Early Permian extensional shearing of an Ordovician granite: The Saint-Eutrope “C/S-like” orthogneiss (Montagne Noire,French Massif Central)

Dating the magmatic events in the Montagne Noire gneiss dome is a key point to arbitrate between the different interpretations of the Late Carboniferous–Early Permian tectonics in this southern part of the Variscan belt. The Saint-Eutrope orthogneiss crops out along the northern flank of the dome. We show that the protolith of this orthogneiss is an Ordovician granite dated at 455 ± 2 Ma (LA-ICP-MS U-Pb dating on zircon). This age is identical to that previously obtained on the augen orthogneiss of the southern flank, strongly suggesting that both orthogneiss occurrences have the same Ordovician protolith. The Saint-Eutrope orthogneiss experienced intense shearing along the Espinouse extensional detachment at ca. 295 Ma (LA-ICP-MS U-Pb-Th on monazite), an age close to that determined previously on mica by the ³⁹Ar-⁴⁰Ar method and contemporaneous with the emplacement age of the syntectonic Montalet granite farther to the west. This normal sense shearing reworked previous fabrics related to Variscan thrusting that can be still observed in the augen orthogneiss of the southern flank, and is responsible for the spectacular “C/S-like” pattern of the Saint-Eutrope orthogneiss. This work also shows that care is needed when dealing with C/S-type structures, since they can develop not only in syntectonic intrusions, but also in orthogneisses affected by an intense secondary deformation, at decreasing temperature.     

Seasonal changes in zooplanktonic alkaline phosphatase activity in Toulon Bay (France): the role of Cypris larvae

We studied zooplankton contribution to the total particulate phosphatase activity, the kinetics of this activity, the relation to the different taxonomic groups and the role of particle-bound bacteria. The activity of total particulate material collected from a liter of seawater was more elevated in May, June and August than during the rest of the year. These high activities resulted from a high contribution of the >90 microm fraction which account then for more than 60% of the total particulate activity. Two Michaelian processes with high and low V(max) were disclosed on this fraction. The high V(max) component was responsible for the high summer activities. During these periods, high densities of cirriped Cypris were found which were statistically correlated with this high V(max) component as with its specific activity. Moreover, the contribution of attached bacteria to these high activities was low. In return, this contribution was predominant during the periods of low activity. A simple method was developed to characterise this bacterial activity.     

Estimating the error in vertically interpolated forecast‐observation differences: U‐ and v‐wind components

Abstract

Data assimilation in numerical weather forecasting corrects current forecast values by subtracting a portion of interpolated forecast‐minus‐observation differences at the points of a three‐dimensional grid. Deviations used in updating a forecast data field are forecast errors obtained or derived from observations available at update time. When observations are missing at mandatory levels, construction of full vertical soundings by interpolation introduces extraneous errors. The present paper is concerned with determination of the error in vertical extrapolations of surface winds, and of aircraft and satellite cloud‐tracked winds. In addition it examines the effect on accuracy of using location‐specific statistics compared to averaged statistics as the basis for the interpolation weighting scheme and compares errors of one‐ and two‐variable interpolations.

Interpolation accuracy tests demonstrate the influence of the interpolation scheme on the quality of interpolated information used in forecast updating. The results show that the level of accuracy exceeds the benchmark provided by monthly mean forecast error values only with bivariate interpolation of wind components from off‐level data sources.     

Aspects of the cycle of inorganic nitrogen compounds in the tropical rain forest of the Ivory Coast

A partial balance of mineral N is given for the basins of two coastal rivers in a forest zone in the Ivory Coast. The dry and wet depositions on the basin surfaces is given for particulate matter (NO₃ ^–, NH₄ ⁺). The quantity of mineral N washed away in the rivers is evaluated. The losses from leaching of the soils by rainwater are about 0.33 to 1.0% of the atmospheric depositions for NH₄ ⁺–N and 2.2 to 5.8% for NO₃ ^––N. The yearly atmospheric input of N compounds to the ecosystem, about 1.4 g N m^–2 y^–1, is at least 14% of mineral N formed in the soils and is therefore quite significant.     

Carboxylic monoacids in the air of mayombe forest (Congo): Role of the forest as a source or sink

In the tropical rain forests of the Congo during the dry season, from June to September 1987, carboxylic acid partial pressures (P _gas) in the air above the canopy, at ground level, and at the boundary layer, were estimated from water samples such as fog and rainwater. The concentrations of these acids were also measured in the sap of tree leaves. Tree leaves act as a sink or as a source if the acid P _gas is greater of lower than the acid concentrations in molecular form in sap. For each of these soluble gases, there is a value of P _gas where the exchange is nul. This is called the compensation point. Values of the compensation point for some tree leaves were evaluated according to Henry's law. Henry's law coefficients at ppm levels were redetermined for formic (HCOOH), acetic (CH₃COOH), propionic (CH₃CH₂COOH), and isobutyric (CH₃CH(CH₃)COOH) acids.By comparison of P _gas and compensation points, it is concluded that the forest was a potential source for these acids. The soil-or the litter-acts as a significant source of a carboxylic acid of C₃ or C₄ atoms in the aliphatic chain. This carboxylic acid, not yet fully characterized, could play an important role in the rain acidity in forested zones of the equatorial areas.The direct emission of these carboxylic acids by vegetation was the main source in the boundary layer above the forest. The average emissions were 3.1×10⁹, 7.8×10⁹, and 8.4×10⁹ molecules cm^-2 s^-1 for HCOOH, CH₃COOH, and CH₃CH₂COOH, respectively. The savanna is an exogenous source of HCOOH and CH₃CH₂COOH during moderately rainy days for 30% of the time. The ozonolysis of isoprene seems to be a small source of HCOOH.     

The African rain forest vegetation and palaeoenvironments during late quaternary

This review paper presents first the main pollen results on the vegetation history of the rain forest during the late Quaternary.- The Lake Bosumtwi record (Ghana) shows the disappearance of rain forest from the base of the core (ca. 28 000 yr BP) to ca. 9000 yr BP. During this time interval the vegetation was of montane type with sparse clumps of trees. There is synchronism between montane vegetation disappearance and rain forest reappearance. This phenomenon occurred abruptly around 9000 yr BP.- The Lake Barombi Mbo record (West Cameroon) shows clearly that from ca. 24 000 yr BP until the present time, rain forest persisted with limited variations, and thus, this area represents a refuge area.From these data and other, one concludes that Afromontane vegetation extended to lowland during cool and humid phases.Other palaeoenvironmental data were obtained by diverse geological analyses of the lacustrine sediments. For Bosumtwi, the relatively precise reconstruction of lake-level fluctuations permitted several palaeoclimatic interpretations for the main Holocene phases.For Barombi Mbo, the evolution of total organic carbon (TOC) and total nitrogen (TON) seems to be related mainly to temperature evolution. By comparison with present-day mountain environments, TOC and TON increase in cool environments, but decrease when warmth and humidity increase, as during Holocene time, because the recycling processes speed up in the topsoil. For the same period the alteration of the soils in the catchment produced a strong increase of kaolinite. All these change intervened ca. 9500 yr BP, which is a key date in tropical Africa.In conclusion, climatic correlations between equatorial and dry north tropical Africa illustrate how changes in the forest block must have important effects on adjacent climatic zones.     

Ice core evidence for secular variability and 200-year dipolar oscillations in atmospheric circulation over East Antarctica during the Holocene

Two Holocene ice core records from East Antarctica (Vostok and EPICA-Dome C) were analysed for dust concentration and size distribution at a temporal resolution of 1 sample per ~50 years. A series of volcanic markers randomly distributed over the common part of the ice cores (from 9.8 to 3.5 kyear BP) ensures accurate relative dating (±33 years). Dust-size records from the two sites display oscillations structured in cycles with sub-millennial and secular scale frequencies that are apparently asynchronous. The power spectra of the composite sum (Σ) of the two dust-size records display spectral energy mostly for 150- to 500-year periodicities. On the other hand, the 200-year band is common to both records and the 200 year components of the two sites are out-of-phase (100-year lead or lag) over ~5.5 kyear, a phenomenon also reflected by a significant (>99% conf. lev.) band in the power spectra of the composite difference (Δ) of the two size records. During long-range transport, mineral dust originating from the Southern Hemisphere continents is graded to a variable extent depending on the altitude and duration of atmospheric transport. Relatively coarse dust is associated with air mass penetration from the middle–lower troposphere and conversely relatively fine dust with upper troposphere air masses or the influence of subsidence over the Antarctic plateau, a hypothesis already proposed for the changes that occurred during the Last Glacial Maximum to Holocene transition (Delmonte et al. 2004b). Moreover, we assume that the overall fluctuation of air mass advection over Antarctica depends on the meridional pressure gradient with respect to low latitudes, i.e. the Antarctic Oscillation (AAO). We therefore suggest a regional variability in atmospheric circulation over East Antarctica. The 150–500 year power spectrum of the composite (Σ) parameter represents the long term variability of the AAO, imprinted by secular internal oscillations probably related to the southern ocean-climatic system. On the other hand, the Δ dust composite parameter suggests a persistent atmospheric dipole over East Antarctica delivering coarser (finer) dust particles alternatively to Vostok and Dome C regions with a bi-centennial periodicity. Indeed, a seesaw phenomenon in dust size distribution was already observed at three East Antarctic sites during the last deglaciation (Delmonte et al. 2004b) and was interpreted as a progressive reduction of the eccentricity of the polar vortex with respect to the geographic south pole. Interestingly, the Δ parameter shows a pronounced 200-year oscillation mode, throwing new light on the unresolved question of a possible relationship between climate and solar activity.     

根据天气类型划分欧洲中期天气预报中心的集合预报产品

该研究的主要目的是找出一种对集合预报产品进行释用的新方法。其基本假定是集合预报要素在一定程度上代表了未来可能发生的天气形势。为了解决天气尺度在中期预报的不可预报性问题 ,引入了天气类型的概念。对集合预报进行划分的方法是 Diday提出的动力模糊法 ,初始划分时的重心由天气类型定义 ,划分用到的距离是位移和最大相关方法。根据城市块 (City- Block)距离找出了影响中国的按冬夏两季划分的天气类型 ,初步划分结果表明 ,欧洲中期天气预报中心的集合预报系统可以预报出横槽转竖型天气类型的演变情况 ,在夏天的预报效果则没有冬天好。