40Ar/39Ar Thermochronology west of the Main Uralian fault, southern Urals, Russia

West of the Main Uralian fault, the main suture in the southern Urals, ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar apparent ages of amphibole, muscovite and potassium feldspar are interpreted as cooling ages. A fast exhumation of the metamorphic complex of Kurtinsky during Upper Carboniferous time is indicated by the small age difference (15 Ma) between cogenetic amphibole and muscovite. Differentiated movement in the footwall of the Main Uralian fault along strike is indicated by the age difference of 70 Ma between the metamorphic complexes of Kurtinsky (north) and Maksyutov (south). No Upper Paleozoic (Uralian) medium- to high-temperature event is recorded in ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar data from the metamorphic complex of Beloretzk (MCB). An amphibole age of 718±5 Ma and the occurrence of mafic intrusions might signal the break-up of Rodinia and therefore indicate the rifting period followed by the separate movement of the "Beloretzk terrane". Muscovite ages of approximately 550±5 Ma, the unique pre-Ordovician tectonometamorphic evolution of the MCB and the Late Vendian sedimentary history of the western Bashkirian Megaanticlinorium (BMA) imply the existence of a Neoproterozoic orogeny at the eastern margin of Baltica. This orogeny might have been initiated by the accretion of the "Beloretzk terrane". The metamorphic grade of the overlain Silurian shales and the K/Ar microcline ages from the "Beloretzk terrane" give evidence for a new thermal event at approximately 370 Ma. A microcline age of 530–550 Ma obtained for the Vendian conglomerate in the western BMA suggests that a maximum temperature of approximately 200°C was reached in Cambrian or Vendian times. An orthoclase age (590–630 Ma) of the Vendian Zigan flysch deposits might be inherited from the eastern source area, the Cadomian orogen. An orthoclase age (910–950 Ma) from the Riphean Zilmerdak conglomerate coincides with a documented decrease in the subsidence rate of the Upper Riphean basin.     

Tracing the exhumation of the Eclogite Zone (Tauern Window,Eastern Alps) by <Superscript>40</Superscript>Ar/<Superscript>39</Superscript>Ar dating of white mica in eclogites

New radiometric ages from the Subpenninic nappes (Eclogite Zone and Rote Wand – Modereck Nappe, Tauern Window) show that phengites formed under eclogite-facies metamorphic conditions retain their initial isotopic signature, even when associated lithologies were overprinted by greenschist- to amphibolite-facies metamorphism. Different stages of the eclogite-facies evolution can be dated provided ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar dating is combined with micro-structural analyses. An age of 39 Ma from the Rote Wand – Modereck Nappe is interpreted to be close to the burial age of this unit. Eclogite deformation within the Eclogite Zone started at the pressure peak along distinct shear zones, and prevailed along the exhumation path. An age of ca. 38 Ma is only observed for eclogites not affected by subsequent deformation and is interpreted as maximum age due to the possible influence of homogenously distributed excess argon. During exhumation deformation was localised along distinct mylonitic shear zones. This stage is mainly characterised by the formation of dynamically recrystallized omphacite2 and phengite. Deformation resulted in the resetting of the Ar isotopic system within the recrystallized white mica. Flat argon release spectra showing ages of 32 Ma within mylonites record the timing of cooling along the exhumation path, and the emplacement onto the Venediger Nappe. Ar-release patterns and ³⁶Ar/⁴⁰Ar vs.³⁹Ar/⁴⁰Ar isotope correlation analyses indicate no significant ⁴⁰Ar-loss after initial closure, and only a negligible incorporation of excess argon. From the pressure peak onwards, eclogitic conditions prevailed for almost 8–10 Ma.     

Structural evolution of the contact between two Penninic nappes (Zermatt-Saas zone and Combin zone,Western Alps) and implications for the exhumation mechanism and palaeogeography

The boundary zone between two Penninic nappes, the eclogite-facies to ultrahigh-pressure Zermatt-Saas zone in the footwall and the blueschist-facies Combin zone in the hanging wall, has been interpreted previously as a major normal fault reflecting synorogenic crustal extension. Quartz textures of mylonites from this fault were measured using neutron diffraction. Together with structural field observations, the data allow a refined reconstruction of the kinematic evolution of the Pennine nappes. The main results are: (1) the contact is not a normal fault but a major thrust towards northwest which was only later overprinted by southeast-directed normal faulting; (2) exhumation of the footwall rocks did not occur during crustal extension but during crustal shortening; (3) the Sesia-Dent Blanche nappe system originated from a continental fragment (Cervinia) in the Alpine Tethys ocean, and the Combin zone ophiolites from the ocean basin southeast of Cervinia; (4) out-of-sequence thrusting played a major role in the tectonic evolution of the Penninic nappes. An erratum to this article can be found at     

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in Recent lake sediments—I. Compounds having anthropogenic origins

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in sediment cores from Lake Lucerne, Lake Zürich, and Greifensee, Switzerland, and Lake Washington, northwest U.S.A., have been isolated, identified and quantified by glass capillary gas chromatography and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Surface sediment layers are greatly enriched in PAH—up to 40 times—compared to deeper layers. In addition, concentration increases in upper sediments generally correspond to increasing industrialization and urbanization in the catchment basins of the lakes. Few PAH could be detected in pre-industrial revolution sediments, indicating that background levels for most PAH in aquatic sediments are extremely low.These results are consistent with an anthropogenic source for most of the aromatic hydrocarbons present in the modern sediments. A comparison of PAH distributions in the sediments and in possible source materials shows that urban runoff of street dust may be the most important PAH input to these lacustrine sediments. There is evidence that a significant contribution to the PAH content of street dust comes from material associated with asphalt.     

Measurement of Carbon Dioxide Emissions Plumes from Prudhoe Bay, Alaska Oil Fields

Large carbon dioxide plumes with concentrations up to 45 ppm aboveambient levels were measured about 15 km downwind of the Prudhoe Bay, Alaskamajor oil production facilities, located at 70° N Lat. above the ArcticCircle. The measured emissions were 1.3 × 10³ metrictons (C) hour^-1 (11.4× 10⁶ metric tons(C) year^-1), six times greater than the combustion emissionsassumed by Jaffe and coworkers in J. Atmos. Chem. 20 (1995), 213–227,based on 1989 reported Prudhoe Bay oil facility fuel consumption data, andfour times greater than the total C emissions reported by the oil facilitiesfor the same months as the measurement time periods. Variations in theemissions were estimated by extrapolating the observed emissions at a singlealtitude for all tundra research transect flights conducted downwind of theoil fields. These 30 flights yielded an average emission rate of1.02 × 10³ metric tons (C) hour^-1 with astandard deviation of 0.33 × 10³. These quantity ofemissions are roughly equivalent to the carbon dioxide emissions of7–10 million hectares of arctic tussock tundra (Oechel and Vourlitis,Trends in Ecol. Evolution 9 (1994), 324–329).     

On the transfer of stratospheric ozone into the troposphere near the north pole

A series of nearly daily ozone vertical profiles obtained at station T-3 on Fletcher's Ice Island (85°N, 90°W) during the period January-March 1971 shows several significant ozone intrusions into the troposphere. These intrusions are not only associated with enhanced ozone amounts in the stratosphere but also require tropopause folding events to transport ozone into the troposphere. These folds in the Arctic tropopause appear to be capable of contributing significantly to the ozone budget of the Arctic troposphere during the late winter and spring seasons. The importance of tropopause folding for bringing ozone into the troposphere seen in the daily ozone profiles confirms the results found in the Arctic Gas and Aerosol Sampling Program aircraft flights.     

Hydrological response to climate change in a glacierized catchment in the Himalayas

The analysis of climate change impact on the hydrology of high altitude glacierized catchments in the Himalayas is complex due to the high variability in climate, lack of data, large uncertainties in climate change projection and uncertainty about the response of glaciers. Therefore a high resolution combined cryospheric hydrological model was developed and calibrated that explicitly simulates glacier evolution and all major hydrological processes. The model was used to assess the future development of the glaciers and the runoff using an ensemble of downscaled climate model data in the Langtang catchment in Nepal. The analysis shows that both temperature and precipitation are projected to increase which results in a steady decline of the glacier area. The river flow is projected to increase significantly due to the increased precipitation and ice melt and the transition towards a rain river. Rain runoff and base flow will increase at the expense of glacier runoff. However, as the melt water peak coincides with the monsoon peak, no shifts in the hydrograph are expected.     

An analytical investigation of a sequence of unusual springtime ozone episodes over metropolitan Taichung in 2007

This study investigated the potential factors contributing to a series of ozone (O₃) episodes in the Taichung metropolis, which occurred during the first half of May 2007. Surface data of the meteorological parameters and air pollutant concentrations, supported by Taiwan Environmental Protection Administration, and vertical data monitored via tethersonde sampling were analysed. The analyses showed that local anthropogenic activities and physical factors such as the sea–air interaction were not the main factors contributing to the O₃ events. Excluding these potential causes, the results suggest that, during the aforementioned period, the stronger Mainland High and Pacific Low may have been responsible for the long-range transport of large quantities of O₃ from Mainland China to Taiwan. Furthermore, O₃ photochemical activity also played an important role in the O₃ episodes. The faster consumption of NO lead to a more rapid increase in the O₃ concentration.