Inlet sequence: a vertical succession of sedimentary structures and textures created by the lateral migration of tidal inlets

Tidal inlets, narrow, comparatively deep gaps between barrier islands, are channels through which tidal currents flow vigorously as the water enters and leaves the backbarrier lagoons, bays, and intertidal flats and marshes. Many geologists have compared tidal inlets to river channels and have speculated that if an inlet shifts laterally, it should deposit a distinctive sequence of sediments, analogous to the point-bar sequence left by a meandering stream channel. Fire Island Inlet, located 56 km east of New York City, has migrated WSW at a mean rate of 64 m/year during the period 1825–1940. Waves approaching the coast, predominantly from the southeast, have shifted sediment along the shore toward the WSW. Deposition of sediment on the east side of the inlet has forced the tidal currents to erode the west side of the inlet, thus causing lateral migration. Because hydraulic conditions vary from the channel floor to the subaerial part of the spit which is present on the ENE side of the channel, sedimentary structures and textures vary systematically with depth. We have determined the various sedimentary environments associated with the modern Fire Island Inlet, sampled and described the sediments from these environments, and have collected samples from corings made on that part of Fire Island through which the inlet has migrated. On the basis of our studies, we propose an inlet sequence which is formed by the lateral migration of a tidal inlet. The sequence includes five major units, as follows on p. 492. The sediments belonging to various units in this sequence have been identified in four borings made on those parts of Fire Island through which the Fire Island Inlet has migrated since 1825. This sequence should be applicable to other inlets also. We think that the boundary between deep channel and shallow channel units remains relatively fixed at ?4.5 m, whereas the thickness of the deep channel unit is determined by the depth range between ?4.5 m and the total depth of the inlet. Hence, the main source of variation in the inlet sequence will be the thickness of the deep-channel unit. Most of the sediments of the inlet sequence are incised below mean low water; hence they will almost certainly be preserved in the geologic record, even if all other associated sediments from barrier environments located above mean low water are not preserved. Because of the great variability possible in rates of lateral migration of inlets along the shore compared with the rates of barrier displacement perpendicular to the shore, inlet sediments may be preserved as elongate lenses, or as widespread blankets. The shape of inlet deposits reveals much about the behaviour of barriers during a submergence. Hence, inlet sediments should shed new light on sediments of the continental shelves and on basal transgressive sands in the geologic record.      

Analytical solution of advection–diffusion equation in heterogeneous infinite medium using Green’s function method

Some analytical solutions of one-dimensional advection–diffusion equation (ADE) with variable dispersion coefficient and velocity are obtained using Green’s function method (GFM). The variability attributes to the heterogeneity of hydro-geological media like river bed or aquifer in more general ways than that in the previous works. Dispersion coefficient is considered temporally dependent, while velocity is considered spatially and temporally dependent. The spatial dependence is considered to be linear and temporal dependence is considered to be of linear, exponential and asymptotic. The spatio-temporal dependence of velocity is considered in three ways. Results of previous works are also derived validating the results of the present work. To use GFM, a moving coordinate transformation is developed through which this ADE is reduced into a form, whose analytical solution is already known. Analytical solutions are obtained for the pollutant’s mass dispersion from an instantaneous point source as well as from a continuous point source in a heterogeneous medium. The effect of such dependence on the mass transport is explained through the illustrations of the analytical solutions.     

Numerical study of mechanism of fold formation in a laminated rock

A set of large deformation experiments are presented to simulate folding pattern at various energy states during formation. In order to numerically simulate this phenomenon, a rectangular layer of shale is generated and compressed at various strain rates. The results reveal the variation in distribution of stress along the length of the bed. The stress distribution during elastic behaviour of shale bed at low compression rate and the change in stress distribution leading to rupture at high compression rates is discussed. Wavelength, limb length, bulk shortening, stress distribution, displacement of particles along the length of the bed is considered for comparative study of the fold pattern generated at various compression rates. The nature and position of crack generated during the formation of fold is also explained. After rupture in shale bed, the generation of fault and stress distribution in limbs of fold sliding over one another is also described.     

Elastic thickness estimates at northeast passive margin of North America and its implications

Global estimates of the elastic thickness (Te) of the structure of passive continental margins show wide and varying results owing to the use of different methodologies. Earlier estimates of the elastic thickness of the North Atlantic passive continental margins that used flexural modelling yielded a Te value of ~20–100 km. Here, we compare these estimates with the Te value obtained using orthonormalized Hermite multitaper recovered isostatic coherence functions. We discuss how Te is correlated with heat flow distribution and depth of necking. The E–W segment in the southern study region comprising Nova Scotia and the Southern Grand Banks show low Te values, while the zones comprising the NE–SW zones, viz., Western Greenland, Labrador, Orphan Basin and the Northern Grand Bank show comparatively high Te values. As expected, Te broadly reflects the depth of the 200–400°C isotherm below the weak surface sediment layer at the time of loading, and at the margins most of the loading occurred during rifting. We infer that these low Te measurements indicate Te frozen into the lithosphere. This could be due to the passive nature of the margin when the loads were emplaced during the continental break-up process at high temperature gradients.     

Hydro-uvarovite from Mantle Peridotites of Naga Hills Ophiolite: A Mineral Tracer for Neo-Tethyan Mantle Wedge Metasomatism

Hydrous Cr-bearing uvarovite garnets are rare in natural occurrences and belong to the ugrandite series and exist in binary solid solutions with grossular and andradite garnets. Here, we report the occurrence of hydrous uvarovite garnet having Cr2O3 upto 19.66 wt% and CaO of 32.12–35.14 wt% in the serpentinized mantle peridotites of Naga Hills Ophiolite (NHO), India. They occur in association with low-Cr diopsides. They are enriched in LILE (Ba, Sr), LREEs, with fractionating LREE-MREE [avg] with flat MREE/HREE patterns [avg. (Sm/Yb)N = 0.95]. Raman spectra indicate the presence of hydroxyl (OH–) peaks from 3500 to 3700 cm?1.     

Benford’s Distribution in Extrasolar World: Do the Exoplanets Follow Benford’s Distribution?

In many real life situations, it is observed that the first digits (i.e., 1,2,…,9) of a numerical data-set, which is expressed using decimal system, do not follow a uniform distribution. In fact, the probability of occurrence of these digits decreases in an almost exponential fashion starting from 30.1 % for 1 to 4.6 % for 9. Specifically, smaller numbers are favoured by nature in accordance with a logarithmic distribution law, which is referred to as Benford’s law. The existence and applicability of this empirical law have been extensively studied by physicists, accountants, computer scientists, mathematicians, statisticians, etc., and it has been observed that a large number of data-sets related to diverse problems follow this distribution. However, except two recent works related to astronomy, applicability of Benford’s law has not been tested for extrasolar objects. Motivated by this fact, this paper investigates the existence of Benford’s distribution in the extrasolar world using Kepler data for exoplanets. The quantitative investigations have revealed the presence of Benford’s distribution in various physical properties of these exoplanets. Further, some specific comments have been made on the possible generalizations of the obtained results, its potential applications in analysing the data-set of candidate exoplanets.     

Anomalous Mössbauer parameters in the second generation regolith Ghubara meteorite

Abstract— We conducted Mössbauer spectroscopic studies on the Ghubara meteorite which had been described as at least two‐generation regolith breccia on the macro scale. The isomer shift and quadrupole splitting of the Fe‐Ni part are quite different from those obtained in ordinary chondrites, reflecting shock effects. We observed a large amount of magnetite that may have come from weathering of, primarily, the silicate fraction. We found very similar iron mineralogy in the Densmore meteorite.