The Canary Eddy Corridor: A major pathway for long-lived eddies in the subtropical North Atlantic

We report, from remote sensing and in situ observations, a new type of permanent structure in the eastern subtropical Atlantic Ocean, that we call the “Canary Eddy Corridor”. The phenomenon, is a zonal long-lived (>3 months) mesoscale eddy corridor, whose source is the flow perturbation of the Canary Current and the Trade Winds at the Canary Islands. The latitudinal range of the corridor spans 22°N–29°N and extends from the Canaries to at least 32ºW, near the mid-Atlantic. This is the main region of long-lived westward-propagating eddies in the subtropical northeast Atlantic. From a age-distribution study we observe that at least 10% of mesoscale eddies in this region are long-lived, with a dominance of anticyclones over cyclones. Another four westward-propagating eddy corridors were also detected: two small corridors north and south of the Azores Front; a small zonal corridor located near 31ºN, south of the island of Madeira; and a small corridor located near the Cape Blanc giant filament. The existence of these corridors may change, at least for the northeastern subtropical Atlantic, the general idea that mesoscale eddies are disorganized, ubiquitous structures in the ocean. The Canary Eddy Corridor constitutes a direct zonal pathway that conveys water mass- and biogeochemical properties offshore from the Canary Island/Northwest Africa upwelling system, and may be seen as a recurrent offshore pump of organic matter and carbon to the oligotrophic ocean interior. Estimates of volume and mass transport indicate that Canary Eddy Corridor westward transport is more than one-fourth of the southward transport of the Canary Current. The westward transport of kinetic energy by the eddies of the Canary Corridor is as important as the southward transport by the Canary Current. The total primary production related to the Corridor may be as high as the total primary production of the northwest Africa upwelling system for the same latitude range.     

On the frequency contents of local events: source or path effect?

Local events which occurred in the Timanfaya volcanic field are analysed and their spectral contents are interpreted as being due to the effect of a finely layered medium with large impedance contrast, the presence of which is well known from well-logging data. By considering the layered medium as a filter, its spectral response (amplitude and phase) is computed from different randomly generated values of its parameters (total thickness, mean thickness of the individual layers and impedance contrast), showing that this stratigraphic filter acts as a low-pass filter. This effect can be correctly modelled by means of an exponential correlation function. However, in some cases resonant peaks appear in the spectrum superimposed on the low-pass filter effect, which can only be attributed to resonant scattering. An analysis of the phase and group delay associated with the amplitudes is made and strongly suggests that it is necessary to incorporate the theory of resonant scattering for the retrieval of medium properties. From the point of view of the amplitudes, the superposition of both effects, low-pass filter and resonant peaks, allows us to reproduce the gross features that are usually attributed to source effects. The need for a careful analysis of the local site response previous to any interpretation of the spectral features in terms of source characteristics is thus emphasized.     

Identifying Variable γ-ray Sources Through Radio Observations

We present preliminary results of a campaign undertaken with different radio interferometers to observe a sample of the most variable unidentified EGRET sources. We expect to detect which of the possible counterparts of the γ-ray sources (any of the radio emitters in the field) varies in time with similar timescales as the γ-ray variation. If the γ-rays are produced in a jet-like source, as we have modelled theoretically, synchrotron emission is also expected at radio wavelengths. Such radio emission should appear variable in time and correlated with the γ-ray variability.     

Predicting strain using forward modelling of restored cross-sections: Application to rollover anticlines over listric normal faults

A strategy to predict strain across geological structures, based on previous techniques, is modified and evaluated, and a practical application is shown. The technique, which employs cross-section restoration combined with kinematic forward modelling, consists of restoring a section, placing circular strain markers on different domains of the restoration, and forward modelling the restored section with strain markers until the present-day stage is reached. The restoration algorithm employed must be also used to forward model the structure. The ellipses in the forward modelled section allow determining the strain state of the structure and may indirectly predict orientation and distribution of minor structures such as small-scale fractures. The forward model may be frozen at different time steps (different growth stages) allowing prediction of both spatial and temporal variation of strain. The method is evaluated through its application to two stages of a clay experiment, that includes strain markers, and its geometry and deformation history are well documented, providing a strong control on the results. To demonstrate the method's potential, it is successfully applied to a depth-converted seismic profile in the Central Sumatra Basin, Indonesia. This allowed us to gain insight into the deformation undergone by rollover anticlines over listric normal faults.     

Report on the 4th International Meeting of the IUGS Lower Cretaceous Ammonite Working Group, the “Kilian Group” (Dijon, France, 30th August 2010)

The 4th Kilian Group meeting (Dijon, France, 30th August 2010) focused on the Aptian and Albian Stages. For the Aptian, a two-fold division of the stage was adopted for the Mediterranean area with a boundary between the Dufrenoyia furcata and Epicheloniceras martini Zones. The main changes to the zonal scheme concern the Lower Aptian with: the introduction of a Deshayesites luppovi Subzone in the upper part of the Deshayesites oglanlensis Zone; the replacement of Deshayesites weissi by Deshayesites forbesi as new index-species of the second interval zone; the introduction of a Roloboceras hambrovi Subzone in the upper part of the D. forbesi Zone; and the subdivision of the D. furcata Zone into the D. furcata and Dufrenoyia dufrenoyi Subzones. For the Albian, the upper part of the Douvilleiceras mammillatum Zone (Lower Albian) is now characterized by a Lyelliceras pseudolyelli Subzone. The main amendments concern the Upper Albian. The base of this substage is defined by the base of the Dipoloceras cristatum Zone. Above it, the Upper Albian zonal scheme comprises in stratigraphic order the Mortoniceras pricei, Mortoniceras inflatum, Mortoniceras fallax, Mortoniceras rostratum, Mortoniceras perinflatum and Arrhaphoceras briacensis Zones.     

Coastal Mediterranean plankton stimulation dynamics through a dust storm event: An experimental simulation

An enhancement of aeolian inputs to the ocean due to a future increase in aridity in certain parts of the world is predicted from global change. We conducted an experimental simulation to assess the biological response of NW Mediterranean coastal surface waters to an episodic dust addition. On the assumption that planktonic growth was limited by phosphorus, dust effects were compared to those induced by equivalent enrichments of phosphate. The experiment analyzed the dynamics of several parameters during one week: inorganic nutrients, total and fractioned chlorophyll a, bacterial abundance, phytoplankton species composition, abundance of autotrophic and heterotrophic flagellates, particulate organic carbon and particulate organic nitrogen. The maximum addition of dust (0.5 g dust L⁻¹) initiated an increase in bacterial abundance. After 48 h, bacterial numbers decreased due to a peak in heterotrophic flagellates and a significant growth of autotrophic organisms, mainly nanoflagellates but also diatoms, was observed. Conversely, lower inputs of dust (0.05 g dust L⁻¹) and phosphate enrichments (0.5 μmol PO₄³⁻ L⁻¹) only produced increases in phototrophic nanoflagellates. In our experiment, dust triggered bacterial growth, changed phytoplankton dynamics and affected the ratio of autotrophic to heterotrophic biomass, adding to the variability in the sources that affect system dynamics, energy and carbon budgets and ultimately higher trophic levels of the coastal marine food web.     

On the Origin of the 1999 Leonid Storm as Deduced from Photographic Observations

Photographic multi-station observations of 18 Leonid meteorsobtained by the Spanish Photographic Meteor Network are presented. For each meteoroidthe radiant position, trajectory data and orbital parameters are discussed and compared totheoretical radiant positions and orbital elements of particles ejected from 55P/Tempel–Tuttle in 1899.We discuss the role of mean velocity imprecision in the dispersion of some orbital parameters,specially the semimajor axis. Finally, by applying the dust trail theory we have adjusted the1999 Leonidstorm orbits to a defined semimajor axis value to test the quality of photographic observations.