U–Pb zircon and microfabric data of (meta) granitoids of western Cameroon: Constraints on the timing of pluton emplacement and deformation in the Pan-African belt of central Africa

Striking characteristics of the western Neoproterozoic belt of Cameroon (NFBC) are the large volume of granitoids and crustal-scale shear zones. New structural and geochronological data from this area are provided to put constraints on the tectonic evolution of this segment of the belt and to make further correlations between major shear zones exposed on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean.

Three different complexes have been identified in the study area: the migmatitic complex of Foumbot (MCF), the metagranitoid complex of Bangwa (BC), and the Batié pluton (BP). The MCF was intruded by the BC, while the BP cuts through the BC. U–Pb zircon dating of metaleucogranite and metagranodiorite of the BC yielded concordant to subconcordant ages of 638 ± 2 Ma and 637 ± 5 Ma, respectively. A concordant U–Pb zircon age of 602 ± 1.4 Ma has been obtained from porphyrogranite of the BP. These ages are interpreted as emplacement ages. Continuous deformation from magmatic to solid-state flow along the BP margins and the (sub)parallelism of the steep solid-state foliation in the BP margins with the foliation in the surrounding BC and MFC suggest synkinematic emplacement of the BP along crustal-scale NNE to ENE-trending strike–slip shear zones. Subhorizontal foliations in migmatitic-gneiss xenoliths found in the BC suggest that the major transcurrent motion was preceded by thrusting.

The new data confirm previous assumptions that the western NFBC is equivalent to parts of the Borborema province of Brazil. There are geochronological correlations between the studied (meta)granitoids and Brasiliano pre- to syn-transcurrent granitoids of the Borborema province.     

Temporal variations and trends of CFC11 and CFC12 surface-water saturations in Antarctic marginal seas: Results of a regional ocean circulation model

The knowledge of chlorofluorocarbon (CFC11, CFC12) concentrations in ocean surface waters is a prerequisite for deriving formation rates of, and water mass ages in, deep and bottom waters on the basis of CFC data. In the Antarctic coastal region, surface-layer data are sparse in time and space, primarily due to the limited accessibility of the region. To help filling this gap, we carried out CFC simulations using a regional ocean general circulation model (OGCM) for the Southern Ocean, which includes the ocean–ice shelf interaction. The simulated surface layer saturations, i.e. the actual surface concentrations relative to solubility-equilibrium values, are verified against available observations. The CFC surface saturations driven by concentration gradients between atmosphere and ocean are controlled mainly by the sea ice cover, sea surface temperature, and salinity. However, no uniform explanation exists for the controlling mechanisms. Here, we present simulated long-term trends and seasonal variations of surface-layer saturation at Southern Ocean deep and bottom water formation sites and other key regions, and we discuss differences between these regions. The amplitudes of the seasonal saturation cycle vary from 22% to 66% and their long-term trends range from 0.1%/year to 0.9%/year. The seasonal surface saturation maximum lags the ice cover minimum by two months. By utilizing observed bottle data the full seasonal CFC saturation cycle can be determined offering the possibility to predict long-term trends in the future. We show that ignoring the trends and using instead the saturations actually observed can lead to systematic errors in deduced inventory-based formation rates by up to 10% and suggest an erroneous decline with time.     

High resolution climate simulations over the Arctic

The regional atmospheric climate model HIRHAM has been applied to the Arctic. Simulations for the whole year 1990 and for an ensemble of winter months (January of 1985-1995) have been performed. The comparison of the simulations with observational data analyses shows that the general spatial patterns are in good agreement with the data, in both the vertical structure and the annual cycle. For an additional validation of the model results, a multivariate classification of large-scale circulation patterns has been applied to the January ensemble model simulations.     

Physical properties of calcareous ooze: Control by dissolution at depth

Eighteen box cores of pelagic calcareous ooze from the Ontong Java Plateau in the western equatorial Pacific were subsampled and analyzed for the following physical properties: grain size, porosity, saturated density, mean grain density, compressional sound velocity and shear strength. In addition, weight percent CaCO₃ was determined, and micropaleontological analyses of the Foraminifera were performed to determine preservation and sedimentation rates. Mean grain size of the sediments decreases at deeper depositional sites, primarily because of dissolution and fragmentation of calcareous microfossils. This, in turn, results in the sediments in deeper water having lower sound velocities and less shear strength. The physical properties of calcareous ooze are not significantly affected by any reprecipitation or incipient cementation of calcite that may occur soon after deposition.     

Thermal characteristics of coal fires 2: Results of measurements on simulated coal fires

In this paper we present thermal characteristics of coal fires as measured during simulated fires under an experimental setting in Germany in July 2002. It is thus a continuation of the previously published paper “Thermal surface characteristics of coal fire 1: Results of in-situ measurement”, in which we presented temperature measurements of real subsurface coal fires in China [Zhang, J., Kuenzer, C., accepted for publication. Thermal Surface Characteristics of Coal Fires 1: Results of in-situ measurements. Accepted for publication at Journal of Applied Geophysics.]. The focus is on simulated coal fires, which are less complex in nature than fires under natural conditions. In the present study we simulated all the influences usually occurring under natural conditions in a controllable manner (uniform background material of known thermal properties, known ventilation pathways, homogeneous coal substrate), creating two artificial outdoor coal fires under simplified settings. One surface coal fire and one subsurface coal fire were observed over the course of 2 days. The set up of the fires allowed for measurements not always feasible under “real” in-situ conditions: thus compared to the in-situ investigations presented in paper one we could retrieve numerous temperature measurements inside of the fires. Single temperature measurements, diurnal profiles and airborne thermal surveying present the typical temperature patterns of a small surface-and a subsurface fire under undisturbed conditions (easily accessible terrain, 24 hour measurements period, homogeneous materials). We found that the outside air temperature does not influence the fire's surface temperature (up to 900 °C), while fire centre temperatures of up to 1200 °C strongly correlate with surface temperatures of the fire. The fires could heat their surrounding up to a distance of 4.5 m. However, thermal anomalies on the background surface only persist as long as the fire is burning and disappear very fast if the heat source is removed. Furthermore, heat outside of the fires is transported mainly by convection and not by radiation. In spatial thermal line scanner data the diurnal thermal patterns of the coal fire are clearly represented. Our experiments during that data collection also visualize the thermal anomaly differences between covered (underground) and uncovered (surface) coal fires. The latter could not be observed in-situ in a real coal fire area. Sub-surface coal fires express a much weaker signal than open surface fires and contrast only by few degrees against the background. In airborne thermal imaging scanner data the fires are also well represented. Here we could show that the mid-infrared domain (3.8 μm) is more suitable to pick up very hot anomalies, compared to the common thermal (8.8 μm) domain. Our results help to understand coal fires and their thermal patterns as well as the limitations occurring during their analysis. We believe that the results presented here can practicably help for the planning of coal fire thermal mapping campaigns — including remote sensing methods and the thermal data can be included into numerical coal fire modelling as initial or boundary conditions.     

Beitrag zum Problem der Eisbildung in Wasserwolken

Zusammenfassung Maßgebend für die künstliche Eisbildung ist die Gesamtoberfläche der Impfsubstanz bzw. die Gesamtenergie der Erschütterung, wobei eine Oberfläche von 1 cm² einer Energie von zirka 740 erg gleichwertig ist. Keine Sonderstellung des Silberjodids.

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Summary In the transformation of water into ice by artificial means the total surface of a crystal seed is decisive or the total energy of a concussion, with 1 cm² being equivalent to ca. 740 erg, Ag J forming no exception.

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Résumé Ce qui est déterminant dans le processus de la formation artificielle de la glace c'est la surface totale de la substance servant à ensemencer ou plutôt l'énergie totale de l'ébranlement, une surface de 1 cm² équivalent ici à une énergie d'environ 740 ergs. L'iodure d'argent n'occupe pas de place privilégiée.

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Mit 3 Textabbildungen     

Scientific detector workshop 2022 on-sky performance verification of near-infrared e−APD technology for wavefront sensing and demonstration of e−APD pixel performance to improve the sensitivity of large science focal planes

Near-infrared adaptive optics as well as fringe tracking for coherent beam combination in optical interferometry require the development of high-speed sensors. Because of the high speed, a large analog bandwidth is required. The short exposure times result in small signal levels which require noiseless detection. Both requirements cannot be met by state-of-the-art conventional CMOS technology of near-infrared arrays as has been attempted previously. A total of five near-infrared SAPHIRA 320 × 256 pixel HgCdTe e⁻APD arrays have been deployed in the wavefront sensors and in the fringe tracker of the VLTI instrument GRAVITY. The current limiting magnitude for coherent exposures with GRAVITY is m_k = 19, which is made possible with ADP technology. New avalanche photo-diode array (APD) developments since GRAVITY include the extension of the spectral sensitivity to the wavelength range from 0.8 to 2.5 μm. After GRAVITY a larger format array with 512 × 512 pixels has been developed for both AO applications at the ELT and for long integration times. Since dark currents of <10⁻³ e⁻/s have been demonstrated with 1Kx1K e⁻APD arrays and 2Kx2K e⁻APD arrays have already been developed, the possibilities and adaptations of e⁻APD technology to provide noiseless large-format science-grade arrays for long integration times are also discussed.