Radar observations of auroral zone flows during a multiple-onset substorm

We present an analysis of ground magnetic field, ionospheric flow, geosynchronous particle, and interplanetary data during a multiple-onset substorm on 12 April 1988. Our principal results concern the modulations of the ionospheric flow which occur during the impulsive electrojet activations associated with each onset. During the first hour of the disturbance these take place every \sim12.5 min and involve the formation of a new intense westward current filament in the premidnight sector, just poleward of the preexisting extended current system driven by the large-scale flow. These filaments are \sim1 h MLT wide (\sim600 km), and initially expand poleward to a width of \sim300 km before contracting equatorward and coalescing with the preexisting current, generally leaving the latter enhanced in magnitude and/or expanded in latitude. Within the impulsive electrojets the flow is found to be suppressed to values 50–100 m s⁻¹ or less during the first few minutes, before surging equatorward at 0.5-1.0 km s⁻¹ during the phase of rapid coalescence. The implication is that the precipitation-induced Hall conductivity within the impulsive electrojet initially rises to exceed \sim100 mho, before decaying over a few minutes. This value compares with Hall conductivities of \sim20 mho in the quasi-steady current regions, and a few mho or less in the regions poleward of the electrojets and in the preonset ionosphere. Preliminary evidence has also been found that the flow surges propagate from midnight to the morning sector where they are associated with arrested equatorward motion or poleward contractions of the current system. These observations are discussed in terms of present theoretical paradigms of the global behaviour of fields and flows which occur during substorms.     

KRb ratios in Precambrian granulite terranes

Concentrations of potassium and rubidium are reported for 62 Precambrian shield whole-rock samples belonging to the pyroxene granulite facies of world-wide distribution. Compared with the Main Trend established by Shaw (1968) for igneous and quasi-igneous rocks of the upper crust, the high-grade metamorphic granulites exhibit a similar correlation but with a measurable depletion in Rb for a given K content. The Metamorphic Trend may be described by the equations: log₁₀ (ppm Rb) = 1.136 log₁₀ (per cent K) + 1.495 or ppm Rb = 31.28 (per cent K)^1.136. The square of the product moment correlation coefficient shows that 80 per cent of the variation in Rb is associated with variation in K.All suites studied have initial ${}^{87}\text{Sr}{}^{86}\text{Sr}$ ratios less than 0.707. This low value argues against repeated extraction of Rb and K through time on a regional scale. Rather, the major depletion in these lithophile elements occurred in the early stages of crustal evolution.     

From data gathering to resources assessment: A holistic view of petroleum geology

To integrate geological data to obtain an interpretation of the geology and natural resources of an area, we need a methodology that provides a holistic approach, addressing all basic issues in geological relations as well as uncertainties that arise with the evolution of basic geological knowledge of an area.In spite of the major role played by geoinformatics—the application of mathematics, statistics, and computer science to solve geological problems—we do not yet have a properly designed method for organizing geological data, including raw data, conceptual models, modeling results, and geological integration. Such a rapid method should provide for updating of existing interpretations based on new data or new theories.A systematic view of data integration and interpretation is important in petroleum exploration and petroleum engineering. We point out the more striking tools already available but of restricted use and some of the possible solutions for known problems that still require research and development.     

Economic evaluation of available processes for treating oxide-copper ores

Several alternatives are available for processing low-grade copper ores. These include in-situ, heap, vat and agitation leaching, and may involve the conventional cementation step or the newly developed solvent extraction—electrowinning system. Each of these techniques have their inherent economic and operating advantages and disadvantages, and the selection of the optimum process for a given copper ore is solely based on economic evaluation of the applicable processes. In this paper, efforts have been made to provide engineering feasibility estimates for the above processes under varying operational conditions, such as ore grade and price of copper.     

Isotopic anomalies of noble gases in meteorites and their origins—VII. C3V carbonaceous chondrites

Noble gases were measured in bulk samples of the C3V chondrites Grosnaja, Vigarano, and Leoville, and in HF,HCl-insoluble residues before and after etching with HNO₃. The residues were characterized by INAA and SEM. Gas components were determined, directly or by subtraction, for the following fractions: HF,HCl-solubles (?98% of the meteorite), ‘sphase Q’, a poorly characterized trace mineral that is insoluble in HCl-HF but soluble in HNO₃, and an insoluble residue, consisting of ferrichromite, carbonaceous matter, and spinel.Bulk meteorites show some correlation of the noble-gas pattern with McSween's subclasses: two ‘oxidized’ C3V's—Allende (LEWIS et al, 1975) and Grosnaja— have lower Ar/Xe but higher Ne/Xe ratios than the ‘reduced’ C3V's—Vigarano and Leoville—which are transitional to LL3's and C3O chondrites in both respects. An HCl-soluble mineral of high Ar/Xr ratio seems to be responsible. In other respects, the 3 C3V's of this study resemble Allende, with only moderate differences. Phase Q contains most of the Ar, Kr, Xe, but only small amounts of Ne; the etched residues contain planetary Ne ($\text{Ne}{}^{20}\text{Ne}{}^{22}\text{? 8.5}$) and the controversial CCFXe component, enriched in the heavy Xe isotopes ($\text{Xe136}\text{Xe132 ? 0.4–0.5}$). The CCFXe is accompanied by an ‘L-Xe’ component that is enriched in the light Xe isotopes. The proportion of the two is virtually constant in C3V's. as in all other C-chondrites. in contrast to the ~ 2-fold variation in ordinary chondrites.C3V's have systematically higher $\text{Xe}{}^{136}\text{Xe}{}^{132}$ ratios, and hence higher ratios of CCFXe to planetary Xe, than do other chondrite classes. This may reflect some peculiarity in their formation conditions, favoring uptake of CCFXe.     

Early island-arc intrusive activity,Cordillera Central,Dominican Republic

Reconnaissance studies of early island-arc intrusions in the Cordillera Central of the Dominican Republic demonstrate that these rocks are mainly hornblende tonalite with lesser amounts of hornblende diorite, quartz diorite, granodiorite and quartz monzonite. Two plutons (El Bao, Medina) are petrographically and chemically homogeneous, whereas two others (El Rio and Loma de Cabrera) are compositionally heterogeneous. Samples from these intrusions range in SiO₂ from 49 to 70% with most rocks in the 59 to 62% range. K₂O ranges from 0.24 to 3% and averages 1.2%. Cu, Zn, Co, Ni, V and possibly Cr decrease with increasing SiO₂. Rb/Sr values for the intrusions are low but variable. Present-day ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr values range from 0.7031 to 0.7045 for the El Bao and Loma de Cabrera batholiths and 0.7033 to 0.7091 for the Medina stock. These data do not generate isochrons. The Cordillera Central tonalite intrusions are the most abundant plutonic rock type in the Greater Antilles, although small, younger granodiorite and quartz monzonite stocks are present. The Cordillera Central intrusions are lower in SiO₂, K₂O, Rb, and Sr than the average composition of the Sierra Nevada batholith, but they are similar to the tonalites and trondjhemites from the western margin of the Sierra Nevada batholith. The low Rb/Sr ratios and low initital Sr⁸⁷/Sr⁸⁶ ratios for the Cordillera Central intrusions combined with the high liquidus temperatures required for the generation of tonalite magmas strongly favor a subcrustal source for these magmas in an island-arc setting.     

Extinct I129 in C3 chondrites

Eight C3 chondrites were examined by the I¹²⁹Xe¹²⁹ dating method, to see whether their IXe “ages” (better, initial $\text{I}{}^{129}\text{I}{}^{127}$ratios ≡ R₀) correlate with any other properties. The R₀'s range from 1.60 × 10^?4 to 1.09 × 10^?4, corresponding to IXe ages from 2.0 Myr before to 6.7 Myr after Murchison magnetite. Three C3O's (Lancé, Felix, Ornans) have essentially indistinguishable R₀'s of (1.41 ± 0.13) to (1.17 ± 0.10) × 10^?4; the fourth C3O, Warrenton, is undatable owing to homogenization of radiogenic and trapped Xe.Four C3V's show a distinct spread: Vigarano and Grosnaja are highest [R₀ = (1.60 ± 0.07) and (1.57 ± 0.14) × 10^?4], Mokoia is intermediate, and Kaba is lowest [R₀ = (1.38 ± 0.06) and (1.09 ± 0.10) × 10^?4]. Literature values for Allende place it near Kaba. These R₀'s correlate inversely with 4 other properties: I-, Br-, and Cd-content, and olivine composition, both percent mean deviation (PMD) and proportion of iron-poor olivine grains (≤2% fayalite).It is difficult to accept the ～9 Myr spread in R₀ as a true age, reflecting either nebular or parent-body processes. This time span is more than an order of magnitude longer than the lifetime of the solar nebula inferred from astronomical evidence. Nor does the degree of thermal metamorphism, which is slight for C3's anyway, correlate with R₀. A more plausible interpretation is that the variations in R₀ reflect mainly isotopic heterogeneity of iodine. The simplest model that accounts for the correlations with R₀ involves mixing of two iodine components in the solar nebula, associated with gas and grains, respectively. The second, of lower $\text{I}{}^{129}\text{I}{}^{127}$ ratio, predominated at later times and thus became enriched in late-formed meteorites, along with other volatiles such as Cd and Br. The low Fe content and large PMD of olivine may reflect either less metamorphism owing to shallow location in the parent body, or greater reduction of Fe²⁺ during chondrule formation.     

Strontium isotope geochemistry of late cretaceous granodiorites,Jamaica and Haiti,greater Antilles

Initial⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios have been determined for a representative suite of Upper Cretaceous granodiorites and associated rocks from the Above Rocks composite stock in central Jamaica and the Terre-Neuve pluton in northwestern Haiti. The average initial⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratio for severn samples of the Terre-Neuve intrusion is 0.7036, with a range of 0.7026–0.7047. For two samples of the Above Rocks the initial ratios are 0.7033 and 0.7034. A third sample from this intrusive has an initial ratio of 0.7084, which is tenatively attributed to contamination. The initial⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios indicate that neither ancient sialic crust nor sediments carried down a Benioff zone can be the primary source of the granodioritic magma. K/Rb ratios for these rocks range from 178 to 247, which are much lower than the average values (≥1000) for tholeiitic basalts. It is concluded that the magmas originated primarily by melting of downthrust oceanic crust or adjacent mantle material.     

Isotopic anomalies of noble gases in meteorites and their origins—IV. C3 (Ornans) carbonaceous chondrites

The C3O chondrites Kainsaz, Lancé and Ornans were studied by an acid dissolution technique, to characterize the noble-gas components in 3 mineral fractions: HF, HCl-solubles (99% of the meteorite), chromite and carbon (0.3–0.9%), and ‘phase Q’, a poorly characterized trace mineral (0.05–0.4%) containing most of the Ar, Kr, Xe. For all fractions, gas contents decline in the order Kainsaz > Lancé > Ornans; this trend parallels volatile contents but not heterogeneity of olivine composition or degree of metamorphism and seems to reflect progressively higher condensation temperatures from the solar nebula.Solubles contain nearly unfractionated Xe, and show ${}^{136}\text{Ar}{}^{132}\text{Xe}$ ratios up to 850. Hence the high $\text{Ar}\text{Xe}$ ratios (200–400) of bulk C3O chondrites must be due to an HF-soluble mineral (possibly magnetite). Phase Q contains ordinary planetary gases and a Ne component of ${}^{20}\text{Ne}{}^{22}\text{Ne}\text{= 10.3 ± 0.4.}$Chromite and carbon contain Ne of ${}^{20}\text{Ne}{}^{22}\text{Ne}\text{= 8.6 ± 0.1}$ and ‘CCF’ xenon (a peculiar component of possibly fissiogenic origin, enriched in the heavy isotopes but accompanied by a component enriched in the light isotopes).In all primitive chondrites, both the amount and the chemical separability of CCFXe parallel the abundance of promordial noble gases and other volatiles, such as C, N, Tl, Bi and In. The close correlation of CCFXe with various properties of undoubtedly local origin (volatile content, petrologic type, presence of ferrichromite and carbon, etc.) is more consistent with a local than with an extrasolar origin of this component. A volatile superheavy element seems to be the most plausible source, but the evidence is not conclusive.