Express delivery of fossil meteorites from the inner asteroid belt to Sweden

Our understanding of planet formation depends in fundamental ways on what we learn by analyzing the composition, mineralogy, and petrology of meteorites. Yet, it is difficult to deduce the compositional and thermal gradients that existed in the solar nebula from the meteoritic record because, in most cases, we do not know where meteorites with different chemical and isotopic signatures originated. Here we developed a model that tracks the orbits of meteoroid-sized objects as they evolve from the ν₆ secular resonance to Earth-crossing orbits. We apply this model to determining the number of meteorites accreted on the Earth immediately after a collisional disruption of a D∼200-km-diameter inner-main-belt asteroid in the Flora family region. We show that this event could produce fossil chondrite meteorites found in an ≈470 Myr old marine limestone quarry in southern Sweden, the L-chondrite meteorites with shock ages ≈470 Myr falling on the Earth today, as well as asteroid-sized fragments in the Flora family. To explain the measured short cosmic-ray exposure ages of fossil meteorites our model requires that the meteoroid-sized fragments were launched at speeds >500 m s⁻¹ and/or the collisional lifetimes of these objects were much shorter immediately after the breakup event than they are today.     

Channel stability in steep gravel–cobble streams is controlled by the coarse tail of the bed material distribution

Researchers have associated channel-forming flows with reach-average shear stresses close to the entrainment threshold for the surface D₅₀ . We conducted experiments using a model of a generic steep, gravel–cobble stream to test this association. Our results suggest that channel-forming flows fully mobilize the D₅₀ , and produce shear stresses close to the entrainment threshold for the largest grains in the bed. The channel dimensions were set by flows capable of mobilizing between 85% and 90% of the bed surface, which produced a brief period of lateral instability lasting about 1 h, followed by a prolonged period of relative stability during which modest adjustments occurred, but during which the reach-average hydraulics remained about the same. The adjustments during the unstable phase of the experiments are characterized by rapid bank erosion, extensive deposits on the channel bed and a restructuring of the major morphologic elements of the stream. The adjustments during the stable phase of the experiments involved barform migration and bed surface coarsening but did not appreciably modify the physical template established by the end of the unstable phase. The behaviour we observed is not consistent with the concept of a dynamic equilibrium associated with a formative flow that is just capable of entraining the bed surface D₅₀ . Instead, it suggests that rapid adjustments occur once a stability threshold is exceeded, which creates a template that constrains channel activity until another event drives the system across the stability threshold, and re-sets the template. While we believe that it is probably too simplistic to associate a channel-forming discharge with the entrainment threshold for a single grain size, our results suggest that the D₉₅ is a more logical choice than the D₅₀ © 2020 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Managing land-use effects on Northland dune lakes: lessons from the past

The Northland region of New Zealand includes numerous high-value, macrophyte-dominated dune lakes. Recent water policy reforms offer limited guidance on managing for aquatic macrophytes. In addition, dune lake histories are poorly known as regular monitoring dates to 2005 AD. Here, ca. 4000 years of lake functional behaviour is reconstructed from sedimentary archives in two Northland dune lakes (Humuhumu and Rotokawau). Results demonstrated that macrophyte dominance is sensitive to catchment erosion and hydrological drawdown. Degradation of macrophyte communities occurred in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, earlier at Lake Humuhumu than Lake Rotokawau (post-1880 AD and post-1930 AD, respectively). In both lakes, increased erosional influx reduced macrophyte productivity, before later increases to wider trophic state (post-1970 AD). Lake-level decline is linked to increased nutrient loading at Lake Rotokawau but less so, Lake Humuhumu which is more strongly groundwater-fed. In Northland dune lakes, water-level reduction and erosional influx from land use have driven macrophyte degradation.     

The degradation characteristics of microbial biomass in soil

Soil microbial biomass is a primary source of soil organic carbon (SOC) and therefore plays a fundamental role in carbon and nitrogen cycling. However, little is known about the fate and transformations of microbial biomass in soil. Here we employ HR-MAS NMR spectroscopy to monitor ¹³C and ¹⁵N labeled soil microbial biomass and leachate degradation over time. As expected, there is a rapid loss of carbohydrate structures. However, diffusion edited HR-MAS NMR data reveals that macromolecular carbohydrates are more resistant to degradation and are found in the leachate. Aromatic components survive as dissolved species in the leachate while aliphatic components persist in both the biomass and leachate. Dissolved protein and peptidoglycan accumulate in the leachate and recalcitrant amide nitrogen and lipoprotein persists in both the degraded biomass and leachate. Cross-peaks that appear in ¹H-¹⁵N HR-MAS NMR spectra after degradation suggest that specific peptides are either selectively preserved or used for the synthesis of unknown structures. The overall degradation pathways reported here are similar to that of decomposing plant material degraded under similar conditions suggesting that the difference between recalcitrant carbon from different sources is negligible after decomposition.     

Instrumentation Development for In Situ 40Ar/39Ar Planetary Geochronology

The chronology of the Solar System, particularly the timing of formation of extra‐terrestrial bodies and their features, is an outstanding problem in planetary science. Although various chronological methods for in situ geochronology have been proposed (e.g., Rb‐Sr, K‐Ar), and even applied (K‐Ar), the reliability, accuracy, and applicability of the ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar method makes it by far the most desirable chronometer for dating extra‐terrestrial bodies. The method however relies on the neutron irradiation of samples, and thus a neutron source. Herein, we discuss the challenges and feasibility of deploying a passive neutron source to planetary surfaces for the in situ application of the ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar chronometer. Requirements in generating and shielding neutrons, as well as analysing samples are described, along with an exploration of limitations such as mass, power and cost. Two potential solutions for the in situ extra‐terrestrial deployment of the ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar method are presented. Although this represents a challenging task, developing the technology to apply the ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar method on planetary surfaces would represent a major advance towards constraining the timescale of solar system formation and evolution.     

A lunar core of Fe-Ni-S

Several workers have proposed that lunar samples were magnetized by a field created by a lunar core of molten Fe. Low abundances of siderophile elements in lunar rocks are compatible with formation of a metallic lunar core. A molten Fe core requires that the bulk of the Moon was above, or close to, the melting point, a requirement which disagrees with most models of the lunar thermal regime.A core (or perhaps a layer or pockets) of molten Fe-Ni-S, at or close to the eutectic composition would act as a lunar dynamo, and be at a temperature (approx. 1000°C) consistent with some reasonable models of lunar thermal history. The existence of a Fe-Ni-S core would also partly explain the depletion in volatile elements in lunar basalts. Such a core, occupying up to 20 per cent of the Moon's radius requires a bulk S content for the moon of only 0.3 wt per cent.     

Evaluating legacy contaminants and emerging chemicals in marine environments using adverse outcome pathways and biological effects-directed analysis

Natural and synthetic chemicals are essential to our daily lives, food supplies, health care, industries and safe sanitation. At the same time protecting marine ecosystems and seafood resources from the adverse effects of chemical contaminants remains an important issue. Since the 1970s, monitoring of persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic (PBT) chemicals using analytical chemistry has provided important spatial and temporal trend data in three important contexts; relating to human health protection from seafood contamination, addressing threats to marine top predators and finally providing essential evidence to better protect the biodiversity of commercial and non-commercial marine species. A number of regional conventions have led to controls on certain PBT chemicals over several years (termed ‘legacy contaminants’; e.g. cadmium, lindane, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons [PAHs] and polychlorinated biphenyls [PCBs]). Analytical chemistry plays a key role in evaluating to what extent such regulatory steps have been effective in leading to reduced emissions of these legacy contaminants into marine environments. In parallel, the application of biomarkers (e.g. DNA adducts, CYP1A-EROD, vitellogenin) and bioassays integrated with analytical chemistry has strengthened the evidence base to support an ecosystem approach to manage marine pollution problems. In recent years, however, the increased sensitivity of analytical chemistry, toxicity alerts and wider environmental awareness has led to a focus on emerging chemical contaminants (defined as chemicals that have been detected in the environment, but which are currently not included in regulatory monitoring programmes and whose fate and biological impacts are poorly understood). It is also known that natural chemicals (e.g. algal biotoxins) may also pose a threat to marine species and seafood quality. Hence complex mixtures of legacy contaminants, emerging chemicals and natural biotoxins in marine ecosystems represent important scientific, economic and health challenges. In order to meet these challenges and pursue cost-effective scientific approaches that can provide evidence necessary to support policy needs (e.g. the European Marine Strategy Framework Directive), it is widely recognised that there is a need to (i) provide marine exposure assessments for priority contaminants using a range of validated models, passive samplers and biomarkers; (ii) integrate chemical monitoring data with biological effects data across spatial and temporal scales (including quality controls); and (iii) strengthen the evidence base to understand the relationship between exposure to complex chemical mixtures, biological and ecological impacts through integrated approaches and molecular data (e.g. genomics, proteomics and metabolomics). Additionally, we support the widely held view that (iv) that rather than increasing the analytical chemistry monitoring of large number of emerging contaminants, it will be important to target analytical chemistry towards key groups of chemicals of concern using effects-directed analysis. It is also important to evaluate to what extent existing biomarkers and bioassays can address various classes of emerging chemicals using the adverse outcome pathway (AOP) approach now being developed by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) with respect to human toxicology and ecotoxicology.     

Predicting gravel bed river response to environmental change: the strengths and limitations of a regime‐based approach

Rivers respond to environmental changes such as climate shifts, land use changes and the construction of hydro‐power dams in a variety of ways. Often there are multiple potential responses to any given change. Traditionally, potential stream channel response has been assessed using simple, qualitative frameworks based largely on professional judgement and field experience, or using some form of regime theory. Regime theory represents an attempt to use a physically based approach to predict the configuration of stable channels that can transport the imposed sediment supply with the available discharge. We review the development of regime theory, and then present a specific regime model that we have created as a stand‐alone computer program, called the UBC Regime Model (UBCRM). UBCRM differs from other regime models in that it constrains its predictions using a bank stability criterion, as well as a pattern stability criterion; it predicts both the stable channel cross‐sectional dimensions as well as the number of anabranches that the stream must have in order to establish a stable channel pattern. UBCRM also differs from other models in that it can be used in a stochastic modelling mode that translates uncertainty in the input variables into uncertainty in the predicted channel characteristics. However, since regime models are fundamentally based on the concept of grade, there are circumstances in which the model does not perform well. We explore the strengths and weaknesses of the UBCRM in this paper, and we attempt to illustrate how the UBCRM can be used to augment the existing qualitative frameworks, and to help guide professionals in their assessments. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Rebuttal to the comment by Malhotra and Strom on “Constraints on the source of lunar cataclysm impactors”

?uk et al. (?uk, M. Gladman, B.J., Stewart, S.T. [2010]. Icarus 207 590-594) concluded that the the lunar cataclysm (late heavy bombardment) was recorded in lunar Imbrian era craters, and that their size distribution is different from that of main belt asteroids (which may have been the dominant pre-Imbrian impactors). This result would likely preclude the asteroid belt as the direct source of lunar cataclysm impactors. Malhotra and Strom (Malhotra, R., Strom, R.G. [2011]. Icarus) maintain that the lunar impactor population in the Imbrian era was the same as in Nectarian and pre-Nectarian periods, and this population had a size distribution identical to that of main belt asteroids. In support of this claim, they present an Imbrian size distribution made from two data sets published by Wilhelms et al. (Wilhelms, D.E., Oberbeck, V.R., Aggarwal, H.R. [1978]. Proc. Lunar Sci. Conf. 9, 3735-3762). However, these two data sets cannot be simply combined as they represent areas of different ages and therefore crater densities. Malhotra and Strom (Malhotra, R., Strom, R.G. [2011]. Icarus) differ with the main conclusion of Wilhelms et al. (Wilhelms, D.E., Oberbeck, V.R., Aggarwal, H.R. [1978]. Proc. Lunar Sci. Conf. 9, 3735-3762) that the Nectarian and Imbrian crater size distributions were different. We conclude that the available data indicate that the lunar Imbrian-era impactors had a different size distribution from the older ones, with the Imbrian impactor distribution being significantly richer in small impactors than that of older lunar impactors or current main-belt asteroids.     

Using GIS and large-scale digital data to implement hedonic pricing studies

This paper describes how a standard GIS package can be used to convert large-scale vector digital data (point, line and annotation features) into polygons using standardised and replicable methods. Building area, garden and land use polygons are all derived from such data (Ordnance Survey LandLine.Plus). These entities are then combined with further sources of digital data to derive more refined information such as property types. Finally, complex DEMs are developed for use in visibility studies. The variables calculated are subsequently employed in a property valuation study where many are found to be significant determinants of property price. The main exception is variables relating to viewsheds, although it is argued that this does not invalidate the techniques used in their deviation but highlights the difficulties involved in modelling a large number of variables in a property price analysis.