Very low grade metamorphism of the Taveyanne formation of western Switzerland

The andesitic early Oligocene Taveyanne metagreywacke of the Helvetic nappes of western Switzerland shows an increase of metamorphic grade from zeolite facies through lower greenschist facies. Electron microprobe analysis, fluid inclusion thermometry, stable isotope analysis, coal rank, illite and chlorite crystallinity and thermodynamic calculations were carried out to determine metamorphic conditions. Evaluation of all techniques used in this study suggest that only combinations of different parameters yield reliable information to constrain very low-grade metamorphic conditions. Electron microprobe analyses are presented for actinolite, chlorite, epidote, phengite, laumontite, prehnite, pumpellyite, and titanite. With increasing metamorphic grade, chlorite is enriched in tetrahedral Al, pumpellyite becomes poorer in Fe_tot and more homogeneous in chemical composition, and titanite tends to incorporate Ti at the expense of Al and Fe³⁺. Metamorphic P-T conditions were determined by a combination of fluid inclusion microthermobarometry, stable isotope thermometry on quartz-calcite veins, chlorite “geothermometry” and thermodynamic calculations. Peak temperatures range from 210–250 °C for zeolite facies to 270–300 °C for prehnite-pumpellyite facies to 300–360 °C for pumpellyite-actinolite facies. An evaluation of 289 chlorite analyses indicates that the tetrahedral Al content is negatively correlated with the saponite component. Temperatures derived from chlorite “geothermometry” match maximum temperature conditions mentioned above. Illite crystallinity data for shales and slates intercalated with the Taveyanne metagreywacke indicate that the diagenetic zone correlates with the zeolite facies, the upper anchizone with the prehnite-pumpellyite facies, and the lower epizone with the pumpellyite-actinolite facies. A comparison of coal rank and illite crystallinity data (n=12,r=0.91) yielded R _max values of 2.9 and 5.5% for the lower and upper boundary of the anchizone, respectively. Received: 2 August 1996 / Accepted: 16 July 1997     

Use of spectral methods in strapdown ISS data processing

Characteristic frequencies and frequency bands are identified in the output of the inertial sensor block in a Ring Laser Gyro Strapdown Survey System by using Fast Fourier Transformation and are related to physical causes such as vehicle motion, environmental noise and sensor errors. A significant disturbance in the gyro and accelerometer outputs caused by the dither mechanism of the laser gyro is discussed. A frequency filtering approache to decrease the disturbing frequencies are studied. The effect of the filtering on the system performance is presented for field test results.     

Tertiary deltaic and lacustrine organic facies: comparison of biomarker and kerogen distributions

Biological marker and kerogen compositional data in Tertiary deltaic and lacustrine settings were compared and contrasted. The two settings are represented by (a) coals and organic-carbon-rich shales in a ick deltaic sequence from the Far East, constituting three distinct organic facies, and (b) humic coals and spropelic oil shales in a restricted intermontane (freshwater) lacustrine sequence from western Montana (U.S.A.), constituting two distinct organic facies. Wedistinguish the organic facies in each depositional setting by systematic differences in gross compound class distributions, kerogen and infrared spectral characteristics, molecular character of pyrolyzates, sterane carbon number distribution and sterane/hopane ratios. The kerogens of the three deltaic organic facies are characterized by varying quantities of vitrinite, resinite, sporinite, cutinite and fluorescent amorphinite. Triterpane distributions reveal numerous terrigenous compounds, including oleanane, oleanenes and unidentified C₃₀ (presumably) resin-derived components. The two organic facies of the freshwater lacustrine setting are distinguishedased upon either a vitrinite or an alganite/fluorescent amorphinite predominance in the kerogen. Numerous characteristics facies-related markers are also present, including dehydroabietane (land plant resins) and 4-methylsteranes (perhaps from freshwater dinoflagellate input). The available molecular and petrographic data are evaluated, and characteristics are proposed for distinguishing five organic facies of these two depositional settings. The successful simultaneous use of molecular geochemistry and organic petrography in this study provides a format for refining the organic facies concept.     

Book reviews

The National Center for Atmospheric Research is sponsored by the National Science Foundation.     

Can the Red Rectangle Molecular Emission Bands Be Assigned to C?

We review the current information on the unique group of visibleemission bands known as the Red Rectangle bands (RRBs). A laboratoryspectrum exactly matching these bands is not yet available; however, thereis sufficient reason to hypothesize phosphorescence from C₃ asthe source. The points in favor of the C₃/RRB hypothesis canbe summarized as follows: (1) The RRBs are found in the spatial locationwhere carbonaceous grains are being impinged upon by a bipolar outflow. (2)C₃ is known to accompany circumstellar carbon grains and mayconstitute a magic fragment in the UV photofragmentation ofC_n clusters. (3) Our recent observation of the spin-forbiddenCO Cameron emission bands in this object suggests that charged particleimpact excites triplet states. (4) The energy of the lowest triplet state ofC₃ is known to be very close to that of the RRBs. (5) The RRBsdisplay a vibrational spacing that is quantitatively consistent withC₃, including a rare negative anharmonicity.     

A global,high-resolution (30-m) inland water body dataset for 2000: first results of a topographic–spectral classification algorithm

The science and management of terrestrial ecosystems require accurate, high-resolution mapping of surface water. We produced a global, 30-m-resolution inland surface water dataset with an automated algorithm using Landsat-based surface reflectance estimates, multispectral water and vegetation indices, terrain metrics, and prior coarse-resolution water masks. The dataset identified 3,650,723 km² of inland water globally – nearly three quarters of which was located in North America (40.65%) and Asia (32.77%), followed by Europe (9.64%), Africa (8.47%), South America (6.91%), and Oceania (1.57%). Boreal forests contained the largest portion of terrestrial surface water (25.03% of the global total), followed by the nominal ‘inland water’ biome (16.36%), tundra (15.67%), and temperate broadleaf and mixed forests (13.91%). Agreement with respect to the Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer water mask and Landsat-based national land-cover datasets was very high, with commission errors <4% and omission errors <14% relative to each. Most of these were accounted for in the seasonality of water cover, snow and ice, and clouds – effects which were compounded by differences in image acquisition date relative to reference datasets. The Global Land Cover Facility (GLCF) inland surface water dataset is available for open access at the GLCF website (http://www.landcover.org).     

Does the High School Geography Experience Influence Enrollment in University Geography Courses?

The literature suggests that owing to profound difficulties with high school geography curricula, teachers play a vital role in stimulating student interest and in providing a platform for continuation in the study of geography at university. Yet, with little empirical evidence offered in support, it is unclear why students select geography at university and if their high school experience informs their decision. Through a survey of students enrolled in an introductory geography course at an Ontario university, this research questions the relationship between students' high school experience and their enrollment in the course and ponders the implications for the health of the discipline.