The depth of the deepest historical earthquakes

We useP andS times listed in the International Seismological Summary to relocate 23 historical earthquakes (1927–1963) reported as occurring at or below 670 km. In all cases, our relocated hypocenters are shallower than the starting depths; furthermore, all events converge to 691 km or less, with a precision estimated at ±10 km. This study upholds the results of Stark and Frohlich, who had usedpP–P times of post-WWSSN earthquakes to constrain reliable hypocentral depths to no greater than 684 km. In particular, we reject Rothé's claim that a 1963 event in the vicinity of New Guinea occurred at a depth of more than 780 km.     

Bedload-to-suspended load ratio and rapid bedrock incision from Himalayan landslide-dam lake record

About 5400 cal yr BP, a large landslide formed a > 400-m-tall dam in the upper Marsyandi River, central Nepal. The resulting lacustrine and deltaic deposits stretched > 7 km upstream, reaching a thickness of 120 m. ¹⁴C dating of 7 wood fragments reveals that the aggradation and subsequent incision occurred remarkably quickly (∼ 500 yr). Reconstructed volumes of lacustrine (∼ 0.16 km³) and deltaic (∼ 0.09 km³) deposits indicate a bedload-to-suspended load ratio of 1:2, considerably higher than the ≤ 1:10 that is commonly assumed. At the downstream end of the landslide dam, the river incised a new channel through ≥ 70 m of Greater Himalayan gneiss, requiring a minimum bedrock incision rate of 13 mm/yr over last 5400 yr. The majority of incision presumably occurred over a fraction of this time, suggesting much higher rates. The high bedload ratio from such an energetic mountain river is a particularly significant addition to our knowledge of sediment flux in orogenic environments.     

Beringia as an Ice Age genetic museum

Thousands of Late Pleistocene remains are found in sites throughout Beringia. These specimens comprise an Ice Age genetic museum, and the DNA contained within them provide a means to observe evolutionary processes within populations over geologically significant time scales. Phylogenetic analyses can identify the taxonomic positions of extinct species and provide estimates of speciation dates. Geographic and temporal divisions apparent in the genetic data can be related to ecological change, human impacts, and possible landscape mosaics in Beringia. The application of ancient DNA techniques to traditional paleontological studies provides a new perspective to long-standing questions regarding the paleoenvironment and diversity of Late Pleistocene Beringia.     

The Impact of Twenty-First Century Climate Change on Wildland Fire Danger in the Western United States: An Applications Perspective

High-temporal resolution meteorological output from the Parallel Climate Model (PCM) is used to assess changes in wildland fire danger across the western United States due to climatic changes projected in the 21st century. A business-as-usual scenario incorporating changing greenhouse gas and aerosol concentrations until the year 2089 is compared to a 1975–1996 base period. Changes in relative humidity, especially dryingover much of the West, are projected to increase the number of days of high fire danger (based on the energy release component (ERC) index) at least through the year 2089 in comparison to the base period. The regions most affected are the northern Rockies, Great Basin and the Southwest –regions that have already experienced significant fire activity early this century. In these regions starting around the year 2070, when the model climate CO₂ has doubled from present-day, the increase in the number ofdays that ERC (fuel model G) exceeds a value of 60 is as much as two to three weeks. The Front Range of the Rockies and the High Plains regions do not show a similar change. For regions where change is predicted, new fire and fuels management strategies and policies may be needed to address added climatic risks while also accommodating complex and changing ecosystems subject to human stresses on the region. These results, and their potential impact on fire and land management policy development, demonstrate the value of climate models for important management applications, as encouraged under the Department of Energy Accelerated Climate Prediction Initiative (ACPI), under whose auspices this work was performed.     

Global mapping of the degree of space weathering on asteroid 25143 Itokawa by Hayabusa/AMICA observations

Abstract— We obtained color images of near‐Earth asteroid 25143 Itokawa by the Hayabusa multiband imaging camera to characterize the regional color properties. Images were obtained for the whole disk from the gate position (GP) and home position (HP) at a spatial resolution of 0.8–3.7 m/pixel. Whole‐disk spectra are adjusted to the telescopic data obtained by the University of Hawai'i's 88‐inch telescope using the Eight Color Asteroid Survey (ECAS) system. The disk‐resolved measurements show large variations in the three visible channels. We present a map of an index related to the degree of space weathering, which has been newly developed based on laboratory measurements. We find large variations in the degree of space weathering on Itokawa. Fresh materials are observed in regions of steep slopes and craters, whereas mature materials are ubiquitously distributed. This result suggests that pristine ordinary chondrite‐like materials have been exposed through weathered layers by excavation. By also examining close‐up images obtained during touchdown rehearsal, we find that most rocks in Itokawa's rough terrains are weathered. Instead of a regolith blanket, the surface of this small asteroid is covered with weathered rocks and gravels.     

Near-infrared spectrophotometry of Asteroid 25143 Itokawa from NIRS on the Hayabusa spacecraft

A photometric analysis of the S-type Asteroid 25143 Itokawa is performed over multiple wavelengths ranging from 0.85 to 2.10 μm based on disk-resolved reflectance spectra obtained with the Hayabusa near-infrared spectrometer (NIRS). We derive the global photometric properties of Itokawa in terms of Hapke's photometric model. We find that Itokawa has a single-scatter albedo that is 35-40% less than that of Asteroid 433 Eros. Itokawa also has a single-particle phase function that is more strongly back-scattering than that of Eros. Despite its hummocky surface strewn with large boulders, Itokawa exhibits an opposition effect. However, the total amplitude of the opposition surge for Itokawa was estimated to be less than unity while Eros and other S-type asteroids have been found to have model values exceeding unity. The wavelength dependence of the opposition surge width reveals that coherent backscatter contributes to the opposition effect on Itokawa's surface. The photometric roughness of Itokawa is well constrained to a value of 26° ± 1° which is similar to Eros, suggesting that photometric roughness models the smallest surface roughness scale for which shadows exist.     

A radar survey of M- and X-class asteroids

We observed ten M- and X-class main-belt asteroids with the Arecibo Observatory's S-band (12.6 cm) radar. The X-class asteroids were targeted based on their albedos or other properties which suggested they might be M-class. This work brings the total number of main-belt M-class asteroids observed with radar to 14. We find that three of these asteroids have rotation rates significantly different from what was previously reported. Based on their high radar albedo, we find that only four of the fourteen—16 Psyche, 216 Kleopatra, 758 Mancunia, and 785 Zwetana—are almost certainly metallic. 129 Antigone has a moderately high radar albedo and we suggest it may be a CH/CB/Bencubbinite parent body. Three other asteroids, 97 Klotho, 224 Oceana, and 796 Sarita have radar albedos significantly higher than the average main belt asteroid and we cannot rule out a significant metal content for them. Five of our target asteroids, 16 Psyche, 129 Antigone, 135 Hertha, 758 Mancunia, and 785 Zwetana, show variations in their radar albedo with rotation. We can rule out shape and composition in most cases, leaving variations in thickness, porosity, or surface roughness of the regolith to be the most likely causes. With the exception of 129 Antigone, we find no hydrated M-class asteroids (W-class; Rivkin, A.S., Howell, E.S., Lebofsky, L.A., Clark, B.E., Britt, D.T., 2000. Icarus 145, 351-368) to have high radar albedos.     

Virus occurrence in private and public wells in a fractured dolostone aquifer in Canada

Groundwater samples from 22 wells completed in a regional fractured dolostone aquifer in the Guelph region of southern Ontario, Canada, were collected over an 8-month period and analyzed for viruses and Campylobacter jejuni. Only 8% of the 118 samples exhibited viruses at extremely low concentrations, but of the 22 wells sampled, 10 (45%) were positive for human enteric viruses (polyomavirus, adenovirus A, and GII norovirus) including 5 of the 8 public supply wells (62.5%) and 5 of the 11 private wells (45%). Each virus-positive well had only one virus occurrence with six sampling events during the 8-month sampling campaign and only one virus type was detected in each well. The probability of virus detection was positively associated with well open-interval length. Virus concentration (in the wells that were virus-positive) was negatively associated with well depth and open-interval length and positively associated with overburden thickness (i.e., the thickness of unconsolidated materials overlying bedrock facies) and the amount of precipitation 8–14 and 15–21 days prior to the sampling date. The ephemeral nature of the virus detections and the low detection rate on a per sample basis were consistent with previous studies. The percentage of virus-positive wells, however, was much higher than previous studies, but consistent with the fact that the hydrogeologic conditions of fractured bedrock aquifers create wide capture zones and short groundwater travel times to wells making them more vulnerable to contamination occurrence but at very low concentrations.     

The pattern and influence of low dissolved oxygen in the Patuxent River,a seasonally hypoxic estuary

Increased nutrient loadings have resulted in low dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations in bottom waters of the Patuxent River, a tributary of Chesapeake Bay. We synthesize existing and newly collected data to examine spatial and temporal variation in bottom DO, the prevalence of hypoxia-induced mortality of fishes, the tolerance of Patuxent River biota to low DO, and the influence of bottom DO on the vertical distributions and spatial overlap of larval fish and fish eggs with their gelatinous predators and zooplankton prey. We use this information, as well as output from watershed-quality and water-quality models, to configure a spatially-explicit individual-based model to predict how changing land use within the Patuxent watershed may affect survival of early life stages of summer breeding fishes through its effect on DO. Bottom waters in much of the mesohaline Patuxent River are below 50% DO saturation during summer. The system is characterized by high spatial and temporal variation in DO concentrations, and the current severity and extent of hypoxia are sufficient to alter distributions of organisms and trophic interactions in the river. Gelatinous zooplankton are among the most tolerant species of hypoxia, while several of the ecologically and economically important finfish are among the most sensitive. This variation in DO tolerances may make the Patuxent River, and similar estuaries, particularly susceptible to hypoxia-induced alterations in food web dynamics. Model simulations consistently predict high mortality of planktonic bay anchovy eggs (Anchoa mitchilli) under current DO, and increasing survival of fish eggs with increasing DO. Changes in land use that reduce nutrient loadings may either increase or decrease predation mortality of larval fish depending on the baseline DO conditions at any point in space and time. A precautionary approach towards fisheries and ecosystem management would recommend reducing nutrients to levels at which low oxygen effects on estuarine habitat are reduced and, where possible, eliminated.     

Effects of an Acute Hypoxic Event on Microplankton Community Structure in a Coastal Harbor of Southern California

Fish mortality and hypoxic events occur in many coastal and inland systems and may result from natural or anthropogenically mediated processes. The effects of consequent changes in water biogeochemistry have been investigated for communities of benthic invertebrates and pelagic metazoans. The responses of micro-plankton assemblages, however, have remained largely unstudied. The northern basin of King Harbor, a small embayment within Santa Monica Bay, CA, USA, suffered a massive fish kill in March 2011 as a consequence of acute hypoxia. Dissolved oxygen concentrations < 0.1 ml?l^?1 were measured in the northern basin of the harbor for several days following the mortality event, and a strong spatial gradient of oxygen was observed from the northern basin to waters outside the harbor. The microplankton community within King Harbor differed significantly from a diatom-dominated community present in neighboring Santa Monica Bay. The latter region appeared unaffected by physicochemical changes, induced by the fish kill, that were observed within the harbor. A trophic shift was observed throughout King Harbor from a photoautotrophic-dominated assemblage to one of heterotrophic forms, with relative abundances of bacterivorous ciliates increasing by more than 80 % in the most impacted part of the harbor. Significant changes in community structure were observed together with dramatically reduced photosynthetic yield of the remaining phytoplankton, indicating severe physiological stress during the extreme hypoxia.