Bridges and bottlenecks: Andrei Sher’s role in the development of international collaboration in Beringian science

Andrei Sher played a leading role in the development of international cooperation and exchange of ideas in Beringian science. The Cold War created great tensions between the USSR and the NATO countries, as the Bering Strait region became one of the front lines of potential military conflict. However, through the persistent efforts of such people as Andrei Sher in Russia and David Hopkins in the USA, scientists were able to overcome political obstacles to attend international Beringian conferences, visit each other’s militarized zones to do fieldwork, and collaborate on joint projects.     

Investigations regarding Alpine talus slopes using ground‐penetrating radar (GPR) in the Bavarian Alps,Germany

The applicability of ground‐penetrating radar (GPR) for the investigation of loose debris was tested at two sites (Viererkar and Zugspitzplatt). A pulseEKKO 100 GPR system equipped with 25 MHz antennae was utilized. The aim of the investigation was to record the base of the debris layer, and thereby acquire an estimation of the backweathering rates of the adjacent rockwalls. The study areas are situated in the Northern Alps near the German–Austrian border. The sites are characterized by steep limestone rockwalls and extensive talus accumulations. A total of six profiles was surveyed. The method is suitable and effective for a quick survey in this dry, high‐ohmic substrate. The GPR system was able to deliver information about the subsurface stratigraphy to c. 70 m depth. The boundary line to the bedrock was discovered – depending upon the profile surveyed ?5 to 25 m below the surface. The base of the debris material sometimes shows no distinct reflection. Buried features (V‐shaped furrows, zones overdeepened by ice action, geological structures) could be detected. Arched structures well below the talus–bedrock interface can be interpreted as drainage systems in the karstic bedrock. A thick scree layer of Late Glacial age was separated from a thinner layer on the talus surface, which was related to the Holocene. The backweathering rates were fixed by a calculation of talus volume to c. 100 mm/10³ a during the Holocene (Viererkar) and 150–300 mm/10³ a (Zugspitzplatt). The detrital formation in north‐exposed sites is twice as intense as in south‐exposed sites. These results match the rates of recent rockfall in the same area of investigation. The calculated backweathering for the late glacial period is 150–730 mm/10³ a. The magnitude of the calculated rockwall retreat lies well within the range of previous measurements. The discrepancy between some weathering rates highlights the fact that recent and past relief formation must be differentiated. Otherwise recent removal rates may be overestimated. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The challenge of integrating the environment into policy-making Part 1: The German Governmental view

The paper discusses the recent trends in environmental protection within an industrial society. The potential conflict between environmental sustainability and economic development is discussed with particular reference to Germany. Environmentally orientated management is considered to be the most appropriate means of achieving this economical cost-efficiency and ecological sustainability. However, producers have a responsibility to achieve these aims against a framework of increasing environmental legislation, both national and international, and widely adopted philosophies such as the polluter pays and precautionary principles. Finally, the paper discusses the relevance of these aspects for both industrialized and developing countries.     

Mineral deposit formation in Phanerozoic sedimentary basins of north-east Africa: the contribution of weathering

The intra- and epicontinental basins in north-east Africa (Egypt, Sudan) bear ample evidence of weathering processes repeatedly having contributed to the formation of mineral deposits throughout the Phanerozoic.The relict primary weathering mantle of Pan-African basement rocks consists of kaolinitic saprolite, laterite (in places bauxitic) and iron oxide crust. On the continent, the reaccumulation of eroded weathering-derived clay minerals (mainly kaolinite) occurred predominantly in fluvio-lacustrine environments, and floodplain and coastal plain deposits. Iron oxides, delivered from ferricretes, accumulated as oolitic ironstones in continental and marine sediments. Elements leached from weathering profiles accumulated in continental basins forming silcrete and alunite or in the marine environment contributing to the formation of attapulgite/saprolite and phosphorites.The Early Paleozoic Tawiga bauxitic laterite of northern Sudan gives a unique testimony of high latitude lateritic weathering under global greenhouse conditions. It formed in close spatial and temporal vicinity to the Late Ordovician glaciation in north Africa. The record of weathering products is essentially complete for the Late Cretaceous/Early Tertiary. From the continental sources in the south to the marine sinks in the north, an almost complete line of lateritic and laterite-derived deposits of bauxitic kaolin, kaolin, iron oxides and phosphates is well documented.     

Kommt eine neue Eiszeit?

Zusammenfassung Bei einer hypothetischen Extrapolation der Klimaschwankungen der letzten 300 000 Jahre einschließlich der Gegenwart in die Zukunft wäre mit dem Beginn der nächsten Eiszeit schon im nächsten Jahrtausend zu rechnen.Die technische Energieproduktion und ihre klimatischen Folgeerscheinungen (Temperatur-Erhöhung durch Wärmezufuhr sowie durch Anreicherung von Staub, Wasserdampf und Kohlendioxyd), die der Abkühlung der unteren Schichten der Atmosphäre entgegenwirken, werden aber voraussichtlich schon in wenigen Jahrzehnten zu einem spürbaren Einfluß auf den natürlichen Energie- und Wärmehaushalt führen und einen Klimarückschlag zu eiszeitlichen Verhältnissen verhindern. Dabei wird sehr wahrscheinlich die CO₂-Bilanz die größte Rolle spielen.

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Extrapolation of past (300 000 years B. P.) and present climatic variations into the future predicts the beginning of a new Ice Age within the next millenium. Technologically related energy production and its climatic consequences, however, counteract the cooling process of the lower atmospheric layers by temperature increase through increased heat supply and dust, water vapor and carbon dioxide fluxes. These effects, predictably, will have a significant influence on the natural energy and heat budget within the next decades thereby preventing a change in climate of ice-age-dimensions. The single most important factor having such an influence will presumably be the change in the CO₂-balance.

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Résumé L'extrapolation dans l'avenir des variations climatiques durant les 300 000 dernières années compris le présent nous fait supposer le commencement d'une nouvelle glaciation dès le prochain millénaire. La production technique de l'énergie et ses conséquences climatiques (température plus élevée à cause d'un apport de chaleur, d'une augmentation de la teneur en poussière, en vapeur d'eau et en CO₂) qui contrecarrent le refroidissement des couches atmosphériques inférieures, influeront de façon décelable dans quelques décennies, sur le bilan naturel de l'énergie et de la température, empêchant ainsi un retour climatique brusque à des conditions glaciaires. La variation de la teneur en CO₂ y jouera très probablement le rôle prépondérant.

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300 000 , , . , , , , . . , , .

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Erweiterte Fassung eines Vortrages, gehalten auf der 66. Jahrestagung der Geologischen Vereinigung vom 26.-28. Februar 1976 in Hannover.     

Zur Bewegung der Iranisch-Afghanischen Platte

Zusammenfassung Paläomagnetische Untersuchungen auf der geologisch und seismotektonisch definierten iranisch-afghanischen Platte lieferten folgende Pollagen: Perm 42 W 8 N, Unterkreide 43 W 65 N, Alttertiär 100 W 75 N, Jungtertiär 130 W 78 N. Diese paläomagnetischen Ergebnisse sowie Bruchzonen und magnetische Streifenmuster im Indischen Ozean erlauben eine Rekonstruktion der Bewegung dieser Platte vom Ostrand Gondwanas an den Südrand Laurasias. Nach der präpermischen Abtrennung von Gondwana driftet die Platte unter sinistraler Eigenrotation nach Norden kollidiert bis zur Unterkreide mit der russischen Platte. Noch vor dem Alttertiär erreicht die arabische Platte den Südwestrand der iranisch-afghanischen Platte. Die indische Platte rückt von Südosten her nach und drängt den afghanischen Krustenbereich seit dem Jungtertiär nach Nordwesten. Die Kollisionen werden durch Faltungen auf den jeweils beteiligten Platten markiert.

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Paleomagnetic investigations of the Iranian-Afghanian Plate — well defined by geological history and seismotectonics yield following pole positions: Permian 42 W 8 N, lower Cretaceous 43 W 65 N, lower Tertiary 100 W 75 N, upper Tertiary 130 W 78 N. These paleomagnetic results, supported by fracture zones and magnetic anomalies of the Indian Ocean floor make it possible to reconstruct the plate movement from the eastern margin of Gondwana to the southern margin of Laurasia. After the prepermian separation from Gondwana the Afghan-Iranian Plate moves northward rotating anticlockwise and collides with the Russian Plate until lower Cretaceous time. Earlier than lower Tertiary the Arabian Plate reaches at the SW margin of the Afghan-Iranian Plate. The Indian Plate, moving forward from SE pushes the Afghan continental crust in northward direction since upper Tertiary time. The collisions are marked by foldings at the plates involved.

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Résumé Des recherches paléomagnétiques sur la plateforme irano-afghane bien définie par l'histoire géologique et la séismique ont donné les positions suivantes pour le pôle magnetique nord: permien 42 W 8 N, crétacé inférieur 43 W 65 N, tertiaire inférieur 100 W 75 N, tertiaire supérieur 130 W 78 N. Ces résultats paléomagnétiques ainsi que les zônes de fracture et les anomalies magnétiques dans l'Océan Indien, permettent de reconstruire le mouvement de cette plateforme à partir du bord est du Gondwana jusqu'au bord méridional de Laurasie. Après la séparation prépermienne du Gondwana, elle dérive vers le nord avec un mouvement rotatoire vers la gauche pour se heurter au crétacé inférieur à la plateforme russe. Avant le tertiaire inférieur la plateforme arabe atteint le bord sudouest de la plateforme irano-afghane. La plateforme indienne la suit du sudest et pousse à partir du tertiaire supérieur la croûte continentale de l'Afghanistan vers le nordouest. Des plissements sur chacune des plaques ayant pris part aux mouvements marquent les collisions.

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- : — 42 W 8 N; — 43 W 65 N, — 100 W 75 N; — 130 W 78 N. , . - . - . - . .

     

Chondrules in H3 chondrites: textures,compositions and origins

Major and minor element bulk compositions of 90 individual chondrules and 16 compound chondrule sets in unequilibrated (type 3) H-group chondrites were determined in polished thin sections by broad beam electron probe analysis and the chondrules were classified petrographically into six textural types (barred olivine, porphyritic olivine, porphyritic pyroxene, barred pyroxene, radiating pyroxene, fine-grained). Although analyses of individual chondrules scatter widely, the mean composition of each textural type (except barred pyroxene) is rather distinct, as verified by discriminant function analysis. Al₂O₃, TiO₂ and Na₃O are correlated in chondrules, but Al₂O₃ and CaO do not correlate. Compound chondrule sets were found to consist almost entirely of chondrules or partial chondrules of similar texture and composition.The data suggest that composition played a conspicuous role in producing the observed textures of chondrules, though other factors such as cooling rates and degrees of supercooling prior to nucleation were also important. If compound chondrules formed and joined when they were still molten or plastic, then the data suggest that chondrules of each textural type could have formed together in space or time. The correlation of Al₂O₃ and TiO₂ with Na₂O and not with CaO appears to rule out formation of chondrules by direct equilibrium condensation from the nebula. We conclude that the most reasonable model for formation of the majority of chondrules is that they originated from mixtures of differing fractions of high-, intermediate- and low-temperature nebular condensates that underwent melting in space. A small percentage of chondrules might have formed by impacts in meteorite parent-body regoliths.     

Derivation of a heterogeneous lithic fragment in the Bovedy L-group chondrite from impact-melted porphyritic chondrules

The Bovedy L-group chondrite contains a light-colored poikilitic lithic fragment with olivine, low-Ca pyroxene and kamacite compositions characteristic of porphyritic chondrules from unequilibrated ordinary chondrites. Its texture, compositional similarities to porphyritic chondrules, and low Na₂O, K₂O and P₂O₅ content indicate that the fragment represents a solidified, slightly fractionated impact melt formed from a source that was rich in porphyritic chondrules. The fragment is heterogeneous, with a progressive increase in the bulk $\text{MgO}\text{FeO}$ ratio and in MgO content of olivines and low-Ca pyroxenes across its length. ${}^{39}\text{Ar}{}^{40}\text{Ar}$ analyses of the fragment and host indicate that the meteorite experienced extensive degassing due to reheating. The approximate age of 0.5–0.94 Byr dates the reheating event and not the formation of the lithic fragment or the Bovedy breccia. This reheating event renders the fragment's and host's metallographic cooling rate of ~ 5 C/Myr (through 500°C) imprecise. However, the absence of martensite and the presence of kamacite. zoned taenite and tetrataenite in the fragment and host are consistent with such slow cooling through 500°C. This cooling rate must have resulted from burial of the fragment-host assemblage beneath insulating material on the Bovedy parent body. If the thermal diffusivity (κ) of this overburden was approximately comparable to that of the lunar regolith (10^?4cm²/sec), then the fragment was buried at a depth ≌ 6.5 km; if K = 10^?2 cm²/sec (similar to chondritic material), then the fragment was buried at a depth ?65 km.     

New kind of type 3 chondrite with a graphite-magnetite matrix

We have discovered four clasts in three ordinary-chondrite regolith breccias which are a new kind of type 3 chondrite. Like ordinary and carbonaceous type 3 chondrites, they have distinct chondrules, some of which contain glass, highly heterogeneous olivines and pyroxenes, and predominantly monoclinic low-Ca pyroxenes. But instead of the usual fine-grained, Fe-rich silicate matrix, the clasts have a matrix composed largely of aggregates of micron- and submicron-sized graphite and magnetite. The bulk compositions of the clasts as well as the types of chondrules (largely porphyritic) are typical of type 3 ordinary chondrites, although chondrules in the clasts are somewhat smaller (0.1–0.5 mm). A close relationship with ordinary chondrites is also indicated by the presence of similar graphite-magnetite aggregates in seven type 3 ordinary chondrites. This new kind of chondrite is probably the source of the abundant graphite-magnetite inclusions in ordinary-chondrite regolith breccias, and may be more common than indicated by the absence of whole meteorites made of chondrules and graphite-magnetite.