Schmidt hammer exposure‐age dating (SHD) of late Quaternary fluvial terraces in New Zealand

Schmidt hammer (SH) R‐values are reported for surface clasts from numerically dated Holocene and Pleistocene fluvial terraces in the South Island of New Zealand. The R‐values are combined with previously obtained weathering rind, radiocarbon, terrestrial cosmogenic nuclide and luminescence terrace ages to derive SH R‐value chronofunctions for greywacke clasts from four distinct locations. Our results show that different weathering rates affect the form of the SH R‐value versus Age curve, however a fundamental dependency between the two remains constant over timescales ranging from 10² to 10⁵ years. Power law scaling constants suggest changes in clast weathering rates are primarily affected by climatic (precipitation and temperature) and sedimentologic variables (source terrane petrology). Age uncertainties of ~22% of the surface age suggest that Schmidt hammer exposure‐age dating (SHD) is a reliable calibrated‐age dating technique for fluvial terraces. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

四川北部米仓山地区下三叠统内部不整合面的发现及其意义

前人认为四川北部米仓山地区下三叠统内部各组地层之间是整合接触,然而通过构造和沉积学的研究发现下三叠统内部(奥伦尼阶)存在一个区域不整合面。在沉积上表现为环米仓山地区广泛发育的陆相和海相碎屑岩,与下伏地层呈不整合接触。地震剖面上表现为不整合面上下的变形特征不一致、不整合面下部地层被削截、古构造的存在等等,通过对古褶皱和古断裂的平面投影,发现古构造走向为东-西向,与勉略构造带走向一致。综合区域大地构造历史,笔者认为在早三叠世奥伦尼期(约249.7～245.0Ma)南秦岭造山带和上扬子地块就已经发生碰撞,碰撞引起了米仓山地区强烈的构造变形,形成这一区域不整合面。该碰撞时间不一定是南秦岭造山带和上扬子地块在此处的初始碰撞时间。     

Comparison of electronic and mechanical Schmidt hammers in the context of exposure‐age dating: are Q‐ and R‐values interconvertible?

Application of Schmidt‐hammer exposure‐age dating (SHD) to landforms has substantially increased in recent years. The original mechanical Schmidt hammer records R‐(rebound) values. Although the newly introduced electronic Schmidt hammer (SilverSchmidt) facilitates greatly improved data processing, it measures surface hardness differently, recording Q‐(velocity) values that are not a priori interconvertible with R‐values. This study is the first to compare the performance of both instruments in the context of field‐based exposure‐age dating with a particular focus on the interconvertibility of R‐values and Q‐values. The study was conducted on glacially polished pyroxene‐granulite gneiss, Jotunheimen, southern Norway. Results indicate that mean Q‐values are consistently 8–10 units higher than mean R‐values over the range of values normally encountered in the application of SHD to glacial and periglacial landforms. A convenient conversion factor of ±10 units may, therefore, be appropriate for all but the softest rock types close to the technical resolution of the instruments. The electronic Schmidt hammer should therefore be regarded as a useful complement and potential replacement for the mechanical Schmidt hammer. Conversion of published R‐values data to Q‐values requires, however, careful control and documentation of instrument calibration. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A theoretical investigation of the relative stabilities of Fe-free clinozoisite and orthozoisite

 The relative stabilities of orthozoisite, Ca₂Al₃[O|OH|Si₂O₇|SiO₄], space group Pnma, and the monoclinic polymorph, clinozoisite, space group P2₁/m, have been investigated using calculations based on density functional theory. It is found that orthozoisite is more stable than clinozoisite by about 1 kJ mol⁻¹ at zero pressure in the athermal limit. The bulk moduli of the two polymorphs have been calculated to be B_ortho=117.5(1.7) GPa and B_clino=136(4) GPa. Received: 20 March 2000 / Accepted: 26 February 2001     

A conceptual framework for multi-regional climate change assessments for international market systems with long-term investments

A conceptual framework for climate change assessments of international market systems that involve long-term investments is proposed. The framework is a hybrid of dynamic and static modeling. Dynamic modeling is used for those system components for which temporally continuous modeling is possible, while fixed time slices are used for other system components where it can be assumed that underlying assumptions are held constant within the time slices but allowed to vary between slices. An important component of the framework is the assessment of the “metauncertainty” arising from the structural uncertainties of a linked sequence of climate, production, trade and decision-making models. The impetus for proposing the framework is the paucity of industry-wide assessments for market systems with multiple production regions and long-term capital investments that are vulnerable to climate variations and change, especially climate extremes. The proposed framework is pragmatic, eschewing the ideal for the tractable. Even so, numerous implementation challenges are expected, which are illustrated using an example industry. The conceptual framework is offered as a starting point for further discussions of strategies and approaches for climate change impact, vulnerability and adaptation assessments for international market systems.     

Subsurface deformation in hypervelocity cratering experiments into high‐porosity tuffs

Hypervelocity impact experiments on porous tuff targets were carried out to determine the effect of porosity on deformation mechanisms in the crater's subsurface. Blocks of Weibern Tuff with about 43% porosity were impacted by 2.5 mm and 12.0 mm diameter steel spheres with velocities between 4.8 km s^?1 and 5.6 km s^?1. The postimpact subsurface damage was quantified with computer tomography as well as with meso‐ and microscale analyses of the bisected crater subsurface. The intensity and style of deformation in mineral clasts and the tuff matrix were mapped and their decay with subsurface depth was determined. Subsurface deformation styles include pore space compaction, clast rotation, as well as microfracture formation. Evaluation of the deformation indicates near‐surface energy coupling at a calculated depth of burial of ~2 projectile diameters (d_p), which is in conflict with the crater shape, which displays a deep, central penetration tube. Subsurface damage extends to ~2 d_p beneath the crater floor in the experiments with 2.5 mm projectiles and increases to ~3 d_p for 12 mm projectiles. Based on overprinting relationships and the geometrical orientation of deformation features, a sequence of subsurface deformation events was derived (1) matrix compaction, (2) intragranular crack formation in clasts, (3) deformation band formation in the compacted matrix, (4) tensile fracturing.     

Roles of forest disturbance and climate variability on streamflow components in snow-dominated paired watersheds at multiple temporal scales

The paired watershed experimental (PWE) approach has long been used as an effective means to assess the impacts of forest change on hydrology in small watersheds (<100 km²). Yet, the effects of climate variability on streamflow are not often assessed in PWE design. In this study, two sets of paired watersheds, (1) Camp and Greata Creeks and (2) 240 and 241 Creeks located in the Southern Interior of British Columbia, Canada, were selected to explore relative roles of forest disturbance and climate variability on streamflow components (i.e., baseflow and surface runoff) at different time scales. Our analyses showed that forest disturbance is positively related to annual streamflow components. However, this relationship is statistically insignificant since forest disturbance can either increase or decrease seasonal streamflow components, which eventually limited the positive effect on streamflow at the annual scale. Interestingly, we found that forest disturbance consistently decreased summer streamflow components in the two PWEs as forest disturbance can augment earlier and quicker snow-melt processes and hence reduce soil moisture to maintain summer streamflow components. More importantly, this study revealed that climate variability played a more significant role than forest disturbance in both annual and seasonal streamflow components, for instance, climate variability can account for as much as 90% of summer streamflow components variation in Camp, suggesting the role of climate variability on streamflow should be highlighted in the traditional PWE approach to truly advance our understanding of the interactions of forest change, climate variability and water for sustainable water resource management.     

The early interaction between the Caribbean Plateau and the NW South American Plate

The determination of accurate and precise ages for the timing of collision between oceanic plateaus and continental crust requires an understanding of how the indenting and buttressing plates respond to the collision. We present geochronological, thermochronological, geochemical and isotopic analyses of magmatic rocks from the Ecuadorian Andes, which relate to the collision of the Late Cretaceous Caribbean Plateau and Great Arc sequence with NW South America. The cessation of subduction magmatism during 65–64 Ma beneath the eastern edge of Caribbean Plateau was synchronous with accelerated surface uplift and exhumation within the buttressing continental margin during 75–65 Ma. We interpret this as the collision of the leading edge of the Caribbean Plateau and arc sequence with the South American Plate at 75–65 Ma. A U/Pb (zircon) SHRIMP age of 87.10 ± 1.66 (2σ) Ma, yielded by an accreted fragment of the plateau, precludes previous estimates of collision at 85–80 Ma if the plateau erupted above the Galápagos hotspot. Terra Nova, 18, 264–269, 2006