RE J1034+396: the origin of the soft X-ray excess and quasi-periodic oscillation

The X-ray quasi-periodic oscillation (QPO) seen in RE J1034+396 is so far unique amongst active galactic nuclei (AGN). Here, we look at another unique feature of RE J1034+396, namely its huge soft X-ray excess, to see if this is related in any way to the detection of the QPO. We show that all potential models considered for the soft energy excess can fit the 0.3–10 keV X-ray spectrum, but the energy dependence of the rapid variability (which is dominated by the QPO) strongly supports a spectral decomposition where the soft excess is from low-temperature Comptonization of the disc emission and remains mostly constant, while the rapid variability is produced by the power-law tail changing in normalization. The presence of the QPO in the tail rather than in the disc is a common feature in black hole binaries (BHBs), but low-temperature Comptonization of the disc spectrum is not generally seen in these systems. The main exception to this is GRS 1915+105, the only BHB which routinely shows super-Eddington luminosities. We speculate that the super-Eddington accretion rates lead to a change in disc structure, and that this also triggers the X-ray QPO.     

Early Palaeozoic orogenic events north of the Rheic suture (Brabant,Ardenne): A review

The Lower Palaeozoic rocks exposed in the Brabant-Ardenne region (Belgium, France) recorded the Early Palaeozoic history on the southern margin of the perigondwanan microcontinent of Avalonia, north of the Rheic suture. These rocks crop out in the Brabant basement and in the Ardenne basement inliers within the Variscan Ardenne allochthon. The two main unconformities are classically associated with distinct orogenic episodes, the Late Ordovician “Ardennian” event and the Early Devonian “Brabantian” event. A review of the current state-of-knowledge with respect to the reconstruction of Early Palaeozoic geodynamics in the Brabant-Ardenne region is presented. It is demonstrated that an unconformity does not necessarily represent an orogenic event, and that the hiatus related to an unconformity does not necessarily coincide with tectonic activity, especially when tectonism is diachronous in nature. The former applies to the Ardennian unconformity, while the latter applies to the Brabantian unconformity. Finally, the well-constrained Brabantian orogeny, as well as the Ardenne-Eifel basin development, is tentatively framed within the Early Palaeozoic geodynamic context of the northern margin of the Rheic realm. By doing so, it is shown that the Brabant-Ardenne region links, both in space and time, the Rheic and Rhenohercynian ocean.     

Stratigraphic architecture and infill history of a deglaciated bedrock valley based on georadar, seismic profiling and drilling

The sediment fill of a silled bedrock valley in Western Norway has been investigated with respect to stratigraphy and infill history using a combination of mapping, georadar, seismic profiling and drilling. A small outlet glacier occupies the head of the valley that displays a stepwise down-valley profile and terminates in a lake at 29 m above sea-level. The valley is surrounded by high, steep bedrock slopes and is characterized by a series of filled basins each limited by sills of bedrock or moraine accumulations. Till, glacial outwash and/or rockslide deposits fill in the lower half of the two larger basins. (Fan) delta deposits fringed by the deposits of alluvial fans and colluvial cones dominate the upper fill of most basins. (Fan) delta deposits interfinger downstream with lake sediments in the larger basins and fluvial deposits comprise the top fill. The overall infill pattern was controlled by deglaciation as well as basin size and shape. An overall decreasing sediment supply following deglaciation is shown in the fill of a larger basin down-valley, whereas a recently increasing sediment supply during glacier growth is reflected primarily in an upstream basin. Only the lowermost basin was exposed to a sea-level drop from 75 m above sea-level to the present lake level associated with incision and river migration. This observation is in contrast to the basins above marine influence where incision has been limited due to fixed downstream sills resulting in insignificant erosion except for some fan-head entrenchment. It follows that the fills of these small valley basins display progradational and aggradational trends of deposition and paraglacial reworking has been limited. Additionally, the study demonstrates that georadar profiling, combined with other methods, is very useful for comprehensive investigation of valley basins.     

Sedimentation, fracturing and sliding on a pelagic plateau margin: the Middle Jurassic to Lower Cretaceous succession of Rocca Busambra (Western Sicily, Italy)

The Jurassic succession of Rocca Busambra consists of two lithostratigraphic units: a pile of peritidal limestones several hundreds of metres thick (Inici Formation: Hettangian to Sinemurian) and a 2 to 15 m thick sequence of Rosso Ammonitico‐type pelagic limestones (Toarcian? to lowermost Berriasian). An extensive interval of non‐deposition is evidenced by a thick Fe–Mn oxide crust on the bounding disconformity and is recorded partially in the material contained within a complex network of neptunian dykes and sills. Seven lithofacies are distinguished in the Rosso Ammonitico. These lithofacies show that the Rosso Ammonitico limestones differ from most analogues both in Sicily and elsewhere: sediments are mostly grain‐supported and non‐nodular; obviously bottom currents were important during deposition of these sediments. These currents were pulsating at different frequencies and induced winnowing, intraclast production and early cement precipitation. Other Rosso Ammonitico lithosomes of Late Jurassic to earliest Cretaceous age, usually decimetre thick and discontinuous, overlie the Inici Formation without any Fe–Mn crust; their anomalous stratigraphical and geometrical relationships show that they were deposited on an inclined, stepped, erosional surface incised in the sub‐horizontal Inici Formation. This ancient escarpment is interpreted as the result of a mainly gravitational collapse of the margin of a pelagic plateau. Such mass wasting was probably due to the backstepping of the tectonic plateau–basin margin that is not observable directly, but may be inferred from circumstantial evidence. This observation clearly shows that tectonic activity affected the Rocca Busambra sector of the West Tethys continental margins a few tens of millions of years after the end of the rifting stage. The anomalous Rosso Ammonitico sediments are the only indication of the escarpment and their occurrence in the stratigraphic record is probably more widespread than reported in the literature. More accurate palaeoenvironmental and palaeogeographic reconstructions may depend on the identification of these sediments.     

Terrigenous organic matter sources in mid-pleistocene sediments from the orphan knoll,Northwest Atlantic Ocean

The concentration and composition of lignin-derived phenols, which are often used as biomarkers for terrigenous organic matter (OM) inputs, were examined in North Atlantic Ocean sediments from IODP core U1302A (50°9.985′N, 45°38.271′W, 3568 m water depth), Orphan Knoll, 650 km NE of St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada for the period of ca. 1100–810 ka BP. Lignin-derived phenols were extracted from sediments using CuO oxidation which yielded eight characteristic phenols. The majority of sediments have low syringyl phenol to vanillyl phenol (S/V) ratios and high cinnamyl phenol to vanillyl phenol (C/V) ratios, suggesting predominant concentrations of gymnosperm-derived organic matter inputs from adjacent continents (most likely eastern Canada and possibly southern Greenland). The S/V values were lower for the period of ca. 958–840 ka BP relative to ca. 1090–1078, 1042–958 and 840–818 ka BP, indicating fluctuations in the proportion of angiosperm- and gymnosperm-derived lignin delivery to the ocean. The greater fraction of gymnosperms for the period of 958–840 ka BP likely reflects the response of vegetation in source regions to climate cooling in the early part of the mid-Pleistocene. Lignin-derived phenol concentrations also displayed high variability during the investigated period, which did not show positive correlations with magnetic susceptibility or Gamma Ray Attenuation density. Considering that a fundamental climate change (41–100 ka cyclicity) occurred within the mid-Pleistocene, large variations in abundance and composition of lignin-derived phenols in core U1302A is likely indicative of dynamic environmental conditions, reflected by the variability in both concentrations and types of vegetation on adjacent continents and/or different mechanisms to transport terrigenous organic matter to the deep ocean.     

Long‐term streamflow trends in the middle reaches of the Yellow River Basin: detecting drivers of change

The catchments in the Loess Plateau, in China's middle reaches of the Yellow River Basin, experienced unprecedented land use changes in the last 50 years as a result of large‐scale soil conservation measure to control soil erosion. The climate of the region also exhibited some levels of change with decreased precipitation and increased temperature. This study combined the time‐trend analysis method with a sensitivity‐based approach and found that annual streamflow in the Loess Plateau decreased significantly since the 1950s and surface runoff trends appear to dominate the streamflow trends in most of the catchments. Annual baseflow exhibited mostly downward trends, but significant upward trends were also observed in 3 out of 38 gauging stations. Mean annual streamflow during 1979?2010 decreased by up to 65% across the catchments compared with the period of 1957?1978, indicating significant changes in the hydrological regime of the Loess Plateau. It is estimated that 70% of the streamflow reduction can be attributed to land use change, while the remaining 30% is associated with climate variability. Land use change because of the soil conservation measures and reduction in precipitation are the key drivers for the observed streamflow trends. These findings are consistent with results of previous studies for the region and appear to be reasonable given the accelerated level of the soil conservation measures implemented since the late 1970s. Changes in sea surface temperature in the Pacific Ocean, as indicated by variations in El Niño–Southern Oscillation and phase shifts of the Pacific Decadal Oscillation, appear to have also affected the annual streamflow trends. The framework described in this study shows promising results for quantifying the effects of land use change and climate variability on mean annual streamflow of catchments within the Loess Plateau. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.