shattering of exposed bedrock and by ejection of blocks from the till capping the hill. No water flows in the block stream and its surface is level with the surrounding slope. Mean annual air temperature is –6°C and mean annual precipitation is about 320 mm. The few plants growing between the blocks exhibit elongated stems and/or roots, indicating movement of the upper layers of blocks relative to the underlying materials. Average mean annual downslope movement of the surface blocks ranges up to 95 cm but varies both across the block stream and also along its long axis. The blocks are gradually extending further downslope. Comparison of movement of lines painted on stones in summer and winter shows that most of the movement occurs in winter. The stones usually rotate randomly as they move, probably by sliding on ice. There is no obvious sorting or rounding of the blocks during movement downslope. The deposits produced differ from talus/scree sediments as they have a dip of less than the maximum angle of rest of dry sediment (c. 33°) and also show no sorting downslope. The movement of material takes place predominantly in winter, rather than in summer and the deposits occur in areas of negligible snow cover. Ground temperatures suggest exceptionally rapid temperature changes under the blocks, indicating air exchange in the voids. Mean ground temperatures in the loams beneath the blocks are about 7°C colder than in the adjacent soils. Winter snow covers are noticeably absent, and summer precipitation is often in the form of snow, which soon melts. Permafrost is present beneath the block stream but is absent in the sandy loam soils. The ground is also moister beneath the blocks. It appears that the surface blocks tend to slide downslope on the icy surface of the underlying blocks, perhaps aided by water from melting snow. This and the lack of sorting by clast size clearly differentiates them from talus slopes or avalanche deposits.