The abundance of barium in stony meteorites

The concentration of Ba in 7 carbonaceous chondrites, 18 ordinary chondrites, 3 achondrites and 1 stony-iron meteorite has been determined by the stable isotope dilution technique using solid source mass spectrometry. Analysis of the C1 chondrite Orgueil indicates a small adjustment of the “cosmic” abundance of Ba to 4.2 on the Si=10⁶ abundance scale. The present work provides a more complete coverage of a number of meteorite classes than has so far been available for the abundance of Ba in stony meteorites.     

STUDY ON PALEOEARTHQUAKES ALONG THE JINGHE SECTION OF BOLOKENU-AQIKEKUDUKE FAULT

The Bolokenu-Aqikekuduk fault zone(B-A Fault)is a 1 000km long right-lateral strike-slip active fault in the Tianshan Mountains. Its late Quaternary activity characteristics are helpful to understand the role of active strike-slip faults in regional compressional strain distribution and orogenic processes in the continental compression environment, as well as seismic hazard assessment. In this paper, research on the paleoearthquakes is carried out by remote sensing image interpretation, field investigation, trench excavation and Quaternary dating in the Jinghe section of B-A Fault. In this paper, two trenches were excavated on in the pluvial fans of Fan2b in the bulge and Fan3a in the fault scarp. The markers such as different strata, cracks and colluvial wedges in the trenches are identified and the age of sedimentation is determined by means of OSL dating for different strata. Four most recent paleoearthquakes on the B-A Fault are revealed in trench TC1 and three most recent paleoearthquakes are revealed in trench TC2. Only the latest event was constrained by the OSL age among the three events revealed in the trench TC2. Therefore, when establishing the recurrence of the paleoearthquakes, we mainly rely on the paleoearthquake events in trench TC1, which are labeled E1-E4 from oldest to youngest, and their dates are constrained to the following time ranges: E1(19.4±2.5)~(19.0±2.5)ka BP, E2(18.6±1.4)~(17.3±1.4)ka BP, E3(12.2±1.2)~(6.6±0.8)ka BP, and E4 6.9~6.2ka BP, respectively. The earthquake recurrence intervals are(1.2±0.5)ka, (8.7±3.0)ka and(2.8±3)ka, respectively. According to the sedimentation rate of the stratum, it can be judged that there is a sedimentary discontinuity between the paleoearthquakes E2 and E3, and the paleoearthquake events between E2 and E3 may not be recorded by the stratum. Ignoring the sedimentary discontinuous strata and the earthquakes occurring during the sedimentary discontinuity, the earthquake recurrence interval of the Jinghe section of B-A Fault is ~1~3ka. This is consistent with the earthquake recurrence interval(~2ka)calculated from the slip rate and the minimum displacement. The elapsed time of the latest paleoearthquake recorded in the trench is ~6.9~6.2ka BP. The magnitude of the latest event defined by the single event displacement on the fault is ~M_W7.4, and a longer earthquake elapsed time indicates the higher seismic risk of the B-A Fault.     

Clinopyroxenes and amphiboles in a metadolerite from the northern apennines. Implications on the palaeogeographic role of ophiolites

Summary A metadolerite of the ophiolites of the Northern Apennines (Vignola, Panaro Valley, near Modena, Italy) behaves as ocean-floor tholeiites when Ti, P, Zr, Cr, Y and Nb are considered. However, it deviates from typical oceanic tholeiites in that(1) it contains primary alkali amphiboles, (2) its clinopyroxenes plot in the diagram TiO₂–MnO–Na₂O not in the fields of the ocean-floor basalts, and (3) the calculated uranium content of the liquid in equilibrium with its magmatic minerals is similar to the one reported for alkali basalts.These results put constraints on the generalized significance attributed to the ophiolites of the Northern Apennines, i. e. not all of them were generated at spreading ridges similar to the normal ridge segments of the present-day ocean-floors, as has been generally accepted by now.The metamorphic parageneses indicate that the rock underwent low-pressure transformations, probably in oceanic environment, followed by recrystallizations at higher pressure, reasonably in concomitance with an orogenesis.

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Klinopyroxene und Amphibole in einem Metadolerit aus dem Nördlichen Apennin. Folgerungen für die paläogeographische Stellung der Ophiolithe

Zusammenfassung Ein Metadolerit aus den Ophiolithen des Nördlichen Apennins (Vignola im Panaro-Tal bei Modena, Italien) entspricht in den Gehalten an Ti, P, Zr, Cr, Y und Nb den Tholeiiten der Ozeanböden. Er weicht hingegen von typischen ozeanischen Tholeiiten dadurch ab, daß er 1. primäre Alkaliamphibole enthält, daß 2. seine Klinopyroxene im Diagramm TiO₂–MnO–Na₂O nicht in die Felder der Tholeiite der Ozeanböden fallen und daß 3, der berechnete U-Gehalt für die mit seinen magmatischen Mineralen im Gleichgewicht stehenden liquiden Phase ähnlich jener ist, die für Alkalibasalte angegeben wird.Diese Ergebnisse schränken die generelle Bedeutung, die den Ophiolithen des Nördlichen Apennins bisher allgemein zugeschrieben wurde, ein: Nicht alle entstanden an sich ausdehnenden Rücken ähnlich jenen der heutigen Ozeanböden.Die metamorphen Parageneses zeigen, daß das Gestein bei niedrigem Druck, wahrscheinlich in ozeanischer Umgebung, Umwandlungen erlitt; dann folgten Rekristallisationen unter höherem Druck, die wohl zeitlich mit einer Orogenese zusammenfielen.

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With 4 Figures     

A note on the approximate determination of the dispersion of Love waves in a laterally nonhomogeneous layer lying over a homogeneous half-space

Rayleigh's principle and the concept of the local wave number have been utilised for the approximate determination of the dispersion of Love waves propagating in a laterally heterogeneous layer lying over a homogeneous half-space. The shear wave velocity and the rigidity in the surface layer have been assumed to decrease with the increase of the lateral distance from the origin. The range of validity of the dispersion equation obtained by this method has been examined critically. It was found that: (a) for existence of Love waves the minimum value of shear wave velocity in the layer must be less than that in the matter below, and (b) the phase velocity of Love waves decreases with the increase of the lateral distance from the origin.     

Faecal pollution of Belgian coastal water

In 1978 faecal pollution of Belgian coastal waters was investigated. The degree of pollution is maximal on the coastline and decreases quickly offshore. At 5 km from the coastline, pollution indicators are still detectable. No significant difference was seen between the values of surface and deep-sea samples.     

A Study of Ozone Laminae Using Diabatic Trajectories, Contour Advection and Photochemical Trajectory Model Simulations.

In this paper, we show that the rate of ozone loss in both polar and mid-latitudes, derived from ozonesonde and satellite data, has almost the same vertical distribution (although opposite sense) to that of ozone laminae abundance. Ozone laminae appear in the lower stratosphere soon after the polar vortex is established in autumn, increase in number throughout the winter and reach a maximum abundance in late winter or spring. We indicate a possible coupling between mid-winter, sudden stratospheric warmings (when the vortex is weakened or disrupted) and the abundance of ozone laminae using a 23-year record of ozonesonde data from the World Ozone Data Center in Canada combined with monthly-mean January polar temperatures at 30 hPa.Results are presented from an experiment conducted during the winter of 1994/95, in phase II of the Second European Stratospheric And Mid-latitude Experiment (SESAME), in which 93 ozone-enhanced laminae of polar origin observed by ozonesondes at different time and locations are linked by diabatic trajectories, enabling them to be probed twice or more. It is shown that, in general, ozone concentrations inside laminae fall progressively with time, mixing irreversibly with mid-latitude air on time-scales of a few weeks. A particular set of laminae which advected across Europe during mid February 1995 are examined in detail. These laminae were observed almost simultaneously at seven ozonesonde stations, providing information on their spatial scales. The development of these laminae has been modelled using the Contour Advection algorithm of Norton (1994), adding support to the concept that many laminae are extrusions of vortex air. Finally, a photochemical trajectory model is used to show that, if the air in the laminae is chemically activated, it will impact on mid-latitude ozone concentrations. An estimate is made of the potential number of ozone molecules lost each winter via this mechanism.     

Analysis of Astex-Stratocumulus Observational Data Using a Mass-Flux Approach

A mass-flux approach is applied to observational data obtained in a convective boundary layer topped with stratocumulus clouds. The observational data were obtained from aircraft measurements during the Atlantic Stratocumulus Transition Experiment (ASTEX). A conditional sampling method is used to calculate average updraft and downdraft values. The vertical fluxes calculated with the mass-flux approach are found to be proportional to the real (measured) fluxes, with a proportionality factor being about 0.6. This value is predicted by theory for two variables having a joint Gaussian distribution function; proportionality factor = 2^-1 0.637. The horizontal fractional entrainment and detrainment rates calculated from the data ( 1–2 × 10^-2 m^-1) are an order of magnitude higher than the rates obtained by large eddy simulations for cumulus convection ( 2–3 × 10^-3 m^-1) and two orders of magnitude higher than those used in modelling cumulus convection with a mass-flux scheme in an operational weather forecast model ( 3 × 10^-4 m^-1). A numerical mass-flux model for the thermodynamics was developed and showed that results are in good agreement when compared with measured profiles of the liquid water content.     

Formation of metamorphic biotite by decarbonation

Microcline is not necessarily the source of the K content of metamorphic biotite. The biotite may be formed by decalcitization; the released Ca reacts with Al, derived from sericite and chlorite, to form some calc-alumino-silicate such as plagioclase or epidote. It may also result from the reaction of sericite with the Fe---Mg released by dedolomitization. The biotitic character of meta-calco-pelites from the Belgian Ardenne, increasing with their anorthite content, illustrates this mode of biotite formation.