Evolution of calculations of the virtual dipole moment of the Earth for reconstructing the oceanic inversion magnetic layer’s parameters

The VDM (virtual dipole moment) is one of the most significant characteristics describing the behavior of the time evolution of the terrestrial magnetic field. However, we have revealed that the formulas with which VDM calculations are performed often do not coincide with each other in various literature sources. Hence, results are obtained from these calculations that cannot be identical. Their correctness is verified by comparing the dimension and obtained results with the known value of the VDM for our time.     

The Pleistocene hominid site of Ternifine, Algeria: New results on the environment, age, and human industries

A new multidisciplinary research program, started in 1981, provided new data on the stratigraphy, fauna, and human industries, as well as the first results on paleomagnetism and sedimentology, for the Ternifine site in Algeria, which yielded the earliest hominid remains known in North Africa. The fossils were deposited in a swamp or lake surrounded by a very open, dry environment. The lake was fed by artesian springs that raised the underlying Miocene sands. Although nothing suggests a camp or butchery site, we discovered the first undisputable bone artifact in this site, the earliest known in this part of Africa. According to paleontological data, 700,000 yr B.P. is a likely age for the Ternifine deposits, which is consistent with the paleomagnetic results.     

Inactivation of the gene katA or sodA affects the transient entry into the viable but non-culturable response of Staphylococcus aureus in natural seawater at low temperature

We have investigated the fate of Staphylococcus aureus by starving the cells and maintaining them in natural seawater at 22 and 4 °C. At 22 °C, cells developed a long-term survival state where about 0.037% of the initial population remained culturable over more than 7 months, whereas at 4 °C, bacteria lost culturability and transiently entered into the viable but non-culturable state (VBNC). However, after 22 days of entry into the VBNC state, the number of viable cells detected via the direct viable count method decreased significantly. We show here that mutational inactivation of catalase (KatA) or superoxide dismutase (SodA) rendered strains hypersensitive to seawater stress at 4 °C and consequently, part of the seawater lethality on S. aureus at low temperature is mediated by reactive oxygen species (ROS) during microcosm-survival process. Shifting the temperature from 4 to 22 °C of totally non-culturable wild-type cells induced a partial recovery of the population. However, deficiencies in catalase or superoxide dismutase prevent resuscitation ability.     

Modelling stalagmite growth and δC as a function of drip interval and temperature

Growth and stable isotope composition of stalagmites are affected by climate changes. To understand the underlying mechanisms, we developed a time dependent multi-box model that describes stalagmite growth and stable isotope fractionation of carbon under disequilibrium conditions. The model takes variations of the drip interval, temperature and the amount of mixing between the impinging drops and the solution on top of the stalagmite into account, which allows to quantify the influence of these parameters. To calculate the variations of δ¹³C, the multi-box model was calibrated by comparison with an existing growth model. The results show that drip interval, temperature and the mixing coefficient do have a significant influence on δ¹³C. However, considering the higher natural variability of the drip interval, this parameter might have the largest influence.     

Radio Spectra of Three Supernova Remnants: G114.3+0.3, G116.5+1.1 and G116.9+0.2

Presented are new images of supernova remnants G114.3 0.3, G116.5 1.1 and G116.9 0.2 (CTB 1) at 408 MHz from the Canadian Galactic Plane Survey (CGPS). We also use the 1420 MHz images from the CGPS in a study of their 408-1420 MHz spectral indices. The flux densities at 408 MHz and 1420 MHz, corrected for flux densities from compact sources within the SNRs, are 12±6 Jy and 9.8±0.8 Jy for Gl 14.3 0.3,15.0±1.5 Jy and 10.6±0.6 Jy for G116.5 1.1, 15.0±1.5 Jy and 8.1±0.4 Jy for G116.9±0.2. The integrated flux density-based spectral indices (Sv∝v-α) areα=0.16±0.41, 0.28±0.09 and 0.49±0.09 for G114.3 0.3, G116.5 1.1 and G116.9 0.2, respectively. Their T-T plot-based spectral indices are 0.68±0.48, 0.28±0.15, and 0.48±0.04, in agreement with the integrated flux density-based spectral indices. New flux densities are derived at 2695 MHz which are significantly larger than previous values. The new 408, 1420 and 2695 MHz flux densities and published values at other frequencies, where images are not available, are fitted after correcting for contributions from compact sources, to derive their multi-frequency spectral indices.     

Morphotectonic and fault�Cearthquake relationships along the northern Ligurian margin (western Mediterranean) based on high resolution, multibeam bathymetry and multichannel seismic-reflection profiles

We present here new data from the MALISAR surveys that focus on two areas of the northern Ligurian margin where we reveal recent and active deformation. A set of N60°E scarps that are oblique to the margin is seen at the foot of the continental slope. These correspond to cumulated reverse-strike slip faulting that is consistent with the present-day kinematics of earthquakes. At the north-western margin, the Marcel Fault appears at the surface as a 10-km-long scarp trending N60°E. Several earthquakes of moderate magnitude (3.8 < M_L < 4.6) have focal mechanisms consistent with the geometry and the kinematics of, and have been located around, the Marcel Fault. At the north-eastern margin, offshore of Imperia, the major feature is a large promontory that is bound by a network of N60°E faults on its southern side. The structures and the deflection of the drainage network are consistent with a recent uplift of the Imperia Promontory. No surface ruptures have been identified in the epicentre area of the 1887 Ligurian earthquake (the major historical regional event: M_W ~6.5?C6.7), although the Imperia Fault network has the necessary characteristics to account for this earthquake. Therefore, from the present study, we propose that the rupture, as a reverse-strike slip faulting of a few or all of the segments belonging to the Imperia Fault network, was the source of the 1887 event. These MALISAR data have allowed identification of an 80-km-long transpressive system of Plio-Quaternary faults. The question of the potential activation of all of these faults during a single event is now of major concern, which has led to reappraisal of the regional seismic hazard as moderate to high.     

Influence of glass polymerisation and oxidation on micro-Raman water analysis in alumino-silicate glasses

The development of an accurate analytical procedure for determination of dissolved water in complex alumino-silicate glasses via micro-Raman analysis requires the assessment of the spectra topology dependence on glass composition. We report here a detailed study of the respective influence of bulk composition, iron oxidation state and total water content on the absolute and relative intensities of the main Raman bands related to glass network vibrations (LF: ∼490 cm⁻¹; HF: ∼960 cm⁻¹) and total water stretching (H₂O_T: ∼3550 cm⁻¹) in natural glasses. The evolution of spectra topology was examined in (i) 33 anhydrous glasses produced by the re-melting of natural rock samples, which span a very large range of polymerisation degree (NBO/T from 0.00 to 1.16), (ii) 2 sets of synthetic anhydrous basaltic glasses with variable iron oxidation state (Fe³⁺/Fe_T from 0.05 to 0.87), and (iii) 6 sets of natural hydrous glasses (C_H2OT from 0.4 to 7.0 wt%) with NBO/T varying from 0.01 to 0.76.In the explored domain of water concentration, external calibration procedure based on the H₂O_T band height is matrix-independent but its accuracy relies on precise control of the focusing depth and beam energy on the sample. Matrix-dependence strongly affects the internal calibrations based on H₂O_T height scaled to that of LF or HF bands but its effect decreases from acid (low NBO/T, SM) to basic (high NBO/T, SM) glasses. Structural parameters such as NBO/T (non-bridging oxygen per tetrahedron) and SM (sum of structural modifiers) describe the matrix-dependence better than simple compositional parameters (e.g. SiO₂, Na₂O + K₂O). Iron oxidation state has only a minor influence on band topology in basalts and is thus not expected to significantly affect the Raman determinations of water in mafic (e.g. low SiO₂, iron-rich) glasses. Modelling the evolution of the relative band height with polymerisation degree allows us to propose a general equation to predict the dissolved water content in natural glasses: