Sources of Sediment in Lake Pepin on the Upper Mississippi River in Response to Holocene Climatic Changes

Sediments from Lake Pepin on the Mississippi River, southeastern Minnesota, are used as provenance tracers to assess variations in hydrology and sediment-transport during the middle Holocene. Three rivers contribute sediment to Lake Pepin, and each catchment is characterized by a distinctly different geologic terrain. The geochemical fingerprint for each drainage basin was determined from the elemental composition of heavy minerals in the silt-sized fraction of modern sediment samples. Down-core elemental abundances were compared with these fingerprints by use of a chemical-mass-balance model that apportions sediment to the source areas. We observed a decreased contribution from the Minnesota River during the interval ~6700–5500 ¹⁴C yr BP, which we attribute to decreased discharge of the Minnesota River, likely controlled by a combination of precipitation, snow melt, and groundwater input to the river. This hydrologic condition coincides with the mid-Holocene prairie period recorded by fossil pollen data. The occurrence of this feature in a proxy record for hydrologic variations supports the hypothesis that the mid-Holocene prairie period reflects drier conditions than before or after in midwestern North America.     

A map series of the Southern East Pacific Rise and its flanks, 15° S to 19° S

Four large-scale bathymetric maps of the Southern East Pacific Rise and its flanks between 15° S and 19° S display many of the unique features of this superfast spreading environment including abundant seamounts (the Rano Rahi Field), axial discontinuities, discontinuity migration, and abyssal hill variation. Along with a summary of the regional geology, these maps will provide a valuable reference for other sea-going programs on-and off-axis in this area, including the Mantle ELectromagnetic and Tomography (MELT) experiment.     

The formation of weathering products on the LEW 85320 ordinary chondrite: Evidence from carbon and oxygen stable isotope compositions and implications for carbonates in SNC meteorites

Abstract— Isotopic analysis of nesquehonite recovered from the surface of the LEW 85320 H5 ordinary chondrite shows that the δ¹³C and δ¹⁸O values of the two generations of bicarbonate (Antarctic and Texas) are different: δ¹³C = +7.9‰ and +4.2‰; δ¹⁸O = +17.9‰ and + 12.1‰ respectively. Carbon isotopic compositions are consistent with equilibrium formation from atmospheric carbon dioxide at ?2 ± 4 °C (Antarctic) and +16 ± 4 °C (Texas). Oxygen isotopic data imply that the water required for nesquehonite precipitation was derived from atmospheric water vapour or glacial meltwater which had locally exchanged with silicates, either in the meteorite or in underlying bedrock. Although carbonates with similar δ¹³C values have been identified in the SNC meteorites EETA 79001 and Nakhla, petrographic and temperature constraints argue against their simply being terrestrial weathering products.     

Mid-infrared polarisation and inferred magnetic field direction toward YSOs with outflow

The position angle of mid-infrared polarisation can be directly related to the magnetic field direction projected onto the plane of the sky. Such observations, from both ground and space-based platforms, have been used to investigate the relation between the magnetic field and other “symmetry axes” associated with embedded young stars, such as the interstellar magnetic field, bipolar outflow and disk/toroid axes. Interpretation of the results in terms of hydromagnetic driving mechanisms of bipolar outflow is discussed.     

Rock physics analysis for time-lapse seismic at Schiehallion Field, North Sea

Rock physics analysis plays a vital role in time‐lapse seismic interpretation because it provides the link between changes in rock and fluid properties and the resulting seismic data response. In this case study of the Schiehallion Field, we discuss a number of issues that commonly arise in rock physics analyses for time‐lapse studies. We show that:

• 1 Logarithmic fits of dry bulk (K_dry) and shear (G_dry) moduli vs. effective pressure (P_eff) are superior to polynomial fits.
• 2 2D surface fits of K_dry and G_dry over porosity (φ) and effective pressure using all the core data simultaneously are more useful and accurate than separate 1D fits over φ and P_eff for each individual core.
• 3 One average set (facies) of K_dry(φ, P_eff) and G_dry(φ, P_eff) can be chosen to represent adequately the entire Schiehallion reservoir.
• 4 Saturated velocities and densities modelled by fluid substitution of K_dry(φ, P_eff), G_dry(φ, P_eff) and the dry bulk density ρ_dry(φ) compare favourably with well‐log velocities and densities.
• 5 P‐ and S‐wave impedance values resulting from fluid substitution of K_dry(φ, P_eff), G_dry(φ, P_eff) and ρ_dry(φ) show that the largest impedance changes occur for high porosities and low effective pressures.
• 6 Uncertainties in K_dry(φ, P_eff) and G_dry(φ, P_eff) derived for individual cores can be used to generate error surfaces for these moduli that represent bounds for quantifying uncertainties in seismic modelling or pressure–saturation inversion.

     

Optical properties of solid and liquid sulfur at visible and infrared wavelengths

Knowledge of the optical constants of elemental sulfur has potential applications to Venus, Jupiter, Io, Amalthea, and the Earth. The real part, n, of the index of refraction of liquid sulfur (at 133°C) and of solid orthorhombic sulfur (at 25°C) for the wavelength range 0.4–2.0 μm were measured ellipsometrically. The imaginary part, k, of the refractive index of liquid sulfur was obtained by transmittance measurements at the same temperature and wavelength range. The reflectance of semi-infinite slabs of solid and liquid sulfur is calculated using the measured n and k values. We confirm that sulfur melts on Io would be classified as “black” by the Voyager imaging system.     

Pyroclastic geology of the rhyolitic volcano of La Primavera,Mexico

Explosive eruptions of this large Quaternary rhyolitic volcano have produced voluminous pumice fall deposits and ignimbrites. A stratigraphie study reveals more than 30 fall deposits, totalling more than 90 km³, which have come from many different vents. Some are of plinian type, and one is among the largest known in the world. The main ignimbrite (Rio Caliente) is of intra-plinian type. In all, 140 km³ of rhyolitic material were erupted during the past 10⁵ years, of which 50 km⁵ are dispersed well outside the volcano. The dense rock equivalent volume is 60 km³, of which fall deposits, ignimbrites and lava bodies comprise 45 %, 25 % and 30 % respectively. The average output rate of 0.06 km³ per century is nearly an order of magnitude less than for the most productive rhyolitic volcanoes known. A circular area 10 km across in the centre of La Primavera contains updomed lacustrine ashes and associated sediments, including a remarkable giant pumice bed, which probably accumulated in a caldera lake. La Primavera has no record of historical eruptions, and hot springs are the only signs of present activity, but the updoming is thought to be due to the uprise of a new acid pluton beneath the volcano and future eruptions are probable.

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Zusammenfassung Explosionsartige Eruptionen des gro\en quartÄren Rhyolith-Vulkans La Primavera haben mÄchtige Bimstuffe und Ignimbrite aufgehÄuft. Eine stratigraphische Untersuchung hat über 30 Aschelagen erkennen lassen, die aus verschiedenen Schloten stammen und insgesamt mehr als 90 km³ an Volumen ausmachen. Einige davon gehören zum plimanischen Typ, von denen eine sogar die grö\te bisher bekannte Lage der Erde ist. Der Haupt-Ignimbrit (Rio Caliente) gehört zum intraplimanischen Typ. Insgesamt wurden in den letzten 100 000 Jahren 140 km³ rhyolithisches Material ausgeworfen, von denen 50 km³ deutlich au\erhalb des eigentlichen Vulkans liegen. Das Äquivalentvolumen des dichten Gesteins betrÄgt 60 km³, von dem 45 % auf Tuffe, 25 % auf Ignimbrite und 30 % auf Lavakörper entfallen. Die durchschnittliche Auswurfrate von 0,06 km³ pro Jahrhundert liegt fast eine Grö\enordnung unter den meisten bekannten aktiven Rhyolith-Vulkanen. Ein kreisrundes Gebiet von 10 km Durchmesser im Zentrum des La Primavera zeigt aufgewölbte lakustrine Aschen und damit assoziierte Sedimente, darunter eine bemerkenswerte riesige Bimslage, die wahrscheinlich in einem Caldera-See abgelagert wurde. Der Vulkan La Primavera ist in historischer Zeit nicht ausgebrochen und hei\e Quellen sind die einzigen Anzeichen heutiger AktivitÄt, aber die Aufwölbung wird als Hinweis auf das Hochdringen eines neuen sauren Plutons unter dem Vulkan angesehen, so da\ zukünftige Eruptionen wahrscheinlich sind.

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Résumé Des éruptions explosives de ce grand volcan rhyolitique quaternaire ont produit de volumineux dépÔts de ponces et d'ignimbrites. Une étude stratigraphique fait apparaÎtre plus de 30 dépÔts totalisant plus de 90 km³ provenant de nombreuses bouches volcaniques différentes. Certaines sont du type plinien, dont l'une est parmi les plus grandes connues au monde. L'ignimbrite principale (Rio Caliente) est du type intraplinien. En tout 140 km³ de matériaux rhyolitiques ont été rejetés au cours des 10⁵ dernières années, dont 50 km³ ont été dispersés bien au delà du volcan. Le volume de roche compact équivalent est de 60 km³, parmi lequel les tuffs, les ignimbrites et les laves occupent respectivement 45%, 25% et 30%. L'émission moyenne, de 0,06 km³ par siècle, est d'un ordre de grandeur moindre que pour la plupart des volcans rhyolitiques les plus productifs actuellement connus. Une région circulaire de 10 km de diamètre dans le centre de La Primavera contient des domes de cendres lacustres et autres sédiments associés, et parmi eux une couche géante de ponce remarquable, qui s'est probablement accumulée dans un lac-caldère. On ne connaÎt pas d'éruptions historiques de la Primavera, et seules des sources chaudes témoignent d'une activité actuelle; toutefois on pense que l'allure en dome est due à la poussée d'un nouveau pluton acide sous le volcan, et que des éruptions sont probables dans le futur.

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