Toward a High-Resolution Monitoring of Continental Surface Water Extent and Dynamics,at Global Scale: from GIEMS (Global Inundation Extent from Multi-Satellites) to SWOT (Surface Water Ocean Topography)

Up to now, high-resolution mapping of surface water extent from satellites has only been available for a few regions, over limited time periods. The extension of the temporal and spatial coverage was difficult, due to the limitation of the remote sensing technique [e.g., the interaction of the radiation with vegetation or cloud for visible observations or the temporal sampling with the synthetic aperture radar (SAR)]. The advantages and the limitations of the various satellite techniques are reviewed. The need to have a global and consistent estimate of the water surfaces over long time periods triggered the development of a multi-satellite methodology to obtain consistent surface water all over the globe, regardless of the environments. The Global Inundation Extent from Multi-satellites (GIEMS) combines the complementary strengths of satellite observations from the visible to the microwave, to produce a low-resolution monthly dataset (\(0.25^\circ \,\times \,0.25^\circ\)) of surface water extent and dynamics. Downscaling algorithms are now developed and applied to GIEMS, using high-spatial-resolution information from visible, near-infrared, and synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite images, or from digital elevation models. Preliminary products are available down to 500-m spatial resolution. This work bridges the gaps and prepares for the future NASA/CNES Surface Water Ocean Topography (SWOT) mission to be launched in 2020. SWOT will delineate surface water extent estimates and their water storage with an unprecedented spatial resolution and accuracy, thanks to a SAR in an interferometry mode. When available, the SWOT data will be adopted to downscale GIEMS, to produce a long time series of water surfaces at global scale, consistent with the SWOT observations.     

Yam Cultivation on the East Coast of New Caledonia: adaptation of agriculture to social and economic changes

Agriculture represents less than 2 per cent of the GDP of New Caledonia where the economy (and wage-earning activities) is dominated by the service sector and the nickel industry. However, family farming remains strong, especially for the Indigenous Melanesian tribes of the east coast of New Caledonia. Yams (Dioscorea spp.) are still one of the pillars of traditional Kanak society despite the social and economic changes that followed colonisation by France. This study of Kanak yam cultivation on the north-eastern coast of New Caledonia underscores the fact that yam cultivation systems have greatly changed since the 1950s, when they were last described. In addition to customary gift exchanges and subsistence consumption, yams are increasingly being grown for market sales. Five cropping systems, three yam production systems, and three Kanak social activity systems are described and their linkages to each other are explained. There are three levels of Kanak market participation: none, transitional, and fully engaged, and the extent of market participation and associated technical choices defines farmers’ levels of cultural activity and the nature and characteristics of yam cultivation.     

Observations of Centaur 8405 Asbolus: Searching for Water Ice

Near-infrared spectra of Centaur 8405 Asbolus have been obtained, covering the whole rotational period. Complementary photometry and visible spectroscopy have also been performed. The aim of this project was to confirm or refute the water ice detection on one side of Asbolus reported by Kern et al. (2000 Astrophys. J.542, L155-L159). We found no absorption feature at any rotational phase of Asbolus. Our study is the first in-depth investigation of a centaur over a complete rotational period. Our results seem also to indicate that a change in the slope from 0.8 to 1.0 μm may occur in Asbolus spectrum.     

The magnesiowüstite: iron equilibrium and its implications for the activity-composition relations of (Mg,Fe)<Subscript>2</Subscript>SiO<Subscript>4</Subscript> olivine solid solutions

The chemical potential of oxygen (µO₂) in equilibrium with magnesiowüstite solid solution (Mg, Fe)O and metallic Fe has been determined by gas-mixing experiments at 1,473 K supplemented by solid-cell EMF experiments at lower temperatures. The results give:

The porosity and permeability of chondritic meteorites and interplanetary dust particles

Abstract— We have investigated the porosity of a large number of chondritic interplanetary dust particles (IDPs) and meteorites by three techniques: standard liquid/gas flow techniques, a new, noninvasive ultrasonic technique, and image processing of backscattered images. The latter technique is obviously best-suited to sub-kilogram sized samples. We have also measured the gas and liquid permeabilities of some chondrites by two techniques: standard liquid/gas flow techniques, and a new, nondestructive pressure release technique. We find that chondritic IDPs have a somewhat bimodal porosity distribution. Peaks are present at 0 and 4% porosity; a tail then extends to 53%. Type 1–3 chondrite matrix porosities range up to 30%, with a peak at 2%. The bulk porosities for type 1–3 chondrites have the same approximate range as exhibited by the matrix, which indicates that other components of the bulk meteorites (including chondrules and aggregates) have the same average porosity as the matrix. These results reveal that the porosities of primitive materials at scales ranging from nanogram to kilogram are similar, which implies that similar accretion dynamics operated through 12 orders of size magnitude. Permeabilities of the investigated chondrites vary by several orders of magnitude, and there appears to be no simple dependence of permeability with degree of aqueous alteration, chondrite type or porosity.     

Observation of sections of oceanic crust and mantle cropping out on the southern wall of Kane FZ (N. Atlantic)

The objective of the 20 Nautile dives of the recent Kanaut cruise was to study the southern wall of the Kane Fracture Zone from its eastern intersection with the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR) to 5 Myr in age. The geological mapping shows four successive massifs, wrench faulted and slightly tilted. The transform-facing walls of these massifs exhibit outcrops of fresh and serpentinized peridotites, gabbros and basalts. The entire crustal exposure is cataclased and metamorphosed to greenschist facies.     

Biological and Temporal Variations of Trace Element Concentrations in the Moss Species Scleropodium purum (Hedw.) Limpr.

Over a period of one year, the moss Scleropodium purum was sampled every two weeks in a French rural area to determine the levels of Li, Na, Al, Si, P, Ca, V, Mn, Fe, Zn, Ba, Hg, and Pb. The element distribution in the moss shoot was studied throughout the year. An apical bioconcentration was discovered for Na, P, Ca, Mn, and Zn, whereas higher levels were found in the basal fraction for Li, Al, Si, V, Fe, Ba, Hg, and Pb. A significant variation of element concentrations was observed during the sampling period. In the apical part Li, Al, Si, V, Fe, Ba, and Hg show maximum levels in the summer and minimum in the autumn. The same pattern was found with Ca and Mn in the whole plant, whereas Na showed opposite fluctuations.     

Spatial survey of trace metal contaminants in the sediments of the Elizabeth River, Virginia

The Elizabeth River is a sub-estuary of the James River, the most southern tributary of the Chesapeake Bay. It is a highly industrialized area, and has been designated a "toxic hot spot" due to the heavy loads of contaminant metals and organic compounds in its bed sediments. Fifty surface sediment samples were taken along the channels and shoals of the Mainstem and the Southern Branch portions of the river. The samples were analyzed for trace metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb and Zn), Fe and particle properties (% sand, % silt, % clay and specific surface area) to discern the spatial distribution of contaminant metals in this system. Enrichment factors were calculated to assess the overall level of contamination relative to other surrounding waterways as well as historic contamination levels within the river itself. The highest levels of metals were found to be in close proximity to industrial sources of contamination. The overall level of contamination was 3-10 times higher than baseline levels within the river, and 2-3 times higher than contaminant levels in other area waters.     

A menagerie of graphite morphologies in the Acapulco meteorite with diverse carbon and nitrogen isotopic signatures: Implications for the evolution history of acapulcoite meteorites

Morphologies, petrographic settings and carbon and nitrogen isotopic compositions of graphites in the Acapulco meteorite, the latter determined by secondary ionization mass spectrometry, are reported. Seven different graphite morphologies were recognized, the majority of which occur enclosed exclusively in kamacite. Individual graphite grains also rarely occur in the silicate matrix. Kamacite rims surrounding taenite cores of metal grains are separated from the Ni-rich metal cores by graphite veneers. These graphite veneers impeded or prevented Ni-Fe interdiffusion during cooling. In addition, matrix FeNi metal contains considerable amounts of phosphorous (≈ 700 ppm) and silicon (≈ 300 ppm) (Pack et al., 2005 in preparation) thus indicating that results of laboratory cooling experiments in the Fe-Ni binary system are inapplicable to Acapulco metals. Graphites of different morphologies display a range of carbon and nitrogen isotopic compositions, indicating a diversity of source regions before accretion in the Acapulco parent body. The isotopic compositions point to at least three isotopic reservoirs from which the graphites originated: (1) A reservoir with heavy carbon, represented by graphite in silicates (δ¹³C = 14.3 ± 2.4 ‰ and δ¹⁵N = −103.4 ± 10.9 ‰), (2) A reservoir with isotopically light carbon and nitrogen, characteristic for the metals. Its C- and N-isotopic compositions are probably preserved in the graphite exsolutions that are isotopically light in carbon and lightest in nitrogen (δ¹³C = −17 to −23 ‰ δ¹⁵N = −141 to −159 ‰). (3) A reservoir with an assumed isotopic composition (δ¹³C ∼ −5 ‰; δ¹⁵N ∼ −50 ‰). A detailed three-dimensional tomography in reflected light microscopy of the decorations of metal-troilite spherules in the cores of orthopyroxenes and olivines and metal-troilite veins was conducted to clarify their origin. Metal and troilite veins are present only near the fusion crust. Hence, these veins are not pristine to Acapulco parent body but resulted during passage of Acapulco in Earth’s atmosphere. A thorough search for symplectite-type silicate-troilite liquid quench textures was conducted to determine the extent of closed-system partial silicate melting in Acapulco.Metal-troilite spherules in orthopyroxenes and olivines are not randomly distributed but decorate ferromagnesian silicate restite cores, indicating that the metal-spherule decoration around restite silicates took place in a silicate partial melt. Graphite inclusions in these spherules have C- and N- isotopic compositions (δ¹³C = −2.9 ± 2.5 ‰ and δ¹⁵N = −101.2 ± 32 ‰) close to the average values of graphite in metals and in the silicate matrix, thus strongly suggesting that they originated from a mixture of graphite inclusions in metals and silicate matrix graphite during a closed system crystallization process subsequent to silicate-metal-sulfide partial melting. Troilite-orthopyroxene quench symplectite textures in orthopyroxene rims are clear evidence that silicate-sulfide partial melting took place in Acapulco. Due to petrographic heterogeneity on a centimeter scale, bulk REE abundances of individual samples or of individual minerals provide only limited information and the REE abundances alone are not entirely adequate to unravel the formational processes that prevailed in the acapulcoite-lodranite parent body. The present investigations demonstrate the complexity of the evolutionary stages of acapulcoites from accretion to parent body processes.