Cosmic‐ray exposure age and preatmospheric size of the Bunburra Rockhole achondrite

Abstract– Bunburra Rockhole is the first meteorite fall photographed and recovered by the Desert Fireball Network in Australia. It is classified as an ungrouped achondrite similar in mineralogical and chemical composition to eucrites, but it has a distinct oxygen isotope composition. The question is if achondrites like Bunburra Rockhole originate from the same parent body as the howardite‐eucrite‐diogenite (HED) meteorites or from several separate, differentiated parent bodies. To address this question, we measured cosmogenic radionuclides and noble gases in the Bunburra Rockhole achondrite. The short‐lived radionuclides ²²Na and ⁵⁴Mn confirm that Bunburra Rockhole is a recent fall. The concentrations of ¹⁰Be, ²⁶Al and ³⁶Cl as well as the ²²Ne/²¹Ne ratio indicate that Bunburra Rockhole was a relatively small object (R approximately 15 cm) in space, consistent with the photographic fireball observations. The cosmogenic ³⁸Ar concentration yields a cosmic‐ray exposure (CRE) age of 22 ± 3 Myr, whereas ²¹Ne and ³He yield approximately 30% and approximately 60% lower ages, respectively, due to loss of cosmogenic He and Ne, mainly from plagioclase. With a CRE age of 22 Myr, Bunburra Rockhole is the first anomalous eucrite that overlaps with the main CRE peak of the HED meteorites. The radiogenic K‐Ar age of 4.1 Gyr is consistent with the U‐Pb age, while the young U,Th‐He age of approximately 1.4 Gyr indicates that Bunburra Rockhole lost radiogenic ⁴He more recently.     

Decoupled crystallization and eruption histories of the rhyolite magmatic system at Tarawera volcano revealed by zircon ages and growth rates

We obtained U–Th disequilibrium age data on zircons from each of the four rhyolite eruptions that built Tarawera volcano in the last 22 ka within the Okataina Volcanic Center (OVC), caldera, New Zealand. Secondary ion mass spectrometry analyses on unpolished euhedral crystal faces that lack resorption features show that crystal growth variously terminated from near-eruption age to ~100 ka prior to eruption. Age-depth profiling of crystals reveals long periods of continuous (~34 ka) and discontinuous growth (~90 ka). Growth hiatuses of up to ~40 ka duration occur, but do not all relate to obvious resorption surfaces. Age differences up to similar magnitude are found on opposing faces of some crystals suggesting episodes of partial exposure to melts. These features are best explained by periodic, complete, or partial, sub-solidus storage and/or inclusion in larger crystal phases, followed by rapid liberation prior to eruption. This is supported by high abundances of U and Th (~500 − >2,000 ppm) in some zircons consistent with periods of high crystallinity (>70%) in the magmatic system, based on crystal/melt partitioning. Contemporaneous but contrasting rim-ward trends of these elements within crystals, even in the same lava hand sample, require synchronous growth in separate melt bodies and little connectivity within the system, but also significant crystal transport and mixing prior to eruption. Many crystals record continuity of growth through the preceding ~60 ka OVC caldera-collapse and subsequent eruptions from Tarawera. This demonstrates a decoupling between eruption triggers, such as shallow crustal extension and mafic intrusion, and the crystallization state of the OVC silicic magmatic system. The data highlights the need to distinguish between the time for accumulation of eruptible magma and the long-term magma residence time based on the age of crystals with high closure temperatures, when assessing the potential for catastrophic eruptions.     

Observational properties of accretion discs: Precessing and warped?

Over the last 40 years, X-ray astronomy missions have revealed long-term, superorbital periods in a variety of X-ray binaries. These modulations can provide significant constraints on the physical properties of accretion discs. Some of these modulations are Her X-1-like and are interpreted as irradiation-driven, tilted, precessing accretion discs. Others show more complex light curves, with the period changing on timescales >1000 d, and are interpreted in terms of the Ogilvie and Dubus [Ogilvie, G.I., Dubus, G., 2001, MNRAS 320, 485 (OD01)] disc stability criteria. We suggest a categorisation of superorbital periods into six different types, based on their observed characteristics.     

Dissolved organic phosphorus speciation in the waters of the Tamar estuary (SW England)

The speciation of dissolved organic phosphorus (DOP) in the temperate Tamar estuary of SW England is described. Eight stations from the riverine to marine end-members were sampled during four seasonal campaigns in 2007 and the DOP pool in the water column and sediment porewater was characterized and quantified using a flow injection manifold after sequential enzymatic hydrolysis. This enabled the enzymatically hydrolysable phosphorus (EHP) fraction and its component labile monoester phosphates, diester phosphates and a phytase-hydrolysable fraction that includes myo-inositol hexakisphosphate (phytic acid), to be determined and compared with the total DOP, dissolved reactive phosphorus (DRP) and total dissolved phosphorus (TDP) pools. The results showed that the DOP pool in the water column varied temporally and spatially within the estuary (1.1-22 μg L⁻¹) and constituted 6-40% of TDP. The EHP fraction of DOP ranged from 1.1-15 μg L⁻¹ and represented a significant and potentially bioavailable phosphorus fraction. Furthermore the spatial profiles of the three components of the EHP pool generally showed non-conservative behavior along the salinity gradient, with apparent internal estuarine sources. Porewater profiles followed broadly similar trends but were notably higher at the marine station throughout the year. In contrast to soil organic phosphorus profiles, the labile monoester phosphate fraction was the largest component, with diester phosphates also prevalent. Phytic acid concentrations were higher in the lower estuary, possibly due to salinity induced desorption processes. The EHP fraction is not commonly determined in aquatic systems due to the lack of a suitable measurement technique and the Tamar results reported here have important implications for phosphorus biogeochemistry, estuarine ecology and the development of efficient strategies for limiting the effects of phosphorus on water quality.     

The Effect of the Great Barrier Reef on the Propagation of the 2007 Solomon Islands Tsunami Recorded in Northeastern Australia

The effect of offshore coral reefs on the impact from a tsunami remains controversial. For example, field surveys after the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami indicate that the energy of the tsunami was reduced by natural coral reef barriers in Sri Lanka, but there was no indication that coral reefs off Banda Aceh, Indonesia had any effect on the tsunami. In this paper, we investigate whether the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) offshore Queensland, Australia, may have weakened the tsunami impact from the 2007 Solomon Islands earthquake. The fault slip distribution of the 2007 Solomon Islands earthquake was firstly obtained by teleseismic inversion. The tsunami was then propagated to shallow water just offshore the coast by solving the linear shallow water equations using a staggered grid finite-difference method. We used a relatively high resolution (approximately 250 m) bathymetric grid for the region just off the coast containing the reef. The tsunami waveforms recorded at tide gauge stations along the Australian coast were then compared to the results from the tsunami simulation when using both the realistic 250 m resolution bathymetry and with two grids having fictitious bathymetry: One in which the the GBR has been replaced by a smooth interpolation from depths outside the GBR to the coast (the “No GBR” grid), and one in which the GBR has been replaced by a flat plane at a depth equal to the mean water depth of the GBR (the “Average GBR” grid). From the comparison between the synthetic waveforms both with and without the Great Barrier Reef, we found that the Great Barrier Reef significantly weakened the tsunami impact. According to our model, the coral reefs delayed the tsunami arrival time by 5–10 minutes, decreased the amplitude of the first tsunami pulse to half or less, and lengthened the period of the tsunami.     

Do galaxy mergers form elliptical galaxies? A comparison of kinematic and photometric properties

We present near-infrared K -band imaging and spectroscopy of a sample of galaxy mergers, which we use to derive light profile indices, absolute magnitudes and central velocity dispersions. We find that the light distributions of mergers more nearly resemble those of ellipticals than those of bulges, but that the mergers lie well away from the Fundamental Plane defined by the ellipticals. We interpret this as being due to enhancement of the K -band surface brightness of the mergers by a significant population of supergiant stars, and independent evidence for such a population is inferred from measurements of the depth of the 2.3-μm CO absorption feature.     

Geochemical changes during neutralisation of acid mine drainage in a dynamic mountain stream, New Zealand

The Mangatini Stream drains a coal mining area in the mountains of northwestern South Island of New Zealand. Abundant rainfall on pyritic rocks yields acid mine drainage (AMD) to the stream, which flows through a steep gorge at discharges that rapidly increase from <1 to >100 m³/s during frequent rain events. The AMD is treated with finely ground limestone, which is discharged as a slurry at a point in the middle of the gorge. The limestone slurry mixes and reacts with the AMD during flow ∼4 km downstream over ∼12 h. Neutralisation reactions increase stream pH from near 3 (untreated Mangatini Stream water impacted by AMD) to 5–6 in the first 250 m downstream, although mixing is commonly incomplete in this zone. Large stream discharge volumes in rain events dilute the neutralising material input, thus driving the pH back towards 4 downstream of treatment. More complete neutralisation is achieved 4 km downstream, even in major rain events, and pH can rise to >7. Partial neutralisation is sufficient to remove most of the dissolved Fe(III) (typically ∼30 mg/L) from the Mangatini Stream in the first 10 m, and remaining dissolved Fe is essentially all Fe(II), which decreases over time as it oxidises and precipitates. Dissolved Al in the Mangatini Stream (typically ∼50 mg/L) decreases steadily downstream over ∼100 m in the limestone mixing zone. Precipitated Fe and Al form amorphous oxyhydroxides that are transported as suspended solids and deposited on the stream bed with excess limestone in zones of low flow velocity. Dissolved Zn is removed from solution by adsorption to Fe oxyhydroxide when pH reaches ∼5, but dissolved Ni remains in solution despite the neutralisation process. Gypsum precipitation occurs throughout the limestone mixing zone, resulting in at least 30% decrease in dissolved . Minor ettringite forms in the first 100 m, but then probably redissolves. The limestone dosing system is an effective method of neutralising the effects of AMD and removing most dissolved metals in a steep mountain stream with frequent rain events where this dynamic environment places many constraints on treatment options.     

An updated evaluation of the global mean land surface air temperature and surface temperature trends based on CLSAT and CMST

Climate Dynamics - Past versions of global surface temperature (ST) datasets have been shown to have underestimated the recent warming trend over 1998–2012. This study uses a newly updated...     

Frictional effects on trapped shelf waves

This paper revisits models of coastal trapped waves and examines them with the inclusion of friction. In addition we use a numerical method which at least theoretically will have enhanced accuracy. The model has continuous stratification and variable depth. It is linear, quasigeostrophic and hydrostatic, and utilizes perturbation from this fundamental state. The model is applied with both idealized and realistic topography and stratification.Responsible Editior: Phil Dyke