Multi-electrode resistivity survey for groundwater exploration in the Harare greenstone belt, Zimbabwe

A multi-electrode resistivity survey, carried out over metasedimentary strata and metavolcanics in the Harare greenstone belt in northeastern Zimbabwe as part of a groundwater resources investigation, illustrates the ability of this technique to produce high-resolution images of the subsurface, which are useful for groundwater resources assessment. The resistivity results provide a clear view of the thickness of the weathered regolith and of the distribution of the various lithological units. Using a combination of apparent formation resistivity and inferred depth of weathering, it is possible to characterize the various lithologies on the geophysical profiles. These assigned lithologies show excellent correlation with the mapped geology, and the main lithologies, metabasalt, meta-arenite, granodiorite and banded iron formation can be clearly identified. The banded iron formation is characterized by low resistivity values, while a combination of the depth of weathering and resistivity values are used to distinguish between the meta-arenite on one hand and the metabasalt and granodiorite on the other. The multi-electrode method is successful in identifying potentially favourable zones for obtaining groundwater, such as areas with a maximum depth of weathered regolith, zones of fracturing and faulting, and high porosity and permeability zones associated with lithological contacts.

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Resumen Un estudio de resistividad multi-electrodo que se llevó a cabo en estratos meta sedimentarios y metavolcánicos en el cinturón de rocas verdes de Harare, en la parte noreste de Zimbabwe, como parte de una investigación de recursos de agua subterránea, ilustra la capacidad de esta técnica para producir imágenes de alta resolución de la subsuperficie, las cuales son útiles para la evaluación de los recursos da agua subterránea. Los resultados de resistividad suministran una visión clara el espesor del regolito meteorizado y de la distribución de varias unidades litológicas. Mediante el uso de una combinación de resistividad aparente de formación y de una profundidad inferida de meteorización, es posible caracterizar las diferentes litologías en los perfiles geofísicos. Estas litologías asignadas muestran una excelente correlación con la cartografía geológica y se pueden identificar las litologías predominantes como metabasalto, meta-arenita, granodiorita y formación de hierro bandeado. Esta última se caracteriza por valores bajos de resistividad, mientras que se utiliza una combinación de profundidad de meteorización y valores de resistividad, para distinguir entre meta-arenita por un lado y metabasalto y granodiorita por el otro. El método multi-electrodo es exitoso para identificar zonas potencialmente favorables para captar agua subterránea, las cuales pueden ser áreas con una profundidad máxima de regolito meteorizado, o bien zonas de fracturamiento y fallamiento, o también zonas de porosidad y permeabilidad altas asociadas con contactos litológicos.

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Résumé La prospection électrique par la méthode de multiélectrodes, effectuée pour linvestigation des eaux souterraines cantonnés dans des roches métamorphiques dorigine sédimentaire et volcanique de la ceinture de Harare-Zimbabwe a mis en évidence les possibilités de cette technique de réaliser des images à grande résolution du sous-sol qui sont très utiles pour lévaluation de la ressource en eaux souterraines. Daprès la distribution de la résistance il résulte une image très claire de lépaisseur des regolithes altérés ainsi que de la distribution des différentes unités lithologiques. Daprès les profiles géophysiques on peut caractériser les différents lithologies en utilisant les résistivités apparentes de la formation respective et les informations sur la profondeur de la zone altérée. Les lithologies ainsi déterminées montrent une excellente corrélation avec les cartes géologiques et on peut très bien identifier les lithologies principales comme les metabasaltes et les meta-arenites, les granodiorites et les formations de fer rubanées. Cettes dernières sont caractérisées par des faibles valeurs de la résistivité, tandis que en utilisant les résistivité et la profondeur de la zone altérée on peut distinguer les meta-arenites de granodiorites et des metabasaltes. La méthode des multiélectrodes est donc capable didentifier des formations favorables à laccumulation en eau comme les zones de faille et des fractures, ainsi que les zones à grande porosité et perméabilité, associées aux contactes lithologiques.

     

Trace constituents of Europa's atmosphere

Europa is bombarded by intense radiation that erodes the surface, launching molecules into a thin “atmosphere” representative of surface composition. In addition to atoms and molecules created in the mostly water ice surface such as H₂O, O₂, H₂, the atmosphere is known to have species representative of trace surface materials. These trace species are carried off with the 10-10⁴ H₂O molecules ejected by each energetic heavy ion, a process we have simulated using molecular dynamics. Using the results of those simulations, we found that a neutral mass spectrometer orbiting ∼100 km above the surface could detect species with surface concentrations above ∼0.03%. We have also modeled the atmospheric spatial structure of the volatile species CO₂ and SO₂ under a variety of assumptions. Detections of these species with moderate time and space resolution would allow us to constrain surface composition, chemistry and to study space weathering processes.     

Thermal maturity and organic composition of Pennsylvanian coals and carbonaceous shales, north-central Texas: Implications for coalbed gas potential

Thermal maturity was determined for about 120 core, cuttings, and outcrop samples to investigate the potential for coalbed gas resources in Pennsylvanian strata of north-central Texas. Shallow (< 600 m; 2000 ft) coal and carbonaceous shale cuttings samples from the Middle-Upper Pennsylvanian Strawn, Canyon, and Cisco Groups in Archer and Young Counties on the Eastern Shelf of the Midland basin (northwest and downdip from the outcrop) yielded mean random vitrinite reflectance (R_o) values between about 0.4 and 0.8%. This range of R_o values indicates rank from subbituminous C to high volatile A bituminous in the shallow subsurface, which may be sufficient for early thermogenic gas generation. Near-surface (< 100 m; 300 ft) core and outcrop samples of coal from areas of historical underground coal mining in the region yielded similar R_o values of 0.5 to 0.8%. Carbonaceous shale core samples of Lower Pennsylvanian strata (lower Atoka Group) from two deeper wells (samples from ~ 1650 m; 5400 ft) in Jack and western Wise Counties in the western part of the Fort Worth basin yielded higher R_o values of about 1.0%. Pyrolysis and petrographic data for the lower Atoka samples indicate mixed Type II/Type III organic matter, suggesting generated hydrocarbons may be both gas- and oil-prone. In all other samples, organic material is dominated by Type III organic matter (vitrinite), indicating that generated hydrocarbons should be gas-prone. Individual coal beds are thin at outcrop (< 1 m; 3.3 ft), laterally discontinuous, and moderately high in ash yield and sulfur content. A possible analog for coalbed gas potential in the Pennsylvanian section of north-central Texas occurs on the northeast Oklahoma shelf and in the Cherokee basin of southeastern Kansas, where contemporaneous gas-producing coal beds are similar in thickness, quality, and rank.     

Photometric,spectral phase and temperature effects on 4 Vesta and HED meteorites: Implications for the Dawn mission

Phase angle and temperature are two important parameters that affect the photometric and spectral behavior of planetary surfaces in telescopic and spacecraft data. We have derived photometric and spectral phase functions for the Asteroid 4 Vesta, the first target of the Dawn mission, using ground-based telescopes operating at visible and near-infrared wavelengths (0.4–2.5 μm). Photometric lightcurve observations of Vesta were conducted on 15 nights at a phase angle range of 3.8–25.7° using duplicates of the seven narrowband Dawn Framing Camera filters (0.4–1.0 μm). Rotationally resolved visible (0.4–0.7 μm) and near-IR spectral observations (0.7–2.5 μm) were obtained on four nights over a similar phase angle range. Our Vesta photometric observations suggest the phase slope is between 0.019 and 0.029 mag/deg. The G parameter ranges from 0.22 to 0.37 consistent with previous results (e.g., Lagerkvist, C.-I., Magnusson, P., Williams, I.P., Buontempo, M.E., Argyle, R.W., Morrison, L.V. [1992]. Astron. Astrophys. Suppl. Ser. 94, 43–71; Piironen, J., Magnusson, P., Lagerkvist, C.-I., Williams, I.P., Buontempo, M.E., Morrison, L.V. [1997]. Astron. Astrophys. Suppl. Ser. 121, 489–497; Hasegawa, S. et al. [2009]. Lunar Planet. Sci. 40. ID 1503) within the uncertainty. We found that in the phase angle range of 0° < α ? 25° for every 10° increase in phase angle Vesta’s visible slope (0.5–0.7 μm) increases 20%, Band I and Band II depths increase 2.35% and 1.5% respectively, and the BAR value increase 0.30. Phase angle spectral measurements of the eucrite Moama in the lab show a decrease in Band I and Band II depths and BAR from the lowest phase angle 13° to 30°, followed by possible small increases up to 90°, and then a dramatic drop between 90° and 120° phase angle. Temperature-induced spectral effects shift the Band I and II centers of the pyroxene bands to longer wavelengths with increasing temperature. We have derived new correction equations using a temperature series (80–400 K) of HED meteorite spectra that will enable interpretation of telescopic and spacecraft spectral data using laboratory calibrations at room temperature (300 K).     

William Smith's map brought alive by digital remastering

The geological mapping carried out by William Smith, which resulted in the publication of his famous map in 1815, was remarkable in many respects, not least because it relied on him being able to make consistent and accurate observations on the rock types he encountered during his fieldwork. This ability, gained from his many years studying rocks, allowed him to observe features with his own eyes (or at the very least, with the aid of a simple magnifying device) that others could not. We take a new look at William Smith's original stratigraphical sequences, and with samples collected from his classic field areas (many of which are around the city of Bath, Somerset, UK), demonstrate how spatial mineralogy mapping can be incorporated into the modern age of digital mapping.     

The Dominican Republic–Central American Free Trade Agreement’s Symbolic Nod to Environmental Protection: Legal Perspectives on the Citizen Submission Process

The Dominican Republic–Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) contains a chapter on the environment, ostensibly included to mitigate the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) environmental oversights. The environment chapter created a citizen submission process designed to foster public participation in supporting each participating nation’s environmental laws. This article examines the outcomes to date of the citizen submission process, based on an analysis of the articles of the agreement and an examination of the rulings made on each case submitted under the citizen submission process. The analysis shows that CAFTA poses significant obstacles to citizen participation and has made minimal, if any, contributions to environmental law enforcement among the Parties to the agreement.     

A Mariner 9 atlas of the moons of Mars

This paper contains a complete set of the best enhancements of Mariner 9 high resolution television pictures of Phobos and Deimos, consisting of 27 different views of Phobos, and 9 of Deimos. Pertinent data about the pictures are arranged in convenient tabular and graphical form.     

Taming a “chaotic concept”: gentrification and segmented consumption in Brooklyn, 2002–2012

Public debate and prior scholarship tend to emphasize the link between gentrification and high-end chain retail, underscoring the importance of taste cultures tied to social class in making sense of gentrification’s impact on neighborhood identity. In this study, we present evidence from 10 years of change in the businesses of Brooklyn, New York City, a period of extensive gentrification across a wide variety of neighborhood and census-tract level contexts. Adopting census tracts clustered in neighborhoods as the units of analysis, we model the effects of institutional and demographic change on two separate outcomes: chain retail density and homogeneity in the types of goods and services available. We argue that changes in consumer culture embedded in broader processes of gentrification are neither “chaotic” nor “unitary” but are “segmented” according to local spatial and demographic context, taking two discrete forms: institutionally facilitated corporatization; lifestyle-driven homogenization.