Geochemistry of the Martian meteorite ALH 84001, revisited

Abstract– Major and trace element abundances were determined on powders prepared from four distinct chips from Allan Hills (ALH) 84001 to constrain the bulk rock composition, and to assess the trace element abundances of orthopyroxenes and phosphates. Our new determinations were used to evaluate the composition of the parental melt of this stone. An unrealistic light rare earth element (REE)‐enriched parental melt is calculated from the composition of the orthopyroxene and relevant equilibrium partition coefficients. The involvement of a small amount of trapped melt and subsolidus reequilibrations between orthopyroxene and the interstitial phases can account for this discrepancy. A parental melt that displays a trace element pattern (REE, Zr, and Hf) that closely resembles enriched shergottites such as Zagami or Los Angeles is calculated if these effects are taken into account. These results suggest that some shergottitic melts were already erupted on Mars during the Noachian.     

In situ micro‐Raman and X‐ray diffraction study of diamonds and petrology of the new ureilite UAE 001 from the United Arab Emirates

Abstract— A new olivine‐pigeonite ureilite containing abundant diamonds and graphite was found in the United Arab Emirates. This is the first report of a meteorite in this country. The sample is heavily altered, of medium shock level, and has a total weight of 155 g. Bulk rock, olivine (Fo_79.8–81.8) and pyroxene (En_73.9–75.2, Fs_15.5–16.9, Wo_8.8–9.5) compositions are typical of ureilites. Olivine rims are reduced with Fo increasing up to Fo_96.1–96.8. Metal in these rims is completely altered to Fehydroxide during terrestrial weathering. We studied diamond and graphite using micro‐Raman and in situ synchrotron X‐ray diffraction. The main diamond Raman band (LO = TO mode at ?1332 cm^?1) is broadened when compared to well‐ordered diamond single crystals. Full widths at half maximum (FWHM) values scatter around 7 cm^?1. These values resemble FWHM values obtained from chemical vapor deposition (CVD) diamond. In situ XRD measurements show that diamonds have large grain sizes, up to >5 μm. Some of the graphite measured is compressed graphite. We explore the possibilities of CVD versus impact shock origin of diamonds and conclude that a shock origin is much more plausible. The broadening of the Raman bands might be explained by prolonged shock pressure resulting in a transitional Raman signal between experimentally shock‐produced and natural diamonds.     

Measuring Venus’ winds using the Absolute Astronomical Accelerometer: Solid super-rotation model of Venus’ clouds

We present a new method of measuring the Venus winds by Doppler velocimetry on the full visible spectrum of solar light scattered by the clouds. In January 2003, we carried out observations to measure the winds of Venus, using the EMILIE high-resolution, cross-dispersed spectrograph and its associated calibrating instrument the Absolute Astronomical Accelerometer (AAA), at Observatoire de Haute-Provence, France. The motivation of this type of measurements is that it measures the actual velocity of cloud particles, while the other method (track of cloud features) may be sensitive to the deformation of the clouds. During observations, Venus was near maximum western elongation, at a phase angle near 90°. The EMILIE-AAA system allows us to measure accurately the Doppler shift induced in the reflected solar spectrum by the radial component of the motion of the clouds of Venus. We present the measurements and compare them with a forward simulation of a solid super-rotation of the atmosphere of Venus. Taking into account the Doppler shift relative to the Sun and that relative to the Earth, the theoretical total Doppler shift induced in the solar spectra is easily computed as a function of the velocity of the reflecting target. A first forward simulation is computed, with a wind model considering a purely horizontal and zonal wind. The magnitude of the wind is assumed to depend on cos(latitude), as for a solid-body rotation. The comparison with the measurements at various points on the illuminated semi-disc allowed us to determine an equatorial velocity of 66, 75, 91 and 85 m/s on 4 consecutive mornings, consistent with previous ultraviolet cloud tracking wind measurements, showing that wave propagation is not a major factor in the apparent motion of the cloud marks. Further, we discuss the effect of the finite angular size of the Sun and its rapid equatorial rotation (that we call the Young effect). It mainly affects measurements taken near the terminator, where the largest discrepancies are found. These discrepancies are alleviated when the Young effect is taken into account in the model but then the retrieved Venus equatorial velocity is reduced to only 48±3 m/s. This is well below classical ultraviolet markings velocities, but the altitude at which the visible photons are scattered (66 km) that we use is 5 km below the UV markings, confirming the vertical gradient of the horizontal winds shown by previous in-situ measurements.     

A precise modeling of Eros 433 rotation

Thanks to the recent data obtained from the NEAR space probe, we calculate in this paper, with a precision never reached so far for an asteroid, the precession and the nutation of Eros 433. In a preliminary step, we show that Eros obliquity has a remarkable value of 89.0° which tends to align its figure axis along the orbital plane. This very specific obliquity has some consequences on the motion of the axis of figure: one is the very small amplitude of the precession in longitude, for which we get the value . Moreover, we calculate Eros nutation for the figure axis due to the Sun, after developing the perturbing potential at the 4th order of the eccentricity. We show that the figure axis undergoes very large oscillations in the direction perpendicular to Eros orbital plane, due to the nutation in obliquity. Peak to peak, these oscillations reach 55″, which is far larger than the amplitudes of the nutations of the Earth due to the Sun (of the order of 2″). Moreover, we give the analytical developments of Δψ and Δε, both for the axis of angular momentum, and the axis of figure.     

Estimating Stable Measured Values and Detecting Anomalies in Groundwater Geochemistry Time Series Data Across the Athabasca Oil Sands Area,Canada

Regional groundwater monitoring in the Athabasca region of Alberta, Canada, provides information on groundwater quality and geochemical changes over time, including data useful for evaluating potential impacts of industrial activity such as oil sands mining and in situ operations. Data collected from over 5000 wells from the 1950s to 2014, including 161 wells from government’s monitoring network, were used to develop and apply bootstrap techniques for the detection of changes in groundwater geochemistry over time and at specific points in time. Increasing temporal anomalies were identified in Cl, TDS, B, and naphthenic acids in the McMurray formation across 2003 and 2008, while decreasing anomalies were found for SO₄. Temporal variance for 15 indicators was quantified for a smooth bootstrap approach to arrive at stable values representative of the most recent samples taken from wells in the study area. Stable values revealed sampling bias in the Devonian, Grand Rapids, Empress, Channel Beverly, and Muriel Lake formations suggesting expansion of sampling may be necessary. Although temporal anomalies were found in the McMurray formation, sampling bias was not identified. The entropy and relative magnitude of time series were evaluated to identify candidate wells for continued observations, which consist of wells with low measurements and low entropy that are near active industry lease boundaries. Temporal anomalies, stable values, and entropy were combined into type-well information to provide plots for visual inspection and interpretation. Stable values are useful for regional mapping, for detecting future changes and trends, and for identifying areas of interest warranting further investigation.

     

Compositional diversity of ordinary chondrites inferred from petrology,bulk chemical,and oxygen isotopic compositions of the lowest FeO ordinary chondrite,Yamato 982717

We performed a petrologic, geochemical, and oxygen isotopic study of the lowest FeO ordinary chondrite (OC), Yamato (Y) 982717. Y 982717 shows a chondritic texture composed of chondrules and chondrule fragments, and mineral fragments set in a finer grained, clastic matrix, similar to H4 chondrites. The composition of olivine (Fa_{11.17 ± 0.48 (1σ)}) and low‐Ca pyroxene (Fs_{11.07 ± 0.98 (1σ)}Wo_{0.90 ± 0.71(1σ)}) is significantly more magnesian than those of typical H chondrites (Fa_16.0‐20, Fs_14.5‐18.0), as well as other known low‐FeO OCs (Fa_12.8‐16.7; Fs_13‐16). However, the bulk chemical composition of Y 982717, in particular lithophile and moderately volatile elements, is within the range of OCs. The bulk siderophile element composition (Ni, Co) is within the range of H chondrites and distinguishable from L chondrites. The O‐isotopic composition is also within the range of H chondrites. The lack of reduction textures indicates that the low olivine Fa content and low‐Ca pyroxene Fs content are characteristics of the precursor materials, rather than the result of reduction during thermal metamorphism. We suggest that the H chondrites are more compositionally diverse than has been previously recognized.     

Zooplankton Feeding Ecology: Grazing by Marine Copepods and Cladocerans upon Phytoplankton and Cyanobacteria from Kingston Harbour, Jamaica

Abstract. Grazing by the copepods Temora turbinata and Acartia lilljeborgii and the marine cladoceran Penilia avirostris on natural phytoplankton and cyanobacteria assemblages from Kingston Harbour. Jamaica, was examined in summer 1992. Food assemblages were often dominated by an unidentified filamentous cyanobacterium. with abundances of up to 1.16 × 10⁴ filaments. ml^-1. Other abundant phytoplankters included microflagellates and diatoms of the genus Niteschia. Mean clearance rates for the entire food assemblage ranged from 0.10 to 2.41 ml animal^-1. h^-1, although most mean clearance rates were between 0.5 and 1.5 ml. animal^-1 h^-1. Patterns of selection of different food items by various grazers on different dates were variable and inconsistent. Microscopic measurements revealed that cyanobacterial filament lengths were shorter in grazed than initial aliquots during a cyanobacterium bloom in August. This suggests that grazers reduced lengths of many filaments by biting off portions, in addition to consuming entire filaments. Such ‘filament clipping’ of cyanobacteria filaments has been recorded previously in freshwater studies and suggests that grazers impact a larger portion of the phytoplankton assemblage than is accounted for by ingestion and clearance rates based only upon removal of filaments. Grazers exhibited no adverse effects from consuming cyanobacteria. Cyanobacterkd are often considered to be toxic or of poor food quality for planktonic grazers. but due to the high abundance and dominance of filamentous cyanobacteria in Kingston Harbour. if these cyanobacteria were ungrazed. there would at times be little alternative phytoplankton food for copepods and cladocerans. Our results suggest that the trophic role of tilamentous cyanobacteria in pelagic food webs of the tropical ocean should be further investigated and possibly reconsidered.     

The ground calibration setup of OMEGA and VIRTIS experiments: description and performances

Hyperspectral imagery is an essential technique for remote sensing of surfaces and atmospheres of planetary objects. However, given the instrumental complexity of coupling imaging and spectroscopy, in particular in the infrared, an in-depth ground calibration is mandatory to enable an unbiased and optimized data reduction.This paper presents the ground calibration setup designed and implemented for the visible and near infrared imaging spectrometers VIRTIS/ROSETTA, and OMEGA/MARS-EXPRESS, and summarizes the main results obtained in validating the required performances.     

Anatomy of a continent-backarc transform — The Vening Meinesz Fracture Zone northwest of New Zealand

The northwestern continental margin of New Zealand offers one of the finest examples of a continent-backarc transform. This transform, part of the Vening Meinesz Fracture Zone (VMFZ), accommodated about 170 km of sea-floor spreading in the Norfolk backare basin together with eastward migration of a volcanic arc, the Three Kings Ridge, in the Mid- to Late Miocene. Before the onset of spreading, strain along the VMFZ may have been linked to a major Early Miocene obduction event — the emplacement of the Northland Allochthon. The transform is manifested by a belt up to 50 km wide of left-stepping, linear fault scarps up to 2000 m high within an approximately 100 km-wide deformed zone. A marginal ridge, the Reinga Ridge, which includes a faulted, folded and uplifted Miocene sedimentary basin, occurs within the high-standing continental side of the deformed zone, whereas a narrow strip of linear detached blocks occupies the deep backarc oceanic side. Prespreading uplift and erosion of crust in the proto-backarc region, are volcanism, and obduction of the allochthon, supplied clastic sediments to the basin on the continental side. This basin was complexly deformed as the transform evolved. The transform was initiated as a dextral strike-slip fault zone, which developed right-branching splays and left-steps along its length, uplifting and cutting the continental margin into left-hand, en echelon blocks and relays. Folds formed locally within relay blocks and at the distal ends of the splays. Only the high continental side of this zone (the Reinga Ridge) remains, the formerly adjacent crust (the Three Kings Ridge) having been displaced towards the southeast. As the Three Kings block moved and the Norfolk Basin opened, opposing rift margins of the backarc basin foundered to form terraces. The oceanic side of the transform also subsided to produce the belt of detached blocks (some laterally displaced by strike slip) and linear troughs along the main escarpment system.