Microstructural criteria for reliable thermometry in low-temperature eclogites

Two Alpine eclogite bodies, sampled in metaophiolitic complexes of the Piemonte Zone, have been studied for geothermometry. It is demonstrated that temperature estimates, by both exchange thermometry and sizes of antiphase domains in omphacites, give rise to erratic results when the defect structures of the minerals are not taken into account. Microstructural criteria, by means of both optical and TEM microscopy, for reliable thermometry in low-temperature eclogites are disscussed. The dynamically recrystallized grains are the more suitable sites for the application of exchange thermometry, while only low-strained omphacites can be used for thermometry based on APD's.     

Evolution of an ancient coastal plain: palaeosols, interfluves and alluvial architecture in a sequence stratigraphic framework, Cenomanian Dunvegan Formation, NE British Columbia, Canada

To date, discussion of changes in alluvial style and in the character of palaeosols in relation to changes in accommodation and sediment supply on floodplains has primarily been from a conceptual standpoint: few case studies are available against which to test ideas. One hundred and thirty metres of non-marine strata of the Dunvegan Formation were examined in 14 closely spaced sections in the canyon of the Kiskatinaw River, NE British Columbia, Canada. This site was located about 120 km inland from the transgressive limit of the contemporary marine shoreline and represents almost exclusively freshwater environments. Fluvial channels in the Kiskatinaw River section are of two types. Small, single-storey, very fine- to fine-grained sandstone ribbons with W/T ratios <30, encased in fine-grained floodplain sediments are interpreted as anastomosed channels. Fine- to medium-grained, laterally accreted point-bar deposits forming multistorey sand bodies with individual W/T ratios >30 are interpreted as the deposits of meandering rivers filling incised valleys. Interchannel facies include the deposits of crevasse channels and splays, lakes, floodplains and palaeosols. Floodplain palaeosols consist of laterally heterogeneous, simple palaeosol profiles and pedocomplexes similar to modern Entisols, Inceptisols and hydromorphic soils. Interfluve, sequence-bounding palaeosols adjacent to incised valleys are laterally continuous, up to 3 m thick and can be reliably identified using a combination of (1) stratigraphic position; (2) field observations, such as thickness, structure, colour, degree of rooting; and (3) micromorphological features, such as evidence of bioturbation, clay coatings, ferruginous features and sphaerosiderite. Interfluve palaeosols are similar to modern Alfisols and Ultisols. Correlation of the local stratigraphic succession with the regional sequence stratigraphic framework, based on 2340 well logs and 60 outcrop sections, shows that the vertical changes in coastal plain character (more coals and lakes vs. more pedogenesis) can be related to relatively high-frequency base level cycles (eustatic?) that are expressed as transgressive–regressive marine cycles in downdip areas. Regional isopach maps show that these cycles were progressively overprinted and modified by an increasing rate of tectonic subsidence in the north and west. The character of palaeosols developed on aggrading floodplains primarily reflects local sediment supply and drainage. In contrast, well-developed interfluve palaeosols record pedogenesis during periods of reduced or negative accommodation (base level fall). Vertical changes in floodplain palaeoenvironments and palaeosol types reflect changes in accommodation rate. The detailed micromorphological analysis of interfluve palaeosols represents a powerful application of an under-used technique for the recognition of key surfaces in the geological record. This has broad implications for non-marine sequence stratigraphy.     

Effect of macrofaunal bioturbation on bacterial distribution in marine sandy sediments, with special reference to sulphur-oxidising bacteria

We have studied the impact of the bioturbating macrofauna, in particular the lugworm Arenicola marina and the bivalve Cerastoderma edule, on abundances and distribution patterns of total bacteria and of bacteria of selected functional groups in sandy intertidal sediments. The selected groups comprised the colourless sulphur-oxidising bacteria and the anoxygenic phototrophic bacteria, which are expected to occupy small zones at the oxygen–sulphide interface in stable (non-bioturbated) sediments. The presence of a wooden wreck buried in the sediment at 10 cm depth within a large area of intertidal sand flat colonised by lugworms provided a unique opportunity to confront field observations with laboratory simulations. The site with the wooden wreck, which was used as control site, was devoid of both A. marina and C. edule, while the composition of the rest of the zoobenthic community was rather similar to that of the surrounding area. In the field, the density of total bacteria was approximately one order of magnitude higher in the control site than in the natural (bioturbated) site. This can be explained by the higher contents of silt and clay particles (higher surface-area/volume ratio) and higher total organic-carbon contents found at the control site. It appears that the presence of macrofauna affects sedimentation processes, which indirectly influence bacterial dynamics. Samples from the control site have been incubated in the laboratory with A. marina and C. edule added (bioturbated core), while an unamended core served as a control. The laboratory experiments contrasted with the field observations, because it was found that total bacteria were actually higher in the deeper layers of the bioturbated core. Moreover, the populations were more homogeneous (less stratified) and colourless sulphur bacteria were on average less numerous in the bioturbated core. In general, laboratory incubations resulted in a decrease of total bacteria with a concomitant increase of colourless and phototrophic sulphur-oxidising bacteria and thus in modifications of the bacterial community structure. Hence, our results demonstrate that care must be taken in extrapolating results from laboratory experiments (e.g. mesocosm research) to field situations.     

Aragonite depositional facies in a Late Ordovician calcite sea,Eastern Laurentia

The Black River (Upper Ordovician – Sandbian) and Trenton (Upper Ordovician – Katian) groups are traditionally interpreted as a deepening-upward succession deposited in a progressively subsiding Appalachian Basin margin that contained warm-water, marine, photozoan deposits that pass upward into cool-water, marine, heterozoan carbonates. This succession is customarily interpreted to reflect an incursion of cold, high-latitude ocean waters into the area. This view is herein confirmed for coeval carbonates in the northern part of the basin, particularly the St. Lawrence Platform. They are now well explained in this study on the basis of recent studies of cool-water carbonates and calcite–aragonite seas. Overall the succession is one of Sandbian photozoan ramp deposits succeeded by Katian heterozoan ramp carbonates that changed back to photozoan ramp deposits prior to the Hirnantian glaciation. The current interpretation, that deposition took place throughout a calcite sea time, seems at odds with this series of strata. Instead it is herein proposed that deposition took place during an aragonite sea time wherein calcite sea-like sediments accumulated under cold ocean-water temperatures. Such an interpretation is supported by recent experimental data that supports the importance of seawater temperature on CaCO₃ polymorph precipitation. If correct, this means that some of the evidence for calcite sea deposition through time brought about by global tectonics, should be re-evaluated to make sure it was not simply cool-water carbonate production.     

Acoustic Ray Tracing Comparisons in the Context of Geodetic Precise off-shore Positioning Experiments

The GNSS-Acoustics (GNSS-A) method couples acoustics with GNSS to allow the precise localization of a seafloor reference in a global frame. This method can extend on-shore GNSS networks and allows the monitoring of hazardous oceanic tectonic phenomena. The goal of this study is to test the influence of both acoustics ray tracing techniques and spatial heterogeneities of acoustic wave speed on positioning accuracy. We test three different ray tracing methods: the eikonal method (3D sound speed field), the Snell-Descartes method (2D sound speed profile), and an equivalent sound speed method. We also compare the processing execution time. The eikonal method is compatible with the Snell-Descartes method (by up to 10 ppm in term of propagation time difference) but takes approximately a thousand times longer to run. We used the 3D eikonal ray tracing to characterize the influence of a lateral sound speed gradient on acoustic ray propagation and positioning accuracy. For a deep water (? 3,000 m) situation, frequent in subduction zones such as the Lesser Antilles, not accounting for lateral sound speed gradients can induce an error of up to 5 cm in the horizontal positioning of a seafloor transponder, even when the GNSS-A measurements are made over the barycenter of a seafloor transponder array.     

Probabilistic seasonal streamflow forecasts of the Citarum River,Indonesia, based on general circulation models

In this study we discuss probabilistic forecasts of Citarum River streamflow, which supplies 80 % of the water demands in Jakarta, Indonesia, based on general circulation model (GCM) output, for the September–November (SON) season. Retrospective forecasts of precipitation made over the period 1982–2010 with two coupled-ocean atmosphere GCMs, initialized in August, are used in conjunction historical streamflow records, with a cross-validated regression model. Pearson’s product moment correlation skill values of 0.58–0.67 are obtained, with relative operating characteristic scores of 0.67–0.84 and 0.74–0.92 for the lower and upper tercile categories of flows respectively. Both GCMs thus demonstrate promising ability to forecast below/above normal streamflow for the Citarum River flow during the SON season.     

Mineralogy,petrology, and oxygen isotopic compositions of chondritic and achondritic lithologies in the anomalous CB carbonaceous chondrites Sierra Gorda 013 and Fountain Hills

The CB (Bencubbin-like) metal-rich carbonaceous chondrites are subdivided into the CB_a and CB_b subgroups. The CB_a chondrites are composed predominantly of ~cm-sized skeletal olivine chondrules and unzoned Fe,Ni-metal ± troilite nodules. The CB_b chondrites are finer grained than the CB_as and consist of chemically zoned and unzoned Fe,Ni-metal grains, Fe,Ni-metal ± troilite nodules, cryptocrystalline and skeletal olivine chondrules, and rare refractory inclusions. Both subgroups contain exceptionally rare porphyritic chondrules and no interchondrule fine-grained matrix, and are interpreted as the products of a gas–melt impact plume formed by a high-velocity collision between differentiated planetesimals about 4562 Ma. The anomalous metal-rich carbonaceous chondrites, Fountain Hills and Sierra Gorda 013 (SG 013), have bulk oxygen isotopic compositions similar to those of other CBs but contain coarse-grained igneous clasts/porphyritic chondrule-like objects composed of olivine, low-Ca-pyroxene, and minor plagioclase and high-Ca pyroxene as well as barred olivine and skeletal olivine chondrules. Cryptocrystalline chondrules, zoned Fe,Ni-metal grains, and interchondrule fine-grained matrix are absent. In SG 013, Fe,Ni-metal (~80 vol%) occurs as several mm-sized nodules; magnesiochromite (Mg-chromite) is accessory; daubréelite and schreibersite are minor; troilite is absent. In Fountain Hills, Fe,Ni-metal (~25 vol%) is dispersed between chondrules and silicate clasts; chromite and sulfides are absent. In addition to a dominant chondritic lithology, SG 013 contains a chondrule-free lithology composed of Fe,Ni-metal nodules (~25 vol%), coarse-grained olivine and low-Ca pyroxene, interstitial high-Ca pyroxene and anorthitic plagioclase, and Mg-chromite. Here, we report on oxygen isotopic compositions of olivine, low-Ca pyroxene, and ±Mg-chromite in Fountain Hills and both lithologies of SG 013 measured in situ using an ion microprobe. Oxygen isotope compositions of olivine, low-Ca pyroxene, and Mg-chromite in these meteorites are similar to those of magnesian non-porphyritic chondrules in CB_a and CB_b chondrites: on a three-isotope oxygen diagram (δ¹⁷O vs. δ¹⁸O), they plot close to a slope-1 (primitive chondrule mineral) line and have a very narrow range of Δ¹⁷O (=δ¹⁷O–0.52 × δ¹⁸O) values, −2.5 ± 0.9‰ (avr ± 2SD). No isotopically distinct relict grains have been identified in porphyritic chondrule-like objects. We suggest that magnesian non-porphyritic (barred olivine, skeletal olivine, cryptocrystalline) chondrules in the CB_as, CB_bs, and porphyritic chondrule-like objects in SG 013 and Fountain Hills formed in different zones of the CB impact plume characterized by variable pressure, temperature, cooling rates, and redox conditions. The achondritic lithology in SG 013 represents fragments of one of the colliding bodies and therefore one of the CB chondrule precursors. Fountain Hills was subsequently modified by impact melting; Fe,Ni-metal and sulfides were partially lost during this process.     

Heat capacities of ordinary chondrite falls below 300 K

Low‐temperature specific heat capacities of meteorites provide valuable data for understanding the composition and evolution of meteorites and modeling the thermal behavior of their source asteroids. By liquid nitrogen immersion, we measured average low‐temperature heat capacities for 60 ordinary chondrite falls from the Vatican collection. We further characterized the temperature dependence of ordinary chondrite by direct measurement of C_p(T) over the range 5–320 K for five OC falls, coupled by composition‐based models for 94 ordinary chondrites. We find that the heat capacity as a function of temperature for typical ordinary chondrites can be closely approximated by a third‐order polynomial in temperature. Furthermore, those polynomial coefficients can be estimated from the single‐value average heat capacity measurement. These measurements have important implications for the orbital and spin evolution of S‐ and Q‐type asteroids via the various Yarkovsky effects and the thermal evolution of meteorite parent bodies.     

“This venue is brought to you by…”: the diffusion of sports and entertainment facility name sponsorship in urban Europe

ABSTRACT

Drawing on a database of 193 football (soccer) grounds and 115 indoor arenas, as well as press releases and media reports associated with them, this study charts the diffusion of sporting and entertainment facility name sponsorship across metropolises, cities, towns, and smaller settlements in six European contexts. Our results show the emergence of naming rights deals in the 1990s, their peak in the mid-2000s, and the current situation with a steadier growth of name sponsorship. Thus far, the corporate re-branding of venues has remained less prevalent in Italy, Norway, and Scotland than in England and Wales, Finland, and above all Germany. In financing newly built venues, however, the corporatized landmark language in focus has become a practically invariable part of local growth, austerity and (re)branding policies. Despite voices of resistance in all regions studied here, pressure towards the corporate renaming of even hereditary, communally endorsed football stadiums is increasingly being felt by municipal and private-sector venue owners.