Magnetic polarity stratigraphy of Upper Siwalik Sub-Group, Soan Valley, Pakistan: implications for early human occupance of Asia

The results of a detailed paleomagnetic study of a 68 m section of Upper Siwalik sediments in the Soan syncline, northern Pakistan, are presented. A palaeolithic artefact and other pieces of struck quartzite were found in situ in a gritstone/conglomerate horizon near the base of the section. Incremental thermal demagnetization was used to remove later magnetic overprints in these sediments, since alternating field demagnetization was shown to be inappropriate. With the exception of the lowest stratigraphic level, the Upper Siwalik sediments examined in the Riwat section show reverse polarity magnetization. The declination values are consistent with a 16° (±4°) counterclockwise rotation of the Soan syncline tectonic block since deposition of the sediments. On the basis of the palaeomagnetic analyses and the tectonic and stratigraphic context of the section, our current best estimate of the age of the artefact-bearing horizon is 2.0 ± 0.2Ma.     

Magnetostratigraphic reinvestigation of the Palaeocene/Eocene boundary interval in Hole 690B, Maud Rise, Antarctica

Hole 690B, drilled on Maud Rise near Antarctica, provides one of the most important Palaeocene/Eocene boundary interval sections. Magnetostratigraphy plays a key role in dating Palaeocene/Eocene boundary events, but there are two problems with the published scheme in Hole 690B. The first concerns major mismatches of several magnetozones and biozones in the succession. The second is an unexplained pervasive declination cluster, which should not be present in these azimuthally unoriented piston cores. To resolve these issues, a palaeomagnetic reinvestigation was carried out on 98 specimens from 12 cores through the upper Palaeocene–middle Eocene section in Hole 690B.
The bulk of the samples carry an approximately uniformly directed magnetically hard component resulting in a declination cluster effectively identical to that of the earlier study. The spurious magnetization can be explained either as an 'inward-radial magnetization' or as a 'core-split overprint'. By estimating the extent of the overprint within each sample, it has been possible to construct a filtered magnetostratigraphy for the section. The result is that many of the magnetozone–biozone mismatches are eliminated, and the record of the 2.5 Myr Chron C24r, which brackets the various events associated with the Palaeocene/Eocene boundary, is considerably cleaner. It is not possible to define the upper and lower boundaries of this magnetochron, so we recommend that the dating of the events within this section be based on the biostratigraphy only.     

Magnetic fabric results from DSDP Holes 380A (Black Sea) and 524 (South Atlantic) sediment cores: A case study for the comparison between low and high field torque magnetometer measurements

Magnetic fabric (anisotropy) measurements have been made on samples of Quaternary sediments from DSDP Hole 380A (Black Sea) and Tertiary and Cretaceous nannofossil oozes, marls and volcanoclastic sandstones from the Southeast flank of the Walvis Ridge at Hole 524, recovered during Legs 42B and 73 of the International Program of Ocean Drilling (IPOD). The fabric was determined by means of both a low field and a high field torque magnetometer.The overall results from the low field measurements are similar to those from the high field measurements. The results from both sets of measurements indicate the existence of a NE-SW lineation at Hole 380A and a NW-SE lineation at Hole 524. For Hole 380A some of the individual parameters show slight differences in values for the low field and high field torque measurements while for Hole 524 these individual parameters compare favourably and indicate an approximately one-to-one correspondence. In general the fabric is better defined at Hole 524 than at Hole 380A. Anisotropy measurements sometimes were found to be greatly affected by the shape of the sample. This apparent shape-effect appears to be more prevalent in the high field than in the low field measurements. In addition, for Holes 380A and 524 some samples show deformational-style fabric characteristics on one instrument and depositional-style characteristics on the other. The reasons for these differences and how the effects on the anisotropy data can be removed or minimised are described in this paper.     

Ecosystem modelling in the southern Benguela: comparisons of Atlantis,Ecopath with Ecosim,and OSMOSE under fishing scenarios

Ecosystem-based management of marine fisheries requires the use of simulation modelling to investigate the system-level impact of candidate fisheries management strategies. However, testing of fundamental assumptions such as system structure or process formulations is rarely done. In this study, we compare the output of three different ecosystem models (Atlantis, Ecopath with Ecosim, and OSMOSE) applied to the same ecosystem (the southern Benguela), to explore which ecosystem effects of fishing are most sensitive to model uncertainty. We subjected the models to two contrasting fishing pressure scenarios, applying high fishing pressure to either small pelagic fish or to adult hake. We compared the resulting model behaviour at a system level, and also at the level of model groups. We analysed the outputs in terms of various commonly used ecosystem indicators, and found some similarities in the overall behaviour of the models, despite major differences in model formulation and assumptions. Direction of change in system-level indicators was consistent for all models under the hake pressure scenario, although discrepancies emerged under the small-pelagic-fish scenario. Studying biomass response of individual model groups was key to understanding more integrated system-level metrics. All three models are based on existing knowledge of the system, and the convergence of model results increases confidence in the robustness of the model outputs. Points of divergence in the model results suggest important areas of future study. The use of feeding guilds to provide indicators for fish species at an aggregated level was explored, and proved to be an interesting alternative to aggregation by trophic level.