Review paper: What Kelvin might have written about Elasticity

One hundred and fifty five years ago, Kelvin published the first part of a fundamental analysis of the elastic tensor, in which he proposed a coordinate‐free representation through its eigensystem. His thoughts were apparently far ahead of his time, since it took 125 years before the paper elicited a positive reaction (it is now accessible through several modern reviews). Science not only lost track for 125 years of the original paper but also lost the ideas Kelvin might have proposed in the second part, a publication that was never put to paper, presumably in view of the lack of appreciation of the first part. In an attempt to establish what might have been on Kelvin's mind for a second part, one has to ‘forget’ the progress of mathematical physics in the intervening time and base all arguments strictly on the content of the first part and on the state of science in the second half of the 19^thcentury. The theory of elasticity would certainly have developed faster, had Kelvin's paper peen appreciated by his ‘peers’. But a theory based on Kelvin's ideas would be fruitful even today.     

The spatial variability of Amazonian soils under natural forest and pasture

Spatial variability of physical and chemical properties in Amazonian soils is evaluated on sites of natural rain forest and pastures of different age in the Amazon region. The sampling scheme was regionalized using transects of fifty points 3 m apart each. Variables analysed were: soil bulk density; resistance to penetration; soil water content; available water; pH and extractable ions such as Ca, K, Al, P and Zn. Geostatistical analyses show that most variables are space independent for the 3 m spacing used. Variances indicate a much lower variability of the measured properties in the forest as compared to pastures.     

The genesis of the methane in Lake Kivu (Central Africa)

Large amounts of methane and carbon dioxide, among other gases, are dissolved in the deep water of Lake Kivu. There is no dispute about the primarily magmatic origin of the carbon dioxide, but models of the genesis of the methane have been contradictory up to now. They have been based on too few and partly too inaccurate data.On the basis of new measurements obtained from gas and sediment samples, some of the old concepts have been further developed to a new model. According to this model, the methane is generated mainly by bacteria from the organic carbon of the sediment. It probably also contains minor amounts of thermocatalytic methane.About 70% of the organic carbon of the upper sediment is derived from mainly magmatic carbon dioxide (old carbon), which enters the biozone of the lake from the deep water by eddy diffusion and is assimilated there. The remaining 30% comes from atmospheric carbon dioxide (young carbon) assimilated in the biozone. But because methane also migrates into the lake from deeper sediment, the¹⁴C-content in the methane dissolved in the lake water is not 30% modern but only ca. 10% modern.More isotopic measurements on plankton, methane, carbon dioxide and sediment samples are necessary to support this model.

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Zusammenfassung Im Tiefenwasser des Kivusees sind u. a. große Mengen an Methan und Kohlendioxid gelöst. Während über den hauptsächlich magmatischen Ursprung des Kohlendioxids weitgehend Einigkeit besteht, sind die bisherigen Modellvorstellungen zur Genese des Methans widersprüchlich. Sie beruhen auf zu wenigen und zum Teil zu ungenauen Meß-daten.Mit Hilfe neuer Meßergebnisse an Gas- und Sedimentproben des Kivusees wurden einige der alten Vorstellungen zu einem neuen Modell weiterentwickelt. Danach ist das Methan hauptsächlich bakteriell aus dem organischen Kohlenstoff des Sediments entstanden. Wahrscheinlich enthält es auch geringe Beimengungen thermokatalytischen Methans.Der organische Kohlenstoff des oberen Sediments stammt zu rd. 70% aus dem vorwiegend magmatischen Kohlendioxid (alter Kohlenstoff), das aus dem Tiefenwasser durch turbulenten Austausch in die Biozone des Sees gelangt und dort assimiliert wird. Die restlichen 30% stammen aus dem in der Biozone assimilierten atmosphärischen Kohlendioxid (junger Kohlenstoff). Weil jedoch auch Methan aus tieferen Sedimentschichten in den See wandert, beträgt der¹⁴C-Gehalt des im Seewasser gelösten Methans nicht 30% modern, sondern nur ca. 10% modern.Weitere Isotopenuntersuchungen an Plankton-, Methan-, Kohlendioxid- und Sedimentproben sind notwendig, um das Modell abzusichern.

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Résumé De grandes quantités de méthane et d'oxyde carbonique sont dissoutes dans les eaux profondes du Lac Kicu. Alors qu'on est en général d'accord sur l'origine surtout magmatique de l'oxyde carbonique, les modèles devant représenter la genése du méthane sont contradictoires. Ils reposent sur des données trop peu nombreuses et en partie trop inexactes.A l'aide de nouveaux résultats de mesures faites sur des échantillons de gaz et du sédiment, on a développé un nouveau modèle, à partir des anciennes représentations. D'après celui-ci, le méthane provient pour sa plus grande part du carbone organique du sédiment, transformé par des bactéries. Il contient probablement des traces d'un méthane de thermocatalyse.Le carbone organique du sédiment supérieur provient pour 70% de l'oxyde carbonique surtout magmatique (carbone »ancien«), des eaux profondes parvenu, par échanges turbulents, dans la biozone du lac, où l'oxyde carbonique est assimilé. Les 30% restant proviennent de l'oxyde carbonique atmosphérique (carbone »jeune«) assimilé dans la biozone. Le méthane des couches profondes du sédiment migrant dans le lac, la teneur en¹⁴C de méthane dissous dans les eaux du lac n'est pas de 30% modernes, mais de 10% modernes.D'autres recherches sur les isotopes d'échantillons du plancton, du méthane, de l'oxyde carbonique et du sédiment du Lac Kivu seront nécessaires pour confirmer ce modéle.

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The Chassigny meteorite: a cumulate dunite with hydrous amphibole-bearing melt inclusions

The Chassigny meteorite is a moderately shocked olivine achondrite or chassignite with features indicative of a cumulate origin with some subsolidus annealing. Chassigny is an iron-rich dunite (Fo₆₈) with minor amounts of Ca-rich and Ca-poor pyroxene, alkalic feldspar, chromite, and melt inclusions in olivine. Accessory phases include chlorapatite, troilite, marcasite, kaersutite amphibole, pentlandite, ilmenite, rutile and baddeleyite. The meteorite experienced shock pressures of ~150–200 kbar as evidenced by planar and irregular fractures in olivine, local recrystallization in pyroxene and reduced birefringence and rare deformation lamallae in feldspar. Kaersutitic amphibole (K_0.05 Na_0.45)_0.50 (Ca_1.71 Na_0.29)_2.00 (Mg_2.73 ‘Fe’_1.19 Ti_0.73 A1_0.23 Cr_0.08 Mn_0.03)_4.99 (Si_6.05Al_1.95)_8.00 O₂₂ (OH, F)₂ containing hydrogen and lesser amounts of fluorine represents the first extraterrestrial occurrence of hydrous amphibole and the first meteoritic amphibole type other than fluorichterite. Kaersutite is found only in melt inclusions.Melt inclusion bulk compositional data suggest crystallization from a low-Ca melt that may have been similar in major element abundances to the silicate portion of LL group chondrites. However, Chassigny has a fractionated pattern for REE and the lack of metallic iron, possible presence of minor Ni in the olivine and Fe³⁺ in the chromites indicates that Chassigny formed under relatively more oxidizing conditions than most other achondrites. Therefore its parental melt could not have been directly derived from a chondritic composition in a simple single-stage process. The iron-rich bulk composition, cumulate texture and abundance as well as alkalic nature of the interstitial feldspar indicate that Chassigny could not have generated eucritic magmas. This places further constraints on its relationship to other meteorites and the parent body from which it is derived. The Brachina meteorite is similar to Chassigny except that it is finer grained, more feldspathic and is unshocked. It extends the fractionation range of this group which now represents two unusual meteorites.     

Effects of climate and density-dependent factors on population dynamics of the pine processionary moth in the Southern Alps

Forest pest populations can fluctuate dramatically in relation to climate and density-dependent factors. Although the distributional range of the pine processionary moth Thaumetopoea pityocampa (Lepidoptera Notodontidae) appears to be expanding northward and upslope with climate warming, the relative importance of climate and endogenous, density-dependent factors has not been clearly documented. We analyzed the population dynamics of the moth using long-term data from two provinces in the Southern Alps (Trento: 1990–2009, Bolzano/Bozen: 1975–2011) to evaluate the relative importance of climate and density-dependent factors as regional drivers. Both summer temperatures and rainfall significantly affected population growth rate, with different outcomes depending on the local conditions. Although previous studies indicated that low winter temperatures have negative effects on insect performance, our analyses did not show any negative effect on the population dynamics. A negative density dependent feedback with a 1-year lag emerged as the most important factor driving the population dynamics in both regions. Potential mechanisms explaining the observed negative density feedback include deterioration of host quality, increased mortality caused by pathogens, and increase of prolonged diapause as an adaptive mechanism to escape adverse conditions.     

Multi-stage Ag–Bi–Co–Ni–U and Cu–Bi vein mineralization at Wittichen,Schwarzwald, SW Germany: geological setting,ore mineralogy,and fluid evolution

The Wittichen Co–Ag–Bi–U mining area (Schwarzwald ore district, SW Germany) hosts several unconformity-related vein-type mineralizations within Variscan leucogranite and Permian to Triassic redbeds. The multistage mineralization formed at the intersection of two fault systems in the last 250 Ma. A Permo-Triassic ore stage I with minor U–Bi–quartz–fluorite mineralization is followed by a Jurassic to Cretaceous ore stage II with the main Ag and Co mineralization consisting of several generations of gangue minerals that host the sub-stages of U–Bi, Bi–Ag, Ni–As–Bi and Co–As–Bi. Important ore minerals are native elements, Co and Ni arsenides, and pitchblende; sulphides are absent. The Miocene ore stage III comprises barite with the Cu–Bi sulfosalts emplectite, wittichenite and aikinite, and the sulphides anilite and djurleite besides native Bi, chalcopyrite, sphalerite, galena and tennantite. The mineral-forming fluid system changed from low salinity (<5 wt.% NaCl) at high temperature (around 300°C) in Permian to highly saline (around 25 wt.% NaCl + CaCl₂) at lower temperatures (50–150°C) in Triassic to Cretaceous times. Thermodynamic calculations and comparison with similar mineralizations worldwide show that the Mesozoic ore-forming fluid was alkaline with redox conditions above the hematite–magnetite buffer. We suggest that the precipitation mechanism for native elements, pitchblende and arsenides is a decrease in pH during fluid mixing processes. REE patterns in fluorite and the occurrence of Bi in all stages suggest a granitic source of some ore-forming elements, whereas, e.g. Ag, Co and Ni probably have been leached from the redbeds. The greater importance of Cu and isotope data indicates that the Miocene ore stage III is more influenced by fluids from the overlying redbeds and limestones than the earlier mineralization stages.