Asteroid spectroscopy: Progress and perspectives

Abstract The following discussion is divided into seven major sections. The first section outlines the scientific background and justification for asteroid studies in the context of understanding the formation and early evolution of the solar system. The second section briefly reviews the nature and distribution of the asteroid population. The third section discusses several major unresolved issues in asteroid and meteorite science which can potentially be addressed by asteroid remote sensing investigations. The fourth section outlines the nature and definition of the asteroid taxonomic classes. The fifth section summarizes the existing asteroidal spectral (and other remote sensing) data sets which are used to determine compositions and the techniques employed in the interpretation of such data. The sixth section explores the compositional meaning and diversity of these taxonomic classes and suggests meteoritic analogues for the taxonomic types. The seventh section describes the conclusions—or preliminary results—of several recent asteroid investigations which have focused on particular unsolved issues of the asteroid-meteorite relationship and of the early solar system properties. The final section discusses the overall conclusions and future directions.     

Zur Frage der Orlauer Störung im oberschlesischen Steinkohlenbezirk

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

‘PALEOVAN’, International Continental Scientific Drilling Program (ICDP): site survey results and perspectives

Lake Van is the fourth largest terminal lake in the world (volume 607 km³, area 3570 km², maximum depth 460 m), extending for 130 km WSW–ENE on the Eastern Anatolian High Plateau, Turkey. The sedimentary record of Lake Van, partly laminated, has the potential to obtain a long and continuous continental sequence that covers several glacial–interglacial cycles (ca 500 kyr). Therefore, Lake Van is a key site within the International Continental Scientific Drilling Program (ICDP) for the investigation of the Quaternary climate evolution in the Near East (‘PALEOVAN’). As preparation for an ICDP drilling campaign, a site survey was carried out during the past years. We collected 50 seismic profiles with a total length of ～850 km to identify continuous undisturbed sedimentary sequences for potential ICDP locations. Based on the seismic results, we cored 10 different locations to water depths of up to 420 m. Multidisciplinary scientific work at positions of a proposed ICDP drill site included measurements of magnetic susceptibility, physical properties, stable isotopes, XRF scans, and pollen and spores. This core extends back to the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), a more extended record than all the other Lake Van cores obtained to date. Both coring and seismic data do not show any indication that the deepest part of the lake (Tatvan Basin, Ahlat Ridge) was dry or almost dry during past times. These results show potential for obtaining a continuous undisturbed, long continental palaeoclimate record. In addition, this paper discusses the potential of ‘PALEOVAN’ to establish new results on the dynamics of lake level fluctuations, noble gas concentration in pore water of the lake sediment, history of volcanism and volcanic activities based on tephrostratigraphy, and paleoseismic and earthquake activities.     

Consistent realization of Celestial and Terrestrial Reference Frames

The Celestial Reference System (CRS) is currently realized only by Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) because it is the space geodetic technique that enables observations in that frame. In contrast, the Terrestrial Reference System (TRS) is realized by means of the combination of four space geodetic techniques: Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), VLBI, Satellite Laser Ranging (SLR), and Doppler Orbitography and Radiopositioning Integrated by Satellite. The Earth orientation parameters (EOP) are the link between the two types of systems, CRS and TRS. The EOP series of the International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service were combined of specifically selected series from various analysis centers. Other EOP series were generated by a simultaneous estimation together with the TRF while the CRF was fixed. Those computation approaches entail inherent inconsistencies between TRF, EOP, and CRF, also because the input data sets are different. A combined normal equation (NEQ) system, which consists of all the parameters, i.e., TRF, EOP, and CRF, would overcome such an inconsistency. In this paper, we simultaneously estimate TRF, EOP, and CRF from an inter-technique combined NEQ using the latest GNSS, VLBI, and SLR data (2005–2015). The results show that the selection of local ties is most critical to the TRF. The combination of pole coordinates is beneficial for the CRF, whereas the combination of \(\varDelta \hbox {UT1}\) results in clear rotations of the estimated CRF. However, the standard deviations of the EOP and the CRF improve by the inter-technique combination which indicates the benefits of a common estimation of all parameters. It became evident that the common determination of TRF, EOP, and CRF systematically influences future ICRF computations at the level of several \(\upmu \)as. Moreover, the CRF is influenced by up to \(50~\upmu \)as if the station coordinates and EOP are dominated by the satellite techniques.     

Microscale Simultaneous Measurement of Carbon and Nitrogen Isotopes on Natural Diamond

Simultaneous analysis of carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios by SIMS was applied for the first-time to a natural diamond from the Kelsey Lake kimberlite, State Line Distinct, Colorado (UWD-1). This in situ procedure is faster, reduces sample size for analysis, and measures both isotope ratios from a single ~ 10 μm diameter pit, a critical advantage for zoned diamonds. The carbon isotope ratio (expressed as δ¹³C_VPDB) of the bulk UWD-1 crystal, determined by the conventional combustion method in the present study, is -5.9‰ ± 0.2‰ (VPDB, 2s). Nitrogen mass fraction ([N]) and isotope ratio (expressed as δ¹⁵N_Air) were determined by stepwise combustion and gas-source mass-spectrometry, resulting in 553 ± 64 μg g^-1 and -6.7‰ ± 1.1‰ (Air, 2s), respectively. Secondary ions of ¹²C₂^-, ¹²C¹³C^-, ¹²C¹⁴N^-, and ¹²C¹⁵N^- were simultaneously measured by SIMS using three Faraday cups and one electron multiplier. The spot-to-spot reproducibility of δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N values for the UWD-1 (178 spots on sixteen chips, 10 μm spots), were 0.3‰ and 1.6‰, respectively (2s). While ¹²C¹⁴N^-/¹²C₂^- ratios, which are an indicator for [N], varied up to 12% among these sixteen chips, such variation did not correlate with either δ¹³C or δ¹⁵N values. We propose that UWD-1 is a suitable reference sample for microscale in situ analysis of δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N values in diamond samples.     

Study on Yanshanian metallogenic granitoids magmatism in Baoshan deposit,southern Hunan ProvinceSCIEI北大核心CSCD

本文对湘南宝山花岗闪长斑岩进行了系统的锆石和磷灰石U-Pb定年、岩石地球化学以及锆石Hf同位素研究,并探讨了宝山花岗闪长斑岩的岩石成因和构造意义。锆石和磷灰石的LA-ICP-MS U-Pb定年显示,宝山花岗闪长斑岩的成岩年龄为160Ma。综合元素和同位素地球化学证据,宝山花岗闪长斑岩的成因可能为新生地壳与古老地壳的混合熔融,同时宝山花岗闪长斑岩中发现的890±20Ma的继承锆石,验证了新元古代新生地壳的参与。磷灰石的主微量元素研究显示花岗闪长斑岩具有较高的氧逸度和Cl含量,Sr/Th比值具有较大变化,而La/Sm比值变化不大等特征,表明形成花岗闪长斑岩岩浆的母岩受到俯冲板片脱水形成的流体交代作用影响。在上述过程中,富含Cl和H2O的流体从板片中释放出来,引发地幔楔熔融,并对矿床中成矿金属元素进行提取。由于古太平洋板块俯冲引发的伸展-减薄运动,在地幔上涌过程中,新元古代新生地壳发生部分熔融,这些高温岩浆底侵老地壳源区,诱发老地壳部分熔融,进而发生了强烈的壳-壳混合作用,产生花岗闪长质岩浆。     

A Caputo variable-order fractional damage creep model for sandstone considering effect of relaxation time

Acta Geotechnica - Establishing a fractional creep model with few parameters and explicit physical interpretation is of significant meaning for predicting rheological deformation of rock. In this...     

Quantifying the Tetrad Effect,Shape Components,and Ce–Eu–Gd Anomalies in Rare Earth Element Patterns

Mathematical Geosciences - Plots of chondrite-normalised rare earth element (REE) patterns often appear as smooth curves. These curves can be decomposed into orthogonal polynomial functions (shape...     

Experimental study on the dynamic modulus of compacted loess under bidirectional dynamic load

The dynamic characteristics of compacted loess are of great significance to the seismic construction of the Loess Plateau area in Northwest China, where earthquakes frequently occur. To study the change in the dynamic modulus of the foundation soil under the combined action of vertical and horizontal earthquakes, a hollow cylindrical torsion shear instrument capable of vibrating in four directions was used to perform two-way coupling of compression and torsion of Xi'an compacted loess under different dry density and deviator stress ratios. The results show that increasing the dry density can improve the initial dynamic compression modulus and initial dynamic shear modulus of compacted loess. With an increase in the deviator stress ratio, the initial dynamic compression modulus increases, to a certain extent, but the initial dynamic shear modulus decreases slightly. The dynamic modulus gradually decreases with the development of dynamic strain and tends to be stable, and the dynamic modulus that reaches the same strain increases with an increasing dry density. At the initial stage of dynamic loading, the attenuation of the dynamic shear modulus with the strain development is faster than that of the dynamic compression modulus. Compared with previous research results, it is determined that the dynamic modulus of loess under bidirectional dynamic loading is lower and the attenuation rate is faster than that under single-direction dynamic loading. The deviator stress ratio has a more obvious effect on the dynamic compression modulus. The increase in the deviator stress ratio can increase the dynamic compression modulus, to a certain extent. However, the deviator stress ratio has almost no effect on the dynamic shear modulus, and can therefore be ignored.