Microwave Remote Sensing of the Temperature and Distribution of Sulfur Compounds in the Lower Atmosphere of Venus

A multi-wavelength radio frequency observation of Venus was performed on April 5, 1996, with the Very Large Array to investigate potential variations in the vertical and horizontal distribution of temperature and the sulfur compounds sulfur dioxide (SO₂) and sulfuric acid vapor (H₂SO₄(g)) in the atmosphere of the planet. Brightness temperature maps were produced which feature significantly darkened polar regions compared to the brighter low-latitude regions at both observed frequencies. This is the first time such polar features have been seen unambiguously in radio wavelength observations of Venus. The limb-darkening displayed in the maps helps to constrain the vertical profile of H₂SO₄(g), temperature, and to some degree SO₂. The maps were interpreted by applying a retrieval algorithm to produce vertical profiles of temperature and abundance of H₂SO₄(g) given an assumed sub-cloud abundance of SO₂. The results indicate a substantially higher abundance of H₂SO₄(g) at high latitudes (above 45°) than in the low-latitude regions. The retrieved temperature profiles are up to 25 K warmer than the profile obtained by the Pioneer Venus sounder probe at altitudes below 40 km (depending on location and assumed SO₂ abundance). For 150 ppm of SO₂, it is more consistent with the temperature profile obtained by Mariner 5, extrapolated to the surface via a dry adiabat. The profiles obtained for H₂SO₄(g) at high latitudes are consistent with those derived from the Magellan radio occultation experiments, peaking at around 8 ppm at an altitude of 46 km and decaying rapidly away from that altitude. At low latitudes, no significant H₂SO₄(g) is observed, regardless of the assumed SO₂ content. This is well below that measured by Mariner 10 (Lipa and Tyler 1979, Icarus39, 192-208), which peaked at ∼14 ppm near 47 km. Our results favor ≤100 ppm of SO₂ at low latitudes and ≤50 ppm in polar regions. The low-latitude value is statistically consistent with the results of Bézard et al. (1983, Geophs. Res. Lett.20, 1587-1590), who found that a sub-cloud SO₂ abundance of 130±40 ppm best matched their observations in the near-IR. The retrieved temperature profile and higher abundance of H₂SO₄(g) in polar regions are consistent with a strong equatorial-to-polar, cloud-level flow due to a Hadley cell in the atmosphere of Venus.     

Secular effects in the orbits of the Galilean satellites

This paper presents the results of an investigation into the secular behavior of the orbits of the Galilean satellites of Jupiter. Kamel's perturbation method is used to remove all the explicitly periodic variables from the differential equations that describe the long period behavior of the orbits to third order in the masses, and the resulting differential equations for the secular behavior are then solved. Several numerical examples are given to illustrate the sensitivity of the solution to variations in the masses of the satellites.     

The influence of subsurface moisture on rill system evolution

Rill development studies have focused almost exclusively on surface erosion processes and critical threshold hydraulic conditions. Characteristic rill features, such as arcuate headcuts and knickpoints, are morphologically similar to the ‘theatre-headed’ valleys which have been associated with ‘sapping’ processes at various scales. This paper reports on laboratory experiments designed to identify linkages between surface flow hydraulics, subsurface moisture conditions and rill development. Experiments were carried out in a 16·57 m² flume under simulated rainfall with soil samples up to 0·15 m depth in which moisture conditions were monitored by miniature time-domain reflectometer probes. Tests showed complex responses in which some rill incision reflected surface flow conditions, but major rill system development with markedly enhanced sediment yield was closely associated with high soil moisture contents. It was not possible to measure seepage forces directly, but calculation and observation indicate that these were less important than reduction in soil strength with saturation, which resulted in increased effective runoff erosivity. This caused concentrated undercutting along the water table at rill walls, while slightly stronger surface layers above the water table formed microscarps. These retreated along the water table into interrill surfaces, producing residual pediment transport slopes. The microscarps eventually disappeared when the water table reached the surface, eliminating differential soil strength. The experiments showed complex relationships between surface and subsurface erosional processes in evolving rill systems, strongly influenced by soil moisture dynamics. The very small topographic and hydraulic head amplitudes indicate that seepage forces and ‘sapping’ were minimal. The dominant effect of soil moisture was reduction of soil strength with saturation, and increased runoff entrainment. Experimental conditions were not unusual, either for agricultural fields or natural hillslopes, and the intricate interrelationship of surface and subsurface erosion processes observed is probably not uncommon. Attempts to link specific morphologic features at rill scale to dominance of surface or subsurface processes alone are therefore unlikely to be successful or reliable. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Iron metal production in silicate melts through the direct reduction of Fe(II) by Ti(III), Cr(II), and Eu(II)

The production of metallic iron in silicate melts by the chemical reactions, 2Ti³⁺_(melt) + Fe²⁺_(melt) → 2Ti⁴⁺_(melt) + Fe⁰_(crystal)2Cr²⁺_(melt) + Fe²⁺_(melt) → 2Cr³⁺_(melt) + Fe⁰_(crystal)2Eu²⁺_(melt)+ Fe²⁺_(melt) → 2Eu³⁺_(melt) + Fe⁰_(crystal) has been demonstrated under experimental conditions in a simplified basaltic liquid, Such reactions may occur in lunar basalts and other reduced systems, and, thus, may aid in the understanding of the reduced nature of lunar basalts. The reactions were studied in a glass-forming Na-Ca-Mg-Al-silicate composition at a melt temperature of 1250°C and an imposed oxygen fugacity at the C/CO buffer (1 atm total pressure). Microtitrations of individually-doped samples were used in the quantitative assessment of their redox ratios and for the calibration of visible and near-infrared spectral absorptions. These spectral absorptions were then applied to the evaluation of the mutual redox interactions in dual-doped samples.     

Pyrometamorphism and partial melting of shales during combustion metamorphism: mineralogical,textural, and chemical effects

Eocene shales metamorphosed by a naturally ignited coal seam in the Powder River Basin, Wyoming record a continuum of mineralogic and textural changes from relatively unaltered shale to melt developed during pyrometamorphism. Samples collected along a section 2 m in length, corresponding to a temperature range of approximately 1300°C, were examined optically and by XRD, SEM, and STEM. The low temperature samples are comprised primarily of silt-sized quartz, K-feldspar, and minor amounts of other detrital minerals in a continuous matrix of illite/smectite (I/S). Delamination of phyllosilicates due to dehydroxylation occurs early in the sequence with curling of individual layers from rim to core. Within one-half meter of melted areas, phyllosilicates have undergone an essentially isochemical reconstitution with nucleation and growth of mullite crystals with maximum diameters of 50 nm, randomly distributed within a non-crystalline phase that replaces I/S. Large detrital grains remain for the most part unaffected except for the inversion of quartz to tridymite/cristobalite. Within 1 mm of the solid/melt interface, the mullitebearing clay mineral matrix is essentially homogeneous in composition with obscure grain boundaries, caused by apparent homogenization of poorly crystalline material. This material is similar in composition to parent clays and acts as a matrix to angular, remnant tridymite/cristobalite grains. Rounded, smaller silica grains have reaction rims with the non-crystalline matrix; K-feldspar is no longer present (apparently reacted with the matrix) and the matrix contains abundant pore space due to shrinkage upon dehydroxylation. As isolated pods of paralava (glass) or fractures are approached, Fe–Ti–Al oxides become abundant. Vesicular glass is separated from clinker by a well-defined interface and contains numerous phenocrysts. XRF analyses and reduced area rastering using EDS imply enrichment of the melt phase in Fe, Ca, Mg and Mn, apparently due to vapor transport from other layers lower in the sedimentary sequence.Contribution No. 490, the Mineralogical Laboratory, Department of Geological Sciences, The University of Michigan     

An Investigation of Discontinuity Roughness Scale Dependency Using High-Resolution Surface Measurements

The influence of roughness on the hydro-mechanical behavior of rock discontinuities has long been recognized. As a result, several definitions and measures of roughness have been developed. According to the ISRM (Int J Rock Mech Min Sci Geomech Abstr 15(6):319–368, 1978), discontinuity roughness comprises large-scale (waviness) and small-scale (unevenness) components. However, the division between these scales is not clear and most investigations of surface roughness have been restricted to small fracture surfaces (<1 m²). Hence, the large-scale components of roughness are often neglected. Furthermore, these investigations typically define roughness using two-dimensional profiles rather than three-dimensional surfaces, which can lead to biased estimates of roughness. These limitations have led to some contradictory findings regarding roughness scale dependency (scale effects). This paper aims to provide some explanation of these contradictory findings. Through the in situ digitization and analysis of two adjacent large-scale (~2 × 3 m² and ~2 × 2 m²) migmatitic-gneiss fracture surfaces, the influence of sample size on roughness estimates are investigated. In addition, the influence of measurement resolution on roughness estimates is investigated by digitizing small-scale (100 × 100 mm²) samples from the same fracture with varying resolution. The findings show roughness to increase as a function of the sampling window size, in contrast to what is commonly assumed. That is, the combined waviness and unevenness of a discontinuity relative to its mean plane increases with scale. Compared to the sampling window size, the resolution of surface measurements is shown to have a far greater influence on roughness estimates. This influence of measurement resolution may explain some of the contradictory roughness scale relationships that have been published previously. It is important to note that the observed decrease in shear strength with increasing scale, as observed in many prior studies, is not being questioned; rather, a clarification of the role of roughness in this phenomenon is sought.     

Prediction of pile settlement using artificial neural networks based on standard penetration test data

In recent years artificial neural networks (ANNs) have been applied to many geotechnical engineering problems with some degree of success. With respect to the design of pile foundations, accurate prediction of pile settlement is necessary to ensure appropriate structural and serviceability performance. In this paper, an ANN model is developed for predicting pile settlement based on standard penetration test (SPT) data. Approximately 1000 data sets, obtained from the published literature, are used to develop the ANN model. In addition, the paper discusses the choice of input and internal network parameters which were examined to obtain the optimum model. Finally, the paper compares the predictions obtained by the ANN with those given by a number of traditional methods. It is demonstrated that the ANN model outperforms the traditional methods and provides accurate pile settlement predictions.     

Oldest Atlantic seafloor

Basalt recovered beneath Jurassic sediments in the western Atlantic at Deep Sea Drilling Project sites 100 and 105 of leg 11 has petrographic features characteristic of water-quenched basalt extruded along modern ocean ridges. Site 100 basalt appears to represent two or three massive cooling units, and an extrusive emplacement is probable. Site 105 basalt is less altered and appears to be a compositionally homogeneous pillow lava sequence related to a single eruptive episode.Although the leg 11 basalts are much more closely related in time to the Triassic lavas and intrusives of eastern continental North America, their geochemical features are closely comparable to those of modern Mid-Atlantic Ridge basalts unrelated to postulated mantle plume activity. Projection of leg 11 sites back along accepted spreading flow lines to their presumed points of origin shows that these origins are also outside the influence of modern plume activity. Thus, these oldest Atlantic seafloor basalts provide no information on the time of initiation of these plumes. The Triassic continental diabases show north to south compositional variations in Rb, Ba, La, and Sr which lie within the range of plume-related basalt on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (20 °–40 °N). This suggests that these diabases had mantle sources similar in composition to those beneath the present Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Plumes related to deep mantle sources may have contributed to the LIL-element enrichment in the Triassic diabase and may alos have been instrumental in initiating the rifting of the North Atlantic. Systematically high values for K and Sr⁸⁷/Sr⁸⁶ in the Triassic diabases may reflect superimposed effects of crustal contamination in the Triassic magmas.Contribution Number 3953 from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution     

Using winter flounder growth rates to assess habitat quality across an anthropogenic gradient in Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island

We used growth rates of juvenile winter flounderPseudopleuronectes americanus to assess anthropogenic influence on habitat quality at three sites in Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island. The upper bay site, Gaspee Point, had the highest population density and concentration of total nitrogen; human inputs decreased down bay. Growth rates of individually marked fish were measured in three 15-d experiments from June 8 to July 6, 1998 in 1-m² cages placed at upper, middle, and lower bay sites. Water temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen (DO), and benthic food were also measured. Stable isotopes of nitrogen and carbon were measured in experimental fish as possible indicators of nutrient enrichment and to identify organic carbon sources. Growth rates were 0.22–0.60 mm d⁻¹, with the highest average at the mid-bay site. Growth was initially fastest at Gaspee Point, but dropped off as DO concentrations fell. Step-wise multiple regression indicated that location (upper, middle, or lower bay) explained most of the variability in fish growth (40%). Coefficients of other significant variables indicated that fish grew faster at lower salinities, smaller sizes, and with decreased time that DO was below 2.3 mg l⁻¹. Benthic prey varied among sites and there was significantly less food and fewer species at Gaspee Point.Polydora cornuta was a favored food at all sites and was found in over half the stomachs. Values of δ¹⁵N in fish and sediments did not reflect differences in total nitrogen concentrations recorded near the sites. We suggest that anthropogenic influences, such as nutrients and sewage, affected habitat quality by reducing DO, which lowered fish growth rates.