Mesoscale distribution of larval Euphausia similis in various water masses of the East Australian Current

Larval Euphausia similis were collected off temperate eastern Australia in spring 2004 and 2006 to evaluate the relationships between larval populations, mesoscale oceanographic variability, and the wider planktonic community. Larval E. similis were present in greater numbers in the East Australian Current (EAC) relative to productive coastal waters. Larval E. similis density was homogenous across the EAC—Tasman Sea frontal region, but larvae were smaller in the Tasman Sea. Larval E. similis density was not enhanced within a cold core eddy relative to the surrounding EAC. We observed a negative correlation between larval E. similis density and larval fish density, and a weak positive correlation with fluorescence. Evaluation of a significant fish density×fluorescence interaction term showed that the effect of fish density was reduced at high fluorescence values. Analysis of normalized biomass size spectrum (NBSS) provided evidence for potential competitive exclusion of copepods by krill. Data presented in this study suggest a predatory influence on surface E. similis populations by mesopelagic larval fish. The degree of predation appears to be dependent on food availability, potentially mediated by changes in the physiological condition of krill.     

Episodic intraplate deformation of stable continental margins: evidence from Late Neogene and Quaternary marine terraces,Cape Liptrap,Southeastern Australia

The Waratah Fault is a northeast trending, high angle, reverse fault in the Late Paleozoic Lachlan Fold Belt at Cape Liptrap on the Southeastern Australian Coast. It is susceptible to reactivation in the modern intraplate stress field in Southeast Australia and exhibits Late Pliocene to Late Pleistocene reactivation. Radiocarbon, optically stimulated luminescence (OSL), and cosmogenic radionuclide (CRN) dating of marine terraces on Cape Liptrap are used to constrain rates of displacement across the reactivated Waratah Fault. Six marine terraces, numbered Qt₆–Tt₁ (youngest to oldest), are well developed at Cape Liptrap with altitudes ranging from ～1.5 m to ～170 m amsl, respectively. On the lowest terrace, Qt₆, barnacles in wave-cut notches ～1.5 m amsl, yielded a radiocarbon age of 6090–5880 Cal BP, and reflect the local mid-Holocene sea level highstand. Qt₅ yielded four OSL ages from scattered locations around the cape ranging from ～80 ka to ～130 ka. It formed during the Last Interglacial sea level highstand (MIS 5e) at ～125 ka. Inner edge elevations (approximate paleo high tide line) for Qt₅ occur at distinctly different elevations on opposite sides of the Waratah Fault. Offsets of the inner edges across the fault range from 1.3 m to 5.1 m with displacement rates ranging from 0.01 mm/a to 0.04 mm/a. The most extensive terrace, Tt₄, yielded four Early Pleistocene cosmogenic radionuclide (CRN) ages: two apparent burial ages of 0.858 Ma ± 0.16 Ma and 1.25 Ma ± 0.265 Ma, and two apparent exposure ages of 1.071 Ma ± 0.071 Ma (¹⁰Be) and 0.798 Ma ± 0.066 Ma (²⁶Al). Allowing for muonic production effects from insufficient burial depths, the depth corrected CRN burial ages are 1.8 Ma ± 0.56 Ma and 2.52 Ma ± 0.88 Ma, or Late Pliocene. A Late Pliocene age is our preferred age. Offsets of Tt₄ across the Waratah Fault range from a minimum of ～20 m for terrace surface treads to a maximum of ～70 m for terrace bedrock straths. Calculated displacement rates for Tt₄ range from 0.01 mm/a to 0.04 mm/a (using a Late Pliocene age, ～2 Ma), identical to the rates calculated for the Last Interglacial terrace, Qt₅. This indicates that deformation at Cape Liptrap has been ongoing at similar time-averaged rates at least since the Late Pliocene. The upper terraces in the sequence, Tt₃ (～110 m amsl), Tt₂ (～140 m) and Tt₁ (～180 m) are undated, but most likely correlate to sea level highstands in the Neogene. Terraces Tt1–Tt4 show an increasing northward tilt with age.The Waratah Fault forms a prominent structural boundary in the Lachlan Fold Belt discernible from airborne magnetic and bouger gravity anomalies. Seismicity and deformation are episodic. Episodic movement on the Waratah Fault may be coincident with sea level highstands since the Late Pliocene, possibly from increased loading and elevated pore pressure within the fault zone. This suggests that intervals between major seismic events could be on the order of 100 ka.     

Submillimeter lightcurves of Vesta

Thermal lightcurves of Asteroid Vesta with significant amplitude have been observed at 870 μm (345 GHz) using the MPIfR 19-channel bolometer of the Heinrich–Hertz Submillimeter Telescope. Shape and albedo are not sufficient to explain the magnitude of this variation, which we relate to global variations in thermal inertia and/or other thermophysical parameters. Vesta's lightcurve has been observed over several epochs with the same general shape. However, there are some changes in morphology that may in part be related to viewing geometry and/or asteroid season. Inconsistent night-to-night variations exhibit the inherent difficulties in photometry at this wavelength. We are able to match the observed brightness temperatures with a relatively simple thermal model that integrates beneath the surface and assumes reasonable values of thermal inertia, loss tangent and refractive index, and without having to assume low values of emissivity in the submillimeter. High flux portions of the submillimeter lightcurve are found to correspond to regions with weak mafic bands observed in Hubble Space Telescope images.     

A polygon-based modeling approach to assess exposure of resources and assets to wildfire

Spatially explicit burn probability modeling is increasingly applied to assess wildfire risk and inform mitigation strategy development. Burn probabilities are typically expressed on a per-pixel basis, calculated as the number of times a pixel burns divided by the number of simulation iterations. Spatial intersection of highly valued resources and assets (HVRAs) with pixel-based burn probability estimates enables quantification of HVRA exposure to wildfire in terms of expected area burned. However, statistical expectations can mask variability in HVRA area burned across all simulated fires. We present an alternative, polygon-based formulation for deriving estimates of HVRA area burned. This effort enhances investigations into spatial patterns of fire occurrence and behavior by overlaying simulated fire perimeters with mapped HVRA polygons to estimate conditional distributions of HVRA area burned. This information can be especially useful for assessing risks where cumulative effects and the spatial pattern and extent of area burned influence HVRA response to fire. We illustrate our modeling approach and demonstrate application across real-world landscapes for two case studies: first, a comparative analysis of exposure and area burned across ten municipal watersheds on the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest in Montana, USA, and second, fireshed delineation and exposure analysis of a geographically isolated and limited area of critical wildlife habitat on the Pike and San Isabel National Forests in Colorado, USA. We highlight how this information can be used to inform prioritization and mitigation decisions and can be used complementarily with more traditional pixel-based burn probability and fire intensity metrics in an expanded exposure analysis framework.     

Mineralogical and spectroscopic investigation of the Tagish Lake carbonaceous chondrite by X‐ray diffraction and infrared reflectance spectroscopy

Abstract– We have carried out a sample‐correlated spectroscopic and mineralogical investigation of samples from seven different collection sites of the Tagish Lake C2 chondrite. Rietveld refinement of high‐resolution powder X‐ray diffraction (XRD) data was used to determine quantitative major mineral abundances. Thermal infrared (400–4500 cm⁻¹, 2.2–25.0 μm) spectra of the same samples were obtained using diffuse (biconical) reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS). Our results are in good agreement with previous studies of the mineralogy of the Tagish Lake meteorite; we find however that Tagish Lake is more varied in major mineralogy than has previously been reported. In particular, we observed two new distinct lithologies, an inclusion‐poor magnetite‐ and sulfide‐rich lithology, and a carbonate‐rich, siderite‐dominated lithology in addition to the previously documented carbonate‐rich and carbonate‐poor lithologies. Grain density for each Tagish Lake sample was calculated from the measured mineral modal abundances and known mineral densities. For powders from three originally intact inclusion‐rich samples, the calculated grain density is 2.77 ± 0.05 g cm⁻³, in excellent agreement with those reported in the literature for other intact inclusion‐rich Tagish Lake samples. Tagish Lake disaggregated samples have a significantly higher calculated grain density due to their lower saponite‐serpentine content, likely a result of mineral separation in the meltwater holes from which they were collected; the disaggregated samples may not therefore adequately represent bulk samples of the Tagish Lake meteorite. The predominance of very fine‐grained material in the Tagish Lake samples investigated in this study is expected to produce infrared spectra representative of asteroidal regolith. Gypsum and talc have been found by XRD in powders from the inclusion‐rich, intact Tagish Lake samples in this study, and may have been present in the parent body; if present, these hydrous sulfates would complicate the interpretation of possible hydrated mineral features in asteroid infrared spectra.     

Collapse and recovery in a remote small island—A tale of adaptive cycles or downward spirals?

Few studies consider how social-ecological systems recover from disturbance. We consider the small semi-autonomous island of Rodrigues (Indian Ocean). Based on semi-structured interviews (n = 70), a fisher survey (n = 73), weather data and official records we build a timeline of key events. We tabulate local perceptions (5+ mentions) of changes (social, economic and natural capital) and look for signs of adaptive cycles in the island's social-ecological past. Rising human pressure and extreme weather event impacts are reported since first settlement. We propose a recent “collapse” phase catalysed in the 1970s by severe drought, based on respondents’ perceptions of still-ongoing changes in farming and fishing, water, external dependence, migration and inter-island political change. Connectivity (flows of people, goods, information, money, power) appear to have strengthed local island recovery, but degradation continued, not least due to water scarcity and a lack of shared political vision as Rodrigues became more tied into the wider world.Overall, our findings suggest social-ecological systems may get stuck in a post-collapse recovery without any new structure emerging, presuming adaptive cycles can even be detected. Data gaps and global change redefining spatial and temporal scales could mean the adaptive cycle's usefulness is limited in development policy-making contexts.     

Multisite, Multiwavelength Studies of the Active Cool Binary CC Eri

New data acquired on the active, cool binary CC Eri ranged across the spectrum from Chandra X-ray to broadband photometry and microwave observations using the VLA and ATCA. Also, high-dispersion spectropolarimetry using the AAT enabled Zeeman-Doppler imaging to be performed. Our interpretations infer strong localised concentrations of the stellar magnetic field, manifested by surface activity and related large coronal plasma structures. Comprehensive matching of the modelling parameters awaits more detailed investigation.This brief interim review includes consideration of the ATCA data. Microwave radio emission is usually low level (‘quiescent’), but occasionally flares of several mJy peak intensity are observed. We associate the emission, generally, with wave-like mechanisms, expanding through the outer atmosphere. Related characteristics of this emission are discussed.