Organotin levels in Nazaré canyon (west Iberian Margin, NE Atlantic) and adjacent coastal area

Organotin compounds (OTs) are ubiquitous in the marine environment and high concentrations (μg g(-1) range) in sediments from different coastal areas around the world have been reported. However, few reports have described the OTs contamination status in the offshore and deep sea environment. This work investigated organotin levels in Nazaré canyon for the first time. Levels of monobutyltin (MBT), dibutyltin (DBT), tributyltin (TBT), diphenyltin (DPT), triphenyltin (TPT), dioctyltin (DOT) and trioctyltin (TOT) were quantified in sediment samples from the upper flanks of the canyon and from the adjacent coastal area. TBT levels detected in the canyon flanks are about two to three orders of magnitude lower than those found in the coastal area. Nevertheless, when quantifiable, TBT levels in the canyon samples were higher than the Environmental Assessment Criteria set for TBT in sediments by the OSPAR Commission indicating that at those locations negative ecological impacts are likely to occur.     

Depth of faulting and ancient heat flows in the Kuiper region of Mercury from lobate scarp topography

Mercurian lobate scarps are interpreted to be the surface expressions of thrust faults formed by planetary cooling and contraction, which deformed the crust down to the brittle–ductile transition (BDT) depth at the time of faulting. In this work we have used a forward modeling procedure in order to analyze the relation between scarp topography and fault geometries and depths associated with a group of prominent lobate scarps (Santa Maria Rupes and two unnamed scarps) located in the Kuiper region of Mercury for which Earth-based radar altimetry is available. Also a backthrust associated with one of the lobate scarps has been included in this study. We have obtained best fits for depths of faulting between 30 and 39 km; the results are consistent with the previous results for other lobate scarps on Mercury.The so-derived fault depths have been used to calculate surface heat flows for the time of faulting, taking into account crustal heat sources and a heterogeneous surface temperature due to the variable insolation pattern. Deduced surface heat flows are between 19 and 39 mW m^?2 for the Kuiper region, and between 22 and 43 mW m^?2 for Discovery Rupes. Both BDT depths and heat flows are consistent with the predictions of thermal history models for the range of time relevant for scarp formation.     

Broadband submillimeter measurements of the full Moon center brightness temperature and application to a lunar eclipse

We report on observations of the full Moon brightness temperature covering the frequency range of 300-950 GHz, and also on observations of the lunar eclipse of July 16, 2000, though only covering the frequency range of 165-365 GHz due to poor atmospheric transmission at higher frequencies. All observations were performed from the summit of Mauna Kea (HI) using a Fourier Transform Spectrometer mounted on the Caltech Submillimeter Observatory and supplemented by measurements of the atmospheric opacity using a 183 GHz Water Vapor Monitor. The telescope was pointed to the center of the lunar disk (with a footprint of ∼45-15 km on the Moon at 300 through 900 GHz). In order to obtain the correct values of the Moon brightness temperatures at all frequencies we carefully corrected for the atmospheric absorption, which varies across the submillimeter domain. This correction is fully described. The measured pre-eclipse brightness temperature is around 337 K in the 165-365 GHz range. This temperature slightly increases with frequency to reach ∼353 K at 950 GHz, according to previous broader band data. The magnitude of the temperature drop observed during the eclipse at 265 GHz (central frequency of the band covered) was about ∼70 K, in very good agreement with previous millimeter-wave measurements of other lunar eclipses. We detected, in addition, a clear frequency trend in the temperature drop that has been compared to a thermal and microwave emission model of the lunar regolith, with the result of a good match of the relative flux drop at different frequencies between model and measurements.     

On the nature of high luminosity ULIRGs

We present the preliminary results for a sample of 21 high luminosity ULIRGs (L_IR > 10^12.3 L⊙), selected from the 1Jy sample. Based on R band imaging we have performed an analysis of their morphologies. The main result obtained is that about half of the host galaxies are represented by spheroids and in the other half an exponential disk has been detected or they show still trace of a merging process going on. Regarding the relation between morphology and nuclear activity it seems that more advanced mergers appear in the most active galaxies. Hence the data support the evolutionary scheme proposed by Sanders 15 years ago that ULIRGs can be the earliest precursors of optical QSOs. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

A VAPID analysis of interstellar lithium in the ζ Oph sightline

We present observations of the Li  i 6708 Å doublet in the ζ Oph sightline, obtained at a resolution of ∼10⁶ and a signal-to-noise ratio of ∼1200, together with supplementary observations of K  i λ 7699 and the Na  i λ 3302 doublet. These observations marginally resolve the main '−15 km s⁻¹' system into its two principal clouds; we model the data using standard physical assumptions, but in a statistically rigorous manner, taking fully into account the hyperfine, doublet and isotopic structure for each species, in each cloud, using a new code, vapid . The average  ⁷Li/⁶Li  ratio determined in this sightline is  1.12±0.20 dex  (68 per cent confidence interval), in excellent agreement with the solar-system (meteoritic) value. The ratios in the individual clouds are determined with less precision, but are also consistent with the solar-system value, as is the total lithium abundance (with little evidence for depletion). The thermal and 'turbulent' broadening in the two clouds is discussed on the basis of observed line widths.     

Distribution and thickness of sedimentary facies in the coastal dune, beach and nearshore sedimentary system at Maspalomas, Canary Islands

Numerous studies have shown that most beaches and coastal dune systems of the world are currently eroding but very few have investigated the combined sediment budgets of subaerial and nearshore submarine systems. In the case of the dune field of the Maspalomas Natural Special Reserve (in the south of Gran Canaria), the adjacent Maspalomas and El Inglés beaches and the adjacent submarine platform, the sediment budgets have been severely affected by erosion over the past few decades. The objectives of this study were to investigate the availability of sand within the modern sedimentary system, including the coastal dunes, the beaches and the submerged shelf, but also to assess local sediment sinks. An isopach map generated on the basis of topo-bathymetric data and seismic-reflection profiles revealed that sediment thickness varies from 0–22 m in the study area. Expanses of relatively low sediment thickness were identified in the south-western sector of the coastal dune field along Maspalomas beach, and in the nearshore region to the south of this beach. These localized sediment-deficit areas earmark Maspalomas beach as the most vulnerable shore strip threatened by erosion. The shallow seismic data also revealed that the submarine platform south of Maspalomas represents a marine terrace cut into an ancient alluvial fan, thus documenting an influence of the geomorphological heritage on the present-day morphodynamics. A side-scan sonar mosaic of this nearshore platform enabled the delimitation of areas covered by rock, boulders and gravel, vegetated sand patches and a mobile sand facies, the latter including ripple and megaripple fields. The megaripple field in a valley close to the talus of the marine terrace has been identified as a major sediment sink of the Maspalomas sedimentary system. It is fed by south-westerly storm-wave events. The sediment deficit in the coastal dune field and along Maspalomas beach can therefore only be explained by a currently faster loss of sediment to an offshore sink than can be compensated by the supply of sand from outside the system.     

The Phase A study of the ESA M4 mission candidate ARIEL

ARIEL, the Atmospheric Remote sensing Infrared Exoplanet Large survey, is one of the three M-class mission candidates competing for the M4 launch slot within the Cosmic Vision science programme of the European Space Agency (ESA). As such, ARIEL has been the subject of a Phase A study that involved European industry, research institutes and universities from ESA member states. This study is now completed and the M4 down-selection is expected to be concluded in November 2017. ARIEL is a concept for a dedicated mission to measure the chemical composition and structure of hundreds of exoplanet atmospheres using the technique of transit spectroscopy. ARIEL targets extend from gas giants (Jupiter or Neptune-like) to super-Earths in the very hot to warm zones of F to M-type host stars, opening up the way to large-scale, comparative planetology that would place our own Solar System in the context of other planetary systems in the Milky Way. A technical and programmatic review of the ARIEL mission was performed between February and May 2017, with the objective of assessing the readiness of the mission to progress to the Phase B1 study. No critical issues were identified and the mission was deemed technically feasible within the M4 programmatic boundary conditions. In this paper we give an overview of the final mission concept for ARIEL as of the end of the Phase A study, from scientific, technical and operational perspectives.     

A quadrature-free method for simulation and inversion of 1.5D direct current (DC) borehole measurements

Resistivity inverse problems are routinely solved in order to characterize hydrocarbon bearing formations. They often require a large number of forward problems simulations. When considering a one dimensional (1D) planarly layered media, semi-analytical methods can be employed in order to solve a single forward problem in a fraction of a second. However, in some situations, a large number of (over one million) simulations is required, preventing this method to be used as a real time (logging) alternative. In this paper, we propose a novel semi-analytical method that dramatically reduces the total computational time, so it can be employed for real time inversion. In our proposed method, we select an ad hoc basis representation for the spectral solution such that its inverse Hankel transform can be computed analytically. The proposed method requires a pre-process that is expensive when compared with a single evaluation in classical semi-analytical methods. However, subsequent evaluations can be rapidly obtained, decreasing thus the total computational time by orders of magnitude when the number of required forward simulations is large.