Evidence for an impact‐induced magnetic fabric in Allende,and exogenous alternatives to the core dynamo theory for Allende magnetization

We conducted a paleomagnetic study of the matrix of Allende CV3 chondritic meteorite, isolating the matrix's primary remanent magnetization, measuring its magnetic fabric and estimating the ancient magnetic field intensity. A strong planar magnetic fabric was identified; the remanent magnetization of the matrix was aligned within this plane, suggesting a mechanism relating the magnetic fabric and remanence. The intensity of the matrix's remanent magnetization was found to be consistent and low (~6 μT). The primary magnetic mineral was found to be pyrrhotite. Given the thermal history of Allende, we conclude that the remanent magnetization was formed during or after an impact event. Recent mesoscale impact modeling, where chondrules and matrix are resolved, has shown that low‐velocity collisions can generate significant matrix temperatures, as pore‐space compaction attenuates shock energy and dramatically increases the amount of heating. Nonporous chondrules are unaffected, and act as heat‐sinks, so matrix temperature excursions are brief. We extend this work to model Allende, and show that a 1 km/s planar impact generates bulk porosity, matrix porosity, and fabric in our target that match the observed values. Bimodal mixtures of a highly porous matrix and nominally zero‐porosity chondrules make chondrites uniquely capable of recording transient or unstable fields. Targets that have uniform porosity, e.g., terrestrial impact craters, will not record transient or unstable fields. Rather than a core dynamo, it is therefore possible that the origin of the magnetic field in Allende was the impact itself, or a nebula field recorded during transient impact heating.     

Rossby wave dynamics of the North Pacific extra-tropical response to El Niño: importance of the basic state in coupled GCMs

The extra-tropical response to El Niño in a “low” horizontal resolution coupled climate model, typical of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change fourth assessment report simulations, is shown to have serious systematic errors. A high resolution configuration of the same model has a much improved response that is similar to observations. The errors in the low resolution model are traced to an incorrect representation of the atmospheric teleconnection mechanism that controls the extra-tropical sea surface temperatures (SSTs) during El Niño. This is due to an unrealistic atmospheric mean state, which changes the propagation characteristics of Rossby waves. These erroneous upper tropospheric circulation anomalies then induce erroneous surface circulation features over the North Pacific. The associated surface wind speed and direction errors create erroneous surface flux and upwelling anomalies which finally lead to the incorrect extra-tropical SST response to El Niño in the low resolution model. This highlights the sensitivity of the climate response to a single link in a chain of complex climatic processes. The correct representation of these processes in the high resolution model indicates the importance of horizontal resolution in resolving such processes.     

Spatial modelling of rice yield losses in Tanzania due to bacterial leaf blight and leaf blast in a changing climate

Rice is the most rapidly growing staple food in Africa and although rice production is steadily increasing, the consumption is still out-pacing the production. In Tanzania, two important diseases in rice production are leaf blast caused by Magnaporthe oryzae and bacterial leaf blight caused by Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae. The objective of this study was to quantify rice yield losses due to these two important diseases under a changing climate. We found that bacterial leaf blight is predicted to increase causing greater losses than leaf blast in the future, with losses due to leaf blast declining. The results of this study indicate that the effects of climate change on plant disease can not only be expected to be uneven across diseases but also across geographies, as in some geographic areas losses increase but decrease in others for the same disease.     

Strontium in coral aragonite: 3. Sr coordination and geochemistry in relation to skeletal architecture

Use of the coral Sr palaeothermometer assumes that the Sr in coral skeletons is substituted randomly for Ca in the aragonite structure. The presence of Sr in additional phases e.g., strontianite, or the non random distribution of Sr across metal sites in aragonite, would complicate the Sr/Ca-sea surface temperature relationship. We have used Sr K-edge microEXAFS (extended X-ray absorption fine structure) to determine the structural state of Sr across selected microvolumes of four coral skeletons (Porites lobata, Acropora palmata, Pavona clavus, and Montastrea annularis). We used a 5 × 3 μm beam to analyse specific areas of the coral skeletal architecture, i.e., centres of calcification, fasciculi, and dissepiments. All EXAFS analyses refine, within error, to an ideally substituted Sr in aragonite, and we found no evidence of strontianite or partly ordered structural states. Anisotropy in the first shell responses results from the fact that the analysed microvolumes are not necessarily averaged for the responses of all crystal orientations in the aragonite. Although secondary ion mass spectrometry confirmed that Sr/Ca composition can vary substantially between skeletal components, we find no evidence for any contrast in Sr structural state. Sr heterogeneity may result from kinetic effects, reflecting complex disequilibrium processes during crystal precipitation, or biological effects, resulting from variations in the composition of the calcifying fluid which are biologically mediated.     

The fenestrate bryozoan Septopora carbonaria (Etheridge Jun. 1873a) from the Carboniferous of Great Britain

The Carboniferous fenestrate bryozoan Synocladia carbonaria Etheridge Jun. (1873a) is redescribed. Originally assigned to Synocladia and subsequently diagnosed as a variety of Synocladia biserialis Swallow by Etheridge Jun. (1873b), S. carbonaria is here considered to be a distinct species. Synocladia(?) scotica Young and Young (1878) is conspecific with S. carbonaria, as suggested by Graham (1975). Graham (1975) established the new genus Lanarkopora, naming S. carbonaria and S.(?) scotica in synonomy, with S. carbonaria, the senior synonym, being selected as the type species. Re-examination of the type material of S. carbonaria and S.(?) scotica has shown that they are referable to the genus Septopora Meek, and Lanarkopora is herein designated a junior synonym of Septopora.     

Taylor Dispersion of Contaminants by Dual-peak Spectral Random Waves

Recent extensive and important studies have provided detailed information and compelling evidence on how the presence of waves influences the vertical diffusivity/dispersivity in the coastal environment, which can affect various water quality considerations such as the distribution of suspended sediments in the water column as well as the potential of eutrophication. Comparatively, how the presence of waves influences the horizontal diffusivity/dispersivity has received only scant attention in the literature. Our previous works investigated the role played by the Taylor mechanism due to the wave-induced drift profile which leads to the longitudinal dispersion of contaminants in the horizontal direction, under regular sinusoidal waves and random waves with single-peak spectra.Natural waves in the coastal environment, however, often possess dual-peak spectra, comprising both higher frequency wind waves and lower frequency swells. In this study, the Taylor dispersion of contaminants under random waves with dual-peak spectra is examined through analytical derivation and numerical calculations. The effects of various dual-peak spectral parameters on the horizontal dispersion, including the proportion of lower frequency energy, peak frequency ratio and spectral shape parameter, are investigated. The results show that the relative energy distribution between the dual peaks has the most significant effect. Compared with single-peak spectra with equivalent energy, the Taylor dispersion with dual-peak spectra is stronger when the lower frequency is close to the peak frequency of the single-peak spectrum, and weaker with the higher frequency instead. Thus, it can be concluded that with a dual-peak wave spectrum, wind-dominated seas with higher frequency lead to stronger dispersion in the horizontal direction than swell-dominated seas with lower frequency.     

Impacts on CPUE from vessel fleet composition changes in an Australian lobster (Jasus edwardsii) fishery

The Australian Victorian Western Zone rock lobster fishery is assessed using standardised catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE). Nominal CPUE declined over 1978–2009, but this underrepresents the estimated decline in abundance, and since 2009 standardised CPUE rose notably less than nominal CPUE. This study identified vessel as a key factor that explains the discrepancy between nominal and standardised CPUE. The composition of the fleet changed since 2009, under the pressure of constraining total allowable catch quotas, with vessels exiting the fishery having substantially lower estimated catchability, which increased the average catchability of the remaining fleet. New diagnostic indices were constructed to quantify discrepancies between trends in nominal and standardised CPUE that assisted in identifying periods during which both catchability and fleet composition changed.     

Fish community responses to invasive fish removal and installation of an exclusion barrier at Lake Ohinewai,Waikato

Introduced common carp (Cyprinus carpio) are a recognised threat to New Zealand’s freshwater ecosystems. In 2011, an invasive fish removal programme was undertaken in 16.8 ha Lake Ohinewai, a Waikato riverine lake. Active fish removal using netting and boat electrofishing was supported by installation of a one-way exclusion barrier on the outflow to Lake Ohinewai. The barrier was designed to allow fish passage downstream out of the lake, while preventing adult carp from moving upstream. The estimated carp population was reduced from 8,548 fish (5,863–12,937, 95% confidence limits) in 2011–454 fish (251–889, 95% CL) in 2014. However, by 2016 the carp population had recovered to 2,063 fish (1,070–4,328, 95% CL) with increased abundance in invasive brown bullhead catfish (Ameiurus nebulosus) also observed. This research demonstrates that carp populations can be reduced to low abundances in the short to medium term, but continued removal will be required for on-going control.     

分支河流体系河网形态演变规律——以格尔木河流扇为例

为了探索分支河流体系河网分布规律,为创建储层建模训练图像提供知识库信息。利用Google Earth、Global Mapper、91卫图助手等现代地理信息软件,系统测量了现代格尔木河流扇表面河道分叉特征,应用Horton定律和分形方法建立了河流扇的河网形态模型。结果表明：①格尔木河流扇从顶点到入湖段共识别出26级河道,882个节点和2162个河道段,泉线上、下的河道表现出不同的河网形态;②泉线上部共发育64个节点,每级河道数目增长是上一级河道的RB=1.8900倍,每级河道平均长度是下一级河道的RL=1.0095倍,即河网形态特征参数RB=1.8900和RL=1.0095;泉线下部共发育818个节点,每级河道数目增长是上一级河道的RB=1.0279倍,每级河道平均长度是下一级河道的RL=0.9899倍,即河网形态特征参数是RB=1.0279和RL=0.9899;③河网形态特征参数受坡度影响变化较大,坡度较大则河网形态特征参数较大,坡度较小则河网形态特征参数较小。河网形态特征参数定量表征促进了分支河流体系沉积学发展,为开展陆相盆地储层建模和砂体预测提供了新的知识库信息     

Facies and evolution of the carbonate factory during the Permian–Triassic crisis in South Tibet,China

The nature of Phanerozoic carbonate factories is strongly controlled by the composition of carbonate‐producing faunas. During the Permian–Triassic mass extinction interval there was a major change in tropical shallow platform facies: Upper Permian bioclastic limestones are characterized by benthic communities with significant richness, for example, calcareous algae, fusulinids, brachiopods, corals, molluscs and sponges, while lowermost Triassic carbonates shift to dolomicrite‐dominated and bacteria‐dominated microbialites in the immediate aftermath of the Permian–Triassic mass extinction. However, the spatial–temporal pattern of carbonates distribution in high latitude regions in response to the Permian–Triassic mass extinction has received little attention. Facies and evolutionary patterns of a carbonate factory from the northern margin of peri‐Gondwana (palaeolatitude ca 40°S) are presented here based on four Permian–Triassic boundary sections that span proximal, inner to distal, and outer ramp settings from South Tibet. The results show that a cool‐water bryozoan‐dominated and echinoderm‐dominated carbonate ramp developed in the Late Permian in South Tibet. This was replaced abruptly, immediately after the Permian–Triassic mass extinction, by a benthic automicrite factory with minor amounts of calcifying metazoans developed in an inner/middle ramp setting, accompanied by transient subaerial exposure. Subsequently, an extensive homoclinal carbonate ramp developed in South Tibet in the Early Triassic, which mainly consists of homogenous dolomitic lime mudstone/wackestone that lacks evidence of metazoan frame‐builders. The sudden transition from a cool‐water, heterozoan dominated carbonate ramp to a warm‐water, metazoan‐free, homoclinal carbonate ramp following the Permian–Triassic mass extinction was the result of the combination of the loss of metazoan reef/mound builders, rapid sea‐level changes across Permian–Triassic mass extinction and profound global warming during the Early Triassic.