Osumilite-sapphirine-quartz granulites from Enderby Land Antarctica — Mineral assemblages and reactions

The pre-Cambrian granulites of Enderby Land Antarctica, contain coexisting spinel-quartz, sapphirine-quartz, hypersthene-sillimanite-quartz and osumilite on a regional extent. Osumilite is present in a variety of mineral assemblages, most of which are documented in granulites for the first time. The mineral assemblages, reactions and compositional zoning in minerals are discussed in terms of continuous and discontinuous reactions in response to changing conditions of metamorphism. The development of many of the mineral coronas can be explained by continuous rather than discontinuous reactions, due to the effects of Mg-Fe and (Mg,Fe)-2Al exchange equilibria with decreasing temperature. The highest P-T conditions of metamorphism (8–10 kb, 900 °–980 ° C, Ellis, in preparation) were beyond the stability limit of coexisting garnet-cordierite. Secondary cordierite has developed through a large number of mineral reactions in response to cooling of these granulites.A theoretical analysis of the phase relations involving osumilite in the chemical systems K₂O-MgO-Al₂O₃-SiO₂ and K₂O-MgO-FeO-Al₂O₃-SiO₂ is presented. In the pure Mg-system the lower temperature stability limit of Mg-osumilite is inferred to be defined with increasing pressure by the reactions OsCd+En+Kfeld+Qtz, OsSa+En+Kfeld+Qtz, OsSill+En+Kfeld+Qtz. In iron-bearing systems an important reaction involving osumilite is Os+GtCd+Hy+Kfeld+Qtz.At moderate temperatures and pressures, osumilite is limited to rocks which lie on the Mg-rich side of the Cd-Hy stable tie line on an AFM diagram. At higher pressures and temperatures osumilite occurs in a widerrange of rock compositions because of the stability of coexisting garnet and osumilite. Petrographic data, as well as chemographic relations indicate that for many common rock compositions, garnet, cordierite, hypersthene, sapphirine and sillimanite cannot coexist with both osumilite and K-feldspar.Published with the permission of the Director, Bureau of Mineral Resources     

Pixel-based correction for Charge Transfer Inefficiency in the Hubble Space Telescope Advanced Camera for Surveys

Charge Transfer Inefficiency (CTI) due to radiation damage above the Earth's atmosphere creates spurious trailing in Hubble Space Telescope ( HST ) images. Radiation damage also creates unrelated warm pixels – but these happen to be perfect for measuring CTI. We model CTI in the Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS)/Wide Field Channel and construct a physically motivated correction scheme. This operates on raw data, rather than secondary science products, by returning individual electrons to pixels from which they were unintentionally dragged during readout. We apply our correction to images from the HST Cosmic Evolution Survey (COSMOS), successfully reducing the CTI trails by a factor of ∼30 everywhere in the CCD and at all flux levels. We quantify changes in galaxy photometry, astrometry and shape. The remarkable 97 per cent level of correction is more than sufficient to enable a (forthcoming) reanalysis of downstream science products and the collection of larger surveys.     

Evaluating techniques for sampling stream crayfish (Paranephrops planifrons)

We evaluated several capture and analysis techniques for estimating abundance and size structure of freshwater crayfish (Paranephrops planifrons) (koura) from a forested North Island, New Zealand stream to provide a methodological basis for future population studies. Direct observation at night and collecting with baited traps were not considered useful. A quadrat sampler was highly biased toward collecting small individuals. Handnetting at night and estimating abundances using the depletion method were not as efficient as handnetting on different dates and analysing by a mark‐recapture technique. Electrofishing was effective in collecting koura from different habitats and resulted in the highest abundance estimates, and mark‐recapture estimates appeared to be more precise than depletion estimates, especially if multiple recaptures were made. Handnetting captured more large crayfish relative to electrofishing or the quadrat sampler.     

Thermochronometric constraints on the tectonic evolution of the Serifos detachment, Aegean Sea, Greece

We constrain the timing and kinematics of the Serifos detachment in the southwestern Cyclades, Greece, using low-temperature thermochronometry. Fission-track dating shows that the Serifos detachment was active between ~13 and 6 Ma and that the Serifos granodiorite in its footwall intruded at or before ~12–11 Ma into the extensional shear zone and initially cooled very rapidly at rates >180°C per million year. The mylonite zone at the top of the granodiorite and mylonitic structures in its country rocks record a consistent top-SSW shear sense in the ductile crust. In the brittle regime top-NNE shear-sense indicators occur as well. Conjugate top-SSW and top-NNE high-angle normal faults are the youngest deformational features and cut across the detachment. Age–distance relationships for the fission-track data display a relatively flat pattern. We discuss a model advocating initial top-SSW movement on the Serifos detachment before and during emplacement of the granodiorite. Updoming of the detachment during exhumation and cooling caused subsequent bivergent extension in the brittle crust.     

Introducing the decile concept for studying the spatiotemporal characteristics and variability of long-lasting dry and wet periods

Changes in the persistence of dry and wet periods are of particular interest for many sectors, as long-term deviations from normal precipitation strongly affect the water availability. Here, an indicator is introduced to explore variability and trends of long-lasting dry and wet periods by using decile based thresholds. The test of three different thresholds for ending those periods revealed only slight influences of the chosen threshold on the spatiotemporal pattern and trends. The methodology of the deciles indicator is illustrated and studied exemplarily for a spatially highly resolved data set for Saxony, Germany within 1901–2010. Within that region decile wet and dry periods, respectively, occur approximately four times within 10 years, last on average 11 months and cover on average more than 35 % of the stations. Several years to decades long periods with particularly frequent and/or long decile dry or wet periods were identified. The computed trends strongly depend upon the analysis period, as frequency, duration and spatial coverage of decile periods show strong variations up to multi-decadal time scales. Nonetheless, there is some indication that dry period coverage increased within the 20th century, while wet period coverage decreased. However, in the most recent decades the long-term trends reversed.     

Seasonal controls on stream chemical export across diverse coastal watersheds in the USA

The current study focuses on understanding key factors controlling geochemical export in eight diverse coastal watersheds at seasonal and annual time scales. Geochemical, atmospheric and hydrologic data across a range of hydro‐climatic regimes and varying land uses were investigated and relationships analysed. A hyperbolic dilution model was fitted for each watershed system to evaluate discharge–concentration relationships. Nitrate concentration effects were observed in watersheds exposed to high atmospheric deposition rates as well as agricultural watersheds, whereas urban watersheds showed nitrate dilution effects. Dilution patterns were observed for calcium, magnesium and sulfate for almost all watersheds. Seasonal loads for almost all constituents were noted to be mainly driven by hydrologic seasonality, but are also dependent on inputs (atmospheric deposition and land use sources). Understanding the primary controls on hydro‐chemical interactions is critical for developing and refining predictive water quality models, especially in coastal watersheds where sensitive downstream ecosystems act as receiving waters for upstream pollutant loads. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

High-frequency reverberation in shallow water

Monostatic reverberation measurements were collected in shallow water, over a coarse gravel and cobble bottom, 100 m deep, off the coast of Nova Scotia. Data were collected at frequencies of 21, 28, and 36 kHz using linear FM pulses of 2-kHz bandwidth and 0.160-s duration. An anchored, high-frequency active sonar array deployed at a depth of 42 m was used to collect the data. The reverberation measurements were compared with estimates computed with the NUWC generic sonar model (GSM). The data were reasonably well modeled for times greater than 0.2 s after pulse transmission by neglecting surface reverberation and using Lambert's rule for bottom backscattering with a scattering coefficient of -27 dB, independent of frequency. At all three frequencies, the data and model show a peak approximately 0.9 s after pulse transmission. This peak results from a focusing effect that the downward-refracting sound-speed profile has on the interaction of the rays with the bottom