Physical controls on sand composition and relative durability of detrital minerals during ultra‐long distance littoral and aeolian transport (Namibia and southern Angola)

Sediment in coastal Namibia to southern Angola is supplied dominantly from the Orange River with minor additional fluvial input and negligible modifications by chemical processes, which makes this a great test case for investigating physical controls on sand texture and composition. This study monitored textural, mineralogical and geochemical variability in beach and aeolian‐dune sands along a ca 1750 km stretch of the Atlantic coast of southern Africa by using an integrated set of techniques, including image analysis, laser granulometry, optical microscopy, Raman spectroscopy and bulk‐sediment geochemistry. These results contrast with previous reports that feldspars and volcanic detritus break down during transport, that sand grains are rounded rapidly in shallow‐marine environments, and that quartzose sands may be produced by physical processes. Mechanical wear is unable to modify the relative abundance of detrital components, including pyroxene and mafic volcanic rock fragments traditionally believed to be destroyed rapidly. The sole exceptions are poorly lithified or cleaved sedimentary/metasedimentary rock fragments, readily lost at the transition to the marine environment, and slow‐settling flaky micas, winnowed and deposited offshore. Coastal sediments tend to be depleted in relatively mobile amphibole, preferentially entrained offshore or re‐deposited in sheltered beaches, while less mobile garnet is retained onshore. No detrital mineral displays a significant increase in grain roundness after 300 to 350 km of longshore transport in high‐energy littoral environments from the Orange mouth to south of the Namib Erg, but all minerals get rapidly rounded after passing into the dunefield. Pyroxene and opaques get rounded faster than harder quartz and garnet, but sand mineralogy remains unchanged. Excepting strong transient selective‐entrainment effects, physical processes are unable to modify sand composition significantly. Selective mechanical breakdown can be largely neglected in quantitative provenance analysis of sand and sandstone even in the case of ultra‐long‐distance transport in high‐energy environments dominated by strong persistent winds and waves.     

Giant versus small porphyry copper deposits of Cenozoic age in northern Chile: adakitic versus normal calc-alkaline magmatism

Cenozoic magmatic activity in northern Chile led to the formation of two contrasting porphyry copper belts: (1) a Paleocene-Early Eocene belt comprising small porphyry copper deposits (e.g., Lomas Bayas) of normal calc-alkaline affinity; and (2) a Late Eocene-Early Oligocene belt hosting huge porphyry copper deposits (e.g., Chuquicamata) of adakitic affinity. Although the first belt comprises both volcanic and plutonic rocks (andesitic-basaltic and rhyolitic lavas and tuffs, and associated sub-volcanic porphyries and felsic stocks), the latter only includes intrusions (mostly granodioritic types, including porphyry copper deposits). We suggest that the Late Eocene-Early Oligocene belt formed when fast and oblique convergence between the South America and Farallon plates led to flat subduction and direct melting of the subducting plate, hence giving rise to plutonic rocks of adakitic affinity. The absence of volcanism, under prevailing compressional conditions, prevented the escape of SO₂ from the adakitic, sulfur-rich, highly oxidized magmas ("closed porphyry system"), which allowed formation of huge mineral deposits. On the contrary, coeval volcanic activity during formation of the Paleocene-Early Eocene calc-alkaline porphyries allowed development of "open systems", hence to outgassing, and therefore, to small mineral deposits.     

Blazar duty-cycle at γ-ray frequencies: constraints from extragalactic background radiation and prospects for AGILE and GLAST

We take into account the constraints from the observed extragalactic γ-ray background to estimate the maximum duty cycle allowed for a selected sample of WMAP Blazars, in order to be detectable by AGILE and GLAST γ-ray experiments. For the nominal sensitivity values of both instruments, we identify a subset of sources which can in principle be detectable also in a steady state without over-predicting the extragalactic background. This work is based on the results of a recently derived Blazar radio LogN-LogS obtained by combining several multi-frequency surveys.      

COHERENT GENERATION OF NARROW-BAND CIRCULARLY POLARIZED RADIO BURSTS FROM THE SUN AND FLARE STARS

It is shown that narrow-band radio bursts of right- and left-hand circular polarizations from the Sun and flare stars can be produced via nonlinear conversion of Langmuir waves into high-frequency electromagnetic electron cyclotron waves near the plasma frequency by coupling to low-frequency electromagnetic cyclotron waves such as Alfvén-ion cyclotron or magnetosonic-whistler waves.     

The bayesian probabilistic prediction of the next earthquake in the ometepec segment of the mexican subduction zone

A predictive equation to estimate the next interoccurrence time () for the next earthquake (M6) in the Ometepec segment is presented, based on Bayes' theorem and the Gaussian process.Bayes' theorem is used to relate the Gaussian process to both a log-normal distribution of recurrence times () and a log-normal distribution of magnitudes (M) (Nishenko andBuland, 1987;Lomnitz, 1964). We constructed two new random variablesX=InM andY=In with normal marginal densities, and based on the Gaussian process model we assume that their joint density is normal. Using this information, we determine the Bayesian conditional probability. Finally, a predictive equation is derived, based on the criterion of maximization of the Bayesian conditional probability. The model forecasts the next interoccurrence time, conditional on the magnitude of the last event.Realistic estimates of future damaging earthquakes are based on relocated historical earthquakes. However, at the present time there is a controversy between Nishenko-Singh and Gonzalez-Ruiz-Mc-Nally concerning the rupturing process of the 1907 earthquake. We use our Bayesian analysis to examine and discuss this very important controversy. To clarify to the full significance of the analysis, we put forward the results using two catalogues: (1) The Ometepec catalogue without the 1907 earthquake (González-Ruíz-McNally), and (2) the Ometepec catalogue including the 1907 earthquake (Nishenko-Singh).The comparison of the prediction error reveals that in the Nishenko-Singh catalogue, the errors are considerably smaller than the average error for the González-Ruíz-McNally catalogue of relocated events.Finally, using the Nishenko-Singh catalogue which locates the 1907 event inside the Ometepec segment, we conclude that the next expected damaging earthquake (M6.0) will occur approximately within the next time interval =11.82 years from the last event (which occurred on July 2, 1984), or equivalently will probably occur in April, 1996.     

Biogeochemistry of surface sediments off Concepción (∼36°S), Chile: El Niño vs. non-El Niño conditions

We compared the signals of several water column properties (upwelling intensity, sea level anomaly, temperature, nutrients, dissolved oxygen, chlorophyll-a, and surface sediments) of the continental shelf off Concepción (36°S) during the 1997-1998 El Niño with those of a normal year (2002-2003). We found that the primary hydrographic effect of El Niño 1997-1998 was a reduction in the input of nutrient-rich, oxygen-poor Equatorial Subsurface Water over the shelf. This affected the biology of the water column, as evidenced by the reduced phytoplankton biomass. Surface sediment properties (biogenic opal, organic carbon, bulk δ¹⁵N) observed during El Niño 1997-1998 reflected a reduced export production and the sediments failed to show the water column seasonality that occurs under normal conditions. In addition, weakened denitrification and/or upper water column fertilization could be inferred from the sedimentary δ¹⁵N. Although diminished, export production was preserved in the surface sediments, revealing less degraded organic matter in the upwelling period of the El Niño year than in the normal year. We suggest that the fresher organic material on the seafloor was probably associated with a severe reduction in the polychaete Parapronospio pinnata, which is considered to be the most important metazoan remineralizer of organic carbon at the sediment-water interface in the study area.     

An evaluation of sampling and full enumeration strategies for Fisher Jenks classification in big data settings

Large data contexts present a number of challenges to optimal choropleth map classifiers. Application of optimal classifiers to a sample of the attribute space is one proposed solution. The properties of alternative sampling‐based classification methods are examined through a series of Monte Carlo simulations. The impacts of spatial autocorrelation, number of desired classes, and form of sampling are shown to have significant impacts on the accuracy of map classifications. Tradeoffs between improved speed of the sampling approaches and loss of accuracy are also considered. The results suggest the possibility of guiding the choice of classification scheme as a function of the properties of large data sets.     

Cosmology after COBE

The measured anisotropies in the temperature of the cosmic microwave background radiation (CMB) by the Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE) are consistent with models of gravitational collapse for the formation of large scale structure in the universe. The amplitude of cosmological fluctuations on the largest scales is fixed by COBE. From COBE's data it is also possible to test for the shape of the primordial spectrum. Statistical tests using COBE's two year data and based on the geometric characteristics of anisotropy spots taking into account cosmic variance and the relevant experimental details indicate that the primordial spectrum has a slope in the rangen = 0.8 – 1.3. Possible identification of hot and cold spots of cosmological origin is also given.Presented at the Fourth United Nations/European Space Agency Workshop on Basic Space Science. Cairo, Egypt, 27 June - 1 July 1994.     

Large thrust earthquakes and volcanic eruptions

Forty-eight hours after the occurrence of the May 22, 1960 (M _W =9.5) Chile earthquake, Puyehue volcano initiated its eruptive activity. The closeness in space and time of both phenomena provides us with a unique opportunity to examine the possible causal relationship between the sudden strain change and the mechanism of the eruption. From the slip distribution of the 1960 event (Barrientos andWard, 1990) and a static propagator technique, which allows for variable slip faults in vertically heterogeneous media, I calculate the strain field and its depth dependence in the region beneath the volcano. The presented semi-analytical formalism can be applied to any two-dimensional dipping fault. Calculations show extension at the surface of the order of 40 strain, in agreement with what was observed in triangulation networks in the central valley about 50 km oceanward from the line of volcanoes. The amplitude of the strain field beneath the volcano is uniform up to a depth of 20 km and decreases downward. The sudden extension of the region is thought to be the main factor in facilitating the eruption of the volcano. It is postulated that strain beneath the volcano triggered the eruption of the Puyehue-Cordón Caulle volcanic system because it was in a mature stage of its eruptive cycle and there was lack of eruptive activity in other volcanoes located along the 1960 rupture region in the immediate period following the earthquake.