Sediment transfer in an extremely low-gradient,low-relief and highly buffered system: Darwin Harbour catchment,northern Australia

Abstract

Sediment yields from and sediment transfer within catchments of very low relief and gradient, which make up about 50% of Earth’s surface, are poorly documented and their internal sediment dynamics are poorly known. Sediment sources, their proportionate contributions to valley floors and sediment yield, and storage are estimated using fallout radionuclides ²¹⁰Pb_(ex) and ¹³⁷Cs in the catchments that drain into Darwin Harbour, northern Australia, an example of this understudied catchment type that appears to be globally at the extreme end of this category of catchments. Unchannelled grassy valley floors (dambos, or seasonal wetlands) trap ～90% of the sediment delivered from hillslopes by sheet and rill erosion. Further down valley, small channels transport ～10% of the sediment that escapes from the dambos, and the remaining sediment comes from erosion of the channels. In this case, the fractional sediment storage is very high as a result of the existence of dambos, a landform that depends for its existence on low gradients.     

Optical Monitoring of SS 433 in 2017–2021

Astronomy Reports - The observed characteristics of the spectral and photometric variability of SS 433 are discussed based on the data for 2018–2021 and compared with earlier results. The...     

Authigenic iron and titanium oxides in triassic red beds: (St. Bees Sandstone), Cumbria,Northern England

Authigenic iron and titanium oxides occur in three main textural varieties in the St. Bees Sandstone, a Triassic red bed succession in Cumbria. These are: (a) overgrowths of haematite, titaniferous haematite, anatase, and rutile which generally occur on detrital host grains of similar compositions. The overgrowths may occur as syntaxial rim cements or rhombohedral and prismatic projections and are always in optical continuity, (b) discrete crystals of anatase (including octahedrite) and haematite 10-40 μm in size occur in pore spaces, and (c) fine grained ( < 1 μm) pigmentary haematite occurs as grain coatings around detrital grains and in the interstitial matrix. The euhedral nature and pore-filling habit clearly indicate the authigenic origin of these iron- and titanium oxides. All three textural varieties are believed to have been precipitated from ground waters containing dissolved ferrous and titanium ions. These ions were derived from the intrastratal solution of detrital iron and titanium bearing grains including ferromagnesian silicates and iron-titanium oxides. The precipitation of iron oxides from migrating ground waters in the manner described here goes some way to explaining how thick, uniformly red successions can be formed.     

A case study of warm air advection over a melting snow surface

When relatively warm, moist air moves over a snow surface, sensible heat and moisture are extracted from its lower layers and used to melt the snow. The depth of the cooled layer depends on horizontal wind speeds and the presence of high vertical wind shear. The mechanism for air mass modification appears to be turbulent mixing.     

Easy method of interpreting dyke anomalies

Summary An entirely new procedure is proposed in this paper for interpreting anomalies of dykes. This reduces the ambiguity in magnetic interpretation. Measurements of the first vertical derivative simplifies the problem of interpretation and also supplies additional information concerning the parameters of a dyke. The first vertical derivative profile cuts the distance axis at two points whose separation is related to the depth and direction of magnetisation of a dyke.     

Correspondence analysis applied to volcanic aerosols

A statistical analysis of volcanic aerosol based on 1,083 variables including concentration, grain-size and site variabilities establishes correlations between sites and among chemical elements.Variation curves of element concentration show parallel behaviour. High coefficients of correlation between anions and cations confirm associations between elements.     

COMPUTER MODELING OF VERTICAL SEISMIC PROFILING*

There are numerous modeling techniques commonly employed for the computer simulation of seismic wave propagation. The capabilities of these techniques vary according to the theoretical foundations and subsequent approximations upon which the algorithms are based. This paper constitutes a comparative review of seven modeling methods: geometric ray theory, asymptotic ray theory, generalized ray theory, Kirchhoff wave theory, Fourier synthesis, finite differences, and finite elements. These methods can be categorized as ray or wave, acoustic or elastic, and can be contrasted according to their relative abilities to simulate such behavior as wave interference effects, diffractions, and mode conversions. As is implied by their names, geometric ray theory and asymptotic ray theory are both ray methods. The other five methods provide wave theory simulations. Geometric ray theory and Kirchhoff wave theory are normally implemented in acoustic form, while the other methods are readily adapted for computing elastic theory solutions. Generalized ray theory and Fourier synthesis are more limited in the complexity of geological model they can accommodate than are the other techniques. The methods which typically demand the greatest computer resources are the finite-difference and the finite-element techniques. All methods can incorporate at least some multiple events. Diffractions, however, are only inherent in the solutions computed by Kirchhoff wave theory, finite differences and finite elements. Attenuation is readily incorporated in both the Fourier synthesis and the finite-element methods. As an example of the application of seismic modeling, a geological model representative of a typical petroleum exploration target is used to compare vertical seismic profiles calculated by different modeling methods.     

High-resolution garnet chronometry and the rates of metamorphic processes

Garnets in an amphibolite-facies metasediment from Sulitjelma, North Norway yield precise and concordant SmNd, UPb and RbSr ages that relate directly to the pressure (P) and temperature (T) conditions of mineral growth. Differential mineral reaction between graphitic and non-graphitic layers within this sample preserves a record of theP-T and time (t) history experienced during Barrovian regional metamorphism. Garnets in graphitic layers grew during prograde metamorphism at462 ± 16°C and5.2 ± 0.5 kbar under conditions of lowaH₂O, and yield indistinguishable¹⁴⁷Sm¹⁴³Nd and²³⁸U²⁰⁶Pb ages of434.1 ± 1.2 Ma and433.9 ± 1.0 Ma, respectively. In contrast, garnet growth in adjacent graphite-free layers did not occur untilP-T conditions of540 ± 18°C and8.0 ± 1.0 kbar were attained, with continued growth in response to minor heating and decompression with final matrix equilibration at544 ± 16°C and7.0 ± 1.0 kbar. The inclusion-free garnet rims in this assemblage record indistinguishable¹⁴⁷Sm¹⁴³Nd and²³⁸U²⁰⁶Pb ages of424.6 ± 1.2 Ma and423.4± 1.7 Ma, respectively. These results provide precise estimates for average heating and burial rates during prograde metamorphism of 8.6_−4.4^+7.5°C Ma⁻¹ and 0.8_−0.5^+0.9 km Ma⁻¹, respectively. Rb and Sr exchange between coexisting silicates in the graphite-free assemblage continued for some 37 Ma after the “peak” of metamorphism, and require an average cooling rate of about 4.0°C Ma⁻¹ during uplift. These results illustrate a clear relationship between reaction history and the timing of mineral growth and provide definitive constraints on the rates of thermal and tectonic processes accompanying regional metamorphism.     

Weathering of ilmenite from Chavara deposit and its comparison with Manavalakurichi placer ilmenite,southwestern India

The magnetic fractions of ilmenite from the beach placer deposit of Chavara, southwest India have been studied for mineralogical and chemical composition to assess the range of their physical and chemical variations with weathering. Chavara deposit represents a highly weathered and relatively homogenous concentration. Significant variation in composition has been documented with alteration. The most magnetic of the fractions of ilmenite, separated at 0.15 Å, and with a susceptibility of 3.2 × 10^?6 m³ kg^?1, indicates the presence of haematite–ilmenite intergrowth. An iron-poor, titanium-rich component of the ilmenite ore has been identified from among the magnetic fractions of the Chavara ilmenite albeit with an undesirably high Nb₂O₅ (0.28%), Cr₂O₃ (0.23%) and Th (149 ppm) contents. The ilmenite from Chavara is compared with that from the nearby Manavalakurichi deposit of similar geological setting and provenance. The lower ferrous iron oxide (2.32–14.22%) and higher TiO₂ (56.31–66.45%) contents highlight the advanced state of alteration of Chavara. This is also evidenced by the relatively higher Fe³⁺/Fe²⁺ ratio compared to Manavalakurichi ilmenite. In fact, the ilmenite has significantly been converted to pseudorutile/leucoxene.