Neoproterozoic zirconium-depleted boninite and tholeiitic series rocks from Adola, southern Ethiopia

In Adola, southern Ethiopia, mafic and ultramafic igneous rocks occur in narrow, 4–10 km wide, north-south-trending belts bounded by high-grade gneisses and migmatites. The mafic/ultramafic rocks are complexly deformed and metamorphosed in greenschist to lower amphibolite facies and are thought to be tectonically dismembered parts of an ophiolite complex. Preliminary geochemical and geochronological data highlight that the high-grade rocks in southern Ethiopia and northern Kenya include a significant portion of juvenile rocks that were accreted at the same time as ophiolitic rocks at 885-765 Ma. This is also the time of widespread oceanic magmatism and closure in the Arabian-Nubian Shield to the north.The Adola mafic rocks were previously described as island arc tholeiites and mid-ocean ridge basalts (MORB). New chemical analyses on the Megado belt rocks reveal the presence of boninites and related dacites interspersed with tholeiitic rocks. The Adola boninites are similar to the Cambrian boninites in western Tasmania in having relatively low Zr/Sm (≤32). Boninites with similarly low ratios have not been reported from elsewhere.The Adola tholeiites have high Ti/Zr (150–300). Mixing between tholeiite and boninite magmas may have resulted in elevated Ti/Zr (80–126) in some Adola boninites. Otherwise, Ti/Zr in the latter is low (20–40). Low Ti/Zr is characteristic of Tertiary boninites in the west Pacific. The fact that both Ti/Eu and Zr/Sm increase from the Adola and Tasmania type to the Tertiary boninites at constant Ti/Zr suggests that Ti might be an element that is also metasomatically added to the source of boninites and raises doubts about the role of amphibole in boninite petrogenesis.     

End-states of short-period comets and their role in maintaining the zodiacal dust cloud

Physical lifetimes and end-states of short-period comets are analysed in connection with the problem of the maintainance of the zodiacal dust cloud. In particular, the problem of the comet-asteroid relationship is addressed. Recent studies of the physical properties of Apollo-Amor asteroids and short-period comets (e.g., Hartmann et al., 1987) show significant differences between them, suggesting that they are distinct classes of objects. A few percent of the active SP comets might become asteroidal-like bodies in comet-type orbits due to the buildup of dust mantles. The remainder probably disintegrate as they consume their volatile content so their debris can only be observed as fireballs when they meet the Earth. Unobservable faint SP comets — i.e., comets so small (m 10¹⁴ g) that quickly disintegrate before being detected, might be a complementary source of dust material. They might be completely sublimated even at rather large heliocentric distances (r - 3 AU). Yet the released dust grains can reach the vicinity of the Sun by Poynting-Robertson drag. The mass associated with unobservable SP comets with perihelion distances q 3 AU might be comparable to that computed for the sample of observed SP co-mets with q 1.5 AU. It is concluded that SP comets (from the large to the unobservable small ones) may supply an average of several tons/sec of meteoric matter to the zodiacal dust cloud.     

Resistivity methods in geothermal prospecting in Iceland

Resistivity techniques have been used successfully to identify and delineate geothermal resources in Iceland. The most frequently used techniques include Schlumberger, central loop TEM and head-on profiling. Geothermal systems in Iceland are located both within and outsite the active volcanic regions. Outsite the active volcanic regions the temperature in the upper most kilometer of the geothermal systems is below 150° C whereas the temperature in the geothermal fields within the active volcanic regions exceeds 200° C. The resistivity of the rock in geothermal fields located outside the active volcanic regions ranges from about 10 m to some hundreds of m, and are characterized by considerably lower resistivity than of the surrounding rocks. Most of the geothermal systems within the active volcanic regions, show common resistivity structure with low resistivity of 1–5 m surrounding an inner core of higher resistivity. This increasing resistivity with depth is associated with a change in the conduction mechanism, from interface conduction to electrolyte conduction due to a change in alteration minerals at about 240° C. Examples of resistivity surveys of geothermal fields from both outsite and within the active volcanic regions are discussed.     

Magnetic absorption lines in stellar spectra

We analyze the process of absorption which is produced under conditions of strong magnetic fields in the magnetosphere of a compact stellar source. The magnitude of the magnetic field lies in the range 10¹²-10¹³ Gauss, which are common values in modelling pulsars.Analyzing the first absorption lines (N = 0 toN 3) we arrive to the conclusions that the orientation of electron's spin does not change if it absorbs a photon. It means it maintains its orientation opposite to the external magnetic field after the absorption. For the fundamental line (N = 0 toN = 1) the dominant polarization of the photon is. For the next two transition lines (N = 0 toN = 2 andN = 0 toN = 3), the polarization is. In the case that the absorption lines belong to one of the first three transition lines, then the mean photon energy can be approached with the relation =AN B and thus we get an error of 13.6% with respect to values obtained by the theoretical expression. Also we applied our absorption transition probabilities some known pulsar spectra and we determine which transition feature corresponds in their spectra.Presented at the 2nd UN/ESA Workshop, held in Bogotá, Colombia, 9-13 November, 1992.     

A note on sea-breeze-induced seasonal variability in the K1 tidal constants in Cádiz Bay, Spain

The response of Cádiz Bay to sea-breeze wind stress and tidal boundary forcing—individually and in combination—is studied using a 2D depth-averaged, non-linear, high-resolution hydrodynamic model. Linear superposition of the solution for the K₁ and S₁ constituents, like the solution obtained with an allowance for both the input functions together, is shown to give rise to a modulation of the K1 tidal dynamics. It is precisely this modulation which is responsible for the observed seasonal variations in the K₁ tidal constants in Cádiz Bay.     

Assessment of soil erosion in a small watershed covered by loess

Loose sediments like loess are easily erodable especially on hillslopes used for agriculture. Erosion contributes to the sedimentation and pollution of lakes such threatening quasi-natural ecosystems. On the other hand soil erosion damages fertile soils.The aim of the present paper is the assessment of soil and nutrient loss in a tributary catchment of Lake Balaton, including geoecological aspects of the lake ecosystem and of the slopes mantled by loess.The USLE is applied for small topological units, for the so called erotops. Rainfall simulation experiments were applied for the determination of the erodibility of soils. The calculation is based on a new, GIS aided method. Control measurements have been going on for four years at a gauging station to check how much sediment and water actually leaves the catchment.Results of sediment yield measurements were compared with the results obtained by the application of USLE for the whole catchment. According to this comparison only 2% leaves the catchment so that redeposition processes within the catchment are very important whereas the contribution of soil erosion to the eutrophication of the lake is not very significant in the small tributaries in the northern part of Lake Balaton catchment.     

Pelagic petroleum pollution off the south-west coast of Puerto Rico

Petroleum pollution in the form of floating tar balls and dissolved or dispersed hydrocarbons has been monitored off the south-west coast of Puerto Rico on a weekly basis since November 1980. Tar ball abundance estimates agree well with previously published data for the area. Dissolved/dispersed hydrocarbon concentrations are close to, but below, those found in the Mediterranean Sea and considerably lower than those for more polluted areas. Tar ball abundance is closely related to the intensity of southerly winds. Dissolved/dispersed hydrocarbon concentrations are highest during the fall and coincident with the highest surface water temperatures.     

Depth of crustal conducting layer and asthenosphere in the Pannonian basin determined by magnetotellurics

On the basis of numerical modelling and statistical investigations of the horizontal electrical inhomogeneities (narrow fractures, change of conductance of the surface sediments) ρ_min magnetotelluric (MT)-sounding curves were found to be less distorted and, therefore, they can be used for the determination of deep conducting formations in the crust and upper mantle.Carefully selected MT curves indicate the crustal conductive layer at depths of 7–13 km and the conductive asthenosphere between 50 and 80 km.The relatively shallow position of the asthenosphere corresponds to the high heat flow (q > 80 mWm^?1) in the Pannonian basin according to the empirical relation derived by Ádám (1978).     

Packrat middens from Canyon de Chelly,northeastern Arizona: Paleoecological and archaeological implications

In western North America, pollen data from highland lakes are often used to reconstruct vegetation on the adjacent lowlands. Plant macrofossils and pollen from packrat middens now provide a means to evaluate such reconstructions. On the basis of pollen diagrams from the Chuska Mountains, H. E. Wright, Jr., A. M. Bent, B. S. Hansen, and L. J. Maher, Jr., ((1973), Geological Society of America Bulletin, 84, 1155–1180) arrived at conservative estimates for late Pleistocene depression of highland conifers. In their interpretation, a proposed slight depression of 500 m for lower tree line precluded expansion of Pinus ponderosa into elevations now in desertscrub. Instead, it was suggested that pinyon pine and Artemisia occupied the lowland plateaus. Packrat midden records on either side of the Chuskas fail to verify this model. Early Holocene middens from Chaco Canyon, New Mexico, and a terminal Pleistocene midden from Canyon de Chelly, Arizona, show that blue spruce, limber pine, Douglas fir, dwarf juniper, and Rocky Mountain juniper expanded at least down to 1770 m elevation Neither Colorado pinyon nor ponderosa pine was found as macrofossils in the middens. Artemisia pollen percentages are high in the terminal Pleistocene midden, as they are in the Chuska Mountain pollen sequence, suggesting regional dominance by sagebrush steppe. Of 38 taxa identified, only 3 are shared by middens dated 11,900 and 3120 yr B.P. from Canyon de Chelly, indicating a nearly complete turnover in the flora between the late Pleistocene and late Holocene. Although corn was previously thought to have been introduced to the Colorado plateaus after 2200 yr B.P., the midden dated 3120 yr B.P. contains pollen of corn and other indicators of incipient agriculture.