Drowned carbonate platforms in the Bismarck Sea,Papua New Guinea

Extinct volcanic islands in the Bismarck volcanic arc are fringed by well-developed coral reefs. Drowned platforms offshore from these islands provide evidence for subsidence in the central section of the arc, north of the Finisterre Terrane–Australia collision. Bathymetric and backscatter data collected onboard the R/V Kilo Moana in 2004 reveal regularly spaced (~200 m interval) drowned platforms at depths as much as 1,100 m below sea level. However, the adjacent mainland coast has well documented raised terraces indicating long-term uplift. Local subsidence may be due to cessation of magmatic activity and cooling, flexural loading by the uplifting Finisterre Range, loading by nearby active volcanic islands, and/or sediment loading on the seafloor north of the Finisterre Range. We present some simple models in order to test whether flexural loading can account for local subsidence. We find that volcanic and sedimentary loading can explain the inferred relative subsidence.     

Glaciers and Climate in the Andes between the Equator and 30° S: What is Recorded under Extreme Environmental Conditions?

Sublimation and melt disturb the environmental information obtained from ice core records in the Andes. In two case studies we demonstrate to what extent these post-depositional processes may remove major parts of the accumulated snow cover. Dark ash layers from the Tungurahua eruption changed the albedo of surface snow on Chimborazo glacier (6268 m, 1°30 S,78°36 W, Ecuador) between two ice core drilling campaigns and forced substantial melt. Re-distribution and washout of the chemical constituents shifted the concentration profiles obtained in December 1999 as compared to an equivalent core drilled in December 2000. The stable isotope records showed that approximately the water equivalent (weq) of an annual layer had melted, and that the percolating melt water penetrated within the firn layer to a depth of at least 16.5 m without refreezing. In the second example, from a site on the dry axis between the tropical and extra-tropical precipitation belts, significant loss of accumulated snow layers occurred by sublimation. A surface experiment at Cerro Tapado glacier (5536 m, 30°08 S,69°55 W, Chile) revealed that losses of 2 mm weq (5 mm snow) per day occurred during the dry period following the 1997/98 El Niño. This loss generally included the entire surface layer enriched in stable isotopes, and thus caused minimal disturbance of the isotopic signature (and hence climatic information) of the net accumulation, yet chemical constituents again experienced considerable changes in concentration. From annual layer counting and direct dating it is obvious that the major part of the accumulated ice on both glaciers is younger than 100 years; however, isotopic and chemical variations at least in the basal ice from Cerro Tapado clearly point to climate conditions different from the recent centuries. This evidence is supported by mass balance considerations derived from a glacier-climate model. The possibility of a third type of disturbance aside from sublimation and melting – in this case a significant hiatus in the environmental chronology – also deserves consideration for other icecore records from this region. Potential disruptions or discontinuities need to be carefully evaluated given the profound changes in climatic and glaciological conditions since the Last Glacial Maximum throughout Holocene times.     

Lu-Hf and PbSL geochronology of apatites from Proterozoic terranes: A first look at Lu-Hf isotopic closure in metamorphic apatite

The mineral apatite is characterized by elevated and highly variable Lu/Hf ratios that, in some cases, allow for single-crystal dating by the Lu-Hf isotopic system. Apatites from the Adirondack Lowlands and Otter Lake area in the Grenville Province, and from the Black Hills, South Dakota, yield Lu-Hf ages that are consistently older than their respective Pb step leaching ages. Isotopic closure for the Lu-Hf system, therefore, occurs before U-Pb system closure in this mineral. In the Adirondack Lowlands, where H₂O activity was low, Lu-Hf systematics of cm-sized apatite crystals remained undisturbed during upper amphibolite facies metamorphism (∼700 to 675 °C) at 1170-1130 Ma. The relatively old Lu-Hf ages of 1270 and 1230 Ma observed for these apatites correlate with decreasing crystal size. In contrast, apatite from the fluid-rich Otter Lake area and Black Hills yields unrealistically low apparent Lu-Hf closure temperatures, implying that in these apatites, fluids facilitated late exchange. The Lu-Hf ages for the metamorphic apatites were thus controlled either by the prevailing temperature and grain size, or by fluid activity.     

High-resolution simulations for Vietnam - methodology and evaluation of current climate

To assist the government of Vietnam in its efforts to better understand the impacts of climate change and prioritise its adaptation measures, dynamically downscaled climate change projections were produced across Vietnam. Two Regional Climate Models (RCMs) were used: CSIRO’s variable-resolution Conformal-Cubic Atmospheric Model (CCAM) and the limited-area model Regional Climate Model system version 4.2 (RegCM4.2). First, global CCAM simulations were completed using bias- and variance-corrected sea surface temperatures as well as sea ice concentrations from six Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5) global climate models. This approach is different from other downscaling approaches as it does not use any atmospheric fields from the GCMs. The global CCAM simulations were then further downscaled to 10 km using CCAM and to 20 km using RegCM4.2. Evaluations of temperature and precipitation for the current climate (1980-2000) were completed using station data as well as various gridded observational datasets. The RCMs were able to reproduce reasonably well most of the important characteristics of observed spatial patterns and annual cycles of temperature. Average and minimum temperatures were well simulated (biases generally less than 1oC), while maximum temperatures had biases of around 1oC. For precipitation, although the RCMs captured the annual cycle, RegCM4.2 was too dry in Oct.-Nov. (-60% bias), while CCAM was too wet in Dec.- Mar. (130% bias). Both models were too dry in summer and too wet in winter (especially in northern Vietnam). The ability of the ensemble simulations to capture current climate increases confidence in the simulations of future climate.     

ENSEMBLES-based assessment of regional climate effects in Luxembourg and their impact on vegetation

Projected future regional climate changes in Luxembourg are assessed based on a six-member ensemble of regional climate models (RCM) from the ENSEMBLES project. The key aspects are projected changes in air temperature and their impacts on vegetation. Up to now, there have been only few assessments of future climate conditions for Luxembourg. As agriculture is the dominant land use in Luxembourg, possible effects on crops and vegetation in general are highly relevant. Different RCMs at 25 km spatial and a daily temporal resolution, ranging from 1961 to 2100 based on the SRES A1B emission scenario are used. To reduce systematic biases in the RCM-derived time series, a bias correction is applied. Multi-model annual mean temperatures are projected to increase by 3.1 °C between the reference time span (1961 to 1990) and the far future (2069 to 2098). Clear change signals are found in seasonal bivariate frequency distributions of air temperature and precipitation. Derived impacts are an elongation of the thermal vegetation period by 6.2 days per decade due to an earlier onset in spring; growing degree day sums show a substantial increase leading to potentially better growth conditions; the earlier onset of the vegetation period causes an increase in late frost risk, especially in the near future (2021 to 2050) projections compared to the reference period.     

土壤剖面中粉煤灰垂向迁移的磁响应

对浙江省安吉县梅溪发电厂粉煤灰贮灰场附近的土壤短剖面进行环境磁学、元素含量及粒度研究.借助模糊聚类分析,分辨出粉煤灰原位堆积、富集、迁移深度及未受污染土壤特征.剖面上部0～14cm为粉煤灰的原位反映,多畴磁铁矿主导了该段样品磁性.其中11～14cm处磁性矿物和金属元素有所富集.14～21cm为粉煤灰在土壤中的迁移深度.迁移段土壤中亚铁磁性矿物及Pb、Zn等金属含量介于底部未污染土壤与上部粉煤灰原位堆积层之间.单畴斜交反铁磁性矿物及来源于上部粉煤灰的多畴磁铁矿共同主导了该段土壤的磁性特征.21cm以下土壤基本未受粉煤灰污染,单畴斜交反铁磁性矿物是其主要磁性矿物.指标聚类分析表明,亚铁磁性矿物主要赋存在粗粉砂中,单畴磁晶粒主要存在于细粉砂中.χ、ARM、SIRM与Cu、Mn、Pb、Zn呈显著相关.结合多元统计分析,磁参数可用于追踪、识别粉煤灰在土壤剖面中的垂向迁移.     

Spatio-temporal variability of behavioral patterns in hydrology in meso-scale basins of the Rhineland Palatinate (1972–2002)

Changes in spatio-temporal rainfall patterns have an effect on the hydrological behavior of river basins, the magnitude of the effects depending among others on the physiographic basin characteristics. To assess climate and discharge fluctuations, a visualization tool was developed as a contribution to exploratory data analysis. The tool combined statistical tests of hydro-climatological variables with physiographic basin characteristics. Test results agree with previous studies and suggested a relationship between rainfall, discharge and mean date of the annual maximum discharge on the one the hand and lithology, altitude and west to east positioning of the basins on the other hand. The visualization tool capable of combining the statistical test results with the geologic and topographic configuration of the study area and allowed a reflection on the hydro-climatological as well as spatio-temporal behavior of meso-scale basins by means of exploratory data analysis.     

Estimate of the magnetic field of Mars based on the magnetic characteristics of the Yamato 000593 nakhlite

Abstract— Yamato 000593, a nakhlite, was analyzed in terms of its magnetic record and magnetomineralogy. The natural remanent magnetization (NRM: 3.55–6.07 times 10^?5 Am²/kg) was thermally demagnetized at ～320 °C, and it was unstable against alternating field demagnetization. Based on analyses of thermomagnetic curves, the temperature dependence of hysteresis parameters, and microscopic observations, the magnetic minerals mainly consist of magnetite (0.68 wt% of the sample, including ～5% Fe₂TiO₄) of less than 100 μm in size, associated with minor amounts of monoclinic pyrrhotite (<0.069 wt% of the sample) and goethite. Thermal demagnetization of NRM at ～330 °C is explained due to an offset of magnetization of antipodal NRM components of magnetite, whereas it is not due to a pyrrhotite Curie point. Large magnetite grains show exsolution texture with ilmenite laths, and are cut by silicate (including goethite) veins that formed along cracks. Numerous single‐domain (SD) and pseudo‐single‐domain (PSD) magnetite grains are scattered in the mesostasis and adjacent olivine grains. Moderate coercive forces of H_C = 6.8 mT and H_RC = 31.1 mT suggest that Yamato 000593 is fundamentally able to carry a stable NRM; however, NRM was found to be unstable. Accordingly, the meteorite was possibly crystallized at 1.3 Ga under an extremely weak or absent magnetic field, or was demagnetized by impact shock at 12 Ma (ejection age) on Mars. This finding differs from the results of previous paleomagnetic studies of SNC (shergottites, nakhlites, chassignites, and orthopyroxenite) Martian meteorites. The significant dipole magnetic field resulting from the molten metallic core was probably absent during the Amazonian Epoch (after 1.8 Ga) on Mars.     

Highly depleted Hadean mantle reservoirs in the sources of early Archean arc-like rocks, Isua supracrustal belt, southern West Greenland

Growing evidence from the accessible geological record reveals that crust-mantle differentiation on Earth started as early as 4.4 Ga. In order to assess the extent of early Archean mantle depletion, we obtained ¹⁷⁶Lu-¹⁷⁶Hf, ¹⁴⁷Sm-¹⁴³Nd, and high field strength element (HFSE) concentration data for the least altered, well characterized boninite-like metabasalts and associated metasedimentary rocks from the Isua supracrustal belt (southern West Greenland). The metasediments exhibit initial εHf₍₃₇₂₀₎ values from −0.7 to +1.5 and initial εNd₍₃₇₂₀₎ values from +1.6 to +2.1. Initial εHf₍₃₇₂₀₎ values of the least altered boninite-like metabasalts span a range from +3.5 to +12.9 and initial εNd₍₃₇₂₀₎ values from −0.3 to +3.2. These initial Hf-isotope ratios display coherent trends with SiO₂, Al₂O₃/TiO₂ and other relatively immobile elements, indicating contamination via assimilation of enriched components, most likely sediments derived from the earliest crust in the region. This model is also consistent with previously reported initial γOs₍₃₇₂₀₎ values for some of the samples. In addition to the positive εHf₍₃₇₂₀₎ values, the least disturbed samples exhibit positive εNd₍₃₇₂₀₎ values and a co-variation of εHf₍₃₇₂₀₎ and εΝd₍₃₇₂₀₎ values. Based on these observations, it is argued, that the most depleted samples with initial εHf₍₃₇₂₀₎ values of up to +12.9 and high ¹⁷⁶Lu/¹⁷⁷Hf of ∼0.05 to ∼0.09 tap a highly depleted mantle source with a long term depletion history in the garnet stability field. High precision high field strength element (HFSE) data obtained for the Isua samples confirm the contamination trend. Even the most primitive samples display negative Nb-Ta anomalies and elevated Nb/Ta, indicating a subduction zone setting and overprint of the depleted mantle sources by felsic melts generated by partial melting of eclogite. Collectively, the data for boninite-like metabasalts support the presence of strongly depleted mantle reservoirs as previously inferred from Hf isotope data for Hadean zircons and combined ¹⁴²Nd-¹⁴³Nd isotope data for early Archean rocks.     

Polarization Calibration of the Solar Optical Telescope onboard Hinode

The Solar Optical Telescope (SOT) onboard Hinode aims to obtain vector magnetic fields on the Sun through precise spectropolarimetry of solar spectral lines with a spatial resolution of 0.2 – 0.3 arcsec. A photometric accuracy of 10⁻³ is achieved and, after the polarization calibration, any artificial polarization from crosstalk among Stokes parameters is required to be suppressed below the level of the statistical noise over the SOT’s field of view. This goal was achieved by the highly optimized design of the SOT as a polarimeter, extensive analyses and testing of optical elements, and an end-to-end calibration test of the entire system. In this paper we review both the approach adopted to realize the high-precision polarimeter of the SOT and its final polarization characteristics.