Monitoring pesticides in the Great Barrier Reef

Pesticide runoff from agriculture poses a threat to water quality in the world heritage listed Great Barrier Reef (GBR) and sensitive monitoring tools are needed to detect these pollutants. This study investigated the utility of passive samplers in this role through deployment during a wet and dry season at river mouths, two near-shore regions and an offshore region. The nearshore marine environment was shown to be contaminated with pesticides in both the dry and wet seasons (average water concentrations of 1.3-3.8 ng L⁻¹ and 2.2-6.4 ng L⁻¹, respectively), while no pesticides were detected further offshore. Continuous monitoring of two rivers over 13 months showed waters flowing to the GBR were contaminated with herbicides (diuron, atrazine, hexazinone) year round, with highest average concentrations present during summer (350 ng L⁻¹). The use of passive samplers has enabled identification of insecticides in GBR waters which have not been reported in the literature previously.     

The SORCE SIM Solar Spectrum: Comparison with Recent Observations

The Spectral Irradiance Monitor (SIM) on board the NASA SORCE satellite (Solar Radiation and Climate Experiment) was launched on 25 January 2003 and has been making twice-daily measurements of solar variability in the 220 to 1630 nm range and daily measurements in the 1600 to 2400 nm range. This study presents preflight and postlaunch calibration activities of the SIM instrument and its flight spare components as well as in-flight comparisons with the ATLAS 3 composite spectrum (Atmospheric Laboratory for Applications and Science) in the ultraviolet (UV), visible, and near infrared (NIR) as well as comparisons with the SOLSTICE (Solar Stellar Irradiance Comparison Experiment) in the UV. In the 258 to 1350 nm range, the SIM agrees with ATLAS 3 with a fractional difference of ?0.021±0.021 (k=1, estimated standard deviation) and with the additional corrections discussed herein the agreement improves to ?0.008±0.021 (k=1). In the ultraviolet (220–307 nm) the agreement between all the instruments in this study is better than 5%, but fractional differences reveal other instrument- and calibration-related differences. In the 1350 to 2400 nm range the agreement between SIM and ATLAS 3 is about 8%, so these SIM data are corrected to agree with ATLAS 3 in this range.     

Astrometry from Space: New Design of the GAIA Mission

An interferometric astrometric mission, aiming at accuracies at around the10 microarcsec level, was recommended as a high priority concept within thenew ESA Horizon 2000+ scientific programme. The original outline concept forsuch a mission, GAIA, presented its general feasibility but did not addressmany questions of implementation or optimisation. Another concept of aninterferometer for a scanning astrometric satellite is presented. It containsa simpler optical telescope and a more efficient detector system. The designutilizes the full resolution of all light in the dispersed fringes of aFizeau interferometer. A preliminary optimization of the satellite indicatesthat two telescope units with a baseline of 100 cm will achieve a precisionof 3, 8, 22, 68, 302 microarcsec for parallaxes of stars with V = 12, 14, 16, 18, 20 mag, respectively, from a 5 year mission. Simultaneousspectrophotometry of the entire spectrum of each star will be obtained with aresolution corresponding to intermediate band photometry. The expectedprecision of this photometry is about 0.003 mag for V = 16. The performance is good in crowded fields, at least up to one star per 5 arcsec2. A Hipparcos-type beam combiner of 150 cm width is placed in front of atelescope with 4 square apertures of 50 cm. The assumed focal length is f = 60 m and the field 0.5 degree diameter. The detector consists of CCDs used for time delayed integration (drift-scan.)     

Adsorption of polar aromatic hydrocarbons on synthetic calcite

The wettability of hydrocarbon reservoirs depends on how and to what extent the organic compounds are adsorbed onto the surfaces of calcite, quartz and clay. A model system of synthetic calcite, cyclohexane and the three probe molecules: benzoic acid, benzyl alcohol and benzylamine, have been studied by adsorption experiments. The results clearly demonstrate the differences in the adsorption behaviour between probes with different functional groups of varying polarity and acidity. The maximum adsorption decreases in the order: benzoic acid, benzyl alcohol and benzylamine. The order of magnitude of ΔG° for the adsorption process implies the formation of a strong bond between the calcite surface and the adsorbate molecules.     

Die Strukturen des „Rogenpyrits“ (Kössener Schichten,Rät) als Beitrag zum Problem der „Vererzten Bakterien“

Zusammenfassung Der Rogenpyrit ist die häufigste Form des Pyrits in den Schlämmrückständen der Kössener Mergel des alpinen Rät. Anschliffuntersuchungen ergaben Strukturen, die mit den Vererzten Bakterien eine nahe Verwandtschaft zeigen und mit einem noch höheren Wahrscheinlichkeitsgrad auf organische Abkunft schließen lassen.Der Rogenpyrit tritt in zwei Typen auf, je nach der Größe der Primärkristalle, den kleinsten Bausteinen. Er wird wie die Vererzten Bakterien als pyritisierte farblose Schwefelbakterien bzw. deren Kolonien gedeutet.Der Rogenpyrit ist ein Faziesindikator: Seine Anwesenheit zusammen mit einer benthonischen Mikrofauna in den Kössener Schichten kennzeichnet diese Mergel als Halbfaulschlamm-Fazies.     

Beitrag zur Petrographie desmittleren Muschelkalkes Süddeutschlands

Zusammenfassung Der primare klastische Anteil des mittleren Muschelkalks besitzt ein Maximum in den Korngrößen von 6–20, Ø , das über weite Strecken konstant bleibt. Der Mineralgehalt besteht aus Quarz, Feldspat, Glimmer und vielleieht Kaolinit.Bei der Diagenese warden Quarz und Feldspat teils korrodiert, teils wurden Quarz und Albit neu gebildet. In Randgebieten entstand Glaukonit vermutlich aus Glimmern.Durch Grundwassereinwirkung bildete rich ein zweites Maximum zwischen 0–2 Ø aus. Dabei ist in diesen Korngrößen eine Zunahme an Illit und Kaolinit und das Neuauftreten von Montmorillonit zu verzeichnen.Bei der Verwitterung verschwand das Maximum zwischen 6–20 Ø zugunsten eines Maximums zwischen 0–2 Ø . Damit verschwand auch der primäre Mineralgehalt fast völlig. Die Fraktionen unter 2 Ø setzen sich aus einem illitähnlichen Mineral zusammen.Durch Grundwassertätigkeit und Oberflächenverwitterung wurde also nicht nur der lösliche Anteil des mm ausgelaugt, sondern es sind auch deutliche Veränderungen des klastischen Anteils wahrzunehmen.Herrn Professor Dr.Carl W. Correns zum 60. Geburtstag gewidmet.     

Geologische Beobachtungen an der Küste und auf dem Schelf von Kephallinia (Ionische Inseln)

The largest Ionian island Cephalonia is situated on the edge of the Greek shelf. To the west the slope (20% average) extends to the Ionian fault scarp. This area is characterized by young tectonic activity (last disastrous earthquake in 1953) with dominant N-S and NE-SW fault directions. This paper constitutes the first account of the marine and Quaternary geology of Cephalonia. Late Pleistocene (? Tyrrhen III) red algae-rich limestones - up to 6,5 m thick - with interbedded sand layers transgress steeply folded Plio-Pleistocene and Eocene sediments. In addition, relative sea level changes in Quaternary time are indicated by a submarine platform at ?26 m NN. and 5 elevated shorelines, partly with wave-cut notches and borings, at heights of about 15 m, 45 m, 90 m, 150 m and 190 m, whose correlation with other so-called high-sea-levels of the Mediterranean area is doubtful. Shore- and nearshore sediments mainly consist of eroded coast material and reworked Pliocene which locally crops out on the sea floor, The outer shelf sedimentation is characterized by the deposition of marly foraminiferal ooze which undergoes bioturbation. Because of strong currents the ridge between Cephalonia and Zante is free of recent sediment. A swash mark entirely composed of the tests of sessil foraminiferas (Miniacina miniacea) is described.     

Analysis of stick-slip and earthquake mechanism

A mathematical model of a sliding system that contains a frictional surface embedded in an elastic specimen and machine is proposed to analyze the frictional behavior observed in laboratory and field. It is shown that stick-slip occurs if the slope of the velocity-stress relation on the sliding surface exceeds a critical value at a certain point between static and kinetic frictions. This condition, coupled with Amontons' law and other subsidiary relations, predicts the effects of normal stress, gouge thickness, temperature, and loading rate etc. on the stick-slip instability, consistent with known experimental evidence. The elastic-wave radiation associated with stick-slip is governed by Brune's source time function, in which rise time and effective stress are proportional to fault dimension and stress drop, respectively.     

Slow-moving deformation pulses along tectonic faults

A model of slow-moving disturbances of deformation is proposed to interpret the observed propagations of earthquake foci and nonseismic creep. The analysis is based on the assumption that thin fault gouge participates in the viscous slip. Nonuniform deformation diffusses at the rate of ν = μw/2η for the gouge of viscosity η and thickness w that is enclosed by the elastic rocks of rigidity μ. A crack-like solution propagates uniformly, involving the discontinuity that bounds the faulted area by an unfractured part, or by another gouge with different viscosity. The unit of the propagation velocity of such cracks is also given by the above-defined ν. Comparing the expression of ν with the various field observations, most of which yield the propagation speeds of 10–10⁴ km/year, the effective viscosity of the gouge is estimated as 10¹¹–10¹⁴ poises. The nonseismic fault creep in central California is analysed, and a little higher value of acting stress is obtained than the result of Nason and Weertman (1973).     

Excitation of Orbital Inclinations of Asteroids during Depletion of a Protoplanetary Disk: Dependence on the Disk Configuration

The pumping up of orbital inclinations of asteroids caused by sweeping secular resonances associated with depletion of a protoplanetary disk is discussed, focusing on the dependence on the disk inclinations and surface density distribution. The asteroids have large mean inclinations that cannot be explained by present planetary perturbations alone. It has been suggested that the sweeping secular resonances caused by disk depletion are responsible for these high inclinations. Nagasawa et al. (2000, Astron. J.119, 1480-1497) showed that the inclinations of asteroids are pumped up if the disk is depleted in an inside-out manner on a time scale longer than 3×10⁵ years. Their assumed disk midplane is not on the invariant plane. However, it should be affected by the inclination of the disk plane. Here we investigate the dependence on the disk inclinations. We assume a disk depletion model in which the disk inside the jovian orbit has been removed and the residual outer disk is uniformly depleted. We calculate the locations of the secular resonances and the excitation magnitude of the inclinations with analytical methods. We found that the inclinations are pumped up to the observational level for a depletion time scale longer than 10⁶ years in the case of the disk plane that coincides with the invariant plane. The required time scale is longest (3×10⁶ years) if the disk plane coincides with the jovian orbital plane. However, it is still within the observationally inferred depletion time scale. We also studied dependence on a disk surface density gradient and found that the results do not change significantly as long as the inner disk depletion is faster than the outer disk one.