The distribution of U and Pu in the St. Severin chondrite

A detailed study of the U distribution of the St. Severin chondrite has been made by fission track radiography in order to clarify the interpretation of fission Xe thermal release data in terms of the mineralogical location of the fission Xe within the meteorite. This is of importance because the ${}^{244}\text{Pu}{}^{238}\text{U}$ ratio for St. Severin has been widely adopted as the average solar system value. The U contents of the constituent minerals cannot account for the total rock U which, instead, appears to be primarily localized on grain boundaries. The greatest localizations of U are in olivine-poor, orthopyroxene-rich ‘clasts’. Our data coupled with those of Podosek (1970a) show that ²⁴⁴Pu in St. Severin was also located on grain boundaries and that the bulk of Pu and U are unfractionated within this meteorite. Due to recoil, the ²⁴⁴Pu fission Xe is found in 10 micron surface layers on major phases. Assuming that the grain boundaries (on which the Pu was located) was formed during metamorphism, the ${}^{244}\text{Pu}{}^{238}\text{U}$ ratio for St. Severin applies to a time subsequent to the textural recrystallization of the meteorite. Our data support the interpretation of Podosek and our best estimate of the solar system ${}^{244}\text{Pu}{}^{238}\text{U}$ is 0.015.     

Multi-stage hydrothermal processes involved in “low-sulfide” Cu(–Ni)–PGE mineralization in the footwall of the Sudbury Igneous Complex (Canada): Amy Lake PGE zone, East Range

The Amy Lake PGE zone is a “low-sulfide-type” Cu-(Ni-)PGE mineralization in the East Range footwall of the 1.85 Ga Sudbury Igneous Complex occurring in a 100-m-wide Sudbury Breccia belt that coincides with an impact-related major fracture zone (Bay Fault zone). Detailed hydrothermal alteration mapping, fluid inclusion, trace element, and stable isotope studies revealed a complex alteration and mineralization history in a multi-source, multi-stage Sudbury-related hydrothermal system. The two major stages of syn-Sudbury hydrothermal activity are characterized by similarly high-salinity, high-temperature fluids that are (1) locally derived from footwall granophyre bodies, and typified with high Ni/Cu and PGE/S ratios and high REE contents (magmatic–hydrothermal stage), and (2) a more voluminous Cu–Ni–PGE-rich fluid flux probably originated from the Sudbury Igneous Complex/footwall contact (hydrothermal stage). The second hydrothermal flux was introduced by brittle fractures in the area and resulted in a complex zonation of alteration assemblages and mineralization governed by local footwall composition. The Sudbury-related hydrothermal event was overprinted by shear-related epidote veining and calcite–chlorite replacement, both regionally present in the Sudbury structure. Based on analogies, the most important factors involved in the formation of hydrothermal low-sulfide mineralization are proposed to be (1) accumulation of PGE-enriched fluids, (2) large-scale brittle structures as conduits to these fluids, and (3) adequate host rock composition as a chemical trap resulting in sulfide and PGM precipitation. In environments meeting these criteria, hydrothermal PGE mineralization is known to have formed not only in the Sudbury footwall but also from mafic–ultramafic intrusions associated with primary magmatic PGE from several locations around the world.     

Trends of Extreme Temperatures in Europe and China Based on Daily Observations

Ten of the longest daily temperature series presently available in Europe and China are analysed, focusing on changes in extremes since pre-industrial times. We consider extremes in both a relative (with respect to the time of year) and an absolute sense. To distinguish changes in extremes from changes affecting the main part of the temperature distribution, a percentile smaller than 10 (and/or larger than 90) is recommended for defining an extreme. Three periods of changes in temperature extremes are identified: decreasing warm extremes before the late 19th century; decreasing cold extremes since then and increasing warm extremes since the 1960s. The early decreases and recent increases of warm extremes dominate in summer, while the decrease of cold extremes for winter persists throughout the whole period. There were more frequent combined (warm plus cold) extremes during the 18th century and the recent warming period since 1961 at most of the ten stations, especially for summer. Since 1961, the annual frequency of cold extremes has decreased by about 7% per century with warm extremes increasing by more than 10% per century but with large spatial variability. Compared with recent annual mean warming of about 2–3 ° C/century, the coldest winter temperatures have increased atthree times this rate, causing a reduced within-season range and therefore less variable winters. Changes in the warmest summer temperatures since 1961 exhibit large spatial variability, with rates of change ranging from slightly negative to 6 ° C/century. More extensive station observations since 1961 indicate that the single site results are representative of larger regions, implying also that the extremes studied are the result of large-scale changes. Recent circulation changes in daily gridded pressure data, used as an indicator of wind speed changes, support the results by explaining some of the trends.     

Estimation and propagation of volcanic source parameter uncertainty in an ash transport and dispersal model: application to the Eyjafjallajokull plume of 14–16 April 2010

Data on source conditions for the 14 April 2010 paroxysmal phase of the Eyjafjallaj?kull eruption, Iceland, have been used as inputs to a trajectory-based eruption column model, bent. This model has in turn been adapted to generate output suitable as input to the volcanic ash transport and dispersal model, puff, which was used to propagate the paroxysmal ash cloud toward and over Europe over the following days. Some of the source parameters, specifically vent radius, vent source velocity, mean grain size of ejecta, and standard deviation of ejecta grain size have been assigned probability distributions based on our lack of knowledge of exact conditions at the source. These probability distributions for the input variables have been sampled in a Monte Carlo fashion using a technique that yields what we herein call the polynomial chaos quadrature weighted estimate (PCQWE) of output parameters from the ash transport and dispersal model. The advantage of PCQWE over Monte Carlo is that since it intelligently samples the input parameter space, fewer model runs are needed to yield estimates of moments and probabilities for the output variables. At each of these sample points for the input variables, a model run is performed. Output moments and probabilities are then computed by properly summing the weighted values of the output parameters of interest. Use of a computational eruption column model coupled with known weather conditions as given by radiosonde data gathered near the vent allows us to estimate that initial mass eruption rate on 14 April 2010 may have been as high as 10⁸?kg/s and was almost certainly above 10⁷?kg/s. This estimate is consistent with the probabilistic envelope computed by PCQWE for the downwind plume. The results furthermore show that statistical moments and probabilities can be computed in a reasonable time by using 9⁴?=?6,561 PCQWE model runs as opposed to millions of model runs that might be required by standard Monte Carlo techniques. The output mean ash cloud height plus three standard deviations??encompassing c. 99.7?% of the probability mass??compares well with four-dimensional ash cloud position as retrieved from Meteosat-9 SEVIRI data for 16 April 2010 as the ash cloud drifted over north-central Europe. Finally, the ability to compute statistical moments and probabilities may allow for the better separation of science and decision-making, by making it possible for scientists to better focus on error reduction and decision makers to focus on ??drawing the line?? for risk assessment.     

How do Local People Value Rural Waterways? A Study in the Upper Catchments of South East Queensland’s Rivers

In Integrated Catchment (or Watershed) Management, the impacts of upstream conditions and actions on downstream environments and people is a key issue. Knowing upstream people’s values towards waterways is, therefore, important for community engagement and the development of publicly acceptable management approaches. This qualitative study applies Kellert’s framework of relational values to explore the types and diversity of people’s values towards the upper catchments of South East Queensland, Australia, and tests the “universality” of Kellert’s framework. We found the full range of values identified by Kellert with some variations and elaborations in content. People living, working, and enjoying recreation in the upper catchments have affection for their local waterways and a moral inclination to protect them. This extends our understanding of how people value these waterways, which is more often depicted in terms of utilitarian and economic value. The findings provide managers with new opportunities for engaging with local communities and waterway users.     

Characteristics of over-water surface stress during strex

Surface stress values obtained from the NOAA Ship OCEANOGRAPHER during STREX indicate that wind speed and stability dependent bulk derived stress values are two to three times too low in surface pre-frontal, pre-trough and pre-ridge regions of transiting synoptic systems. The measured stress values were based on calculations of turbulent kinetic energy dissipation rates using hot film measured velocity variances. Bulk stress values obtained with wind speed (neutral drag coefficient) and stability dependencies in the Large and Pond derivation agreed very well with the measured values in other regions of the synoptic systems. In situ wave information was not adequate to relate differences to coupled vector wind and wave fields. However, analyses and interpretation of wind and stability effects suggest that wind wave interaction was the reason for the observed sub-synoptic (mesoscale) stress enhancements.     

Tabulated statistics for some ion dispersion experiments in turbulent air

In July 1977 dispersion experiments with air ions as tracer were carried out at Porton in southern England. Each trial lasted about 40 min. The source height was 5 m. Continuous ion production took place in eight trials for source-sensor distances between 10 and 100m. Ion production in 1 s pulses took place in another four trials for source-sensor distances between 10 and 50 m. Two sensors were positioned at a height of 5 m and one sensor at 4 m. The experimental set-up and the weather conditions are described. Tabulated results comprise concentration frequency distributions, as well as auto- and cross-correlations, both for 0.01 and 0.1 s resolution.