Distributions of H2O and CO2 ices on Ariel, Umbriel, Titania, and Oberon from IRTF/SpeX observations

We present 0.8-2.4 μm spectral observations of uranian satellites, obtained at IRTF/SpeX on 17 nights during 2001-2005. The spectra reveal for the first time the presence of CO₂ ice on the surfaces of Umbriel and Titania, by means of 3 narrow absorption bands near 2 μm. Several additional, weaker CO₂ ice absorptions have also been detected. No CO₂ absorption is seen in Oberon spectra, and the strengths of the CO₂ ice bands decline with planetocentric distance from Ariel through Titania. We use the CO₂ absorptions to map the longitudinal distribution of CO₂ ice on Ariel, Umbriel, and Titania, showing that it is most abundant on their trailing hemispheres. We also examine H₂O ice absorptions in the spectra, finding deeper H₂O bands on the leading hemispheres of Ariel, Umbriel, and Titania, but the opposite pattern on Oberon. Potential mechanisms to produce the observed longitudinal and planetocentric distributions of the two ices are considered.     

Granites and yet more granites forty years on

The theme of this synoptic review is the relationship between cause, process, source and the geological context during the genesis of the granitic rocks. A close environmental relationship occurs because granites can arise as the end-stage of several generative processes, involving different source rocks, each appropriate to a particular tectonic situation. Expressed in geological terms the differences can be used to erect a genetic classification, to set in perspective the intervention of basic magma, to reveal the importance of the volcanoplutonic interface, to evaluate the significance of the texture, to predict the type of mineralisation, to understand the mode of emplacement and to determine the contribution of the various source rocks.

---

Zusammenfassung Das Thema dieser synoptischen übersicht behandelt das Verhältnis zwischen Ursache, Prozess, Herkunft und dem geologischen Rahmen während der Genese granitischer Gesteine.Es besteht hier eine enge Beziehung, weil Granite das Endstadium sehr unterschiedlicher Entstehungsprozesse sein können, die verschiedene Ausgangsgesteine einbeziehen und von denen jeder einer speziellen tektonischen Situation entspricht.Geologisch ausgedrückt kann man die Unterschiede dazu verwenden, eine genetische Klassifikation zu erstellen, um damit den Einflu\ basischen Magmas im richtigen Verhältnis zu sehen, die Bedeutung des vulkanisch-plutonischen Grenzbereiches aufzuzeigen, die Wichtigkeit der Textur herauszustreichen und den Typ der Mineralisation vorherzusagen. Auf diese Weise lä\t sich das Verständnis für den Modus der Platznahme erzielen und der Einflu\ verschiedener Ausgangsgesteine abschätzen.

---

Résumé Cette revue synoptique a pour thème les relations entre la cause, le processus, la source et le contexte géologique au cours de la genèse des roches granitiques. Il existe entre ces facteurs des relations étroites, car les granites peuvent représenter le stade final de plusieurs processus de genèse, impliquant des roches de départ diverses, et appropriés chacun à une situation tectonique particulière.Exprimées en termes géologiques, les différences peuvent Être utilisées en vue d'établir une classification génétique, de mettre en évidence l'intervention du magma basique, d'exprimer l'importance de l'interface volcano-plutonique, d'estimer la signification de la texture de mise en place et de déterminer la contribution des diverses roches de départ.

---

, , , . , . . , , . , - , , , . .

     

Devensian Late-glacial environmental change in the Gordano Valley, North Somerset, England: a rare archive for southwest Britain

The Late-glacial and Holocene environmental history of the Gordano Valley, North Somerset, UK has been reconstructed using pollen, sediment particle size and mineralogical analyses and radiocarbon dating. A Devensian sediment ridge across the valley confined the waters of a small lake, within which the initial sedimentation was minerogenic. Radiocarbon dating of overlying organic-rich deposits suggests that this began late in the Dimlington Stadial c. 18,000–15,000 Cal. BP. Petrographic analyses indicate the minerogenic sediments were partly wind-blown in origin. Climatic amelioration during the Windermere Interstadial c. 15,000 Cal. BP encouraged a shift from minerogenic to biogenic sedimentation. A brief return to minerogenic sedimentation between c. 10,400 and c. 9,520 Cal. BP was followed by uninterrupted fen peat accumulation throughout the Holocene. The later minerogenic horizon appears to represent the Loch Lomond Stadial. Few stratigraphic sequences preserving the complete Devensian Late-glacial–Holocene transition exist in southwest Britain, making the sedimentary archive of the Gordano Valley valuable regionally for reconstructing Late-glacial climate change.     

青藏高原末次冰期盛冰阶的时限与干盐湖地质事件

本文根据高原盐湖原生石盐矿物包裹体流质的氢、氧稳定同位素分析以及包裹体流质的Na+、Mg2+测定讨论了青藏高原北部近五万年来的气候环境演变,论述了末次冰期盛冰阶在高原地区的时限问题,初步确定盛冰阶的时限为21000-15000aB.P.,该期的平均温度比现今低约6-7℃。由于高寒的气候环境,促使高原盐湖补给水锐减,在其盛冰阶的晚期普遍形成干盐湖地质事件,这从各不同时间形成的原生石盐包裹体的流质中Mg2+/Na+值的分布得到充分的证实。     

Secular change in earth processes: Preface

正1.Introduction Uniformitarianism is a traditional approach used in many areas of geoscience that assumes the geologic processes observed today operated similarly throughout all of Earth history(Hutton,1788;Windley,1993),with such an ideology commonly encapsulated by the maxim"the present is the key to the past".This concept is closely associated with the philosophical principle of Occam’s razor,as discussed by Gould(1987)in his critique of its usage in the natural sciences:"we should try to explain the past by causes now in     

Model‐based multi‐metric control of uniaxial shake tables

Shake tables provide a direct means by which to evaluate structural performance under earthquake excitation. Because the entire structure is mounted on the base plate and subjected to the ground motion in real time, dynamic effects and rate‐dependent behavior can be accurately represented. Shake table control is not straightforward as the desired signal is an acceleration record, while most actuators operate in displacement feedback for stability. At the same time, the payload is typically large relative to the capacity of the actuator, leading to pronounced control‐structure interaction. Through this interaction, the dynamics of the specimen influence the dynamics of the shake table, which can be problematic when specimens change behavior because of damage or other nonlinearities. Moreover, shake tables are themselves inherently nonlinear, making it difficult to accurately recreate a desired acceleration record over a broad range of amplitudes and frequencies. A model‐based multi‐metric shake table control strategy is proposed to improve tracking of the desired acceleration of a uniaxial shake table, remaining robust to nonlinearities including changes in specimen condition. The proposed strategy is verified for the shake table testing of both linear and nonlinear structures. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Voronoi Meshing to Accurately Capture Geological Structure in Subsurface Simulations

Mathematical Geosciences - Mesh generation lies at the interface of geological modeling and reservoir simulation. Highly skewed or very small grid cells may be necessary to accurately capture the...     

白垩纪四足动物足印的生物地层学、生物年代学与遗迹相

从全球范围来看,白垩纪四足动物的足印多数是非鸟恐龙与鸟类留下的痕迹;少量足印来自翼龙、鳄鱼、龟、哺乳动物和其他四足动物。白垩纪的足迹化石以东亚(尤其是中国和朝鲜)和北美西部的最为人所知。南美(主要是阿根廷和巴西)也有一定数量广泛分布的足迹化石,欧洲、非洲与澳大利亚的白垩纪足迹组合则鲜为人知。以白垩纪四足动物的足印记录为基础,我们对两个全球足印生物年代重新进行了检查。早白垩世生物年代以蜥脚类与鸟脚类的足迹为特征。晚白垩世生物年代中的蜥脚类足迹较少,但是鸭嘴龙、暴龙和角龙的足迹增多了。另外,白垩纪足印化石的记录中记载了许多重要的生物地层学信息,如北美白垩纪中期蜥脚类恐龙的消失,以及白垩纪末恐龙的绝灭。越来越多来自东亚的白垩纪足印记录使我们对更精细的地方性白垩纪足印生物年代学有了初步印象。因此,以地方性四足恐龙(包括鸟类)遗迹属的地层分布为基础,可以识别出三个或四个足印生物年代。种类丰富并具有地方性特色的东亚的白垩纪鸟类动物的遗迹群,可能指示白垩纪时东亚存在着一个独特而繁盛的鸟类动物群。以足印化石为基础的这一假说有待进一步的验证。     

Influence of heterogeneity on the reliability and failure of a long 3D slope

The influence of heterogeneity of undrained shear strength on the performance of a long slope cut in clay is investigated. Random field theory is used to model the heterogeneity and finite elements are used to compute the slope response. These have been used within a Monte Carlo simulation to compute reliability as a function of global factor of safety. It is shown that three failure modes are possible, depending on the ratio of the horizontal scale of fluctuation to the slope size, as characterised by its height and length. For very small values of this ratio, the slope fails along its entire length and the result is similar to a conventional 2D analysis based on the mean strength. For intermediate values, discrete failures are likely and reliability is a function of slope length. For large values of the ratio, the variability takes on a layered appearance and the result is equivalent to a 2D stochastic analysis. The validity of the boundary conditions is examined by analysing slopes of different length. It is shown that simple probability theory may be linked with stochastic analysis and finite elements to give efficient solutions for some large 3D problems.