Alkalic Igneous Rocks of the Balcones Province, Texas

In late Cretaceous time, subsilicic, alkalic magmas formed sills,laccoliths, plug-like bodies, small volcanoes, and a few dikesin Cretaceous sedimentary rocks of the Texas coastal plain alongan arcuate trend approximately coinciding with the buried Ouachitastructural belt. Transverse structural features apparently localizedthe igneous activity in two centers. In the larger center nearUvalde, Texas about half of the bodies are melilite-olivinenephelinite, a third olivine nephelinite and the remainder analcitephonolite, olivine basalt, and nepheline basanite, in orderof decreasing abundance. Basaltic and nephelinitic magmas were the primary magmas fromwhich all igneous rocks of the province were derived. Removalof olivine gave rise to a small range in chemical compositionof the basaltic rocks, but not gradation toward silica undersaturation.Nephelinitic magmas with compositions near that at which normativecalcium orthosilicate appears differentiated along two trendsto form melilite-olivine nephelinite as one end product andthrough nepheline basanite to analcite phonolite as the other.These two trends arose independently, their courses being determinedby the composition of the primary nephelinitic magma and theplane Fo-Di-Ne which has no piercing point at low pressure.     

Comparison of linear and nonlinear extreme wave statistics

An extremely large (“freak”) wave is a typical though rare phenomenon observed in the sea. Special theories (for example, the modulation instability theory) were developed to explain mechanics and appearance of freak waves as a result of nonlinear wave-wave interactions. In this paper, it is demonstrated that the freak wave appearance can be also explained by superposition of linear modes with the realistic spectrum. The integral probability of trough-to-crest waves is calculated by two methods: the first one is based on the results of the numerical simulation of a wave field evolution performed with one-dimensional and two-dimensional nonlinear models. The second method is based on calculation of the same probability over the ensembles of wave fields constructed as a superposition of linear waves with random phases and the spectrum similar to that used in the nonlinear simulations. It is shown that the integral probabilities for nonlinear and linear cases are of the same order of values     

Questions,questions: Can the contradictions between the petrologic,isotopic, thermodynamic,and astrophysical constraints on chondrule formation be resolved?

Abstract– Here, we show that several geochemical indicators point to number densities during chondrule formation that were far higher than can be accounted for by known nebula processes. The number densities implied by compound chondrules and nonspherical chondrules are shown to be significantly higher than estimated in previous studies. At the implied chondrule number densities, if a chondrule formation region survived a formation event it would have been gravitationally bound and would have collapsed quite rapidly to form an asteroidal‐sized body. The diversity of chondrule compositions and textures in a chondrite group could have formed in a single event in subvolumes of a formation region that were chemically isolated from one another because of slow diffusion in the gas. Within these subvolumes, equilibration between chondrules with different compositions would have been fairly rapid, although small isotopic mass fractionations in elements like Fe, Si, Mg, and O may persist. This could explain the existence of the small isotopic mass fractionations in these elements that have been observed in chondrules. However, the evidence for recycling of chondrules requires that there was more than one chondrule formation event prior to formation of a parent asteroid. Finally, we argue that OC and CO chondrule Mg‐Al systematics are both consistent with single ages or narrow ranges of ages, and that the CO, and possibly the OC, ages date parent body alteration. This would resolve the conundrum of needing to preserve in a turbulent nebula physically and chemically distinct CO and OC chondrule populations for 1–2 Myr.     

Iron isotopes in chondrules: Implications for the role of evaporation during chondrule formation

Abstract— We have measured the δ⁵⁷Fe of olivines in nine Chainpur chondrules. All are within error of normal (typically 2σ ≤ 1–2%0). Most of the chondules could not have lost more than ～20% of their FeO by Rayleigh evaporation and none can have lost more than ～61%. Yet, the range of Fo contents in these chondrules is Fo_78–99.9. The isotopic compositions of the chondrules clearly demonstrate that, for instance, type I chondrules cannot form from type II chondrules by evaporation of FeO under Rayleigh conditions. The isotopic compositions also place constraints on the minimum cooling rates these chondrules could have experienced. These cooling rates must also be equal to or slower than those required to produce the chondrule textures. Assuming flash heating and evaporation rates like those measured in vacuum, the minimum cooling rates necessary to prevent detectable Fe isotopic fractionation via Rayleigh evaporation approach those needed to produce barred and porphyritic textures. The presence of hydrogen in the nebula, non‐linear cooling and other effects will all tend to increase the cooling rates required to prevent δ⁵⁷Fe > 1–2%0, perhaps by as much as 1–2 orders of magnitude. The two most likely ways that the cooling rates required to prevent δ⁵⁷Fe >1–2%0 can be kept below those needed to produce barred and porphyritic textures are (1) the pH₂ in the nebula was low enough to keep evaporation rates close to those in vacuum, or (2) back reaction of chondrules with Fe in the gas suppressed isotopic fractionation.     

Giant flute-like scour and other erosional features formed by the 1929 Grand Banks turbidity current

Erosional features on the floor of Eastern Valley of the Laurentian Fan, in 2800 m water depth, have been mapped with SeaMARC I side-scan sonar images and Seabeam multi-beam echo-soundings, and were directly observed during a dive with the deep submersible Alvin. The most spectacular feature is a 100-m-deep flute-shaped scour, more than 1 km long. The surrounding valley is floored by an unconsolidated coarse conglomerate, which was moulded into transverse bedforms by the turbidity current that was triggered by the 1929 Grand Banks earthquake. Direct observations and seismic-reflection profiles show that the flute-shaped scour cuts through this conglomerate and into Plio-Pleistocene valley-floor sediments, thereby exposing a section through the 1929 deposit. Application of the Allen defect theory suggests that the flute is unusually deep because general channel-floor erosion was inhibited by the conglomerate veneer. Valley-floor channels typically 1 km wide and 10m deep contain series of closed depressions that occasionally deepen to 30 m. These are also interpreted as erosional scours, analogous to pools cut on the beds of bedrock rivers. The large flute was probably formed by detached flow enlarging an initial scour depression. Such scours probably play an important role in channel-floor erosion, increasing the volume of sediment transported by large turbidity currents.     

The role of the West Spitsbergen Current in the formation of ice edge position

The intensity of sea-ice interaction in the Fram Strait is estimated from hydrographic data by use of three different methods. Preliminary results concerning fresh water formation rate are reported.     

Exploration of quantitative kinetic models for the evaporation of silicate melts in vacuum and in hydrogen

Abstract— Two basic approaches (pure component reference (PCR) and equilibrium reference (EQR)) to modeling silicate melt evaporation are explored. The PCR model calculates the maximum possible evaporation rates of the pure oxides from their equilibrium vapor pressures and rescales these rates according to the activities of the oxides in the silicate melts and the melt densities. The EQR model calculates the maximum possible evaporation rates based on the equilibrium vapor pressures of the melts. Differences between the calculated and experimentally determined evaporation rates are accounted for with evaporation (α^evap) coefficients that are only dependent on temperature. Two versions of the PCR model, Cases 1 and 2, are explored to try to resolve apparently contradictory conclusions about the composition of the evaporating species based on Mg and Si isotope fractionation during evaporation (species are not in thermodynamic equilibrium proportions) and direct measurements of gas species in Langmuir experiments (species are in roughly equilibrium proportions). The Case 2 and EQR models cannot explain the observed isotope fractionations unless evaporation occurred under non‐Rayleigh conditions, either because there was significant recondensation during the experiments or because diffusion was playing a limiting role. Whether or not the role of diffusion is included, the PCR and EQR models are able to reproduce the elemental results of evaporation experiments of “chondritic” melts from temperatures of 1700 to 2000 °C, and up to mass losses of about 95%. However, the models underestimate absolute evaporation rates in very Ca‐ and Al‐rich melts. This may reflect errors in the model used to estimate oxide activities. The EQR model can only reproduce the observed evaporation behavior of Na if, unlike the other oxides, its α^evap coefficient is close to unity. Based on available diffusion data, diffusion is not slow enough in “chondritic” or forsteritic melts to explain the isotopic fractionations of Mg and O in the evaporation experiments, but it may play a role in limiting Si isotope fractionation. Provided recondensation was not a significant factor in the experiments, at present PCR Case 1 appears to be the best model if both the Langmuir and the isotopic fractionation experiments are to be explained.     

Spectral surface albedo over Morocco and its impact on radiative forcing of Saharan dust

In May–June 2006, airborne and ground-based solar (0.3–2.2 μm) and thermal infrared (4–42 μm) radiation measurements have been performed in Morocco within the Saharan Mineral Dust Experiment (SAMUM). Upwelling and downwelling solar irradiances have been measured using the Spectral Modular Airborne Radiation Measurement System (SMART)-Albedometer. With these data, the areal spectral surface albedo for typical surface types in southeastern Morocco was derived from airborne measurements for the first time. The results are compared to the surface albedo retrieved from collocated satellite measurements, and partly considerable deviations are observed. Using measured surface and atmospheric properties, the spectral and broad-band dust radiative forcing at top-of-atmosphere (TOA) and at the surface has been estimated. The impact of the surface albedo on the solar radiative forcing of Saharan dust is quantified. In the SAMUM case of 19 May 2006, TOA solar radiative forcing varies by 12 W m⁻² per 0.1 surface-albedo change. For the thermal infrared component, values of up to +22 W m⁻² were derived. The net (solar plus thermal infrared) TOA radiative forcing varies between −19 and +24 W m⁻² for a broad-band solar surface albedo of 0.0 and 0.32, respectively. Over the bright surface of southeastern Morocco, the Saharan dust always has a net warming effect.     

The insoluble carbonaceous material of CM chondrites: A possible source of discrete organic compounds under hydrothermal conditions

Abstract— We report on the molecular analyses of the water‐ and solvent‐soluble organic compounds released from the insoluble organic material (IOM) of the Murray meteorite upon treatment with weight‐equivalent amounts of water and under conditions of elevated temperature and pressure. A varied suite of compounds was identified by gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry (GC‐MS). C₃‐C₁₇ alkyl dicarboxylic acids and N‐ and O‐containing hydroaromatic and aromatic compounds were found in the water extracts. The solvent extracts contained N‐, O‐, and S‐containing aromatic compounds, a large number of their isomers and homologs, and a series of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) of up to five rings, together with noncondensed aromatic species such as substituted benzenes, biphenyl, and terphenyls as well as their substituted homologs, and hydrated PAHs. Isotopic analyses showed that residue IOMs after hydrothermal treatment had lower deuterium and ¹⁵N content than the untreated material (ΔD = ?833‰ and Δ¹⁵N = ?24.1) but did not differ from it in ¹³C composition. The effect of the hydrothermolytic release was recorded in significant differences between the NMR spectra of untreated and residue IOM. A possible relation to common precursors for the dicarboxylic acids found in the IOM and bulk extracts is discussed.