U-Pb zircon dating of mafic dykes and its application to the Proterozoic geological history of the Vestfold Hills,East Antarctica

The Vestfold Hills, one of several Archaean cratonic blocks within the East Antarctic Shield, comprises a high-grade metamorphic basement complex intruded by at least nine generations of Early to Middle Proterozoic mafic dykes. Extensive U-Pb ion microprobe (SHRIMP) analyses of zircons, derived predominantly from late-stage felsic differentiates of the mafic dykes, provide precise crystallisation ages for several dyke generations. These new ages enable constraints to be placed on both the history of mafic magmatism in the Vestfold Hills and the timing of the various interspersed Proterozoic deformation events. In addition to demonstrating the utility of zircons derived from felsic late-stage differentiates for the dating of co-genetic mafic dykes, this study also places doubt on previous wholerock Rb-Sr dating of mafic dyke suites in this and other areas of East Antarctica. The ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁶Pb zircon ages of 2241±4 Ma and 2238±7 Ma for the Homogeneous and Mottled Norites, respectively, provide a younger emplacement age for associated group 2 High-Mg tholeiite dykes than the whole-rock Rb-Sr date (2424±72 Ma) originally interpreted as the age of all high-Mg intrusives in the Vestfold Hills. Zircon ages of 1754±16 Ma and 1832±72 Ma confirm the previously defined Rb-Sr age of the group 2 Fe-rich tholeiites. Two later dyke generations, the group 3 and 4 Fe-rich tholeiites, are distinguished on the basis of field orientations and cross-cutting relationships, and yield zircon emplacement ages of 1380±7 Ma and 1241±5 Ma which also define minimum ages for two suites of lamprophyre dykes. Xenocrystic zircons within both felsic segregations and mafic dykes yield zircon ages of 2478±5 Ma to 2740 Ma, indicating the presence of Archaean crustal source rocks of this antiquity beneath the Vestfold Hills.     

An empirical attenuation relationship for Northwestern Turkey ground motion using a random effects approach

Using a random effects model that takes into consideration the correlation of data recorded by a single seismic event, a database consisting of 195 recordings from 17 recent events is employed to develop empirical attenuation relationships for the geometric mean of horizontal peak ground acceleration and 5-percent damped spectral acceleration (S_a). The recordings employed are obtained from strong motion stations operating in Northwestern Turkey and resulted from events that include the Kocaeli (M_w=7.4) and the Düzce (M_w=7.1) earthquakes and their aftershocks as well as other events. By studying differences in standard errors, the random effects model is compared with a fixed effects model that does not account for distinctions between intra- and inter-event variability. Effects of local site conditions are included in the empirical relationships developed. The dependence on frequency of the various model parameters is also studied. Frequency-dependent attenuation coefficients for the proposed random effects models developed are summarized in tables to facilitate their use.     

Reef parameterisation schemes with applications to tidal modelling

A variety of analytical models is used to investigate the effects on tidal propagation of a barrier reef system. These models specify reef geometry by two parameters. They can accommodate cases where water flows over reefs, as well as through inter-reef gaps, and also incorporate quadratic bottom friction. Although based on a one-dimensional approach, adaptations of a solution by Huthnance are used to account for the additional blockage effects associated with two-dimensional flow patterns near reef barriers. The present work adopts the philosophy that only a numerical approach can cope with the wide variations in reef geometry that are encountered in areas such as the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) region of Australia. Moreover, since typical model grids cannot resolve inter-reef gaps and other features with sufficient accuracy, a parameterised approach is needed to accommodate the conflicting demands of reef geometry and an economically feasible model resolution. The formulation of the analytical models is such that they can be applied immediately to standard numerical algorithms. Numerical experiments for flow in a channel, with a reef barrier across its centre, are used to test the parameterisation schemes. Comparison of the results for parameterised reefs with those obtained using extremely fine grids, shows convincing evidence of the success of the schemes. A separate method for automatically generating reef parameters has simplified the task of applying the methodology to real reefal systems. A tidal model of the Southern GBR, a region which exhibits unusual tidal behaviour, but which also has ample field data available for model testing, is used to demonstrate the accuracy that can be attained with the parameterised approach. Although tides are considered specifically in the present work, the formulation should be applicable with equal ease to the many other significant classes of low frequency motions in the GBR.     

The integration of South African fisheries into the global economy: Past,present and future

The integration of the South African fisheries into the global economy has operated as a powerful constraint on post-apartheid fisheries reform. The shedding of South Africa's international pariah status and currency depreciation enhanced access to and competitiveness on global markets, sparking a demersal-led export boom, which has favoured incumbent producers. Increased exports have also allowed the post-apartheid state and nascent black capital to maximise their returns from the fisheries through cost recovery and share purchases. The protection and promotion of the fisheries’ “international competitiveness”, inter alia sought through “sustainable fishery” certification of the hake industry with the Maritime Stewardship Council (MSC), has in turn provided a cover-all for the refusal of populist redistribution demands and special treatment for black small capital.     

Seasonal Variations of Nutrients, Seston and Phytoplankton, and Upwelling Intensity off La Coruña (NW Spain)

This study describes the main seasonal stages in oceanographic conditions and phytoplankton off La Coruña (Galicia, NW Spain), during 1991 and 1992, based mainly on monthly cruises near the coast. Upwelling conditions were studied using an upwelling index calculated from local winds. The Galician coast is affected by a long upwelling season for most of the year. The upwelling pulses interact with the thermal stratification-mixing cycle of surface waters, primarily affecting the dynamics of phytoplankton. In addition, the presence of water masses of different salinity in the subsurface layers changes the stratification of the water column. The less-saline North Atlantic Central Water (NACW) was normally associated with upwelling events during summer. However, on several occasions during the study, the presence of Eastern North Atlantic Water (ENAW) of subtropical origin was observed with salinities up to 36·22 and temperatures between 13 and 14 °C.Observations were grouped into five main stages related to the degree of surface stratification and characteristics of phytoplankton communities. These stages were recognized in both annual cycles, and were termed: winter mixing, spring and autumn blooms, summer upwelling, thermal stratification and special events (red tides and downwelling). A homogeneous water column was the main characteristic of the winter stage, with high nutrient concentrations and low phytoplankton biomass. Eastern North Atlantic Water appeared at the end of this stage, which lasted from November to February. The spring and autumn blooms occurred along with weak thermohaline gradients at the surface, producing high phytoplankton concentrations. Favourable upwelling conditions and the presence of ENAW in a subsurface layer were the factors that most likely induced earlier blooms, while thermal gradients developed at the surface could have been more important for later blooms. Upwelling events during summer were related to a reduction in the depth of the surface mixed layer as the pycnocline moved upwards, and can produce significant phytoplankton accumulations. These summer blooms interrupted the thermal stratification stage, characterized by low nutrient and phytoplankton concentrations at the surface. The dominant phytoplankton in the study was composed mainly of diatoms, especially during blooms. However, a proliferation of red-tide dinoflagellates was observed along with weak upwelling conditions in late summer. Also in late summer, strong downwelling conditions caused the accumulation of warmer shelf waters inshore, inducing the sinking of particulate matter produced at the surface.     

The Deposition and Chronology of Cenote T’isil: A Multiproxy Study of Human/Environment Interaction in the Northern Maya Lowlands of Southeast Mexico

Cenotes (natural wells or sinkholes) comprise the most common landscape features in the northern Maya Lowlands of the Yucatán Peninsula, México. Detailed study of dated soil‐sedimentary sequences, recovered from a cenote at the archaeological site T’isil and nearby wetlands, allows a partial reconstruction of environmental variability at the site for the last 2000 years. Biogenic calcite sedimentation and Calcisol development occur during three intervals of increased inundation in cenote and wetland environments, ca. A.D. 300, A.D. 1000, and A.D. 1300. Periods of increased inundation in the cenote and wetlands correlate with wetter climatic intervals, and periods of Maya occupation at sites in the Yalahau region. Evidence for Maya modification of the cenote environment may relate to regional wetland agricultural practices.     

Radar and infrared observations of binary near-Earth Asteroid 2002 CE26

We observed near-Earth Asteroid (NEA) 2002 CE26 in August and September 2004 using the Arecibo S-band (2380-MHz, 12.6-cm) radar and NASA's Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF). Shape models obtained based on inversion of our delay-Doppler images show the asteroid to be 3.5±0.4 km in diameter and spheroidal; our corresponding nominal estimates of its visual and radar albedos are 0.07 and 0.24, respectively. Our IRTF spectrum shows the asteroid to be C-class with no evidence of hydration. Thermal models from the IRTF data provide a size and visual albedo consistent with the radar-derived estimate. We estimate the spin-pole to be within a few tens of degrees of λ=317°, β=−20°. Our radar observations reveal a secondary approximately 0.3 km in diameter, giving this binary one of the largest size differentials of any known NEA. The secondary is in a near-circular orbit with period 15.6±0.1 h and a semi-major axis of 4.7±0.2 km. Estimates of the binary orbital pole and secondary rotation rate are consistent with the secondary being in a spin-locked equatorial orbit. The orbit corresponds to a primary mass of M=1.95±0.25×¹⁰¹³ kg, leading to a primary bulk density of , one of the lowest values yet measured for a main-belt or near-Earth asteroid.