The inception of novae transition zone oscillations

The nature of semi-regular oscillations in the transition zones of certain novae is discussed. It is found that hydrostatic collapse following a reduction of radiative support for the photospheric layers is a likely explanation of transition zone inception.     

Fission track dating,thermal histories and tectonics of igneous intrusions in East Greenland

Fission track ages have been measured for 12 sphenes, 18 zircons and 25 apatites separated largely from Lower Tertiary magmatic rocks of East Greenland, with a few examples from Caledonian rocks. The sphene and zircon ages of Caledonian rocks agree with other radiometric ages but apatite is strongly discordant indicating that these rocks cooled very slowly over a 200 m.y. period. It was not until the Permian/Lower Jurassic that they finally cooled below 100 ° C, possibly as a consequence of uplift and erosion at this time in connection with extensive rifting. No evidence of a Tertiary imprint has been found in these rocks.Layered gabbros, such as Skaergaard, were emplaced at about the same time (ca. 54 m.y.) as the latest plateau basalts. Some evidence of syenitic activity from this period occurs in the Angmagssalik area ca. 400 km to the south but the syenites of Kangerdlugssuaq cluster around 50 m.y. The Gardiner ultramafic alkaline complex and some of the offshore gabbros apparently also were emplaced at about 50 m.y. Late dykes in the Kangerdlugssuaq area were emplaced over a considerable time span (43-34 m.y.) in keeping with their variable petrographic character, and the Kialineq centre was formed at 36.2±0.4 m.y.Intrusions of the Masters Vig area differ in age. Kap Simpson and Kap Parry to the northeast were emplaced around 40 m.y. whereas the Werner Bjerge complex is the youngest igneous activity so far identified in Greenland with an age of 30.3±1.3 m.y.Many apatites give strongly discordant ages of about 36 m.y. and these are concentrated in the area of a major domal uplift centred on Kangerdlugssuaq. The uplift is older than these ages but on field evidence post-dates the basalts. It probably formed in conjunction with alkaline magmatism at ca. 50 m.y. Cooling below ca. 200 ° was slow for these intrusions and was probably controlled by a number of factors including erosion of the dome, high heat flow caused by continuing dyke injection and regional plateau uplift. The last is believed to have taken place about 35 m.y. ago at the time of emplacement of the Kialineq plutons and last dykes. Renewed rapid erosion and declining heat flow at this time led to rapid cooling of the rocks now at the surface to below 100 °.     

Amphibole zonation in metabasites as a guide to the evolution of metamorphic conditions

In low grade metabasites the amphibole components tremolite, glaucophane, edenite and tschermakite have their activities controlled by interactions with the excess components albite, clinozoisite, chlorite, quartz and H₂O vapor. Three types of reaction are involved, (i) Those in which only components of condensed phases take part: isopleths of equilibrium constant are straight lines in the P-T plane. (ii) Dehydration reactions in which entropy change due to change in Al coordination is of the same sign as that due to dehydration: isopleths of constant K are positive at low pressure and negative at high pressure. (iii) Dehydration reactions in which entropy change due to Al coordination change is opposite in sign to that of dehydration: isopleths of constant K loop in the P-T plane with positive slopes at low and at high pressure. Zonation in naturally occurring amphiboles records the evolution of metamorphic conditions in particular rocks. In an example from the eastern Alps (Austria) early conditions calculated as 15 kb, 200 ° C evolve upgrade to 6 kb, 525 ° C implying concurrent heating and erosion. The record of evolving conditions may span some 30 Ma of geological history.     

Determination of post-glacial land uplift from the three precise levellings in Finland

We have calculated vertical velocities and their change in time from three precise levellings in Finland, with central epochs 1902, 1946, and 1986. Models with and without simultaneous determination of heights give the same results for velocities. Evidence for velocity change in time appears at first sight strong but on closer examination turns out to be inconclusive. We offer an alternative explanation in terms of levelling errors and estimate them. A new uplift map closely reproduces main features of earlier maps from partial data, but does not support some details in them. Received: 27 January 1997/ Accepted: 20 April 1998     

Hyperspectral mapping of alteration assemblages within a hydrothermal vug at the Haughton impact structure,Canada

Meteorite impacts on Earth and Mars can generate hydrothermal systems that alter the primary mineralogies of rocks and provide suitable environments for microbial colonization. We investigate a calcite–marcasite‐bearing vug at the ~23 km diameter Haughton impact structure, Devon Island, Nunavut, Canada, using imaging spectroscopy of the outcrop in the field (0.65–1.1 μm) and samples in the laboratory (0.4–2.5 μm), point spectroscopy (0.35–2.5 μm), major element chemistry, and X‐ray diffraction analyses. The mineral assemblages mapped at the outcrop include marcasite; marcasite with minor gypsum and jarosite; fibroferrite and copiapite with minor gypsum and melanterite; gypsum, Fe³⁺ oxides, and jarosite; and calcite, gypsum, clay, microcline, and quartz. Hyperspectral mapping of alteration phases shows spatial patterns that illuminate changes in alteration conditions and formation of specific mineral phases. Marcasite formed from the postimpact hydrothermal system under reducing conditions, while subsequent weathering oxidized the marcasite at low temperatures and water/rock ratios. The acidic fluids resulting from the oxidation collected on flat‐lying portions of the outcrop, precipitating fibroferrite + copiapite. That assemblage then likely dissolved, and the changing chemistry and pH resulting from interaction with the calcite‐rich host rock formed gypsum‐bearing red coatings. These results have implications for understanding water–rock interactions and habitabilities at this site and on Mars.     

The scattering mean free path in the Uranian atmosphere

New measurements of the equivalent widths of the 4-0 S(0) and S(1) H₂ quadrupole lines in the Uranian spectrum have been obtained using high dispersion (4.12 Å/mm) image-tube spectrography. The measured equivalent widths are $\text{62 ± 19}\text{m}\text{A}\text{?}\text{and}\text{58 ± 13}\text{m}\text{A}\text{?}$ for the S(0) and S(1) lines, respectively. Curve-of-growth analysis in terms of a reflecting layer model yields an H₂ column-density of 780_?330⁺⁹⁴⁰km amagat and a temperature of 78_?24⁺⁸⁰°K. Interpretation using a semi-infinite, homogeneous, isotropically scattering model for line formation yields a scattering mean free path at λ6400 Å of 550 ± 250 km amagat. Quoted errors for both the H₂ column-density and the scattering mean free path include the effect of uncertainty in the choice of atmospheric temperature. The results are discussed in terms of current models for the Uranian atmosphere.     

On the long-term motion of Pluto

A modified periodic orbit of the third kind is introduced that is closely related to periodic orbits of the third kind as defined by Poincaré. It is shown that Pluto librates about the periodic orbit with apparent stability. This further explains the librational motion of the resonant argument of Pluto and the avoidance of a Pluto-Neptune close approach as found by Cohen and Hubbard and the long-term motion of Pluto and the librational motion of the perihelion as found by Williams and Benson. With libration about a periodic orbit, the numerical solution of Williams and Benson can be extrapolated to longer times in the past and future.