The contact binary system YY Eri

Relatively new and unanalysed photometric data-sets of the contact binary system YY Eri are presented. The light curves have been analysed using information limit optimization techniques, and the Binary Maker program of Bradstreet (1992).Comparison of the results allows insight into determinacy questions affecting the W UMa type of light curve, which relates to our general understanding of contact binaries. A limiting contact configuration cannot be ruled out on the basis of empirical data-analysis alone.Very careful analysis of the photospheric flux distribution over the surface of the Sun may help establish appropriate values of the gravity brightening parameter for cool dwarf stars. At present, however, empirical photometric information on contact binaries is non-discriminatory: i.e. alternative cosmogonies can find alternative support from available evidence. The implication is then for more and better observational data to allow better real independent parameter determination.     

Red dust rain within the Spanish Mediterranean area

Dust rain belongs to the climatological conditions of the Iberian Peninsula's Mediterranean seaboard. Traditionally known as muddy' or bloody rains, red dust rain has become a topical issue as a result of more frequent rainfall of this kind in recent years. In spite of the difficulties that studying this phenomenon involves, owing to the lack of systematically kept records at meteorological observatories, details are provided of the high frequency of such phenomena within the Spanish Mediterranean area, using records from other phenological sources. The study analyzes the chemical composition of red dust rain and the atmospheric factors giving rise to such phenomena. Whether there is a relationship betwen the higher frequency of dust rain and possible changes in global atmospheric circulation is as yet unclear.     

Evolution of cool skin and direct air-sea gas transfer coefficient during daytime

Absorption of solar radiation within the thermal molecular sublayer of the ocean can modify the temperature difference across the cool skin as well as the air-sea gas transfer. Our model of renewal type is based on the assumption that the thermal and diffusive molecular sublayers below the ocean surface undergo cyclic growth and destruction, the heat and gas transfer between the successive burst events are performed by molecular diffusion. The model has been upgraded to include heating due to solar radiation. The renewal time is parameterized as a function of the surface Richardson number and the Keulegan number. A Rayleigh number criterion characterizes the convective instability of the cool skin under solar heating. Under low wind speed conditions, the solar heating can damp the convective instability, strongly increasing the renewal time and correspondingly decreasing the interfacial gas exchange. In the ocean, an additional convective instability caused by salinity flux due to evaporation becomes of importance in such cases. The new parameterization is compared with the cool skin data obtained in the western equatorial Pacific during the Tropical Ocean Global Atmosphere Coupled Ocean Atmosphere Response Experiment in February 1993. In combination with a model of the diurnal thermocline it describes main features of the field data both in nighttime and daytime. Under low wind speed conditions (< 5 m s^-1) diurnal variations of the sea surface temperature due to the formation of a diurnal thermocline were substantially larger than those across the cool skin. Under wind speeds > 5 m s^-1, diurnal variations of the surface temperature due to the variations of the thermal molecular sublayer become more important.     

On AGV's navigation in 3-dimensional space

This paper deals with position estimation and path control for Autonomous Guided Vehicles (AGV). To enable a vehicle or a mobile robot in following a continuous virtual path without human control, these techniques play an important role. The relationship between the vehicle's motion in 3-dimensional space and the shape of a curved surface is described. In particular, the introduction of a digital terrain model in dead reckoning is considered. Moreover, a possible nonlinear control is developed based on curvilinear path coordinates, and the proof for global stability is given. To achieve general validity, these topics are treated here independently of the cart's special mechanization (the configuration of steered wheels and driven wheels). Simulation studies are presented to illustrate the investigations.     

The shoshonite porphyry Cu-Au association in the Goonumbla District,N.S.W., Australia

Summary The Goonumbla porphyry copper-gold deposit in N.S.W., Australia, is hosted by late Ordovician (439.2 ± 1.2 Ma)shoshonitic igneous rocks. In terms of their petrography, the rocks vary from andesitic to dacitic lavas and tuffs which are partly intruded by monzonite stocks; they are characterized by high and variable Al₂O₃ (13.4–19.9 wt%), very high K₂O values (up to 6.8 wt%), and high K₂O/Na₂O ratios (0.58–1.48), which are typical for the shoshonite association. The rocks also have enriched LILE concentrations (Ba up to 1200 ppm, Sr up to 1350 ppm), low HFSE (TiO₂ < 0.67 wt%, Zr < 125 ppm, Nb < 10 ppm, Hf < 3.4 ppm), and very low LREE (La < 22.4 ppm, Ce < 31 ppm), which are typical for potassic volcanic rocks formed in alate oceanic-arc setting.Mineral chemistry of selected magmatic mica and apatite phenocrysts from host rocks reveals relatively high SrO and BaO contents (micas: 0.15 wt% and up to 0.28 wt%, respectively; apatites: up to 0.28 wt% and 0.19 wt%, respectively) and very high halogen concentrations. Micas are characterized by up to 3.9 wt% F and 0.14 wt% Cl, whereas apatites have up to 3.6 wt% F and 0.68 wt% Cl. These very high halogen contents compared to those from barren intrusions imply that the shoshonitic magmatism was the source of mineralization.Copper-gold mineralization consists mainly of bornite, chalcopyrite, chalcocite and minor pyrite and tetrahedrite. Native gold occurs mainly as minute grains within silicates of the host rocks, and more rarely as fine inclusions in the sulphides. Mineralization is accompanied by wallrock alteration comprising a spatially restricted potassic type and a regional propylitic alteration type.Thus, the porphyry copper-gold deposit in the Goonumbla district can be viewed as an additional example of a worldwide association between potassic/shoshonitic magmatism and base- and precious-metal mineralization. More specifically, it appears to be the oldest recorded example of a shoshontie-associated porphyry Cu-Au deposit from a late oceanic-arc setting, a possible modern analogue being Ladolam at Lihir Island, Papua New Guinea

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Die Shoshonit Porphyry Cu-Au Assoziation im Goonumbla Distrikt, N.S.W., Australien

Zusammenfassung Die Porphyry Cu-Au Vererzung im Goonumbla Distrikt in New South Wales, Australien, sitzt in oberordovizischen (ca. 439.2 ± 1.2 Ma) Shoshoniten auf. Das petrographische Spektrum dieser Gesteine reicht von andesitischen bis dazitischen Laven und Tuffen, die lokal von Monzonit-Stöcken intrudiert werden; die Gesteine besitzen hohe, aber variable Al₂O₃ Gehalte (13.4–19.9 Gew%), sehr hohe K₂O Gehalte (bis zu 6.8 Gew%) und hohe K₂O/Na₂O Verhältnisse (0.58–1.48), die typisch sind für Shoshonite. Außerdem weisen sie hohe Konzentrationen an LILE Elementen (Ba bis 1200 ppm, Sr bis 1350 ppm) auf und geringe Konzentrationen an HFSE (TiO₂ < 0.67 Gew%, Zr < 125 ppm, Nb < 10 ppm, Hf < 3.4 ppm) sowie an LREE (La < 22.4 ppm, Ce < 31 ppm), die als typisch gelten für potassische Vulkanite von ozeanischen Plattengrenzen.Die Mineralchemie von repräsentativen Glimmer- und Apatit-Phänokristallen ist charakterisiert durch hohe SrO und BaO Gehalte (Glimmer: 0.15 Gew%, bzw. bis 0.28 Gew%; Apatite: bis 0.28 Gew%, bzw. 0.19 Gew%). Sie enthalten ferner sehr hohe Halogen-Konzentrationen. Die Glimmer enthalten beispielsweise bis zu 3.9 Gew% F und 0.14 Gew% Cl, während Apatite bis zu 3.6 Gew% F und 0.68 Gew% Ci aufweisen. Dies erscheint nicht ungewöhnlich, weil Glimmer und Apatite von vererzten Mag matiten zumeist deutlich höhere Halogengehalte besitzen, als solche von unvererzten Magmatiten. Die hohen Halogen-Gehalte in Phänokristallen aus den Shoshoniten legen nahe, die Vulkanite als den Ursprung der Vererzung zu interpretieren.Die Cu-Au Vererzung besteht überwiegend aus den Sulfiden Bornit, Kupferkies, Kupferglanz und vereinzelt auftretendem Pyrit und Tetrahedrit. Gediegen Gold wird in der Regel nur als kleine Partikel innerhalb von Silikaten der shoshonitischen Wirtsgesteine und seltener als feine Einschlüsse in Sulfiden gefunden.Die Vererzung wird von hydrothermaler Alteration der Wirtsgesteine begleitet und zwei Alterationsarten lassen sich unterscheiden: eine potassische sowie eine regional zu beobachtende propylitische Alteration.Die Porphyry Cu-Au Lagerstätte im Goonumbla Gebiet ist ein Beispiel für die weltweit beobachtete Assoziation von Bunt- und Edelmetallvererzungen und potassisch/shoshonitischem Magmatismus. Der Goonumbla Distrikt stellt die älteste bisher bekannte Porphyry Cu-Au Lagerstätte aus einerspätgenetischen ozeanischen Plattengrenze dar. Einmodernes Beispiel für eine Cu-Au Lagerstätte vergleichbaren Typs ist Ladolam auf Lihir Island, Papua New Guinea.

     

Early Cretaceous volcaniclastic and quartzose sandstones from north central Nepal: composition,sedimentology and geotectonic significance

Early Cretaceous sandstones and shales from the Thakkhola region (Chukh and Tangbe Formations) were deposited on the subsiding northern (Tethyan) margin of Gondwana; current directions indicate a source area to the south. Whereas the Berriasian Chukh Formation is dominated by quartz arenites, volcaniclastic sandstones and minor conglomerates dominate the Tangbe Formation of Valanginian to Aptian age. Upsection, the composition of the volcaniclastic components changes from mainly basaltic to dominantly dacitic/rhyolitic. Magmatism was preceded and accompanied by strong uplift in the source area of the Chukh and Tangbe clastics, resulting in the erosion of probably more than several hundred meters of pre-Cretaceous sedimentary, metamorphic and plutonic rocks. A geochemical whole rock analysis of basaltic pebble fragments shows their alkaline character and suggests a within-plate geotectonic setting for the volcanic source. This volcanotectonic event is probably related to rifting between Australia and Greater India, where seafloor spreading began in late Valanginian/Hauterivian times.     

Upper Silesia,a forgotten region in Central Europe

On the map of Europe, forming the south-western border region of Poland, is to be found the name Silesia, with in many cases its southern part emphasized — Upper Silesia. Any search for statistics as to its exact surface area and population size will be in vain. At the end of World War I, Upper Silesia found itself squeezed between two nationalistically-obsessed peoples, and economically too attractive to both to be allowed to play an idependent political role, as it had for centuries. Upper Silesia was in 1921 divided. After World War II, under the communist centralised power system, a completely colonial robber economy was pursued. Because of the coal production there is now here one of the greatest agglomeration areas in Europe, with an ageing heavy industry and a catastropihcally damaged environment.     

The role of bathymetry and directional wave conditions on observed crescentic bar dynamics

Nearshore sandbars are important features in the surf zone of many beaches because they strongly influence the mean circulation and evolving morphology. Due to variations in wave conditions, sandbars can experience cross-shore migration and vary in shape from alongshore uniform (shore-parallel) to alongshore rhythmic (crescentic). Sandbar dynamics have been studied extensively, but existing observational studies usually do not quantify the processes leading to crescentic bar formation and straightening. This study analyses the dynamics of crescentic bar events at the fetch-limited beach of Castelldefels (northwestern Mediterranean Sea, Spain) using 7.5 years of hourly time-exposure video images and detailed wave conditions. The results show that, despite the generally calm wave conditions, the sandbars were very dynamic in the cross-shore and longshore directions. They often migrated rapidly offshore during storms (up to 70 m in one day) and more slowly onshore during post-storm conditions. Crescentic bars were often present at the study site (48% of the time), but only when the sandbar was at least 10 m from the shoreline. They displayed a large variability in wavelengths (100–700 m), alongshore migration speeds (0–50 m/day) and cross-shore amplitudes (5–20 m). Wavelengths increased for larger bar–shoreline distances and the alongshore migration speeds were strongly correlated with the alongshore component of the radiation stresses. Crescentic patterns typically developed during low–medium energetic waves with limited obliquity ( $\theta \lesssim 20$° at 10 m depth), while bar straightening occurred during medium–high energetic waves with strong oblique angles of incidence ( $\theta \gtrsim 15$°). Overall, this study provides further proof for the important role of wave direction in crescentic bar dynamics and highlights the strong dependence of crescentic bar development on the initial bathymetric configuration.     

A multifractal analysis of lidar measured water vapour

Accurate and fast-response measurements of space-time observations of specific humidity were made above a drying land surface at the University of California at Davis, using the Los Alamos water Raman-lidar. In an attempt to quantify the space-time intermittency features of turbulent flows in the lower atmosphere, a multifractal analysis of these water vapour measurements was performed. The structure of the specific humidity, (x, t), was analyzed quantifying a scalar gradient measure both in time and space, for all possible one-dimensional cuts, i.e. and . The results confirm the multifractal nature of this scalar gradient measure (a type of scalar dissipation rate) and show that humidity measurements at fixed times (x) are more intermittent (e.g. have less entropy dimension) than those at fixed locations in space (t). Similar multifractal behaviour of the spatial data, with and without a transformation from the observed wind velocities, supports the validity of Taylor's hypothesis for the studied fields.     

Ozone production due to emissions from vegetation burning

Ozone has been observed in elevated concentrations by satellites over areas previously believed to be background. There is meteorological evidence, that these ozone plumes found over the Atlantic Ocean originate from vegetation fires on the African continent.In a previous study (DECAFE-88), we have investigated ozone and assumed precursor compounds over African tropical forest regions. Our measurements revealed large photosmog layers at altitudes from 1.5 to 4 km. Both chemical and meteorological evidence point to savanna fires up to several thousand km upwind as sources.Here we describe ozone mixing ratios observed over western Africa and compare ozone production ratios from different field measurement campaigns related to vegetation burning. We find that air masses containing photosmog ingredients require several days to develop their oxidation potential, similar to what is known from air polluted by emissions from fossil fuel burning. Finally, we estimate the global ozone production due to vegetation fires and conclude that this source is comparable in strength to the stratospheric input.