Origin of granite at Cabo de Santo Agostinho,Northeast Brazil

A 4 km² exposure of shallowly-emplaced leucogranite on the Atlantic coast at Cabo de Santo Agostinho, 30 km south of Recife, Brazil has been extensively studied chemically and isotopically. Twenty-three major-element analyses indicate that the Cabo granite ranges from peralkaline to peraluminous; Na₂O+K₂O is very high (7.4 to 10.4 wt.%), with CaO low (0.3%) and MgO vanishing (<0.06%). Microprobe analyses confirm the presence of arfvedsonite (biotite absent), and nearly total absence of plagioclase. The rocks are moderately to highly enriched in LREE (La 45 to 350 times chondritic), with extremely pronounced negative Eu anomalies (Eu/Eu^*=0.02 to 0.07). Whole-rock ¹⁸O is consistent at +8.5±0.3%._oSMOW A Rb-Sr isochron age of isotopically slightly disturbed samples is 104.8±1.8 Ma, with initial⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr=0.7084±0.0011. Sr is depleted (2–20 ppm) but Ba is 200–750 ppm.Crystallization path calculations and petrographic observations suggest that magma formed at a pressure close to 6 kbar but rose to a crustal level equivalent to roughly 1 kbar. Quartz, the liquidus phase at moderate H₂O concentrations and pressures above 2 kbar, was resorbed during decompression as the magma moved upwards. Ultimately, quartz and alkali feldspar coprecipitated. Feldspar was not retained in the source rock nor removed early from the fractionating magma. Therefore the strong negative Eu anomaly and low Sr abundance are characteristics inherited from the source. A high H₂O concentration necessary for a large degree of melting was lacking, hence the Cabo magma composition must reflect a small degree of partial melting of a rather quartz-rich rock such as a feldspathic arenite.In a pre-drift reconstruction of Gondwanaland, the Cabo granite fits on the southernmost and youngest end of the trend of the Niger-Nigerian igneous centers with which it has close affinity. The Cabo granite occupies the western end of the trace of the ancestral Ascension mantle plume which presumably served as the heat source.     

Comparative assessment of Japan's long-term carbon budget under different effort-sharing principles

This article assesses Japan's carbon budgets up to 2100 in the global efforts to achieve the 2?°C target under different effort-sharing approaches based on long-term GHG mitigation scenarios published in 13 studies. The article also presents exemplary emission trajectories for Japan to stay within the calculated budget.

The literature data allow for an in-depth analysis of four effort-sharing categories. For a 450?ppm CO₂e stabilization level, the remaining carbon budgets for 2014–2100 were negative for the effort-sharing category that emphasizes historical responsibility and capability. For the other three, including the reference ‘Cost-effectiveness’ category, which showed the highest budget range among all categories, the calculated remaining budgets (20th and 80th percentile ranges) would run out in 21–29 years if the current emission levels were to continue. A 550?ppm CO₂e stabilization level increases the budgets by 6–17 years-equivalent of the current emissions, depending on the effort-sharing category. Exemplary emissions trajectories staying within the calculated budgets were also analysed for ‘Equality’, ‘Staged’ and ‘Cost-effectiveness’ categories. For a 450?ppm CO₂e stabilization level, Japan's GHG emissions would need to phase out sometime between 2045 and 2080, and the emission reductions in 2030 would be at least 16–29% below 1990 levels even for the most lenient ‘Cost-effectiveness’ category, and 29–36% for the ‘Equality’ category. The start year for accelerated emissions reductions and the emissions convergence level in the long term have major impact on the emissions reduction rates that need to be achieved, particularly in the case of smaller budgets.

Policy relevance

In previous climate mitigation target formulation processes for 2020 and 2030 in Japan, neither equity principles nor long-term management of cumulative GHG emissions was at the centre of discussion. This article quantitatively assesses how much more GHGs Japan can emit by 2100 to achieve the 2?°C target in light of different effort-sharing approaches, and how Japan's GHG emissions can be managed up to 2100. The long-term implications of recent energy policy developments following the Fukushima nuclear disaster for the calculated carbon budgets are also discussed.     

Relationships between climatic factors and flower and boll production in Egyptian cotton (Gossypium barbadense)

Fruiting of cotton plant is determined and influenced by cultivar, climatic conditions, management practices and pests. An understanding of the flowering and boll retention patterns of cotton cultivars can contribute to more efficient and economical crop management. The objective of this investigation was to study the effect of various climatic factors on flower and boll production of Egyptian cotton. This could be used in formulating advanced predictions of the effect of certain climatic conditions on the production of Egyptian cotton. Two uniform field trials, using cotton Gossypium barbadense cv. Giza 75 were carried out in 1992 and 1993 at the Agricultural Research Station, Agricultural Research Center, Ministry of Agriculture, Giza, Egypt, to investigate the relationships between climatic factors, flower and boll production. Climatic factors included maximum and minimum air temperatures along with their difference, evaporation, surface soil temperature (grass temperature or green cover temperature) at 0600 and 1800 h°C⁻¹, sunshine duration, maximum and minimum humidity and wind speed. The effects of climatic factors on flower and boll production were quantified in the absence of water and nutritional deficits and damage effects of insects. Results obtained indicate that evaporation, sunshine duration, humidity, surface soil temperature at 1800 h, and maximum air temperature, were the important climatic factors that significantly affect flower and boll production of Egyptian cotton. Consequently, applying appropriate specific cultural practices that minimize the deleterious effect of these factors will lead to an improvement in cotton yield.     

William Smith's map brought alive by digital remastering

The geological mapping carried out by William Smith, which resulted in the publication of his famous map in 1815, was remarkable in many respects, not least because it relied on him being able to make consistent and accurate observations on the rock types he encountered during his fieldwork. This ability, gained from his many years studying rocks, allowed him to observe features with his own eyes (or at the very least, with the aid of a simple magnifying device) that others could not. We take a new look at William Smith's original stratigraphical sequences, and with samples collected from his classic field areas (many of which are around the city of Bath, Somerset, UK), demonstrate how spatial mineralogy mapping can be incorporated into the modern age of digital mapping.     

Painting the floor with a hammer: Technical fixes in fisheries management

Fisheries management benefits from the contribution of several academic disciplines, each with their own perspectives, concerns and solutions. In this essay we argue that the contribution of biology, economics, sociology and other relevant disciplines to fisheries would be improved if they originated from broader, more integrated analytical perspectives that are attuned to the empirical realities of fisheries management. Today, disciplinary boundaries narrow the perspectives of fisheries management, creating tunnel vision and standardized technical fixes to complex and diverse management problems. Having worked separately and together for a number of years in fisheries research and consultancy in many parts of the world we, as a group of biologists, economists and sociologists, feel that the time to rid ourselves from disciplinary dogmatism is long overdue. We claim that improvements in fisheries management will be realized not through the promotion of technical fixes but instead by embracing and responding to the complexity of the management problem.     

Reactive transport of gentisic acid in a hematite-coated sand column: Experimental study and modeling

The adsorption of gentisic acid (GA) by hematite nano-particles was examined under static and dynamic conditions by conducting batch and column tests. To simulate natural sediments, the iron oxide was deposited on 10 μm quartz particles. The GA adsorption was described by a surface complexation model fitted to pH-adsorption curves with GA concentrations of 0.1-1 mM in a pH range of 3-10. The surface was described with one type of site (FeOH°), while gentisic acid at the surface was described by two surface complexes (FeLH₂°, log K_int = 8.9 and FeLH⁻, log K_int = −8.2). Modeling was conducted with PHREEQC-2 using the MINTEQ database. From a kinetic point of view, the intrinsic chemical reactions were likely to be the rate-limiting step of sorption (∼10⁻³ s⁻¹) while external and internal mass transfer rates (∼10² s⁻¹) were much faster. Under flow through conditions (column), adsorption of GA to hematite-coated sand was about 7-times lower than under turbulent mixing (batch). This difference could not be explained by chemical adsorption kinetics as shown by test calculations run with HYDRUS-1D software. Surface complexation model simulations however successfully described the data when the surface area was adjusted, suggesting that under flow conditions the accessibility to the reactive surface sites was reduced. The exact mechanism responsible for the increased mobility of GA could not be determined but some parameters suggested that decreased external mass transfer between solution and surface may play a significant role under flow through conditions.     

Passive earth pressure on embedded vertical plate anchors in sand

Passive earth pressure on embedded anchor plates constitutes a viable resisting force for the design of underground structures. In the current practice, these forces are empirically calculated, ignoring the effects of the depth of embedment and the level of consolidation of the surrounding soil, which takes place during plate installation on the in situ stress levels. Accordingly, wide discrepancies between predicted and measured pullout capacities of these plates were reported in the literature. Numerical model was developed using finite-element technique and the constitutive law of Mohr?CCoulomb to simulate the case of a retaining wall partially supported by an embedded anchor plate in sand. The results produced in this investigation showed that the passive earth pressure acting on anchor plates increases due to the increase of angle of shearing resistance and the overconsolidation ratio of sand, and it decreases due to an increase of the embedment depth of anchor. Design theories were developed for the case of embedded anchor plate in overconsolidated sand. The theories developed will satisfy the design needed in terms of allowable pullout load and/or displacement.     

Spectral emissivity measurements of Mercury's surface indicate Mg- and Ca-rich mineralogy, K-spar, Na-rich plagioclase, rutile, with possible perovskite, and garnet

Mid-infrared 2-D spectroscopic measurements from 8.0 to 12.7 μm of Mercury were taken using Boston University's Mid-Infrared Spectrometer and Imager (MIRSI) mounted on the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF) on Mauna Kea, Hawaii, 7-11 April 2006. Measurements reported here cover radar bright region C, a dark plains region west of Caloris Basin, and the interior of Caloris Basin. By use of spectral deconvolution with a large spectral library composed of many mineral compositions and grain size separates, we fitted, or “unmixed”, the Mercury spectra. We find mineral suites composed of magnesium-rich orthopyroxene and olivine, Ca-, Mg-, Na-rich clinopyroxene, potassium feldspar, and Na-bearing plagioclase feldspar. Both Ca- and Mg-rich garnet (pyrope and grossular, respectively) are apparently present in small amounts. Opaque minerals are required for spectral matching, with rutile (TiO₂) repeatedly providing the “best fit”. However, in the case of the radar bright region C, perovskite also contributed to a very good fit. Caloris Basin infill is rich in both potassium feldspar and Na-rich plagioclase. There is little or no olivine in the Caloris interior smooth plains. Together with the high alkali content, this indicates that resurfacing magmas were low to intermediate in SiO₂. Data suggest the dark plains exterior to Caloris are highly differentiated low-iron basaltic magmas resulting in material that might be classified as oligoclase basalts.     

Denudation history of the Bocaina Plateau, Serra do Mar, southeastern Brazil: Relationships to Gondwana breakup and passive margin development

The Bocaina Plateau, which is situated on the eastern flank of the continental rift of southeastern Brazil, is the highest part of the Serra do Mar. Topographic relief in this area is suggested to be closely related to its complex tectono-magmatic evolution since the breakup of Western Gondwana and opening of the South Atlantic Ocean. Apatite fission track ages and track length distributions from 27 basement outcrops were determined to assess these hypotheses and reconstruct the denudation history of the Bocaina Plateau. The ages range between 303 ± 32 and 46 ± 5 Ma, and are significantly younger than the stratigraphic ages. Mean track lengths vary from 13.44 ± 1.51 to 11.1 ± 1.48 μm, with standard deviations between 1.16 and 1.83 μm. Contrasting ages within a single plateau and similar ages at different altitudes indicate a complex regional tectonothermal evolution. The thermal histories inferred from these data imply three periods of accelerated cooling related to the Early Cretaceous continental breakup, Early Cretaceous alkaline magmatism, and the Paleogene evolution of the continental rift of southeastern Brazil. The oldest fission track ages (> 200 Ma) were obtained in the Serra do Mar region, suggesting that these areas were a long-lived source of sediments for the Paraná, Bauru, and Santos basins.