Sub‐millennial climate shifts in the western Mediterranean during the last glacial period recorded in a speleothem from Mallorca,Spain

Very few high‐resolution and directly dated terrestrial archives of the last glacial period exist for the western Mediterranean region, yet this is a key locality for recording sub‐millennial North Atlantic and Mediterranean climate change. Here, we present evidence of effective precipitation changes based on growth history and δ¹³C of calcite in a Mallorcan stalagmite that grew between 112 and 48 ka. Effective precipitation in Mallorca appears to have been sensitive to proximal sea surface temperature variations and at certain times, ca. 76 ka for example, changed rapidly from moist to arid conditions in only a few centuries. A sea‐level highstand during Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 5a interrupted growth. Regrowth started promptly after this, but effective precipitation decreased markedly for much of the later part of MIS 5a, and also for shorter periods correlative with Heinrich events H8 (ca. 90 ka) and H6 (ca. 65 ka), with growth ceasing during H5 (ca. 48 ka). Arid episodes in Mallorca appear to be expressions of extremely cold periods recorded further north in Europe and occur contemporaneously with rapid decreases in Greenland temperature. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The nature of publishing and assessment in Geography and Environmental Studies: evidence from the Research Assessment Exercise 2008

We present a summary of the kinds of outputs submitted to the Geography and Environmental Studies sub-panel (H-32) for the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise (RAE), and examine the relationships between the peer assessment of research quality that the RAE process has typified, and alternative modes of assessment based on bibliometrics. This comparison is effected using (in aggregate form) some of the results from the RAE, together with citation data gathered after completion of the RAE assessment, specifically for the purpose of this paper. We conclude that, if it continues to be necessary and desirable to assess, in some measure and however imprecisely, research quality, then peer assessment cannot be replaced by bibliometrics. Bibliometrics permit measurement of something that may be linked to quality but is essentially a different phenomenon – a measure of 'impact', for example.     

UNITED STATES RAILWAY TRAFFIC: AN UPDATE

Recent decades have seen changes in the pattern of rail traffic in the United States. This article describes the development of a United States railroad map depicting current levels of traffic on all rail lines handling over five million gross tons per year. This traffic pattern is compared with the 1929 traffic levels appearing on a similiar map developed by Edward Ullman. Revenue ton-miles have nearly doubled since 1929, with most of the increases concentrated on western and southern lines. Traffic on eastern lines has increased only slightly above 1929 levels.     

Construction and Testing of a Durable Platinum Wire Eh Electrode for In Situ Redox Measurements in the Subsurface

We have developed a rugged, durable platinum wire Eh electrode for application in subsurface environments. The electrode design is described in detail and its performance under aerobic and anaerobic steady-state and transient conditions is assessed. The electrode consists of a 0.5-mm-diameter platinum wire (99.99% purity) cast in a glass fiber-reinforced epoxy jacket. The construction allowed installation through direct insertion into sandy media to depths up to several meters. Data collection was through connection to a datalogger with high impedance input; data points were collected every 10 seconds and averaged and stored once an hour. The electrodes functioned in situ for periods of more than three years and gave reliable readings during oxic, anoxic, and transitional conditions. Performance testing and examination of electrodes recovered after three years in situ indicated that they were not impacted by corrosion, dissolution, or poisoning.     

A numerical investigation of the formation and evolution of magnetospheric irregularities by the interchange of magnetic flux tubes

The formation and evolution of magnetospheric irregularities by interchange of tubes of force, is studied through the solution of the electron and ion heat, and ion density equations. These calculations indicate that interchange of magnetic flux tubes may cause irregularities in the ionosphere and protonosphere. Ionospheric irregularities result from disturbance of the F-layer through electrodynamic movement vertically while the protonospheric irregularities result from variations in flux tube volume. It has been found that the temperature profile plays an important role in the variation of irregularity magnitude along flux tubes and that irregularities will persist for many hours at night. After several hours a small growth of the irregularities has been observed.     

Digital Photogrammetric Monitoring of River Bank Erosion

Detailed understanding of the processes which control river bank erosion requires high resolution information concerning temporal changes in bank morphology. This paper describes the successful use of digital photogrammetry to extract high resolution digital elevation models (DEMs) from terrestrial oblique stereopairs of rapidly eroding river banks, using the commercial software package Erdas Imagine. This software was developed for use with aerial photography and satellite imagery; problems relating to the use of oblique terrestrial images are discussed and solutions presented. Photography was acquired using semi-metric cameras, mounted on tripods and positioned about 15m from the eroding bank. Data for DEM point spacings of 20mm were obtained, with accuracies of approximately ±12mm in depth. Digital photogrammetry can permit faster analysis, provide better accuracies and involve less ground disturbance than conventional methods of monitoring river channel change. Most importantly, DEM generation is considered to be more useful than traditionally acquired points or profiles for landform monitoring strategies.     

The genesis of Pb‐Zn sulphide occurrences in the Lower Devonian Buchan Group,Victoria

Six minor sulphide occurrences hosted by the Lower Devonian Buchan Group have been investigated. Sulphide minerals and associated phases are hosted by both dolostone and limestone lithologies along stylolitized bedding planes, cross‐cutting fractures, low angle minor faults and in cavities. Mineralization was closely associated with minor structures of inferred Tabberabberan age (Middle Devonian), which it appears to have post‐dated, but was largely strata‐bound in nature. The mineralogy of the occurrences is simple and characterized by the following generalized paragenesis which reflects the increasing oxidation state and pH of the mineralizing fluids: pyrite (pseudomorphous after marcasite)‐galena ± sphalerite ± pyrite‐dolomite ± barite‐calcite ± fluorite ± dolomite.

The sulphur isotope composition of sulphide minerals varies from ‐32.1 to +4.1‰, with iron and base metal sulphide minerals forming two distinct populations around ‐25‰ and 0‰, respectively. A single barite sample gives a sulphur isotope composition of +22.4‰, which is similar to that estimated for Early Devonian seawater. Fluid inclusions in fluorite and calcite homogenize at temperatures in the range 160 to 212° C and have average salinities of approximately 10 wt% NaCI eq. Sphalerite contains up to 1.81 wt% iron which correlates with colour, and up to 1.43 wt% cadmium. The Pb isotopic pattern of galena suggests a source region with U/Pb(= μ) lower than the crustal average, and a high Th/U.

A genetic hypothesis is proposed which involves the circulation of saline fluids through the Snowy River Volcanics, which directly underlie the Buchan Group, during or at some time after the Tabberabberan Orogeny. Although the Buchan occurrences show features characteristic of both Mississippi Valley‐type and stratiform ore deposits, they are most directly comparable to the epigenetic zones of Irish carbonate‐hosted base‐metal deposits. However, Pb‐Zn sulphide mineralization at Buchan appears to have been associated with minor compressional structures, suggesting that a simple correlation with the Irish deposits is not directly applicable.