Global monsoons in the mid-Holocene and oceanic feedback

The response of the six major summer monsoon systems (the North American monsoon, the northern Africa monsoon, the Asia monsoon, the northern Australasian monsoon, the South America monsoon and the southern Africa monsoon) to mid-Holocene orbital forcing has been investigated using a coupled ocean–atmosphere general circulation model (FOAM), with the focus on the distinct roles of the direct insolation forcing and oceanic feedback. The simulation result is also found to compare well with the NCAR CSM. The direct effects of the change in insolation produce an enhancement of the Northern Hemisphere monsoons and a reduction of the Southern Hemisphere monsoons. Ocean feedbacks produce a further enhancement of the northern Africa monsoon and the North American monsoon. However, ocean feedbacks appear to weaken the Asia monsoon, although the overall effect (direct insolation forcing plus ocean feedback) remains a strengthened monsoon. The impact of ocean feedbacks on the South American and southern African monsoons is relatively small, and therefore these regions, especially the South America, experienced a reduced monsoon regime compared to present. However, there is a strong ocean feedback on the northern Australian monsoon that negates the direct effects of orbital changes and results in a strengthening of austral summer monsoon precipitation in this region. A new synthesis is made for mid-Holocene paleoenvironmental records and is compared with the model simulations. Overall, model simulations produce changes in regional climates that are generally consistent with paleoenvironmental observations.     

Late Miocene movement within the Himalayan Main Central Thrust shear zone, Sikkim, north-east India

In the Sikkim region of north‐east India, the Main Central Thrust (MCT) juxtaposes high‐grade gneisses of the Greater Himalayan Crystallines over lower‐grade slates, phyllites and schists of the Lesser Himalaya Formation. Inverted metamorphism characterizes rocks that immediately underlie the thrust, and the large‐scale South Tibet Detachment System (STDS) bounds the northern side of the Greater Himalayan Crystallines. In situ Th–Pb monazite ages indicate that the MCT shear zone in the Sikkim region was active at c. 22, 14–15 and 12–10 Ma, whereas zircon and monazite ages from a slightly deformed horizon of a High Himalayan leucogranite within the STDS suggest normal slip activity at c. 17 and 14–15 Ma. Although average monazite ages decrease towards structurally lower levels of the MCT shear zone, individual results do not follow a progressive younging pattern. Lesser Himalaya sample KBP1062A records monazite crystallization from 11.5 ± 0.2 to 12.2 ± 0.1 Ma and peak conditions of 610 ± 25 °C and 7.5 ± 0.5 kbar, whereas, in the MCT shear zone rock CHG14103, monazite crystallized from 13.8 ± 0.5 to 11.9 ± 0.3 Ma at lower grade conditions of 525 ± 25 °C and 6 ± 1 kbar. The P–T–t results indicate that the shear zone experienced a complicated slip history, and have implications for the understanding of mid‐crustal extrusion and the role of out‐of‐sequence thrusts in convergent plate tectonic settings.     

Seasonal and inter-annual relationships between vegetation and climate in central New Mexico, USA

Linear correlations between seasonal and inter-annual measures of meteorological variables and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) are calculated at six nearby yet distinct vegetation communities in semi-arid New Mexico, USA Monsoon season (June–September) precipitation shows considerable positive correlation with NDVI values from the contemporaneous summer, following spring, and following summer. Non-monsoon precipitation (October–May), temperature, and wind display both positive and negative correlations with NDVI values. These meteorological variables influence NDVI variability at different seasons and time lags. Thus vegetation responds to short-term climate variability in complex ways and serves as a source of memory for the climate system.     

Turbulent flow over a dune: Green River,Colorado

Detailed echo‐sounder and acoustic Doppler velocimeter measurements are used to assess the temporal and spatial structure of turbulent flow over a mobile dune in a wide, low‐gradient, alluvial reach of the Green River. Based on the geometric position of the sensor over the bedforms, measurements were taken in the wake, in transitional flow at the bedform crest, and in the internal boundary layer. Spatial distributions of Reynolds shear stress, turbulent kinetic energy, turbulence intensity, and correlation coefficient are qualitatively consistent with those over fixed, two‐dimensional bedforms in laboratory flows. Spectral and cospectral analysis demonstrates that energy levels in the lee of the crest (i.e. wake) are two to four times greater than over the crest itself, with minima over the stoss slope (within the developing internal boundary layer). The frequency structure in the wake is sharply defined with single, dominant peaks. Peak and total spectral and cross‐spectral energies vary over the bedform in a manner consistent with wave‐like perturbations that ‘break’ or ‘roll up’ into vortices that amalgamate, grow in size, and eventually diffuse as they are advected downstream. Fluid oscillations in the lee of the dune demonstrate Strouhal similarity between laboratory and field environments, and correspondence between the peak frequencies of these oscillations and the periodicity of surface boils was observed in the field. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Formation of Paleoproterozoic eclogitic mantle, Slave Province (Canada): Insights from in-situ Hf and U–Pb isotopic analyses of mantle zircons

In-situ Hf isotope analyses and U–Pb dates were obtained by laser ablation-MC-ICP-MS for a zircon-bearing mantle eclogite xenolith from the diamondiferous Jericho kimberlite located within the Archean Slave Province (Nunavut), Canada. The U–Pb zircon results yield a wide range of ages (2.0 to 0.8 Ga) indicating a complex geological history. Of importance, one zircon yields a U–Pb upper intercept date of 1989 ± 67 Ma, providing a new minimum age constraint for zircon crystallization and eclogite formation. In contrast, Hf isotope systematics for the same zircons display an intriguing uniformity, and corresponding Hf depleted mantle model ages range between 2.1 ± 0.1 and 2.3 ± 0.1 Ga; the youngest Hf model age is within error to the oldest U–Pb date.

The Jericho eclogites have previously been interpreted as representing remnants of metamorphosed oceanic crust, and their formation related to Paleoproterozoic subduction regimes along the western margin of the Archean Slave craton during the Wopmay orogeny. Hf isotope compositions and U–Pb results for the Jericho zircons reported here are in good agreement with a Paleoproterozoic subduction model, suggesting that generation of oceanic crust and eclogite formation occurred between 2.0 and 2.1 Ga. The slightly older Hf depleted mantle model ages (2.1 to 2.3 Ga) may be reconciled with this model by invoking mixing between ‘crustal’-derived Hf from sediments and more radiogenic Hf associated with the oceanic crust during the 2 Ga subduction event. This results in intermediate Hf isotope compositions for the Jericho zircons that yield ‘fictitiously’ older Hf model ages.     

Sediment Distribution Around Glacially Abraded Bedrock Landforms (Whalebacks) at Lago Tranquilo, Chile

Whalebacks are convex landforms created by the smoothing of bedrock by glacial processes. Their formation is attributed to glacial abrasion either by bodies of subglacial sediment sliding over bedrock or by individual clasts contained within ice. This paper reports field measurements of sediment depth around two whaleback landforms in order to investigate the relationship between glacigenic deposits and whaleback formation. The study site, at Lago Tranquilo in Chilean Patagonia, is situated within the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) ice limits. The two whalebacks are separated by intervening depressions in which sediment depths are generally 0.2 to 0.3 m. Two facies occur on and around the whalebacks. These facies are: (1) angular gravel found only on the surface of the whalebacks, interpreted as bedrock fracturing in response to unloading of the rock following pressure release after ice recession, and (2) sandy boulder‐gravel in the sediment‐filled depressions between the two whalebacks, interpreted as an ice‐marginal deposit, with a mixture of sediment types including basal glacial and glaciofluvial sediment. Since the whalebacks have heavily abraded and striated surfaces but are surrounded by only a patchy and discontinuous layer of sediment, the implication is that surface abrasion of the whalebacks was achieved primarily by clasts entrained in basal ice, not by subglacial till sliding.     

Challenges for Sustainable Mineral Resources Development in the 21st Century*

Abstract. The modern minerals industry is more environmentally responsible and socially aware than at any time in the past, and yet faces increasing challenges to improve its performance in these areas still further. Some of these expectations are reasonable and achievable, but others are unrealistic (e.g., “zero impact”) if real development is to continue. Moreover, because society is the ultimate beneficiary of the industry's products, it should be prepared to pay for the improvements it demands. Currently externalized costs, such as many environmental and social impacts, should be internalized into prices, and higher royalties should be charged on gross revenue to ensure effective capture of value of non‐renewable resources by host countries. Such costs to consumers could be offset by higher recycling value, leasing, or deposit‐return schemes. NGOs have an important role to play in working with industry to convince society to accept such changes.     

Recent progress on combining geomorphological and geochronological data with ice sheet modelling,demonstrated using the last British–Irish Ice Sheet

Palaeo-ice sheets are important analogues for understanding contemporary ice sheets, offering a record of ice sheet behaviour that spans millennia. There are two main approaches to reconstructing palaeo-ice sheets. Empirical reconstructions use the available glacial geological and chronological evidence to estimate ice sheet extent and dynamics but lack direct consideration of ice physics. In contrast, numerically modelled simulations implement ice physics, but often lack direct quantitative comparison with empirical evidence. Despite being long identified as a fruitful scientific endeavour, few ice sheet reconstructions attempt to reconcile the empirical and model-based approaches. To achieve this goal, model-data comparison procedures are required. Here, we compare three numerically modelled simulations of the former British–Irish Ice Sheet with the following lines of evidence: (a) position and shape of former margin positions, recorded by moraines; (b) former ice-flow direction and flow-switching, recorded by flowsets of subglacial bedforms; and (c) the timing of ice-free conditions, recorded by geochronological data. These model–data comparisons provide a useful framework for quantifying the degree of fit between numerical model simulations and empirical constraints. Such tools are vital for reconciling numerical modelling and empirical evidence, the combination of which will lead to more robust palaeo-ice sheet reconstructions with greater explicative and ultimately predictive power.     

Linkages between spatio‐temporal patterns of environmental factors and distribution of plant assemblages across a boreal peatland complex

Here we examine the arrangement of plant species across an oligotrophic bog/poor fen peatland complex in the North American boreal plain and the relationships of these species to their physical and chemical environment. A semi‐uniform spatial sampling approach was utilized to describe the species assemblages, pore‐water chemistry and physical condition of 100 plots throughout a single peatland complex. Regardless of sharing the same ground cover of Sphagnum mosses, the remaining species separated into four distinct assemblages, each with unique indicators. These species groups along with associated chemical and physical factors are organized into four ecosites: bog, margin (edge) and two poor fen ecosites. The plant assemblages of this peatland have a complex relationship with numerous gradients, both physical and chemical, including depth to water table, shade, pH, nutrient and base cation. Rather than being homogenous across the landscape, most environmental variables exhibit distinct spatial patterns and do so in relationship to the plant assemblages, forming spatially distinct ecosites across the complex. Base cation concentrations play a smaller role than previously thought in differentiating these ecosites, and in addition to shade and depth to water table, nitrogen in the form of dissolved organic nitrogen was highly related to the placement of these ecosites. Many significant chemical factors appear related to evaporative water loss within the peatland complex, and these chemical factors are used to differentiate the ecosites. However, the mediation of evaporative water loss is due largely to self‐generated responses of the plant assemblages related to shade through plant morphology and peat acrotelm development related to depth to water table. We conclude that plant species and associated environmental gradients act together to form spatially distinct ecosites. The distribution of these ecosites within this large, environmentally complex peatland is largely controlled by differing self‐generated responses along the hydrotopographical gradient of differential water loss.