Trends in marine debris along the U.S. Pacific Coast and Hawai'i 1998-2007

We assessed amounts, composition, and trends of marine debris for the U.S. Pacific Coast and Hawai'i using National Marine Debris Monitoring Program data. Hawai'i had the highest debris loads; the North Pacific Coast region had the lowest debris loads. The Southern California Bight region had the highest land-based debris loads. Debris loads decreased over time for all source categories in all regions except for land-based and general-source loads in the North Pacific Coast region, which were unchanged. General-source debris comprised 30-40% of the items in all regions. Larger local populations were associated with higher land-based debris loads across regions; the effect declined at higher population levels. Upwelling affected deposition of ocean-based and general-source debris loads but not land-based loads along the Pacific Coast. LNSO decreased debris loads for both land-based and ocean-based debris but not general-source debris in Hawai'i, a more complex climate-ocean effect than had previously been found.     

Testing for quantized redshifts. I. The project

A project intended to examine the long-standing claims that extragalactic redshifts are periodic or quantized was initiated some years ago at the Royal Observatory, Edinburgh. The approach taken is outlined, and the main conclusions to date are summarized. The existence of a galactocentric redshift quantization is confirmed at a high confidence level.     

Defining the geochemical baseline: a case of Hong Kong soils

A geochemical baseline provides the means to distinguish between the pedogenic origin and the anthropogenic origin of the trace element in the environmental compartments. We collected 271 soil samples representative of different parent rocks and soil types from the whole territory of Hong Kong and analyzed the composition of clay mineralogy and the contents of 15 chemical elements (Fe, Cd, As, etc.) for these samples. The baseline was predicted with the method of the normalization procedure combined with the relative cumulative frequency curve. The result indicated that Fe was the best reference element for the normalization procedure among the five potential reference elements (Fe, Al, Sc, Ti, and Mn), followed by Sc and Ti. A poor correlation was found between Sc, Ti, and Cu. The predicted baseline was much lower than the A-value of the Dutch List used usually in screening the polluted soil of Hong Kong, implying that the extent of heavy metal pollution might have been underestimated with respect to local lands. We also applied the cluster analysis to distinguish the geochemical associations of the trace elements due to its importance to the baseline. Approximately three major associations including the Fe–Mn-oxides related, Al oxides or Al-bearing-clay-mineralogy related and sulfide- related associations were observed from the dendrogram.     

Correlation analysis and partial least square modeling to quantify typical minerals with Chang＇E-3 visible and near-infrared imaging spectrometer＇s ground validation data

In 2013, Chang＇E-3 program will develop lunar mineral resources in-situ detection. A Visible and Near-infrared Imaging Spectrometer （VNIS） has been selected as one payload of CE-3 lunar rover to achieve this goal. It is critical and urgent to evaluate VNIS＇ spectrum data quality and validate quantification methods for mineral composition before its launch. Ground validation experiment of VNIS was carried out to complete the two goals, by simulating CE-3 lunar rover＇s detection environment on lunar surface in the laboratory. Based on the hyperspectral reflectance data derived, Correlation Analysis and Partial Least Square （CA-PLS） algorithm is applied to predict abundance of four lunar typical minerals （pyroxene, plagioclase, ilmenite and olivine） in their mixture. We firstly selected a set of VNIS＇ spectral parameters which highly correlated with minerals＇ abundance by correlation analysis （CA）, and then stepwise regression method was used to find out spectral parameters which make the largest contri- butions to the mineral contents. At last, functions were derived to link minerals＇ abundance and spectral parameters by partial least square （PLS） algorithm. Not considering the effect of maturity, agglutinate and Fe~, we found that there are wonderful correlations between these four minerals and VNIS＇ spectral parameters, e.g. the abundance of pyroxene correlates positively with the mixture＇s absorption depth, the value of absorption depth added as the in- creasing of pyroxene＇s abundance. But the abundance of plagioclase correlates negatively with the spectral parame- ters of band ratio, the value of band ratio would decrease when the abundance of plagioclase increased. Similar to plagioclase, the abundance of ilmenite and olivine has a negative correlation with the mixture＇s reflectance data, if the abundance of ilmenite or olivine increase, the reflectance values of the mixture will decrease. Through model validation, better estimates of pyroxene, plagioclase and ilmenite＇s abundances are given. It is concluded that VNIS has the capability to be applied on lunar minerals＇ identification, and CA-PLS algorithm has the potential to be used on lunar surface＇s in-situ detection for minerals＇ abundance prediction.     

U-series evidence for crustal involvement and magma residence times in the petrogenesis of Parinacota volcano, Chile

In this study, we present Th–U disequilibria as well as radiogenic and trace element data for recent volcanic rocks from the Nevados de Payachata volcano which erupted through ∼70 km of continental crust in the Central Volcanic Zone of the Andes (18°S, 69°W). Both lavas and mineral separates were analyzed by mass spectrometry for ²³⁸U–²³⁰Th disequilibria. The lavas are characterized either by ²³⁰Th enrichment or depletion relative to its parent nuclide ²³⁸U. Mineral separates are used to derive U–Th isochron ages and these ages compare favorably with inferred stratigraphic ages or K–Ar ages, although in one case the U–Th age is significantly older than the stratigraphic age. Despite relatively constant Sr, Nd, and Pb isotope ratios, the lavas display inverse trends in ²³⁰Th/²³⁸U versus Ce/Yb or Ba/Hf diagrams. These trends cannot be interpreted by simple two-component mixing. Rather, there must be three (and perhaps four components) involved in the genesis of the Parinacota lavas. A mantle wedge, a slab fluid, and a lower crustal component can be identified. A sediment component is more difficult to detect as it is difficult to decipher its signature because of the strong crustal influence. The existence of binary arrays can be explained by variable amounts of crustal material. The process of crust–mantle interaction must have been short enough to preserve U–Th disequilibrium (<300 ka). Received: 21 April 1999 / Accepted: 11 March 2000     

西南印度洋中脊50°E基性超基性岩石地球化学特征及其成因初探

西南印度洋中脊是典型的慢速扩张洋中脊之一。对采自西南印度洋中脊50°E附近的7件玄武岩和蛇纹石化橄榄岩样品所作的分析表明,基性玄武岩类SiO2含量为43.72%～48.40%,TiO2含量较少,为1.14%～1.52%;MgO含量为5.96%～10.98%;TFe2O3含量为4.55%～5.2%;Mg#值为0.53～0.64,里特曼指数σ为2.34～20.10。微量元素Zr/Nb和Y/Nb比值为显示N-MORB的性质,但是其他微量元素的比值(Ba/Nb,Ba/Th,La/Nb,Nb/U,Nb/Pb)均不显示正常洋中脊玄武岩的特征,微量元素原始地幔标准化蛛网图显示强烈富集K和Pb,亏损Nb,稀土元素显示较为平缓的分配模式。超基性蛇纹石化橄榄岩的主量元素特征为SiO2为38.91～45.49;TiO2含量为0.02～0.28;MgO含量很高,为36.87～40.61,TFe2O3含量为2.82～3.91,Mg#值为0.92～0.94。微量元素中Ni,Cr的含量很高,原始地幔标准化蛛网图显示橄榄岩强烈富集K和Pb,Ba,Th,La,Ce,Ti中等程度富集,而亏损Nb,Sr。稀土元素总量较低,标准化曲线显示轻稀土元素富集模式。结合地球化学特征及前人研究资料分析认为,西南印度洋中脊的基性岩和超基性岩属同源性质,其原始地幔物质可能为部分正常洋中脊亏损地幔混染了陆壳或远洋沉积物的结果。     

东昆仑造山带低山头花岗岩体岩石地球化学特征及其地质意义

低山头一带花岗岩体归属东昆仑弧盆系北昆仑岩浆弧带,位于东昆仑成矿带伯喀里克—香日德成矿亚带东昆仑造山带中段,岩石类型主要为石英闪长岩、正长花岗岩及二长花岗岩。为了加强该地区花岗岩体岩石地球化学与成岩成矿背景探讨,对花岗岩体开展了主量元素、微量元素及矿质元素研究。主量元素组成上,石英闪长岩具中硅（57.64%和58.47%）、富钠（Na₂O/K₂O均为2.57）特点,正长花岗岩具高硅（75.45%~75.99%）、富钾（Na₂O/K₂O为0.74~0.94）特点,二长花岗岩具高硅（66.80%~73.45%）、富钠（Na₂O/K₂O为1.50~2.13）特点;花岗岩体铝饱和指数A/CNK<1,为准铝质岩浆岩;碱饱和指数NK/A集中在0.26~0.69之间,属钙碱性岩石;里特曼组合指数σ₄₃在1.18~2.31之间,属钙碱性类型。花岗岩体轻稀土元素相对重稀土元素富集,岩浆分异特征明显,大离子亲石元素（LILE）富集Rb、K、Ba、Th、Sr、Nd,仅正长花岗岩Sr亏损,高场强元素（HFSE）富集Zr、Hf、Ce,而Nb、P、Ti明显亏损,源区物质为壳幔混合物质,属挤压应力环境中同碰撞I型花岗岩。在岩体实测剖面中获得11种元素分析数据,与青海全省、东昆仑成矿带及其亚成矿带平均元素丰度值进行对比,初步划分不同岩性、不同类型、不同时代花岗岩,以及富集的含矿元素为Au、Zn、Y、Pb等。与区域有成矿事实且为I型花岗岩成因进行对比,认为研究区有较好的找矿前景。     

Fine grain sediment transport and deposition in the Patos Lagoon–Cassino beach sedimentary system

Extensive mud deposits superimposed on the predominantly sandy inner continental shelf adjacent to the Patos Lagoon estuary, indicates that the Lagoon is a potential source of fine sediments to the coastal sedimentary system. The lagoon is large and shallow, and the water movement is mainly controlled by wind-driven set-up and set-down. The mean river inflow is around 2000 m³ s⁻¹, although peak flow rates exceeding 20,000 m³ s⁻¹ have been observed during El Niño periods. Though the tidal elevations are small, tidal velocities in the lagoon's inlet can be significant due to the large extension of the backwaters. Moreover, significant exchange flows can be generated between the estuary and coastal area due to barotropic pressure gradients established as a function of wind and freshwater discharge. The predominant net flow is seawards, but opposite near-bed flows due to pronounced vertical salinity stratification can also be observed. The coastal area is characterized by small tidal effects, large scale ocean circulation, wind-induced residual flows and wave-driven currents, where the waves originate from swell or are locally generated.