Trace elements as indicators of the physicochemical conditions of mineral formation in hydrothermal sulfide systems

The three-mode distribution of trace-element (TE) concentrations is observed in accordance with three main forms of TE occurrence in mineral: structural, surficial, and phase (native TE phases). Minerals of hydrothermally synthesized pyrite–pyrrhotite–magnetite–greenockite assemblage in the presence of Au and Mn are studied. Discrimination of modes is made, using the method of statistical sample of analytical data for single crystals (SSADSC), which is based on the postulate that individual crystals can contain predominantly one of possible forms. This is supported by study of Cd modes of occurrence by element thermorelease atomic-absorption spectrometry. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and atomic-force microscopy were used to examine the surficial TE forms. It has been confirmed that the dependence of the TE content on the crystal size in the sample is mainly due to surficial nonautonomous phases absorbing TEs. The effect of correspondence of chemical-component forms on the surfaces of coexisting minerals is also corroborated. This phenomenon is not related to the mutual contamination of phases but is due to the induction of the corresponding states of chemical forms in coexisting nonautonomous phases. It is possible to obtain true coefficients of interface distribution, characterizing structural TE impurities. These coefficients differ strongly from apparent distribution coefficients calculated from the bulk contents of impurities, except for Mn in pyrrhotite and magnetite, where its structural mode is predominant. The results obtained show that TEs can be used as quantitative geochemical indicators, which help to obtain correct information about the parameters of mineral formation and TE contents in the fluid phase.     

Magma yield stress and permeability: Insights from multiphase percolation theory

Magmas often contain multiple interacting phases of embedded solid and gas inclusions. Multiphase percolation theory provides a means of modeling assemblies of these different classes of magmatic inclusions in a simple, yet powerful way. Like its single phase counterpart, multiphase percolation theory describes the connectivity of discrete inclusion assemblies as a function of phase topology. In addition, multiphase percolation employs basic laws to distinguish separate classes of objects and is characterized by its dependency on the order in which the different phases appear. This paper examines two applications of multiphase percolation theory: the first considers how the presence of bubble inclusions influences yield stress onset and growth in a magma's crystal network; the second examines the effect of bi-modal bubble-size distributions on magma permeability. We find that the presence of bubbles induces crystal clustering, thereby 1) reducing the percolation threshold, or critical crystal volume fraction, ?_c, at which the crystals form a space-spanning network providing a minimum yield stress, and 2) resulting in a larger yield stress for a given crystal volume fraction above ?_c. This increase in the yield stress of the crystal network may also occur when crystal clusters are formed due to processes other than bubble formation, such as heterogeneous crystallization, synneusis, and heterogeneity due to deformation or flow. Further, we find that bimodal bubble size distributions can significantly affect the permeability of the system beyond the percolation threshold. This study thus demonstrates that larger-scale structures and topologies, as well as the order in which different phases appear, can have significant effects on macroscopic properties in multiphase materials.     

Coupled Earth’s Thermosohere-Ionosphere Global Dynamics Model

Izvestiya, Atmospheric and Oceanic Physics - A coupled Earth’s thermosohere-ionosphere global dynamics model (for altitudes of 90–500 km) is presented. This model is based on a...     

Estuarine modification of nutrient and sediment exports to the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park from the Daintree and Annan River catchments

Nutrient and suspended sediment concentrations were measured in the dry season and during the rising and falling stages of flood events in the Annan and Daintree rivers to estimate catchment exports. These flood events were also sampled along the salinity gradient in the estuary and nearshore shelf to quantify the modification of terrestrial sediment and nutrient loads as they pass through estuaries into the Great Barrier Reef lagoon. In the Daintree River TSS concentrations were found to increase between the catchment and the estuary plume. The source of TSS may have been scour of the estuarine channel or from land use in the catchment of the lower estuary. In the dry season nitrogen enters the Annan and Daintree estuaries predominantly in the form of PON and DON in roughly equal proportions. Nitrogen exports to the GBR are mostly in the form of DON. In the wet season the majority of nitrogen enters the estuaries as DON and leaves as PON. Nitrogen removal in the estuaries and plumes appears to be biologically mediated once suspended sediment concentrations decrease to a point where phytoplankton growth is not light limited. In the dry season phosphorus enters and leaves the estuaries primarily in organic form. PIP is the dominant form of phosphorus in river water, but leaves the estuary more evenly distributed between all forms. These estuarine processes result in less nitrogen and phosphorus being delivered to the GBR lagoon than is exported from the catchment. The differences between these estuaries highlights the need for further work to explore modifications in estuaries that drain into the Great Barrier Reef lagoon.     

Lunar and luni-solar variations of the geomagnetic field in the Indian region

Summary Lunar and luni-solar geomagnetic components have been computed upto four harmonics for low latitude station Alibag, outside equatorial electrojet belt, and the equatorial electrojet stations Annamalainagar, Kodaikanal and Trivandrum in the south Indian region. The computations are confined to data of very high solar activity period 1958–61. Amplitudes of lunar semidiurnal component (L ₂), in the horizontal intensity (H), undergo an equatorial enhancement. Phase difference of 2 hrs is noticed inL ₂ (H) between nonelectrojet and electrojet stations. In the vertical intensity (Z), L ₂ is maximum ine andj-seasons at Trivandrum, close to the magnetic equator. Ind-season, however, maximumL ₂ (Z) occurs at Annamalainagar (dip 5°.4N). The phase difference between the electrojet and nonelectrojet stations observed inL ₂ (H) is not noticed inL ₂ (Z). The differential vertical upward drift motion of charged particles may explain the observed phase difference inL ₂ (H). Seasonal variations in amplitudes and times of maxima are noticed at all the stations inL ₂ (H) andL ₂ (Z). Similar variation is also noticed at Alibag inL ₂ of declination (D).     

Instability model for recurring large and great earthquakes in southern California

The locked section of the San Andreas fault in southern California has experienced a number of large and great earthquakes in the past, and thus is expected to have more in the future. To estimate the location, time, and slip of the next few earthquakes, an earthquake instability model is formulated. The model is similar to one recently developed for moderate earthquakes on the San Andreas fault near Parkfield, California. In both models, unstable faulting (the earthquake analog) is caused by failure of all or part of a patch of brittle, strain-softening fault zone. In the present model the patch extends downward from the ground surface to about 12 km depth, and extends 500 km along strike from Parkfield to the Salton Sea. The variation of patch strength along strike is adjusted by trial until the computed sequence of instabilities matches the sequence of large and great earthquakes sincea.d. 1080 reported by Sieh and others. The last earthquake was theM=8.3 Ft. Tejon event in 1857. The resulting strength variation has five contiguous sections of alternately low and high strength. From north to south, the approximate locations of the sections are: (1) Parkfield to Bitterwater Valley, (2) Bitterwater Valley to Lake Hughes, (3) Lake Hughes to San Bernardino, (4) San Bernardino to Palm Springs, and (5) Palm Springs to the Salton Sea. Sections 1, 3, and 5 have strengths between 53 and 88 bars; sections 2 and 4 have strengths between 164 and 193 bars. Patch section ends and unstable rupture ends usually coincide, although one or more adjacent patch sections may fail unstably at once. The model predicts that the next sections of the fault to slip unstably will be 1, 3, and 5; the order and dates depend on the assumed length of an earthquake rupture in about 1700.     

Cassini imaging of Saturn's rings: II. A wavelet technique for analysis of density waves and other radial structure in the rings

We describe a powerful signal processing method, the continuous wavelet transform, and use it to analyze radial structure in Cassini ISS images of Saturn's rings. Wavelet analysis locally separates signal components in frequency space, causing many structures to become evident that are difficult to observe with the naked eye. Density waves, generated at resonances with saturnian satellites orbiting outside (or within) the rings, are particularly amenable to such analysis. We identify a number of previously unobserved weak waves, and demonstrate the wavelet transform's ability to isolate multiple waves superimposed on top of one another. We also present two wave-like structures that we are unable to conclusively identify. In a multi-step semi-automated process, we recover four parameters from clearly observed weak spiral density waves: the local ring surface density, the local ring viscosity, the precise resonance location (useful for pointing images, and potentially for refining saturnian astrometry), and the wave amplitude (potentially providing new constraints upon the masses of the perturbing moons). Our derived surface densities have less scatter than previous measurements that were derived from stronger non-linear waves, and suggest a gentle linear increase in surface density from the inner to the mid-A Ring. We show that ring viscosity consistently increases from the Cassini Division outward to the Encke Gap. Meaningful upper limits on ring thickness can be placed on the Cassini Division (3.0 m at r∼118,800 km, 4.5 m at r∼120,700 km) and the inner A Ring (10-15 m for r<127,000 km).     

Dynamical Initialization of Boundary-Layer Data

A procedure for the dynamic initialization of wind and temperature fields within the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) is presented. The procedure uses transilient turbulence theory to assess the turbulent fluxes from observed wind and temperature data, which are used to estimate the eddy transfer coefficients, so enabling a local closure ABL model to be integrated forward in time to a new steady state. The method has been applied to initialize kytoon data taken at Kharagpur (22.3° N, 87.2° E) during the MONTBLEX field programme. Results of a case study for 17 June 1990 are discussed.