Non-periglacial stone stripes? An example from North Wales

A set of active stone stripes below a small debris cone in North Wales is described. In form they do not appear to resemble stone stripes described elsewhere. They are of particular note because their form is not controlled by conventional periglacial processes, but by stones moving downslope when sheep disturb the debris cone above. This downslope movement of stones has resulted in a complex pattern of stripes and horizontal terraces, the exact form of which appears to be controlled by probability. These observations add to the debate over the mode of formation of active stone stripes in Britain and the role of non-periglacial processes.     

On the energy integral for first post-Newtonian approximation

The post-Newtonian approximation for general relativity is widely adopted by the geodesy and astronomy communities. It has been successfully exploited for the inclusion of relativistic effects in practically all geodetic applications and techniques such as satellite/lunar laser ranging and very long baseline interferometry. Presently, the levels of accuracy required in geodetic techniques require that reference frames, planetary and satellite orbits and signal propagation be treated within the post-Newtonian regime. For arbitrary scalar W and vector gravitational potentials \(W^j (j=1,2,3)\), we present a novel derivation of the energy associated with a test particle in the post-Newtonian regime. The integral so obtained appears not to have been given previously in the literature and is deduced through algebraic manipulation on seeking a Jacobi-like integral associated with the standard post-Newtonian equations of motion. The new integral is independently verified through a variational formulation using the post-Newtonian metric components and is subsequently verified by numerical integration of the post-Newtonian equations of motion.     

Evolution of the early Earth: Constraints from Nd---Nd isotopic systematics

Combined ¹⁴⁷Sm---¹⁴³Nd and the now extinct [τ(1/2)₁₄₆=103×10⁶ yr] ¹⁴⁶Sm---¹⁴²Nd isotopic systematics are reported for early Archean gneisses from Greenland (Amîtsoq and Akilia associations), and Canada (Acasta gneiss). Using both field relationships and high resolution U---Pb SHRIMP ion-probe ages, it has been possible to identify the most ancient rocks in these terrains for isotopic analyses. Preliminary ¹⁴²Nd analyses of a still limited number of samples have failed to identify terrestrial ¹⁴²Nd anomalies. Effects, if present, are limited to < 10 ppm and we have thus been unable to confirm the +33±4 ppm ε₁₄₂ value claimed by Harper and Jacobsen (1992a, b) for a single sample. From the lack of ¹⁴⁶Sm---¹⁴²Nd effects we infer that large-scale fractionation events that may have occurred in the first 200 Ma of Earth history did not leave a significant nor widespread imprint on the early Archean mantle or crust. If a terrestrial magma ocean, with associated LREE fractionation, formed as a result of planetary accretion, then it had a lifetime of at most 250 m.y. before being remixed into the Earth's mantle.

The samples analysed in this study have a range of ε₁₄₃ values including highly positive values of up to +4.2. This requires that the earliest known Archean crust was differentiated from a reservoir that was strongly depleted in the LREE as compared with chondritic compositions. In the early Archean it is proposed that the depletions in LREE are a consequence of extraction of a limited fraction of the Earth's continental crust ( < 10%) from the upper 200 km of the mantle. A three reservoir model, consisting of the continental crust, depleted mantle and a more primitive mantle reservoir can be extended to account for both the present-day, as well as the evolving Nd isotopic composition of the Earth's crust and mantle. In contrast to previous models, the rate of growth of the continental crust is used as an input parameter to constrain the concomitant growth and evolution of the depleted mantle reservoir. Recycling of large volumes of bulk continental crust into the mantle is not considered to be an important process, nor is the existence of an additional major enriched component in the early Archean mantle.     

Gold mineralisation at the Lady Bountiful Mine,Western Australia: An example of a granitoid-hosted Archaean lode gold deposit

The Lady Bountiful granitoid-hosted lode gold deposit, located in the mid-greenschist facies metamorphosed Ora Banda greenstone sequence, is hosted predominantly by the late-tectonic Liberty Granodiorite. Gold mineralisation is localised along quartz-veined, sinistral, brittle fault-zone(s) that transect the boundary between the Liberty Granodiorite and Mt Pleasant sill. Quartz vein textures indicate two stages of a single gold-related vein-development event, with high-grade gold mineralisation restricted to the second stage. Ore minerals include pyrite, chalcopyrite, pyrrhotite, galena, sphalerite, Au−Ag−Bi−Pb-tellurides, and native gold. Fluid infitration has resulted in narrow (<1 m) bleached wallrock alteration envelopes to the fault zones comprising albite-K-mica ±chlorite±calcite±rutile assemblages. Temperature-pressure conditions varied from Stage I (300°±50°C, ≈2 kbar) to Stage II (250°±50°C, ≈0.5 to 2 kbar), with the hydrothermal fluid in both stages characterised by X(CO₂)≤0.15 and moderate salinity (≈1.28 m NaCl). Intermittent phase separation of Stage II mineralising fluids, initiated by pressure fluctuations in dilational sites, and/or fluid-dominated fluid: wallrock interaction, are invoked as the dominant depositional mechanisms. The granitoid-hosted Lady Bountiful lode gold deposit shares many features with other granitoid-hosted lode gold deposits in the Yilgarn Craton and the Superior Province. Granitoid-hosted lode gold deposits, such as the Lady Bountiful deposit, provide additional evidence that the dominant control on the localisation of gold mineralisation within a granitoid host is structure, with competency contrasts playing a significant role. Furthermore, the hydrothermal wallrock alteraction and orefluid chemistry characteristics of the granitoid-hosted lode gold deposits are comparable to those established for greenstone-hosted lode gold mineralisation.     

The Hydrological Effects of Gravel Winning in an Area West of London, United Kingdom

The ground-water flow and ground-water quality of extensive gravel deposits in the Lower Colne Valley, near London, England are described. The great demand for aggregates in southeast England over the past 30 years has resulted in extensive exploitation of these gravels, the worked-out pits being either left water-filled for recreational purposes, or filled with a variety of waste materials. Both after-uses are shown to alter the ground-water situation either by locally lowering or raising ground-water levels, such effects having been described in both French and German literature, or by causing ground-water and surface-water pollution problems. If the scale of pit development or landfilling is large as in the Lower Colne Valley, then remedial measures have to be undertaken to minimize the pollution risk and to obviate problems caused by raised or lowered ground-water levels.     

The behavior of 232Th and the 238U decay chain nuclides during magma formation and volcanism

Concentrations of the members of the ²³⁸U decay chain and ²³²Th were determined in volcanic rocks from convergent plate margins, intraplate volcanoes and oceanic spreading centers. Contemporary and historical volcanic rocks from Mt. St. Helens, Arenal, El Chichon, Hawaii and Iceland and submarine basaltic glass from the Galapagos spreading center all show no fractionation of U and Th in the mantle source or during magma formation at least for the past 300,000 years. Mauna Kea (Hawaii) rocks of alkaline composition greater than 4000 years old and an old submarine basalt show disequilibrium for several of the nuclides in the ²³⁸U decay chain. We interpret these as resulting from post-emplacement processes.     

Effect of discharge on the chlorophylla distribution in the tidally-influenced Potomac River

In the tidal Potomac River, high river discharges during the spring are associated with high chlorophylla concentrations in the following in the following summer, assuming that summertime light and temperature conditions are favorable. Spring floods deliver large loads of particulate N and P to the tidal river. This particulate N and P could be mineralized by bacteria to inorganic N and P and released to the water column where it is available for phytoplankton use during summertime. However, during the study period relatively low concentrations of chlorophylla (less than 50 μg l^?1 occurred in the tidal river if average monthly discharge during July or August exceeded 200 m³s^?1. Discharge and other conditions combined to produce conditions favorable for nuisance levels of chlorophylla (greater than 100 μg l^?1 approximately one year out of four. Chlorophylla maxima occurred in the Potomac River transition zone and estuary during late winter (dinoflagellates) and spring (diatoms). Typical seasonal peak concentrations were achieved at discharges as high as 970 m³ s^?1, but sustained discharges greater than 1,100 m³ s^?1 retarded development. Optimum growth conditions occurred following runoff events of 10 to 15 d duration which produced transit times to the transition zone of 7 to 10 d. Wet years with numerous moderate-sized runoff events, such as 1980, tend to produce greater biomass in the transition zone and estuary than do dry years such as 1981.