Ion microprobe study of intragrain micropermeability in alkali feldspars

Alkali feldspar cleavage fragments from the Klokken layered syenite, South Greenland, were heated to 700°C at 0.1 GPa in 99% H₂ ¹⁸O for 75 h. These samples were then polished and imaged by ion microprobe for ¹⁸O. The feldspars were known to contain areas of pristine, braid micro-perthite which were not turbid and areas of deuteric patch perthite which were turbid. Turbidity is related to the presence of micropores in the feldspars. On imaging the grain, it was found that the ¹⁸O had penetrated into the parts of the grain which were microporous and not into the pristine areas. Micropores are therefore responsible for rendering the feldspars permeable as well as porous. The implications of micropermeable feldspars in several areas of geology are discussed.     

Climatic forcing of carbon-oxygen isotopic covariance in temperate-region marl lakes

Carbon and oxygen stable isotopic compositions of lacustrine carbonate from a southeastern Michigan marl lake display linear covariance over a range of 4.0% Peedee belemnite (PDB) in oxygen and 3.9% (PDB) in carbon. Mechanisms of delta 13 C-delta 18 O coupling conventionally attributed to lake closure in arid-region basins are inapplicable to hydrologically open lake systems. Thus, an alternative explanation of isotopic covariance in temperate region dimictic marl lakes is required. We propose that isotopic covariance is a direct record of change in regional climate. In short-residence-time temperate-region lake basins, summer meteoric precipitation is enriched in 18O relative to winter values, and summer organic productivity enriches epilimnic dissolved inorganic carbon in 13C. Thus, climate change toward longer summers and/or shorter winters could result in greater proportions of warm-month meteoric precipitation, longer durations of warm-month productivity, and net long-term enrichment in carbonate 18O and 13C. Isotopic covariance observed in the Michigan marl lake cores is interpreted to reflect postglacial warming from 10 to 3 ka followed by cooler mean annual temperature, a shift toward greater proportions of seasonal summer precipitation, a shortening of the winter season, or some combination of these three factors.     

The formation of circular littoral cones from tube-fed pāhoehoe: Mauna Loa,Hawai'i

Pyroclastic cones along the southwest coast of Mauna Loa volcano, Hawai'i, have a common structure: (a) an early formed circular outer rim 200–400 m in diameter composed mostly of scoria and lapilli, and (b) one or more later-formed inner rims composed almost exclusively of dense spatter. The spatter activity locally fed short lava flows that ponded within the outer rims. Based on various lines of evidence, these cones are littoral in origin: relationships between the cones and associated flows; the degassed nature of the pyroclasts; and (although not unequivocal) the position of the cones relative to known eruptive vent locations on Mauna Loa. Additional support for the littoral interpretation comes from their similarity to (smaller) littoral cones that have been observed forming during the ongoing Kilauea eruption. The structure of these Mauna Loa cones, however, contrasts with that of standard Hawaiian littoral cones in that there is (or once was) a complete circle of pyroclastic deposits. Furthermore, they are large even though associated with tubefed phoehoe flows instead of 'a'. The following origin is proposed: An initial flow of tube-fed phoehoe into the ocean built a lava delta with a base of hyaloclastite. Collapse of an inland portion of the active tube into the underlying wet hyaloclastites or a water-filled void allowed sufficient mixing of water and liquid lava to generate strong explosions. These explosions broke through the top of the flow and built up the outer scoria/lapilli rims on the solid carapace of the lava delta. Eventually, the supply of water diminished, the explosions declined in intensity to spattering, and the initial rim was filled with spatter and lava.     

Follow-up observations of β-pic-like stars

Following the discovery, by IRAS, of the dust disc around Vega and three other main sequence stars, searches have been made for other candidates. The-Pic-like candidates have 12µm excesses and 100µm fluxes (unlike the Vega-like candidates), so they can be further investigated using ground-based techniques. Data are presented here, comprising 10µm spectroscopy and sub-mm observations, for several candidates from the Walker & Wolstencroft list, showing that the stars have silicate dust, and optically thick dust discs even at 1300µm.     

Air density at heights near 200 km from the orbit of 1969-20B

The rocket of Cosmos 268, 1969-20B, entered orbit on 5 March 1969, with an initial perigee height of 230 km and inclination of 48.40°. Accurate orbits were computed at RAE from all available observations. Using the values of perigee height from the RAE orbit and decay rates from Spacetrack bulletins, 103 values of density have been calculated between July 1969 and February 1970. On three occasions when geomagnetic activity was strong there were sudden increases in density. When the density was corrected to a fixed height, the semi-annual variation was apparent. There was a strong minimum in July 1969, a maximum in October–November 1969 and a weak minimum in January 1970.     

A comparison of the incidence of five pathological conditions in soft-shell clams, Mya arenaria, from environments with various pollution histories

The distribution of the occurrences and co-occurrences of five pathological conditions in samples of the soft-shell clam, Mya arenaria, from 17 locations on the east coast of the United States were compared by two different analytical techniques. 1. The relative fit of Poisson and Lagrange-Poisson distributions to the data were related to the mortality rate and spread of the pathological conditions. 2. A severity index based on a matrix of occurrences and co-occurrences, and the analysis of its eigenvectors were used to measure and to characterise the severity of the spread. These two techniques were compared with the help of a cluster analysis and discussed in the context of the pollution history of the seventeen locations studied. Although causal inferences cannot be drawn, the analyses suggested that crude oils and heavy metals had less effect on the incidence of hyperplasia and neoplasia than more refined petrochemicals. However, neoplasia was found in both clean and polluted environments.