A note on estimating the vertical eddy diffusion coefficient from LANDSAT imagery

Boundary-Layer Meteorology - The vertical eddy diffusion coefficient (K z) for five smoke plumes entrapped in a stable marine layer is estimated from the published LANDSAT imagery data sets of...     

Viscosity and conductivity of the lower mantle; an experimental study on a MgSiO3 perovskite analogue,KZnF3

We have investigated the high-temperature rheological and electrical behaviour of single-crystal KZnF₃ fluoperovskite, an analogue of the MgSiO₃ perovskite in the lower mantle.The crystals flow by Newtonian dislocation creep (Harper-Dorn creep), predominantly on {100} planes. Below the melting point, solid-electrolyte behaviour appears, accompanied by a weakening of the mechanical properties. Geophysical implications are examined: the lower mantle can convect by Newtonian dislocation creep and an asthenosphere may exist at the bottom of the mantle. Electromagnetic interactions between the core and solid-electrolyte lower mantle may also be important.     

The coalification pattern in the Northern Apennines and its palaeogeothermic and tectonic significance

The rocks of the Northern Apennines predominantly consist of non-metamorphic terrigeneous deposits (flysches and molasses) some of which are preorogenic, some synorogenic and others postorogenic with respect to the nappe tectonics (Miocene). As plant fragments frequently occur in these sediments, a study of coal rank based on reflectance measurements on vitrinites (% Rm = mean value of the random reflectance in non polarized light) contributes to the clarification of the relation between the orogenic and the palaeogeothermal development. The determination of the Rm values of more than 180 samples from outcrops and three deep drillings revealed some important features. Within the pile of Liguride and Tuscanide nappes, the coal rank increases from the uppermost nappe to the lower nappes until lowgrade metamorphism is reached in the Lower Tuscanides. In the single nappes the rank decreases from the Tyrrhenian coast (internal zone) towards the Po Plain (external zone). This regional trend is disturbed only locally by young post-coalification tectonics. In the uppermost Liguride nappe (M. Antola Unit) a pre-Oligocene (i. e. pre-Apenninic) thermal event was detected. Postorogenic heating is connected with the magmatic activity of Late Miocene to Pleistocene age in Tuscany. Except for these preorogenic and postorogenic thermal events, the main coalification is generally younger than the emplacement of the nappes in the nappe pile during the Apenninic orogeny in the Miocene, but it is older than the last thrust movements and the final tensional tectonics in the internal zones of the chain. For these reasons, the main regional thermal event has to be considered as synorogenic or, more precisely, as late-synorogenic.     

Petrogenesis of the Elephant Moraine A79001 meteorite: Multiple magma pulses on the shergottite parent body

The EETA 79001 achondrite consists of two distinct igneous lithologies joined along a planar, non-brecciated contact. Both are basaltic rocks composed primarily of pigeonite, augite, and maskelynite, but one contains zoned megacrysts of olivine, orthopyroxene, and chromite that represent disaggregated xenoliths of harzburzite. Both lithologies probably formed from successive volcanic flows or multiple injections of magma into a small, shallow chamber. Many similarities between the two virtually synchronous magmas suggest that they are related. Possible mechanisms to explain their differences involve varying degrees of assimilation, fractionation from similar parental magmas, or partial melting of a similar source peridotite; of these, assimilation of the observed megacryst assemblage seems most plausible. However, some isotopic contamination may be required in any of these petrogenetic models. The meteorite has suffered extensive shock metamorphism and localized melting during a large impact event that probably excavated and liberated it from its parent body. Both basaltic lithologies and the inferred ultramafic protolith of the megacryst assemblage are petrologically similar to other members of the shergottite group, and all may have been derived from a volcanic-plutonic complex on a planetary body.     

Neotectonics of the Pontides: implications for ‘incompatible’ structures along the North Anatolian fault

Data for the post-Serravallian, ‘neotectonic’ evolution of the Pontides in northern Turkey indicate predominant ENE-WSW shortening with complementary NNW-SSE extension. We present a new fault plane solution for the Bartin earthquake (3 September 1968) and compare its mechanism with the movement picture of other neotectonic faults in the Pontides and northern Greece together with that of the Thessaloniki earthquake (20 May 1978). The general strain pattern exhibited by these structures agrees remarkably well with that inferred from early Tortonian-early Pleistocene structures reported from within the North Anatolian fault zone, which have been interpreted as indicating a possible reversal of the sense of movement along the North Anatolian transform fault. Here, we argue that such ‘incompatible’ structures may be related to the overall E-W shortening of Anatolia and the southern parts of the Black Sea resulting from the sideways continental escape from around the African and the Arabian promontories, rather than to hypothetical reversal of motion along the North Anatolian fault, for which there is no evidence other than the above-mentioned ‘incompatible’ structures. This new model also has important implications for seismicity and earthquake risk in regions contained within the southern part of the Black Sea plate.     

Studies on concentration and direct reduction of the Ramim iron ore

Beneficiation and direct reduction of the Ramim iron ore was studied. Feed concentrates were obtained by gravity concentration of oolites followed by wet, high-intensity magnetic separation. Poor liberation prohibits physical concentration of goethite from oolites. These concentrates were directly reduced with different reductants at varying temperatures, followed by dry magnetic separation. Quality of concentrates depends on temperature, iron content in feed, type of coal, residence time, and composition of pellets. Conditions of optimum temperature range 1250–1275°C, unmixed pellets, high iron content in feed, dense high carbon reductant, and 15 min residence time resulted in grades and recoveries better than 90%. It is shown that segregation and growth of the metallic iron nuclii must be achieved in order to get superior yields.     

A Note on the Mixing Length Theory and Massive Star Evolution

1 INTRODUCTIONThe mixing length theory (MLT) for stellar convection originally developed by Vitense(1953, 1958) has been the most popularly used local convection theory in the studies of stellarstructure and evolution. The theory was later modified and revised by many investigators,who suggested some different expressions. In fact, MLT is not a real hydrodynamic theory,rather, it is a simple "ballistic" theory which traces the motion of imaginary convective elements. In reality j stell…     

Tectono-thermal modeling of the Yinggehai Basin,South China Sea

Based on the observed data, the average value of surface heat flow in the Yinggehai Basin is calculated and it turns out to be 84.1 mW/m². The thermal evolution of the basin since the Cenozoic era has been attempted by tectono-thermal modeling. Three-phase extension made the basin become hotter and hotter, reaching its climax in paleo-temperature history since 5.2 Ma. And nowadays, the basin is in the heat flow decreasing period. During the Cenozoic era, the basement heat flow remained at 50–70 mW/m² all the time. This is related to the degree of each extension phase, stretching rate mode and also the limited basin scale. Modeling results also show that, the surface heat flow is controlled mainly by the basement heat flow, and less than 20% comes from radiogenic heat production in the sediments of the basin