Extraction of Nd isotopes from bulk deep sea sediments for paleoceanographic studies on Cenozoic time scales

Nd isotopes preserved in fossil fish teeth and ferromanganese crusts have become a common tool for tracking variations in water mass composition and circulation through time. Studies of Nd isotopes extracted from Pleistocene to Holocene bulk sediments using hydroxylamine hydrochloride (HH) solution yield high resolution records of Nd isotopes that can be interpreted in terms of deep water circulation, but concerns about diagenesis and potential contamination of the seawater signal limit application of this technique to geologically young samples.In this study we demonstrate that Nd extracted from the > 63 μm, decarbonated fraction of older Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) sediments using a 0.02 M HH solution produces Nd isotopic ratios that are within error of values from cleaned fossil fish teeth collected from the same samples, indicating that the HH-extractions are robust recorders of deep sea Nd isotopes. This excellent correlation was achieved for 94 paired fish teeth and HH-extraction samples ranging in age from the Miocene to Cretaceous, distributed throughout the north, tropical and south Atlantic, and composed of a range of lithologies including carbonate-rich oozes/chalks and black shales. The strong Nd signal recovered from Cretaceous anoxic black shale sequences is unlikely to be associated with ferromanganese oxide coatings, but may be derived from abundant phosphatic fish teeth and debris or organic matter in these samples.In contrast to the deep water Nd isotopic signal, Sr isotopes from HH-extractions are often offset from seawater values, suggesting that evaluation of Sr isotopes is a conservative test for the integrity of Nd isotopes in the HH fraction. However, rare earth elements (REE) from the HH-extractions and fish teeth produce distinctive middle REE bulge patterns that may prove useful for evaluating whether the Nd isotopic signal represents uncontaminated seawater. Alternatively, a few paired HH-extraction and cleaned fish teeth samples from each site of interest can be used to verify the seawater composition of the HH-extractions. The similarity between isotopic values for the HH-extraction and fish teeth illustrates that the extensive cleaning protocol applied to fish teeth samples is not necessary in typical, carbonate-rich, deep sea sediments.     

Opal-associated particulate phosphorus: Implications for the marine P cycle

Previous attempts to evaluate ocean P mass balance and residence time have utilized sequential extraction techniques to isolate and analyze P associated with Fe and Mn oxides and oxyhydroxides, authigenic minerals, detrital, and organic phases. However, in many oceanographic settings, diatoms are the primary producers, and the traditional sequential extraction protocol does not result in complete dissolution of diatom frustules and may not liberate all of the opal intrinsic P associated with the frustules themselves. By adding an opal dissolution step to the end of the extraction protocol, additional P was liberated from the sediments, suggesting that there is an opal-associated P fraction that likely contributes to total reactive P concentrations. In opal-rich sediments, the opal-associated P fraction averages as much as 50-60% of extractable P, and total reactive P concentrations are often more than double when the opal-associated P fraction is included. The presence of opal-intrinsic P potentially has significant implications for ocean P mass balance and residence time of P in the oceans. For example, P burial has possibly been underestimated in settings dominated by diatoms. Additionally, consideration of a significant sedimentary opal-P component suggests that the residence time of P in the oceans may be even shorter than currently suspected.     

Digital stacking of photographic plates with SuperCOSMOS

Photographic Schmidt plates are among the most effective tools in wide-field astronomy. One of the principal difficulties of photographic plates when compared to modern detectors is lack of image depth. We present a technique for stacking plates digitized using the SuperCOSMOS microdensitometer, aimed at maximizing the signal-to-noise ratio in faint images. The efficacy of several image combination algorithms is tested by stacking plate frames in the presence of spurious images. We find that an 'average sigma clipping' type pixel rejection in conjunction with our weighting scheme is most effective in delivering a clean, high signal-to-noise ratio stack. The gain in limiting magnitude obtained from stacking is found to be consistent with that expected: Δ M ∼1.5 for a stack of 16 good-quality plates.     

Statistical Insights Regarding Fully Softened Shear Strength

The fully softened shear strength (FSS) concept is a practical approximation of the mobilized drained shear strength of first-time slides in stiff-fissured clays. There has been a recent increase in interest in measurement and estimation of FSS secant friction angle (FSS-ϕ′sec) to develop correlations for preliminary design and cost approximation. However, such correlations do not help in understanding the cause and effect relationship between soil properties and FSS-ϕ′sec. In this study, a laboratory database containing FSS-ϕ′sec values (output) and soil properties (inputs) of several overconsolidated clays is used to develop a predictive model for FSS-ϕ′sec (output or response). The goal is to detect which inputs from the whole parameter space dominate the response while creating an accurate prediction tool to provide statistical insights regarding the FSS-ϕ′sec. The proposed methodology is used to assess and quantify the relationships among variables, estimate testing device effects on FSS-ϕ′sec, and analyze the danger of extrapolation due to model constraints. The applicability of the predicted FSS-ϕ′sec is also evaluated and compared. Recommendations regarding the studied prediction tools for slope stability design in stiff-fissured clays are provided.

     

The infrared counterpart of the Z source GX 5–1

We have obtained UK Infrared Telescope infrared observations of the field of the bright Galactic Z source GX 5–1. From an astrometric plate solution tied to Tycho–ACT standards we have obtained accurate positions for the stars in our field which, combined with an accurate radio position, have allowed us to identify the probable infrared counterpart of GX 5–1. Narrow-band photometry marginally suggests excess Br γ emission in the counterpart, supporting its association with an accretion-disc source. No significant variability is observed in a limited number of observations. We compare the H and K magnitudes with those of other Z sources, and briefly discuss possible sources of infrared emission in these systems.     

Spatial and temporal patterns of snow accumulation and aerial ablation across the McMurdo Dry Valleys,Antarctica

Snow in the McMurdo Dry Valleys is a potential source of moisture for subnivian soils in a cold desert ecosystem. In a water‐limited environment, enhanced soil moisture is expected to provide more favourable conditions for subnivian soil communities. In addition, snow cover insulates the underlying soil from air temperature extremes. Quantifying the spatial and temporal patterns of seasonal snow accumulation and ablation is necessary to understand these dynamics. Repeat high‐resolution imagery acquired for the 2009–2010 austral summer was used to map the seasonal distribution of snow across Taylor and Wright valleys, Southern Victorialand, Antarctica. An edge detection algorithm was used to perform an object‐based classification of snow‐covered area. Coupled with topographic parameters obtained from a 30‐m digital elevation model, unique distribution patterns were characterized for five regions within the neighbouring valleys. Time lapses of snow distribution in each region provide insight into spatially variable aerial ablation rates (change in area of landscape covered by snow) across the region. A strong coastal to interior gradient of decreasing snow‐covered area was evident for both Taylor and Wright valleys. The surrounding regions of Lake Fryxell, Lake Hoare, Lake Bonney, Lake Brownworth, and Lake Vanda exhibited losses of snow‐covered area of 9.61 km² (?93%), 1.63 km² (?72%), 1.07 km² (?97%), 2.60 km² (?82%), and 0.25 km² (?96%), respectively, as measured from peak accumulation in October to mid‐January. Differences in aerial ablation rates within and across local regions suggest that both topographic variation and regional microclimates influence the ablation of seasonal snow cover. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

High-resolution spectroscopic observations of post-asymptotic giant branch candidates from the Edinburgh–Cape Survey

High spectral resolution  ( R ∼ 40 000)  and signal-to-noise optical spectra, obtained at the Very Large Telescope (VLT), are presented for three post–asymptotic giant branch (AGB) candidates selected from the Edinburgh–Cape (EC) Faint Blue Object Survey. The stellar atmospheric parameters and chemical compositions, derived using sophisticated non-local thermodynamic equilibrium calculations, reveal that EC 14102-1337 and EC 20068-7324 are both in an evolved post–horizontal branch (HB) evolutionary state. However, EC 11507-2253 is most likely a post-AGB star.