Luminosity and surface brightness distribution of K-band galaxies from the UKIDSS Large Area Survey

We present luminosity and surface-brightness distributions of 40 111 galaxies with K -band photometry from the United Kingdom Infrared Telescope (UKIRT) Infrared Deep Sky Survey (UKIDSS) Large Area Survey (LAS), Data Release 3 and optical photometry from Data Release 5 of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). Various features and limitations of the new UKIDSS data are examined, such as a problem affecting Petrosian magnitudes of extended sources. Selection limits in K - and r -band magnitude, K -band surface brightness and K -band radius are included explicitly in the  1/ V _max  estimate of the space density and luminosity function. The bivariate brightness distribution in K -band absolute magnitude and surface brightness is presented and found to display a clear luminosity–surface brightness correlation that flattens at high luminosity and broadens at low luminosity, consistent with similar analyses at optical wavelengths. Best-fitting Schechter function parameters for the K -band luminosity function are found to be   M *− 5 log  h =−23.19 ± 0.04, α=−0.81 ± 0.04  and  φ*= (0.0166 ± 0.0008)  h ³ Mpc⁻³  , although the Schechter function provides a poor fit to the data at high and low luminosity, while the luminosity density in the K band is found to be   j = (6.305 ± 0.067) × 10⁸ L_⊙  h  Mpc⁻³  . However, we caution that there are various known sources of incompleteness and uncertainty in our results. Using mass-to-light ratios determined from the optical colours, we estimate the stellar mass function, finding good agreement with previous results. Possible improvements are discussed that could be implemented when extending this analysis to the full LAS.     

Field reconnaissance of the Anti-Atlas coastline, Morocco: Fluvial and marine evidence for Late Cenozoic uplift

The available evidence regarding the disposition and chronology of Pliocene–Pleistocene fluvial terraces, coastal rock flats, raised beaches and lacustrine sediments adjoining the Anti-Atlas coastline of Morocco has been reviewed and supplemented by additional information from our own field reconnaissance. It is thus suggested that the study region has experienced uplift by  130 m since the Mid-Pliocene climatic optimum ( 3.1 Ma), by  90 m since the latest Pliocene ( 2 Ma), and by  45 m since the Mid-Pleistocene Revolution ( 0.9 Ma). Each of these phases of uplift correlates with a phase of global climate change known independently, and it is thus inferred that the observed uplift is being driven by climate through mechanisms such as erosional isostasy and the associated induced lower-crustal flow. Numerical modelling of the observed uplift history indicates that the mobile lower-crustal layer in the study region is  9 km thick, with a temperature at its base of  500 °C. The base of this mobile layer is inferred to be at  24 km depth, the deepest crust consisting of a layer of mafic underplating that does not flow under ambient conditions. The principal landform in the study region, the coastal rock platform at  60 m a.s.l., thus formed during a succession of interglacial marine highstands in the late Early Pleistocene when uplift rates were low. Although control on the ages of young sediments and landforms is currently extremely limited, being dependent on regional correlation schemes rather than on absolute dating, the study region fits the pattern, emerging worldwide, that climate change is driving the systematic growth of topographic relief evident during the Late Cenozoic.     

Oxygen isotopes composition of sapphires from the French Massif Central: implications for the origin of gem corundum in basaltic fields

Alluvial and colluvial gem sapphires are common in the basaltic fields of the French Massif Central (FMC) but sapphire-bearing xenoliths are very rare, found only in the Menet trachytic cone in Cantal. The O-isotope composition of the sapphires ranges between 4.4 and 13.9‰. Two distinct groups have been defined: the first with a restricted isotopic range between 4.4 and 6.8‰ (n = 22; mean δ¹⁸O = 5.6 ± 0.7‰), falls within the worldwide range defined for blue-green-yellow sapphires related to basaltic gem fields (3.0 < δ¹⁸O < 8.2‰, n = 150), and overlaps the ranges defined for magmatic sapphires in syenite (4.4 < δ¹⁸O < 8.3‰, n = 29). A second group, with an isotopic range between 7.6 and 13.9‰ (n = 9), suggests a metamorphic sapphire source such as biotite schist in gneisses or skarns. The δ¹⁸O values of 4.4–4.5‰ for the blue sapphire-bearing anorthoclasite xenolith from Menet is lower than the δ¹⁸O values obtained for anorthoclase (7.7–7.9‰), but suggest that these sapphires were derived from an igneous reservoir in the subcontinental spinel lherzolitic mantle of the FMC. The presence of inclusions of columbite-group minerals, pyrochlore, Nb-bearing rutile, and thorite in these sapphires provides an additional argument for a magmatic origin. In the FMC lithospheric mantle, felsic melts crystallized to form anorthoclasites, the most evolved peraluminous variant of the alkaline basaltic melt. The O-isotopic compositions of the first group suggests that these sapphires crystallized from felsic magmas under upper mantle conditions. The second group of isotopic values, typified for example by the Le Bras sapphire with a δ¹⁸O of 13.9‰, indicates that metamorphic sapphires from granulites were transported to the surface by basaltic magma.     

The Ashima/MIT Mars GCM and argon in the martian atmosphere

We investigate the ability of modern general circulation models (GCMs) to simulate transport in the martian atmosphere using measurements of argon as a proxy for the transport processes. Argon provides the simplest measure of transport as it is a noble gas with no sinks or sources on seasonal timescales. Variations in argon result solely from ‘freeze distillation’, as the atmosphere condenses at the winter poles, and from atmospheric transport. Comparison of all previously published models when rescaled to a common definition of the argon enhancement factor (EF) suggest that models generally do a poor job in predicting the peak enhancement in southern winter over the winter pole – the time when the capability of the model transport approaches are most severely tested. Despite observed peak EF values of ～6, previously published model predictions peaked at EF values of only 2–3. We introduce a new GCM that provides a better treatment of mass conservation within the dynamical core, includes more sophisticated tracer transport approaches, and utilizes a cube–sphere grid structure thus avoiding the grid-point convergence problem at the pole that exists for most current Mars GCMs. We describe this model – the Ashima Research/Massachusetts Institute of Technology Mars General Circulation Model (Ashima/MIT Mars GCM) and use it to demonstrate the significant sensitivity of peak EF to the choices of transport approach for both tracers and heat. We obtain a peak EF of 4.75 which, while over 50% higher than any prior model, remains well short of the observed value. We show that the polar EF value in winter is primarily determined by the competition between two processes: (1) mean meridional import of lower-latitude air not enriched in argon and (2) the leakage of enriched argon out of the polar column by eddies in the lowest atmospheric levels. We suggest possibilities for improving GCM representation of the CO₂ cycle and the general circulation that may further improve the simulation of the argon cycle. We conclude that current GCMs may be insufficient for detailed simulation of transport-sensitive problems like the water cycle and potentially also the dust cycle.     

Trends in 1,4-Dioxane Analyses: Implications for Identification and Characterization of Contaminated Groundwater Sites

1,4-Dioxane is a contaminant of emerging concern, and there is significant uncertainty about how its environmental occurrence in groundwater is being assessed given the various analytical methods available. This study compiled public sampling records from 2000 to 2019 that included >106,000 analyses of 1,4-dioxane from 822 different U.S. sites. The 1,4-dioxane detection frequency in the entire dataset (including all methods) was 45%, and the median detected concentration was 10 μg/L, highlighting the dilute nature of 1,4-dioxane in environmental media and the importance of selecting methods with adequate sensitivity. The annual distribution of samples analyzed by each method type confirmed a shift towards methods designed for semi-volatile compounds (Method 8270 and Method 8270 SIM) that exhibited consistently lower reporting limits (median reporting limit for each year typically ≤1 μg/L). In contrast, the method designed for volatile compounds (Method 8260) exhibited less sensitivity for 1,4-dioxane (median reporting limit per year between 40 and 100 μg/L) and its use declined significantly over time with increasing use of the moderately sensitive Method 8260 SIM in later years. This shift contributed to an increase in the 1,4-dioxane detection frequency over time, with a strong correlation between the annual detection frequency and the median reporting limit. Sites where 1,4-dioxane was analyzed but not detected overwhelmingly used less-sensitive methods that may not have been adequate for the expected concentration levels. Given the sub-μg/L groundwater criteria issued for 1,4-dioxane by some regulatory agencies, more sensitive and accurate methods will be increasingly needed to assess compliance.     

Dynamics and transport from the boundary Northern Current toward the Toulon Bay: multi-platform observations and downscaling modelling approaches

Ocean Dynamics - Coastal regions are vulnerable areas with often high population density, as well as tourism and maritime activities that may have negative impact on the environment. From a...     

Rare-earth and trace elements and hydrogen and oxygen isotopic compositions of Cretaceous kaolinitic sediments from the Lower Benue Trough,Nigeria: provenance and paleoclimatic significance

This study evaluated the Cretaceous (Campanian–Maastrichtian) kaolinitic sediments of the Ajali/Mamu and Enugu/Nkporo Formations from the Lower Benue Trough of Nigeria. A combined method of inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry and isotope ratio mass spectrometry was used to investigate trace and rare-earth element geochemistry and hydrogen and oxygen isotopic compositions. These data were then used to infer the sediments’ provenance and paleoclimatic conditions during their deposition. The sediments contained low concentrations of most trace elements, with the exceptions of Zr (651–1352 ppm), Ba (56–157 ppm), V (38–90 ppm), and Sr (15.1–59.6 ppm). Average values of Co and Ni were 1.5 and 0.7 ppm, respectively. Trace and rare earth element values were lower than corresponding values for upper continental crust and Post-Archean Australian Shale, with the exception of Zr. The samples showed only slight light rare-earth enrichment and nearly flat heavy rare-earth depletion patterns, with negative Eu and Tm anomalies, typical of felsic sources. Geochemical parameters such as La/Sc, Th/Sc, and Th/Co ratios support that the kaolinitic sediments were derived from a felsic rock source, likely deposited in an oxic environment. ¹⁸O values ranged from + 15.4 to + 21.2‰ for the investigated samples, consistent with a residual material derived from chemical weathering of felsic rock and redeposited in a sedimentary basin (typical values of + 19 to + 21.2‰). While in the basin, the sediments experienced extended interactions with meteoric water enriched in δD and δ¹⁶O. However, the variation in δD and δ¹⁶O values for the investigated samples is attributed to the high temperature of formation (54–91 °C). The δD and δ¹⁸O values suggest that the sediments, although obtained from different localities within the Lower Benue Trough, formed under similar hot, tropical climatic conditions.

     

The lacustrine microbial carbonate factory of the successive Lake Bonneville and Great Salt Lake,Utah, USA

The Bonneville Basin is a continental lacustrine system accommodating extensive microbial carbonate deposits corresponding to two distinct phases: the deep Lake Bonneville (30 000 to 11 500 ¹⁴C bp ) and the shallow Great Salt Lake (since 11 500 ¹⁴C bp ). A characterization of these microbial deposits and their associated sediments provides insights into their spatio‐temporal distribution patterns. The Bonneville phase preferentially displays vertical distribution of the microbial deposits resulting from high‐amplitude lake level variations. Due to the basin physiography, the microbial deposits were restricted to a narrow shoreline belt following Bonneville lake level variations. Carbonate production was more efficient during intervals of relative lake level stability as recorded by the formation of successive terraces. In contrast, the Great Salt Lake microbial deposits showed a great lateral distribution, linked to the modern flat bottom configuration. A low vertical distribution of the microbial deposits was the result of the shallow water depth combined with a low amplitude of lake level fluctuations. These younger microbial deposits display a higher diversity of fabrics and sizes. They are distributed along an extensive ‘shore to lake’ transect on a flat platform in relation to local and progressive accommodation space changes. Microbial deposits are temporally discontinuous throughout the lake history showing longer hiatuses during the Bonneville phase. The main parameters controlling the rate of carbonate production are related to the interaction between physical (kinetics of the mineral precipitation, lake water temperature and runoff), chemical (Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺ and HCO₃^? concentrations, Mg/Ca ratio, dilution and depletion) and/or biological (trophic) factors. The contrast in evolution of Lake Bonneville and Great Salt Lake microbial deposits during their lacustrine history leads to discussions on major chemical and climatic changes during this interval as well as the role of physiography. Furthermore, it provides novel insights into the composition, structure and formation of microbialite‐rich carbonate deposits under freshwater and hypersaline conditions.     

Basaltic and Solution Reference Materials for Iron,Copper and Zinc Isotope Measurements

Iron, Cu and Zn stable isotope systems are applied in constraining a variety of geochemical and environmental processes. Secondary reference materials have been developed by the Institute of Geology, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences (CAGS), in collaboration with other participating laboratories, comprising three solutions (CAGS‐Fe, CAGS‐Cu and CAGS‐Zn) and one basalt (CAGS‐Basalt). These materials exhibit sufficient homogeneity and stability for application in Fe, Cu and Zn isotopic ratio determinations. Reference values were determined by inter‐laboratory analytical comparisons involving up to eight participating laboratories employing MC‐ICP‐MS techniques, based on the unweighted means of submitted results. Isotopic compositions are reported in per mil notation, based on reference materials IRMM‐014 for Fe, NIST SRM 976 for Cu and IRMM‐3702 for Zn. Respective reference values of CAGS‐Fe, CAGS‐Cu and CAGS‐Zn solutions are as follows: δ⁵⁶Fe = 0.83 ± 0.07 and δ⁵⁷Fe = 1.20 ± 0.13, δ⁶⁵Cu = 0.57 ± 0.06, and δ⁶⁶Zn = ?0.79 ± 0.12 and δ⁶⁸Zn = ?1.65 ± 0.24, respectively. Those of CAGS‐Basalt are δ⁵⁶Fe = 0.15 ± 0.07, δ⁵⁷Fe = 0.22 ± 0.10, δ⁶⁵Cu = 0.12 ± 0.08, δ⁶⁶Zn = 0.17 ± 0.13, and δ⁶⁸Zn = 0.34 ± 0.26 (2s).