Benkovac Stone (Eocene,Croatia): a deep-sea Plattenkalk?

In contrast to Solnhofen-type conservation Lagerstätten, the platy limestones of the Benkovac Stone of the Eocene of Croatia contains a variety of trace fossils. They belong to the Nereites ichnofacies, characterized by a suite of highly specialized ichnogenera, turbiditic preservation, and distinctive pre-event versus post-event communities. In siliciclastic rocks, this ichnofacies stands for turbiditic deep-sea sediments. Also unusual is the lack of body fossils. The only exceptions are occasional plant debris and Bencovacina concentrica. n. gen., n. sp., which is affiliated with xenophyophorian Foraminifera. These giant protozoans survive on present deep-sea bottoms, but they were also common on the shallow-marine biomats in Ediacaran times. These findings contradict the current shallow-marine interpretation, which is based on the regional geologic setting and sedimentary structures typical for tempestites. Thus, the Benkovac Stone would be an ideal place to test the reliability of ichnological versus sedimentological depth criteria in an entirely calcareous sequence.     

Three‐dimensional textural and compositional analysis of particle tracks and fragmentation history in aerogel

Abstract— We report analyses of aerogel tracks using (1) synchrotron X‐ray computed microtomography (XRCMT), (2) laser confocal scanning microscopy (LCSM), and (3) synchrotron radiation X‐ray fluorescence (SRXRF) of particles and their paths resulting from simulated hypervelocity impacts (1–2), and a single ～1 mm aerogel track from the Stardust cometary sample collector (1–3). Large aerogel pieces can be imaged sequentially, resulting in high spatial resolution images spanning many tomographic fields of view (‘lambda‐tomography’). We report calculations of energy deposited, and tests on aromatic hydrocarbons showing no alteration in tomography experiments. Imaging at resolutions from ～17 to ～1 micron/pixel edge (XRCMT) and to <100 nm/pixel edge (LCSM) illustrates track geometry and interaction of particles with aerogel, including rifling, particle fragmentation, and final particle location. We present a 3‐D deconvolution method using an estimated point‐spread function for aerogel, allowing basic corrections of LCSM data for axial distortion. LCSM allows rapid, comprehensive, non‐destructive, high information return analysis of tracks in aerogel keystones, prior to destructive grain extraction. SRXRF with LCSM allows spatial correlation of grain size, chemical, and mineralogical data. If optical methods are precluded in future aerogel capture missions, XRCMT is a viable 3D imaging technique. Combinations of these methods allow for complete, nondestructive, quantitative 3‐D analysis of captured materials at high spatial resolution. This data is fundamental to understanding the hypervelocity particle‐aerogel interaction histories of Stardust grains.     

Partial fusion of basic granulites at 5 to 15 kbar: implications for the origin of TTG magmas

Partial fusion experiments with basic granulites (S6, S37) believed to represent the lower crust beneath the Eifel region (Germany) were performed at pressures from 5 to 15 kbar. Water-undersaturated experiments were carried out in the presence of 1 wt% H₂O plus 2.44 or 0.81 wt% CO₂ equivalent to mole fractions of H₂O/(H₂O + CO₂) of 0.5 and 0.75, respectively, of the volatile components added. At temperatures from 850 to 1100 °C the weight proportions of melt range from 7 to 30 %. Melt compositions change from trondhjemitic over tonalitic to dioritic with increasing degree of partial melting. Crystalline residua are plagioclase/pyroxene dominated at 5 kbar to garnet/pyroxene dominated at 15␣kbar. Dehydration melting was studied in granulite S35 similar in composition to S6. The magmatic precursors of the granulite xenoliths used in this study had geochemical characteristics of cumulate gabbro (metagabbro S37) and evolved melts (metabasalts S6, S35), respectively. Melts from granulite S37 match the major element compositions of natural trondhjemites and tonalites. At 5 kbar, their Al₂O₃ is relatively low, similar to tonalites from ophiolites. At 15 kbar, Al₂O₃ in the melts is high due to the near absence of plagioclase in the crystalline residua. The Al₂O₃ concentrations in 15 kbar melts from S6 (˜20 wt%) are higher than in natural tonalites. Depth constraints on the formation of tonalitic magmas in the continental crust are provided by REE (rare earth element) patterns of the synthetic melts calculated from the known REE abundances in metagabbro S37 and metabasalt S6 assuming batch melting and using partition coefficients from the literature. The REE patterns of tonalites from active continental margins and Archean trondhjemite-tonalite-granodiorite␣associations low in REE with La_N (chondrite normalised) from 10 to 30 and Yb_N from 1 to 2 are reproduced at pressures of 10 and 12.5 kbar from metagabbro S37 which displays a slightly L(light)REE enriched pattern with La_N = 8 and Yb_N = 3. Natural tonalites with La_N from 30 to 100 require a source richer in REE than granulite S37. At 15 kbar, H(heavy)REE_N in melts from granulite S37 are depressed below the level observed in natural tonalites due to the high proportion of garnet (>30 wt%) in the residue. Melts from metabasalt S6 (enriched in REE with La_N = 38 and Yb_N = 16) do not match the REE characteristics of natural tonalites under any conditions. Received: 1 July 1994 / Accepted: 11 September 1996     

On the transformation of planetary waves of tropospheric origin into waves in radio wave absorption in the lower ionosphere

Summary Calculations are carried out of upward propagation of a tropospherically forced 10-day planetary wave into the upper middle atmosphere with the use of the COMMA-R model of the University of Cologne, of its transformation into a wave in electron density by means of the model of the Comenius University, and of its final transformation into a wave in radio wave absorption in the lower ionosphere applying the computer code of the Geophysical Institute. The calculations show that the absorption may be used for investigating the planetary wave activity, particularly of its long-term trends. The possibility of propagation of planetary waves from the winter hemisphere to the summer hemisphere is illustrated, which could contribute to explanation of the occurrence of travelling planetary waves in the mesosphere in summer.Dedicated to the Memory of Professor Karel P     

Budget Calculations for Ozone and Its Precursors: Seasonal and Episodic Features Based on Model Simulations

Results from two air quality models (LOTOS, EURAD) have been used toanalyse the contribution of the different terms in the continuity equationto the budget of ozone, NO_x and PAN. Both models cover largeparts of Europe and describe the processes relevant for troposphericchemistry and dynamics. One of the models is designed to simulate episodesin the order of 1–2 weeks (EURAD), the other is focussing on theseasonal scale (LOTOS). Based on EURAD simulations it is found that theatmospheric boundary layer (ABL) in Central Europe during a summer-smogepisode in 1990 acts as a source of ozone, which is partly exported from theproduction region in Central Europe. About 40% of the ozone producedchemically in the ABL is lost from Central Europe due to net transport(large-scale and turbulent), 40% are deposited within the domain. Vertical mass exchange of ozone is dominated by the prevailing subsidenceand averaged vertical mass fluxes are directed downward. Averaged massfluxes of PAN, which has no stratospheric source, are upward in the upperpart of the ABL. The results from LOTOS are discussed for the same episodeand for a two month period (July/August 1990). The budget calculation showlarger chemical production for the LOTOS model compared to EURAD. Therelative importance of deposition and net transport, however, is in the sameorder. Differences between the two-month calculation and the one weekepisode are only important for Western Europe where the chemical production is enhanced by 30% during the summer-smog episode. The dependence ofthe results on initial and boundary values is discussed for ozone on thebasis of a simple sensitivity study with EURAD where ozone in the FT is setto 10 ppb initially. This leads to a reversal in the direction of averagedozone mass fluxes in the upper part of the ABL.     

Aspect control of water movement on hillslopes near the rain–snow transition of the Colorado Front Range

In the Colorado Front Range, forested catchments near the rain–snow transition are likely to experience changes in snowmelt delivery and subsurface water transport with climate warming and associated shifts in precipitation patterns. Snowpack dynamics are strongly affected by aspect: Lodgepole pine forested north‐facing slopes develop a seasonal snowpack, whereas Ponderosa pine‐dotted south‐facing slopes experience intermittent snow accumulation throughout winter and spring. We tested the degree to which these contrasting water input patterns cause different near‐surface hydrologic response on north‐facing and south‐facing hillslopes during the snowmelt period. During spring snowmelt, we applied lithium bromide (LiBr) tracer to instrumented plots along a north–south catchment transect. Bromide broke through immediately at 10‐ and 30‐cm depths on the north‐facing slope and was transported out of soil waters within 40 days. On the south‐facing slope, Br^? was transported to significant depths only during spring storms and remained above the detection limit throughout the study. Modelling of unsaturated zone hydrologic response using Hydrus‐1D corroborated these aspect‐driven differences in subsurface transport. Our multiple lines of evidence suggest that north‐facing slopes are dominated by connected flow through the soil matrix, whereas south‐facing slope soils experience brief periods of rapid vertical transport following snowmelt events and are drier overall than north‐facing slopes. These differences in hydrologic response were largely a function of energy‐driven differences in water supply, emphasizing the importance of aspect and climate forcing when considering contributions of water and solutes to streamflow in catchments near the snow line. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

X‐ray computed tomography imaging: A not‐so‐nondestructive technique

X‐ray computed tomography has become a popular means for examining the interiors of meteorites and has been advocated for routine curation and for the examination of samples returned by missions. Here, we report the results of a blind test that indicate that CT imaging deposits a considerable radiation dose in a meteorite and seriously compromises its natural radiation record. Ten vials of the Bruderheim L6 chondrite were placed in CT imager and exposed to radiation levels typical for meteorite studies. Half were retained as controls. Their thermoluminescence (TL) properties were then measured in a blind test. Five of the samples had TL data unaltered from their original (~10 cps) while five had very strong signals (~20,000 cps). It was therefore very clear which samples had been in the CT scanner. For comparison, the natural TL signal from Antarctic meteorites is ~5000–50,000 cps. Using the methods developed for Antarctic meteorites, the apparent dose absorbed by the five test samples was calculated to be 83 ± 5 krad, comparable with the highest doses observed in Antarctic meteorites and freshly fallen meteorites. While these results do not preclude the use of CT scanners when scientifically justified, it should be remembered that the record of radiation exposure to ionizing radiations for the sample will be destroyed and that TL, or the related optically stimulated luminescence, are the primary modern techniques for radiation dosimetry. This is particularly important with irreplaceable samples, such as meteorite main masses, returned samples, and samples destined for archive.