Synthetic Spectra of Long-Period Variables: A First Comparison with ISO Observations

Exploratory synthetic spectra were computed for carbon-rich long-period variables. We used dynamic model atmospheres of Höfner &; Dorfi (1997) and calculated partial pressures, absorption- and scattering coefficients as input for the spectral synthesis code of Jørgensen et al. (1992). First ISO SWS-observations of the carbon-Mira T Dra are compared with our synthetic spectra.     

‘PALEOVAN’, International Continental Scientific Drilling Program (ICDP): site survey results and perspectives

Lake Van is the fourth largest terminal lake in the world (volume 607 km³, area 3570 km², maximum depth 460 m), extending for 130 km WSW–ENE on the Eastern Anatolian High Plateau, Turkey. The sedimentary record of Lake Van, partly laminated, has the potential to obtain a long and continuous continental sequence that covers several glacial–interglacial cycles (ca 500 kyr). Therefore, Lake Van is a key site within the International Continental Scientific Drilling Program (ICDP) for the investigation of the Quaternary climate evolution in the Near East (‘PALEOVAN’). As preparation for an ICDP drilling campaign, a site survey was carried out during the past years. We collected 50 seismic profiles with a total length of ～850 km to identify continuous undisturbed sedimentary sequences for potential ICDP locations. Based on the seismic results, we cored 10 different locations to water depths of up to 420 m. Multidisciplinary scientific work at positions of a proposed ICDP drill site included measurements of magnetic susceptibility, physical properties, stable isotopes, XRF scans, and pollen and spores. This core extends back to the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), a more extended record than all the other Lake Van cores obtained to date. Both coring and seismic data do not show any indication that the deepest part of the lake (Tatvan Basin, Ahlat Ridge) was dry or almost dry during past times. These results show potential for obtaining a continuous undisturbed, long continental palaeoclimate record. In addition, this paper discusses the potential of ‘PALEOVAN’ to establish new results on the dynamics of lake level fluctuations, noble gas concentration in pore water of the lake sediment, history of volcanism and volcanic activities based on tephrostratigraphy, and paleoseismic and earthquake activities.     

Die Anomalien der Schwere am Südwest-Rand des Bayerischen Waldes und ihre Interpretation

Zusammenfassung Zur Untersuchung der Störungssysteme, die im Raum Regensburg—Passau das Kristallin-Gebiet des Vorderen Bayerischen Waldes gegen die Sedimente des Vorlands begrenzen, wurden entlang von neun Profilen senkrecht zum Streichen der tektonischen Linien (Donau-Randbruch, Pockinger Abbruch, Keilberg-Störung) gravimetrische Messungen durchgeführt. Die Gesamtlänge der Profile beträgt 173 km, bei einer Gesamtzahl von 1985 Gravimeter-Meßpunkten, also einem mittleren Punktabstand von 87 m. Für alle Punkte wurden Freiluft- und Bouguer-Anomalie berechnet. Zur Interpretation der Schwere-Anomalien wurden Modelle von zweidimensionalen Störkörpern entworfen, deren berechnete Schwerestörung mit der gemessenen gut übereinstimmt. Dabei wurden Bohrergebnisse mit berücksichtigt und als Randwerte einbezogen.Der Zunahme des Schwere-Unterschieds zwischen Kristallin und Vorland von Nordwesten nach Südosten entspricht dabei eine Zunahme der Sedimentmächtigkeit von etwa 500 m bei Regensburg auf etwa 1600 m südlich von Passau. Die Modellrechnungen ergaben außerdem oberflächennahes Kristallin im südöstlichen Drittel des Untersuchungsgebietes, das sich noch mehrere Kilometer südlich des Anstehenden unter nur geringer Sedimentbedeckung (unter 150 m) befindet. Eindeutig konnte entschieden werden, daß die Südgrenze des Vorderen Bayerischen Waldes als tektonische Abschiebung, meist in Form eines Staffelbruchs, ausgebildet ist und keineswegs Kristallin auf die Sedimente aufgeschoben ist. Südlich von Passau konnte aus den Schwereanomalien eine höhere Dichte des Kristallins abgeleitet werden, die durch dort vorkommenden dichteren Gneis erklärt wird. Magnetische Anomalien in unmittelbarem Zusammenhang mit den tektonischen Störungen konnten nicht beobachtet werden. Obwohl seismische Ereignisse nicht registriert wurden, gibt es einige Hinweise, daß die Bewegungen am Donau-Randbruch noch andauern.

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The marginal faults separating the crystalline region of the Bavarian Forest (Bohemian Massif) in the area between Regensburg and Passau (Southern Germany) from the sediments of the Molasse basin to the south were investigated with gravity measurements along nine profiles perpendicular to the strike of the faults. The total length of the profiles is 173 km with a total number of 1985 gravity points (mean distance 87 m). Free-air (Faye-) and Bouguer anomalies of all stations were calculated. Models of two-dimensional bodies using data from drillings were developed. The increase of the intensity of the gravity anomalies from NW to SE corresponds to an increase of the thickness of the sediments from about 500 m near Regensburg to about 1600 m to the south of Passau. The model calculations moreover showed that the crystalline basement in the south-eastern part of the area extends several kilometers to the south of the outcrops beneath a thin sedimentary layer of less than 150 m. It was possible to show that normal type faults dominate, usually in the form of antithetical steps. An upthrust of the Bavarian Forest onto the Molasse basin could be excluded. South of Passau the gravity anomalies support a higher density of the crystalline rocks which is explained by the denser gneiss outcroping locally there. It was impossible to observe magnetic anomalies directly associated with the faults. Although seismic events could not be registered, there are indications of tectonical movements still continuing at present.

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Résumé Les failles marginales qui séparent dans la région de Regensburg—Passau (Allemagne du Sud) la zone cristalline de la ForÊt Bavaroise (Massif Bohémien) des sédiments du bassin molassique au Sud on été étudiées à l'aide de mesures gravimétriques suivant neuf profils perpendiculaires à la direction des failles. La longueur totale des profils est de 173 km avec 1985 points gravimétriques au total (distance moyenne 87 m). Des anomalies à l'air libre (de Faye) et de Bouguer on été calculées pour toutes les stations. Pour interpréter les anomalies de la gravité, on a développé des modèles de corps à deux dimensions dont les anomalies calculées s'accordent bien avec les anomalies mesurées. Dans ces modèles on a utilisé et intégré des résultats des forages comme valeurs marginales. L'augmentation de l'intensité des anomalies de la gravité du Nord-Ouest vers le Sud-Est correspond à une augmentation d'épaisseur des sédiments d'environ 500 m près de la ville de Regensburg, à environ 1600 m au Sud de la ville de Passau. De plus, les calculs sur modèle on fait apparaÎtre que dans la partie Sud-Est de la région étudiée, le soubassement cristallin couvert d'une mince couche sédimentaire de moins de 150 m se continue de plusieurs kilomètres au Sud des affleurements. On a pu démontrer que des failles antithétiques sont prédominantes, le plus souvent sous forme d'une faille en escalier. Un chevauchement de la ForÊt Bavaroise sur le bassin molassique peut Être exclu. Au Sud de Passau, il a été possible de déduire des anomalies de la gravité une densité plus élevée du cristallin, ce qui s'explique par la densité plus forte des gneiss de cette région. On n'a pas observé d'anomalies magnétiques en rapport direct avec des failles. Bien que des événements sismiques n'aient pas été enregistrés, il y a quelques indicies que les mouvements tectoniques perdurent le long de faille du Danube.

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TRANSALP—deep crustal Vibroseis and explosive seismic profiling in the Eastern Alps

The TRANSALP consortium, comprising institutions from Italy, Austria and Germany, carried out deep seismic reflection measurements in the Eastern Alps between Munich and Venice in 1998, 1999 and 2001. In order to complement each other in resolution and depth range, the Vibroseis technique was combined with simultaneous explosive source measurements. Additionally, passive cross-line recording provided three-dimensional control and alternative north–south sections. Profits were obtained by the combination of the three methods in sectors or depths where one method alone was less successful.The TRANSALP sections clearly image a thin-skinned wedge of tectonic nappes at the northern Alpine front zone, unexpected graben or half-graben structures within the European basement, and, thick-skinned back-thrusting in the southern frontal zone beneath the Dolomite Mountains. A bi-vergent structure at crustal scale is directed from the Alpine axis to the external parts. The Tauern Window obviously forms the hanging wall ramp anticline above a southward dipping, deep reaching reflection pattern interpreted as a tectonic ramp along which the Penninic units of the Tauern Window have been up-thrusted.The upper crystalline crust appears generally transparent. The lower crust in the European domain is characterized by a 6–7 km thick laminated structure. On the Adriatic side the lower crust displays a much thicker or twofold reflective pattern. The crustal root at about 55 km depth is shifted around 50 km to the south with respect to the main Alpine crest.     

Stenols and stanols in the oxic and anoxic waters of the Black Sea

Water samples collected from a slope station and two deep stations in the western basin of the Black Sea were analyzed for stenols and stanols by glass capillary gas chromatography. These results were used in conjuction with hydrographic, particulate organic carbon, and chlorophyll a data to better understand sterol sources and their transport and transformation mechanisms in anoxic basins.The total free sterol concentrations found in the surface waters were 450–500 ng/l dropping rapidly to values well below 100 ng/l at depths below the $\text{O}{}_2\text{H}{}_2\text{S}$ interface. In the upper 200 m of the water column a strong association of sterols with particulate matter is suggested. Structural elucidation by a gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer-computer system revealed the presence of at least sixteen different stenols and stanols in the surface waters of the Black Sea. Cholesterol, 24-methylenecholesterol and 24-methylcholesta-5,22-dien-3β-ol were the major sterols in the surface waters. Cholesterol and 24-ethylcholesterol both exhibited a subsurface maximum at the $\text{O}{}_2\text{H}{}_2\text{S}$ interface. In the anoxic deep waters (200–2000 m) only cholesterol and 24-ethylcholesterol were found. Two stenols were found that have not been reported in seawater: a C₂₆ stenol with a saturated C₇H₁₅ side chain (presumably 24-norcholesterol) and 24-ketocholesterol. At least six 5α-stanols could be identified in the surface samples, each of them comprising about 10–20% of the concentration of the corresponding Δ5-stenol. From these comparatively high surface values the stanol concentrations drop rapidly to values near zero at the $\text{O}{}_2\text{H}{}_2\text{S}$ interface. Except for very low concentrations of 5α-cholestanol (< 4ng/l) no other stanols could be detected in the anoxic zone.From this data it appears that no detectable stenol → stanol conversion is occurring at the $\text{O}{}_2\text{H}{}_2\text{S}$ interface or in the deep anoxic waters of the Black Sea.     

Scalar field haloes as gravitational lenses

A non-topological soliton model with a repulsive scalar self-interaction of the Emden type provides a constant-density core, similarly as the empirical Burkert profile of dark matter (DM) haloes. As a further test, we derive the gravitational lens properties of our model, in particular, the demarcation curves between 'weak' and 'strong' lensing. Accordingly, strong lensing with typically three images is almost three times more probable for our solitonic model than for the Burkert fit. Moreover, some prospective consequences of a possible flattening of DM haloes are indicated.     

Provenance of Palaeozoic sandstones from the Carnic Alps (Austria): petrographic and geochemical indicators

An integrated approach of petrographic analysis, whole rock geochemistry and microprobe analysis has been applied to obtain information on the geodynamic development and the provenance for Ordovician to Permian siliciclastic successions exposed within the Carnic Alps (Austria). Sandstone detrital mode and geochemical results refine previous geodynamic interpretations. Late Ordovician samples indicate a stable craton and recycled orogenic and, possible, extensional setting. The Early Carboniferous is interpreted to represent a compressional environment, followed by a Late Carboniferous molasse-type foreland basin, and a Permian extensional geodynamic setting. Contrasting geochemical patterns of post-Variscan and Permian sequences suggest a rift setting. Electron microprobe data of detrital white mica also indicate changes in the provenance. Compositional data reflect a shift from low- to medium-grade metamorphic (Ordovician) to high-grade metamorphic (Carboniferous) to low- to medium-grade metamorphic and plutonic source rocks (Permian). Additionally, our data show that various chemical discrimination diagrams do not include all possible ranges of sandstones, and that high contents of detrital mica and ultra-stable heavy minerals may cause misclassification. Consequently, we propose the use of multi-method approach for provenance studies, including the control of geochemical data by modal analysis and heavy mineral investigations.     

A search for posteclipse brightening of Io in 1973. II

Four eclipse reappearances of Io were observed with an area-scanning photometer during the 1973 apparition of Jupiter. The results of these observations and of the ones reported in the preceding paper are discussed in the context of recent physical models for posteclipse brightening. An evaluation of the relative merits and deficiencies of all observational techniques which have been used to search for posteclipse brightening of Io leads to the conclusion that the reality of this phenomenon remains very much in doubt.     

Die Vereisung des Lilliehöökfjordes (Spitzbergen) in den Jahren 1941/42 und 1942/43

Ocean Dynamics - Die Eisbeobachtungen, die während der Überwinterungen 1941/42 und 1942/43 in dem Lilliehöökfjord gemacht wurden, werden mitgeteilt und daraus der Ablauf der...