Melting and thermal expansion in the Fe–FeO system at high pressure

Melting in the Fe–FeO system was investigated at pressures up to 93 GPa using synchrotron X-ray diffraction (XRD) and a laser heated diamond anvil cell (DAC). The criteria for melting were the disappearance of reflections associated with one of the end-member phases upon raising the temperature above the eutectic and the reappearance of those reflections on dropping the temperature below the eutectic. The Fe–FeO system is a simple eutectic at 50 GPa and remains eutectic to at least 93 GPa. The eutectic temperature was bound at several pressure points between 19 and 93 GPa, and in some cases the liquidus temperature was also determined. The eutectic temperature rises rapidly with pressure closely following the melting curve of pure Fe. A detailed phase diagram at 50 GPa is presented; the eutectic temperature is 2500 ± 150 K and the eutectic composition is bound between 7.6 ± 1.0 and 9.5 ± 1.0 wt.% O. The coefficient of thermal expansion of FeO is a strong function of volume and decreases with pressure according to a simple power law.     

Evaluation of stony coral indicators for coral reef management

Colonies of reef-building stony corals at 57 stations around St. Croix, US Virgin Islands were characterized by species, size and percentage of living tissue. Taxonomic, biological and physical indicators of coral condition were derived from these measurements and assessed for their response to gradients of human disturbance—a requirement for indicators used in regulatory assessments under authority of the Clean Water Act. At the most intensely disturbed location, five of eight primary indicators were highly correlated with distance from the source of disturbance: Coral taxa richness, average colony size, the coefficient of variation of colony size, total topographic coral surface area, and live coral surface area. An additional set of exploratory indicators related to rarity, reproductive and spawning mode and taxonomic identity were also screened. The primary indicators demonstrated sufficient precision to detect levels of change that would be applicable in a regional-scale regulatory program.     

Accessibility to food retailers and socio‐economic deprivation in urban New Zealand

The spatial locations of food retailers are considered to be an influential aspect of population consumption patterns. Such contextual relationships are often related to socio‐economic deprivation, with disparities in accessibility having important implications. This study used Geographic Information Systems and an Enhanced Two‐Step Floating Catchment Area model of spatial accessibility to further understand such relationships within urban areas of New Zealand. Findings, while mixed, indicate that there is generally increased accessibility to all food retailers in highly deprived areas. Understanding these socio–spatial relationships in local environments has important implications for policy initiatives, health outcomes and sustainable development.     

Identifying Common Decision Problem Elements for the Management of Emerging Fungal Diseases of Wildlife

Emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) of wildlife have characteristics that make them difficult to manage, leading to reactive and often ineffective management strategies. Currently, two fungal pathogens, Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd) and Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans (Bsal), are causing declines in novel host species. To improve the application of management strategies addressing the risk of these pathogens to North American wildlife, we queried wildlife managers about their concerns regarding managing populations of bats and amphibians potentially impacted by Pd and Bsal. Using these responses, we identified aspects of each decision problem that were shared across pathogens, regions and agencies – and found similarities in decision-problem elements for disease management. Reframing management problems as decisions can enable managers to identify similarities across EIDs, i.e. uncertainties within management actions, and improve reactive responses if proactive management is not possible. Such an approach recognizes context-specific constraints and identifies relevant uncertainties that must be reduced in developing a response.     

How processing digital elevation models can affect simulated water budgets

For regional models, the shallow water table surface is often used as a source/sink boundary condition, as model grid scale precludes simulation of the water table aquifer. This approach is appropriate when the water table surface is relatively stationary. Since water table surface maps are not readily available, the elevation of the water table used in model cells is estimated via a two-step process. First, a regression equation is developed using existing land and water table elevations from wells in the area. This equation is then used to predict the water table surface for each model cell using land surface elevation available from digital elevation models (DEM). Two methods of processing DEM for estimating the land surface for each cell are commonly used (value nearest the cell centroid or mean value in the cell). This article demonstrates how these two methods of DEM processing can affect the simulated water budget. For the example presented, approximately 20% more total flow through the aquifer system is simulated if the centroid value rather than the mean value is used. This is due to the one-third greater average ground water gradients associated with the centroid value than the mean value. The results will vary depending on the particular model area topography and cell size. The use of the mean DEM value in each model cell will result in a more conservative water budget and is more appropriate because the model cell water table value should be representative of the entire cell area, not the centroid of the model cell.     

Proximity in a Ghanaian savanna: Human reactions to the African palm civet Nandinia binotata

Understanding human reactions to wildlife, including the differing reactions of different groups to different species, is important given that expanding human population and settlements increasingly result in natural habitat loss or modification and, consequently, wildlife adaptation and encroachment into cleared and created human spaces such as wastelands and farms. This paper examines the importance of gender and age in the responses of rural coastal villagers in Ghana to the presence of African palm civets. Social data gathered from 450 residents in six villages indicated that women and young people were significantly more fearful of civets, seeing them as village marauders, food thieves and livestock predators. Women were also more likely to carry sticks and beat thick vegetation to dispel civets out of concern for the safety of their children and homes. These findings may inform both rural development and conservation debates and policies.     

Approaches to equilibrium in the distribution of trace elements among the principal minerals in a high-grade metamorphic terrane

X-ray fluorescence, instrumental neutron activation, and particle-induced X-ray emission methods were used to determine the distribution of numerous trace elements among garnet (Grt), Ca-pyroxene (Cpx), hornblende (Hbl), biotite (Bt), plagioclase (Pl) and K-feldspar (Kf) in a high-grade metamorphic terrane within the Grenville Province of the Canadian Shield. Results are presented as distribution formulae, e.g. Sr: Kf 1.1 Pl 16 Hbl 2.2 Cpx 1.0 Bt 1.2 Grt Sc: Hbl 1.1 Cpx 1.0 Grt 7.8 Bt 22 Pl 2.6 Kf V: Hbl 1.15 Bt 2.07 Cpx 6.0 Grt (1.4% CaO)>1 (Pl, Kf) Zn: Bt 1.6 Hbl 1.62 Cpx 2.9 Grt 10 Pl Ga: Bt 1.2 Hbl 1.2 Pl 2.5 Cpx 1.3 Grt where numbers are distribution ratios, e.g. ppm Sr in Hbl/ppm Sr in Cpx=2.2. Examples of inter-element similarities and differences are (a) both Rb and Cs are concentrated in biotite relative to K-feldspar, but for Rb the ratio is 2.3 and for Cs it is 16, (b) the distribution formulae for seven lanthanides are similar except for the position of garnet, e.g. Ce: Hbl 2.7 Cpx 2.8 Pl 1.1 Bt 11 Kf 16 Grt Yb: Grt 2.8 Hbl 2.7 Cpx 9 Pl 1.0 Bt 7 Kf and (c) all of Sr, eight lanthanides, Zr, V and Cr are concentrated in hornblende relative to Ca-pyroxene by a factor that lies in the narrow range of 2.2–3.1. There is a larger variation (departure from the mean) in some distribution ratios than in others. Thus the mean ratios (Hbl/Cpx) for each of six elements and in parentheses the percentage relative standard deviation are Zn 1.62 (8.6), V 2.38 (12), Cr 2.42 (18), Sr 2.7 (28), Ba 2.9 (36) and Ni 1.66 (38). We suggest that variation of this kind is the result of differences from place to place in the magnitude of deformation and recrystallization (which facilitated the rearrangement of atoms), combined with rates of lattice and crystal-boundary diffusion that are unique for the various elements, thus permitting some trace elements to approach equilibrium more closely than others.