In-situ registration of oxygen utilization at sediment-water interfaces

A polyacrylic dome was anchored over natural sediments, enclosing a water volume of 0.125 m³ over an area of 0.45 m² of sediment. A vertical convection was produced in the dome, by means of a small pump, to prevent formation of gradients. Oxygen partial pressure and temperature were measured at 20-min intervals by an automatic data system and stored on magnetic tape in digitized form. After some days the system was recovered. The data were read by a microprocessor system, interpreted, listed and plotted against time. Chemical and hydrographic data, from a sample taken at the location of the experiment at the instant it was started, were used as calibration data to calculate oxygen utilization of the sediments in the Kiel Bight.     

Equatorial coronal arches and geomagnetic disturbance

Central-meridian passage of coronal equatorial arches is followed, statistically, after about 7 days by geomagnetic disturbance. Sector-boundary crossings at Earth are most likely to occur 5 days after arch CMP, while metric noise sources cluster at the location of the arches. This agrees with the location of the noise sources relative to sector boundaries described by Sakurai and Stone (1971), rather than with that found by Martres et al. (1970) for 1964 and 1966, and may indicate evolution of the relation between coronal and interplanetary structure. We looked for, but did not find, clustering of coronal arches at a particular phase of the Olsen rotation scheme.The National Center for Atmospheric Research is sponsored by the National Science Foundation.     

A fully implicit model for simulating dynamo action in a Cartesian domain

We present a fully implicit numerical method to solve the incompressible MHD equations in a strongly rotating Cartesian domain. The equations are solved in a primitive variable formulation using a finite volume discretization. In order to use massively parallel computers, we applied a domain decomposition approach in space. The performance of this model is compared with an earlier model, which treated the convective terms of the equations in an explicit manner. Our results indicate that although the fully implicit method needs about three times the memory of the implicit–explicit method, it is superior in terms of computational efficiency. As an application of this model, we investigated the influence of the Prandtl number in the range of 0.01–1000 on the dynamics of the dynamo.     

Meteorological Observations in 2000 at the Arctic Station,Qeqertarsuaq (69°15'N), Central West Greenland

An automatic meteorological station has been operating at the Arctic Station (69°15'N, 53°31'W) in West Greenland since 1990. This paper summarizes meteorological parameters during 2000 including snow and sea ice cover, ground temperatures and active layer development, and presents comments on the local permafrost thickness.     

The Erbisberg drilling 2011: Implications for the structure and postimpact evolution of the inner ring of the Ries impact crater

The 26 km diameter Nördlinger Ries is a complex impact structure with a ring structure that resembles a peak ring. A first research drilling through this “inner crystalline ring” of the Ries was performed at the Erbisberg hill (SW Ries) to better understand the internal structure and lithology of this feature, and possibly reveal impact‐induced hydrothermal alteration. The drill core intersected the slope of a 22 m thick postimpact travertine mound, before entering 42 m of blocks and breccias of crystalline rocks excavated from the Variscan basement at >500 m depth. Weakly shocked gneiss blocks that show that shock pressure did not exceed 5 GPa occur above polymict lithic breccias of shock stage Ia (10–20 GPa), with planar fractures and planar deformation features (PDFs) in quartz. Only a narrow zone at 49.20–50.00 m core depth exhibits strong mosaicism in feldspar and {102} PDFs in quartz, which are indicative of shock stage Ib (20–35 GPa). Finally, 2 m of brecciated Keuper sediments at the base of the section point to an inverse layering of strata. While reverse grading of clast sizes in lithic breccias and gneiss blocks is consistent with lateral transport, the absence of diaplectic glass and melt products argues against dynamic overthrusting of material from a collapsing central peak, as seen in the much larger Chicxulub structure. Indeed, weakly shocked gneiss blocks are rather of local provenance (i.e., the transient crater wall), whereas moderately shocked polymict lithic breccias with geochemical composition and ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr signature similar to Ries suevite were derived from a position closer to the impact center. Thus, the inner ring of the Ries is formed by moderately shocked polymict lithic breccias likely injected into the transient crater wall during the excavation stage and weakly shocked gneiss blocks of the collapsing transient crater wall that were emplaced during the modification stage. While the presence of an overturned flap is not evident from the Erbisberg drilling, a survey of all drillings at or near the inner ring point to inverted strata throughout its outer limb. Whether the central ring of the Ries represents remains of a collapsed central peak remains to be shown. Postimpact hydrothermal alteration along the Erbisberg section comprises chloritization, sulfide veinlets, and strong carbonatization. In addition, a narrow zone in the lower parts of the polymict lithic breccia sequence shows a positive Eu anomaly in its carbonate phase. The surface expression of this hydrothermal activity, i.e., the travertine mound, comprises subaerial as well as subaquatic growth phases. Intercalated lake sediments equivalent to the early parts of the evolution of the central crater basin succession confirm a persistent impact‐generated hydrothermal activity, although for less time than previously suggested.     

Accumulation of Copper and Zinc in Danish Agricultural Soils in Intensive Pig Production Areas

Geografisk Tidsskrift, Danish Journal of Geography 105(2):15–22, 2005

The change of Cu and Zn concentrations in Danish agricultural soils was studied in areas with intensive pig production. Cu and Zn are found in pig manure as the metals are added to pig feed as growth promoters. The changes in concentrations of total and 0.02 MEDTA extractable Cu and Zn in soils from 1986 to 1998 were determined from samples taken at two depths (0–25 cm and 25–50 cm) from 73 sites. Pig manure and mineral fertilizer was added to 60 sites whereas fertilizer only was used on 13 sites. During the survey period soil Cu concentrations increased in both depths but mostly in the sites where pig manure was added. Furthermore, the results indicated that some plant-available Cu and Zn were transported from the topsoil to the subsoil. No significant change in soil Zn concentration was found although a slight reduction was observed. Comparing soil metal concentrations observed in 1998 to the total pig manure application in a 12-year period, it was observed that application of manure caused an accumulation of Cu and of Zn in the upper 50 cm soil. The accumulation rates correspond to the Cu and Zn concentrations in the pig manure.     

西准噶尔宝贝岩体的LA-ICP-MS锆石U-Pb年代学与地球化学

宝贝岩体位于新疆西准噶尔南部的晚古生代达尔布特中酸性岩浆岩带中,其主要岩性为花岗斑岩。通过LA-ICP-MS锆石U-Pb定年,结合锆石阴极发光图像（CL）和U、Th元素特征,获得宝贝岩体的年龄为297±10 Ma （MSWD = 14）,时代属晚石炭世晚期。花岗斑岩为典型的斑状结构,斑晶以斜长石、条纹长石和石英为主;岩石中SiO₂含量为74.59%～76.26%、全碱变化于8.13%～8.63%;铝饱和指数A/CNK为1.00～1.02,属弱过铝质;岩石轻稀土富集且轻重稀土元素分馏明显,（La/Yb）_N为1.54～3.05,负Eu异常（δEu为0.25～0.53）;富集Rb、Th、U、K和LREE等大离子亲石元素,而贫Ba、Nb、Sr、P、Ti等元素,属高钾钙碱性Ⅰ型花岗岩系列。根据岩体的成因类型并结合区域构造环境演化,分析认为西准噶尔不仅在晚石炭世早期存在与俯冲作用相关的岛弧花岗岩,在晚石炭世晚期-早二叠纪早期也存在持续俯冲作用,在此环境下形成了与俯冲作用相关的岛弧型宝贝花岗斑岩。