TDR pressure cell for monitoring water content retention and bulk electrical conductivity curves in undisturbed soil samples

The water retention curve (θ(ψ)), which defines the relationship between soil volumetric water content (θ) and matric potential (ψ), is of paramount importance in characterizing the hydraulic behaviour of soils. However, few methods are so far available for estimating θ(ψ) in undisturbed soil samples. We present a new design of TDR‐pressure cell (TDR‐Cell) for estimating θ(ψ) in undisturbed soil samples. The TDR‐Cell consists of a 50‐mm‐long and 50‐mm internal diameter stainless steel cylinder (which constitutes the outer frame of a coaxial line) attached to a porous ceramic disc and closed at the ends with two aluminium lids. A 49‐mm‐long and 3‐mm‐diameter stainless steel rod, which runs longitudinally through the centre of the cylinder, constitutes the inner rod of a coaxial TDR probe. The TDR‐Cell was used to determine the θ(ψ) curves of a packed sand and seven undisturbed soil samples from three profiles of agricultural soils. These θ(ψ) curves were subsequently compared to those obtained from the corresponding 2‐mm sieved soils using the pressure plate method. Measurements of bulk electrical conductivity, σ_a, as a function of the water content, σ_a(θ), of the undisturbed soil samples were also performed. An excellent correlation (R² = 0·988) was found between the θ values measured by TDR on the different undisturbed soils and the corresponding θ obtained from the soil gravimetric water content. A typical bimodal θ(ψ) function was found for most of the undisturbed soil samples. Comparison between the θ(ψ) curves measured with the TDR‐Cell and those obtained from the 2‐mm sieved soils showed that the pressure plate method overestimates θ at low ψ values. The σ_a(θ) relationship was well described by a simple power expression (R² > 0·95), in which the power factor, defined as tortuosity, ranged between 1·18 and 3·75. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Phytoplankton distribution and productivity in a highly turbid, tropical coastal system (Bach Dang Estuary, Vietnam)

Phytoplankton diversity, primary and bacterial production, nutrients and metallic contaminants were measured during the wet season (July) and dry season (March) in the Bach Dang Estuary, a sub-estuary of the Red River system, Northern Vietnam. Using canonical correspondence analysis we show that phytoplankton community structure is potentially influenced by both organometallic species (Hg and Sn) and inorganic metal (Hg) concentrations. During March, dissolved methylmercury and inorganic mercury were important factors for determining phytoplankton community composition at most of the stations. In contrast, during July, low salinity phytoplankton community composition was associated with particulate methylmercury concentrations, whereas phytoplankton community composition in the higher salinity stations was more related to dissolved inorganic mercury and dissolved mono and tributyltin concentrations. These results highlight the importance of taking into account factors other than light and nutrients, such as eco-toxic heavy metals, in understanding phytoplankton diversity and activity in estuarine ecosystems.     

Paleomagnetism of early cretaceous arapey formation (Northern Uruguay)

We report detailed rock-magnetic and paleomagnetic directional data from 35 lava flows (302 standard paleomagnetic cores) sampled in the Central-Northern region of Uruguay in order to contribute to the study of the paleosecular variation of the Earth’s magnetic field during early Cretaceous and to obtain precise Cretaceous paleomagnetic pole positions for stable South America. The average unit direction is rather precisely determined from 29 out of 35 sites. All A₉₅ confidence angles are less than 8°, which points to small within-site dispersion and high directional stability. Normal polarity magnetizations are revealed for 19 sites and 10 are reversely magnetized. Two other sites yield well defined intermediate polarities. The mean direction, supported by a positive reversal test is in reasonably good agreement with the expected paleodirection for Early Cretaceous stable South America and in disagreement with a 10° clockwise rotation found in the previous studies. On the other hand, paleomagnetic poles are significantly different from the pole position suggested by hotspot reconstructions, which may be due to true polar wander or the hotspot motion. Our data suggest a different style of secular variation during (and just before) the Cretaceous Normal Superchron and the last 5 Ma, supporting a link between paleosecular variation and reversal frequency.     

Whole-rock geochemical,U-Pb and Sm-Nd isotope characteristics of the Dongueni Mont nepheline syenite intrusion,Mozambique

The Dongueni Mont nepheline syenite intrudes migmatitic paragneisses and siliciclastic metasediments of the Barue Complex, Mozambique. This study reports the whole-rock geochemical, U-Pb and Nd isotopic data of the nepheline syenite. The ferroan and alkalic geochemical characteristics are typical of alkaline rocks formed in a within-plate setting. The strong depletion in high field strength elements(HFSEs)(e.g. Ba, Nb, P,and Ti) and enrichment in large ion lithophile elements(LILEs)(e.g. Rb, Th, K, and Pb) are consistent with magmatism in a continental alkaline magmatic province associated with intracontinental rifting. Zircon U-Pb data yielded crystallization ages from 498 ± 19 to 562± 14 Ma,consistent with the Pan-African Orogeny and the inherited zircons yield an age of 1040 Ma, which supports the presence of a Mesoproterozoic crust. Theε_(Nd)(t) values from the nepheline syenite samples range from-15.1 to-16.1 and the T_(DM)values from 1.77 to 1.67 Ga, which indicate that the initial nepheline syenite magma formed from a tholeiitic or mantle source in a within-plate setting with crustal assimilation.     

Petrology of potassic alkaline ultramafic and carbonatitic rocks from Planalto da Serra (Mato Grosso State), Brazil

The Planalto da Serra igneous rocks form plugs, necks and dykes of carbonate-rich ultramafic lamprophyres (aillikites and glimmerites with kamafugitic affinity) and carbonatites (alvikites and beforsites). Phlogopite and/or tetraphlogopite, diopside and melanitic garnet are restricted to aillikitic rock-types, whereas pyroclore occurs only in carbonatites. Aillikites and carbonatites are altered to hydrotermalites, having chlorite and serpentine as dominant minerals. Planalto da Serra igneous rock association has kamafugitic affinity (i.e. effusive, ultrapotassic. High LREE/HREE fractionation, incompatible elements data and Sr-Nd isotopes, suggest that the K-ultramafic alkaline and carbonatite rocks originated from a variably metasomatized mantle source enriched in radiogenic Sr. Crustal contamination is negligible or absent. Age values of 600 Ma rule out the geochronological relationship between the investigated intrusions and the Mesozoic alkaline bodies from the Azimuth 125° lineament. The TDM model ages allow to conclude that Planalto da Serra magma is derived from the partial melting of a mantle source metasomatised by K-rich carbonatated melt during the Early to Late Neoproterozoic. On the basis of alkaline magmatism repetitions at 600 Ma and 90–80 Ma we question the subsistence of a stationary mantle plume for so long time.     

The Serra Pelada Au-PGE deposit, Serra dos Carajás (Pará State, Brazil): geological and geochemical indications for a composite mineralising process

The Serra Pelada Au-PGE-rich deposit is located in the Serra dos Carajás, a leading mining area in Brazil. This region is characterised by a complex geological and structural framework and is affected by deep lateritisation which has lasted for more than 70 Ma. The Serra Pelada deposit is emplaced in a late-Archean low-grade metasedimentary sequence (Rio Fresco/Águas Claras Formation) which is host to other gold deposits in the region (Igarapé Bahia, Águas Claras). The Rio Fresco/Águas Claras sequence was deposited in tectonic basins developed on Archean basement and Au-bearing greenstone terranes which were intruded by PGE-rich layered mafic complexes (e.g. Luanga). The Serra Pelada mineralisation is located along a regional, complex system of strike-slip faults (Cinzento-Carajás systems) which were active during the late Archean to early Proterozoic. The mineralisation appears to be concentrated along a faulted hinge zone of a fold. Ore zone rock facies are dominated by low-grade ferruginous to carbonaceous metasiltstones and minor sandstones, locally brecciated and cemented by quartz (-sulphide) stockwork. Supergene alteration led to partial to total transformation into friable aggregates of kaolinite, Fe oxide-hydroxides, silica and secondary phosphate-sulphates even at depths exceeding 200 m. Precious metals are exceptionally enriched, with up to more than 1,000 ppm Au+PGE in some peculiar ferruginous-graphitic zones locally called "hidrotermalito". Geochemistry shows complex patterns of major and trace elements, particularly rare-earth elements (REE), in mineralised vs. nonmineralised samples. These patterns are interpreted in terms of variable degree of superposition of hydrothermal and supergene alteration. Precious metals show progressive increase from samples with hydrothermal imprint to samples with supergene imprint. The geological evolution of the Carajás region and the characteristics of mineralisation at Serra Pelada may suggest a composite mineralising process: hydrothermal activity (by fluids likely originated from granitoids) was followed by supergene alteration during long-lasting lateritisation to develop extreme precious metal enrichments in a geological context probably already anomalous for Au and PGE.     

The characteristics of seismic signals produced by lahars and pyroclastic flows: Volcán de Colima,México

The general characteristics of seismic signals produced by pyroclastic flows (generated by either the collapse of a lava dome or an eruptive column) and lahars at Volcán de Colima, México are discussed. The paper concentrates on the 2004–2006 activity associated with and following the extrusion of andesitic block-lava in October–November 2004. It is shown that the duration of the broad-band seismic records of pyroclastic flows lasts a few minutes while the duration of seismic records of lahars continues for tens of minutes or hours. The spectra of seismic records produced by pyroclastic flows are characterized by lower peak frequencies (around 3–4 Hz) than for lahars (around 6–8 Hz). This difference in the frequency content together with the difference in the duration of seismic signals allows early diagnostic of the events in real time.     

An improved algorithm to compute circular functions of Poisson series

The efficiency in the computation of circular functions, such as cos(u) or sin(u), where u is a Poisson series, is important to derive accurate solutions of many problems of Celestial Mechanics, for instance, the orbital or rotational perturbed motion of natural or artificial bodies, since expansions in terms of Legendre functions and multiple Fourier series appear almost everywhere. Therefore, it is worth searching for alternative algorithms with lower computational cost. In this article, we propose a method based on the idea of elimination, which was originally applied to solve numerical problems, mainly in the case of matrix functions. Our comparisons with the traditional Taylor expansion prove that this new method can be more efficient when applied to compute the sine and cosine of a Poisson series.     

Evidence of electrical activity on Titan drawn from the Schumann resonances sent by Huygens probe

A procedure is shown for extracting weak resonances from the responses of electromagnetic systems excited by electric discharges. The procedure, based on analysis of the late-time system response, is first checked using an analytical function and later with the data for the electric field generated by the computational simulation of Titan's atmosphere using the Transmission Line Matrix (TLM) method. Finally, the low frequency spectrum of the natural electric field in Titan's atmosphere sent by the mutual impedance sensor (MIP) included in the Huygens probe is analyzed employing this technique. The MIP sensor was initially designed to measure the horizontal component of the electric field during a quiet descent. Fortunately, the swinging that occurred during the descent allowed the MIP to measure the radial component of the electric field mixed with the horizontal one. Application of the late-time analysis technique shown in this paper confirms the signature of lightning reported by preliminary data observations, bringing out the expected eigenfrequencies of the Titan-ionosphere electromagnetic cavity, known as Schumann resonances. These resonances are the resonant frequencies of the lower TM^r (transverse magnetic to r) modes, which are quasi-transverse electromagnetic modes because they present vertical or radial components of the electric field two orders of magnitude higher than the associated horizontal, azimuthal and zenithal, components. The sequence of Schumann resonances is unique for each celestial body with an ionosphere, since these resonances are fully determined by the dimensions of the planet or satellite and the corresponding atmospheric conductivity profile. Detecting these frequencies in an atmosphere is clear proof of electrical activity, since it implies the existence of an electromagnetic-energy source, which is essential to create and maintain them.