The new gravitational lens system B1030 + 074

We report the discovery of a new double-image gravitational lens system, B1030 + 074, which was found during the Jodrell Bank–VLA Astrometric Survey (JVAS). We have collected extensive radio data on the system using the VLA, MERLIN, the EVN and the VLBA, and optical observations using WFPC2 on the HST . The lensed images are separated by 1.56 arcsec and their flux density ratio at centimetric wavelengths is approximately 14:1, although the ratio is slightly frequency-dependent and the images appear to be time-variable. The HST pictures show both the lensed images and the lensing galaxy close to the weaker image. The lensing galaxy has substructure which could be a spiral arm or an interacting galaxy. We have modelled B1030 + 074 using a singular isothermal ellipsoid which yields a time delay of 156/ h ₅₀ d. This lens is likely to be suitable for the measurement of the Hubble constant.     

(Re)theorising population geography

"Population geography has become separated from other branches of human geography by not engaging strongly with recent debates in social theory. The reasons for this partly lie in the wealth of data that population geographers have available to them concerning their major interest--demographic events....A case is made here for population geographers to consider in particular three areas of social theoretic debate--social construction theories, realist ideas on extensive and intensive research, and the politics of position. Suggestions are made as to what a (re)theorised population geography might look like."     

The migration, dissolution, and fate of chlorinated solvents in the urbanized alluvial valleys of the southwestern USA

 The migration, dissolution, and subsequent fate of spilled chlorinated solvents in the urban alluvial valleys of the southwestern U.S. appear to be governed by a unique set of hydrogeologic and geochemical processes occurring within terrigeneous clastic depositional systems. The alluvial and lacustrine fill of the basins, the trapping of solvents in fine-grained sediments beneath the urbanized valley centers, the oxic conditions typical of the deeper alluvium, and the contaminant-transport patterns produced by large-scale basin pumping combine to produce long aqueous-phase plumes derived from the dissolution of trapped chlorinated solvents. Although of limited aqueous solubility, these dense solvents are sufficiently mobile and soluble in the southwestern alluvial valleys to have produced aqueous plumes that have migrated several kilometers through the deeper alluvium and have contaminated valuable water-supply well fields in California, Arizona, and New Mexico. The typical length of these plumes and the presence of oxic groundwater indicate that it is unlikely that natural attenuation will be a practical remedial option in the southwestern alluvial valleys or in other alluvial systems in which similar hydrogeologic and geochemical conditions exist. Received, December 1996 · Revised, October 1997 · Accepted, November 1997     

Secular variations in kerogen structure and carbon,nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations in pre-Phanerozoic and Phanerozoic sedimentary rocks

Variations in the chemical composition of sedimentary rocks and the nature of kerogen through geologic time were investigated in order to obtain information on biological and environmental evolution during the pre-Phanerozoic eon. Rock samples differing in lithology, depositional environment, and age were pulverized, pre-extracted with organic solvents, and analyzed for total nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and organic carbon (org. C or C_T). Variations in the molecular structure of kerogen were measured by determining the ratio of org. C content after pyrolysis (C_R) to org. C content before pyrolysis (C_T), the $\text{C}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>R</mtext>}}\text{C}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>T</mtext>}}$ ratio being considered an index of the degree of condensed-aromatic (as opposed to aliphatic) character. The rocks included mudstones (Early Archean (> 3 · 10⁹ years old) to Miocene), carbonate rocks (mid-Proterozoic (1.3 · 10⁹ years old) to Eocene), cherts (Early Archean (> 3 · 10⁹ years old) to Late Proterozoic (0.8 · 10⁹ years old)), and coal (Archean (> 2.7 · 10⁹ years old) to Early Proterozoic (～1.8 · 10⁹ years old)).The mudstones and carbonates showed progressive increase in org. C content with decreasing age, as reported by other investigators, but the cherts unexpectedly showed a decrease in org. C content with decreasing age. In all samples, a simple inverse correlation between $\text{C}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>R</mtext>}}\text{C}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>T</mtext>}}$ ratio and org. C was observed, each rock type forming its own trend separate from but parallel to those of the other rock types. Thus, the older cherts tend to be richer in org. C and have lower $\text{C}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>R</mtext>}}\text{C}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>T</mtext>}}$ ratios, but the older carbonates and mudstones are poorer in org. C and have higher $\text{C}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>R</mtext>}}\text{C}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>T</mtext>}}$ ratios. For a given org. C concentration, chert has the highest $\text{C}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>R</mtext>}}\text{C}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>T</mtext>}}$ ratio and carbonate rock the lowest, mudstone being intermediate; this may mean that chert is relatively ineffective as a catalyst for the thermal cracking of kerogen or that it inhibits cracking. N appears to be correlated with org. C. The relationship between $\text{C}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>R</mtext>}}\text{C}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>T</mtext>}}$ ratio and org. C or N suggests that the concentrations of org. C and N in sedimentary rocks are largely determined by selective elimination of labile aliphatic and nitrogenous groups of kerogen during post-depositional maturation, although the nature, abundance and depositional environment of the organic source material must be taken into consideration as well. The observed secular variations of org. C, N and $\text{C}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>R</mtext>}}\text{C}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>T</mtext>}}$ ratio may be ascribed to several possible causes, including age-dependent post-depositional alteration of kerogen, secular decrease in the $\text{CO}{}_2\text{O}{}_2$ ratio of the atmosphere and hydrosphere during pre-Phanerozoic time, secular increase in rates of accumulation of organic matter in sediments and evolutionary changes in the composition of the biological source material. The secular variations of the carbonates and mudstones could be accounted for by age-dependent cumulative effects of post-depositional alteration alone, whereas the secular variations of the cherts probably reflect changes in the nature of the biological source material and the composition of the atmosphere and hydrosphere. The available evidence suggests that primary characteristics of kerogen are better preserved in chert than in the other types of sediment.The $\text{C}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>R</mtext>}}\text{C}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>T</mtext>}}$ ratios of the carbonates and cherts correlate negatively with the $\text{A}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>465</mtext><mtext>m</mtext><mtext>\mu </mtext>}}\text{A}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>665</mtext><mtext>m</mtext><mtext>\mu </mtext>}}$ absorbance ratios of “humic matter” extracted from the same rock samples with benzene—methanol. Thus, the greater the degree of condensed-aromatic character of the kerogen, the greater the degree of condensed-aromatic character of the solvent-extractable bituminous “humic matter” with which it is associated. In addition, the ratio of aliphatic to carbonyl-type groups ($\text{CH}{}_2\text{C=O}$) in the extractable “humic matter” of carbonates and cherts correlates with the non-extractable org. C content of the rocks, suggesting that the org. C data are related to the degree of aliphatic character of the kerogen. The chemical similarity between extractable “humic matter” and its associated kerogen is evidence that the “humic matter” is as old as its rock matrix and can be accepted as a valid chemical fossil. It also suggests that information obtainable from kerogen may be gotten more easily, rapidly and cheaply from solvent-extractable organic matter. The mudstones showed little or no relationship between $\text{A}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>465</mtext><mtext>m</mtext><mtext>\mu </mtext>}}\text{A}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>665</mtext><mtext>m</mtext><mtext>\mu </mtext>}}$ ratio and $\text{C}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>R</mtext>}}\text{C}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>T</mtext>}}$ ratio, or between $\text{CH}{}_2\text{C=O}$ ratio and org. C content. The data are consistent with the hypothesis that the kerogen in the carbonates and cherts is autochthonous, whereas the kerogen in the mudstones is partly allochthonous, implying the existence of soil humus and soil organisms in pre-Phanerozoic times. Moreover, the existence of coal in Archean sediments is consistent with the existence of very shallow-water and possibly terrestrial microfloras possessing adaptations for protection against ultraviolet solar radiation.The P content of the sediments showed a complicated zig-zag pattern of variation through geologic time. All the different suites of samples gave similar results, indicating that the variations represent phenomena whose effects were worldwide and independent of local environment. P levels are low in the early pre-Phanerozoic but rise with decreasing age until ～ 1 · 10⁹ years B.P., then fall to a minimum at (～0.7–0.8) · 10⁹ years B.P., and rise again to a lower Paleozoic (Ediacarian?) maximum, decline to a later Paleozoic minimum, and then rise again. The low P content of early pre-Phanerozoic sediments could be due to several factors, including high CO₂ content of seawater, anaerobic conditions in the sea, absence of stable-shelf environments, and low rates of primary production. The minimum in the Late Proterozoic is tentatively attributed to the Late Proterozoic glaciations. The data are consistent with the theory that the glacial episode was of worldwide extent.     

Kinematical analysis of flare spray ejecta observed in the corona

The mass ejection event on 17 January 1974 was a classsic spray associated with a flare from an over the limb region. The structure of the accompanying coronal transient was typical of well-observed mass ejections, with coronal loops and a forerunner racing ahead of the rising prominence. Observations in H, soft X-ray, white light and radio wavelengths allowed us to track both cool (T _e10⁴ K) and hot (T _e>10⁶ K) material from limb de-occultation to 6R . We determined the kinematics and thermodynamics of the internal material, and the overall mass and energy budget of the event. The majority of the mass and energy was linked with coronal material, but at least 20% of the ejected mass originated as near-surface prominence material. We conclude that the upper part of the prominence was being continuously heated to coronal temperatures as it rose through the corona. Above 2R nearly all of the material was completely ionized. The primary acceleration of the prominence occurred below 3.5 × 10⁴ km with all of the material exhibiting constant velocity above 1.5R . We found evidence that a moving type IV burst, indicative of strong magnetic fields, was associated with the upper part of the prominence. Our observations suggest that both the cool and hot material were acted upon by a similar, continuous force(s) to great heights and over a long time interval. We find that the observations are most consistent with magnetic propulsion models of coronal transients.     

Anelasticity and microcreep in polycrystalline MgO at high temperature: an exploratory study

 The frequency dependence of the shear modulus and dissipation in polycrystalline MgO has been determined at high temperature using both microcreep (ɛ = 10⁻⁴) and seismic frequency forced-oscillation (ɛ = 10⁻⁵) measurements. The frequency-dependent and time-dependent data have been described in terms of the elastic, anelastic and viscous components of deformation using the Andrade model. The forced-oscillation measurements show that for temperatures above 700 °C the shear modulus begins to decrease dramatically and the modulus becomes frequency-dependent with increasing temperature. This is accompanied by an increase in dissipation, which also becomes frequency-dependent. The microcreep measurements resolve this frequency-dependent behaviour into an anelastic regime from 700–1050 °C, and a viscoelastic regime from 1100–1300 °C. At 1300 °C, the seismic frequency shear wave speed is ∼60% of the extrapolated low-temperature frequency-independent value, and the dissipation has risen to Q ⁻¹ = 10⁻¹ from 10⁻³ at temperatures below 600 °C. The mechanism by which this frequency-dependent rheology occurs appears to be diffusional creep, which produces viscous slip on the grain boundaries. It is proposed that the anelastic behaviour is due to viscous slip occurring on segments of grain boundaries, with the viscous deformation being accommodated by elastic distortion of adjacent unslipped regions of the grain boundary. At higher temperatures, slippage occurs across the entire grain boundary and viscoelastic behaviour begins to occur. Received: 11 April 2002 / Accepted: 9 January 2003 Acknowledgements Samples were precision-ground by Andrew Wilson, and polished sections prepared by Harri Kokkonen, who also did the SEM work. Uli Faul calculated the volume fraction of grain sizes. The density measurements were done by Lara Weston.     

Book reviews

A WORLD IN CRISIS? Geographical Perspectives (second edition) edited by R. J. Johnston and P. J. Taylor. 15 x 23 cm, x and 371 pages. Basil Blackwell: Oxford 1989 (ISBN 0 631 16271 2) $A34.95 (soft).

INTEGRATED RURAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES IN PAPUA NEW GUINEA: External Aid and Provincial Planning (IASER Monograph No 28) by R. Crittenden and D. A. M. Lea, 17 x 24 cm, xv and 132 pages. Papua New Guinea Institute of Applied Social and Economic Research and Department of Geography and Planning, University of New England: Armidale 1989 (ISBN 9980 75 018 9).

ACCOMMODATING INEQUALITY: Gender and Housing by Sophie Watson. 14 x 21 cm, x and 157 pages. Allen & Unwin: Sydney 1988 (ISBN 0 04 320209 2) $A 14.95 (soft).

A SHORT HISTORY OF GEOMORPHOLOGY by K. J. Tinkler. 14 x 22 cm, xviii and 317 pages, Croom Helm: London 1985 (ISBN 0 7099 2441 0) $A49.95 (hard).

PATHWAYS IN GEOLOGY: Essays in Honour of

Edwin Sherbon Hills edited by R. W. Le Mai‐

tre. 25 x 19 cm, viii and 463 pages. Basil

Blackwell: Melbourne 1989 (ISBN

0731682416) $A110.00 (hard).

CHANGING THE FACE OF THE EARTH: Culture, Environment, History by I. G. Simmons. 17 x 24 cm, xiii and 487 pages. Basil Blackwell: Oxford 1989 (ISBN 0 631 16351 4) $A49.95 (soft).

PLANNED TO DEATH: The Annihilation of a Place Called Howdendyke by J. D. Porteous. 16 x 24 cm, xiii and 254 pages. Manchester University Press: Manchester 1989 (ISBN 0 7190 2831 0) £35.00 (hard).

A SOCIAL ATLAS OF DARWIN: 1986. Census of Population and Housing by J. Taylor and D.

Jaensch. 21 x 29 cm, and 66 pages. Australian Bureau of Statistics and North Australia Research Unit: Darwin 1989 (ISBN 0 642 143322 6).

ATLAS OF DEMOGRAPHIC CHANGE IN THE SOUTH EAST REGION OF NEW SOUTH WALES 1861–1991 by Terry G. Birtles and Jane E. Gordon. 21 x 29 cm, v and 141 pages. Canberra College of Advanced Education: Belconnen 1989 (ISBN 0 85889 355 5 $A40.00 (soft).

LABOUR ADJUSTMENT IN METROPOLITAN REGIONS by P. S. Morrison 15 x 21 cm, ix and 254 pages. Victoria University Press: Wellington 1989 (ISBN 0 86473 190 6) SA25.00 (soft).

AUSTRALIAN REGIONAL DEVELOPMENTS: Readings in Regional Experiences, Policies and Prospects (Australian Regional Developments No. 10) edited by B. Higgins and K. Zagorski. 17 x 25 cm. xi and 260 pages. AGPS Press: Canberra 1989 (ISBN 0 644 0935).

SOUTH AUSTRALIAN MANUFACTURING IN TRANSITION edited by T. J. Mules. 15 x 21 cm, vii and 188 pages. Wakefield Press (for Centre of South Australian Economic Studies): Adelaide 1989 (ISBN 909591 74 1) $A24.95 (soft).

COUNTERURBANIZATION: The Changing Pace’ and Nature of Population Deconcentration edited by A. G. Champion. 16 x 24 cm, xxii and 266 pages. Edward Arnold: London 1989 (ISBN 0 7131 6614 2) £27.00 (hard).

THE HUMANE CITY: Cities as if People Matter by J. R. Short. 15 x 22 cm, 167 pages. Basil Blackwell: Oxford 1989 (ISBN 0 631 15824 3) $A27.95 (soft).

THE TORRES STRAIT: People and History (revised edition) by J. Singe. 13 x 19 cm, xviii and 261 pages. University of Queensland Press: St Lucia 1989 (first published in 1979) (ISBN 0 7022 2232 1) $A19.95 (soft).

HAWKE'S LAW: The Politics of Mining and Aboriginal Land Rights in Australia by R. T. Libby. xxvii and 175 pages. University of Western Australia Press: Nedlands 1989 (ISBN 085564 301 1) $A25.00.

THE THIRD WORLD: States of Mind and Being edited by J. Norwine and A. Gonzales. 15 x 23 cm, xi and 275 pages. Unwin Hyman: Boston 1989 (ISBN 0 04 910121 8) $A39.95 (soft).

IRELAND: A Contemporary Geographical Perspective edited by R. W. G. Carter and A. J. Parker. 14 x 22 cm, xiv and 486 pages. Routledge: London 1989 (ISBN 0 415 00486 3) $A 120.00 (hard).     

Hydrographic observations

During the summer of 1981 a large scale sampling effort took place in the shelf waters of the southeastern United States. The goal of this effort was to quantify the effect of the intrusion of deep Gulf Stream water into these shallow, euphotic waters. By making repeated hydrographic measurements over the entire shelf area, the actual volume of the intrusions was determined. Two main intrusion events were observed: one in June and early July and a second in late July and early August. The intruding water entered the shelf in the region south of St Augustine and was transported northward by the mean northward shelf circulation. The subsurface cold water mass was isolated from the Gulf Stream by a ridge of warmer water along the shelf break.The intrusions resulted in increased stability in shelf waters with vertical temperature gradients as high as 10°C m⁻¹. The potential energy in the stratified shelf waters typically ranged from 1000 to 2000 J m⁻² that would require 2 to 4 mW m⁻² to mix. However, since only 0.1 to 1.0mW m⁻² was available from wind and tidal mixing, the water column stayed stratified in most cases.The amount of nitrate transported onto the shelf was determined by two methods: direct observation by synoptic cruises and transport measurements using current meter arrays. Both methods gave similar results with about 18,000 tons nitrogen in the large June/July intrusion. On a seasonal basis, 40,000 tons of nitrogen could be advected into shelf waters which could result in 200,000 to 400,000 tons carbon production.