Shatter cones and planar deformation features confirm Santa Marta in Piauí State,Brazil, as an impact structure

A total of 184 confirmed impact structures are known on Earth to date, as registered by the Earth Impact Database . The discovery of new impact structures has progressed in recent years at a rather low rate of about two structures per year. Here, we introduce the discovery of the approximately 10 km diameter Santa Marta impact structure in Piauí State in northeastern Brazil. Santa Marta is a moderately sized complex crater structure, with a raised rim and an off‐center, approximately 3.2 km wide central elevated area interpreted to coincide with the central uplift of the impact structure. The Santa Marta structure was first recognized in remote sensing imagery and, later, by distinct gravity and magnetic anomalies. Here, we provide results obtained during the first detailed ground survey. The Bouguer anomaly map shows a transition from a positive to a negative anomaly within the structure along a NE–SW trend, which may be associated with the basement signature and in parts with the signature developed after the crater was formed. Macroscopic evidence for impact in the form of shatter cones has been found in situ at the base around the central elevated plateau, and also in the interior of fractured conglomerate boulders occurring on the floor of the surrounding annular basin. Planar deformation features (PDFs) are abundant in sandstones of the central elevated plateau and at scattered locations in the inner part of the ring syncline. Together, shatter cones and PDFs provide definitive shock evidence that confirms the impact origin of Santa Marta. Crystallographic orientations of PDFs occurring in multiple sets in quartz grains are indicative of peak shock pressures of 20–25 GPa in the rocks exposed at present in the interior of the crater. In contrast to recent studies that have used additional, and sometimes highly controversial, alleged shock recognition features, Santa Marta was identified based on well‐understood, traditional shock evidence.     

Early and Middle Valdaian glaciations, ice-dammed lakes and periglacial interstadials in northwest Russia: new evidence from the Pyoza River area

The Pyoza River area in the Arkhangelsk district exposes sedimentary sequences suitable for study of the interaction between consecutive Valdaian ice sheets in Northern Russia. Lithostratigraphic investigations combined with luminescence dating have revealed new evidence on the Late Pleistocene history of the area. Overlying glacigenic deposits of the Moscowian (Saalian) glaciation marine deposits previously confined to three separate transgression phases have all been connected to the Mikulinian (Eemian) interglacial. Early Valdaian (E. Weichselian) proglacial, lacustrine and fluvial deposits indicate glaciation to the east or north and consequently glacier damming and meltwater run-off in the Pyoza area around 90–110 ka BP. Interstadial conditions with forest-steppe tundra vegetation and lacustrine and fluvial deposition prevailed at the end of the Early Valdaian around 75–95 ka BP. A terrestrial-based glaciation from easterly uplands reached the Pyoza area at the Early to Middle Valdaian transition around 65–75 ka BP and deposited glaciofluvial strata and subglacial till (Yolkino Till). During deglaciation, laterally extensive glaciolacustrine sediments were deposited in ice-dammed lakes in the early Middle Valdaian around 55–75 ka BP. The Barents–Kara Sea ice sheet deposited the Viryuga Till on the lower Pyoza from northerly directions. The ice sheet formed the Pyoza marginal moraines, which can be correlated with the Markhida moraines further east, and proglacial lacustrine deposition persisted in the area during the first part of the Middle Valdaian. Glacio-isostatic uplift caused erosion followed by pedogenesis and the formation of a deflation horizon in the Middle Valdaian. Widely dispersed periglacial river plains were formed during the Late Valdaian around 10–20 ka BP. Thus, the evidence of a terrestrial-based ice sheet from easterly uplands in the Pyoza area suggests that local piedmont glaciers situated in highlands such as the Timan Ridge or the Urals could have developed into larger, regionally confined ice sheets. Two phases of ice damming and development of proglacial lakes occurred during the Early and Middle Valdaian. The region did not experience glaciation during the Late Valdaian.     

Thermal Properties of a Supraglacial Debris Layer with Respect to Lithology and Grain Size

This paper focuses on the impacts of debris cover on ice melt with regards to lithology and grain size. Ten test plots were established with different debris grain sizes and debris thicknesses consisting of different natural material. For each plot, values of thermal conductivity were determined. The observations revealed a clear dependence of the sub‐debris ice melt on the layer thickness, grain size, porosity and moisture content. For the sand fraction the moisture content played a dominant role. These test fields were water saturated most of the time, resulting in an increased thermal conductivity. Highly porous volcanic material protected the ice much more effectively from melting than similar layer thicknesses of the local mica schist. However, the analysis of thermal diffusivities demonstrated that the vertical moisture distribution of the debris cover must be taken into consideration, with the diffusivity values being significantly lower in deeper layers.     

Pelagic petroleum pollution off the south-west coast of Puerto Rico

Petroleum pollution in the form of floating tar balls and dissolved or dispersed hydrocarbons has been monitored off the south-west coast of Puerto Rico on a weekly basis since November 1980. Tar ball abundance estimates agree well with previously published data for the area. Dissolved/dispersed hydrocarbon concentrations are close to, but below, those found in the Mediterranean Sea and considerably lower than those for more polluted areas. Tar ball abundance is closely related to the intensity of southerly winds. Dissolved/dispersed hydrocarbon concentrations are highest during the fall and coincident with the highest surface water temperatures.     

Planktoneustonic algae in the surface films of Lake Zürich: Occurrence and dependence on phytoplankton succession

Samples of surface films and of the underlying bulk water at 0.2 m depth were taken in Lake Zürich on 48 occasions in 1986, 1988 and 1989, with the aim of assessing the appropriateness of applying existing neuston nomenclature to the organisms found in these films, of determining which organisms accumulate there during which periods of time, and of assessing the importance of the phytoplankton community in the development of neustonic biocoenoses. Lake Zürich surface films were found to support a community of high population density, consisting of organisms which had migrated from the benthal or pelagial, or which had entered the film via the atmosphere or inflowing rivers. In all samples, species originating from within the phytoplankton community accounted for the greatest proportion of the total abundance. Several of these species were found to exhibit a special preference for the surface biotope, viz. those with a relative frequency (rF) exceeding 10%, a mean enrichment factor (Ef) exceeding 100, and, in the majority of cases, with a greater concentration of individuals in the surface film than in the underlying bulk water layer. We suggest that only those organisms occurring in the surface films of large water bodies which fulfil the above criteria should be considered as belonging to the planktoneuston, in order to distinguish them from other species, the occurrence of which in surface films is merely coincidental. The fact that planktoneustonic algae are dominant in the surface films of Lake Zürich means that changes in the species composition of the planktonic algal biocoenosis directly affect the species composition of the neustonic algal biocoenosis. Thus, just as in the underlying bulk water, a succession can be observed in the algal biocoenosis of the surface films. However, because of the higher abundance of planktoneustonic algae there, this succession is distinct from that occurring in the pelagial. Factors bringing about these differences which are discussed for the case of the dominant planktoneustonic algae are: alterations in specific gravity; positive phototaxis; and enhancement of growth rates in surface films as compared with the underlying bulk water.     

Response Surface Designs for Scenario Management and Uncertainty Quantification in Reservoir Production

Response surface experimental designs provide a framework for evaluating sensitivities and assessing uncertainties in reservoir-production forecasts for continuous parameters (i.e. permeability, flow rate, etc.). In this paper, the method is extended in order to integrate both continuous and discrete parameters (i.e. fault status: open/close, injection scheme: SWAG/WAG, etc.). This paper presents an appropriate experimental designs approach, notably the regression models associated with, and the statistical interpretation (sensitivity study, Monte Carlo simulations, etc.). The method has been successfully applied to a reservoir oil-production simulation problem. The objective was to define the best production scheme by optimizing the well-completion level. This application has highlighted the advantages of this new approach, both in terms of decreasing simulation cost and improving the interpretation quality.