210Po and 210Pb distributions in ocean water profiles from the Eastern South Pacific

Two ocean profiles from the Peru Basin from regions with different surface productivities were analyzed for total²¹⁰Pb and²⁰¹Po to evaluate the influence of particulates in the water column on their distribution. Comparison with a published²²⁶Ra profile for the region was made. The profile closest to the coast, where upwelling and productivity are high, shows depletion of²¹⁰Pb relative to²²⁶Ra at all depths, with particularly marked excursions from radioactive equilibrium at the surface and in the bottom water.²¹⁰Po appears to be deficient relative to²¹⁰Pb at depth as well. Mean residence times in the deep water, relative to particulate removal from the water column to the sediments, of about 100 years for²¹⁰Pb and about two years for²¹⁰Po are indicated. The profile northwest of the upwelling region shows the²²⁶Ra²¹⁰Pb²¹⁰Po system close to equilibrium at all depths to 1500 m (except for the effect of atmospheric²¹⁰Pb input seen at the surface.     

Turnover of Eastern Caribbean deep water from 14C measurements

A¹⁴C balance for the Eastern Caribbean deep water indicates the average inflow of Atlantic water into the basin to be 2.3 × 10⁵ m³/sec (±30%), or about 2–4 times the values estimated previously. The balance uses a model representation of the deep-water turnover, and is based on¹⁴C concentrations at a station in the Venezuelan Basin which average Δ¹⁴C= 89‰ below 800 m depth with a total range of only 9‰, as well as on a¹⁴C concentration of the Atlantic inflow of Δ¹⁴C= ?71%. as obtained from measurements outside the Antilles Arch. The turnover time of the basin water below 2500 m depth is 55 years, which corresponds to an average upwelling velocity at this depth of about 35 m/year. With such upwelling, the temperature profile below 1800 m (the depth of the sill determining the inflow of new water) requires a vertical eddy diffusivity of about 5 cm²/sec. The oxygen consumption, and silica and CO₂ regeneration, rates below 2500 m depth are obtained as ?0.18, + 0.08, and + 0.2 μmole kg^?1 yr^?1, respectively. The CO₂ regeneration has but a negligible effect on the¹⁴C balance.     

Rb-Sr whole-rock age of the contact aureole of the Stillwater Igneous Complex,Montana

Fourteen whole-rock samples from three traverses through the contact aureole of the Stillwater Complex were analyzed for Rb, Sr and⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr. Twelve of these samples yielded an age of 2750 ± 45m.y.; (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr)₀ = 0.705 ± 0.003 (2σ). In addition one whole rock and a biotite separate derived from it gave an age of 2544 m.y.; (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr)₀ = 0.714. These data support a minimum age of 2750 m.y. for the intrusion of the complex.     

Earth rotation and network geometry optimization for very long baseline interferometers

Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) is one of the new techniques which will probably dominate geodesy and geophysics in the near future. Its main advantage lies in the fact that it brings the accuracy of direction measurements to a level previously possible only for range measurements. This closes the gap between powerful range determination techniques such as laser ranging and the much less accurate determination of directions through photographic tracking of artificial earth satellites. The technique is geometric in the sense that the relevant observations are independent of the gravity field of the earth. However, the “orbits” of the observed extragalactic radio sources with respect to an earth-fixed system are dominated and perturbed by the rotation of the earth with respect to inertial frame. This allows the determination of polar motion, precession-nutation and length-of-the-day variations, and the technique becomes also “dynamic” in this respect. The capability of determining the geometry of a network of stations within a short time interval and with a centimeter level accuracy also allows the study of the variation of network geometry with time caused by earth tides and other periodic or secular station drifts. The main objective of the present work is the exploration of the capabilities of VLBI for the recovery of earth rotation and network geometry parameters. For this purpose, a number of characteristic experimental designs based on present and candidate for the near future station locations is chosen. The results from the analysis of simulated observations for each particular design are presented in the paper. Presented at IAG International Symposium on “Optimization of Design and Computation of Control Networks”, Sopron, Hungary, 4–10 July 1977.     

Detection of crustal motion using spaceborne laser ranging systems

The spaceborne laser ranging (or lasering) system provides a method of precise positioning of a large number of points on the earth's surface in a short period of time. That is, a measure of the relative location of geodetic markers from a space platform can maintain horizontal and vertical control to 2 to 5 cm. At this level of control, small earth surface crustal motions should be detectable. Development of a model for the strain field can be constructed. Furthermore, the spaceborne lasering system can survey an area in a very short period of time (one to two weeks) and resurvey the area as required. System design parameters are now being established by NASA for a possible test flight aboard the Shuttle in 1982. These include design specifications of economical corner cubes for ground retroreflectors coupled with the evolution of engineering model to flight model development. If the experiment of the Shuttle proves to be successful, it is hoped to put the laser in a free flight satellite. This paper presents the results of a simulated analysis for this latter case. The system is conceived as an orbiting ranging device with a ground base grid of reflectors or transponders (spacing 10 to 30 km), which are projected to be of low cost (maintenance-free and unattended) and which will permit the saturation of a local area to obtain data useful to monitor crustal movements. The test network includes 75 stations with roughly half of them on either side of the San Andreas fault zone. Critical study comparatively evaluates various observational schemes and statistically analyzed crustal motion recovery. The study considers laser radar as the main ranging system pending final selection from many possible candidates. The satellite orbit is inclined at 110° and slightly eccentric (e=0.04) with orbital altitudes varying from 370 km to 930 km. The results indicate that the geometric mode (simultaneous ranging) with a minimum of five grid and three distant (fundamental) stations and mixed ranging to satellite and airplane seems to be most promising. The fundamental stations are distinguished from the grid station in their location and this location should be “distant” enough from the area of crustal movement so that they can be considered stationary over the time span of the motion involved. Presented at the 1977 I.A.G. International Symposia on Satellite Geodesy, Budapest, Hungary, June 28–July 1, and on Recent Crustal Movements, Palo Alto, California, USA, July 25–30.     

Paläoklimatische Information im Isotopengehalt14C-datierter Saharawässer: Kontinentaleffekt in D und18O

Zusammenfassung In den¹⁴C-Altern der Saharawässer spiegelt sich die wechselnde Abfolge von Feucht- und Trockenphasen während des späten Pleistozäns und Holozäns wider. Außerdem zeigt sich ein West-Ost-Gefälle in ihrem D- und¹⁸O-Gehalt, das als Kontinentaleffekt im Grundwasser gedeutet wird. Dieser Kontinentaleffekt setzt voraus, daß das nordafrikanische Klimageschehen vergangener Feuchtphasen von der Westdrift bestimmt wurde, die regenbringende atlantische Luftmassen weit ins Saharainnere getrieben hat. Ein einfaches mathematisches Modell, das den Kontinentaleffekt durch eine Rayleigh-Kondensation beschreibt, ergibt die beste Anpassung an die Meßwerte, wenn für die Sahara (ähnlich wie heute in Europa) ein West-Ost-Gefälle in den Paläo-Winterniederschlagsmengen von –30% pro 1000 km angenommen wird. Unter der Annahme ehemaliger Winterniederschläge (Sept.-März) von 600 mm (entspricht Lissabon heute) für das Gebiet an der nordafrikanischen Atlantikküste ergibt diese Modellrechnung z. B. 250 mm für die Paläo-Winterniederschläge im Gebiet des Murzuk-Beckens.

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The¹⁴C-age distribution of Saharian groundwaters shows the alternating sequence of humid and arid periods in the late Pleistocene and Holocene. The observed west-east decrease of the D- and¹⁸O-content of the Sahara waters is interpreted to be the Continental Effect in rain and groundwater. The paleoclimatic situation during ground-water formation therefore was controlled by the western drift carrying wet Atlantic air masses across the Sahara. The best fit of a simple Rayleigh condensation model of the continental effect to the experimental data is obtained with a west-east decrease of the Saharian paleo-winter precipitation of –30% per 1000 km (similar to the one in Europe today). With an annual winter precipitation rate (Sept.-March) of 600 mm (corresponding to the one of Lisboa today) for the Northafrican coastal area at the Atlantic Ocean a previous winter precipitation rate of 250 mm is obtained for the Murzuq Basin.

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Résumé Une succession de périodes humides et arides à la fin du Pléistocène et à l'Holocène se réflète dans la distribution des âges¹⁴C d'eaux souterraines du Sahara. Les teneurs en D et¹⁸O diminuent d'Ouest en Est, ce qui est interprété comme un effet continental dans l'eau souterraine. Celui-ci signifie que la climatologie des phases pluviales passées, dans l'Afrique du Nord, était déterminée par des vents d'Ouest qui apportaient des masses d'air atlantique humide à l'intérieur du Sahara. Un modèle mathématique simple décrivant l'effet continental par une condensation du type Rayleigh, reproduit avec la meilleure conformité les valeurs expérimentales, pour autant qu'on admette que les pluies hivernales au Sahara diminuaient anciennement d'Ouest en Est de 30% par 1000 km (comme à présent en Europe). En supposant qu'autrefois la quantité de pluie hivernale, de septembre à mars à la côte atlantique de l'Afrique du Nord était de 600 mm (comme aujourd'hui à Lisbonne), on obtient à l'aide de ce modèle une précipitation hivernale ancienne de 250 mm dans le bassin du Mourzouk.

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, ¹⁴C, . , ¹⁸O, , . , , , , . , Rayleigh, — , — — 30 % 1000 . , - , . . , 600 , — —, 250 .

     

Inhibited hatching success of marine fish eggs by power plant effluent

The hatching success of California grunion (Leuresthes tenuis) was significantly reduced by a non-thermal component of the effluent from an electricity generating station. The embryos appeared to develop normally morphologically but showed reduced viability with respect to hatching.     

Eastern Altantic fracture zones as potential disposal sites for radioactive waste

Disposal of radioactive waste in the sea floor of fracture zones associated with the flanks of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge may be a satisfactory alternative to land disposal. Effective physiographic, sedimentary, chemical, and oceanographic barriers exist in these aseismic deep canyons, especially in the eastern Atlantic. In addition, the major producers of radioactive wastes are likely to be near the Atlantic Ocean. If such a disposal strategy is adopted, intensive study of the sedimentologic and oceanographic properties of oceanic fracture zones will be necessary.