Oxygen and ozone in the early Earth's atmosphere

The precise amount of O₂ and O₃ in the Earth's prebiological paleoatmosphere has been a topic of considerable discussion in the past. Since the photolysis of H₂O and CO₂, the prebiological mechanisms to produce O₂, depends on the ultraviolet (UV) flux from the Sun, a reliable quantification of the problem requires detailed knowledge of such flux. Using the most recent astronomical observation of young stars from the International Ultraviolet Explorer, as well as a detailed photochemical model of the paleoatmosphere, we find that the amount of O₂ in the prebiological paleoatmosphere may have been as much as 10⁶ times greater than previously estimated.Some of the implications of this new value are discussed.     

Computer aided analysis of rock slope stability

Summary A computer program is written in basic language on a micro-computer to carrying out kinematic analysis of rock slope stability. The program is capable of handling plane sliding, wedge sliding and toppling of rock slopes. Applications of the program are demonstrated by examples on opencast mine excavations and highway cuts. The computer output are presented in the form of tables and illustrations for ease of interpretation. As micro-computers are readily available in design offices nowadays, the present work provides an efficient means for engineers to analyse and design rock slope excavations.     

On interplanetary electric and magnetic fields

A kinematic model of the stationary electromagnetic fields in interplanetary space with finite conductivity is considered. The electrodynamic problem is solved for a medium with uniform conductivity and radial plasma outflow from a spherical source. Simple analytical formulae are obtained for electric and magnetic fields, currents and charges in the case of a uniformly-magnetized rotating sphere.     

Magnetic stratigraphy observed in ferromanganese crust

Summary. A sample of ferromanganese crust deposit (SCHW-1D) was cut into two sets of 1 mm slices for palaeomagnetic study. Alternating field and thermal demagnetization, and isothermal remanent magnetization analyses were performed on each thin slice. The results reveal the presence of a stable magnetism and both normal and reversed polarity intervals in the specimens. The observed polarity intervals cannot be confidently correlated with the geomagnetic polarity time-scale of the last 10 Myr due to the polarity overlap inherent in the sampling technique. But the results confirm the slow accretion rate of ferromanganese deposit determined by ¹⁰Be method and suggest potential use of ferromanganese deposits in palaeomagnetic and tectonic studies.     

Monitoring agricultural cropping patterns across the Laurentian Great Lakes Basin using MODIS-NDVI data

The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MODIS) Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) 16-day composite data product (MOD12Q) was used to develop annual cropland and crop-specific map products (corn, soybeans, and wheat) for the Laurentian Great Lakes Basin (GLB). The crop area distributions and changes in crop rotations were characterized by comparing annual crop map products for 2005, 2006, and 2007. The total acreages for corn and soybeans were relatively balanced for calendar years 2005 (31,462 km² and 31,283 km², respectively) and 2006 (30,766 km² and 30,972 km², respectively). Conversely, corn acreage increased approximately 21% from 2006 to 2007, while soybean and wheat acreage decreased approximately 9% and 21%, respectively. Two-year crop rotational change analyses were conducted for the 2005–2006 and 2006–2007 time periods. The large increase in corn acreages for 2007 introduced crop rotation changes across the GLB. Compared to 2005–2006, crop rotation patterns for 2006–2007 resulted in increased corn–corn, soybean–corn, and wheat–corn rotations. The increased corn acreages could have potential negative impacts on nutrient loadings, pesticide exposures, and sediment-mediated habitat degradation. Increased in US corn acreages in 2007 were related to new biofuel mandates, while Canadian increases were attributed to higher world-wide corn prices. Additional study is needed to determine the potential impacts of increases in corn-based ethanol agricultural production on watershed ecosystems and receiving waters.     

Novel fusion approach on automatic object extraction from spatial data: case study Worldview-2 and TOPO5000

The automatic extraction of information content from remotely sensed data is always challenging. We suggest a novel fusion approach to improve the extraction of this information from mono-satellite images. A Worldview-2 (WV-2) pan-sharpened image and a 1/5000-scaled topographic vector map (TOPO5000) were used as the sample data. Firstly, the buildings and roads were manually extracted from WV-2 to point out the maximum extractable information content. Subsequently, object-based automatic extractions were performed. After achieving two-dimensional results, a normalized digital surface model (nDSM) was generated from the underlying digital aerial photos of TOPO5000, and the automatic extraction was repeated by fusion with the nDSM to include individual object heights as an additional band for classification. The contribution was tested by precision, completeness and overall quality. Novel fusion technique increased the success of automatic extraction by 7% for the number of buildings and by 23% for the length of roads.     

Cesstibtantite—a geologic introduction to the inverse pyrochlores

Summary The crystal structure of cesstibtantite has been solved from diffractometer data collected on samples from Leshaia, Russia and the Tanco pegmatite, Manitoba. Cesstibtantite from the Leshaia pegmatite (type locality) hasa 10.515(2) Å, space groupFd3m, composition Cs_0.31(Sb_0.57Na_0.31Pb_0.02Bi_0.01)_O.91(Ta_1.88Nb_0.12)₂(O_5.69[OH, F]_0.31)₆(OH, F)_0.69, Z 8; its structure was refined toR 3.8,wR 4.3% using 96 observed (F > 3[F]) reflections (MoK). Cesstibtantite from the Tanco pegmatite hasa 10.496(1) Å, space groupFd3m, composition (Cs_0.22K_0.01)_0.23(Na_0.45Sb_0.39Pb_0.14· Ca_0.06Bi_0.02)_1.06(Ta_1.95Nb_0.05)₂(O_5.78[OH,F]_0.22)₆(OH,F)_0.55,Z 8; its structure was refined toR 3.9w R 3.7% using 104 observed reflections. Cesstibtantite differs from the normal pyrochlores in that it contains significant amounts of very large cations such as Cs. As these cations are too large (^VIII[r] > 1.60 Å) for the conventional [8]-coordinated A site, they occupy the [18]-coordinated site, which normally contains monovalent anions. Natural cesstibtantite samples are non-ideal in that both Cs and monovalent anions occur at the site; thus cesstibtantite is intermediate to thenormal pyrochlores (with only monovalent anions at the site) and theinverse pyrochlores (with only large cations at the site).

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Cesstibtantit—eine geologische Einfiihrung in die inversen Pyrochlore

Zusammenfassung Die Kristallstruktur von Cesstibtantit wurde auf der Basis von Diffraktometerdaten von Proben von Leshaia, Russland and dem Tanco Pegmatit, Manitoba, gelöst. Cesstibtantit aus dem Leshaia Pegmatit (Typlokalität) hat a 10.515(2) Å, RaumgruppeFd3m, die Zusammensetzung CS_0.31(Sb_0.57Na_0.31Pb_0.02Bi_0.01)_0.91(Ta_1.88Nb_0.12)₂· (O_5.69OH, F_0.31)₆(OH, F)_0.69 Z 8; die Struktur wurde aufR 3.8,wR 4.3% verfeinert unter Benützung von 96 beobachteten Reflexen. Cesstibtantit vom Tanco Pegmatit hat a 10.496(1) Å, RaumgruppeFd3m, die Zusammensetzung (Cs_0.22K_0.01)_0.23(Na_0.45· Sb_0.39Pb_0.14Ca_0.06Bi_0.02)_1.06(Ta_1.95Nb_0.05)₂(O_5.78OH,F_0.22)₆(OH,F)_0.55,Z 8; seine Struktur wurde aufR 3.9wR 3.7% auf der Basis von 104 beobachteten Rettexen verfeinert. Cesstibtantit unterscheidet sich von normalen Pyrochloren insofern, als er signifikante Mengen von sehr großen Kationen, wie z.B. Cs enthält. Da these Kationen zu groß sind (^VIII r 1.60 Å) für eine konventionelle [8]-koordinierteA Stelle, nehmen she die [18]-koordinierten Positionen ein, welche normalerweise monovalente Anionen enthalten. Natürliche Cesstibtantitproben sind nicht ideal insofern als sowohl Cs als auch monovalente Anionen in der Position vorkommen. Somit ist Cesstibtantit intermediär zu den normalen Pyrochloren (mit nur monovalenten Anionen auf der Position) and den inversen Pyrochloren (mit ausschließlichen großen Kationen an der Position).

     

The upper Bathonian ammonite zonation of East Siberia

Modifications to the upper Bathonian zonal scale for northern East Siberia provided by the newly available paleontological record on Middle Jurassic reference sections in the Arctic regions of Yakutia and by the revised earlier collections, are justified. The oldest East Siberian members of Cadoceras are found to be characteristic not of the initial Callovian age as believed by Russian paleontologists, but of the terminal Bathonian age as was previously shown in the biostratigraphic scheme of East Greenland. The succession of zones and index species analogous to that of the latter is revealed in the studied region and the zonal boundaries in Siberia and East Greenland are inferred to be synchronous. Finds of Cadoceras calyx in the upper Bathonian scale permitted, for the first time, the recognition of a corresponding zone. The Bathonian-Callovian boundary is placed between the calyx and anabarense zones. The upper Bathonian zonal scale of northern East Siberia is now in total agreement with the East Greenland zonal scale.