Textural and micro-analytical insights into mafic–felsic interactions during the Oruanui eruption,Taupo

Quenched juvenile mafic inclusions (enclaves) are an occasional but informative component in the deposits of large felsic eruptions. Typically, the groundmasses of these inclusions rapidly crystallize as the mafic magma is chilled against a more voluminous, cooler felsic host, providing a physical and chemical record of the nature and timing of mafic–felsic interactions. We examine mafic inclusions of two compositional lineages (tholeiitic and calc-alkaline) from deposits of the 25.4 ka Oruanui eruption (Taupo, New Zealand). 2-D quantitative textural data from analysis of back-scattered electron images reveal a marked diversity in the groundmass textures of the inclusions, including median crystal sizes (amphibole: 14–45 µm; plagioclase: 21–75 µm) and aspect ratios (amphibole: 1.7–4.2; plagioclase: 2.1–4.0), area number densities (amphibole: 122–2660 mm^?2; plagioclase: 117–2990 mm^?2), area fractions (?) of minerals (?_plag?=?23–45%, ?_amph?=?0–28%, ?_cpx?=?0–6%, ?_oxides?=?0.6–5.5%), and the relative abundance of plagioclase and amphibole (?_plag/?_amph?=?1.0–4.6). Textural parameters vary more significantly within, rather than between, the two compositional lineages, and in some cases show marked variations across individual clasts, implying that each inclusion’s cooling history, rather than bulk composition, was the dominant control on textural development. Groundmass mineral compositions are also diverse both within and between inclusions (e.g. plagioclase from An_34–92, with typical intra-clast variability of ~?20 mol%), and do not correlate with bulk chemistry. Diverse groundmass textures and mineral and glass chemistries are inferred to reflect complex interplay of a range of factors including the degree and rate of undercooling, bulk composition, water content and, possibly, intensive variables. Our data are inconsistent with breakup of a crystallizing ponded mafic layer at the base of the Oruanui melt-dominant body, instead implying that each inclusion partially crystallized as a discrete body with a unique cooling history. Extensive ingestion of mush-derived macro-crystals suggests that mechanical breakup of mafic feeder dikes occurred within a transition zone between the mush and melt-dominant magma body. In this zone, the mush lacked yield strength, as has been inferred from field studies of narrow (meters to few tens of meters) mush-melt transition zones preserved in composite intrusions. Evidence for plastic deformation of inclusions during eruption and the abundance of fresh residual glass in inclusions from all eruptive phases suggest that the inclusions formed syn-eruptively, and must have been formed recurrently at multiple stages throughout the eruption.     

The stratigraphical signature of the Anthropocene in England and its wider context

The Anthropocene deposits of England, here regarded as those formed after ～1950 CE, are now extensive, take various forms, and may be characterized and recognized by a number of stratigraphic signals, such as artificial radionuclides, pesticide residues, microplastics, enhanced fly ash levels, concrete fragments and a novel variety of ‘technofossils’ and neobiotic species. They include the uppermost parts of both ‘natural’ deposits such as the sediment layers formed in lakes and estuaries, and more directly human-made or human-influenced ones such as landfill deposits and the ‘artificial ground’ beneath urban areas and around major constructions. ‘Negative deposits’ include the worked areas of quarries and regions such as the English Fenland, where thick peat deposits have ablated to leave a strongly modified underlying landscape, and extend beneath into the subterranean realm as mine workings, metro systems and boreholes. The production of these is still rapidly increasing and evolving in character, while the early signs of global change, such as warming, sea level rise, and modifications to biotic assemblages, are beginning to further modify the emerging geology of this new phase of Earth history.     

Late Pleistocene and Holocene Afromontane vegetation and headwater wetland dynamics within the Eastern Mau Forest,Kenya

The Mau Forest Complex is Kenya's largest fragment of Afromontane forest, providing critical ecosystem services, and has been subject to intense land use changes since colonial times. It forms the upper catchment of rivers that drain into major drainage networks, thus supporting the livelihoods of millions of Kenyans and providing important wildlife areas. We present the results of a sedimentological and palynological analysis of a Late Pleistocene–Holocene sediment record of Afromontane forest change from Nyabuiyabui wetland in the Eastern Mau Forest, a highland region that has received limited geological characterization and palaeoecological study. Sedimentology, pollen, charcoal, X-ray fluorescence and radiocarbon data record environmental and ecosystem change over the last ~16 000 cal a bp. The pollen record suggests Afromontane forests characterized the end of the Late Pleistocene to the Holocene with dominant taxa changing from Apodytes, Celtis, Dracaena, Hagenia and Podocarpus to Cordia, Croton, Ficus, Juniperus and Olea. The Late Holocene is characterized by a more open Afromontane forest with increased grass and herbaceous cover. Continuous Poaceae, Cyperaceae and Juncaceae vegetation currently cover the wetland and the water level has been decreasing over the recent past. Intensive agroforestry since the 1920s has reduced Afromontane forest cover as introduced taxa have increased (Pinus, Cupressus and Eucalyptus).     

Review: Theory-guided machine learning applied to hydrogeology—state of the art,opportunities and future challenges

Hydrogeology Journal - Thanks to recent technological advances, hydrogeologists now have access to large amounts of data acquired in real time. Processing these data using traditional modelling...     

A Critical Comparison of Three Methods for Time-Lapse Time-Shift Calculation

Time-shift, one of the most popular time-lapse seismic attributes, has been widely used in dynamic reservoir characterization by linking it with pressure and geomechanical changes. Therefore, it is important to select appropriate calculation methods according to different time-lapse seismic data quality and time-shift magnitude. To date, there have been various published works comparing different time-shift calculation methods and discussing their advantages and disadvantages. However, most of these comparisons are based only on synthetic tests or single field applications. As the quality of time-lapse seismic data and time-shift magnitude can vary in different fields, one method may not work consistently well for each case. In this paper, a critical comparison of three different time-shift calculation techniques (Hale’s fast cross-correlation, Rickett’s non-linear inversion, and Whitcombe’s correlated leakage method) is provided. The three methods are applied to a set of synthetic data sets that are designed to account for various seismic noise and time-shift magnitudes. They are also applied to four real time-lapse seismic data sets from three North Sea fields. The calculated time-shift results are compared with the input (in synthetic tests) or the real observations from information such as seabed subsidence and compaction (in field applications). Both qualitative and quantitative comparisons are performed. At the end, each of the time-shift methods is evaluated based on different aspects, and the most appropriate method is suggested for each data scenario. All three time-shift methods are found to successfully measure time-shifts. However, Rickett’s non-linear inversion is the most outstanding method, as it gives smooth time-shifts with relatively good accuracy, and the derived time strains are more stable and interpretable.

     

平面SV波入射下半圆凸起地形地表运动解析解

采用波函数展开法,并借助辅助函数思想,给出了平面SV波入射下半圆凸起地形地表运动的一个解析解,并对解答的收敛性和截断计算精度进行了检验;最后通过若干算例分析了入射频率和入射角度以及凸起地形宽度对地表运动的影响. 数值结果表明,凸起地形对入射SV波具有显著的放大作用, 该放大作用可达自由场的4倍以上. 当入射频率较低时, 位移峰值多位于半空间地表; 而当入射频率较高时,位移峰值多位于凸起地形表面.      

An interpretation of wave refraction and its influence on foreshore sediment distribution

To analyze the grain size and depositional environment of the foreshore sediments, a study was undertaken on wave refraction along the wide sandy beaches of central Tamil Nadu coast. The nearshore waves approach the coast at 45° during the northeast(NE) monsoon, at 135° during the southwest(SW) monsoon and at 90° during the non-monsoon or fair-weather period with a predominant wave period of 8 and 10 s. A computer based wave refraction pattern is constructed to evaluate the trajectories of shoreward propagating waves along the coast in different seasons. The convergent wave rays during NE monsoon, leads to high energy wave condition which conveys a continuous erosion at foreshore region while divergent and inept condition of rays during the SW and non-monsoon, leads to moderate and less energy waves that clearly demarcates the rebuilt beach sediments through littoral sediment transport. The role of wave refraction in foreshore deposits was understood by grain size and depositional environment analysis. The presence of fine grains with the mixed population, during the NE monsoon reveals that the high energy wave condition and sediments were derived from beach and river environment. Conversely, the presence of medium grains with uniform population, during SW and non-monsoon attested less turbulence and sediments were derived from prolong propagation of onshore-offshore wave process.These upshots are apparently correlated with the in situ beach condition. On the whole, from this study it is understood that beaches underwent erosion during the NE monsoon and restored its original condition during the SW and non-monsoon seasons that exposed the stability of the beach and nearshore condition.     

Systematic marine conservation planning in data-poor regions: Socioeconomic data is essential

Systematic planning for conservation is highly regarded but relies on spatially explicit data that are lacking in many areas of conservation concern. The decision support tool Marxan is applied to a reef system in the central Philippines where 30 marine protected areas (MPAs) have been established in communities without much use of biophysical data. The intent was to explore how Marxan might assist with the legally required expansion to protect 15% of marine waters, and how existing MPAs might affect that process. Results show that biophysical information alone did not provide much guidance in identifying patterns of conservation importance in areas where the data are poor. Socioeconomic data were needed to distinguish among possible areas for protection; but here, as elsewhere in marine environments, the availability of such data was very limited. In the final analysis, local knowledge and integrated understanding of socioeconomic realities may offer the best spatially explicit information. The 30 existing MPAs, which encompassed a small proportion of the reef system, did not limit future options in developing a suite of MPAs on a broader scale. Rather, they appeared to generate the support for MPAs that is obligatory for any larger zoning effort. In summary, establishing MPAs based on community-driven criteria has biological and social value, but efforts should be made to collect ecological and socioeconomic data to guide the continued creation of MPAs.     

Partially standing wave measurement in the presence of steady current by use of coincident velocity and/or pressure data

In recent years, instrumentation for field flow measurements has become more and more sophisticated. In particular, local pressure and velocity are measured at frequency rates up to at least 2 Hz, which gives information on wave energy. The present work describes the methods for partially standing wave measurement in the presence of current by use of coincident measurements of both horizontal velocity and pressure, or vertical velocity. Reflection calculated from either coincident horizontal and vertical velocities or three-gauge methods are compared. They are based on existing experiments carried out in an ocean wave basin for both regular and irregular waves in the presence of current. Applications to field measurements, out of and in the breaking zones are then presented. In the nearshore, coincident horizontal and vertical velocities far from the bottom, and coincident horizontal velocity and pressure close to the bottom give relevant information concerning partially standing waves.