Damped Lyα systems at high redshift and models of protogalactic discs

We employ observationally determined intrinsic velocity widths and column densities of damped Lyman alpha (Lyα) systems at high redshift to investigate the distribution of baryons in protogalaxies within the context of a standard cold dark matter (CDM) model. We proceed under the assumption that damped Lyα systems represent a population of cold, rotationally supported, protogalactic discs, and that the abundance of dark matter haloes is well approximated by a CDM model with critical density and vanishing cosmological constant. Using conditional cross-sections to observe a damped system with a given velocity width and column density, we compare observationally inferred velocity width and column density distributions to the corresponding theoretically determined distributions for a variety of disc parameters and CDM normalizations. In general, we find that the observations cannot be reproduced by the models for most disc parameters and CDM normalizations. Whereas the column density distribution favours small discs with large neutral gas fraction, the velocity width distribution favours large and thick discs with small neutral gas fraction. The possible resolutions of this problem in the context of this CDM model may be (1) an increased contribution of rapidly rotating discs within massive dark matter haloes to damped Lyα absorption, or (2) the abandoning of simple disc models within this CDM model for damped Lyα systems at high redshift. Here the first possibility may be achieved by supposing that damped Lyα system formation occurs only in haloes with fairly large circular velocities, and the second possibility may result from a large contribution of mergers and double discs to damped Lyα absorption at high redshift.     

混合岩中浅色体的有限迁移及其对变形分解的影响

熔体在地壳和地幔中怎样迁移及其动力学是地质学中的一个重要问题。作为地壳深融作用的产物 ,混合岩中的浅色体提供了一个极好的机会来探讨影响地壳熔体在中下地壳迁移的因素。为此 ,我们对美国加州南 Sierra Nevada岩基中典型的混合岩、变泥质岩及邻近的花岗闪长岩进行了详细的主要元素地球化学和野外构造变形分析 ,同时应用流体动力学理论估算了在中下地壳条件下 ,典型浅色体的迁移距离。南 Sierra Nevada岩基中的混合岩中的浅色体厚度为 1mm至 1cm。在部分熔融程度较高的区域 (>10 % ) ,浅色体相互连接而成网结状构造 ,应变的承载方式主要以 IWL(Interconnected Weak L ayers)形式进行 ,即熔融体表现为弱相而承载大部分的应变。相反地 ,在部分熔融程度较低的区域 (<5 % ) ,浅色体孤立地出现 ,应变的承载方式主要以 L BF(L oad- Bearing Frame-work)形式进行 ,即应变主要由非熔融体的基质来承担。这表明在混合岩形成过程中 ,熔体的出现强烈地制约着应变分解作用。应用 Shaw的岩石粘度模型 ,我们根据浅色体的主要元素地球化学成分计算了浅色体在熔融状态下的粘度。根据流体动力学原理 ,估算了浅色体在不同条件下的迁移距离。计算结果表明 :1和典型花岗岩相比 ,浅色体具有较高的粘度 ,为 10 9～ 10 1 2     

The volume and paleobathymetry of glacial Lake Agassiz

During the last retreat of the Laurentide Ice Sheet in North America, many proglacial lakes formed as continental drainage was impounded against the southern and western ice margin. Lake Agassiz was the largest of these lakes. The bathymetry of Lake Agassiz at the Herman and Upper Campbell beach levels – formed at about 11.5–11.0 ka and 9.9–9.5 ka, respectively – was computer modelled in this study by first collecting data for the isostatically-deformed paleowater planes of the two lake levels (derived from isobase lines constructed from beach elevations), and then subtracting these from the modern topography of the former lake floor. Pixels with dimensions of 1/30 × 1/30 of a degree were used in the model. Using these data, the area and volume of the lake were also calculated: at the Herman level these were 152 500 km2 and 13 100 km3 respectively; at the Upper Campbell level these were 350 400 km2 and 38 700 km3. Contour maps showing the paleobathymetry of both periods in the lake's history were also constructed. Determining the paleobathymetry and volume of Lake Agassiz is an important step in understanding the impact that the lake had on its surrounding environment and on the rivers, lakes, and oceans into which it flowed.     

Excel modelling of hydrological systems

This short paper describes the use of Excel spreadsheet Solver facility for deriving estimates in a solute mixing model equation with more than one unknown.     

Late Pleistocene and Holocene glaciation of the Fish Lake valley,northeastern Alaska Range,Alaska

We reconstructed a chronology of glaciation spanning from the Late Pleistocene through the late Holocene for Fish Lake valley in the north‐eastern Alaska Range using ¹⁰Be surface exposure dating and lichenometry. After it attained its maximum late Wisconsin extent, the Fish Lake valley glacier began to retreat ca. 16.5 ka, and then experienced a readvance or standstill at 11.6 ± 0.3 ka. Evidence of the earliest Holocene glacial activity in the valley is a moraine immediately in front of Little Ice Age (LIA) moraines and is dated to 3.3–3.0 ka. A subsequent advance culminated at ca. AD 610–900 and several LIA moraine crests date to AD 1290, 1640, 1860 and 1910. Our results indicate that ¹⁰Be dating from high‐elevation sites can be used to help constrain late Holocene glacial histories in Alaska, even when other dating techniques are unavailable. Close agreement between ¹⁰Be and lichenometric ages reveal that ¹⁰Be ages on late Holocene moraines may be as accurate as other dating methods. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Phase relationship between sea level and abrupt climate change

Direct traces of past sea levels are based on the elevation of old coral reefs at times of sea level highstands. However, these measurements are discontinuous and cannot be easily correlated with climate records from ice cores. In this study we show a new approach to recognizing the imprint of sea level changes in continuous sediment records taken from the continental slope at locations that were continuously submerged, even during periods of sea level lowstand. By using a sediment core precisely synchronized with Greenland ice cores, we were able to recognize major floods of the Mediterranean continental shelf over the past 270 kyr. During the last glacial period five flooding events were observed at the onset of the warmest Greenland interstadials. Consistent correspondence between warm climate episodes and eustatic sea level rises shows that these global flooding events were generated by pronounced melting of the Northern Hemisphere ice sheets, due to rapid intensification of Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation.The method described in this study opens a new perspective for inter-hemispheric synchronization of marine climate records if applied in other continental margins from the Southern Hemisphere or the equatorial regions.