Regolith Surface Reflectance: A New Attempt to Model

The reflectance coefficient of the regolith layer of celestial bodies has been studied in relation to the physical properties of regolith particles (size, refractive index, and packing density) on the basis of an accurate numerical radiative-transfer algorithm for a semi-infinite flat layer. Using the geometric-optics approximation, we have found that a shape mixture of randomly oriented spheroids can successfully model the single-scattering phase function of independent soil grains. In order to take into account the effect of packing density in a regolith layer, the concept of the so-called static structure factor was used. The main effect of increasing packing density is to suppress the forward-scattering peak of the phase function and to increase the albedo of the reflecting surface. We also investigated the influence of fine dust on the reflected light. An addition of small particles not only increases the surface albedo, but also changes the brightness profile and enhances the backscattering. Although the problem of unique solution, which is inherent in the retrieval of the properties of a medium from the measurements of the intensity of light scattered by this media, cannot be removed in the proposed model, the procedure used here, in contrast to widely used approximations, allows us to fit observational data with a set of real characteristics of the regolith. Semiempirical approaches are able to fit the measurements well with a small number of free parameters, but they do not explicitly contain crucial physical characteristics of the regolith such as grain sizes or the refractive index. We compared the numerical solution of the radiative-transfer equation with the Hapke approximation, which is most often used by investigators. The errors introduced by the Hapke model are small only for near-isotropic scattering by isolated particles. However, independent regolith grains are known to scatter light mainly in the forward direction.     

Photometric lightcurves of 21 asteroids

Forty-three lightcurves of 21 asteroids obtained in Arizona between 1968 and 1978 are presented with a brief discussion of each. Included are four asteroids not previously observed: 34 Circe, 138 Tolosa, 162 Laurentia, and 1058 Grubba. Rotation periods are at least 12 hr for Circe, either 6.42 or 12.98 hrs for Laurentia, and more than 18 hr for Grubba. Magnitudes and colors for 12 of the asteroids are given. It appears that 10 Hygiea has lightcurves which sometimes have two maxima per rotation cycle and sometimes three. A strong relation between amplitude and solar phase angle is seen for 39 Laetitia. The first direct evidence of an opposition effect for 89 Julia is given. 511 Davida is discussed in an effort to understand the pole orientation using photometric astrometry.     

Evidence for a small,high-Z,iron-like solar core

Radial and nonradial oscillation equations without and with the gravitation perturbation (with and without the Cowling approximation, CA) are solved numerically using the profile from a more accurate high-Z core (HZC) solar model. This more accurate HZC model was generated with the CRAY X-MP/48 supercomputer at the San Diego Supercomputer Center. Frequencies of oscillation in the five-min band (5MB) and frequencies with period near 160 min are presented in tables and plotted in echelle diagrams. The model was generated by integrating the stellar structure equations from the center to he surface, as done in Rouse (1964), using a maximum space step, ;x _m = 5 × 10^–4, decreasing to 10^–6 in the hydrogenionization zone just below the photosphere. Two subsets of space mesh points are used to calculate the oscillation frequencies, viz., one with a maximum space step of 5 × 10^–3, decreasing to 10^–6 with a total of 621 points (mesh 5I) and the other with a maximum space step of 2 × 10^–3, with a total of 867 points (mesh 5J).With the surface boundary condition applied at x = 1.0, the l – 1 degree nonradial frequencies with CA and the l-degree frequencies without CA are in very good agreement with the frequency spacings for observed frequencies of oscillation labeled l = 1 to 5, but with the l – 1 frequencies with CA about 10 Hz or so less than the observations and the l frequencies without CA about 10 Hz or so greater than the observations. And for the Duvall and Harvey (1983) observations labeled l = 10 and l = 20, the l = 9 and l = 19 nonradial solutions with CA agree to about 5 Hz or less with the observations. Considering from the two preceeding papers in this series that increasing the density in the outer envelope and photosphere will increase the 5MB frequencies and applying the outer boundary condition at x > 1.0 will decrease the 5MB frequencies, the net affects of such changes could move one or the other set of frequencies closer to the observations — or require a slightly different model structure to obtain accurate agreements with the values of the observed frequencies throughout the 5MB.In either case, it is concluded that the first-order, radially-symmetric structure of the model outside the HZC is close to the structure of the real Sun. This is of fundamental importance because a real gas adiabatic temperature gradient (Rouse, 1964, 1971) is used in the outer convective region without free parameters.Other aspects of agreements and differences between radial and nonradial solutions, with CA and without CA are discussed. In particular, the l = 4, 6, 8, and 9 g-mode solutions with CA indicate that the observed 160.01 min period may be a common l-mode period of oscillation. More research is proposed.     

Organic carbon deposition and phosphorus accumulation during Oceanic Anoxic Event 2 in Tarfaya, Morocco

With a multi-proxy approach, an attempt was made to constrain productivity and bottom-water redox conditions and their effects on the phosphorus accumulation rate at the Mohammed Plage section on the Tarfaya coast, Morocco, during the Cenomanian-Turonian Anoxic Event (OAE 2). A distinct δ¹³C_org isotope excursion of +2.5‰ occurs close to the top of the section. The unusually abrupt shift of the isotope excursion and disappearance of several planktonic foraminiferal species (e.g. Rotalipora cushmani and Rotalipora greenhornensis) in this level suggests a hiatus of between 40–60 kyrs at the excursion onset. Nevertheless, it was possible to determine both the long-term environmental history as well as the processes that took place immediately prior to and during OAE 2. TOC% values increase gradually from the base of the section to the top (from 2.5% to 10%). This is interpreted as the consequence of a long-term eustatic sea-level rise and subsidence causing the encroachment of less oxic waters into the Tarfaya Basin. Similarly a reduction in the mineralogically constructed ‘detrital index’ can be explained by the decrease in the continental flux of terrigenous material due to a relative sea-level rise. A speciation of phosphorus in the upper part of the section, which spans the start and mid-stages of OAE 2, shows overall higher abundances of P_reactive mass accumulation rates before the isotope excursion onset and lower values during the plateau. Due to the probable short hiatus, the onset of the decrease in phosphorus content relative to the isotope excursion is uncertain, although the excursion plateau already contains lower concentrations. The C_org/P_total and V/Al ratios suggest that this reduction was mostly likely caused by a decrease in the available bottom oxygen content (probably as a result of higher productivity) and a corresponding fall in the phosphorus retention ability of the sediment. Productivity appears to have remained high during the isotope plateau possibly due to a combination of ocean-surface fertilisation via increased aridity (increased K/Al and Ti/Al ratios) and/or higher dissolved inorganic phosphorus content in the water column as a result of the decrease in sediment P retention. The evidence for decreased P-burial has been observed in many other palaeoenvironments during OAE 2. Tarfaya's unique upwelling paleosituation provides strong evidence that the nutrient recycling was a global phenomenon and therefore a critical factor in starting and sustaining OAE 2.     

Biotite weathering and nutrient uptake by ectomycorrhizal fungus, Suillus tomentosus, in liquid-culture experiments

Ectomycorrhiza-forming fungi (EMF) alter the nutrient-acquisition capabilities of vascular plants, and may play an important role in mineral weathering and the partitioning of products of weathering in soils under nutrient-limited conditions. In this study, we isolated the weathering function of Suillus tomentosus in liquid-cultures with biotite micas incubated at room temperature. We hypothesized that the fungus would accelerate weathering by hyphal attachment to biotite surfaces and transmission of nutrient cations via direct exchange into the fungal biomass. We combined a mass-balance approach with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) to estimate weathering rates and study dissolution features on biotite surfaces. Weathering of biotite flakes was about 2-3 orders of magnitude faster in shaken liquid-cultures with fungus compared to shaken controls without fungus, but with added inorganic acids. Adding fungus in nonshaken cultures caused a higher dissolution rate than in inorganic pH controls without fungus, but it was not significantly faster than organic pH controls without fungus. The K⁺, Mg²⁺ and Fe²⁺ from biotite were preferentially partitioned into fungal biomass in the shaken cultures, while in the nonshaken cultures, K⁺ and Mg²⁺ was lost from biomass and Fe²⁺ bioaccumulated much less. Fungal hyphae attached to biotite surfaces, but no significant surface changes were detected by SEM. When cultures were shaken, the AFM images of basal planes appeared to be rougher and had abundant dissolution channels, but such channel development was minor in nonshaken conditions. Even under shaken conditions the channels only accounted for only 1/100 of the total dissolution rate of 2.7 × 10⁻¹⁰ mol of biotite m⁻² s⁻¹. The results suggest that fungal weathering predominantly occurred not by attachment and direct transfer of nutrients via hyphae, but because of the acidification of the bulk liquid by organic acids, fungal respiration (CO₂), and complexation of cations which accelerated dissolution of biotite. Results further suggest that both carbohydrate source (abundant here) and a host with which nutrients are exchanged (missing here) may be required for EMF to exert an important weathering effect in soils. Unsaturated conditions and physical dispersal of nutrient-rich minerals in soils may also confer a benefit for hyphal growth and attachment, and promote the attachment-mediated weathering which has been observed elsewhere on soil mineral surfaces.     

Phase Relations and Melting of Anhydrous K-bearing Eclogite from 1200 to 1600{degrees}C and 3 to 5 GPa

To investigate eclogite melting under mantle conditions, wehave performed a series of piston-cylinder experiments usinga homogeneous synthetic starting material (GA2) that is representativeof altered mid-ocean ridge basalt. Experiments were conductedat pressures of 3·0, 4·0 and 5·0 GPa andover a temperature range of 1200–1600°C. The subsolidusmineralogy of GA2 consists of garnet and clinopyroxene withminor quartz–coesite, rutile and feldspar. Solidus temperaturesare located at 1230°C at 3·0 GPa and 1300°C at5·0 GPa, giving a steep solidus slope of 30–40°C/GPa.Melting intervals are in excess of 200°C and increase withpressure up to 5·0 GPa. At 3·0 GPa feldspar, rutileand quartz are residual phases up to 40°C above the solidus,whereas at higher pressures feldspar and rutile are rapidlymelted out above the solidus. Garnet and clinopyroxene are theonly residual phases once melt fractions exceed 20% and garnetis the sole liquidus phase over the investigated pressure range.With increasing melt fraction garnet and clinopyroxene becomeprogressively more Mg-rich, whereas coexisting melts vary fromK-rich dacites at low degrees of melting to basaltic andesitesat high melt fractions. Increasing pressure tends to increasethe jadeite and Ca-eskolaite components in clinopyroxene andenhance the modal proportion of garnet at low melt fractions,which effects a marked reduction in the Al₂O₃ and Na₂O contentof the melt with pressure. In contrast, the TiO₂ and K₂O contentsof the low-degree melts increase with increasing pressure; thusNa₂O and K₂O behave in a contrasted manner as a function ofpressure. Altered oceanic basalt is an important component ofcrust returned to the mantle via plate subduction, so GA2 maybe representative of one of many different mafic lithologiespresent in the upper mantle. During upwelling of heterogeneousmantle domains, these mafic rock-types may undergo extensivemelting at great depths, because of their low solidus temperaturescompared with mantle peridotite. Melt batches may be highlyvariable in composition depending on the composition and degreeof melting of the source, the depth of melting, and the degreeof magma mixing. Some of the eclogite-derived melts may alsoreact with and refertilize surrounding peridotite, which itselfmay partially melt with further upwelling. Such complex magma-genesisconditions may partly explain the wide spectrum of primitivemagma compositions found within oceanic basalt suites. KEY WORDS: eclogite; experimental petrology; mafic magmatism; mantle melting; oceanic basalts     

Alterations in hepatic metallothionein content in perch, Perca fluviatilis, environmentally exposed to cadmium

During recent years laboratory studies have demonstrated the presence of metallothionein in several species of teleosts.^1–3 The role of metallothionein (MT) in protection against cadmium toxicity has been investigated by exposing fish to high levels of cadmium in the water.^4–6 So far, however, few field studies have focused on the existence of MT and its role in subcellular distribution of cadmium.⁷ In the present study the synthesis of MT as a possible mechanism by which perch adapt to cadmium contamination was investigated in a wild population of perch. An increased MT content of perch liver was found to correlate to an increase in cadmium present in the liver.     

The buckling of a corrugated carbon fibre cylinder under external hydrostatic pressure

A theoretical and an experimental investigation was carried out, where a carbon fibre corrugated circular cylinder was tested to destuction under external hydrostatic pressure. The theoretical investigation was via the finite element method, where the structure was modelled with several orthotropic axisymmetric thin-walled shell elements. The experimental observations were aided with strategically placed strain gauges. Comparison between theory and experiment showed that the experimentally observed buckling pressure was a little lower than the theoretical prediction. This may have been due to the fact that the model had slight initial geometrical imperfections in the circumferenential direction.     

An evaluation of temperature scales for silica diagenesis in diatomaceous sequences including a new approach based on the Miocene Monterey Formation,California

Geologic relations indicate that silica phases transformed in the Monterey Formation in two zones that persist over a narrow depth/temperature range and do not stratigraphically overlap. The wide and overlapping range of reported temperatures of these transformations is mainly a result of the many uncertainties inherent in the different methods used to estimate temperature and does not indicate that phases transform throughout these ranges. Our approach to a reliable temperature scale for silica diagenesis combines as empirical zonation of silica phases with temperature calibration from a sequence at maximum temperature and depth of burial.     

黄河口及渤海中南部沉积物工程特性及其机理

采用Ｋａｓｔｅｎ取样器从黄河口及渤海湾中南部海底沉积物中取样，对样品通过土工性质、微结构研究以及粘土矿物分析，阐明本研究区三维空间展布的海底沉积物形成机理及其工程地质规律，论证水动力作用和斜坡不稳定性对工程特性和微结构的重要影响．