A model that helps explain Sr-isotope disequilibrium between feldspar phenocrysts and melt in large-volume silicic magma systems

Feldspar phenocrysts of silicic volcanic rocks are commonly in Sr-isotopic disequilibrium with groundmass. In some cases the feldspar is more radiogenic, and in others it is less radiogenic. Several explanations have been published previously, but none of these is able to accommodate both senses of disequilibrium. We present a model by which either more- or less-radiogenic feldspar (or even both within a single eruptive unit) can originate. The model requires a magma body open to interaction with biotite- and feldspar-bearing wall rock. Magma is incrementally contaminated as wall rock melts incongruently. Biotite preferentially melts first, followed by feldspar. Such melting behavior, which is supported by both field and experimental studies, first contaminates magma with a relatively radiogenic addition, followed by a less-radiogenic addition. Feldspar phenocrysts lag behind melt (groundmass of volcanic rock) in incorporating the influx of contaminant, thus resulting in Sr-isotopic disequilibrium between the crystals and melt. The sense of disequilibrium recorded in a volcanic rock depends on when eruption quenches the contamination process. This model is testable by isotopic fingerprinting of individual feldspar crystals. For a given set of geologic boundary conditions, specific core-to-rim Sr-isotopic profiles are expectable. Moreover, phenocrysts that nucleate at different times during the contamination process should record different and predictable parts of the history. Initial results of Sr-isotopic fingerprinting of sanidine phenocrysts from the Taylor Creek Rhyolite are consistent with the model. More tests of the model are desirable.     

Origin of reverse-graded bedding in air-fall pumice, Coso Range, California

The origin of reverse grading in air-fall pyroclastic deposits has been ascribed to: (1) changing conditions at an erupting vent; (2) deposition in water; or (3) rolling of large clasts over smaller clasts on the surface of a steep slope. Structural features in a deposit of air-fall pumice lapilli in the Coso Range, California, indicate that reverse grading there formed by a fourth mechanism during flow of pumice. Reverse-graded beds in this deposit occur where pumice lapilli fell on slopes at or near the angle of repose and formed as parts of the blanket of accumulating pumice became unstable and flowed downslope. The process of size sorting during such flow is probably analogous to that which sorts sand grains in a reverse fashion during avalanching on the slip faces of sand dunes, attributed by Bagnold (1954a) to a grain-dispersive pressure acting on particles subjected to a shear stress. In view of the several ways in which air-fall pyroclastic debris may become reverse graded, caution is advised in interpretation of the origin of this structure both in modern and in ancient deposits.     

Glacier fluctuations in the southern Peruvian Andes during the late‐glacial period,constrained with cosmogenic 3He

The occurrence of pronounced climate reversals during the last glacial termination has long been recognised in palaeoclimate records from both hemispheres and from high to low latitudes. Accurate constraint of both the timing and magnitude of events, such as the Younger Dryas and Antarctic Cold Reversal, is vital in order to test different hypotheses for the causes and propagation of abrupt climate change. However, in contrast to higher‐latitude regions, well‐dated records from the Tropics are rare and the structure of late‐glacial tropical climate remains uncertain. As a step toward addressing this problem, we present an in situ cosmogenic ³He surface exposure chronology from Nevado Coropuna, southern Peru, documenting a significant fluctuation of the ice margin during the late‐glacial period. Ten tightly clustered ages from a pair of moraines located halfway between the modern glacier and the Last Glacial Maximum terminus range from 11.9 to 13.9 ka and give an arithmetic mean age of 12.8 ± 0.7 ka (1σ). These data constitute direct evidence for a readvance, or prolonged stillstand, of glaciers in the arid Andes of southwestern Peru. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Sulfur chemistry in the Venus mesosphere from SO2 and SO microwave spectra

First measurements of SO₂ and SO in the Venus mesosphere (70-100 km) are reported. This altitude range is distinctly above the ∼60-70 km range to which nadir-sounding IR and UV investigations are sensitive. Since July 2004, use of ground-based sub-mm spectroscopy has yielded multiple discoveries. Abundance of each molecule varies strongly on many timescales over the entire sub-Earth Venus hemisphere. Diurnal behavior is evident, with more SO₂, and less SO, at night than during the day. Non-diurnal variability is also present, with measured SO₂ and SO abundances each changing by up to 2× or more between observations conducted on different dates, but at fixed phase, hence identical sub-Earth Venus local times. Change as large and rapid as a 5σ doubling of SO on a one-week timescale is seen. The sum of SO₂ and SO abundances varies by an order of magnitude or more, indicating at least one additional sulfur reservoir must be present, and that it must function as both a sink and source for these molecules. The ratio SO₂/SO varies by nearly two orders of magnitude, with both diurnal and non-diurnal components. In contrast to the strong time dependence of molecular abundances, their altitude distributions are temporally invariant, with far more SO₂ and SO at 85-100 km than at 70-85 km. The observed increase of SO₂ mixing ratio with altitude requires that the primary SO₂ source be upper mesospheric photochemistry, contrary to atmospheric models which assert upward transport as the only source of above-cloud SO₂. Abundance of upper mesospheric aerosol, with assumption that it is composed primarily of sulfuric acid, is at least sufficient to provide the maximum gas phase (SO + SO₂) sulfur reported in this study. Sulfate aerosol is thus a plausible source of upper mesospheric SO₂.     

SPASE 2.0: a standard data model for space physics

SPASE—for Space Physics Archive Search and Extract—is a group with a charter to promote collaboration and sharing of data for the Space Plasma Physics community. A major activity is the definition of the SPASE Data Model which defines the metadata necessary to describe resources in the broader heliophysics data environment. The SPASE Data Model is primarily a controlled vocabulary with hierarchical relationships and with the ability to form associations between described resources. It is the result of many years of effort by an international collaboration (see http://www.spase-group.org) to unify and improve on existing Space and Solar Physics data models. The genesis of the SPASE group can be traced to 1998 when a small group of individuals saw a need for a data model. Today SPASE has a large international participation from many of the major space research organizations. The design of the data model is based on a set of principles derived from evaluation of the existing heliophysics data environment. The development guidelines for the data model are consistent with ISO-2788 (expanded in ANSI/NISO Z39.19) and the administration for the data model is comparable to that described in the ISO standards ISO-11179 and ISO-20943. Since the release of version 1.0 of the data model in 2005, the model has undergone a series of evolutions. SPASE released version 2.0 of its data model in April 2009. This version presents a significant change from the previous release. It includes the capability to describe a wider range of data products and to describe expert annotations which can be associated with a resource. Additional improvements include an enhanced capability to describe resource associations and a more unified approach to describing data products. Version 2.0 of the SPASE Data Model provides a solid foundation for continued integration of worldwide research activities and the open sharing of data.     

Exploring Saturation of Themes and Spatial Locations in Qualitative Public Participation Geographic Information Systems Research

Use of public participation geographic information systems (PPGIS) studies that collect local knowledge in a spatial format is increasing as a tool in natural resources management. Qualitative PPGIS studies have been conducted as individual interviews, as workshops, and in focus groups. As the number of qualitative PPGIS studies increases, so does the need to understand their quality. Saturation, the point when the researcher determines that the collection of additional data will provide minimal new information as it relates to a particular issue, directly reflects on the validity of the study. While the concept of saturation is well established, it is still inconsistently assessed and reported. Furthermore, how saturation applies to qualitatively collected spatial data has not been addressed. A method is presented to assess spatial saturation of qualitative PPGIS data from 19 focus groups that were conducted to investigate important places for recreation, livelihoods, and the environment in the Florida Panhandle.     

Identifying hot spots of security vulnerability associated with climate change in Africa

Given its high dependence on rainfed agriculture and its comparatively low adaptive capacity, Africa is frequently invoked as especially vulnerable to climate change. Within Africa, there is likely to be considerable variation in vulnerability to climate change both between and within countries. This paper seeks to advance the agenda of identifying the hot spots of what we term “climate security” vulnerability, areas where the confluence of vulnerabilities could put large numbers of people at risk of death from climate-related hazards. This article blends the expertise of social scientists and climate scientists. It builds on a model of composite vulnerability that incorporates four “baskets” or processes that are thought to contribute to vulnerability including: (1) physical exposure, (2) population density, (3) household and community resilience, and (4) governance and political violence. Whereas previous iterations of the model relied on historical physical exposure data of natural hazards, this paper uses results from regional model simulations of African climate in the late 20th century and mid-21st century to develop measures of extreme weather events—dry days, heat wave events, and heavy rainfall days—coupled with an indicator of low-lying coastal elevation. For the late 20th century, this mapping process reveals the most vulnerable areas are concentrated in Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Niger, Somalia, Sudan, and South Sudan, with pockets in Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Guinea, Mauritania, and Sierra Leone. The mid 21st century projection shows more extensive vulnerability throughout the Sahel, including Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, northern Nigeria, Niger, and across Sudan.     

Identifying the Real Pollinators? Exotic Honeybees Are the Dominant Flower Visitors and Only Effective Pollinators of Avicennia marina in Australian Temperate Mangroves

The literature suggests that, in the tropics, mangroves are typically pollinated by a range of generalist pollinators, whereas in temperate populations, pollination biology is largely unstudied. We predicted that, for the mangrove Avicennia marina in temperate southeast Australia, pollinator diversity would be low and its pollination system modified by the exotic honeybee Apis mellifera. Multiyear surveys and experiments were used to test these hypotheses by determining the identity and frequency of flower visitors, quantifying pollinator foraging behaviour, determining the species composition of pollen loads, and demonstrating pollen removal and deposition. We identified 38 species that visited flowers, but only A. mellifera was a significant pollinator. It was the only species to carry large amounts of pollen and forage in a manner permitting transfer of pollen to stigmas. Moreover, A. mellifera was the numerically dominant flower visitor and was effective in both pollen removal and deposition. This study demonstrates the importance of distinguishing flower visitors from pollinators and emphasises the surprisingly widespread influence of the exotic A. mellifera. Finally, our study and a worldwide review of the literature on the pollination of mangroves reveal that the pollination biology of other mangrove systems requires similar scrutiny.     

GIS Course Planning: A Comparison of Syllabi at US College and Universities

Despite the enormous growth of college courses dealing with spatial information, curriculum planning involving geographic information science (GIS) courses and programs has received little attention within the GIS literature. As the number and variety of GIS courses expands, so too does the importance of both systematic and inclusive planning and campus‐wide coordination. In this article we explore course planning through an exploration of 312 GIS course syllabi used at US colleges and universities with the goal of characterizing the degree to which learning resources, student evaluation methods, and course topics have become standardized across institution types, academic levels, and disciplines. Our findings reveal a consensus in the use of GIS software across courses but no similar agreement in the use of textbooks. Hands‐on activities were used as evaluation methods in nearly every course in the sample regardless of institution type or academic level. However, quizzes, tests and final exams were used more often in community colleges while papers and projects were used more frequently in four‐year and comprehensive research universities. The frequency of topic categories listed on syllabi was relatively consistent across institutions, academic levels and disciplines with a few topics such as vector analytic operations, data models, and data creation/acquisition/editing included on more than 50% of syllabi.