The respective effects of water vapor and temperature on the turbulent fluxes of sensible and latent heat

Various aspects of the Brook correction for the effects of moisture fluctuations or gradients on atmospheric specific heat and, consequently, on the vertical flux of sensible heat are discussed, and additional forms of the complete and approximate equations are derived. Corollary expressions for the influence of temperature fluctuations or gradients on vertical latent heat flux are presented. Errors due to neglecting these temperature and moisture effects on the respective fluxes are compared in terms of the Bowen ratio. Either of these normally neglected effects can change the direction (sign) and very substantially affect the magnitude of the corresponding flux. The effects sometimes compensate in the total, sensible plus latent, heat flux. Calculations include practical examples from the very different climates of the tropical Atlantic Ocean and the Great Plains of Nebraska.     

Tectonic pattern of the Azores spreading centre and triple junction

The major tectonic elements of the Azores triple junction have been mapped using long-range side-scan sonar. The data enable the Mid-Atlantic Ridge axis to be located with a precision of a few kilometres. Major faults and other tectonic and volcanic elements of the ridge maintain their regional trend of 010° to 020° past the triple junction area. There is no oblique spreading, and only minor transform offsets of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge occur here. The main effect of the triple junction or Azores hot spot is to diminish the amplitude of the median valley to 200 m or less. There is no axial high: a topographic high seen on several profiles is located to the east of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge spreading axis and does not appear to have any fundamental significance.The third arm of the triple junction includes the Azores srreading centre which appears to have developed as a series of en echelon rifted basins (the Terceira Rift) extending from Formigas Trough at 36.8°N, 24.5°W to a point near 39.3°N, 28.8°W. There are indications that recent activity in the spreading centre may be concentrated in a series of ridges which flank the older rifted basins. Until recently the northwest end of the Terceira Rift was connected to the Mid-Atlantic Ridge axis either directly at an RRR junction, or via a transform fault. The triple junction has probably moved south during the last 6 Ma to a positin on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge near 38.7°N.Initiation of the Azores spreading centre may have occurred during the 36 Ma B.P. rearrangement of poles, with an RFF triple junction north from the East Azores fracture zone to the North Azores fracture zone and transferring a wedge of European plate to the African plate.The tectonic elements revealed by this study are in good agreement with inferred earthquake mechanisms and with the RM2 plate tectonic model of Minster and Jordan, but east-west motion between North America and Africa does not seem to be compatible with the other motions at the triple junction unless it is of very recent (2>3 Ma) origin.     

Uranium and copper exploration by nearshore lake sediment geochemistry, Kaipokok region of Labrador

Uranium and copper concentrations were determined on 184 sediment samples collected systematically arount the periphery of 24 lakes in the Kaipokok region of Labrador. The results allowed us to define several zones across glacial drift and lake-covered terrain which are enriched in these elements and which warrant further exploration. Some zones are extensions of known U and Cu mineralization, but others had not previously been found.This survey demonstrates that systematic nearshore lake sediment sampling and geochemical analysis is an informative method of mineral exploration which can be used as a follow-up to reconnaissance level sampling.     

The evolution of the archaean crust of northeast Botswana

Some 1800 km² of Archaean terrain have been mapped (the Eastern Geotraverse of the Botswana Geological Survey, Geodynamics Project) including a part of the schist belt/granitic terrain of the Rhodesian Craton, and part of the Limpopo Mobile Belt in the south. The cratonic area includes the whole or part of four schist belts (greenstone belts) now referred to as ‘schist relics’ as they are shown to be mega-xenoliths surviving regional deformation and granitisation.The schist relics display a typical greenstone belt composition with basal ultra-mafic schist, extrusive meta-basalts, serpentinites, and meta-dacites, -andesites, -rhyolites and volcanoclastic rocks appearing up the succession. These are termed the Volcanic Group. They also contain marble, graphitic phyllite, meta-greywacke, banded ironstone and aluminous schist.The schist relics overlie thick sequences of granitised clastic sediments with intercalated volcanic and sedimentary layers which are regarded as an integral, lower part of the succession. The total sequence, including the Volcanic Group and underlying rocks is at least 30 km thick.The schist relics originally formed a more continuous and lithostratigraphically equivalent succession, which may have included some of the Rhodesian schist belts. Such a succession would be of the order of size of an island arc system in length and width.An early stage of regional folding (F1) is recognized, from preserved fabrics and structural analysis, which is tentatively proposed as nappe folding on a regional scale. This was accompanied by low-grade metamorphism. This first stage of deformation determined the regional pattern as it is still seen.Tonalite/monzonite plutons were emplaced within the Volcanic Group and probably protected the relics during regional granitisation.Regional granitisation, which isolated the schist relics, was accompanied by pyroxene hornfels metamorphism. This was followed by a regional, penetrative deformation (F2) with amphibolite facies (Barrovian type) metamorphism. This is the most prominent style of deformation which, although most intensely developed in the Limpopo Mobile Belt, is imposed throughout the whole area. The Limpopo Belt cuts across the area in the south as a large ductile shear zone and affects rocks largely similar to those of the craton, although anorthosites are not known outside it.The Limpopo Belt has its own style of deformation — interference folds, and several stages of folding related to transcurrent movement, and intense cataclasis.Metamorphism is similar throughout Limpopo Mobile Belt and Craton, each event being recognized in both domains and being of similar grades.In many respects the Botswana Eastern Geotraverse area resembles other Archaean terrains and analogies can be drawn. In attempting to find a geotectonic model into which it can be placed there is a considerable range of choices, and not enough constraints existing either within the imperfectly preserved geological record, nor within the expanding and elastic framework of Global tectonic theory.No direct evidence for subduction zones or plate boundaries has been found, nor is this surprising considering the subsequent history. On the other hand we see nothing in the rather detailed body of evidence that has been accumulated by mapping to preclude a place within Plate theory as outlined for the Phanerozoic. It allows a moderately uniformitarian interpretation rather than one supposing unique conditions preculiar to the Archaean, such as the concept of isolated volcanic depositaries, or of unique and peculiar crustal conditions.     

Application of the UKCIP02 climate change scenarios: Reflections and lessons learnt

The UKCIP02 climate change scenarios have become the standard reference for climate change in the UK since their release in 2002. This paper describes and reflects on the ways in which they have been applied. It then identifies some strengths, weaknesses and barriers to their application, and extracts key lessons that may inform the development and provision of future climate change scenarios.Analysis of the application of UKCIP02 shows that the scenarios have been used primarily as a communication device, as well as for scientific research and to inform policy and decision-making on climate change. They have played a critical role in raising awareness on climate change and in engaging organisations in the need to adapt. Their presentation in an accessible style, and their availability in a variety of formats, greatly facilitated their uptake. However, analysis has also revealed weaknesses which served as barriers to their uptake. Some of these, such as file format and accessibility issues, were readily overcome through technical solutions. Others, such as the issue of how to use uncertain information in decision-making, have only been partially addressed and remain an outstanding challenge for future scenario packages. Two key lessons have emerged which may benefit the provision of future climate scenarios in the UK and elsewhere. First, it is not enough to simply make climate change scenarios available. Their provision must be accompanied by ongoing guidance and support to ensure widespread and appropriate uptake. Second, on-going dialogue between those providing scenarios and the communities using them is fundamental to constructively meet the challenges associated with delivering credible scenarios that balance user requirements and expectations with what the science can deliver.     

Star formation and figure rotation in the early-type galaxy NGC 2974

We present Galaxy Evolution Explorer ( GALEX ) far-ultraviolet (FUV) and near-ultraviolet (NUV) imaging of the nearby early-type galaxy NGC 2974, along with complementary ground-based optical imaging. In the ultraviolet, the galaxy reveals a central spheroid-like component and a newly discovered complete outer ring of radius 6.2 kpc, with suggestions of another partial ring at an even larger radius. Blue FUV–NUV and UV-optical colours are observed in the centre of the galaxy and from the outer ring outwards, suggesting young stellar populations (≲1 Gyr) and recent star formation in both locations. This is supported by a simple stellar population model which assumes two bursts of star formation, allowing us to constrain the age, mass fraction and surface mass density of the young component pixel by pixel. Overall, the mass fraction of the young component appears to be just under 1 per cent (lower limit, uncorrected for dust extinction). The additional presence of a nuclear and an inner ring (radii 1.4 and 2.9 kpc, respectively), as traced by [O  iii ] emission, suggests ring formation through resonances. All three rings are consistent with a single pattern speed of  78 ± 6  km s⁻¹ kpc⁻¹, typical of S0 galaxies and only marginally slower than expected for a fast bar if traced by a small observed surface brightness plateau. This thus suggests that star formation and morphological evolution in NGC 2974 at the present epoch are primarily driven by a rotating asymmetry (probably a large-scale bar), despite the standard classification of NGC 2974 as an E4 elliptical.     

Exsolution and shock microstructures of igneous pyroxene clasts in the Northwest Africa 7533 Martian meteorite

Northwest Africa (NWA) 7533 is a Martian regolith breccia. This meteorite (and its pairings) offers a good opportunity to study (near‐) surface processes that occurred on early Mars. Here, we have conducted a transmission electron microscope study of medium‐ and coarse‐grained (a few tens to hundreds of micrometers) Ca‐rich pyroxene clasts in order to define their thermal and shock histories. The pyroxene grains have a high‐temperature (magmatic) origin as revealed by the well‐developed pigeonite–augite exsolution microstructure. Exsolution lamella characteristics (composition, thickness, and spacing) indicate a moderately slow cooling. Some of the pyroxene clasts display evidence for local decomposition into magnetite and silica at the submicron scale. This phase decomposition may have occurred at high temperature and occurred at high oxygen fugacity at least 2–3 log units above the QFM buffer, after the formation of the exsolution lamellae. This corresponds to oxidizing conditions well above typical Martian magmatic conditions. These oxidizing conditions seem to have prevailed early and throughout most of the history of NWA 7533. The shock microstructure consists of (100) mechanical twins which have accommodated plastic deformation. Other pyroxene shock indicators are absent. Compared with SNC meteorites that all suffered significant shock metamorphism, NWA 7533 appears only mildly shocked. The twin microstructure is similar from one clast to another, suggesting that the impact which generated the (100) twins involved the compacted breccia and that the pyroxene clasts were unshocked when they were incorporated into the NWA 7533 breccia.     

Isotopic and elemental fractionation of solar wind implanted in the Genesis concentrator target characterized and quantified by noble gases

Abstract– We report concentrations and isotopic compositions of He, Ne, and Ar measured with high spatial resolution along a radial traverse of a silicon carbide (SiC) quadrant of the Genesis mission concentrator target. The Ne isotopic composition maps instrumental fractionation as a function of radial position in the target: the maximum observed isotopic fractionation is approximately 33‰ per mass unit between the center and periphery. The Ne fluence is enhanced by a factor of 43 at the target center and decreases to 5.5 times at the periphery relative to the bulk solar wind fluence. Neon isotopic profiles measured along all four arms of the “gold cross” mount which held the quadrants in the concentrator target demonstrate that the concentrator target was symmetrically irradiated during operation as designed. We used implantation experiments of Ne into SiC and gold to quantify backscatter loss and isotopic fractionation and compared measurements with numerical simulations from the code “stopping and range of ions in matter.” The ²⁰Ne fluence curve as a function of radial distance on the target may be used to construct concentration factors relative to bulk solar wind for accurate corrections for solar wind fluences of other light elements to be measured in the concentrator target. The Ne isotopic composition as a function of the radial distance in the SiC quadrant provides a correction for the instrumental mass‐dependent isotopic fractionation by the concentrator and can be used to correct measured solar wind oxygen and nitrogen isotopic compositions to obtain bulk solar wind isotopic compositions.