Single subduction zone for the generation of Devonian ophiolites and high‐P metamorphic belts of the Variscan Orogen (NW Iberia)

Within the Variscan Orogen, Early Devonian and Late Devonian high‐P belts separated by mid‐Devonian ophiolites can be interpreted as having formed in a single subduction zone. Early Devonian convergence nucleated a Laurussia‐dipping subduction zone from an inherited lithospheric neck (peri‐Gondwanan Cambrian back‐arc). Slab‐retreat induced upper plate extension, mantle incursion and lower plate thermal softening, favouring slab‐detachment within the lower plate and diapiric exhumation of deep‐seated rocks through the overlying mantle up to relaminate the upper plate. Upper plate extension produced mid‐Devonian suprasubduction ocean floor spreading (Devonian ophiolites), while further convergence resulted in plate coupling and intraoceanic ophiolite imbrication. Accretion of the remaining Cambrian ocean heralded Late Devonian subduction of inner sections of Gondwana across the same subduction zone and the underthrusting of mainland Gondwana (culmination of NW Iberian allochthonous pile). Oblique convergence favoured lateral plate sliding, and explained the different lateral positions along Gondwana of terranes separated by Palaeozoic ophiolites.     

A two-temperature model for the flare of 5 September, 1973

The energetics and mass transfer during the X-ray flare of 1831 GMT on 5 September, 1973 have been studied using the observations in the objective grating mode of the AS&E X-ray spectrographic telescope on Skylab. The flare was a moderately energetic one, Class M1 according to Solrad. In H, however, it was only a subflare of class - N. The data are approximately monochromatic images of the small X-ray source. They show a continued rise in the emission for several minutes followed by a decline. The size and temporal evolution are slightly different for ions associated with higher temperatures (Fe xxii, Si xiii) than with those of lower temperatures (Fe xvii, Mg xi). The time of maximum emission moves from one side of the flare to the other and peaks earlier for hotter temperature ions. The observations are analyzed using a two-temperature model in order to determine the changes in the distribution of emission measure and of the amount of material as a function of temperature. The development of the flare can be divided into three periods in each of which different mechanisms are operating. For the first 3–4 min, evaporation drives mass into the entire emitting region. Second, the evaporation ceases: Hot material loses energy, and we see a loss of hot material and a corresponding gain of cool material. Later, after 1838, we see a decline in the emission measure.     

Analysis of incorporating groundwater exchanges in hydrological models

In many catchments, the geographical demarcation does not coincide with the limits of the aquifers, so groundwater may be exchanged beyond their topographic boundaries. By studying groundwater exchanges, the natural resources of a catchment can be better assessed, and the divergences between hydrological models and measurements can be explained. The aim of this work is to reveal the importance of including groundwater exchanges in the hydrological modelling of some catchments, using a water balance model. For this purpose, a simple example is conducted. The so‐called parent model scheme is modified to only allow groundwater exchanges, and it is applied to the headwater of the Segura River Basin District, located in the southeast of Spain. This area is selected because groundwater plays an important role in surface hydrology. The results reveal that groundwater exchanges cannot be neglected in some catchments when assessing water resources because their integration in the hydrological model corrects errors in the water balance. Moreover, this paper proves that water balance models are a useful tool for estimating groundwater exchanges between catchments, which can be contrasted with more complex distributed models or isotopic tracers if there is enough information available. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Magnetic fabrics and their relationship with the emplacement of the Piracaia pluton,SE Brazil

Magnetic fabric and rock-magnetism studies were performed on the four units of the 578 ± 3-Ma-old Piracaia pluton (NW of São Paulo State, southern Brazil). This intrusion is roughly elliptical (~32 km²), composed of (i) coarse-grained monzodiorite (MZD-c), (ii) fine-grained monzodiorite (MZD-f), which is predominant in the pluton, (iii) monzonite heterogeneous (MZN-het), and (iv) quartz syenite (Qz-Sy). Magnetic fabrics were determined by applying both anisotropy of low-field magnetic susceptibility (AMS) and anisotropy of anhysteretic remanent magnetization (AARM). The two fabrics are coaxial. The parallelism between AMS and AARM tensors excludes the presence of a single domain (SD) effect on the AMS fabric of the units. Several rock-magnetism experiments performed in one specimen from each sampled units show that for all of them, the magnetic susceptibility and magnetic fabrics are carried by magnetite grains, which was also observed in the thin sections. Foliations and lineations in the units were successfully determined by applying magnetic methods. Most of the magnetic foliations are steeply dipping or vertical in all units and are roughly parallel to the foliation measured in the field and in the country rocks. In contrast, the magnetic lineations present mostly low plunges for the whole pluton. However, for eight sites, they are steep up to vertical. Thin-section analyses show that rocks from the Piracaia pluton were affected by the regional strain during and after emplacement since magmatic foliation evolves to solid-state fabric in the north of the pluton, indicating that magnetic fabrics in this area of the pluton are related to this strain. Otherwise, the lack of solid-state deformation at outcrop scale and in thin sections precludes deformation in the SW of the pluton. This evidence allows us to interpret the observed magnetic fabrics as primary in origin (magmatic) acquired when the rocks were solidified as a result of magma flow, in which steeply plunging magnetic lineation suggests that a feeder zone could underlie this area.     

Quantitative antimony speciation in shooting-range soils by EXAFS spectroscopy

The Sb speciation in soil samples from Swiss shooting ranges was determined using Sb K-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and advanced statistical data analysis methods (iterative transformation factor analysis, ITFA). The XAS analysis was supported by a spectral data set of 13 Sb minerals and 4 sorption complexes. In spite of a high variability in geology, soil pH (3.1-7.5), Sb concentrations (1000-17,000 mg/kg) and shooting-range history, only two Sb species were identified. In the first species, Sb is surrounded solely by other Sb atoms at radial distances of 2.90, 3.35, 4.30 and 4.51 Å, indicative of metallic Sb(0). While part of this Sb(0) may be hosted by unweathered bullet fragments consisting of PbSb alloy, Pb L_III-edge XAS of the soil with the highest fraction (0.75) of Sb(0) showed no metallic Pb, but only Pb²⁺ bound to soil organic matter. This suggests a preferential oxidation of Pb in the alloy, driven by the higher standard reduction potential of Sb. In the second species, Sb is coordinated to 6 O-atoms at a distance of 1.98 Å, indicative of Sb(V). This oxidation state is further supported by an edge energy of 30,496-30,497 eV for the soil samples with <10% Sb(0). Iron atoms at radial distances of 3.10 and 3.56 Å from Sb atoms are in line with edge-sharing and bidentate corner-sharing linkages between Sb(O,OH)₆ and Fe(O,OH)₆ octahedra. While similar structural units exist in tripuhyite, the absence of Sb neighbors contradicts formation of this Fe antimonate. Hence the second species most likely consists of inner-sphere sorption complexes on Fe oxides, with edge and corner-sharing configuration occurring simultaneously. This pentavalent Sb species was present in all samples, suggesting that it is the prevailing species after weathering of metallic Sb(0) in oxic soils. No indication of Sb(III) was found.     

Future emissions of marine halogenated very-short lived substances under climate change

Halogenated Very Short-lived Substances (VSLS), such as bromoform, dibromomethane and methyl iodide, are naturally produced in the oceans and are involved in ozone depletion in the troposphere and the stratosphere. The effect of climate change on the oceanic emissions of these compounds is not well quantified. Based on present-day observed global oceanic and atmospheric concentrations, and historic and future data from three CMIP5 models, past and future sea-to-air fluxes of these VSLS are calculated. The simulations are used to infer possible effects of projected changes of physical forcing on emissions in different oceanic regimes. CMIP5 model output for 1979–2100 from the historical scenario and the RCP scenarios 2.6 and 8.5 are used as input data for the emission calculations. Of the parameters that have the main influence on the sea-to-air fluxes, the global sea surface temperatures show a steady increase during the twenty-first century, while the projected changes of sea surface wind speed is very small. The calculated emissions based on the historical CMIP5 model runs (1979–2005) increased over the 26 year period and agree well with the emissions based on ERA-Interim data. The future sea-to-air fluxes of VSLS generally increase during the twenty-first century under the assumption of constant concentration fields in the ocean and atmosphere. The multi-model mean global emissions of bromoform increase by 29.4% (9.0%) between 1986 and 2005 and 2081–2100 under RCP 8.5 (2.6) and dibromomethane and methyl iodide emissions increase by 23.3% (6.4%) and 5.5% (1.5%), respectively. Uncertainties of the future emission estimates, driven by ongoing environmental changes such as changing oceanic productivity (not considered in this study) are discussed.     

The Energy Balance Experiment EBEX-2000. Part I: overview and energy balance

An overview of the Energy Balance Experiment (EBEX-2000) is given. This experiment studied the ability of state-of-the-art measurements to close the surface energy balance over a surface (a vegetative canopy with large evapotranspiration) where closure has been difficult to obtain. A flood-irrigated cotton field over uniform terrain was used, though aerial imagery and direct flux measurements showed that the surface still was inhomogeneous. All major terms of the surface energy balance were measured at nine sites to characterize the spatial variability across the field. Included in these observations was an estimate of heat storage in the plant canopy. The resultant imbalance still was 10%, which exceeds the estimated measurement error. We speculate that horizontal advection in the layer between the canopy top and our flux measurement height may cause this imbalance, though our estimates of this term using our measurements resulted in values less than what would be required to balance the budget. The National Center for Atmospheric Research is supported by the National Science Foundation