Out‐of‐plane geometrical spreading in anisotropic media

Two-dimensional seismic processing is successful in media with little structural and velocity variation in the direction perpendicular to the plane defined by the acquisition direction and the vertical axis. If the subsurface is anisotropic, an additional limitation is that this plane is a plane of symmetry. Kinematic ray propagation can be considered as a two-dimensional process in this type of medium. However, two-dimensional processing in a true-amplitude sense requires out-of-plane amplitude corrections in addition to compensation for in-plane amplitude variation. We provide formulae for the out-of-plane geometrical spreading for P- and S-waves in transversely isotropic and orthorhombic media. These are extensions of well-known isotropic formulae.
For isotropic and transversely isotropic media, the ray propagation is independent of the azimuthal angle. The azimuthal direction is defined with respect to a possibly tilted axis of symmetry. The out-of-plane spreading correction can then be calculated by integrating quantities which describe in-plane kinematics along in-plane rays. If, in addition, the medium varies only along the vertical direction and has a vertical axis of symmetry, no ray tracing need be carried out. All quantities affecting the out-of-plane geometrical spreading can be derived from traveltime information available at the observation surface.
Orthorhombic media possess no rotational symmetry and the out-of-plane geometrical spreading includes parameters which, even in principle, are not invertible from in-plane experiments. The exact and approximate formulae derived for P- and S-waves are nevertheless useful for modelling purposes.     

A laser-ablation ICP-MS study of Apollo 15 low-titanium olivine-normative and quartz-normative mare basalts

Apollo 15 low-Ti mare basalts have traditionally been subdivided into olivine- and quartz-normative basalt types, based on their different SiO₂, FeO, and TiO₂ whole-rock compositions. Previous studies have reconciled this compositional diversity by considering the olivine- and quartz-normative basalts as originating from different lunar mantle source regions. To provide new information on the compositions of Apollo 15 low-Ti mare basalt parental magmas, we report a study of major and trace-element compositions of whole rocks, pyroxenes, and other phases in the olivine-normative basalts 15016 and 15555 and quartz-normative basalts 15475 and 15499. Results show similar rare-earth-element patterns in pyroxenes from all four basalts. The estimated equilibrium parental-melt compositions from the trace-element compositions of pyroxenes are similar for 15016, 15555 and 15499. Additionally, an independent set of trace-element distribution coefficients has been determined from measured pyroxene and mesostasis compositions in sample 15499. These data suggest that fractional crystallization may be a viable alternative to compositional differences in the mantle source to explain the 25% difference in whole-rock TiO₂, and corresponding differences in SiO₂ and FeO between the Apollo 15 olivine- and quartz-normative basalts. In this model, the older (3.35 Ga) quartz-normative basalts, with lower TiO₂ experienced olivine, chromite, and Cr-ulvöspinel fractionation at ‘crustal levels’ in magma chambers or dikes, followed by limited near-surface mineral fractionation, within the lava flows. In contrast, the younger (3.25 Ga) olivine-normative basalts experienced only limited magmatic differentiation at ‘crustal-levels’, but extensive near-surface mineral fractionation to produce their evolved mineral compositions. A two-stage mineral-fractionation model is consistent with textural and mineralogical observations, as well as the mineral trace-element constraints developed by this study.     

An overview of the mink study

Highlights of the previous papers in this series are reviewed. Methodology developed for the MINK study has improved the ability of impacts analysis to deal with questions of (1) spatial and temporal variability in climate change; (2) CO₂-enrichment effects; (3) the reactions of complex enterprises (farms and forests) to climate change and their ability to adjust and adapt; and (4) integrated effects on current and, more particularly, on future regional economies. The methodology also provides for systematic study of adjustment and adaptation opportunities and of the inter-industry linkages that determine what the overall impacts on the regional economy might be. The analysis shows that with a 1930s dust bowl climate the region-wide economic impacts would be small, after adjustments in affected sectors. In this final paper we consider whether synergistic effects among sectoral impacts and more severe climate change scenarios might alter this conclusion. The MINK analysis, as is, leads to the conclusion that a strong research capacity will be required to ensure that technologies facilitating adaptation to climate change will be available when needed. The capacity to deal with climate change also requires an open economy allowing for free trade and movement of people and for institutions that protect unpriced environmental values. More severe climate scenarios and negative synergisms can only strengthen these conclusions.     

中国陆地水元素组成的中子活化分析试验

对同期降水、江河水和地下水的元素组成,使用中子活化分析方法作了对比试验。降水取自分布于8个气候带的11个站,其海拔高程为5～3659m,年平均降水量为50～1571mm。河水取自各主要江河包括内陆河和海岛的12个测站以及3个实验流域,并在其附近采集地下水。降水中共检出35种元素,各站有19～31种元素,同期均有空间分布。河水中共检出39种元素,各河分别有21～31种元素。地下水中共检出35种元素,各站有30～32种元素。对其浓度组成作了由大于1000μg/L至小于0.01μg/L的分级综合。有些元素含量超出所报道的世界淡水浓度范围,小于其最低值,甚或远大于其最高值。     

Simple features of mantle-wide convection and the interpretation of lower-mantle tomograms

Simple fluid dynamic constraints aid in the interpretation of lower mantle tomograms. The geothermal gradient away from slabs and plumes is subadiabatic between the upper (lithosphere) and lower (D″) boundary layers by ～400 K. Slabs widen proportionally with the square root of the viscosity as they sink through the lower mantle. The time scale for the persistence of slab graveyards at the base of the mantle is comparable to the time for plate motions to reorganize ～120–200 Myr. At most a few starting plume heads currently exist in the lower mantle. Tomographic inversions may include more sophisticated numerical-modeling versions of these constraints.