Effective barometric admittance and gravity residuals

In the analysis of surface gravity signals that may originate from the Earth's core, the step of correcting for the atmospheric pressure fluctuations is one that must be done carefully. We apply two techniques for determining the local, or effective, barometric admittance function between simultaneous observations of surface gravity and pressure. The first is a frequency domain fit that computes the admittance on a band-by-band basis. Using data from both the Canadian and French superconducting gravimeters we determined that the magnitude of the local, or background, admittance increases smoothly and monotonically from about 0.2 μgal mbar⁻¹ at long periods (> 10 days) to about 0.35 μgal mbar⁻¹ at frequencies greater than 3 cycles per day (c.p.d.); the phase lag is within a few degrees of 180°. By comparison, the effective admittances of the large-scale harmonics of the solar heating tide (S₁---S₇) are much smaller, between 0.1 and 0.3 μgal mbar⁻¹, for most of the harmonics of a day. In the second approach we fit a symmetrical time domain admittance function having lengths between 1 and 19 h using both a standard least-squares fit to a white noise residual and a new, and clearly superior, fit assuming a brown noise residual. Both time and frequency domain approaches give comparable results and contribute to a significant lowering of the residual level in non-tidal bands.     

Geology and eruptive history of the Rabaul Caldera area, Papua New Guinea

Rabaul Caldera is the most recently active (1937–1943) of four adjoining volcanic centres aligned north-south through the northern extremity of eastern New Britain. Geological mapping after the 1983–1985 Rabaul seismic and deformation crisis has partially revealed a long and complex eruption history dominated by numerous explosive eruptions, the largest accompanied by caldera collapse. The oldest exposed eruptives are the basaltic pre-caldera cone Tovanumbatir Lavas K/Ar dated at 0.5 Ma. The dacitic Rabaul Quarry Lavas exposed in the caldera wall and K/Ar dated at 0.19 Ma, are overlain by a sequence of dacitic and andesitic pyroclastic flow and fall deposits. Uplifted coral reef limestones, interbedded within the pyroclastic sequence on the northeast coast, suggest that explosive eruptions in the Rabaul area had commenced prior to the 0.125 Ma last interglacial high sea level stand. The pyroclastic sequence includes the large Boroi Ignimbrites and Malaguna Pyroclastics both ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar dated at about 0.1 Ma, and the Barge Tunnel Ignimbrite ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar dated at around 0.04 Ma. Few reliable ages exist for the many younger eruptives. These include Holocene ignimbrites of the latest caldera-forming eruptions—the Raluan Pyroclastics variously dated (¹⁴C) at either about 3500 or 7000 yr B.P., and the ca. 1400 yr B.P. Rabaul Pyroclastics. At least eight intracaldera eruptions have occurred since the 1400 yr B.P. collapse, building small pyroclastic and lava cones within the caldera.A major erosional episode is evident as a widespread unconformity in the upper pyroclastic stratigraphy at Rabaul. Lacking relevant radiometric ages, this episode is assumed to have occurred during last glaciation low sea levels and is here arbitarily dated at ca. ?20 ka. At least five, possibly nine, significant ignimbrite eruptions have occurred at Rabaul during the last ?20 ka. The new eruptive history differs considerably from that previously published, which considered ignimbrite eruption and caldera collapse to have first occurred at 3500 yr B.P.Rabaul volcanism has been dominated by two main types: (a) basaltic and basaltic andesite cone building eruptions; and (b) dacitic, and rarely andesitic or rhyolitic, plinian/ignimbrite eruptions of both high- and low-aspect ratio types. The 1400 yr B.P. Rabaul Ignimbrite is a type example of a low-aspect ratio, high-energy, and potentially very damaging eruption. Fine vitric ash deposits, common in the Rabaul pyroclastic sequence, demonstrate the frequent modification of eruptions by external water probably related to early caldera lakes or bays. Interbedding of these fine ashes with plinian pumice lapilli beds suggests that many early eruptions occurred from multiple vents, located in both wet and dry areas.     

The inverse gravimetric problem: Existence,uniqueness and stability of the solution

Summary The paper is concerned with the mathematical properties of the density distribution within the Earth obtained by inverting of the external gravity field, provided an Earth's reference density model, used as the initial guess, is available. The method of regularization, which proves the existence, the uniqueness and the stability of the solution, which is nearest the initial guess in the L ² norm, is described.

---

nua m¶rt; uauu ¶rt;am a¶rt;au ¶rt; aumau n u uma, m uma aaa a an¶rt;u nmmu . mm m¶rt; n¶rt;maum m amu u, m ¶rt;a, mu u uu aa u.

     

Micro-scale modelling in the study of plume evolution in heterogeneous media

The migration of contaminants in heterogeneous aquifers involves dispersive processes that act at different scales. The interaction of these processes as a plume evolves can be studied by micro-scale modelling whereby two scales, a local- or micro-scale and an aquifer- or macro-scale, are covered simultaneously. Local-scale dispersive processes are represented through the local dispersion coefficient in the transport equation, while large-scale dispersion due to heterogeneities is represented through the resolution of the flow field and the diffusive exchange between streamtubes. The micro-scale model provides both the high degree of resolution compatible with local-scale processes, and the extent required for the approach to asymptotic conditions, using grids of up to a million nodal points. The model is based on the dual potential-streamfunction formulation for flow, and the transport problem is formulated in a natural coordinate system provided by the flownet. Simulations can be used to verify stochastic theories of dispersion, without the restrictive assumptions inherent in the theory. For the two-dimensional case, results indicate convergence of the effective dispersivity to the theoretical macrodispersivity value. Convergence takes place within a travel distance of about 50 correlation lengths of the hydraulic conductivity field. However, the approach taken to asymptotic conditions, as well as the macrodispersivity value, may differ for different realizations of the same medium. The influence of early-time events such as plume splitting on the asymptotic convergence remains to be investigated.     

Archean inheritance in zircon from late Paleozoic granites from the Avalon zone of southeastern New England: an African connection

In southeastern New England the Narragansett Pier Granite locally intrudes Carboniferous metasedimentary rocks of the Narragansett basin, and yields a monazite UPb Permian emplacement age of 273 ± 2Ma. Zircon from the Narragansett Pier Granite contains a minor but detectable amount of an older, inherited component, and shows modern loss of lead. Zircon from the late-stage, aplitic Westerly Granite exhibits a more pronounced lead inheritance —permitting the inherited component to be identified as Late Archean. Such old relict zircon has not been previously recognized in Proterozoic to Paleozoic igneous rocks in New England, and may be restricted to late Paleozoic rocks of the Avalon zone. We suggest that the Archean crustal component reflects an African connection, in which old Archean crust was underplated to the Avalon zone microplate in the late Paleozoic during collision of Gondwanaland with Avalonia.     

GEOPHYSICAL DETECTION OF MINERAL CONDUCTORS IN TROPICAL TERRAINS WITH TARGET CONDUCTORS PARTLY EMBEDDED IN THE CONDUCTIVE OVERBURDEN*

Ground geophysical methods were used in the greenstone belt of Western Kenya as follow-up of an Input airborne electromagnetic survey. Observation and drilling results showed that the graphite and pyrite bodies, which constitute the main target conductors in the area, either outcrop or reach near to the ground surface. The drilling results further showed that the weathered layer is between 20 m and 60 m thick. Therefore the target conductors are partly embedded in this fairly conductive weathered layer and may be in galvanic contact with it. The geophysical methods were able to delineate the conductors. However, by virtue of the galvanic contact between the conductors and the conductive overburden, the profiles from the horizontal loop EM measurements are highly enhanced. This effect makes interpretation of the profiles possible at low frequencies but difficult at high frequencies. The interpreted EM results show that the target conductors appear shallow and less conductive at higher frequencies. Thus one must choose geophysical instruments and operating frequencies carefully to ensure good results in tropical terrains.     

COMPUTATIONAL ASPECTS OF THE CHOICE OF OPERATOR AND SAMPLING INTERVAL FOR NUMERICAL DIFFERENTIATION IN LARGE-SCALE SIMULATION OF WAVE PHENOMENA*

Conventional finite-difference operators for numerical differentiation become progressively inaccurate at higher frequencies and therefore require very fine computational grids. This problem is avoided when the derivatives are computed by multiplication in the Fourier domain. However, because matrix transpositions are involved, efficient application of this method is restricted to computational environments where the complete data volume required by each computational step can be kept in random access memory. To circumvent these problems a generalized numerical dispersion analysis for wave equation computations is developed. Operators for spatial differentiation can then be designed by minimizing the corresponding peak relative error in group velocity within a spatial frequency band. For specified levels of maximum relative error in group velocity ranging from 0.03% to 3%, differentiators have been designed that have the largest possible bandwidth for a given operator length. The relation between operator length and the required number of grid points per shortest wavelength, for a required accuracy, provides a useful starting point for the design of cost-effective numerical schemes. To illustrate this, different alternatives for numerical simulation of the time evolution of acoustic waves in three-dimensional inhomogeneous media are investigated. It is demonstrated that algorithms can be implemented that require fewer arithmetic and I/O operations by orders of magnitude compared to conventional second-order finite-difference schemes to yield results with a specified minimum accuracy.     

Lake Søbygaard: a shallow lake in recovery after a reduction in phosphorus loading

The development and recovery of a shallow and hypertrophic lake following a reduction in the external phosphorus load has been documented. In spite of this reduction, phosphorus concentrations and phytoplankton biomass in the lake water are still very high. The reason for this development can be explained by three main factors: (1): the sediment has been accumulating a large phosphorus pool which is now causing a high internal phosphorus load, (2) due to the shallow conditions, resuspension of the upper sediment often takes place because of wind action and thereby increases the phosphorus loading from the sediment, (3) the development of a large population of planktivorous fish decreases the zooplankton biomass resulting in the development of a large phytoplankton biomass.     

Experimental petrology of alkalic lavas: constraints on cotectics of multiple saturation in natural basic liquids

Experimental study of natural alkalic lava compositions at low pressures (pO₂QFM) reveals that crystallization of primitive lavas often occurs in the sequence olivine, plagioclase, clinopyroxene, nepheline without obvious reaction relation. Pseudoternary liquidus projections of multiply saturated liquids coexisting with plagioclase (±olivine±clinopyroxene±nepheline) have been prepared to facilitate graphical analysis of the evolution of lava compositions during hypabyssal cooling. Use of (TiAl₂)(MgSi₂)_–1 and Fe³⁺ (Al)_–1 exchange components is a key aspect of the projection procedure which is succesful in reducing a wide range of compositions to a systematic graphical representation. These projections, and the experiments on which they are based, show that low pressure fractionation plays a significant role in the petrogenesis of many alkalic lava suites from both continental and oceanic settings. However, the role of polybaric fractionation is more evident in the major element chemistry of these lava suites than in many tholeiitic suites of comparable extent. For example, the lavas of Karisimbi, East Africa, show a range of compositions reflecting a polybaric petrogenesis from primitive picrites at 1360° C/18 kb and leading to advanced low pressure differentiates. Evolved leucite-bearing potassic members of this and other suites may be treated in a nepheline-diopside-kspar (+olivine+leucite) projection. Compositional curvature on the plagioclase+clinopyroxene+olivine+leucite cotectic offers a mechanism to explain resorption of plagioclase in alkalic groundmass assemblages and the incompatibility of albite and leucite. This projection is useful for evaluating the extent of assimilation of the alkalic portions of crustal granulites. Assimilation appears to have played some role in the advanced differentiates from Karisimbi.