Oxygen isotopic compositions of Central Andean plutonic and volcanic rocks,latitudes 26°–29° south

Oxygen isotope data are reported for 27 igneous rocks of Mesozoic to Quaternary age from the Central Andes. 26–29°S. The plutonic rocks, and most of the volcanics, have δ¹⁸O values between 6.2 and 8.3‰.The whole-rock δ¹⁸O values show a weak correlation with initial⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr data. This O-Sr array differs from documented trends for calc-alkaline plutonic suites from California, Scotland and northern Italy, but overlaps with data for volcanic and plutonic rocks from Ecuador, northern Chile and southern Perú.The oxygen isotope results indicate that the magmas evolved without significant contamination from supracrustal rocks (e.g., rocks that experienced¹⁸O enrichment during surficial weathering). The available O, Sr and Pb isotopic data for these rocks are best explained by magma generation in the upper mantle or lower crust. From the Late Mesozoic on, the⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr values were modified at depth by isotopic exchange between the magma and a continually thickening crust of plutonic rocks of Late Precambrian to early Mesozoic age.     

Evidence of progressive deformation in minor structures in Western Asturias (N. W. Spain)

Examples of progressive deformation provided by minor structures are not frequent in the geological literature. In NW Spain some minor structures in Lower Paleozoic inhomogeneous layered material may be interpreted as the result of progressive deformation during the Hercynian Orogeny. The examples described include structures generated by progressive contraction (folded wedges), contraction followed by elongation (folds disrupted by boudinage) and elongation followed by contraction (folded boudins).     

Electron microprobe dating of monazite substantiates ages of major geological events in the southern Brazilian shield

To obtain the chemical Th^*–Pb isochron ages and surface maps of monazite crystals in igneous and metamorphic rocks from the southern Brazilian Shield, we employ Th–U-total Pb dating by an electron probe microanalyzer. The ages of two Trans-Amazonian metamorphic events are given by a felsic, garnet-bearing granulite from the Santa Maria Chico granulitic complex. The age of the first event, at approximately 2.35 Ga, was obtained by surface mapping in a grain included in garnet. The dating of the second event, 1899±43 Ma, is in agreement with previous data obtained in zircon crystals with sensitive high-resolution ion microprobe. Other determinations belong to the Brasiliano cycle. In the São Gabriel block, an age of 643±129 Ma was obtained on monazite from a staurolite-garnet schist of the Cambaizinho Formation, whereas a staurolite-bearing schist from the Passo Feio complex yielded a 510±68 Ma age. Several units in the Dom Feliciano belt were dated, including the biotite-sillimanite gneisses of the Várzea do Capivarita complex (552±90 Ma), the sillimanite-garnet gneisses of Camboriú complex (565±77 Ma), the Três Figueiras granite (558±57 Ma), and the Plaza Itapema granite (545±55 Ma). The ages presented in this study, obtained through monazite chemical dating, are confirmed through comparison with previous data regarding zircon crystals from the same geological units.     

Generation of overtides and compound tides in Amazon estuary

Tidal propagation in estuaries is affected by friction and fresh water discharge, besides changes in the depth and morphology of the channel. Main distortions imply variations in the mean water level and asymmetry. Tidal asymmetry can be important as a mechanism for sediment accumulation and turbidity maximum formation in estuaries, while mean water level changes can affect navigation depths. Data from several gauges stations from the Amazon estuary and the adjacent coast were analyzed and a 2DH hydrodynamic model was configured in a domain covering the continental shelf up to the last section of the river where the tidal signature is observed. Based on data, theoretical and numerical results, the various influences in the generation of estuarine harmonics are presented, including that of fresh water discharge. It is shown that the main overtide, M₄, derived from the most important astronomic component in the Amazon estuary, M₂, is responsible for the tidal wave asymmetry. This harmonic has its maximum amplitude at the mouth, where minimum depths are found, and then decreases while tide propagates inside the estuary. Also, the numerical results show that the discharge does not affect water level asymmetry; however, the Amazon river discharge plays an important role in the behavior of the horizontal tide. The main compound tide in Amazon estuary, Msf, generated from the combination of the M₂ and S₂, can be strong enough to provoke neap low waters lower than spring ones. The results show this component increasing while going upstream in the estuary, reaching a maximum and then slightly decaying.     

Preliminary magnetic studies of lagoon and stream sediments from Chascomús Area (Argentina)—magnetic parameters as indicators of heavy metal pollution and some results of using an experimental method to separate magnetic phases

Magnetic properties of lagoon and stream sediments from Chascomús area (Buenos Aires Province) and the relevance of various magnetic parameters as giving pollution status are studied in the present work. This work is focussed on magnetic parameters, such as concentration-dependent (magnetic susceptibility, saturation anhysteric and isothermal remanent magnetisation) and feature-dependent parameters (S-ratio, coercivity of remanence, anhysteric susceptibility/magnetic susceptibility-ratio), as pollution indicators. Firstly and most importantly, different magnetic parameters and chemical measurements were correlated in order to investigate their goodness, obtaining the best results for feature-dependent magnetic parameters. Coercivity of remanence correlate very well with chemical variables, showing correlations at high level of significance up to 0.9094, and the anhysteric susceptibility/magnetic susceptibility-ratio also shows very good correlations (up to 0.8376). Some results and advantages of using a new experimental method in order to discriminate hard and soft magnetic phases are also shown. This method uses alternately backfield isothermal remanent magnetisation and alternating field demagnetisation. From the experimental separation, the presence of hard magnetic phases in some samples was confirmed.     

Discriminant analysis applied to the forecasting of thunderstorms

Summary The combination of several thermodynamic variables based upon the data provided by a radiosounding can be useful for the forecasting of thunderstorms. As a matter of fact, there are many indices that allow the establishment of a storm risk prediction once they have been gauged. The problem comes when not all indices lead to the same prediction. In these cases, it is necessary to establish one single function based on the information provided by all the variables employed, which should be able to determine a two-fold prediction: risk or no risk. This article presents a statistic model for the short tem prediction of thunderstorms in the region of León (Spain). To reach this aim 15 meteorological variables were selected. These variables were easy to handle by non-expert staff, and they allowed the characterisation of the preconvective environment early in the morning on thunderstorm days. The variables have been properly combined and gauged with the help of a dense network of meteorological observers. The result has led to the construction of a reliable model. The discriminant quadratic model has been easily applied to determine in an objective and binary way the risk/no risk for the occurrence of thunderstorms.With 5 Figures     

Determination of the principal reflectances of an absorbing uniaxial mineral,ilmenite, from measurements on random sections

We show the steps followed for obtaining the principal reflectances of an absorbing uniaxial mineral, ilmenite, by use of the inference method derived from statistical reflectance parameters of the sample. The values obtained in air, at 580 nm, with this method are: R =19.6±0.3 and R =17.8±0.3.     

The Queens' flare: Its structure and development; precursors,pre-flare brightenings,and aftermaths

We continue previous research on the limb flare of 30 April, 1980, 20:20 UT, observed in X-rays by several instruments aboard the Solar Maximum Mission (SMM). It is shown quantitatively that the flare originated in an emerging magnetically confined kernel (diameter ～ 20″) which existed for about ten to fifteen minutes, and from which energetic electrons streamed, in at least two injections, into a previously existing complicated magnetic loop system thus forming a less bright but extended and long-lived tongue. The tongue had a length of ～ 35 000 km and lasted ～ 90 min in X-rays (～ 10 keV); at lower energies (～ 0.7 keV) it was larger (～ 80 000 km) and lasted longer. The total number of energetic electrons (≈ 10³⁷) initially present in the kernel is of the same order as the number present in the tongue after the kernel's decline. This gives evidence that the energetic electrons in the tongue originated mainly in the kernel. The electron number densities in the kernel and tongue at maximum brightness were ～ 4.5 × 10¹¹ and ～ 1 × 10¹¹ cm^#X2212;3, respectively. During the first eight minutes of its existence the tongue was hotter than the kernel, but it cooled off gradually. Its decline in intensity and temperature was exponential; energy was lost by radiation and by conduction through the footpoints of the loop system. These footpoints have a cross-section of only ～ 3 × 10⁶ km². This small value, as well as photographs in a Civ UV emission line, suggests a highly filamentary structure of the system; this is further supported by the finding that the tongue had a ‘filling factor’ of ～ 10^#X2212;2. Several faint X-ray brightenings (? 0.005 of the flare's maximum intensity) were observed at various locations along the solar limb for several hours before and after the flare. At ～ 30 min before the flare's onset a faint (? 0.02) flare precursor occurred, coinciding in place and shape with the flare. First the kernel precursor was brightest but the tongue precursor increased continuously in brightness and was the brightest part of the precursor some 10–15 min after the first visibility of the kernel precursor, until the start of the main flare. This suggests (weak) continuous electron acceleration in the tongue during a period of at least 30 min. The main flare was caused by strong emergence of magnetic field followed by two consecutive field line reconnections and accelerations in a small loop system, causing footpoint heating. Subsequently plasma streamed (convectively) into a pre-existing system of larger loops, forming the tongue.     

Energetics of a compact flare

We study the spatial and spectral characteristics of the 3.5 to 30.0 keV emission in a solar flare of 9 May, 1980. We find that: (a) A classical thick target interpretation of the hard X-ray burst at energies E 10 keV implies that approximately all the electrons contained within the flare loop(s) have to be accelerated per second. (b) A thermal model interpretation does not fit the data, unless its characteristics are such that it does not represent an efficient alternative to the acceleration model. We thus conclude that: (c) Acceleration does take place during the early phase of the impulsive hard X-ray event, but substantial amount of the emission at low (<20 keV) energies is of thermal origin. (d) We show the evolution of the energy content in the flare volume, and find that the energy input requirements are such that 10² erg cm^-3 s^-1 have to be released within the flare structure(s), for a period of time comparable to that of the hard X-ray burst emission. We also point out that although the main flare component ( 90% of the soft X-ray emission) was confined to a compact magnetic kernel, there are evidences of interaction of this structure with a larger field structure connecting towards the leading portion of the active region, where secondary H brightenings were observed.     

Lyman continuum observations of solar flares

A study is made of Lyman continuum observations of solar flares, using data obtained by the Harvard College Observatory EUV spectroheliometer on the Apollo Telescope Mount. We find that there are two main types of flare regions: an overall mean flare coincident with the H flare region, and transient Lyman continuum kernels which can be identified with the H and X-ray kernels observed by other authors. It is found that the ground level hydrogen population in flares is closer to LTE than in the quiet Sun and active regions, and that the level of Lyman continuum formation is lowered in the atmosphere from a mass column density m 5/sx 10^–6 g cm^–2 in the quiet Sun to m 3/sx 10^–4 g cm^–2 in the mean flare, and to m 10^–3g cm^–2 in kernels. From these results we derive the amount of chromospheric material evaporated into the high temperature region, which is found to be - 10¹⁵g, in agreement with observations of X-ray emission measures. A comparison is made between kernel observations and the theoretical predictions made by model heating calculations, available in the literature; significant discrepancies are found between observation and current particle-heating models.