The Characteristics and Formation of A High-Arctic Proglacial Icing

Well‐known from permafrost hydrology, icings (naled or Aufeis) are also frequently encountered at the margins of high‐latitude glaciers. The morphology of a proglacial icing at Scott Turnerbreen in the Norwegian Arctic archipelago of Svalbard is described, and the process of formation is considered in detail. Ground thermal‐regime modelling indicates an equilibrium permafrost depth of at least 200 m in the studied catchment, and it appears unlikely that groundwater contributes to icing formation. Meltwater flow through ice‐marginal drainage channels is accompanied by estimated heat fluxes of up to about 190 W m^?2, suggesting that stored meltwater may continue to percolate through thawed sub‐channel sediments when surface runoff is absent during winter. A hydraulic conductivity of 6.9 × 10^?3 m s^?1 is implied, which is consistent with other studies of glacier drainage systems. The long residence time of winter‐draining meltwater, and solute rejection by refreezing water, account for high observed concentrations of solute in interstitial water in the icing. It has often been asserted that the presence of a proglacial icing indicates that a glacier is polythermal. However, as Scott Turnerbeen is entirely non‐temperate, the presence of an icing cannot always be treated as a reliable guide to the thermal regime of a glacier.     

The Influence of Strong-Motion Duration on the Seismic Response of Masonry Structures

The influence of strong-motion duration on the response of saturated soils is clearly recognised and accounted for in the assessment of liquefaction potential. The degree to which duration of shaking influences damage to structures, however, remains a topic of debate, with resolution of the issue complicated by the variety of definitions of duration and the variety of structural behaviours, as well as the difficulty of decoupling the specific effect of duration from other features of the ground motion. A suite of seven structural models with strength and stiffness degrading characteristics, designed to reflect the seismic behaviour of masonry structures commonly encountered in many parts of Europe, are analysed using a suite of almost 500 strong-motion accelerograms. Correlations are explored between the damage, measured in terms of the strength degradation, and a range of strong-motion parameters, demonstrating that Arias intensity and spectral acceleration at the fundamental initial period of the structure are both reasonably good damage indicators for such structures. A significantly improved correlation is obtained by using the elastic spectral accelerations averaged over a period range from the initial period of the structure to a value approximately three times greater, reflecting the stiffness degradation as the shaking progresses. The scatter in the correlation is shown to be partially explained by differences in duration. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Relative oxidation states of magmas inferred from Ce(IV)/Ce(III) in zircon: application to porphyry copper deposits of northern Chile

Major- and trace-element compositions of zircons and whole rocks from 14 barren and seven ore-bearing calc-alkaline intrusions from the Chuquicamata-El Abra porphyry copper belt of northern Chile have been measured in situ by excimer laser ablation (ELA) ICP-MS. These data permit the Ce(IV)/Ce(III) ratio within zircon to be calculated using a lattice-strain model for mineral-melt partitioning of Ce(IV) and Ce(III). Zircon Ce(IV)/Ce(III) and Eu_N/Eu_N* ratios, and by inference magmatic oxidation states, generally increase from older, mafic to younger, felsic units. Within this sequence, porphyry copper mineralization is directly associated only with intrusions with zircon Ce(IV)/Ce(III)>300 and Eu_N/Eu_N*>0.4. Such trends can be understood in terms of interdependent relations between oxygen fugacity, sulfur speciation and solubility, and chalcophile element partitioning in silicate magmas. Because zircon occurs in most calc-alkaline intrusions and is resistant to subsolidus alteration, zircon Ce(IV)/Ce(III) ratios provide a useful tool for evaluating the economic potential of such rocks for magmatic-hydrothermal Cu-Au mineralization. The approach is general and may provide a means to infer relative oxidation state in a wide range of intermediate to felsic igneous rocks.     

Comparing shear-wave velocity profiles inverted from multichannel surface wave with borehole measurements

Recent field tests illustrate the accuracy and consistency of calculating near-surface shear (S)-wave velocities using multichannel analysis of surface waves (MASW). S-wave velocity profiles (S-wave velocity vs. depth) derived from MASW compared favorably to direct borehole measurements at sites in Kansas, British Columbia, and Wyoming. Effects of changing the total number of recording channels, sampling interval, source offset, and receiver spacing on the inverted S-wave velocity were studied at a test site in Lawrence, Kansas. On the average, the difference between MASW calculated V_s and borehole measured V_s in eight wells along the Fraser River in Vancouver, Canada was less than 15%. One of the eight wells was a blind test well with the calculated overall difference between MASW and borehole measurements less than 9%. No systematic differences were observed in derived V_s values from any of the eight test sites. Surface wave analysis performed on surface data from Wyoming provided S-wave velocities in near-surface materials. Velocity profiles from MASW were confirmed by measurements based on suspension log analysis.     

Petrogenetic implications of Ti,Zr, Y,and Nb variations in volcanic rocks

Data from experimental runs, coexisting phases in ultramafic rocks and phenocryst-matrix pairs in volcanic rocks have been used to compile a table of mineral-liquid distribution coefficients for Ti, Zr, Y, and Nb for basic, intermediate and acid melt compositions. These values have then been used to interpret variations of these elements, first in basalts and second, during fractional crystallization from basic to acid magmas. For basalts, petrogenetic modelling of Zr/Y, Zr/Ti, and Zr/Nb ratios, when used in conjunction with REE, Cr and isotopic variations, suggests that: (1) the increase in Zr/Y ratio from mid-ocean ridge to within plate basalts and the low Zr/Nb ratios of alkalic basalts are due to (fluid controlled) source heterogeneities; (2) the low Zr and Zr/Y ratio of volcanic arc basalts results from high degree of partial melting of a depleted source; and (3) the high Zr and similar Zr/Y ratio of basalts from fast spreading relative to slow spreading ridges results from open-system fractional crystallization. Modelling of fractionation trends in more evolved rocks using Y-Zr, Ti-Zr and Nb-Zr diagrams highlights in particular the change in crystallizing mafic phases from island arcs (clinopyroxene-dominated) to Andean-type arcs (amphibole±biotite-dominated). These methods can be applied to altered lavas of unknown affinities to provide additional information on their genesis and eruptive environment.     

A proposed mechanism for storm beach sedimentation

One of the major problems of shingle beach dynamics is the method by which coarse gravel is transferred from beach face to storm beach, the latter often lying several metres above high spring tidal levels. The mechanism which is usually proposed, cites the action of plunging breakers as being central to this problem of sediment transfer. However, the nature of net residual fluid force of plunging breakers is deemed unsatisfactory for any substantial upbeach (onshore) sediment transport during storm conditions on gravel beaches. A mechanism is proposed by which high still water levels due to high astronomical tides, onshore storm force winds and allied wave surge, promote shoaling characteristics and beach profile changes which are conducive to spilling breaker development at tidal extremities. It is the net onshore fluid force vector of the spilling breaker overtopping the beach crest which may be the cause of extreme sedimentation events on the storm beach. An example of such sediment transfer is given for a known storm beach sedimentation event at Llanrhystyd gravel beach, West Wales, during February 1974. Process variables were monitored on several days allowing the use of an inshore breaker steepness criterion, to indicate positions in the tidal regime where plunging breakers give way to spilling forms. This example serves to suggest that more attention should be given to the nature and characteristics of shoaling waves, especially in respect of breaker type, when examining problems of shingle beach dynamics and sedimentation.     

Water solubility in a calcium aluminosilicate melt

We have measured the water solubility between 1 atmosphere and 5 kilobars for a calcium aluminosilicate melt of molar composition CaO 0.28, Al₂O₃ 0.06, SiO₂ 0.66 (An₉Wo₃₈Qz₅₃). The water contents were measured via thermogravimetric analysis of isobarically quenched glasses, and range from 0.121 wt% H₂O near 1 aim to 9.25 wt% H₂O at 5 kilobars. The molar water solubility lies between those of SiO₂ and albite melts below around three kilobars, and crosses the albite solubility curve above this pressure. The present results are compared with data in the literature on related calcium aluminosilicate melts. There seems to be little variation of water solubility with composition for calcium aluminosilicate melts, unlike analogous alkali aluminosilicate compositions. Examination of the data suggests that there may be a maximum in molar water solubility along the albite-anorthite join.     

Fluid-absent melting of the fluoro-hydroxy amphibole pargasite to 35 kilobars

In order to evaluate the effect of fluorine substitution on hornblende stability in basaltic melts, the upper stability of a synthetic pargasite with 43% of its OH sites replaced by fluorine was studied under fluid-absent conditions at pressures up to 35 kbars. The fluorohydroxy pargasite melts incongruently over an interval of 25–55°C depending on pressure. Liquid, amphibole, clinopyroxene, spinel, forsterite and garnet, at higher pressures, appear in the melting interval. Coordinates for the amphibole-out boundary are: 5 kbars, 1060°C; 15 kbars, 1230°C; 25 kbars, 1285°C; 30 kbars, 1290°C and 35 kbars, 1285°C.Substitution of F for OH in the amphibole structure increases both its temperature and pressure stability limits, and results in a substantial melting interval through which hornblende and melt coexist in fluid-absent situations. Partial melting events could produce fluorine-rich hornblende as a refractory, residual phase.     

Searching for the ‘Right’ Legend: The Impact of Legend Position on Legend Decoding in a Cartographic Memory Task

ABSTRACT

Map legends are key elements of thematic maps and cartographic communication. The question of how to style map legends is a topic which has often been addressed by cartographic academics and practitioners. Nevertheless, the question of where to position a map legend has only hardly been discussed. Principles of cognitive sciences allow the assumption that a legend positioned to the right of a map field can be read and decoded faster than a legend on the left side. This study investigates the impact of legend positioning on legend decoding. It involves an experiment based on a recognition memory paradigm and the registration of eye-movements. The results show that, in less time, a legend positioned to the right of the map field (compared to a left legend) can be decoded faster. The same accuracy of a cognitive representation of geographic space can be achieved in spatial memory.