A method for reddening determination in the uvby photometric system (Mitteilung der Universitätssternwarte zu Jena Nr. 133)

A new method for reddening determination in the uvby system is described. Using a Quby parameter calibrated in terms of b–y it is possible to determine simultaneously luminosity, spectral type, reddening, and metallicity of a star. The colour excess rations for the uvby photometric system are given and also analytical functions for the ZAMS are presented.     

Temporal shoreline change and infrastructure influences along the southern Red Sea coast of Saudi Arabia

Jizan is one of the Saudi Arabian coastal cities endowed with diverse natural settings, which includes Ash Shuqayq in the north, Turfah in the centre and Jizan in the South. This work analysed specific environmental characteristics, such as spits, sabkhas and wadis. Assessments used Landsat imagery to examine coastal change between 1973 and 2011. The cumulative temporal change identified regression trends given by coefficients of determination that explained a significant percentage of data variation for Jizan (R ² = 69%) and Turfah (R ² = 72%), while Ash Shuqayq was insignificant (R ² = 14%). Inter-survey results predicted future change, although trends were not significant, i.e. Jizan (R ² = 22%), Turfah (R ² = 14%) and Ash Shuqayq (R ² = 3 and 61% with outlying value removed). Aerial photos showed regional coastal changes, which included a maximum accretion of 36.4 m and maximum erosion of 12.9 m. These are scientifically effective techniques to monitor regional coastal change, i.e. erosion and accretion and identified rates of 0.59, 1.80 and 3.53 myr^?1 for Ash Shuqayq, Turfah and Jizan. Changes were linked to infrastructure developments, e.g. tourism, port development and natural causes, e.g. spit formations and wadi outfalls.     

Old stellar population synthesis: new age and mass estimates for Mayall Ⅱ = G1

Mayall Ⅱ = G1 is one of the most luminous globular clusters (GCs) in M31. Here, we determine its age and mass by comparing multicolor photometry with theo-retical stellar population synthesis models. Based on far- and near-ultraviolet GALEX photometry, broad-band UBV RI, and infrared JHK8 2MASS data, we construct the most extensive spectral energy distribution of G1 to date, spanning the wavelength range from 1538 to 20000A. A quantitative comparison with a variety of simple stellar pop-ulation (SSP) models yields a mean age which is consistent with G1 being among the oldest building blocks of M31 and having formed within ～1.7Gyr after the Big Bang. Irrespective of the SSP model or stellar initial mass function adopted, the resulting mass estimates (of order 107M⊙) indicate that G1 is one of the most massive GCs in the Local Group. However, we speculate that the cluster's exceptionally high mass suggests that it may not be a genuine GC. Our results also suggest that G1 may contain, on average, (1.65±0.63) × 102L⊙ far-ultraviolet-bright, hot, extreme horizontal-branch stars, depend-ing on the adopted SSP model. In addition, we demonstrate that extensive multi-passband photometry coupled with SSP analysis enables one to obtain age estimates for old SSPs that have similar accuracies as those from integrated spectroscopy or resolved stellar pho-tometry, provided that some of the free parameters can be constrained independently.     

Editors' Foreword; Climate, Global Environmental Change and Health: International Scientific Assessments Begin to Roll

Foreword

Editors' Foreword; Climate, Global Environmental Change and Health: International Scientific Assessments Begin to Roll     

Peralkaline nephelinites. I. Comparative petrology of Shombole and Oldoinyo L'engai,East Africa

Shombole, a nephelinite-carbonatite volcano in south Kenya, erupted silicate lavas, carbonatite dikes and tuffs, and pyroclastic rocks similar to those at other East African alkaline centres. Shombole lavas containing cpx + nepheline + accessory minerals range from perovskite-bearing nephelinites (43% SiO₂, volatile-free) to sphene-bearing and phonolitic nephelinites (46–49% SiO₂) and phonolites (49–56% SiO₂) and have low peralkalinity ([Na+K]/Al 1.15) which does not correlate with SiO₂. Early fractionation of olivine and clinopyroxene strongly depleted Ni and Cr concentrations (10 ppm); fractionation of perovskite, melanite, sphene, and apatite produced negative correlations of all REE with SiO₂. Many lavas contain cognate intrusive xenoliths and xenocrysts and oscillatory zoning is a common feature of clinopyroxene, nepheline, and melanite crystals, indicating recycling of intrusive material. Irregular calcite-rich bodies in many samples are interpreted as quenched immiscible Ca-carbonatite liquid, and [Ca-carbonate]-silicate liquid immiscibility is observed in experiments with one nephelinite. Chemical variation in the Shombole suite can be modeled as a combination of crystal fractionation (clinopyroxene and heavy minor phases) and retention of neutral density nepheline derived from disaggregated xenoliths entrained during emplacement of dike swarms. Six newly analyzed lavas from Oldoinyo L'engai, northern Tanzania, are geochemically similar to Shombole nephelinites except that they have relatively high Na₂O+K₂O (average 18% vs 12%) and Zr (average 680 ppm vs 400 ppm). They are extremely peralkaline and are not typical of nephelinites from other centres. Three with [Na+K]/Al1.5 contain euhedral wollastonite phenocrysts; three with [Na+K]/Al2.0 contain combeite (Na₂Ca₂Si₃O₉) phenocrysts and pseudomorphs after wollastonite. Both types contain abundant sodalite phenocrysts (+nepheline+clinopyroxene+melanite+sphene). Seven other wollastonite nephelinite samples from L'engai have been described, but it is a lava type rarely seen in other centres. Combeite has been described from only two other locations (Mt. Shaheru, Zaire; Mayener Feld, Eifel). The hyperalkaline L'engai nephelinites have compositions similar to those of experimental silicate liquids immiscible with natrocarbonatite. Textural evidence for both carbonate-silicate (as carbonate globules) and silicate-silicate (as two optically discrete glasses with distinct compositions) liquid immiscibility is observed in the samples.     

The Romanian earthquake of August 30, 1986: A study based on GEOSCOPE very long-period and broadband data

The Romanian earthquake of August 30, 1986 is the second largest intermediate depth event in this area since the worldwide deployment of digital instrumentation, and the first one since the installation of GEOSCOPE network. It offers the unique opportunity to document this well-known but poorly understood zone of deep continental seismicity using high quality teleseismic data in different frequency bands. The source is well constrained both from very-long period surface wave data observed on GEOSCOPE stations and, independently, from body wave modelling at various worldwide stations. The depth obtained is approximately 140 kilometers, the seismic moment, 0.8 10²⁷ dyne-cm and the mechanism from both data sets is very similar to that of the previous 1940 and 1977 Vancrea events, indicating that these events, although having occurred at noticeably different depths, are expressions of the same tectonic process. However, from the detailed study of the source using broadband data, it can be inferred that the source presents much less complexity than the 1977 event.     

Environmental recovery in Sydney Harbour,Nova Scotia: Evidence of natural and anthropogenic sediment capping

Contaminants were assessed in Sydney Harbour during baseline and three years of remediation of a former coking and steel facility. Concentrations of PAHs; PCBs; and lead measured in surface sediments indicate overall spatial distribution patterns of historical contaminants remains unchanged, although at much lower concentrations than previously reported due to natural sediment recovery. Recovery rates were in broad agreement with predicted concentrations; or in some cases lower, despite remediation at the Sydney Tar Ponds (STP) site. Contaminants showed little temporal variability, except for detection of significant increases in PAH concentrations during onset of remediation compared to baseline which represented a short term interruption in the overall long term natural recovery of sediments in Sydney Harbour. Recovery (via “capping”) was enhanced following recent harbour dredging activities where less contaminated outer harbour sediments were discharged into a confined disposal facility (CDF) required for a new container in the inner harbour.     

Pb-concentrations and Pb-isotope ratios in soils collected along an east–west transect across the United States

Analytical results for Pb-concentrations and isotopic ratios from ca. 150 samples of soil A horizon and ca. 145 samples of soil C horizon collected along a 4000-km east–west transect across the USA are presented. Lead concentrations along the transect show: (1) generally higher values in the soil A-horizon than the C-horizon (median 21 vs. 16.5 mg/kg), (2) an increase in the median value of the soil A-horizon for central to eastern USA (Missouri to Maryland) when compared to the western USA (California to Kansas) (median 26 vs. 20 mg/kg) and (3) a higher A/C ratio for the central to eastern USA (1.35 vs. 1.14). Lead isotopes show a distinct trend across the USA, with the highest ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁷Pb ratios occurring in the centre (Missouri, median A-horizon: 1.245; C-horizon: 1.251) and the lowest at both coasts (e.g., California, median A-horizon: 1.195; C-horizon: 1.216). The soil C-horizon samples show generally higher ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁷Pb ratios than the A-horizon (median C-horizon: 1.224; A-horizon: 1.219). The ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁷Pb-isotope ratios in the soil A horizon show a correlation with the total feldspar content for the same 2500-km portion of the transect from east-central Colorado to the Atlantic coast that shows steadily increasing precipitation. No such correlation exists in the soil C horizon. The data demonstrate the importance of climate and weathering on both Pb-concentration and ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁷Pb-isotope ratios in soil samples and natural shifts thereof in the soil profile during soil-forming processes.     

A study of the chemistry of pore fluids and authigenic carbonates in methane seep environments: Kodiak Trench, Hydrate Ridge, Monterey Bay, and Eel River Basin

Analyses of the chemical and isotopic composition of carbonates rocks recovered from methane seepage areas of the Kodiak Trench, Hydrate Ridge, Monterey Bay Clam Flats, and the Eel River Basin, coupled with the studies of the chemistry of the pore fluids, have shown that these carbonates have grown within the sediment column. Geochemical profiles of pore fluids show that, in deep water seeps (Kodiak Trench—4450 m; Monterey Bay—1000 m; Hydrate Ridge—650 m), δ¹³C (DIC) values are low (isotopically light), whereas in the Eel River area ( 350–500 m), δ¹³C (DIC) values are much higher (isotopically heavier). In all cases, the δ¹³C values indicate that processes of methane oxidation, associated with sulfate reduction, are dominant in the shallow sediments. Data on the isotopic composition of authigenic carbonates found at sites in Kodiak Trench, Eel River Basin South, and Eel River Basin North indicate a variable composition and origin in different geochemical environments. Some of the authigenic carbonates from the study sites show a trend in their δ¹³C values similar to those of the pore fluids obtained in their vicinity, suggesting formation at relatively shallow depths, but others indicate formation at greater sediment depths. The latter usually consist of high magnesium calcite or dolomite, which, from their high values of δ¹³C (up to 23‰;) and δ¹⁸O (up to 7.5‰), suggest formation in the deeper horizons of the sediments, in the zone of methanogenesis. These observations are in agreement with observations by other workers at Hydrate Ridge, in Monterey Bay, and in the Eel River Basin.