Numerical comparison of different convergent plate contacts: subduction channel and subduction fault

At convergent plate boundaries, the properties of the actual plate contact are important for the overall dynamics. Convergent plate boundaries both mechanically decouple and link tectonic plates and accommodate large amounts of strain. We investigate two fundamental physical states of the subduction contact: one based on a fault and the other based on a subduction channel. Using a finite element method, we determine the specific signatures of both states of the subduction contact. We pay particular attention to the overriding plate. In a tectonic setting of converging plates, where the subducting plate is freely moving, the subduction channel reduces compression relative to the fault model. In a land-locked basin setting, where the relative motion between the far field of the plates is zero, the subduction channel model produces tensile stress regime in the overriding plate, even though the amount of slab roll-back is small. The fault model shows a stronger development of slab roll-back and a compressive stress regime in the upper plate. Based on a consistent comparison of fault and channel numerical models, we find that the nature of the plate contact is one of the controlling factors in developing or not of backarc extension. We conclude that, the type of plate contact plays a decisive role in controlling the backarc state of stress. To obtain backarc extension, roll-back is required as an underling geodynamic process, but it is not always a sufficient condition.     

Stability of C60 and C70 fullerenes toward corpuscular and γ radiation

The stability of C₆₀ and C₇₀ fullerenes in the interstellar medium deposited on dust surface or embedded in meteorites and comets has been simulated with γ irradiation and with He⁺ ion bombardment. It is shown by vibrational spectroscopy that a γ radiation dose of 2.6 MGy (1 Gy = 1 joule absorbed energy per kilogram) causes partial oligomerization of both C₆₀ and C₇₀ fullerenes. Oligomers are made by fullerene cages chemically connected each other which can yield back free fullerenes by a thermal treatment. The amount of irreversibly polymerized fullerenes caused by 2.6 MGy as deduced as the toluene insoluble fraction has been determined as 1.7 and 15 per cent by weight, respectively, for C₆₀ and C₇₀ fullerene. The radiation dose generated by radionuclides decay and expected to be delivered to fullerenes buried at a depth of more than 20 m in comets and meteorites is about 3 MGy per 10⁹ yr. Since fullerenes are by far resistant to such radiation dose they can survive for at least some billion years inside comets and meteorites and in fact have been detected inside certain carbonaceous chondrites. On the other hand, the direct exposure of fullerenes to cosmic rays for instance when they are adsorbed or deposited on the surface of carbon dust corresponds to the delivery of a radiation dose comprised between 30 and 65 MGy per 10⁹ yr. Experimental bombardment of both C₆₀ and C₇₀ fullerenes for instance with He⁺ ions has shown that the complete amorphization occurs at about 250 MGy. Thus in ∼4 Gyr exposure to cosmic rays it is expected a complete amorphization.     

On the infrared void in the Lupus dark clouds

Strömgren uvbyβ photometry observations obtained for 205 stars in the general direction of a void in the IRAS 100-μm emission from the Lupus dark cloud complex are presented and analysed. The colour excess versus distance diagram confirms the existence of a region depleted from interstellar material, which is also seen in the ROSAT soft X-ray background emission map. The distance to the surrounding material is estimated as being within the interval from 60 to 100 pc. This result is in disagreement with previous distance estimates to the supposed supernova that has been suggested as responsible for clearing the region from dust. As an alternative, the data presented support the suggestion that the void may have been produced by the detachment of material from the interface between Loop I and the Local Bubble as a consequence of hydromagnetic instabilities. Moreover, the distribution of colour excess as a function of distance supports a value of ∼150 pc as the most probable distance to the dark cloud known as Lupus 1.     

Multilayer simulations for accurate geological interpretations of SHARAD radargrams

SHARAD (SHAllow RADar) is a nadir-looking Synthetic Aperture Ground Penetrating Radar on board NASA's 2005 Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. There are three main characteristics that define the performance of this instrument: ground penetration (due to the operational frequency, the observed echoes can be related to reflections from surface or subsurface), spaceborne operation (the first reflection does not necessarily correspond to the nadir reflection), and nadir looking SAR (there will always be left/right ambiguities). All this implies that there will be surface/subsurface range ambiguity and the geological interpretation of the radargrams cannot be straightforward. In order to avoid data misinterpretation, a simulator of SHARAD’s expected response for a given observation geometry and topography is needed. Simulations can take into account all surface/subsurface reflections in order to identify common families of ambiguities and facilitate the interpretation. In this work we present SHARSIM (SHARAD Radargram SIMulator), a software tool designed to simulate SHARAD radargrams taking as inputs Mars surface information and hypothetical subsurface structure. Its performance is analyzed by investigating typical artifacts and by a direct comparison with real radargrams. We show that SHARSIM simulations can help to discern between artifacts and real subsurface features in order to make accurate geological interpretations.     

Characterization of the atmosphere above a site for millimeter wave astronomy

The Sardinia Radio Telescope (SRT) is a challeging scientific project managed by the National Institute for Astrophysics (INAF), it is being developed at 30 km North of the city of Cagliari, Italy. The goal of the SRT project is to build a general purpose, fully steerable, 64 m diameter radio telescope, capable of operating with high efficiency in the centimeter and millimeter frequency range (0.3–100 GHz). In portions of this frequency range, especially towards the high end, astronomical observations can be heavily deteriorated by non-optimal atmospheric conditions, especially by water vapor content. The water molecule permanent electric dipole in fact, leads to pressure broadened rotational transitions around the 22.23 GHz spectral line. Furthermore, water vapor’s continuum absorption and emission may influence higher frequency observations too. To a lower degree, cloud liquid black body radiation can also affect centimeter and millimeter observations. In addition to this, inhomogeneities in water vapor distributions can cause signal phase errors which introduce a great amount of uncertainty to VLBI mode observations. The Astronomical Observatory of Cagliari (OA-CA) has obtained historical timeseries of radiosonde profiles conducted at the airport of Cagliari. Through the radiosonde measurements and an appropriate radiative transfer model, we have performed a statistical analysis of the SRT site’s atmosphere which accounts for atmospheric opacity at different frequencies, integrated water vapor (IWV), integrated liquid water (ILW) and cloud cover distributions during the year. This will help to investigate in which period of the year astronomical observations at different frequencies should be performed preferably. The results show that, at the SRT site, K-band astronomical observations are possible all year round, the median opacity at 22.23 GHz is 0.10 Np in the winter (Dec-Jan-Feb) and 0.16 Np in the summer (Jun-Jul-Aug). Integrated water vapor during winter months ranges, on average, between 7 and 15 mm. Cloud cover is usually not present for more than 36% of the time during the year. The atmospheric opacity study indicates that observations at higher frequencies (50–100 GHz) may be performed usefully: the median opacity at 100 GHz is usually below or equal to 0.2 Np in the period that ranges from January to April.     

A tectono-genetic model for porphyry–skarn–stratabound Cu–Au–Mo–Fe and magnetite–apatite deposits along the Middle–Lower Yangtze River Valley, Eastern China

The Middle–Lower Yangtze River Valley metallogenic belt (YRB), situated along the northern margin of the Yangtze craton, is characterized by porphyry–skarn–stratabound Cu–Au–Mo–Fe deposits in the areas of uplift and magnetite–apatite deposits in Cretaceous fault basins. Following detailed field investigations and a review of published data, we recognize two episodes of magmatism and mineralization in the YRB: 1) 156–137 Ma high-K calc-alkaline granitoids associated with 148–135 Ma porphyry–skarn–stratabound Cu–Au–Mo–Fe deposits and 2) 135–123 Ma shoshonitic series, associated with 134.9–122.9 Ma magnetite–apatite deposits. A-type granitoids and associated alkaline volcanic have a small age range from 126.5 to 124.8 Ma and are temporally, spatially and genetically associated with the second episode. The geodynamic history of the YRB did not experience the Paleozoic to Mesozoic lithospheric thickening that took place in the North China craton. This process is inferred to be linked to partial melting of the delaminated lower crust at high pressures, resulting in the development of C-type adakitic rocks. The petrochemical and Sr/Nd isotopic data show that both the shoshonitic series and A-type granitoids are quite different from adakites, with only some of the K-calc-alkaline granitoids having adakitic signatures. Previous ore genesis models were established based on an assumed relationship with adakites and a continuous tectono-thermal evolution from 150 to 100 Ma.All data obtained for the Middle–Lower Yangtze River region consistently show that the Tan–Lu regional strike-slip fault zone, initiated at 233 ± 6 to 225 ± 6 Ma from the collision between the North China and Yangtze cratons and was reactivated at ca. 160 Ma. The Tan–Lu fault was caused by the oblique subduction of the Izanagi plate, which along the YRB the low-angle subducted slab and the overlying crust was disrupted or broken due to the disharmonious movement of the two blocks. The high-K calc-alkaline granitoids magmas were derived from melting of the subducted slab, with some input of crustal material. These magmas were emplaced at the intersections between NE- and EW-trending faults and formed porphyry–skarn–stratabound Cu–Au–Mo–Fe deposits between 156 and 137 Ma. After 135 Ma the subducted plate changed its direction of motion to northeast, now running parallel to the Eurasian continental margin, and leading to large-scale continental extension. The shoshonitic series and subsequent A-type granitoids magmatism and the development of magnetite–apatite ores in the YRB, took place in both fault basins and NE-trending rifts between 135 and 124 Ma.     

Large roots dominate the contribution of trees to slope stability

Tree roots provide surface erosion protection and improve slope stability through highly complex interactions with the soil due to the nature of root systems. Root reinforcement estimation is usually performed by in situ pullout tests, in which roots are pulled out of the soil to reliably estimate the root strength of compact soils. However, this test is not suitable for the scenario where a soil progressively fails in a series of slump blocks – for example, in unsupported soils near streambanks and road cuts where the soil has no compressive resistance at the base of the hillslope. The scenario where a soil is unsupported on its downslope extent and progressively deforms at a slow strain rate has received little attention, and we are unaware of any study on root reinforcement that estimates the additional strength provided by roots in this situation. We therefore designed two complementary laboratory experiments to compare the force required to pull the root out. The results indicate that the force required to pull out roots is reduced by up to 50% when the soil fails as slump blocks compared to pullout tests. We also found that, for slump block failure, roots had a higher tendency to slip than to break, showing the importance of active earth pressure on root reinforcement behaviour, which contributes to reduced friction between soil and roots. These results were then scaled up to a full tree and tree stand using the root bundle and field-measured spatial distributions of root density. Although effects on the force mobilized in small roots can be relevant, small roots have virtually no effect on root reinforcement at the tree or stand scale on hillslopes. When root distribution has a wide range of diameters, the root reinforcement results are controlled by large roots, which hold much more force than small roots. © 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Partial melting of ultrahigh-pressure metamorphic rocks at convergent continental margins: Evidences,melt compositions and physical effects

Ultrahigh-pressure(UHP) metamorphic rocks are distinctive products of crustal deep subduction,and are mainly exposed in continental subduction-collision terranes. UHP slices of continental crust are usually involved in multistage exhumation and partial melting, which has obvious influence on the rheological features of the rocks, and thus significantly affect the dynamic behavior of subducted slices. Moreover,partial melting of UHP rocks have significant influence on element mobility and related isotope behavior within continental subduction zones, which is in turn crucial to chemical differentiation of the continental crust and to crust-mantle interaction.Partial melting can occur before, during or after the peak metamorphism of UHP rocks. Post-peak decompression melting has been better constrained by remelting experiments; however, because of multiple stages of decompression, retrogression and deformation, evidence of former melts in UHP rocks is often erased. Field evidence is among the most reliable criteria to infer partial melting. Glass and nanogranitoid inclusions are generally considered conclusive petrographic evidence. The residual assemblages after melt extraction are also significant to indicate partial melting in some cases. Besides field and petrographic evidence, bulk-rock and zircon trace-element geochemical features are also effective tools for recognizing partial melting of UHP rocks. Phase equilibrium modeling is an important petrological tool that is becoming more and more popular in P-T estimation of the evolution of metamorphic rocks; by taking into account the activity model of silicate melt, it can predict when partial melting occurred if the P-T path of a given rock is provided.UHP silicate melt is commonly leucogranitic and peraluminous in composition with high SiO_2,low MgO, FeO, MnO, TiO_2 and CaO, and variable K_2 O and Na_2 O contents. Mineralogy of nanogranites found in UHP rocks mainly consists of plagioclase + K-feldspar + quartz, plagioclase being commonly albite-rich.Trace element pattern of the melt is characterized by significant enrichment of large ion lithophile elements(LILE), depletion of heavy rare earth elements(HREE) and high field strength elements(HFSE),indicating garnet and rutile stability in the residual assemblage. In eclogites, significant Mg-isotope fractionation occurs between garnet and phengite; therefore, Mg isotopes may become an effective indicator for partial melting of eclogites.     

On depth and temperature biases in bathythermograph data: Development of a new correction scheme based on analysis of a global ocean database

The World Ocean Database 2005 as of May 2009 is used to estimate temperature and sample depth biases of expendable (XBT) and mechanical (MBT) bathythermographs by comparing bathythermograph temperature profiles with more accurate bottle and conductivity/temperature/depth (CTD) data. It is shown that the application of depth corrections estimated earlier from side-by-side XBT/CTD inter-comparisons, without accounting for a pure thermal bias, leads to even larger disagreement with the CTD and bottle reference temperatures. Our calculations give evidence for a depth-variable XBT fall-rate correction with the manufacturer-derived depth being underestimated in the upper 200 m and overestimated below this depth. These results are in agreement with side-by-side inter-comparisons and direct fall-rate estimates. Correcting XBT sample depths by a multiplicative factor which is constant with depth does not allow an effective elimination of the total temperature bias throughout the whole water column. The analysis further suggests a dependence of the fall rate on the water temperature which was reported earlier in the literature. Comparison among different correction schemes implies a significant impact of systematic biases on the estimates of the global ocean heat content anomaly.