In situ U–Pb,Sr and Nd isotopic analysis of loparite by LA-(MC)-ICP-MS

This work describes the in situ analysis of loparite [(Na,REE)Ti₂O₆], a perovskite group mineral with extremely low Rb/Sr ratios and high rare earth contents, by LA-(MC)-ICP-MS for the determination of U–Pb ages together with Sr and Nd isotopic composition. The reliability of these data were validated by analysis of a loparite standard by TIMS solution methods. Data are given for loparite from the Lovozero and Khibiny peralkaline complexes of the Kola Alkaline Province (Russia). For Lovozero loparite the Tera–Wasserburg intercept age for 15 loparites analysed is 373 ± 11 Ma, and the weighted ²⁰⁷Pb corrected ²⁰⁶Pb/²³⁸U age is 373 ± 2 Ma. For Khibiny loparite, the intercept age for 5 loparites analysed is 375 ± 10 Ma, and the weighted ²⁰⁷Pb corrected ²⁰⁶Pb/²³⁸U age is 374 ± 3 Ma. The common Pb compositions for Lovozero and Khibiny loparites are identical i.e. ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁶Pb = 0.898 ± 0.009 and 0.898 ± 0.007, respectively. The ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr initial ratios of Lovozero loparite range from 0.703552 to 0.703682 (av. 0.703611), and εNd (t₃₇₀) from + 3.8 to + 4.4 (av. + 4.0). The ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr initial ratios of Khibiny loparite range from 0.703560 to 0.703871, and εNd (t₇₃₀) from + 4.0 to + 4.8. Our data indicate that in situ LA-(MC)-ICP-MS analysis of loparite provides accurate and precise estimates of the intrusion ages and isotopic composition of peralkaline rocks.     

Highly evolved hypabyssal kimberlite sills from Wemindji,Quebec, Canada: insights into the process of flow differentiation in kimberlite magmas

Kimberlite sills emplaced in granite located near the town of Wemindji (Quebec, Canada) range from 2 cm to 1.2 m in thickness. The sills exhibit a wide variation in macroscopic appearance from fine-grained aphanitic dolomitic hypabyssal kimberlite to ilmenite/garnet macrocrystal hypabyssal kimberlite. Diatreme or crater facies rocks are not present. Multiple intrusions are present within the sills, and graded bedding and erosional features such as cross-bedding are common. The sills exhibit a wide range in their modal mineralogy with respect to the abundances of spinel, apatite, phlogopite and dolomite. Olivine is the dominant macrocryst, with an average composition of Fo₉₀. Garnet macrocrysts are low chrome (2–3 wt. %) pyrope (G1/G9 garnet). Ilmenite occurs as rounded macrocrysts (7–13 wt. % MgO). Phlogopite microphenocrysts are Ti-poor and represent a solid solution between phlogopite and kinoshitalite end members. Spinel compositions mainly represent the Cr-poor members of the qandilite–ulvöspinel–magnetite series. The principle carbonate comprising the groundmass is dolomite, with lesser later-forming calcite. Accessory minerals include apatite, Sr-rich calcite, Nb-rich rutile, baddeleyite, monazite-(Ce) and barite. While some of these accessory minerals are atypical of kimberlites in general, it is expected that differentiation products of an evolved carbonate-rich kimberlite magma will crystallize these phases. The Wemindji kimberlites offer insight into the process of crystal fractionation and differentiation in evolved kimberlite magmas. The macroscopic textural features observed in the Wemindji sills are interpreted to represent flow differentiation of a mantle-derived, very fluid, low viscosity carbonate-rich kimberlite. The diverse modes and textural features result entirely from flow differentiation and multiple intrusions of different batches of genetically related kimberlite magma. The mineralogy of the Wemindji kimberlites has some similarities to that of the Wesselton and Benfontein calcite kimberlite sills but differs in detail with respect to dominant carbonate (i.e. dolomite versus calcite), and the character of the rare earth-bearing accessory minerals (i.e. monazite-(Ce) versus rare earth fluorocarbonates).     

Bayesian hierarchical models for soil CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> flux and leak detection at geologic sequestration sites

Proper characterizations of background soil CO₂ respiration rates are critical for interpreting CO₂ leakage monitoring results at geologic sequestration sites. In this paper, a method is developed for determining temperature-dependent critical values of soil CO₂ flux for preliminary leak detection inference. The method is illustrated using surface CO₂ flux measurements obtained from the AmeriFlux network fit with alternative models for the soil CO₂ flux versus soil temperature relationship. The models are fit first to determine pooled parameter estimates across the sites, then using a Bayesian hierarchical method to obtain both global and site-specific parameter estimates. Model comparisons are made using the deviance information criterion (DIC), which considers both goodness of fit and model complexity. The hierarchical models consistently outperform the corresponding pooled models, demonstrating the need for site-specific data and estimates when determining relationships for background soil respiration. A hierarchical model that relates the square root of the CO₂ flux to a quadratic function of soil temperature is found to provide the best fit for the AmeriFlux sites among the models tested. This model also yields effective prediction intervals, consistent with the upper envelope of the flux data across the modeled sites and temperature ranges. Calculation of upper prediction intervals using the proposed method can provide a basis for setting critical values in CO₂ leak detection monitoring at sequestration sites.     

STEREOMICROSCOPE PHOTOGRAMMETRY FOR THE MEASUREMENT OF SMALL OBJECTS

A stereoscopic microscope has been used in combination with the body of a 35 mm camera to obtain stereophotographs, at scales up to 6:1, of objects only a few millimetres in size. Subsequent stereocomparator observations have been used to deduce height differences on the objects 10 a precision, for the mean of five sets of readings, of ±0.01 mm for closely spaced points. Using more widely separated points, the precision was estimated to be ± 0.05 mm. Depths were computed using × parallaxes after a number of parameters were fixed by calibration. The large convergence angle of the microscope axes was a crucial parameter; rotations about the camera axis were found to be significant variables.     

Macroinvertebrate communities in two salt affected tributaries of the Hopkins Rives,Victoria

Macroinvertebrate communities were studied in two saline tributaries of the Hopkins River, western Victoria. Monthly sampling from May to August, 1990, showed the mean salinity of Bushy Creek was 5 g L⁻¹ while in Back Creek mean salinity varied from 9 to 20 g L⁻¹ between sites. Macroinvertebrate species richness and relative abundance were measured on each sampling occasion. Cluster analysis showed that community composition varied between creeks and between sites within a creek. Bushy Creek sites were more similar to each other than to Back Creek sites. A negative relationship was found between site salinity and species richness over the range 4 to 26 g L⁻¹, although there was a wide range of salinity (up to 12 g L⁻¹) over which the relationship of species richness to salinity was not clear cut. The effects of salinity on species richness in stream communities appear to be similar to that described elsewhere in salt lakes.     

The implications of Maori perspectives for the management and promotion of heritage tourism in New Zealand

Maori images have long been a part of the international tourist image of New Zealand. However, Maori people have increasingly been asserting their rights to control and manage their own resources. The purpose of the present paper is to analyse the implications of Maori perspectives on the promotion, interpretation and management of tourism resources and to discuss the potential short and long-term implications of such perspectives on tourism development.The paper discusses the implications of the Waitangi Tribunal hearings and the overall assertion of Maori rights over tourism resources. While the articulation of Maori rights is by no means universal, several case studies illustrate potential implications of Maori control and ownership for the New Zealand tourism industry. The paper concludes that the implementation of the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi provides a basis for reconciling the interpretive and management demands of Maoritanga with the tourism industry in a manner which can have positive outcomes for both.     

Climatic variability: Past,present, and future

Paleoclimatic studies help us to gain valuable perspectives and insights into the nature and possible origins of present-day climatic variations that are beyond the reach of conventional historical weather data to provide. In this informal paper, the author lends some personal perspectives on the importance of paleoclimatic studies for the purpose of assessing the future of our climate, and illustrates this by focusing in particular on how tree-ring analyses may elucidate the chronology of changing risks of past and future outbreaks of major droughts in the American West.     

The performance of single- and multi-proxy transfer functions (testate amoebae,bryophytes, vascular plants) for reconstructing mire surface wetness and pH

Peatlands are widely exploited archives of paleoenvironmental change. We developed and compared multiple transfer functions to infer peatland depth to the water table (DWT) and pH based on testate amoeba (percentages, or presence/absence), bryophyte presence/absence, and vascular plant presence/absence data from sub-alpine peatlands in the SE Swiss Alps in order to 1) compare the performance of single-proxy vs. multi-proxy models and 2) assess the performance of presence/absence models. Bootstrapping cross-validation showing the best performing single-proxy transfer functions for both DWT and pH were those based on bryophytes. The best performing transfer functions overall for DWT were those based on combined testate amoebae percentages, bryophytes and vascular plants; and, for pH, those based on testate amoebae and bryophytes. The comparison of DWT and pH inferred from testate amoeba percentages and presence/absence data showed similar general patterns but differences in the magnitude and timing of some shifts. These results show new directions for paleoenvironmental research, 1) suggesting that it is possible to build good-performing transfer functions using presence/absence data, although with some loss of accuracy, and 2) supporting the idea that multi-proxy inference models may improve paleoecological reconstruction. The performance of multi-proxy and single-proxy transfer functions should be further compared in paleoecological data.     

3D seismic analysis of complex faulting patterns above the Snapper Field,Gippsland Basin: implications for CO2 storage

Mechanical damage (e.g. faults and fractures) related to tectonic forces and/or variations in formation pore pressures may enable the leakage of fluids through otherwise effective seal rocks. Characterisation of faults and fractures within seals is therefore essential for the assessment of long-term trap integrity in potential CO₂ storage sites. 3D seismic reflection data are used to describe a previously unrecognised network of extensive, small Miocene-age faults with displacement of generally <30 m and lengths that vary between ～300 and 2500 m above the Snapper Field, in the Gippsland Basin. The Snapper Field is a nearly depleted oil and gas field that presents an attractive site for potential CO₂ storage due its structural closure and because it has effectively retained significant natural hydrocarbon (including CO₂) columns over geological time-scales. Volume-based seismic attributes reveal that this fault system is located within the Oligocene Lakes Entrance Formation of the Seaspray Group, which acts as the regional seal to the Latrobe Group reservoirs in the Gippsland Basin. Detailed analysis of fault lengths and linkages suggests that the Miocene faults are non-tectonic, polygonal faults, although the displacement analysis of fault segments reveals strong correlations with the both the structure of the underlying Top Latrobe surface and normal faults that segment the Latrobe Group reservoirs, suggesting that the development of this fault system has been influenced by underlying structures. The geological evidence for long-term retention of hydrocarbons within the Snapper Field suggests that this fault system has not compromised the integrity of the Lakes Entrance Formation seal, although elevated pore pressures during CO₂ injection could potentially lead to reactivation of these structures.