Observation of clouds and solar radiation over the Pacific Ocean as relation to global climate

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Vertical migration and mortality of benthos in dredged material: Part II—crustacea

Benthic invertebrates have many characteristics which make them prime candidates for burial studies in dredged material. A major concern in dredging and disposal projects is the effect of burial on the survival of benthic invertebrates. The purpose of the research reported in this paper was to determine the ability of estuarine benthos—in particular three species of molluscs (Mercenaria mercenaria, Nucula proxima and Ilyanassa obsoleta)—to migrate vertically in natural and exotic sediments and to determine the survival of benthos when exposed to particular amounts of simulated dredged material.Mortalities generally increased with increased sediment depth, with increased burial time and with overlying sediments whose particle size distribution differed from that of the species native sediment. Temperature affected mortalities and vertical migration. It was concluded that vertical migration is a viable process which can significantly affect rehabilitation of a dredged disposal area. Under certain conditions, vertical migration should be considered, together with larval settling and immigration from outside impacted areas, as a mechanism of recruiting a dredgedump site.     

Chronology and petrogenesis of young achondrites,Shergotty, Zagami,and ALHA77005: late magmatism on a geologically active planet

A study was undertaken to determine the chronology, petrogenesis and relationships among the shergottites, Shergotty and Zagami and the unique achondrite ALHA77005. These meteorites are the product of a variety of complex processes.Petrogenesis: Chondrite-normalized abundance patterns of Shergotty and Zagami are very similar and show pronounced depletions of both the light REE (La-Nd) and heavy REE (Dy-Lu) relative to Sm-Gd. These characteristic depletions are even more pronounced for ALHA77005. The light REE depletion is qualitatively consistent with the presence of cumulus pyroxene and/or olivine in these meteorites, but trace element models show that the parental magmas of all three meteorites were probably also light REE depleted. Both trace element model calculations and combined Rb-Sr and Sm-Nd isotopic systematics show that the meteorites could not have been co-magmatic nor can ALHA77005 be representative of the source material of the shergottites. Light REE depletion of the parental magmas also implies light REE depletion of the source material. The Sm-Nd systematics of the shergottites require a time-averaged sub-chondritic (light REE enriched) Sm-Nd ratio since 4.6 AE ago. The Sm-Nd systematics of ALHA77005 permit a time-averaged super-chondritic (light REE depleted) Sm/Nd ratio if its crystallization age is less than T_ICE = 0.72 AE.Chronology. Rb-Sr internal isochrons for all three meteorites and a Sm-Nd internal isochron for Zagami are concordant at ~ 180 Myr. ³⁹Ar-⁴⁰Ar plateau ages of Shergotty and Zagami maskelynite are ~250–260 Myr. These ages apparently reflect resetting of these isotopic systems by shock metamorphism which converted the feldspar to maskelynite. The concordance of these ages suggests a single shock event during which the meteorites were in close physical proximity. The time of this event is most precisely given by the Rb-Sr age of 180 ± 4 Myr for Zagami.The crystallization ages of the meteorites were not precisely determined. Extreme upper limits are determined by Sm-Nd model ages relative to an eucrite initial ${}^{143}\text{Nd}{}^{144}\text{Nd = 0.505835}$ at 4.6 AE ago. These model ages for Shergotty, Zagami and ALHA77005 are 3600, 3500 and 2850 Myr, respectively. The Sm-Nd whole rock age of 1340 ± 60 Myr for the three meteorites gives the crystallization age if the Sm/Nd ratios of the precursor materials were always the same. We consider this 1340 Myr age as a “best estimate” upper limit. “Best estimate” lower limits for Shergotty and Zagami are taken from the average ³⁹Ar-⁴⁰Ar ages of 1200 and 900 Myr of pyroxene separates. The average ³⁹Ar-⁴⁰Ar age of a whole rock sample of ALHA77005 was 1600 Myr and can be partitioned between a low temperature (feldspar) phase and a high temperature (olivine + pyroxene + inclusions) “phase”. The average apparent ³⁹Ar-⁴⁰Ar age of the low temperature phase is ~1050 Myr, which is chosen as the “best estimate” lower limit to the age. The crystallization ages of Shergotty, Zagami and ALHA77005 probably lie within the ranges of 1200–1300, 900–1300 and 1000–1300 Myr, respectively. The Rb-Sr whole rock age of 4400 ± 400 Myr and single-stage BABI model ages of ~4800–5100 Myr are interpreted as reflecting differentiation of the parent body at ~4600 Myr ago.The complex geochemical and isotopic evolution recorded by these meteorites suggests a geologically active parent body capable of sustaining melting at two or more epochs in its history.     

Observations of Thin Layers in Coastal Hawaiian Waters

Thin layers of plankton have been documented in a wide variety of environments. The growing body of observations indicates that these features are a critical component of marine ecosystem dynamics and functioning. In the past two decades, much of the research on thin layers was undertaken in temperate coastal waters. Here, we report the first known observations of thin layers of phytoplankton in tropical Hawaiian waters. We conducted an overnight shipboard study during which time we made high-resolution observations of physical and optical structure in the water column. During the overnight cruise, we observed the greatest number of thin layers in the early evening hours when thermal stratification was strongest and most persistent due to a combination of warm air and surface water, as well as light winds. A comparison of these observations with those from temperate regions leads us to hypothesize that the nature and persistence of the physical structure is very important in determining the persistence of thin layered structures. Because plankton biomass is generally lower in tropical regions, the heterogeneous aggregation of food in thin subsurface layers may be more critical to the marine ecosystem than it is in temperate regions where plankton are generally more abundant.     

Comparison of the LEW88516 and ALHA77005 martian meteorites: Similar but distinct

Abstract By mineral and bulk compositions, the Lewis Cliff (LEW) 88516 meteorite is quite similar to the ALHA77005 martian meteorite. These two meteorites are not paired because their mineral compositions are distinct, they were found 500 km apart in ice fields with different sources for meteorites, and their terrestrial residence ages are different. Minerals in LEW88516 include: olivine, pyroxenes (low- and high-Ca), and maskelynite (after plagioclase); and the minor minerals chromite, whitlockite, ilmenite, and pyrrhotite. Mineral grains in LEW88516 range up to a few mm. Texturally, the meteorite is complex, with regions of olivine and chromite poikilitically enclosed in pyroxene, regions of interstitial basaltic texture, and glass-rich (shock) veinlets. Olivine compositions range from Fo₆₄ to Fo₇₀, (avg. Fo₆₇), more ferroan and with more variation than in ALHA77005 (Fo₆₉ to Fo₇₃). Pyroxene compositions fall between En₇₇Wo₄ and En₆₅Wo₁₅ and in clusters near En₆₃Wo₉ and En₅₃Wo₃₃, on average more magnesian and with more variation than in ALHA77005. Shock features in LEW88516 range from weak deformation through complete melting. Bulk chemical analyses by modal recombination of electron microprobe analyses, instrumental neutron activation, and radiochemical neutron activation confirm that LEW88516 is more closely related to ALHA77005 than to other known martian meteorites. Key element abundance ratios are typical of martian meteorites, as is its non-chondritic rare earth pattern. Differences between the chemical compositions of LEW88516 and ALHA77005 are consistent with slight differences in the proportions of their constituent minerals and not from fundamental petrogenetic differences. Noble gas abundances in LEW88516, like those in ALHA77005, show modest excesses of ⁴⁰Ar and ¹²⁹Xe from trapped (shock-implanted) gas. As with other ALHA77005 and the shergottite martian meteorites (except EETA79001), noble gas isotope abundances in LEW88516 are consistent with exposure to cosmic rays for 2.5–3 Ma. The absence of substantial effects of shielding from cosmic rays suggest LEW88516 spent this time as an object no larger than a few cm in diameter.     

Apollo 12 ropy glasses revisited

Abstract— We analyzed ropy glasses from Apollo 12 soils 12032 and 12033 by a variety of techniques including SEM/EDX, electron microprobe analysis, INAA, and ³⁹Ar-⁴⁰Ar age dating. The ropy glasses have KREEP-like compositions different from those of local Apollo 12 mare soils; it is likely that the ropy glasses are of exotic origin. Mixing calculations indicate that the ropy glasses formed from a liquid enriched in KREEP and that the ropy glass liquid also contained a significant amount of mare material. The presence of solar Ar and a trace of regolith-derived glass within the ropy glasses are evidence that the ropy glasses contain a small regolith component Anorthosite and crystalline breccia (KREEP) clasts occur in some ropy glasses. We also found within these glasses clasts of felsite (fine-grained granitic fragments) very similar in texture and composition to the larger Apollo 12 felsites, which have a ³⁹Ar-⁴⁰Ar degassing age of 800 ± 15 Ma (Bogard et al, 1992). Measurements of ³⁹Ar-⁴⁰Ar in 12032 ropy glass indicate that it was degassed at the same time as the large felsite although the ropy glass was not completely degassed. The ropy glasses and felsites, therefore, probably came from the same source. Most early investigators suggested that the Apollo 12 ropy glasses were part of the ejecta deposited at the Apollo 12 site from the Copernicus impact Our new data reinforce this model. If these ropy glasses are from Copernicus, they provide new clues to the nature of the target material at the Copernicus she, a part of the Moon that has not been sampled directly.     

Textural variations and impact history of the Millbillillie eucrite

Abstract— We have investigated 10 new specimens of the Millbillillie eucrite to study its textures and mineral compositions by electron probe microanalyser and scanning electron microscope. Although originally described as having fine-grained texture, the new specimens show diversity of texture. The compositions (Mg/Fe ratios) of the host pigeonites and augite lamellae are homogeneous, respectively, in spite of the textural variation. In addition to their chemical homogeneity, pyroxenes in coarse and fine-grained clasts are partly inverted to orthopyroxene. Chemical zoning of plagioclase during crystal growth is preserved. This eucrite includes areas of granulitic breccias and impact melts. Large scale textures show a subparallel layering suggesting incomplete mixing and deposition of impact melt and lithic fragments. An ³⁹Ar-⁴⁰Ar age determination for a coarse-grained clast indicates a strong degassing event at 3.55 ± 0.02 Ga. We conclude that Millbillillie is among the most equilibrated eucrites produced by thermal annealing after impact brecciation. According to the classification of impact breccias, Millbillillie can be classified as a mixture of granulitic breccias and impact melts. The last significant thermal event is characterized by network-like glassy veins that run through clasts and matrices. Consideration of textural observations and requirements for Ar-degassing suggests that the ³⁹Ar-⁴⁰Ar age could in principle date either the earilier brecciation and annealing event or the event which produced the veins.     

Detection and rapid recovery of the Sutter's Mill meteorite fall as a model for future recoveries worldwide

The Sutter's Mill C‐type meteorite fall occurred on 22 April 2012 in and around the town of Coloma, California. The exact location of the meteorite fall was determined within hours of the event using a combination of eyewitness reports, weather radar imagery, and seismometry data. Recovery of the first meteorites occurred within 2 days and continued for months afterward. The recovery effort included local citizens, scientists, and meteorite hunters, and featured coordination efforts by local scientific institutions. Scientific analysis of the collected meteorites revealed characteristics that were available for study only because the rapid collection of samples had minimized terrestrial contamination/alteration. This combination of factors—rapid and accurate location of the event, participation in the meteorite search by the public, and coordinated scientific investigation of recovered samples—is a model that was widely beneficial and should be emulated in future meteorite falls. The tools necessary to recreate the Sutter's Mill recovery are available, but are currently underutilized in much of the world. Weather radar networks, scientific institutions with interest in meteoritics, and the interested public are available globally. Therefore, it is possible to repeat the Sutter's Mill recovery model for future meteorite falls around the world, each for relatively little cost with a dedicated researcher. Doing so will significantly increase the number of fresh meteorite falls available for study, provide meteorite material that can serve as the nuclei of new meteorite collections, and will improve the public visibility of meteoritics research.     

A large landslide event in a post‐glacial landscape: rethinking glacial legacy

Threlkeld Knotts (c. 500 m above sea level) in the English Lake District has hitherto been considered to be a glacially‐modified intrusion of microgranite. However, its surface features are incompatible with glacial modification; neither can these nor the subsurface structures revealed by ground‐penetrating radar (GPR) be explained by post‐glacial subaerial processes acting on a glacially‐modified microgranite intrusion. Here we re‐interpret Threlkeld Knotts as a very large post‐glacial landslide involving the microgranite, with an estimated volume of about 4 × 10⁷ m³. This interpretation is tested against published and recent information on the geology of the site, the glacial geomorphic history of the area and newly‐acquired GPR data. More than 60 large post‐Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) rock–slope failures have significantly modified the glaciated landscape of the Lake District; this is one of the largest. Recognition of this major landslide deposit in such a well‐studied environment highlights the need to continuously re‐examine landscapes in the light of increasing knowledge of geomorphic processes and with available technology in currently active or de‐glaciating environments. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Shock-implanted noble gases II: Additional experimental studies and recognition in naturally shocked terrestrial materials

Abstract— Several experimentally and naturally shocked silicate samples were analyzed for noble gas contents to further characterize the phenomenon by which ambient gases can be strongly implanted into silicates by shock and to evaluate the possible importance of this process in capturing planetary atmospheres in naturally shocked samples. Gas implantation efficiency is apparently mineral independent, as mono-mineralic powders of oligoclase, labradorite, and diopside and a powdered basalt shocked to 20 GPa show similar efficiencies. The retentivity of shock-implanted gas during stepwise heating in the laboratory is defined in terms of two parameters: activation energy for diffusion as determined from Arrhenius plots, and the extraction temperature at which 50% of the gas is released, both of which correlate with shock pressure. These gas diffusion parameters are essentially identical for radiogenic ⁴⁰Ar and shock-implanted ⁴⁰Ar in oligoclase and labradorite shocked to 20 GPa, suggesting that the two ⁴⁰Ar components occupy analogous lattice sites. Our experiments indicate that gas implantation occurs through an increasing production of microcracks/defects in the lattice with increasing shock pressure. The ease of diffusive loss of implanted gas is controlled by the degree of annealing of these microcracks/defects. Identification of a shock-implanted component requires relatively large concentrations of implanted gas which is strongly retained (i.e., moderate activation energy) in order to separate implanted gas from surface adsorbed gases. Literature data on shocked terrestrial samples indicate only weak evidence for shock-implanted gases, with an upper limit for ⁴⁰Ar of ～ 10^?6 cm³STP/g. New analyses of shocked samples from the Wabar Crater indicate the presence of shock-implanted Ar, having concentrations (～ 10^?4 cm³STP/g) and activation energies for diffusive loss which are essentially that expected from experimental studies. Lack of sufficient target porosity or the presence of ground water may explain the sparse evidence for shock-implanted gas at other terrestrial craters. Although Wabar Crater may represent an unusually favorable environment on Earth for shock-implanting gases, surfaces of other planetary bodies, such as Mars, may frequently provide such environments. Analyses of returned samples from old Martian terraines may document temporal changes in earlier atmospheric composition.