The relation between glacial ages and terrestrial magnetism

An attempt is made to show that the change of angular momentum of the earth, caused by glaciations, may compensate the slowing down effect from tidal friction forces and even reverse the polarity in the terrestrial magnetic field.     

Petrology and Geochemistry of Basalts from the Red Sea Axial Rift at 18? North

Detailed studies by submersible were carried out in the axialzone of the Red Sea Rift near 18?N during the Soviet Red Seaexpedition of the Oceanological Institute of the Academy ofSciences (December 1979–March 1980). The initial bathymetric,magnetic and seismic surveys established the general organizationof the symmetric tectonic steps (1–3) descending towardsthe axial rift. The 4–5 km wide inner floor of the riftwas explored during 21 dives. It is occupied by 100–300m high, young pillowed volcanoes, isolated or grouped to formelongated hills, frequently cut by open fissures except in thezone of most recent extrusion. The 42 samples collected are typical plagioclase ? olivine ?clinopyroxene ? spinel, more or less porphyritic mid-ocean ridgebasalts whose compositions were mainly controlled by polybaricfractionation of plagioclase, olivine and minor clinopyroxene.They have been separated into porphyritic and sub-aphyric groupsusing modes and mineralogical criteria. Mineral-liquid equilibria,crystal zonation, and modal proportions indicate some magmamixing but probably only of closely related magma batches withineach described group, as can occur inside a single magma chamber.Crystal accumulation is believed to have played a significantrole in only a few porphyritic samples. Three sub-groups (from less to more evolved; (a) FeO^*/MgO<1?22;(b) 1?16<FeO^*/MgO < 1?48; and (c)FeO^*/MgO>1?49) weredistinguished on the basis of glass and whole-rock major elementchemistry. Glass compositions follow the multisaturated cotectic-likecurve for MORB-type basalts and show a general evolution verycomparable to what is observed on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge near36?N, but arc less diverse than in the FAMOUS area. ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr,¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd, and ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb data for 4 samples show strongsimilarities to those from the Mid-Atlantic and East PacificRidges, and indicate no continental contamination despite thefact that they have been produced during recent continentalbreak-up and ocean opening. ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb values, Th/Ta vs. Th/Tbcorrelations, and rare earth element patterns allow recognitionof three different groups of samples, indicating that the RedSea Rift near 18?N is fed by a heterogeneous mantle source.The chondrite-normalized LREE.     

Properties of debris flow deposits and source materials compared: implications for debris flow characterization

In the Alps, debris flow deposits generally contain <5% clay‐size particles, and the role of the surface‐charged <2 μm particles is often neglected, although these particles may have a significant impact on the rheological properties of the interstitial fluid. The objective of this study was to compare debris flow deposits and parent materials from two neighbouring catchments of the Swiss Alps, with special emphasis on the colloidal constituents. The catchments are small in area (4 km²), 2·5 km long, similar in morphology, but different in geology. The average slopes are 35–40%. The catchments were monitored for debris flow events and mapped for surface aspect and erosion activity. Debris flow deposits and parent materials were sampled, the clay and silt fractions extracted and the bulk density, <2 mm fraction bulk density, particle size distribution, chemical composition, cation exchange capacity (CEC) and mineralogy analysed. The results show that the deposits are similar to the parent screes in terms of chemical composition, but differ in terms of: (i) particle size distribution; and (ii) mineralogy, reactivity and density of the <2 mm fraction. In this fraction, compared with the parent materials the deposits show dense materials enriched in coarse monocrystalline particles, of which the smallest and more reactive particles were leached. The results suggest that deposit samples should not be considered as representative of source or flow materials, particularly with respect to their physical properties.     

Editorial

Abstract

The analysis of geographical information is compared with other production processes in which a user can only accept an end-product if it meets certain quality requirements. Whereas users are responsible for defining the levels of quality they need to use the results of the analyses of geographical information systems in their work, database managers, experts and modellers could greatly assist users to achieve the quality of results they seek by formalizing information on: (1) data collection, level of resolution and quality; (2) the use of the basic analytical functions of the geographical information system; and (3) the data requirements, sensitivity and error propagation in models. These meta-data could be incorporated in a knowledge base alongside the geographical information system where, together with procedures for on-line error propagation, a user could be advised on the best way to achieve a desired aim. If the analysis showed that the original constellation of data, methods and models could not achieve the aim with the desired quality, the intelligent geographical information system would present a range of alternative strategies—better methods, more data, different data, better models, better model calibration, or better spatial resolution—and their costs by which the user's aims could reasonably be achieved.     

Southern Ocean transformation in a coupled model with and without eddy mass fluxes

A coupled air–sea general circulation model is used to simulate the global circulation. Different parameterizations of lateral mixing in the ocean by eddies, horizontal, isopycnal, and isopycnal plus eddy advective flux, are compared from the perspective of water mass transformation in the Southern Ocean. The different mixing physics imply different buoyancy equilibria in the surface mixed layer, different transformations, and therefore a variety of meridional overturning streamfunctions. The coupled‐model approach avoids strong artificial water mass transformation associated with relaxation to prescribed mixed layer conditions. Instead, transformation results from the more physical non‐local, nonlinear interdependence of sea‐surface temperature, air–sea fluxes, and circulation in the model's atmosphere and ocean. The development of a stronger mid‐depth circulation cell and associated upwelling when eddy fluxes are present, is examined. The strength of overturning is diagnosed in density coordinates using the transformation framework.