Late Pleistocene sediments and environmental change at Plaza Creek,Falkland Islands,South Atlantic

Late Pleistocene organic-rich sediments exposed in coastal bluffs near the head of Plaza Creek, East Falkland, have yielded conventional and AMS ¹⁴C dates of between 36 and 28 ka BP, and possess a pollen spectrum dominated by grasses, indicating a vegetation assemblage similar to that of the present day. Although some sample dates are anomalous and contamination by non-contemporaneous carbon cannot be ruled out entirely, the age estimates are consistent with evidence and dates from Antarctica, South America and the amphi-North Atlantic for climate shifts to interstadial conditions at around that time. The organic-rich units are developed in and enclosed by deposits attributed to processes of periglacial mass wasting. Grain-size characteristics suggest that these sediments may have been emplaced by solifluction, shallow translational landsliding and surface wash in at least five mass-wasting episodes. Some of the mass-wasting sediments might correlate with solifluction deposits above and below a podsolic soil dated to 26 ka BP at San Carlos, East Falkland, and with periods of cirque and valley glaciation identified in the uplands of the Falkland Islands. The similarity between late Pleistocene interstadial, Holocene and present-day pollen assemblages, and the lack of vegetation change within these periods, is characteristic of most cool temperate Southern Ocean islands, and may reflect the lack of sensitivity of the vegetation to climate change and/or a lack of climate variability for the time intervals covered. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

How do olivines record magmatic events? Insights from major and trace element zoning

Reconciling the diverse records of magmatic events preserved by multiple crystals and minerals in the same sample is often challenging. In the case of basaltic–andesites from Volcán Llaima (Chile), Mg zoning in olivine is always simpler than Ca zoning in plagioclase. A model that explains a number of chemical patterns is that Llaima magmas stall in the upper crust, where they undergo decompression crystallization and form crystal-mush bodies. Frequent magma inputs from deeper reservoirs provide the potential for remobilization and eruption. The records of multiple recharge events in Llaima plagioclase versus an apparent maximum of one such event in coexisting olivine are addressed by using trace element zoning in olivine phenocrysts. We have integrated elements that (1) respond to changes in magma composition due to recharge or mixing (Mg, Fe, Ni, Mn, ±Ca), with (2) elements that are incorporated during rapid, disequilibrium crystal growth (P, Ti, Sc, V, Al). A more complex history is obtained when these elements are evaluated considering their partition coefficients, diffusivities, and crystal growth rates. The olivine archive can then be reconciled with the plagioclase archive of magma reservoir processes. Olivine (and plagioclase) phenocrysts may experience up to three or more recharge events between nucleation and eruption. Diffusion modeling of major and trace element zoning in two dimensions using a new lattice Boltzmann model suggests that recharge events occur on the order of months to a couple of years prior to eruption, whereas crystal residence times are more likely to be on the order of a few years to decades.     

A semi-empirical wind set-up forecasting model for Lake Champlain

The precision of Lake Champlain's water level estimation is a key component in the flood forecasting process for the Richelieu River. Hydrological models do not typically take into consideration the effects of the wind on the water level (also known as the wind set-up). The objective of this study is to create an empirical wind set-up forecast model for Lake Champlain during high wind events. The proposed model uses wind speed and direction across the Lake, as well as wind gusts as inputs. The model is calibrated to a subset of observations and evaluated on an independent sample, considering four wind speed bins. It is tested and compared to a variant of the Zuider Zee equation on 20 wind set-up events that occurred between 2017 and 2019 using hindcast data from five different numerical weather prediction systems (GDPS, RDPS, HRDPS, NOAA and ECMWF). A quantile mapping-based forecast calibration scheme is implemented for each of the forecast products to correct their biases. Results show that events are successfully predicted by the proposed model at least 72 h in advance. These results are better than the other comparative models found in the literature and tested herein. Overall, significant improvements are obtained by including wind speed and wind gusts from different weather stations.     

Model Simulations of the Transport of Odra Flood Water through the Szczecin Lagoon into the Pomeranian Bight in July/August 1997

The Odra river flood of July through August 1997 transported a large additional volume of water into the Szczecin Lagoon area for a period of about one month. The dispersion of this water in the Szczecin Lagoon and Pomeranian Bight was simulated using the operational hydrodynamic model of the North Sea and Baltic Sea operated by the Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency of Germany (BSH). The model system receives as input meteorological forecast fields from the EUROPA model of the German Weather Service. As a result of the model simulation, the temporal development of the river plume can be described as follows: First the eastern part of Szczecin Lagoon, the Zalew Wielki, filled with flood water displacing θnormalρ Odra river water from that area. After about a week, Odra river flood water started to flow into the Pomeranian Bight. Its dispersion within Szczecin Lagoon was by no means uniform. The Kleines Haff, the western part of the Lagoon, was not much affected at first. When large labelled water masses had already left the Zalew Wielki area through the Swina river, at most only about half the water volume in Kleines Haff had been replaced by Odra flood water. In the Pomeranian Bight, the concentration was higher at the coast of Usedom – at least initially – than at the coast of Wolin. After 30 August 1997, northwesterly winds caused undiluted Baltic water to flow from the northern to the southern part of the Pomeranian Bight, pushing the water body marked, or distinguished, by Odra water eastward along the coast of Wolin. At the same time, outflow began from Kleines Haff through the Peenestrom into the Greifswalder Bodden. Due to light winds, and hence limited vertical mixing in summer, the proportion of freshwater in Baltic surface water reached about 50% in the southern Pomeranian Bight. Near Rügen, it fell below 10%. Within 2 months of stronger wind caused major shifts of the water bodies concerned. The scale considerations and model simulations discussed in this paper allowed qualitative estimates to be made in the course of the flood event, which were later confirmed by measurements, presented at a HELCOM (Helsinki Commission, Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission) Scientific Workshop in January 1998.     

Assessing rheological properties of fluid mud samples through tuning fork data

Ocean Dynamics - At the nautical bottom approach, part of the fluid mud layers can be included in the available depth if they present favorable rheology. As it is difficult to perform in situ...     

Geochemistry of a confirmed Precambrian impact ejecta deposit: The Grænsesø spherule layer,South Greenland

Samples from a single outcrop of the Graenseso spherule layer, Midternaes, South Greenland, consist of a spherule‐bearing dolomixtite with matrix‐supported intraclasts up to 1 m in size. In addition to field observations, we performed mineralogical and whole rock geochemical analysis, including electron microprobe, neutron activation analysis, X‐ray fluorescence, and mass spectrometry of the horizon and the overlying and underlying strata. We show that the spherules are petrographically similar to those in the Zaonega spherule layer, Karelia, Russia. Our petrographic and chemical results are consistent with the previous suggestion that the Grænsesø layer correlates with the Zaonega layer, and it is possible that both layers are related to the Vredefort impact event. The samples containing spherules, as well as the overlying rocks, have elevated REEs compared to the underlying pre‐impact layer, suggestive of a new continental source of sediment that may be coincident with the impact event. Zircons separated from the lower part of the Grænsesø spherule layer display complex age patterns suggesting that they have genetically different origins based on distinctly different Th/U ratios. Crystallization ages of all groups are ≥ 2.8 Ga, with ~2.8 Ga representing a time of major crustal growth globally. Therefore, we cannot conclusively determine in this study if the zircons are locally derived or if they are transported with the ejecta. The spherule layer was deposited by a high‐energy, subaqueous debris flow, an origin that is consistent with the hypothesis that the layer was deposited by impact‐induced waves and/or currents.     

Magnetite in the unequilibrated CK chondrites: Implications for metamorphism and new insights into the relationship between the CV and CK chondrites

Bulk isotopic and elemental compositions of CV and CK chondrites have led to the suggestion that both originate from the same asteroid. It has been argued that magnetite compositions also support this model; however, magnetite has been studied almost exclusively in the equilibrated (type 4‐6) CKs. Magnetite in seven unequilibrated CKs analyzed here is enriched in MgO, TiO₂, and Al₂O₃ relative to the equilibrated CKs, suggesting that magnetite compositions are affected by metamorphism. Magnetite in CKs is compositionally distinct from CVs, particularly in abundances of Cr₂O₃, NiO, and TiO₂. Although there are minor similarities between CV and equilibrated CK chondrite magnetite, this is contrary to what we would expect if the CVs and CKs represent a single metamorphic sequence. CV magnetite should resemble CK3 magnetite, as both were metamorphosed to type 3 conditions. Oxygen fugacities and temperatures of CV_ox and CK chondrites are also difficult to reconcile using existing CV‐CK parent body models. Mineral chemistries, which eliminate issues of bulk sample heterogeneity, provide a reliable alternative to techniques that involve a small amount of sample material. CV and CK chondrite magnetite has distinct compositional differences that cannot be explained by metamorphism.     

Ten best practices to strengthen stewardship and sharing of water science data in Canada

Water science data are a valuable asset that both underpins the original research project and bolsters new research questions, particularly in view of the increasingly complex water issues facing Canada and the world. Whilst there is general support for making data more broadly accessible, and a number of water science journals and funding agencies have adopted policies that require researchers to share data in accordance with the findable, accessible, interoperable, reusable (FAIR) principles, there are still questions about effective management of data to protect their usefulness over time. Incorporating data management practices and standards at the outset of a water science research project will enable researchers to efficiently locate, analyse and use data throughout the project lifecycle, and will ensure the data maintain their value after the project has ended. Here, some common misconceptions about data management are highlighted, along with insights and practical advice to assist established and early career water science researchers as they integrate data management best practices and tools into their research. Freely available tools and training opportunities made available in Canada through Global Water Futures, The Gordon Foundation DataStream, the Digital Research Alliance of Canada Portage Network, Compute Canada, and university libraries, among others are compiled. These include webinars, training videos, and individual support for the water science community that together enable researchers to protect their data assets and meet the expectations of journals and funders. The perspectives shared here have been developed as part of the Global Water Futures programme's efforts to improve data management and promote the use of common data practices and standards in the context of water science in Canada. Ten best practices are proposed that may be broadly applicable to other disciplines in the natural sciences and can be adopted and adapted globally.     

Evolution of silicic magmas in the Kos-Nisyros volcanic center,Greece: a petrological cycle associated with caldera collapse

Multiple eruptions of silicic magma (dacite and rhyolites) occurred over the last ~3 My in the Kos-Nisyros volcanic center (eastern Aegean sea). During this period, magmas have changed from hornblende-biotite-rich units with low eruption temperatures (≤750–800°C; Kefalos and Kos dacites and rhyolites) to hotter, pyroxene-bearing units (>800–850°C; Nisyros rhyodacites) and are transitioning back to cooler magmas (Yali rhyolites). New whole-rock compositions, mineral chemistry, and zircon Hf isotopes show that these three types of silicic magmas followed the same differentiation trend: they all evolved by crystal fractionation and minor crustal assimilation (AFC) from parents with intermediate compositions characterized by high Sr/Y and low Nb content, following a wet, high oxygen fugacity liquid line of descent typical of subduction zones. As the transition between the Kos-Kefalos and Nisyros-type magmas occurred immediately and abruptly after the major caldera collapse in the area (the 161 ka Kos Plateau Tuff; KPT), we suggest that the efficient emptying of the magma chamber during the KPT drew out most of the eruptible, volatile-charged magma and partly solidified the unerupted mush zone in the upper crust due to rapid unloading, decompression, and coincident crystallization. Subsequently, the system reestablished a shallow silicic production zone from more mafic parents, recharged from the mid to lower crust. The first silicic eruptions evolving from these parents after the caldera collapse (Nisyros units) were hotter (up to >100°C) than the caldera-forming event and erupted from reservoirs characterized by different mineral proportions (more plagioclase and less amphibole). We interpret such a change as a reflection of slightly drier conditions in the magmatic column after the caldera collapse due to the decompression event. With time, the upper crustal intermediate mush progressively transitioned into the cold-wet state that prevailed during the Kefalos-Kos stage. The recent eruptions of the high-SiO₂ rhyolite on Yali Island, which are low temperature and hydrous phases (sanidine, quartz, biotite), suggest that another large, potentially explosive magma chamber is presently building under the Kos-Nisyros volcanic center.     

Comment on “Cosmogenic neon in grains separated from individual chondrules: Evidence of precompaction exposure in chondrules” by J. P. Das,J. N. Goswami,O. V. Pravdivtseva,A. P. Meshik,and C. M. Hohenberg

Das et al. (2012) claim that in several cases nominal cosmic ray exposure ages derived from concentrations of cosmogenic Ne in individual olivine grains separated from chondrules substantially exceed exposure ages of matrix samples. Some grains were also reported to show larger apparent exposure ages than other grains from the same chondrule. The authors conclude that the excesses were caused by an exposure of chondrules to high fluences of solar energetic particles and suggest that their data provide direct evidence for a highly active phase of the early Sun, similar to what is observed in X‐ray emissions of recent naked T‐Tauri stars. Here, we show that the production rates of cosmogenic Ne used by Das et al. (2012) to derive nominal cosmic ray exposure ages of their olivine grains are often much too low, as the reported major element concentrations in many cases sum up to considerably less than 100% even if converted to oxides. In contrast, adopted element concentrations for matrix samples are basically self‐consistent. A precompaction exposure of chondrules to a very high flux of solar energetic particles is thus not supported by the data presented by Das et al. (2012). Das et al. (2012) claim that in several cases nominal cosmic ray exposure ages derived from concentrations of cosmogenic Ne in individual olivine grains separated from chondrules substantially exceed exposure ages of matrix samples. Some grains were also reported to show larger apparent exposure ages than other grains from the same chondrule. The authors conclude that the excesses were caused by an exposure of chondrules to high fluences of solar energetic particles and suggest that their data provide direct evidence for a highly active phase of the early Sun, similar to what is observed in X‐ray emissions of recent naked T‐Tauri stars. Here, we show that the production rates of cosmogenic Ne used by Das et al. (2012) to derive nominal cosmic ray exposure ages of their olivine grains are often much too low, as the reported major element concentrations in many cases sum up to considerably less than 100% even if converted to oxides. In contrast, adopted element concentrations for matrix samples are basically self‐consistent. A precompaction exposure of chondrules to a very high flux of solar energetic particles is thus not supported by the data presented by Das et al. (2012).