5α(H)-cholestan-3α-ol in sediments: Characterization and geochemical significance

The top five centimeters of sediment collected at the deepest point of Lake Léman (Switzerland), 309 meters below water level, contain concentrations of 5α(H)-cholestan-3α-ol (epicholestanol) up to 10% of the total sterol content. Isobutane chemical ionization mass spectrometry and coinjection with an authentic standard on a SP-1000 glass capillary column were used in order to successfully characterize this epimer of cholestanol.The distribution of this stanol throughout the sediment core studied suggests in situ bacterial production. The change in concentration of epicholestanol with depth is different from those found for other C₂₇ stanols, such as cholestanol or coprostanol. It is probably the result of a change in the bacterial fauna in the most recently deposited sediment, related to the increasing eutrophication of the lake rather than the consequence of its lower stability due to the axial conformation of the OH substituent.     

Behaviour of granites and limestones subjected to slow and homogeneous temperature changes

We have studied the evolution of the texture in two granites and two limestones subjected to slow and uniform temperature change. Each granite has a different grain size and each limestone a different texture: Carrare crystalline limestone and Crepey oolitic limestone. Temperature was varied from 200°C to 700°C. Scanning Electron Microscope observations of different rock samples show that during thermal cycling intercrystalline boundaries in granites widen out progressively and porosity increases. New microcracks appear in crystals between 500°C and 600°C. In Carrare crystalline limestone, intercrystalline cracks appear at temperatures as low as 200°C. Due to its heterogeneous cracks appear at temperatures as low as 200°C. Due to its heterogeneous increasing temperature. Longitudinal wave velocity and intrinsic permeability show good correlation with the Scanning Electron Microscope observations.     

Rare earths in barites: distribution and effects on aqueous partitioning

A large variety of barites collected from marine and continental environments was analyzed by neutron activation for the rare-earth elements (REE) La, Ce, Sm, Eu and Dy. Relative to chondrites, all barites show a decrease of the lighter REE from La toward Eu. The abundance and distribution of rare earths in barites show a distinction of barite types. Deep-sea barites have large REE concentrations as do other authigenic deep-sea minerals and display the chondrite normalized Eu minimum, but not the negative Ce anomaly, of sea water. Other barites, mostly on land, some hydrothermal, and others of shallow marine origin, display lower total Ree concentrations. Chondrite normalized positive Eu anomalies are displayed by those varieties of reducing sedimentary and metamorphic origin.Distribution of REE in barite can be attributed both to crystallographic constraints of substitution, and to solution complexing of REE in the precipitating medium. Plots of rare earth partitioning versus effective ion size suggest that the decreasing enrichment toward Eu for all barite types is caused by crystallographic constraints due to contraction of the substituting REE ion sizes relative to the size of the host Ba ion. Solution effects on REE substitution in barite can be evaluated by writing solid solution distribution equations based on mass action of REE and Ba sulfates and the lanthanide (Ln) solution species Ln (CO₃)^?5₄), LnSO⁺₄, LnCl⁺² and LnF⁺². Under normal sea water conditions, solution complexing plays a minor role. However, increased alkalinities of reducing sediments and increased brine chlorinities could cause significant complexing and deplete REE heavier than Eu. Besides Dy in barites, this could be true for aqueous precipitation of REE in general.     

87Rb87Sr chronology of H chondrites: Constraint and speculations on the early evolution of their parent body

A precise⁸⁷Rb-⁸⁷Sr whole-rock isochron for H chondrites and an internal isochron for Tieschitz (H3) have been determined. The age and⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr initial ratio of the whole rocks are4.52 ± 0.05 b.y. and0.69876 ± 0.00040(λ(⁸⁷Rb) = 1.42 × 10^?11yr^?1). For Tieschitz, whereas handpicked separates plot on a well-defined line, heavy liquid separates scatter in the⁸⁷Rb/⁸⁶Sr vs.⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr diagram. Leaching experiments by heavy liquids indicate that they might have a sizeable effect on Tieschitz minerals. The age and⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr initial ratio as determined by handpicked separates are4.53 ± 0.06 b.y. and0.69880 ± 0.00020, indistinguishable from the whole-rock isochron.These results are interpreted as “primitive isochrons” dating the condensation of chondrites from the solar nebula. The best value of this event is given by joining both isochrons together at4.518 ± 0.026 b.y. and⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr= 0.69881 ± 0.00016. The near identity of this initial ratio with the one of Allende white inclusions argues in favor of a sharp isochronism of condensation from a⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr homogeneous nebula. Data from Guaren?a [11] and Richardton [48] are interpreted as secondary internal isochrons, 100 m.y. after the condensation of the whole rocks.The data are then used to constrain a thermal evolution model of the H chondrite parent body. This body might have a 150–175 km radius, and might have been heated by²⁶Al. An²⁶Al/²⁷Al ratio of 4–6 × 10^?6 is enough for heating such a body. Further tests for this model are proposed.     

On the lognormality of the small-scale structure of turbulence

Higher-order moments of turbulent velocity gradients and their behavior with Reynolds number were measured in the nearly isotropic turbulent field generated by a square-mesh grid and in a turbulent boundary layer along a flat plate with zero pressure gradient. Hot-wire anemometry and instrumentation combining analog and digital methods were used to measure moments up to the fourteenth order. Measurements of such high-order moments required that particular attention be given to their validity. Involved herein was the evaluation of such effects as nonlinearity, averaging intervals, and the adequacy of the statistics for the tails of the probability density distributions. The results obtained are compared with those of other investigators for a variety of flow configurations in the laboratory as well as in the atmosphere. The concept of the intermittency of the small-scale structure and the theoretical approach involving lognormality of the probability density distribution of the dissipation rate are evaluated.     

Modeling the ionospheric electron content for the correction of altimetric measurements

The TOPEX-POSEIDON oceanographic satellite (due to be launched in 1992) will proceed to high accuracy altimetric measurements of the sea surface. Since the altimeter signals will propagate through the ionosphere, they will be retarded with respect to their free-space propagation delay. As a result, the measured altitude will exhibit an apparent lengthening which must be considered. In order to correct this effect, the ionosphere total electron content (TEC) beneath the satellite has to be known. This paper addresses the problem of determining the TEC form Doppler measurements performed on telemetric signals propagating between the satellite and the ground stations of the DORIS positioning system. This is an inverse problem which, in general, does not admit a single-valued solution. Physical observations of the ionophere lead us to assume that the TEC along each half-revolution is regular such that we can select an appropriate solution. This solution is approximated by cubic splines. The computed results are compared to simulation results, based on the Bent ionospheric model and seem to be particularly promising.     

Evidence for induced seismicity in the vicinity of Fierza reservoir,Northern Albania

The reservoir of Fierza on the Drini River, Northern Albania, is Albania's largest reservoir and it is one of the world's largest reservoirs of high dams (reservoir volume at maximum water level, 2.8 * 10⁹ m³; dam height, 167 m and dam capacity 8 * 10⁶ m³). We compare pre-and postimpounding seismicity of the area surrounding the Fierza reservoir. An increase of seismic microactivity was observed after the impounding of the reservoir. More than 300 microearthquakes, occurred in the immediate vicinity of the main body of the reservoir, with local magnitude ranging between 1.3 and 3.6. A significant change of theb value in the magnitude-frequency relationship was observed. One swarm of microtremors occurred in the northern part of the reservoir on April 4–5, 1981, where an alteration of the tensor of natural tectonic stresses is revealed. The theoretical additional stress and displacement induced by water-load in the bank of the reservoir were estimated for four cross-profiles of the reservoir area and the maximum values resulted near the location of the above swarm.     

First direct geodetic link between Europe,Africa and South America with a multi station VLBI array

The first geodetic experiment tying Europe, Africa and South-America was realized in July 1985 by Very Long Baseline Interferometry with a network of 5 radiotelescopes. TheVLBI technique and data analysis are presented, with special emphasis on the ionosphere modeling because of its importance in this particular experiment. Comparisons of the results with other geodetic information confirm the achievement of decimetric accuracy.     

Sedimentation pattern in Central Anatolia at the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary

In the Central Anatolia region of Turkey, a mixture of sedimentary and tectonic melanges cover extensive areas, bordering the north, north-west and west of the Kir?ehir Massif. Broadly the age of this melange is Mesozoic; however it includes olistoliths whose ages range from Carboniferous to Cretaceous. A series of interconnected basins existed within the “melange belt” during Late Cretaceous-Early Tertiary times. They have been infilled, throughout the Lower Tertiary, by slump and mass-flow deposits, produced by active tectonic events. These events seem to be a natural continuation of the earlier stronger tectonics which produced the melanges.     

Seismic evidence of a crustal overthrust in the Western Alps

Seismic data provided by the ALP75 experiment in the northwestern part of the Alpine Arc has been re-evaluated using ray-tracing techniques in a laterally inhomogeneous medium, thus improving a previous interpretation. The structure of the crust definitely appears to be different in the Northern Subalpine Chains where it is layered with an ESE mean dip of 30° and in the inner part of the Alpine Are where no clear stratification can be derived from the available data.In the Northern Subalpine Chains the boundary between the upper and lower crust is found to be extremely uneven whereas the Moho discontinuity underneath as well as a boundary in the lower crust shows no evidence of unevenness. This pattern can be ascribed to the rheological properties of the crust which has a birttle behaviour at shallow depths and a more plastic behaviour underneath. A velocity reversal is found under the inner part of the Alpine Arc at a depth of 11 to 23 km.An attempt is made to synthesize deep seismic sounding data which have been accumulated since 1956 in southeastern France. The crust is stratified to the north of a line Cévennes-Aiguilles Rouges and amorphous to the south. This line, which is the former boundary between the European plate and the Provence subplate, is thought to have acted as a weak zone during the Alpine orogeny. A crustal overthrust could have occurred in this region which would have been furthered by the higher plasticity of the low-velocity zone. Finally we speculate on the physical significance of intracrustal velocity reversals and suggest they are associated with active tectonic areas where dislocation densities are high.A Lithospheric Seismic Profile along the Axis of the Alps; Paper No. V.