The lithospheric mantle beneath the southwestern Tianshan area, northwest China

A suite of spinel peridotite xenoliths in Mesozoic basalts of the Tuoyun basin in the Tianshan area of northwest China has a high proportion of amphibole/mica-bearing lherzolites, with high Cpx/Opx ratios (mean 0.74). Many aspects of mineral chemistry in the Tuoyun peridotites are intermediate between those of refractory Archean cratonic mantle and fertile Phanerozoic mantle. These include Ni/Cr and the contents of transition metals and Y in olivine and orthopyroxene and the abundances of elements such as Na, Al, Ti, Y, Sr and LREE in clinopyroxene. The data suggest that the mantle in Tuoyun is moderately depleted in basaltic components relative to both the refractory Archean mantle and the fertile Phanerozoic mantle. The wide variations in the CaO/Al₂O₃ (0.9–3.5) of whole rocks and LREE/HREE (0.8–14.2) and Ti/Eu (971–5,765) of clinopyroxenes in the Tuoyun peridotites are interpreted as the metasomatism of hydrous carbonatitic and potassic melt or the cumulative effects of mantle metasomatism by different agents (carbonatite and small-volume silicate melts) through time. The Tuoyun mantle shows closer affinity to the type of mantle found beneath the Proterozoic Cathaysia block, and especially to that beneath the East Central Asia Orogenic Belt (ECAOB), than to the mantle beneath the Archean North China Craton. This implies that the Tianshan subcontinental lithospheric mantle may have been generated during the accretion of the ECAOB. The high proportion of fine-grained microstructures, high Cpx/Opx ratio, obvious Ca enrichment and lower overall depletion in the Tuoyun mantle relative to that in other parts of the ECAOB reflect stronger mechanical and chemical modification of the Tuoyun mantle, near the translithospheric Talas-Ferghana strike-slip fault, which played a major role in controlling the strength of the mantle lithosphere and has channeled the upwelling mantle.     

Environmental impact assessment: a review

The review is divided into two main sections. The first section contains a survey of the growth in the use of EIA during the 1970s in Western industrialized economies, Third World countries and international agencies. It highlights a number of key issues associated with these developments—notably the types and numbers of actions which should be submitted to EIA, and the quality of EIA studies and the time and cost incurred in their preparation—and recommends that the focus of future development should be directed towards a more cost-effective ‘tiered’ system of environmental impact assessment. The second section contains a review of the technical methods which are used in the preparation and publication of EIA studies. These are grouped according to the kind of task they perform in the EIA process: identification, data assembly, prediction, evaluation and communication. This review concludes with recommendations for improvement in the EIA methods in use in such areas as: clearer identification of ‘best existing practice’, publication of technical guidance based on best practice, provision of training facilities in the use of EIA methods, and re-examination of priorities in environmental monitoring and research.     

Neutrino pair emission by a magnetized stellar plasma

The decay of a plasmon into two neutrinos in the presence of an intense magnetic field has been studied by Canutoet al. (1970). They suggest that one of the principal longitudinal plasmon modes, which occurs only in magnetized plasmas, would cause certain magnetic stars to cool more rapidly than their unmagnetized counterparts. We show here that this mechanism is inoperative since the plasmon mode involved cannot be excited in the direction parallel to the magnetic field as considered by Canutoet al. Moreover, for ω_c/ω_p?1, we show that the other principal longitudinal plasmon mode considered earlier by Adamset al. (1963) (which is largely independent of the magnetic field) dominates the plasmon-neutrino decay cooling of magnetic stars.     

Utility of Radiometric–aerodynamic Temperature Relations for Heat Flux Estimation

In many land-surface models using bulk transfer (one-source) approaches, the application of radiometric surface temperature observations in energy flux computations has given mixed results. This is due in part to the non-unique relationship between the so-called aerodynamic temperature, which relates to the efficiency of heat exchange between the land surface and overlying atmosphere, and a surface temperature measurement from a thermal-infrared radiometer, which largely corresponds to a weighted soil and canopy temperature as a function of radiometer viewing angle. A number of studies over the past several years using multi-source canopy models and/or experimental data have developed simplified methods to accommodate radiometric–aerodynamic temperature differences in one-source approaches. A recent investigation related the variability in the radiometric–aerodynamic relation to solar radiation using experimental data from a variety of landscapes, while another used a multi-source canopy model combined with measurements over a wide range in vegetation density to derive a relationship based on leaf area index. In this study, simulations by a detailed multi-source soil–plant–environment model, Cupid, which considers both radiative and turbulent exchanges across the soil–canopy–air interface, are used to explore the radiometric–aerodynamic temperature relations for a semi-arid shrubland ecosystem under a range of leaf area/canopy cover, soil moisture and meteorological conditions. The simulated radiometric-aerodynamic temperatures indicate that, while solar radiation and leaf area both strongly affect the magnitude of this temperature difference, the relationships are non-unique, having significant variability depending on local conditions. These simulations also show that soil–canopy temperature differences are highly correlated with variations in the radiometric–aerodynamic temperature differences, with the slope being primarily a function of leaf area. This result suggests that two-source schemes with reliable estimates of component soil and canopy temperatures and associated resistances may be better able to accommodate variability in the radiometric–aerodynamic relation for a wider range in vegetated canopy cover conditions than is possible with one-source schemes. However, comparisons of sensible heat flux estimates with Cupid using a simplified two-source model and a one-source model accommodating variability in the radiometric-aerodynamic relation based on vegetation density gave similar scatter. On the other hand, with experimental data from the shrubland site, the two-source model generally outperformed the one-source scheme. Clearly, vegetation density/leaf area has a major effect on the radiometric–aerodynamic temperature relation and must be considered in either one-source or two-source formulations. Hence these adjusted one-source models require similar inputs as in two-source approaches, but provide as output only bulk heat fluxes; this is not as useful for monitoring vegetation conditions.     

Multibeam Acoustic Detection of Fish and Water Column Targets at High-Flow Sites

The potential rapid development of tidal energy and accompanying structures in the coastal waters in several regions of Canada, and the world, will require subsurface sampling tools to monitor and evaluate the biological and environmental effects of this new industry. Proposed development sites are characterized by large tidal ranges, strong tidal flows, extreme turbulence, and in some cases sediment-laden water restricting visibility, imposing monitoring challenges. Turbulence-induced acoustic backscatter typically occurs in the top 10–20 m, but can extend from the surface to bottom during some phases of the tide. In Minas Passage, turbulence accounted for 78 % of the total water column backscatter making the separation of fish difficult if not impossible at times. In this paper, we examine operational capabilities of two high-frequency multibeam sonars to meet these monitoring challenges in the nearshore high-flow shallow coastal waters (1–100 m). Observations from proposed sites are used to illustrate the challenges as well as the advantages, and limitations, of multibeam sonars compared to conventional split beam technology in strong tidal currents and turbulent waters. Acoustic multibeam hardware necessary to meet the monitoring demands is currently available, but the processing and analytical software required to advance their application is insufficient to meet the requirements for effects and impact monitoring. It is anticipated that the required advancements will be available within the next 5 years. Challenges associated with equipment deployment, power supply, and communications are also discussed.     

A LA-ICP-MS Comparison of Reference Materials Used in Cassiterite U-Pb Geochronology

Laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) is used to compare the suitability of four cassiterite (SnO₂) materials (SPG, Yankee, AY-4 and Jian-1), and three matrix-mismatched reference materials (NIST SRM 612, NIST SRM 614 and 91500 zircon) for normalisation of U-Pb and Pb-Pb isotope ratios in cassiterite. The excess variance of ages determined by LA-ICP-MS is estimated to be ±0.33% for ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁶Pb vs. ²⁰⁸Pb/²⁰⁶Pb isochron ages and ± 1.8% and for U-Pb ages. Incorporation of this excess variance in cassiterite ages is necessary for realistic uncertainties. ²⁰⁷Pb-²⁰⁶Pb ages are advantageous for dating Precambrian cassiterite such as SPG compared with U-Pb ages as matrix effect on instrumental mass fractionation of Pb isotopes are generally considered to be minor. We note minor bias in ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁶Pb vs. ²⁰⁸Pb/²⁰⁶Pb isochron ages (~ 0.6%) when using either the NIST SRM 614 or 91500 zircon reference materials and emphasise the requirement for uncertainty propagation of all sources of error and reference materials with comparable U and Pb mass fraction to the cassiterite. The ²³⁸U/²⁰⁶Pb isotopic ratios from normalisation to matrix-mismatched reference materials show varied results, which emphasises the need to use matrix-matched reference materials for calculating U-Pb ages. When cross-calibrated against each other, LA-ICP-MS U-Pb ages of the ca. 1535 Ma SPG, ca. 245 Ma Yankee and ca. 155 Ma Jian-1 cassiterites are all consistent with their ID-TIMS values.     

Origins of Xenolithic Eclogites and Pyroxenites from the Central Slave Craton, Canada

Major- and trace-element and Sr–Nd–Hf isotopic compositionsof garnet and clinopyroxene in kimberlite-borne eclogite andpyroxenite xenoliths were used to establish their origins andevolution in the subcontinental lithospheric mantle beneaththe central Slave Craton, Canada. The majority of eclogitescan be assigned to three groups (high-Mg, high-Ca or low-Mgeclogites) that have distinct trace-element patterns. Althoughpost-formation metasomatism involving high field strength element(HFSE) and light rare earth element (LREE) addition has partiallyobscured the primary compositional features of the high-Mg andhigh-Ca eclogites, trace-element features, such as unfractionatedmiddle REE (MREE) to heavy REE (HREE) patterns suggestive ofgarnet-free residues and low Zr/Sm consistent with plagioclaseaccumulation, could indicate a subduction origin from a broadlygabbroic protolith. In this scenario, the low REE and smallpositive Eu anomalies of the high-Mg eclogites suggest moreprimitive, plagioclase-rich protoliths, whereas the high-Caeclogites are proposed to have more evolved protoliths withhigher (normative) clinopyroxene/plagioclase ratios plus trappedmelt, consistent with their lower Mg-numbers, higher REE andabsence of Eu anomalies. In contrast, the subchondritic Zr/Hfand positive slope in the HREE of the low-Mg eclogites are similarto Archaean second-stage melts and point to a previously depletedsource for their precursors. Low ratios of fluid-mobile to lessfluid-mobile elements and of LREE to HREE are consistent withdehydration and partial melt loss for some eclogites. The trace-elementcharacteristics of the different eclogite types translate intolower _Nd for high-Mg eclogites than for low-Mg eclogites. Withinthe low-Mg group, samples that show evidence for metasomaticenrichment in LREE and HFSE have lower _Nd and _Hf than a samplethat was apparently not enriched, pointing to long-term evolutionat their respective parent–daughter ratios. Garnet andclinopyroxene in pyroxenites show different major-element relationshipsfrom those in eclogites, such as an opposite CaO–Na₂Otrend and the presence of a CaO–Cr₂O₃ trend, independentof whether or not opx is part of the assemblage. Therefore,these two rock types are probably not related by fractionationprocesses. The presence of opx in about half of the samplesprecludes direct crystallization from eclogite-derived melts.They probably formed from hybridized melts that reacted withthe peridotitic mantle. KEY WORDS: eclogites; pyroxenite xenoliths; mantle xenoliths; eclogite trace elements; eclogite Sr isotopes; eclogite Hf isotopes; eclogite Nd isotopes     

Mining Land Cover Information Using Multilayer Perceptron and Decision Tree from MODIS Data

Land cover (LC) changes play a major role in global as well as at regional scale patterns of the climate and biogeochemistry of the Earth system. LC information presents critical insights in understanding of Earth surface phenomena, particularly useful when obtained synoptically from remote sensing data. However, for developing countries and those with large geographical extent, regular LC mapping is prohibitive with data from commercial sensors (high cost factor) of limited spatial coverage (low temporal resolution and band swath). In this context, free MODIS data with good spectro-temporal resolution meet the purpose. LC mapping from these data has continuously evolved with advances in classification algorithms. This paper presents a comparative study of two robust data mining techniques, the multilayer perceptron (MLP) and decision tree (DT) on different products of MODIS data corresponding to Kolar district, Karnataka, India. The MODIS classified images when compared at three different spatial scales (at district level, taluk level and pixel level) shows that MLP based classification on minimum noise fraction components on MODIS 36 bands provide the most accurate LC mapping with 86% accuracy, while DT on MODIS 36 bands principal components leads to less accurate classification (69%).     

Effects of urbanization on stream water quality in the city of Atlanta,Georgia, USA

A long‐term stream water quality monitoring network was established in the city of Atlanta, Georgia during 2003 to assess baseline water quality conditions and the effects of urbanization on stream water quality. Routine hydrologically based manual stream sampling, including several concurrent manual point and equal width increment sampling, was conducted ～12 times annually at 21 stations, with drainage areas ranging from 3·7 to 232 km². Eleven of the stations are real‐time (RT) stations having continuous measures of stream stage/discharge, pH, dissolved oxygen, specific conductance, water temperature and turbidity, and automatic samplers for stormwater collection. Samples were analyzed for field parameters, and a broad suite of water quality and sediment‐related constituents. Field parameters and concentrations of major ions, metals, nutrient species and coliform bacteria among stations were evaluated and with respect to watershed characteristics and plausible sources from 2003 through September 2007. Most constituent concentrations are much higher than nearby reference streams. Concentrations are statistically different among stations for several constituents, despite high variability both within and among stations. Routine manual sampling, automatic sampling during stormflows and RT water quality monitoring provided sufficient information about urban stream water quality variability to evaluate causes of water quality differences among streams. Fecal coliform bacteria concentrations of most samples exceeded Georgia's water quality standard for any water‐usage class. High chloride concentrations occur at three stations and are hypothesized to be associated with discharges of chlorinated combined sewer overflows, drainage of swimming pool(s) and dissolution and transport during rainstorms of CaCl₂, a deicing salt applied to roads during winter storms. One stream was affected by dissolution and transport of ammonium alum [NH₄Al(SO₄)₂] from an alum‐manufacturing plant; streamwater has low pH (<5), low alkalinity and high metals concentrations. Several trace metals exceed acute and chronic water quality standards and high concentrations are attributed to washoff from impervious surfaces. Published in 2009 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Trends in nutrients

The roles of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) as key nutrients determining the trophic status of water bodies are examined, and evidence reviewed for trends in concentrations of N and P species which occur in freshwaters, primarily in northern temperate environments. Data are reported for water bodies undergoing eutrophication and acidification, especially water bodies receiving increased nitrogen inputs through the atmospheric deposition of nitrogen oxides (NO_x). Nutrient loading on groundwaters and surface freshwaters is assessed with respect to causes and rates of change, relative rates of change for N and P, and implications of change for the future management of lakes, rivers and groundwaters. In particular, the nature and emphasis of studies for N species and P fractions in lakes versus rivers and groundwaters are contrasted. This review paper primarily focuses on results from North America and Europe, particularly for the UK where a wide range of data sets exists. Few nutrient loading data have been published on water bodies in less developed countries; however, some of the available data are presented to provide a global perspective. In general, N and P concentrations have increased dramatically (>20 times background concentrations) in many areas and causes vary considerably, ranging from urbanization to changes in agricultural practices.