In Situ Quantitative Measurement of Rare Earth Elements in Uranium Oxides by Laser Ablation‐Inductively Coupled Plasma‐Mass Spectrometry

Advances in the quantification of rare earth elements (REE) at the micrometric scale in uranium oxides by laser ablation‐inductively coupled plasma‐mass spectrometry are described. The determination of the best analytical conditions was tested using a uranium oxide (Mistamisk) the concentrations of REE in which were previously estimated by other techniques. Comparison between the use of U or Pb as an internal standard clearly showed a diameter‐dependent fractionation effect related to Pb at small crater diameters (16 and 24 μm), which was not found for U. The quantification of REE contents in uranium oxide samples using both matrix‐matched (uranium oxide) and non‐matrix‐matched (NIST SRM 610 certified glass) external calibrators displayed no significant difference, demonstrating a limited matrix effect for REE determination by LA‐ICP‐MS. Moreover, no major interferences on REEs were detected. The proposed methodology (NIST SRM 610 as external calibrator and U as internal standard) was applied to samples from uranium deposits from around the world. The results showed that LA‐ICP‐MS is a suitable analytical technique to determine REE down to the μg g^?1 level in uranium oxides at the micrometre scale and that this technique can provide significant insights into uranium metallogeny.     

Shifting Tides,Complex Lives: The Dynamics of Fishing and Tourism Livelihoods on the Kenyan Coast

This article investigates the complexities of fisher livelihoods and their interactions with the tourism industry on the Kenyan coast, to better understand how the prospects for alternative livelihoods, such as tourism, reduce fishing pressure. Data were derived from a questionnaire of 123 households and 30 interviews. Results showed that fishers cover the whole socioeconomic spectrum and that the role of fishing in livelihoods is heterogeneous both between individuals and for individuals over time. The majority of fishers do not combine tourism and fishing simultaneously, but livelihoods are characterized by a process of moving in and out of various activities as opportunities present themselves. There was no evidence of systematic or permanent displacement of fishers as a result of tourism. Given that fishing is not only an occupation carried out by those with no alternatives, prospects for alternative livelihoods systematically reducing fishing effort, predicated on this assumption, are questioned.     

Navigating an inconvenient difference in antagonistic contexts: Doing fieldwork in Aceh,Indonesia

This article discusses the challenges of doing fieldwork in an antagonistic context. Such an antagonistic context can emerge when a non‐Muslim researcher conducts fieldwork in a Muslim country that experiences humanitarian intervention and reconstruction efforts after natural disasters or the end of conflict. This particular setting can create a conflation of Islamic and Western (liberal) values while a political settlement is about to be consolidated. The case discussed in this article is located in the province of Aceh in Indonesia, where a political settlement of a conflict which lasted more than 25 years converged with a massive influx of foreign aid for disaster mitigation vis‐à‐vis the desire to apply Islamic Law (shari'a). The combined effects of reconstruction efforts and political and armed conflict, forged a problematic co‐presence of Western and non‐Western values, which affected the relations between the (Western) researcher and (non‐Western) researched by creating tension or even hostility between the two. The article argues that methodological dilemmas stemming from such a setting require a relational approach drawing on empathy, sameness and the personal, thereby taking into account emotions when conducting fieldwork. For this particular case I suggest an approach based on teamwork crossing cultures and gender among the research team members. To deal with constraints in such a setting, the article proposes to contextualize any potential difference between the researcher and researched, and to explore various relational elements drawing on psychoanalytical approaches and/or cross‐cultural positioning through and in teamwork.     

Spatio-temporal analysis of territorial changes from a multi-scale perspective

The full integration of time dimensions in GIS still represents a research challenge. A number of systems provide ways to visualise harmonised timestamped geographical data onto maps, with interpolated curves representing how these data have changed over time. However, these systems frequently mask the concerns linked to changes in territorial organisations and the harmonisation of data. In fact, the development of a territory should be considered in connection with its neighbourhood, governance and genealogy relationships. This article focuses on the difficulties linked with the ‘change of support problem’, which can arise when conducting spatio-temporal analysis of data. First, we present a data model handling the changing relationships between territories. Then, we illustrate how this model can be instantiated using examples that have taken place in Europe. We show how the model can address questions such as that of change blindness. Finally, we explain how hierarchical and genealogical relationships can be used inside an interactive cartographic tool for spatio-temporal analysis. It provides various views of the same phenomena at multiple scales, through an approach that takes into account the changes in territorial organisation.     

Automated searching of Stardust interstellar foils

Abstract– The Al foils lining the aerogel tiles of the Stardust interstellar tray represent approximately 13% of the total collecting area, about 15,300 mm². Although the flux is poorly constrained, fewer than 100 impacts are expected in all the Al foils on the collector, and most of these are likely to be less than 1 μm in diameter. Secondary electron (SE) images of the foils at a resolution of approximately 50 nm per pixel are being collected during the Stardust Interstellar Preliminary Examination, resulting in more than two million images that will eventually need to be searched for impact craters. The unknown and complicated nature of 3‐dimensional interstellar tracks in aerogel necessitated the use of a massively distributed human search to locate only a few interstellar tracks. The 2‐dimensional nature of the SE images makes the problem of searching for craters tractable for algorithmic approaches. Using templates of craters from cometary impacts into Stardust foils, we present a computer algorithm for the identification of impact craters in the Stardust interstellar foils using normalized cross‐correlation and template matching. We address the speed, sensitivity, and false‐positive rate of the algorithm. The search algorithm can be adapted for use in other applications. The program is freely available for download at http://jake.ssl.berkeley.edu:8000/groups/westphalgroup/wiki/14e52/ISPE_SEM_Crater_Search.html .     

Large silica‐rich igneous‐textured inclusions in the Buzzard Coulee chondrite: Condensates,differentiates, or impact melts?

Abstract– We studied three large (2–4 mm diameter) igneous‐textured inclusions in the Buzzard Coulee (H4) chondrite using microanalytical techniques (OLM, SEM, EMPA, SIMS) to better elucidate the origins of igneous inclusions in ordinary chondrites. The inclusions are clasts that come in two varieties (1) white inclusions Bz‐1 and Bz‐2 represent a nearly holocrystalline assemblage of low‐Ca and high‐Ca pyroxene (63–66 area%) and cristobalite (33–36%) and (2) tan inclusion Bz‐3 is glass‐rich (approximately 60%) with low‐Ca and high‐Ca pyroxene phenocrysts. The bulk compositions of the inclusions determined by modal reconstruction are all SiO₂‐rich (approximately 67 wt% for Bz‐1 and Bz‐2, approximately 62% for Bz‐3), but Bz‐3 is enriched in incompatible elements (e.g., REE approximately 4–5 × CI abundances), whereas Bz‐2 and Bz‐1 are depleted in those elements that are most incompatible in pyroxene (e.g., La‐Ho approximately 0.15–0.4 × CI abundances). These bulk compositions do not resemble what one would expect for partial or complete shock melting of a chondritic precursor, and show no evidence for overall volatility control. We infer that the inclusions originated through igneous differentiation and FeO reduction, with Bz‐3 forming as an “andesitic” partial melt (approximately 30–40% partial melting of an H chondrite precursor), and Bz‐1 and Bz‐2 forming as pyroxene‐cristobalite cumulates from an Si‐rich melt. We suggest that both types of melts experienced a period of transit through a cold, low‐pressure space environment in which cooling, FeO reduction, and interaction with a vapor occurred. Melts may have been lofted into space by excavation or splashing during collisions, or by pyroclastic volcanism. Our results indicate intriguing similarities between the inclusions in Buzzard Coulee and the silicates in some iron (IIE‐type) and stony iron (IVA‐type) meteorites, suggesting a genetic relationship.     

Vibroseis productivity: shake and go

We use both model and field data to compare three methods for increasing vibroseis productivity and decreasing acquisition costs. The first method, HFVS (high-fidelity vibratory seismic), allows us to separate the responses from individual vibrators when multiple vibrators are operating simultaneously. The data quality of the separated records is superior to that of conventional correlated data because they are processed with measured ground-force signals, but the number of sweeps must be greater than or equal to the number of vibrators. The second method, cascaded sweep, eliminates the listening time between multiple sweeps and partially mitigates harmonic noise observed at later times on near-offset traces. Finally, a combined method, continuous-HFVS (C-HFVS), allows source separation with a single, long, segmented sweep. Separation is as good as with HFVS and interference noise is limited to times near the end of a sweep-segment length. All three methods produce acceptable seismic images for post-stack and prestack amplitude interpretation.
The choice of which option to use depends upon the area being investigated. HFVS has numerous benefits, especially when fine sampling is required to mitigate static problems and elevation changes. Due to the ability to separate individual responses, fine sampling can be achieved without sacrificing productivity. For deeper targets, cascaded sweep can be more efficient but data quality suffers from harmonic noise. C-HFVS, which combines features of HFVS and cascaded sweep, has the potential to result in the highest productivity, without sacrificing either fine sampling or data quality.     

Assessing Ground Water Development Potential Using Landsat Imagery

Seven villages in southeastern Kenya surround Mt. Kasigau and depend on the mountain's cloud forest for their water supply. Five of these villages have regularly experienced water shortages, and all village water supplies were contaminated with Escherichia coli bacteria. There is a need to economically find new sources of fresh ground water. Remote sensing offers a relatively quick and cost-effective way of identifying areas with high potential for ground water development. This study used spectral properties of features on Landsat remote sensing imagery to map linear features, soil types, surface moisture, and vegetation. Linear features represented geologic or geomorphologic features indicating either shallow ground water or areas of increased subsurface hydraulic conductivity. Regarding soil type, black soils were identified as potential indicators of shallow aquifers based on their relatively lower elevation and association with river valleys. A vegetation map was created using unsupervised classification, and three of the resulting vegetation classes were observed to be commonly associated with wet areas and/or ground water discharge. A wetness map, created using tasseled cap analysis, was used to identify all areas of high ground moisture, including those that corresponded to vegetated areas. The linear features, soil type, vegetation, and wetness maps were overlaid to produce a composite that highlighted areas with the highest potential for ground water development. Electrical resistivity surveys confirmed that areas highlighted by the composite image had relatively shallow depths to the water table. Some figures in this paper are available in color in the online version of the paper.     

Baseline for beached marine debris on Sand Island, Midway Atoll

Baseline measurements were made of the amount and weight of beached marine debris on Sand Island, Midway Atoll, June 2008-July 2010. On 23 surveys, 32,696 total debris objects (identifiable items and pieces) were collected; total weight was 740.4 kg. Seventy-two percent of the total was pieces; 91% of the pieces were made of plastic materials. Pieces were composed primarily of polyethylene and polypropylene. Identifiable items were 28% of the total; 88% of the identifiable items were in the fishing/aquaculture/shipping-related and beverage/household products-related categories. Identifiable items were lowest during April-August, while pieces were at their lowest during June-August. Sites facing the North Pacific Gyre received the most debris and proportionately more pieces. More debris tended to be found on Sand Island when the Subtropical Convergence Zone was closer to the Atoll. This information can be used for potential mitigation and to understand the impacts of large-scale events such as the 2011 Japanese tsunami.     

Product Evaluation for the Control of Chemical Emissions to Indoor Air – 10 Years of Experience with the AgBB Scheme in Germany

Emissions from construction products may have a significant impact on the quality of indoor air, particularly in energy‐efficient buildings, where the normal rate of air exchange with fresh ambient air may be limited. In this context, reduction strategies to mitigate the concentration of chemicals in the indoor environment have become even more important. German authorities wanted to foster the development of low‐emission products, and as a result it was necessary to quantify and qualify these emissions in a reliable and objective manner. The core principles for evaluation of the standardized measurements in emission tests were established by the “Committee for Health‐Related Evaluation of Building Products” (AgBB) and published in the so‐called “AgBB scheme”. Relevant for evaluation are: (i) Assessment of the emission levels of substances with known toxicological properties; (ii) limits for non‐assessable or unknown substances; (iii) limits for the total amount of chemical emissions. This review describes the stepwise implementation of the test procedure in Germany and the experience gained in evaluation of product emissions over the years. A comprehensive overview of the philosophy, history, current practices, and future directions of the German AgBB scheme for VOC emissions is also provided. Special emphasis is given to the evaluation of a list of about 170 single substances which have an agreed “lowest concentration of interest” (LCI) value for the indoor environment – values that are updated periodically according to present toxicological knowledge.