Identification of the Ca-sulfate bassanite in Mawrth Vallis, Mars

The region surrounding the Mawrth Vallis outflow channel on Mars hosts thick layered deposits containing diverse phyllosilicate minerals. Here we report detection of the Ca-sulfate bassanite on the outflow channel floor, requiring a more complex aqueous chemistry than previously inferred for this region. The sulfate-bearing materials underlie phyllosilicate-bearing strata, and provide an opportunity for testing proposed models of martian geochemical evolution with a future landed mission.     

Point pattern analysis of north polar crescentic dunes, Mars: A geography of dune self-organization

The geographic signature of dune distribution and self-organization as measured by the R-statistic offers a viewpoint on the geography of crescentic eolian systems and proposes an index from which to determine the degree of self-organization across a variety of spatial scales. Fields of simple dunes (dome, barchan, barchan-seif) are comparatively less regular in distribution than are those fields, or part thereof, that consist of compound (barchanoid) morphologies whose patterns are more highly regular.     

Observations of photometric profiles of two planetary nebulae

It is noted that the Abel integral of a Gaussian function is a Gaussian function. This special property is used in order to develop an analytic method for studying photometric profile in Planetary Nebulae. Monochromatic observations have been made at the Haute-Provence Observatory using the RCA-CCD (320×512 pixels) mounted at theF/6 Newtonian focus of the 1.2 m telescope. Among the observed nebulae, two of them (NGC 6778 and NGC 7354) are regular enough to test the photometric profile method. The nebular emissivity per volume unit is then obtained for H⁺ and O⁺⁺ ions.     

Rapid magmatic processes accompany arc–continent collision: the Western Bismarck arc, Papua New Guinea

New U–Th–Ra, major and trace element, and Sr–Nd–Pb isotope data are presented for young lavas from the New Britain and Western Bismarck arcs in Papua New Guinea. New Britain is an oceanic arc, whereas the latter is the site of an arc–continent collision. Building on a recent study of the Manus Basin, contrasts between the two arcs are used to evaluate the processes and timescales of magma generation accompanying arc–continent collision and possible slab detachment. All three suites share many attributes characteristic of arc lavas that can be ascribed to the addition of a regionally uniform subduction component derived from the subducting altered oceanic crust and sediment followed by dynamic melting of the modified mantle. However, the Western Bismarck arc lavas diverge from the Pb isotope mixing array formed by the New Britain and the Manus Basin lavas toward elevated ²⁰⁸Pb/²⁰⁴Pb. We interpret this to reflect a second and subsequent addition of sediment melt at crustal depth during collision. ²³⁸U and ²²⁶Ra excesses are preserved in all of the lavas and are greatest in the Western Bismarck arc. High-Mg andesites with high Sr/Y ratios in the westernmost arc are attributed to recent shallow mantle flux melting at the slab edge. Data for two historical rhyolites are also presented. Although these rhyolites formed in quite different tectonic settings and display different geochemical and isotopic compositions, both formed from mafic parents within millennia.     

Spatial and temporal dynamics of nitrogen exchange in an upwelling reach of a groundwater-fed river and potential response to perturbations changing rainfall patterns under UK climate change scenarios

We report the complex spatial and temporal dynamics of hyporheic exchange flows (HEFs) and nitrogen exchange in an upwelling reach of a 200 m groundwater-fed river. We show how research combining hydrological measurement, geophysics and isotopes, together with nutrient speciation techniques provides insight on nitrogen pathways and transformations that could not have been captured otherwise, including a zone of vertical preferential discharge of nitrate from deeper groundwater, and a zone of rapid denitrification linking the floodplain with the riverbed. Nitrate attenuation in the reach is dominated by denitrification but is spatially highly variable. This variability is driven by groundwater flow pathways and landscape setting, which influences hyporheic flow, residence time and nitrate removal. We observed the spatial connectivity of the river to the riparian zone is important because zones of horizontal preferential discharge supply organic matter from the floodplain and create anoxic riverbed conditions with overlapping zones of nitrification potential and denitrification activity that peaked 10–20 cm below the riverbed. Our data also show that temporal variability in water pathways in the reach is driven by changes in stage of the order of tens of centimetres and by strength of water flux, which may influence the depth of delivery of dissolved organic carbon. The temporal variability is sensitive to changes to river flows under UK climate projections that anticipate a 14%–15% increase in regional median winter rainfall and a 14%–19% reduction in summer rainfall. Superimposed on seasonal projections is more intensive storm activity that will likely lead to a more dynamic and inherently complex (hydrologically and biogeochemically) hyporheic zone. We recorded direct evidence of suppression of upwelling groundwater (flow reversal) during rainfall events. Such flow reversal may fuel riverbed sediments whereby delivery of organic carbon to depth, and higher denitrification rates in HEFs might act in concert to make nitrate removal in the riverbed more efficient.     

Phytoplankton composition and biomass across the southern Indian Ocean

Phytoplankton composition and biomass was investigated across the southern Indian Ocean. Phytoplankton composition was determined from pigment analysis with subsequent calculations of group contributions to total chlorophyll a (Chl a) using CHEMTAX and, in addition, by examination in the microscope. The different plankton communities detected reflected the different water masses along a transect from Cape Town, South Africa, to Broome, Australia. The first station was influenced by the Agulhas Current with a very deep mixed surface layer. Based on pigment analysis this station was dominated by haptophytes, pelagophytes, cyanobacteria, and prasinophytes. Sub-Antarctic waters of the Southern Ocean were encountered at the next station, where new nutrients were intruded to the surface layer and the total Chl a concentration reached high concentrations of 1.7 ??g Chl a L⁻¹ with increased proportions of diatoms and dinoflagellates. The third station was also influenced by Southern Ocean waters, but located in a transition area on the boundary to subtropical water. Prochlorophytes appeared in the samples and Chl a was low, i.e., 0.3 ??g L⁻¹ in the surface with prevalence of haptophytes, pelagophytes, and cyanobacteria. The next two stations were located in the subtropical gyre with little mixing and general oligotrophic conditions where prochlorophytes, haptophytes and pelagophytes dominated. The last two stations were located in tropical waters influenced by down-welling of the Leeuwin Current and particularly prochlorophytes dominated at these two stations, but also pelagophytes, haptophytes and cyanobacteria were abundant. Haptophytes Type 6 (sensuZapata et al., 2004), most likely Emiliania huxleyi, and pelagophytes were the dominating eucaryotes in the southern Indian Ocean. Prochlorophytes dominated in the subtrophic and oligotrophic eastern Indian Ocean where Chl a was low, i.e., 0.043-0.086 ??g total Chl a L⁻¹ in the surface, and up to 0.4 ??g Chl a L⁻¹ at deep Chl a maximum. From the pigment analyses it was found that the dinoflagellates of unknown trophy enumerated in the microscope at the oligotrophic stations were possibly heterotrophic or mixotrophic. Presence of zeaxanthin containing heterotrophic bacteria may have increased the abundance of cyanobacteria determined by CHEMTAX.     

Loi de titius-bode et formalisme ondulatoire

Several authors (Basano and Hughes, 1979; ter Haar and Cameron, 1963, Dermott, 1968; Prentice, 1976) give the revised Titius-Bode law in the form $$r_n = r_o C^n ,$$ wherer _n stands for the distance of thenth planet from the Sun;r _o andC are constant. They pointed out, in addition, that regular satellites systems around major planets obey also that law. It is now generally thought that the Kant-laplace primeval nebula accounts for the origin and evolution of the solar system (Reeves, 1976). Furthermore, it is shown (Prentice, 1976) that rings, which obey the Titius-Bode law, are formed through successive contractions of the solar nebula. Among difficulties encountered by Prentice's theory, the formation of regular satellites similar to the planatery system is the most important one. Indeed, the starting point of the planetary system is a rotating flattened circular solar nebula, whereas a gaseous ring must be the starting point of satellites systems. As far as the Titius-Bode law is concerned, we have the feeling that orbits of planets around the Sun and of satellites around their primaries do not depend on starting conditions. That law must be inherent to gravitation, in the same manner that electron orbits depend only on the atomic law instead of the starting conditions under which an electron is captured. If it is correct, then one may expect to formulate similarity between the T-B law and the Bohr law in the early quantum theory. Such a similarity is found (Louise, 1982) by using a postulate similar to the Bohr-Sommerfeld one — i.e., $$\int_{r_o }^{r_n } {U(r) dr = nk,}$$ whereU(r)=GM _⊙ /r is the potential created by the Sun,k is a constant, andn a positive integer. This similarity suggests the existence of an unknown were process in the solar system. The aim of the present paper is to investigate the possibility of such a process. The first approach is to study a steady wave encountered in special membrane, showing node rings similar to the Prentice's rings (1976) which obey the T-B law. In the second part, we try to apply the now classical Lindblad-Lin density wave theory of spiral galaxies to the solar nebula case. This theory was developed since 1940 (Lindblad, 1974) in order to account for the persistence of spiral structure of galaxies (Lin and Shu, 1964; Lin, 1966; Linet al., 1969; Contopoulos, 1973). Its basic assumption concerns the potential functionU expressed in the form $$U = U_0 + \tilde U,$$ whereU _o stands for the background axisymmetric potential due to the disc population, and ?«U _o is responsible of spiral density wave. Then, the corresponding mass-density distribution is \(\rho = \rho _o + \tilde \rho\) , with \(\tilde \rho \ll \rho _o\) . Both quantities ? and \(\tilde \rho\) must satisfy the Poisson's equation $$\nabla ^2 \tilde U + 4\pi G\tilde \rho = 0.$$ It is shown by direct observations that most spiral arms fit well with a logarithmic spiral curve (Danver, 1942; Considère, 1980; Mulliard mand Marcelin, 1981). From the physical point of view, they are represented by maxima of ? (or \(\tilde \rho\) ) which is of the form $$\tilde U = cte cos (q log_e r - m\theta ),$$ wherem is an integer (number of arms),q=cte, andr and θ are polar coordinates. The distancer is expressed in an arbitrary unit (r=d/d_o). In the case of an axisymmetric solar nebula (m=0), successive maxima of \(\tilde U\) are rings showing similar T-B law $$d = d_o C^n ,$$ withC=e ^{2 π/q} constant, andn is a positive integer. It is noted, in addition, that the steady wave equation within the special membrane quoted above and the new expression of the Poisson's equation derived from (5) are quite similar and expressed in the form $$\nabla ^2 \tilde U + cte\tilde U/r^2 = 0.$$ This suggests that both spiral structure of galaxies and Prentice's rings system result from a wave process which is investigated in the last section. From Equation (2) it is possible to derive the wavelength of the assumed wave ‘χ’, by using a procedure similar to the one by L. De Broglie (1923). The velocity of the wave ‘χ’ process is discussed in two cases. Both cases lead to a similar Planck's relation (E=hv).     

Use of Sonication for Enhanced Sampling of Attached Microbes from Groundwater Systems

The vast majority of microorganisms in aquifers live as biofilms on sediment surfaces, which presents significant challenges for sampling as only the suspended microbes will be sampled through normal pumping. The use of a down-well low frequency sonicator has been suggested as a method of detaching microbes from the biofilm and allowing rapid sampling of this community. We developed a portable, easy to use, low-frequency electric sonicator and evaluated its performance for a range of well depths (tested up to 42 m below ground level) and casing types. Three sonicators were characterized in laboratory experiments using a 1 m long tank filled with pea gravel. These included a commercially available pneumatic sonicator, a rotating flexible shaft sonicator, and the prototype electric sonicator. The electric sonicator detached between 56 and 74% of microbes grown on gravel-containing biobags at distances ranging between 2 and 50 cm from the sonicator. The field testing comprises of a total of 55 sampling events from 48 wells located in 4 regions throughout New Zealand. Pre- and post-sonication samples showed an average 33 times increase in bacterial counts. Microbial sequence data showed that the same classes are present in pre- and post-sonicated samples and only slight differences were seen in the proportions present. The sampling process was rapid and the significant increases in bacterial counts mean that microbial samples can be quickly obtained from wells, which permits more detailed analysis than previously possible.     

What causes solar active region loops to exist at transition region temperatures?

High-lying, dynamic loops have been observed at transition region temperatures since Skylab observations. The nature of these loops has been debated for many years with several explanations having been put forward. These include that the loops are merely cooling from hotter coronal loops, that they are produced from siphon flows, or that they are loops heated only to transition region temperatures. In this paper we will make use of combined SOHO-MDI (Michelson-Doppler Imager), SOHO-CDS (Coronal Diagnostic Spectrometer) and Yohkoh SXT (Soft X-ray Telescope) datasets in order to determine whether the appearance of transition region loops is related to small-scale flaring in the corona, and to estimate the magnetic configuration of the loops. The latter allows us to determine the direction of plasma flows in the transition region loops. We find that the appearance of the transition region loops is often related to small-scale flaring in the corona and in this case the transition region loops appear to be cooling with material draining down from the loop top.