The Glarus Double Fold: a serious scientific advance in mid nineteenth century Alpine Geology

The Glarus overthrust is one of the best known examples of a thrust fault. Prior to its explanation as the base of an overthrust mass, this anomaly of the stratigraphic column had been explained by the Double Fold model, two recumbent folds facing each other. This model, advocated by Arnold Escher and Albert Heim, has been discredited by later geologists as a tectonically unsound concept which retarded the progress of science in this field of research. This article challenges parts of this view and tries instead to demonstrate that the Double Fold concept, though obviously wrong in retrospect, was a considerable scientific advance compared to the situation around 1850 when it was first proposed. To this end, the article summarizes the development of Swiss Alpine geology between 1800 and 1850 and places the Double Fold into its proper historical context. Earlier tectonic models (mostly proposed by Bernhard Studer) viewed crystalline rocks as the main driver of Alpine orogeny: due to somewhat mysterious metamorphic processes these rocks were supposed to have changed their lithology and physical properties and ascended vertically through small fissures. They uplifted, folded and eventually overflowed their sedimentary cover. The Glarus overthrust was also explained in this manner, probably even by Arnold Escher until the late 1840s. He later changed his mind and proposed the Double Fold concept which can be considered as one of the earliest attempts to apply the global contraction theory to the Alps. The global contraction theory later became the base of the geotectonic model of Eduard Suess and contributed to the final acceptance of large-scale horizontal displacements of rock masses around 1900. From this perspective, the Double Fold can be considered as a first step towards the nappe tectonic revolution and we suggest that its proposal was the expression of a fundamentally new way of thinking in Alpine tectonics.     

星系NGC5018的星族合成研究

利用星团谱样本的星族合成方法,研究了邻近巨椭圆星系NGC5018中的星族成分和其内部的恒星形成历史,给出了星系中不同年龄和金属丰度星族的成分占有比.星族合成结果表明,NGC5018中不仅存在大量金属丰度低的年老恒星成分,而且较年轻的星族成分(T=5×108yr)对星系光度贡献也很重要.星系吞并和相互作用过程可能是触发这些较年轻星族形成的物理原因,椭圆星系内部的恒星形成历史可能是2次爆发或者多次爆发过程.这些结果可以很好地解释NGC5018颜色偏蓝、Mg2谱指数强度偏弱等观测特征.     

Traces of structural H2O molecules in baryte

The infrared (IR) spectra of gem-quality baryte crystals from different occurrences are characterized by relatively weak but strongly pleochroic absorption bands at 3,280, 3,220, 3,155, and 3,115 cm⁻¹. These bands are assigned to anti-symmetric and symmetric OH stretching vibrations of two types of H₂O molecules localized on vacant Ba sites. The H–H axis of the H₂O I molecule is slightly tilted from the a-axis direction, its twofold axis being nearly parallel to the b-axis, thus defining the plane of the H₂O molecule practically parallel to (001). The H₂O II molecule has its H–H axis parallel to the b-axis direction, with its plane lying approximately parallel to (101). The values of the total water contents of the baryte crystals, calculated on the basis of IR spectroscopic data, are ranging from about 1.7–3.8 wt.ppm. The possible presence of H₃O⁺ ions is also discussed.     

Refining the pre-industrial atmospheric Pb isotope evolution curve in Europe using an 8000 year old peat core from NW Spain

Pb pollution has existed for several millennia and remains relevant today. By using peat cores as environmental archives it is possible to reconstruct this long history on a regional scale. This is a significant contribution to the findings from ice core records, the only other archive recording purely atmospheric additions. Without information that allows linking and comparison between sites regionally, within Europe and elsewhere, our ability to make coherent global models of the natural Pb cycle, and anthropogenic forcing of this cycle, is limited. In this respect, the characteristics of the Pb pre-pollution aerosol (PPA) are important to define globally. We characterize for the first time a PPA in Southern Europe with [Pb] = 0.78 ± 0.86 μg g^− 1, net Pb accumulation rates of 0.032 ± 0.030 mg m^− 2 y^− 1 and a ²⁰⁶Pb / ²⁰⁷Pb signature of 1.25470 ± 0.02575. This PPA Pb isotope signature is more radiogenic than that found thus far in Western and Northern Europe. Spain is a historically important mining site. Using three-isotope plots and a pool of potential Pb isotope signatures, a detailed source appointment of both natural and anthropogenic Pb sources was made. We found evidence of Saharan aridification and its termination ∼4400 BP and/or agricultural signals and strong local control (from rock and soil) of the Pb PPA. Human impact is first recorded at 3210 BP but does not exceed 50% of deposited Pb until 3005 BP. Mines in SE Spain dominate early Pb pollution history at this site. During the rise of Roman rule, contributions come from mines in N, NW and SW Spain with no strong indication of other European mining activities. In Medieval and Industrial times local contributions to the peat bog are reduced.     

OSIRIS: AO-assisted integral-field spectroscopy at the Keck Observatory

OSIRIS (OH-Suppressing Infra-Red Integral-field Spectrograph) is a new facility instrument for the Keck Observatory. After seeing first light in February 2005, OSIRIS is currently undergoing commissioning. OSIRIS provides the capability of performing three-dimensional spectroscopy in the near-infrared z, J, H, and K bands at the resolution limit of the Keck II telescope, which is equipped with adaptive optics and a laser guide star. The science case for OSIRIS is summarized, and the instrument and associated data reduction software are described.     

高光谱遥感在农作物长势监测中的应用

该研究是加拿大Saskatchewan Scott农作物轮作系统(ACS)研究的一部分.研究始于1994年,历时18 a,评价9个可耕种农作物产量系统的可靠性.由3种处理水平(organic,reduced,high)和3种作物多样性水平(low,diversified annual grains,diversified annual perennials)结合而产生的9个农作物产量系统,被用于监测和评价加拿大牧场不同处理和不同作物种植轮作下可耕种农作物的产量.在2003年生长季共收集了3次叶面积指数和光谱反射率的数据:生长季前期(6月)、生长季旺盛期(7月)、生长季后期(8月).叶面积指数是由LAI-2000植物冠层分析仪监测的,光谱测量是由覆盖了350～2500 nm波长范围共2215个波段的ADS便携式高光谱仪完成的.结果显示,光学测量可以用于监测农作物生长状况的差异.从生长季的早期到中期,光谱和叶面积指数在不同处理下有显著差异.7月中期是用遥感资料监测农作物长势的最佳季节;红光波段与近红外波段反射率的比值和基于这两个波段构造的归一化植被指数,是检测农作物长势的最佳植被指数.     

The Uncertainty in the True End Point of a Fossil's Stratigraphic Range When Stratigraphic Sections Are Sampled Discretely

Stratigraphic sections are often sampled at well-defined discrete points. Because of the incompleteness of the fossil record, a particular species may not be observed even when it is extant at a sampling point. We introduce a model and Bayesian analysis for estimating the true time of disappearance of a lineage from a section in the face of the possibility that failure to find the species beyond its observed stratigraphic range may represent false negatives. We incorporate proper prior information, including an estimated longevity of the species and the probability that it will be observed if extant. Our analysis produces a posterior density for the true extinction time of the species. Summaries of this probability distribution provide a point estimate of the extinction time, a standard deviation for the uncertainty in the estimate, and confidence intervals for the time of extinction. We apply our model to stratigraphic ranges of benthic foraminifera collected from the early Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian and Turonian) from Eastbourne, England.     

Low‐cost monitoring of snow height and thermal properties with inexpensive temperature sensors

Small, self‐recording temperature sensors were installed at several heights along a metal rod at five locations in a case study catchment. For each sensor, the presence or absence of snow cover was determined on the basis of its insulating effect and the resulting reduction of the diurnal temperature oscillations. Sensor coverage was then converted into a time series of snow height for each location. Additionally, cold content was calculated. Snow height and cold content provide valuable information for spring flood prediction. Good agreement of estimated snow heights with reference measurements was achieved and increased discharge in the study catchment coincided with low cold content of the snow cover. The results of the proposed distributed assessment of snow cover and snow state show great potential for (i) flood warning, (ii) assimilation of snow state data and (iii) modelling snowmelt process. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The Bison LL6 breccia

Abstract— Bison LL6 chondrite is an impact breccia. The meteorite consists of unmolten clasts and accessory melt-breccia clasts incorporated into a host of the same parentage.     

Magnetic flux separation in photospheric convection

Three-dimensional non-linear magnetoconvection in a strongly stratified compressible layer exhibits different patterns as the strength of the imposed magnetic field is reduced. There is a transition from a magnetically dominated regime, with small-scale convection in slender hexagonal cells, to a convectively dominated regime, with clusters of broad rising plumes that confine the magnetic flux to narrow lanes where fields are locally intense. Both patterns can coexist for intermediate field strengths, giving rise to flux separation: clumps of vigorously convecting plumes, from which magnetic flux has been excluded, are segregated from regions with strong fields and small-scale convection. A systematic numerical investigation of these different states shows that flux separation can occur over a significant parameter range and that there is also hysteresis. The results are related to the fine structure of magnetic fields in sunspots and in the quiet Sun.