The reproductive cycle of the bay scallop,Argopecten irradians irradians (Lamarck), in a small coastal embayment on Cape Cod,Massachusetts

The spawning activity of the bay scallop Argopecten irradians irradians (Lamarck) was monitored from May through September in a small embayment on Cape Cod, Massachusetts and compared with changes in hydrographic conditions. Spawning activity of bay scallops began in May and continued through July with some minor activity occurring during August and September. Activity was most closely related to changes in ambient temperature and occurred predominantly before the summer maximum temperature was recorded. As temperatures declined in the late summer and early fall, increased gametogenic activity was evident. A longer period of spawning activity was observed than was previously reported for New England waters.     

Geochemistry of Archean shales from the Pilbara Supergroup,Western Australia

Archean clastic sedimentary rocks are well exposed in the Pilbara Block of Western Australia. Shales from turbidites in the Gorge Creek Group (ca. 3.4 Ae) and shales from the Whim Creek Group (ca. 2.7 Ae) have been examined. The Gorge Creek Group samples, characterized by muscovite-quartzchlorite mineralogy, are enriched in incompatible elements (K, Th, U, LREE) by factors of about two, when compared to younger Archean shales from the Yilgarn Block. Alkali and alkaline earth elements are depleted in a systematic fashion, according to size, when compared with an estimate of Archean upper crust abundances. This depletion is less notable in the Whim Creek Group. Such a pattern indicates the source of these rocks underwent a rather severe episode of weathering. The Gorge Creek Group also has fairly high B content (85 ± 29 ppm) which may indicate normal marine conditions during deposition.Rare earth element (REE) patterns for the Pilbara samples are characterized by light REE enrichment ($\text{La}{}_{\mathrm{N}}\text{Yb}{}_{\mathrm{N}}\text{≥ 7.5}$) and no or very slight Eu depletion ($\text{Eu}\text{Eu}{}^1\text{= 0.82 – 0.99}$). A source comprised of about 80% felsic igneous rocks without large negative Eu-anomalies (felsic volcanics, tonalites, trondhjemites) and 20% mafic-ultramafic volcanics is indicated by the trace element data. Very high abundances of Cr and Ni cannot be explained by any reasonable provenance model and a secondary enrichment process is called for.     

R. E. (Ted) Munn — Founding editor; a mini-biography

Ted Munn founded Boundary-Layer Meteorology in 1970 and served as Editor for 75 volumes over a 25 year period. This short article briefly reviews Ted's scientific career with the Atmospheric Environment Service (of Canada), the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis in Austria and with the Institute of Environmental Studies at the University of Toronto, and as editor of this journal.     

Boundary-layer flow over topography: Impacts of the Askervein study

One of the objectives of the Askervein Hill Project was to obtain a comprehensive and accurate dataset for verification of models of flow and turbulence over low hills. In the present paper, a retrospective of the 1982 and 1983 Askervein experiments is presented. The field study is described in brief and is related to similar studies conducted in the early 1980s. Data limitations are discussed and applications of numerical and wind-tunnel models to Askervein are outlined. Problems associated with model simulations are noted and model results are compared with the field measurements.     

Lower palaeozoic and precambrian petroleum source rocks and the coalification path of alginite

Organic-rich samples derived from a Middle Cambrian Formation in the Georgina Basin, and from the Middle Proterozoic of the McArthur Basin in northern and central Australia, yielded alginite ranging from immature oil shale material to overmature residue. A maturation scale has been developed based on the thermal evolution of alginite as determined from reflectance and fluorescence. The coalification path of alginite is marked by jumps in contrast to the linear path of wood-derived vitrinite. Six zones have been recognised, ranging from undermature (zone I), through the mature (zones II/III), followed by a stable stage of no change (zone IV) to the overmature (zones V and VI). The onset of oil generation in alginite as evident from the present study is at 0.3% R_{o Alg.} and is expressed in a change of fluorescence from yellow to brown, and a coalification jump from 0.3 to 0.6% R_o of Alg. In many boreholes zone III can be distinguished between 0.6 and 0.8% R_o of Alg. where subsequent oil generation occurs. Zones II and III represent the oil window.A zone of little or no change designated zone IV, at of alginite follows zones II/III. A marked coalification jump characterises zone V, where a pronounced change in reflectance occurs to >1.0% R_{o Alg.}, signifying peak gas generation. The border of oil preservation lies at the transition of zone V and VI, at 1.6% R_{o Alg.} In zone VI gas generation only occurs.Comparison of reflectance results with experimental and geochemical pyrolysis data supports high activation energies for hydrocarbon generation from alginite, and therefore a later onset of oil generation than other liptinite macerals (i.e. cutinite, exinite, resinite) as well as a narrow oil window.Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) confirms that alginite does not go through a distinct intermediate stage but that the percentage of unreacted organic matter decreases as maturation proceeds. A clear distinction can be made in TEM between immature alginite, alginite after oil generation, and alginite residue following gas generation. Alginite beyond 1.6% R_o acquires very high densities and the appearance of inertinite in TEM.Bitumens/pyrobitumens make a pronounced contribution to the organic matter throughout the basins and have been shown to effect pyrolysis results by suppressing T_max. The bitumens/pyrobitumens have been divided into four groups, based on their reflectance and morphology, which in turn appears to be an expression of their genetic history. Their significance is in aiding the understanding of the basins' thermal history, and the timing of oil and gas generation.     

Barium- and LREE-rich, olivine-mica-lamprophyres with affinities to lamproites, Mt. Bundey, Northern Territory, Australia

Primitive olivine-mica-K-feldspar lamprophyre dykes, dated at 1831 ± 6 Ma, intrude lower greenschist facies rocks of the Early Proterozoic Pine Creek Inlier, of northern Australia. They are spatially, temporally and probably genetically associated with a post-tectonic composite granite-syenite pluton (Mt. Bundey pluton). The dykes have unusually high contents of large-ion-lithophile (LILE) and LREE elements (e.g. Ba up to 10,000 ppm, Ce up to 550 ppm, K₂O up to 7.5 wt. %) that resemble the concentrations found in the West Kimberley olivine and leucite lamproites. However, mineralogically the Mt. Bundey lamprophyres resemble shoshonitic lamprophyres and lack any minerals diagnostic of lamproites; leucite or leucite-pseudomorphs are absent. Mineral compositions are also unlike those in lamproites: micas contain higher Al₂O₃ than lamproitic mica; amphiboles are secondary actinolites after diopside; and oxides consist of zincian-chromian magnetite and groundmass magnetite. Heavy mineral concentrates contain mantle-derived xenocrysts of magnesiochromite, pyrope, Cr-diopside and rutile indicating a depth of sampling > 70 km. The Mt. Bundey lamprophyres are non-peralkaline to borderline peralkaline (molar (K + Na)/Al = 0.8 − 1.0) and potassic rather than ultrapotassic (molar K/Na < 2.5). They have distinctive major element compositions (≈46−49 wt. % SiO₂, ≈1.5−2 wt. % MgO, ≈7 wt. % CaO), and element ratios (e.g. molar Al/Ti ≈10, K/Na ≈2) that indicate they are best classified amongst transitional lamproites, i.e. potassic rocks such as cocites, jumillites and Navajominettes, that have geochemical characteristics transitional between Groups I and III. (Foley et al., 1987). The Mt. Bundey lamprophyres have LILE enrichment patterns that resemble the W. Kimberley pamproites but have moderate negative Ta---Nb---Ti anomalies and HREE abundances that are closely similar to the jumillites of southeastern Spain and Mediterranean-type lamproites. Single-stage modelling of Rb---Sr data is consistent with enrichment of the source-region of the Mt. Bundey lamprophyres ≈ 120–170 Ma before partial melting; i.e. at 1.95–2.10 Ga. Source enrichment does not appear to be associated with subduction processes, but may instead relate to incipient rifting of the Archaean basement. Negative Ta---Nb---Ti anomalies in the Mt. Bundey dykes may, therefore, relate to stability of residual titanate minerals in an oxidized subcontinental mantle source. This view is supported by high Fe³⁺/ΣFe ratios of mantle-derived magnesiochromite xenocrysts which indicate oxidized mantle conditions (ƒ_o2 ≈ FMQ + 1 long units), and by the presence of xenocrystic Cr-bearing rutile. Although the Mt. Bundey dykes have sampled upper mantle material, the oxidized nature of the magma source-region, and of the magma itself, suggests that conditions may not be favourable for diamond survival at depth nor for diamond transport in transitional lamproite magmas of this kind.