A first look at the effects of ionospheric signal bending on a globally processed GPS network

This study provides a first attempt at quantifying potential signal bending effects on the GPS reference frame, coordinates and zenith tropospheric delays (ZTDs). To do this, we homogeneously reanalysed data from a global network of GPS sites spanning 14 years (1995.0–2009.0). Satellite, Earth orientation, tropospheric and ground station coordinate parameters were all estimated. We tested the effect of geometric bending and dTEC bending corrections, which were modelled at the observation level based, in part, on parameters from the International Reference Ionosphere 2007 model. Combined, the two bending corrections appear to have a minimal effect on site coordinates and ZTDs except for low latitude sites. Considering five days (DOY 301–305, 28 October–1 November 2001) near ionospheric maximum in detail, they affect mean ZTDs by up to ~1.7 mm at low latitudes, reducing to negligible levels at high latitudes. Examining the effect on coordinates in terms of power-spectra revealed the difference to be almost entirely white noise, with noise amplitude ranging from 0.3 mm (high latitudes) to 2.4 mm (low latitudes). The limited effect on station coordinates is probably due to the similarity in the elevation dependence of the bending term with that of tropospheric mapping functions. The smoothed z-translation from the GPS reference frame to ITRF2005 changes by less than 2 mm, though the effect combines positively with that from the second order ionospheric refractive index term. We conclude that, at the present time, and for most practical purposes, the geometric and dTEC bending corrections are probably negligible at current GPS/reference frame precisions.     

The impact of star formation and active nuclei on the interstellar medium in ultraluminous infrared galaxies

The energy input into the interstellar medium in UltraluminousInfrared Galaxies (ULIRGs) is enormous, regardless of the nature ofthe power source. I discuss some of the major consequences for thestructure and energetics of the ISM in these galaxies. Observationally, the column densities in the nuclear regions of ULIRGsare known to be very high, which makes distinguishing starbursts fromAGN quite difficult. The level of energy and momentum injection meansthat the pressure in the ISM must be extremely high, at least 3-4orders of magnitude larger than in the local ISM or typical giantmolecular clouds. It also means that the luminosity of GMCs in ULIRGsmust be very high, as they must radiate many times their bindingenergy over their lifetimes. I briefly review the influence whichX-ray irradiation can have on the ISM in AGN-powered ULIRGs. Finally,I show that the presence of PAH features in ULIRGs does not imply thatthey must be starburst-dominated, since at the column densities andpressures typical of the ISM in ULIRGs PAHs can survive even at tensof parsec distances from the AGN.     

Structure energies of the alkali feldspars

Structural energetics of the alkali feldspars have been studied using a “lattice” or structure energy model. Electrostatic energies, U _e,for 20 well-refined, non-intergrown alkali feldspars were calculated using Bertaut's (1952) summation procedure and average about ?13,400 kcal/mol; the repulsive energies of the alkali site in each structure (～15 kcal/mol) were calculated using repulsive parameters for K-O and Na-O interactions estimated from bulk modulus data for NaF and KF and the exponential form of the repulsive potential. Using a procedure in which the position of the alkali cation was varied while the oxygen cage was kept fixed, structure energy gradients for the alkali sites of high albite and a hypersolvus Ab₄₂Or₅₈ structure were computed. In both cases, a broad structure energy well, elongated approximately parallel to c and subparallel to the observed split Na positions, was found. In both structures there is a single energy minimum corresponding closely with the observed single alkali positions. Comparison of U _e values for the alkali feldspars with different K/Na ratios shows that intermediate compositions are predicted to be less “stable” than either endmember and that the potassic end-member is predicted to be less “stable” than the sodic one, assuming that all other factors contributiong to the free energies of each phase are approximately the same. Comparison of U _e values for the high albite and low sanidine structures with different Al/Si distributions and a fixed tetrahedral framework indicates that the ordered charge distributions are 63.0 and 54.8 kcal/mol, respectively, more “stable” than the disordered distributions. Smaller, more realistic energy differences were obtained by using U _evalues averaged from four separate calculations with a +3 charge on a different T site in each and with +4 charges on the other T sites. If, in addition, the charges on cations and oxygen are reduced to half their nominal formal charges, in agreement with Pauling's electroneutrality principle and the results of recent molecular orbital calculations on silicates, the predicted electrostatic energy differences are reduced to 3.6 and 1.6 kcal/mol, respectively. These calculations also indicate that the T₁O site in the high albite structure energetically favors Al and that the Al/Si distribution determines the Na position within the alkali site.     

A method for assessing local variation among scattered measurements

Automatic triangulation of scattered locations permits analysis of local variation in a dependent variable through calculation of a roughness index. This is approached by treating triangles of the triangulation (including the dependent variable) as vectorial structures, and accumulating at each data point the vector sum of the cluster of triangles surrounding it. The roughness index is defined as the complement of the ratio of the area of a triangle cluster to the area of component triangles as projected onto a gradient plane defined by their vector sum. The roughness index provides a measure of consistency of data values relative to surrounding observations and can be interpreted as a local index of reliability of interpolation.     

A scientifically based nationwide assessment of groundwater quality in the United States

Beginning in 1986, the U.S. Geological Survey began an effort to develop a National Water-Quality Assessment Program. The basic premise underlying this initiative is that a better understanding of the quality of water resources across the country, both surface- and groundwater, is needed to develop effective programs and policies to meet the nation's water-quality concerns. The program will focus on water-quality conditions that are prevalent or large in scale, such as occur from nonpoint sources of pollution or from a high density of point sources.The design of the program is substantially different from the traditional approach of a diffuse national monitoring network.The major activities of the assessment program will be clustered within a set of hydrologic systems (river basins and aquifer systems), referred to as study units. In aggregate, the study units will account for a large part of the nation's water use and represent a wide range of settings across the country.Unique attributes of the program include: (1) the use of consistent study approaches, field and laboratory methods, water-quality measurements, and ancillary data measurements for all study units; (2) the development of a progressive understanding of water-quality conditions and trends in each study unit through long-term studies that rotate periods of intensive data collection and analysis with periods during which the assessment activities are less intensive; and (3) the focus of considerable effort on synthesizing results from among the study units to provide information on regional and national water-quality issues.Paper presented at 28th International Geological Congress, Washington, D.C., July 10, 1989.     

On the calculation of cosmic-ray exposure ages of stone meteorites

Abundances of cosmic ray-produced noble gases and ²⁶Al, including some new measurements, have been compiled for some 23 stone meteorites with exposure ages of < 3 × 10⁶ yr. Concentrations of cosmogenic He, Ne, and Ar in these meteorites have been corrected for differences in target element abundances by normalization to L-chondrite chemistry. Combined noble gas measurements in depth samples of the Keyes and St. Séverin chondrites are utilized to derive equations for normalizing the production rates of cosmogenic ³He, ²¹Ne, and ³⁸Ar in chondrites to an adopted ‘average’ shielding: ${}^{22}\text{Ne}{}^{21}\text{Ne}\text{= 1.114.}$ The measured unsaturated ²⁶Al concentrations and the calculated equilibrium ²⁶Al for these meteorites are combined to estimate exposure ages. These exposure ages are statistically compared with chemistry- and shielding-corrected concentrations of cosmogenic He, Ne, and Ar to derive absolute production rates for these nuclides. For L-chondrites, at ‘average’ shielding, these production rates (in 10^?8 cm³/g 10⁶ yr) are: ³He = 2.45,²¹Ne = 0.47, and ³⁸Ar = 0.069, which are ~ 25% higher than production rates used in the past. From these production rates and relative chemical correction factors, production rates for other classes of stone meteorites are derived.     

A comparison of mud- and sand-dominated meanders in a downstream coarsening reach of the mixed bedrock-alluvial Klip River, eastern Free State, South Africa

Along a 28 km reach of the Klip River, eastern Free State, South Africa, mud- and sand-dominated meanders have developed in close proximity within a floodplain wetland up to 1.5 km wide, providing an unusual opportunity to compare their characteristics under similar hydrological conditions. Throughout the reach, the channel bed is grounded on sandstone/shale bedrock although the banks are alluvial, and most river activity occurs during summer high flows. The reach can be divided into three geomorphological zones: Zone 1 (0–11 km), a muddy proximal part with a single meandering channel (w/d < 10) and near-permanent standing water in oxbows and backswamps; Zone 2 (11–17.5 km), a transitional mud-to-sand part with one main channel (w/d  20–30), a number of sinuous palaeochannels and oxbows, and only limited standing water; and Zone 3 (17.5–28 km), a sandy distal part with a single meandering channel (w/d  15–30), scroll bars and oxbows, and little standing water. Each zone also has a distinctive sedimentology: Zone 1 is characterised by an  3–4 m thick succession of basal sand and minor granules overlain by dominantly muddy sediment deposited primarily by oblique accretion in meander bends; Zone 2 is characterised by < 4 m of interbedded sand and mud deposited primarily by lateral point-bar accretion, although a history of avulsions also attests to the importance of abandoned-channel accretion; and Zone 3 is characterised by < 3 m of dominantly sand deposited primarily by lateral point-bar accretion. This unusual downstream sediment coarsening trend, and the associated changes in channel and floodplain character, are independent of sediment inputs from tributaries, and result from a downstream increase in bankfull unit stream power from < 3.5 W m^− 2 (Zone 1) to  4–10 W m^− 2 (Zone 3). Mud is deposited primarily in low-energy Zone 1 but is conveyed in suspension more effectively through higher energy Zones 2 and 3, only forming drapes over sandy lateral accretion deposits during waning flood stages. The downstream increase in unit stream power is controlled in part by a slight downstream increase in floodplain gradient that may be related to a subtle variation in the erosional resistance of the bedrock underlying the channel bed. These findings add to previous work on meandering rivers by demonstrating that mud-dominated meanders can occur in long-term erosional settings where the channel bed is grounded on bedrock, and that downstream fining trends may be reversed locally.     

Lithium isotopes in the system Qz-Ms-fluid:An experimental study

The fractionation of lithium isotopes among quartz, muscovite, and a chloride-bearing aqueous fluid has been investigated experimentally at 400°-500°C and 50-100 MPa. Experiments were performed for 15-60 days in cold seal vessels with natural mineral specimens. Lithium was introduced primarily through the fluid, which also contained KCl and HCl. In most runs, the fluid was prepared with the L-SVEC standard (δ⁷Li = 0) and was 1 M in total chloride with K/Li/H = 100/10/1. In two experiments, a ⁶Li spike was employed. The experiments demonstrate that quartz and muscovite are susceptible to pronounced, rapid shifts in Li isotopic composition by diffusion through interaction with a Li-bearing fluid, particularly at 500°C. At 500°C, fractionation factors were determined to be Δ_{quartz-aqueous} ≅ +8 to + 12‰ and Δ_{muscovite-aqueous} ≅ +18 to + 20‰. An intermineral fractionation factor is given by Δ_{muscovite-quartz} ≈ +9‰. At 400°C, the results suggest Δ_{quartz-aqueous} ≈ +4 to + 6‰. The study provides evidence of systematic fractionation in lithium isotopes at the temperatures of some magmatic processes, such as those associated with porphyry-type ore systems and pegmatites.