The K-band Hubble diagram for the brightest cluster galaxies: a test of hierarchical galaxy formation models

We analyse the K -band Hubble diagram for a sample of brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs) in the redshift range 0< z <1. In good agreement with earlier studies, we confirm that the scatter in the absolute magnitudes of the galaxies is small (0.3 mag). The BCGs exhibit very little luminosity evolution in this redshift range: if q ₀=0.0, we detect no luminosity evolution; for q ₀=0.5, we measure a small negative evolution (i.e., BCGs were about 0.5 mag fainter at z =1 than today). If the mass in stars of these galaxies had remained constant over this period of time, substantial positive luminosity evolution would be expected: BCGs should have been brighter in the past, since their stars were younger. A likely explanation for the observed zero or negative evolution is that the stellar mass of the BCGs has been assembled over time through merging and accretion, as expected in hierarchical models of galaxy formation. The colour evolution of the BCGs is consistent with that of an old stellar population ( z _for>2) that is evolving passively. We can thus use evolutionary population synthesis models to estimate the rate of growth in stellar mass for these systems. We find that the stellar mass in a typical BCG has grown by a factor ≃2 since z ≃1 if q ₀=0.0, or by factor ≃4 if q ₀=0.5. These results are in good agreement with the predictions of semi-analytic models of galaxy formation and evolution set in the context of a hierarchical scenario for structure formation. The models predict a scatter in the luminosities of the BCGs that is somewhat larger than the observed one, but that depends on the criterion used to select the model clusters.     

Genesis and mineral transformations in Lower Cretaceous karst bauxites (NE Spain): climatic influence and superimposed processes

Four outcrops of Lower Cretaceous (Barremian) karst bauxites located in Teruel (NE Spain) were analysed to determine their mineral associations and genesis related to climatic palaeoweathering events and late superimposed kaolinization processes. The materials comprise metric‐sized pisolitic blocks embedded in a clay‐rich red groundmass. Fourteen samples were examined by X‐ray diffraction, optical microscopy, scanning and transmission electron microscopy and the major elements were analysed by inductively‐coupled plasma mass spectroscopy (ICPMS). The samples are composed of kaolinite, gibbsite, goethite, and hematite as the main phases, with diaspore, boehmite, anatase, and rutile as accessory minerals. The results show a complex sequence of mineralogical and geochemical processes that transformed the parent rock into the current bauxite materials. The clay‐rich groundmass constitutes the lateritic parent material of the pisolitic bauxites. In the parent material authigenic kaolinite (e.g. vermicular kaolinite and kaolinite between cleavage sheets of pre‐existing mica) has been observed; Fe oxides formed subsequent to kaolinite. In the pisolitic bauxites, mineralogical and textural evidence indicates that bauxitization took place at the expense of previous kaolinite, with gibbsite post‐dating the other Al hydroxides. The pisolitic bauxites also show a more homogeneous chemical composition and a relative Ti, Al and Zr enrichment. The data are consistent with an intense palaeoweathering event during the Lower Cretaceous (Barremian) under tropical climatic conditions (warm and humid). Several stages probably took place during the bauxitization process, suggesting variations in water saturation conditions. Subsequent karst reactivation stages and related collapses were responsible for the present lithostructure of the deposits and allowed late kaolinization not related to climate to take place. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Chemical variations and significance of phosphates from the Fregeneda-Almendra pegmatite field, Central Iberian Zone (Spain and Portugal)

Granitic pegmatites are widespread within a schist-metagreywacke complex in the Fregeneda-Almendra area (Central Iberian Zone). They intrude pre-Ordovician metasedimentary rocks and show a zonal distribution relative to the Meda-Penedono-Lumbrales granitic complex, from barren bodies to those enriched in Li, F, Sn, Nb>Ta, P and Be. Based on mineralogical criteria, these pegmatites are classified into three main categories: barren, intermediate and rare-element pegmatites, with each type including various subtypes. Phosphates are present in many pegmatites that usually occur as fine-grained accessory minerals. The most complex association of such minerals includes numerous Fe–Mn phosphates that occur in intermediate pegmatites. Al-phosphates are characteristic of Li-rich pegmatites. Electron microprobe analyses of representative phosphates reflect compositional differences depending on the pegmatite type. The Fe/(Fe+Mn) ratio of phosphates tends to decrease as the evolution degree of the pegmatites increases.     

Erosion surfaces and Neogene landscape evolution in the NE Duero Basin (north-central Spain)

We present a chronological model of erosion surface development in the Iberian and Cantabrian Ranges of north-central Spain. We map four erosion surfaces and interpret these to be related to Duero basin continental sediments and tectonic activity from Upper Oligocene to Plio-Pleistocene. The oldest erosion surface, SE1, formed across Upper Oligocene–Lower Miocene synorogenic deposits; while surface SE2 was contemporaneous with the Middle Miocene alluvial systems, ending with an uplift stage in the Astaracian. The two most recent erosion surfaces, SE3 and SE4, developed during extensional tectonic episodes and are associated with the deposition of Upper Páramo sedimentary units at the end of the Miocene (Upper Turolian) and alluvial fan deposits, known as rañas (Plio-Pleistocene). With the exception of SE1, which seems to be associated with a relatively wet climate, the surfaces formed during periods of marked aridity and generally warm temperatures. Through geostatistical reconstruction of the best preserved surface (SE2), applying ordinary kriging method to the topography (DEM) of the erosion surface and its correlating sedimentary plains, we identify the deformation processes which occurred on this surface after its formation.     

The Hyblean xenolith suite (Sicily): an unexpected legacy of the Ionian–Tethys realm

The extensive study of a great number of deep-seated xenoliths from Tortonian tuff-breccia pipes in the Hyblean area (Sicily) revealed the following fundamental evidence: (1) typical continental crust rocks are completely absent in the entire xenolith suite; (2) mantle ultramafics are more abundant than gabbroids; (3) sheared oxide–gabbros, closely resembling those from oceanic fracture zones, are relatively common; (4) secondary mineral assemblages, compatible with alteration processes in serpentinite-hosted hydrothermal systems, occur both in peridotites and gabbros. Among the products of this hydrothermal activity, organic compounds, having abiotic origin via Fischer–Tropsch synthesis, occur in some hydrothermally altered gabbro and ultramafic xenoliths, as well as in hydrothermal clays. Moreover, the U–Pb dating of hydrothermal zircon grains, hosted in a xenolith of metasomatized tectonic breccia, indicated an Early–Middle Triassic age of the fossil hydrothermal system. Another line of evidence for the oceanic nature of the Hyblean–Pelagian basement is the complete absence of continental crust lithologies (granites, felsic metaigneous, and metasedimentary rocks) in outcrops and in boreholes, and the oceanic affinity of the Tertiary volcanic rocks from the Hyblean Plateau and the Sicily Channel (Pantelleria and Linosa Islands), which lack of any geochemical signature for continental crust contamination. A reappraisal of existing geophysical data pointed out that serpentinites form the dominant lithologies in the lithospheric basement of the Hyblean–Pelagian area down to a mean depth of 19 km, which represents the regional Moho considered as the serpentinization front, marking the transition from serpentinites to unaltered peridotites. On these grounds, we confirm that Hyblean xenoliths contain mineralogical, compositional, and textural evidence for tectonic, magmatic, and hydrothermal processes indicating the existence of fossil oceanic core complexes, in the geotectonic framework of the Paleo–Mesozoic, ultra-slow spreading, Ionian–Tethys Ocean forming the present Ionian–Hyblean–Pelagian domain.     

A unified hydrogeological conceptual model of the Milk River transboundary aquifer,traversing Alberta (Canada) and Montana (USA)

A conceptual model of the transboundary Milk River Aquifer (MRA), extending across the Canada–USA border, was developed based on literature, focused fieldwork and a three-dimensional geological model. The MRA corresponds to the Virgelle Member of the Milk River Formation (Eagle Formation in Montana, USA) and it is an important groundwater resource over a large area (25,000 km²). The Virgelle outcrops near the international border and along the Sweet Grass Arch in Montana. The down-gradient limit of the MRA is the unconformity separating the Virgelle from the gas-bearing sandy shale of the Alderson Member. The MRA is confined above by the Pakowki/Claggett Formations aquitards and below by the Colorado Group aquitard. The MRA contains higher transmissivity areas resulting in preferential flowpaths, confirmed by natural geochemical tracers. Tritium and ¹⁴C delineate restricted recharge areas along the outcrops on both sides of the international border. Drastic decreases in horizontal hydraulic gradients indicate that the Milk River intercepts a large proportion of groundwater flowing to the north from the recharge area. Downgradient of the Milk River, groundwater movement is slow, as shown by ³⁶Cl residence times exceeding 1 Ma. These slow velocities imply that groundwater discharge downgradient of the Milk River is via vertical leakage through the Colorado Group and upward along buried valleys, which act as drains and correspond to artesian areas. When confined, the MRA contains a fossil groundwater resource, not significantly renewed by modern recharge. Groundwater exploitation thus far exceeds recharge, a situation requiring properly managed MRA groundwater depletion.     

Nb-Ta-minerals from the cap de creus pegmatite field,eastern Pyrenees: distribution and geochemical trends

Summary Internal structure and mineralogy facilitate distinction of four main pegmatite types at the eastern end of the Pyrenees. Three main trends in compositional variations in Nb-Ta-Sn-REE-Ti minerals have been established: a regional trend, with Ta/(Ta + Nb) ratio increasing towards the more evolved pegmatites, Mn/(Mn + Fe) being relatively low and increasing only slightly; a single-body trend, with similar enrichment toward the late pegmatite units; a single-crystal trend, with zoning related to both Ta/(Ta + Nb) and Mn/(Mn + Fe) ratios and a tendency toward Ta-enrichment in the late growth stages. The regional geochemical enrichment trends in the Mn/(Mn + Fe) ratios and Ta/(Ta + Nb) are those expected for a beryl-columbite pegmatite type. In a single pegmatite, the evolution depends on the simultaneous growth of other mineral species. Three factors seem to control the development of zoning in columbite-tantalite crystals: availability of Mn, Ta, Fe, Nb, significant differences in solubility between mineral group end members and re-equilibria with late pegmatite fluids.

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Nb-Ta-Minerale aus dem Pegmatit-Feld vom Cap de Creus, östliche Pyrenäen: Verteilung und geochemische Trends

Zusammenfassung Am Ostrand der Pyrenäen können anhand des inneren Aufbaus und der Mineralogie vier Haupttypen von Pegmatiten unterschieden werden. Die Zusammensetzungen von Nb-Ta-Sn-SEE-Ti-Mineralen folgen drei Haupttrends: einem regionalen Trend, bei dem das Verhältnis Ta/(Ta + Nb) zu den höher entwickelten Pegmatiten hin zunimmt, während Mn/(Mn + Fe) relativ niedrig ist und nur leicht zunimmt; einem lokalen (auf das jeweilige Vorkommen beschränkten) Trend mit einer ähnlichen Anreicherung zu den spätpegmatitischen Einheiten hin; einem auf Einzelkristalle bezogenen Trend mit Zonierung in bezug auf die Verhältnisse Ta/(Ta + Nb) und Mn/(Mn + Fe) und einer Tendenz zur T a-Anreicherung in den späten Wachstumsphasen. Die regionalen geochemischen Anreicherungstrends in den Mn/(Mn + Fe)- und Ta/(Ta + Nb)-Verhältnissen entsprechen jenen, wie sie für den Beryll-Columbit-Pegmatit-Typ erwartet werden. In einem einzelnen Pegmatit hängt die Entwicklung vom gleichzeitigen Wachstum anderer Mineral-Spezies ab. Drei Faktoren scheinen die Ausbildung einer Zonierung in Columbit-Tantalit-Kristallen zu kontrollieren: das Angebot an Mn, Ta, Fe und Nb, deutliche Unterschiede in der Löslichkeit der Endglieder von Mineralgruppen und die Iteequilibrierung mit spätpegmatitischen Lösungen.

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With 6 Figures     

Littoral benthos of the saline crater lakes of the basin of Oriental, Mexico

Two saline crater lakes in the basin of Oriental, Puebla-Tlaxcala-Veracruz, were investigated for littoral benthic macroinvertebrates. Fifty taxa were identified with the oligochaetes, amphipods, chironomids and leeches the dominant organisms. These four taxa made up to 99 per cent in both number and biomass.Limnodrilus hoffmeisteri, Hyalella azteca, Tanypus (Apelopia) sp. andStictochironomus sp. were the most abundant organisms. Unlike other saline lakes which have a littoral benthos dominated by chironomids, Alchichica and Atexcac were dominated by oligochaetes (70–73 per cent). The gastropod,Physa sp., was found up to a salinity of 8 g L⁻¹; in other studies, it has been found in lower salinities.L. hoffmeisteri is also a typical inhabitant of freshwater lakes, particularly of deep waters. It was dominant in the shallow, saline waters of the two lakes studied. Salinity did not affect species richness. Alchichica, the most saline of the six crater lakes of Puebla (salinity, 7.4 g L⁻¹), had 30 per cent more species than the freshwater lakes, and double the species number of Atexcac. It seems the main factor controlling species richness and the density and biomass of organisms in Alchichica and Atexcac is the presence of aquatic vegetation. It does this by increasing habitat heterogeneity and providing food and protection against predators.     

Growth and population dynamics of the non‐indigenous species Branchiomma luctuosum Grube (Annelida,Sabellidae) in the Ionian Sea (Mediterranean Sea)

The population dynamics and gametogenesis of the non‐indigenous polychaete species Branchiomma luctuosum Grube, 1869 (Annelida, Sabellidae) has been investigated at three sites in the Taranto Seas (Ionian Sea, Mediterranean Sea). The species, probably introduced from the Red Sea, has been reported in the Mediterranean Sea since 1983. The species is hermaphrodite, and the reproductive season is between June and October when the largest mean size of oocytes was recorded together with the presence of mature spermatozoa. Small oocytes are present in specimens reaching about 20–25 mm in length. Therefore oogenesis seems to begin early during the first year of life, but the first reproduction can occur when the worms attain a larger size and are at least 6 months of age. Although most of the individuals reproduce seasonally within a discrete period, some individuals can reproduce in different periods during the year, the oogenesis of individuals not being synchronous. A life span of at least 2 years is highlighted, with a faster growth rate during the first months (about 20 mm per month) decreasing to about 10 mm from the 3rd to the 8th months and slowing down again after the worm reaches 100 mm in size. Some differences in growth performance are discussed, enhanced by comparing the sites located at greater depth (5–7 m) and those located at 0.5 m depth, together with the possible interactions of this alien species with the autochthonous sabellid Sabella spallanzanii.     

High-resolution spectrometer for atmospheric studies

A high-resolution spectrometer (0.0014 nm at 313 nm) has been developed at the University of L’Aquila (Italy) for atmospheric spectroscopic studies. The layout, optics and software for the instrument control are described. Measurements of the mercury low-pressure lamp lines from 200 to 600 nm show the high performances of the spectrometer. Laboratory measurements of OH and NO₂ spectrums demonstrate that the system could be used for cross-section measurements and to detect these species in the atmosphere. The first atmospheric application of the system was the observation of direct solar and sky spectrums that shows a filling-in of the sky lines due to rotational Raman scattering. The measurements have been done with clear and cloudy sky and in both there was a strong dependence of the filling-in from the solar zenith angle whereas no dependence from the wavelengths was evident at low solar zenith angles (less than 85°).