Evolution and Fragmentation of Wide-Angle Wind Driven Molecular Outflows

We present two dimensional cylindrically symmetric hydrodynamic simulations and synthetic emission maps of a stellar wind propagating into an infalling, rotating environment. The resulting outflow morphology, collimation and stability observed in these simulations have relevance to the study of young stellar objects, Herbig-Haro jets and molecular outflows. Our code follows hydrogen gas with molecular, atomic and ionic components tracking the associated time dependent molecular chemistry and ionization dynamics with radiative cooling appropriate for a dense molecular gas. We present tests of the code as well as new simulations which indicate the presence of instabilities in the wind-blown bubble’s swept-up shell.     

Energy balance closure for the LITFASS-2003 experiment

In the first part, this paper synthesises the main results from a series of previous studies on the closure of the local energy balance at low-vegetation sites during the LITFASS-2003 experiment. A residual of up to 25% of the available energy has been found which cannot be fully explained either by the measurement uncertainty of the single components of the surface energy balance or by the length of the flux-averaging period. In the second part, secondary circulations due to heterogeneities in the surface characteristics (roughness, thermal and moisture properties) are discussed as a possible cause for the observed energy balance non-closure. This hypothesis seems to be supported from the fluxes derived from area-averaging measurement techniques (scintillometers, aircraft).     

Orogen‐scale drainage network evolution and response to erodibility changes: insights from numerical experiments

The continuous feedbacks among tectonics, surface processes, and climate are reflected in the distribution of catchments on active mountain ranges. Previous studies have shown a regularity of valley spacing across mountain ranges worldwide, but the origin of this geomorphological feature is currently not well known. In this work, we use a landscape evolution model to investigate the process of fluvial network organization and the evolution of regular ridge‐and‐valley patterns on simulated mountain ranges. In particular, we investigate the behavior of such patterns when subjected to a perturbation in landscape processes from a previous steady state, resulting from a sudden variation in the pattern of bedrock erodibility, from homogeneous to a gradient. We analyze the time evolution of the mean ratio λ' between the linear spacing of adjacent valleys and the half width of the mountain range. We show how a valley spacing ratio of ~0.5 is first achieved at steady state under uniform bedrock erodibility. After applying the gradient of bedrock erodibility across the landscape, we observe that λ' first increases and then decreases to a new steady‐state value that is smaller than the original value. A detailed analysis of the simulations, through observations of surface ‘snapshots’ at repeated time intervals, allows to gain some insight into the mechanisms governing this fluvial network reorganization process, driven by the migration of the main divide toward the side characterized by lower bedrock erodibility. On both sides of the range the new steady‐state valley spacing is obtained through mechanisms of catchment reorganization and competition between adjacent fluvial networks. In particular, catchment reorganization is characterized by the growth of smaller catchments between shrinking larger catchments on the side with lower erodibility, and the growth of larger catchments on the side with higher erodibility. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Methods to calculate sedimentation rates of floodplain soils in the middle region of the Elbe River

This study presents different methods to quantify the historic and recent sedimentation of floodplain soils along the Elbe River. These methods include the comparison of surface elevations, the quantification of sedimentation with the aid of anthropogenic and geogenic tracers, sediment trap studies, and the calculation of load balances. Selected results from sites at the lower section of the middle Elbe River are presented and verified. The results show that several methods are suitable. In future work it should be possible, depending on the available soil and sediment data, to calculate sedimentation in Elbe River floodplain and the loss of retention volume for larger areas.     

Molecular dynamics studies of CaAl2Si2O8 liquid. Part II: Equation of state and a thermodynamic model

A thermodynamic model and equation of state (EOS) is developed from the molecular dynamics simulation experiments of Spera et al. (2009) for CaAl₂Si₂O₈ liquid over the temperature range 3500-6000 K and pressure interval 0-125 GPa. The model is constructed utilizing the isothermal Universal EOS of Vinet et al. (1986) combined with an expression for the temperature-dependence of the internal energy derived from density functional theory (Rosenfeld and Tarazona, 1998). It is demonstrated that this model is more successful at reproducing the data than the temperature-dependent Universal EOS (Vinet et al., 1987) or the volume-explicit EOS of Ghiorso (2004a). Distinct parameterizations are required to model low (<20 GPa) and high (>20 GPa) pressure regimes. This result is ascribed to the affect of liquid structure on macroscopic thermodynamic properties, specifically the interdependence of average cation-oxygen coordination number on the bulk modulus. The thermodynamic transition between the high- and low-pressure parameterizations is modeled as second order, although the nature of the transition is open to question and may well be first order or lambda-like in character.Analysis of the thermodynamic model reveals a predicted region of liquid-liquid un-mixing at low-temperatures (<1624 K) and pressures (<1.257 GPa). These pressure-temperature conditions are above the glass transition temperature but within the metastable liquid region. They represent the highest temperatures yet suggested for liquid-liquid un-mixing in a silicate bulk composition. A shock wave Hugoniot curve is calculated for comparison with the experimental data of Rigden et al. (1989) and of Asimow and Ahrens (2008). The comparison suggests that the model developed in this paper underestimates the density of the liquid by roughly 10% at pressures greater than ∼20 GPa.     

Relics of eclogite facies metamorphism in the Austroalpine basement,Hochgrössen (Speik complex), Austria

Summary Retrograde eclogites and serpentinites from the Hochgr?ssen massif, Styria, are parts of the Speik complex in the Austroalpine basement nappes of the Eastern Alps. They are in tectonic contact with pre-Alpine gneisses, amphibolites, and Permo-Triassic quartz phyllites (Rannach Series). The eclogites are derived from ocean-floor basalts with affinities to mid-ocean ridge and back-arc basin basalts. Fresh eclogites are rare and contain omphacite with a maximum of 39 mol% jadeite content, garnet (Py_15–19) and amphibole. Retrograde eclogites consist of amphibole and symplectites of Na-poor clinopyroxene (5–8 mol% Jd) + albite ± amphibole. Amphiboles are classified as edenite, pargasite, tschermakite, magnesiohornblende and actinolite. In relatively fresh eclogite, edenite is a common amphibole and texturally coexists with omphacite and garnet. An average temperature of 700 °C was obtained for eclogite facies metamorphism using garnet-pyroxene thermometry. A minimum pressure of 1.5 GPa is indicated by the maximum jadeite content in omphacite. Thermobarometric calculations using the TWEEQ program for amphibole in textural equilibrium with omphacite and garnet give pressures of 1.8–2.2 GPa at 700 °C. The equilibrium assemblage of Na-poor clinopyroxene, albite, amphibole and zoisite in the symplectites gives a pressure of about 0.6–0.8 GPa at 590–640 °C. ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar radiometric dating of edenitic amphibole in textural equilibrium with omphacite gave a plateau age of 397.3 ± 7.8 Ma, and probably indicates retrograde cooling through the closure temperature for amphibole (∼500 °C). The age of the high-pressure metamorphism thus must be pre-Variscan and points to one of the earliest metamorphic events in the Austroalpine nappes known to date. Received June 11, 2000; revised version accepted January 2, 2001     

Response scenarios for the deltaic plain of the Rhône in the face of an acceleration in the rate of sea-level rise with special attention to<Emphasis Type="Italic">Salicornia</Emphasis>-type environments

One of the most critical problems facing many deltaic wetlands is a high rate of relative sea-level rise due to a combination of eustatic sea-level rise and local subsidence. Within the Rhône delta, the main source of mineral input to soil formation is from the river, due to the low tidal range and the presence of a continuous sea wall. We carried out field and modeling studies to assess the present environmental status and future conditions of the more stressed sites, i.e.,Salicornia-type marshes with a shallow, hypersaline groundwater. The impacts of management practices are considered by comparing impounded areas with riverine areas connected to the Rhône River. Analysis of vegetation transects showed differences between mean soil elevation ofArthrocnemum fruticosum (+31.2 cm),Arthrocnemum glaucum (+26.5 cm), bare soil (+16.2 cm), and permanently flooded soil (?12.4 cm). Aboveground and belowground production showed that root:shoot ratio forA. fruticosum andA. glaucum was 2.9 and 1.1, respectively, indicating more stressful environmental conditions forA. glaucum with a higher soil salinity and lack of soil drainage. The annual leaf litter production rate of the two species is 30 times higher than annual stem litter production, but with a higher long-term decomposition rate associated with leaves. We developed a wetland elevation model designed to predict the effect of increasing rates of sea-level rise on wetland elevation andSalicornia production. The model takes into account feedback mechanisms between soil elevation and river mineral input, and primary production. In marshes still connected to the river, mineral input decreased quickly when elevation was over 21 cm. Under current sea-level rise conditions, the annual amount of riverine mineral input needed to maintain the elevation of the study marshes is between 3,000 and 5,000 g m^?2 yr^?1. Simulations showed that under the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change best estimate sea-level rise scenario, a mineral input of 6,040 g m^?2 yr^?1 is needed to maintain marsh elevation. The medium term response capacity of the Rhône deltaic plain with rising sea level depends mainly on the possibility of supplying sediment from the river to the delta, even though the Rhône Delta front is wave dominated. Within coastal impounded marshes, isolated from the river, the sediment supply is very low (10 to 50 g m^?2 yr^?1), and an increase of sea-level rise would increase the flooding duration and dramatically reduce vegetation biomass. New wetland management options involving river input are discussed for a long-term sustainability of low coastal Mediterranean wetlands.     

Indirect Hurricane Effects on Resource Availability and Microbial Communities in a Subtropical Wetland-Estuary Transition Zone

Three sequential hurricanes made landfall over the South Florida peninsula in August and September 2004. The storm systems passed north of the Everglades wetlands and northeastern Florida Bay, but indirect storm effects associated with changes in freshwater discharge during an otherwise drought year occurred across the wetland–estuary transition area. To assess the impacts of the 2004 hurricane series on hydrology, nutrients, and microbial communities in the Everglades wetlands to Florida Bay transition area, results are presented in the context of a seasonal cycle without hurricane activity (2003). Tropical activity in 2004 increased rainfall over South Florida and the study area, thereby temporarily relieving drought conditions. Not so much actual rainfall levels at the study site but more so water management practices in preparation of the hurricane threats, which include draining of an extensive freshwater canal system into the coastal ocean to mitigate inland flooding, rapidly reversed hypersalinity in the wetlands-estuary study area. Although annual discharge was comparable in both years, freshwater discharge in 2004 occurred predominantly during the late wet season, whereas discharge was distributed evenly over the 2003 wet season. Total organic carbon (TOC), ammonium ( \operatornameNH ⁺ ₄ \operatorname{NH} ^{ + }_{4} ), and soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) concentrations increased during the hurricane series to concentrations two to five times higher than long-term median concentrations in eastern Florida Bay. Spatiotemporal patterns in these resource enrichments suggest that TOC and SRP originated from the Everglades mangrove ecotone, while \operatornameNH ⁺ ₄ \operatorname{NH} ^{ + }_{4} originated from the bay. Phytoplankton biomass in the bay increased significantly during storm-related freshwater discharge, but declined at the same time in the wetland mangrove ecotone from bloom conditions during the preceding drought. In the bay, these changes were associated with increased nanophytoplankton and decreased picophytoplankton biomass. Heterotrophic bacterial production increased in response to freshwater discharge, whereas bacterial abundance decreased. Hydrochemical and microbial changes were short-lived, and the wetland–bay transition area reverted to more typical oligotrophic conditions within 3 months after the hurricanes. These results suggest that changes in freshwater discharge after drought conditions and during the hurricane series forced the productivity and P-enriched characteristics of the wetland’s mangrove ecotone, although only briefly, to the south into Florida Bay.     

Structural features and metallogenesis of the Carlin-type Jinfeng (Lannigou) gold deposit, Guizhou Province, China

Jinfeng, previously known as Lannigou, is the largest Carlin-type gold deposit in the Yunnan–Guizhou–Guangxi region in southwestern China. Gold mineralization in the Jinfeng deposit is almost entirely fault-hosted and structurally controlled, with very little disseminated ore occurring in the adjacent host rocks. The structural elements in the Jinfeng deposit can be subdivided into 3 groups comprising NS-, NW-, and NE-striking faults and folds, with NW-striking structures controlling the overall framework of the deposit. Four tectonic stages have been recorded in the Jinfeng area, i.e., rifting, orogenic compression, lateral transpression, and lithospheric extension. A series of contemporaneous normal faults, such as the N-striking and east-dipping F1 and F7 faults developed along the edges of a carbonate platform during basin rifting (D₂–T₂). These structures provided an initial framework for subsequent basin evolution, and also represent the principal hydrothermal conduits. A gradual change of the compression direction during the orogenic stage (T₃) from E→W to NE→SW, gave rise to the NW-striking structures, including large, tight to overturned folds such as the Huangchanggou synclinorium and associated thrusts such as the F3 fault. The development of these orogenic, predominantly NE-dipping structures, as well as accompanying NE-striking dextral shear and transform faults (such as the F2 fault) along the margin of the Laizishan Dome established the structural pattern of the deposit area. The NW-striking folds were refolded by NE-striking superimposed folds during post-collisional lateral transpression (J₁) and NW–SE directed compression. Oblique stress distribution gave rise to NS-trending compression and EW-trending extension, with dilational zones developing at the intersection of the F2 and the F3 faults east of the Laizishan dome. It is these dextral- and sinistral-normal dilational zones in which gold was precipitated during the main ore-forming event at Jinfeng. Following the main ore stage lithospheric extension occurred during the Yanshan stage (J₂–K) resulting in minor reverse faults that in places cut pre-existing structures. The above four main structural deformation stages mirror the evolution of the Youjiang Basin from inception to basin inversion and post-orogenic collapse and renewed extension. Significant gold metallogenesis at Jinfeng occurred during the transition from collisional compression to extensional tectonics in the early Jurassic, and is focussed into intersections of F2 and F3 and fault splays adjacent to F3. This structurally controlled gold metallogenic model is likely to be applicable to analogous settings elsewhere in the Yunnan–Guizhou–Guangxi triangle area, and has implications for the targeting of Carlin-type gold mineralization in this region.