Selectively contaminated magmas of the Tertiary East Greenland macrodike complex

Chemical interaction between tholeiitic magmas of the East Greenland Tertiary macrodike complex and anatectic melts of the Precambrian basement produced a wide range of hybrid magmas. Field evidence indicates that, although coexisting magmas were stirred, mechanical mixing only occurred to a limited extent before segregation of magmas into a stratified system. The initial ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr and ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd isotope ratios for hybrid compositions fall between those of the mafic and felsic end-members. However, the covariation of these isotope ratios differs from that expected of bulk mixing. Major- and trace-element distributions in hybrid magmas are also inconsistent with simple mixing, as well as with fractional crystallization coupled with bulk assimilation (AFC) involving reasonable end-members of the macrodike-crust system. Rather, the chemical and isotopic modification of mafic and felsic magmas of the macrodike complex appears to have been controlled fundamentally by interdiffusion of silicate liquid species during mingling and buoyant roofward segregation of crust-derived granophyres. The relationships among juxtaposed hybrid magmas of the Miki Fjord macrodike are shown to be consistent with expectations of selective diffusional exchange based on available experimental interdiffusion data for silicate liquids. Comparison between these hybrid compositions and rocks from the felsic series of the Vandfaldsdalen macrodike suggest that the latter compositions were affected by a similar opensystem process operating presumably during the transient development of the felsic cap. Once hybrid magmas ponded at the roof of the intrusion they effectively were isolated from further exchange.     

The rise and fall of a non-Newtonian gravity experiment

An experiment was conducted in 1987 in search for a possible non-Newtonian component to gravity. The test compared accurately measured gravity values on a 600 m tower with upward continued surface gravity. The results indicated a dominant attractive non-Newtonian force that asymptotically approached -540 µGal at the top of the tower. An exhaustive search of possible error sources led to the discovery that our surface data did not accurately represent some of the local topographic features. The surface survey was supplemented by gravity data to remove some of the biases that were caused by the misrepresentation. In addition, a rigorous terrain correction was applied to the surface data resulting in terrain-corrected Bouguer anomalies. These anomalies were then upward continued using two independent techniques. The terrain effect was added back to the predicted values at altitude. With this procedure almost the entire non-Newtonian effect was explained. Currently we find no conclusive evidence for a non-Newtonian force over the range of several hundred meters.     

Survey of Rural Wells in Missouri for Pesticides and Nitrate

Two hundred and one rural wells were sampled in eight agricultural areas of Missouri. Samples were analyzed for 25 pesticides and nitrate. Forty-three percent of the wells sampled had at least one pesticide detection. Thirteen percent of the wells had at least one detection ≧ 1 ppb and these concentrations were confirmed. Only one well exceeded U.S. EPA Health Advisory levels. Twenty-two percent of the wells exceeded the U.S. EPA Drinking Water Standard for nitrate. Pesticide detections were most strongly correlated to well depth. Nitrate levels were primarily related to well depth, well construction methods, and well siting.     

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The National Center for Atmospheric Research is sponsored by the National Science Foundation.     

A comparison of greenness measures in two semi-arid grasslands

A field experiment was conducted during 1988 in a semi-arid grassland along a portion of the U.S./Mexico border in which the utility of NDVI-transformed data for estimating green vegetation amount and cover was explored. Results showed that, although there was significant difference in green and total biomass between the U.S. and Mexico sites, we were unable to find any correlation between either these vegetation parameters and NDVI values calculated from reflectance measurements. Based on these results, it would appear that semi-arid perennial grasslands can pose problems for remote sensing analysis due to their erectophile structure, the likelihood of significant accumulation of senescent biomass, and dominance of soil background in sparsely vegetated areas. Therefore, if remotely-sensed data, and indices derived from them, are to be used in global change models, it is critical to establish if these indices are sufficiently sensitive to distinguish long-term change from the seasonal and spatial variability in vegetation biomass normally found within these perennial grassland communities.     

High-temperature X-ray diffraction study of Co3O4: Transition from normal to disordered spinel

A high-temperature x-ray powder diffraction structural refinement indicates that the room-temperature normal spinel, Co²⁺[Co ₂ ³⁺ ]O₄, transforms to a disordered spinel at temperatures above 1150±30 K, as shown by the decrease of the oxygen u parameter. It is also shown that this transition between normal and disordered spinel is a high order one, where the degree of disordering increases with increasing temperature up to the highest temperature of this study, 1201 K.