Calcium-aluminum-rich inclusions in the Allende meteorite: evidence for a liquid origin

We have made a detailed examination of the mineralogy, textures and assemblages of six calcium-aluminum-rich inclusions (CAI) in the Allende meteorite. They can be classified into four types—hibonite-bearing, fassaite- and olivine-bearing, feldspathoid-bearing and fassaite-bearing CAI that are hibonite and olivine free. Examples of each type appear to have crystallized from a liquid rather than by agglomeration of solid nebular condensates. Some lines of evidence for a liquid origin are (1) the presence of spherical and ovoid shapes, (2) rims containing minerals (e.g. hibonite, perovskite) that are more refractory than minerals inside the inclusion, (3) eutectic and poikilitic textures, (4) minerals that are completely enclosed by more refractory minerals and (5) glass and fine-grained grossular stringers.Thermodynamic calculations and comparisons with liquidus phase diagrams indicate that the CAI could have been produced by direct condensation to metastable subcooled liquids that subsequently crystallized (blander and Katz, 1967) or by remelting of an equilibrium high-temperature condensate by impact. The diopside rims in some hibonite-bearing CAI and the paucity of metal in fassaite-olivinebearing CAI are more consistent with direct condensation of a liquid. The sluggishness of solid-solid reactions at the relatively high temperatures at which the CAI formed argues against assuming equilibrium in calculations at lower temperatures.     

Brightness fluctuations in the K-line wings

A power-spectrum and cross-spectrum analysis has been made of measurements of temporal fluctuations of intensity observed in the K-line wing (2.07 Å from line center) and of simultaneous measurements of temporal fluctuations of Doppler displacement of the cores of 3931.122 Fe i and 3933 Ca ii (K₃). The measurements were made in a quiet region near the center of the Sun's disk. We find that the average power spectra of the intensity fluctuations have two significant peaks of about equal strength: one at 0.0033 Hz (300-s period); and one at about 0.001 Hz (1000-s period). The average rms value of these intensity fluctuations is 0.0435±0.0082. Maximum brightness comes before maximum violet displacement of the Fe i line. The mean of the best determined phases is 137° and of all the data 108°. At those places on the Sun where the 300-s oscillations can be identified in the k₃ core, the Doppler displacement of the Fe i line leads that of the K₃ core by a mean phase angle of 27°.     

Two-Way Regionalized Classification of Multivariate Datasets and its Application to the Assessment of Hydrodynamic Dispersion

Zones of mixing between shallow groundwaters of different composition were unravelled by “two-way regionalized classification,” a technique based on correspondence analysis (CA), cluster analysis (ClA) and discriminant analysis (DA), aided by gridding, map-overlay and contouring tools. The shallow groundwaters are from a granitoid plutonite in the Fundão region (central Portugal). Correspondence analysis detected three natural clusters in the working dataset: 1, weathering; 2, domestic effluents; 3, fertilizers. Cluster analysis set an alternative distribution of the samples by the three clusters. Group memberships obtained by correspondence analysis and by cluster analysis were optimized by discriminant analysis, gridded over the entire Fundão region, and converted into “two-way regionalized classification” memberships as follows: codes 1, 2 or 3 were used when classification by correspondence analysis and cluster analysis produced the same results; code 0 when the grid node was first assigned to cluster 1 and then to cluster 2 or vice versa (mixing between weathering and effluents); code 4 in the other cases (mixing between agriculture and the other influences). Code-3 areas were systematically surrounded by code-4 areas, an observation attributed to hydrodynamic dispersion. Accordingly, the extent of code-4 areas in two orthogonal directions was assumed proportional to the longitudinal and transverse dispersivities of local soils. The results (0.7–16.8 and 0.4–4.3 m, respectively) are acceptable at the macroscopic scale. The ratios between longitudinal and transverse dispersivities (1.2–11.1) are also in agreement with results obtained by other studies.     

Spectral classification of water masses under the influence of the Amazon River plume

The large amount of dissolved and particulate material discharged by the Amazon River into the Equatorial Atlantic Ocean cause distinct spectral response of its waters as compared to the nearby ocean waters. This paper shows the application of K-means clustering algorithm for classifying water masses in the region under the Amazon River plume influence according to their spectral behavior. Salinity and temperature data from 67 oceanographic stations were related to Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS) remote sensing reflectances values and the following bio-optical products:(i) chlorophyll-a concentration, (ii) water attenuation coefficient and (iii) absorption coefficient for dissolved and detrital material. Four different water masses were identified such as:(1) oceanic water, (2) intermediate oceanic water, (3) intermediate river plume water and (4) Amazon River plume water. The spectral behavior of these water masses allowed concluding that the main active optical component of the waters in the region is the colored dissolved organic matter originated mostly from the Amazon River.     

Can the Movements of Barramundi in the Fly River Region, Papua New Guinea be Traced in their Otoliths?

To determine whether the concentrations of heavy metals in fish otoliths could be used to infer the fish's movement into water contaminated by heavy metals, we collected barramundi Lates calcarifer from two sites below the outfall from a large copper mine. It was first demonstrated that otolith Sr concentration could be used to separate the marine and freshwater life phases. Twelve elements were then examined (in particular Cu, Mn, Zn, Cd and Pb) in the otoliths by laser-ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICPMS). Cadmium concentrations were rarely above the detection level of the instrument. There were low concentrations of Cu in the otoliths of most fish during the freshwater phase of their life history. Three fish out of 10 had higher levels of Cu at some ablations, coinciding with higher concentrations of both Zn and Pb. However, further analysis found no correlation between the Cu concentration of replicate ablations in the same growth zone to those with initially higher Cu values. Copper concentration in the otoliths did not rise during the period the fish were in freshwater, despite the concentration of dissolved Cu in the water being several times greater than in the lower estuary and adjacent coast.These results and other data from recent studies of heavy metals in fish tissues suggest that very little of the dissolved Cu in the Fly River is in the form of free ions that can be adsorbed across the gills and into the blood and the otoliths. It can be concluded that otoliths are not a good indicator of the history of barramundi movements into water contaminated with heavy metals. Our data support recent studies that suggest that the concentration of many elements, such as Cu, may vary in the endolymph around the otolith and thus may be attached to the calcium-binding proteins that form the matrix around the aragonite. Hence, high concentrations of heavy metals in some ablations may be related to the relative amount of aragonite and protein in each ablation rather than reflect environmental differences.     

Dip‐adaptive singular‐value decomposition filtering for seismic reflection enhancement

We present a singular value decomposition (SVD) filtering method for the enhancement of coherent reflections and for attenuation of noise. The method is applied in two steps. First normal move‐out (NMO) correction is applied to shot or CMP records, with the purpose of flattening the reflections. We use a spatial SVD filter with a short sliding window to enhance coherent horizontal events. Then the data are sorted in common‐offset panels and the local dip is estimated for each panel. The next SVD filtering is performed on a small number of traces and a small number of time samples centred around the output sample position. Data in a local window are corrected for linear moveout corresponding to the dips before SVD. At the central time sample position, we sum over the dominant eigenimages of a few traces, corresponding to SVD dip filtering. We illustrate the method using land seismic data from the Tacutu basin, located in the north‐east of Brazil. The results show that the proposed method is effective and is able to reveal reflections masked by ground‐roll and other types of noise.     

The resurgence of Malaria in India 1965–76

Summary and Tentative Conclusion The eradication campaign faltered, for historical reasons some of which are tentatively suggested above and which would be worthy of fuller study as an important part of recent medical history; it is one of those historical topics so intertwined with political and social history that an interdisciplinary approach would be fruitful — if the necessary documents could be made accessible, in India and perhaps in international organisations and subscribing government archives too.Once the campaign faltered malaria seems to have diffused from the four foci suggested, the Kutch saltmarsh area and the hill-forest tracts of Madhya, Orissa and Assam. The role of wet years in areas normally arid, semi-arid or only moderately humid seems crucial in the diffusion process, and if the gaps in the rainfall anomaly maps can be filled we shall try to provide a more rigorous analysis of this relationship. Some humid and perhumid areas of high agricultural development, and dense or very dense rural populations, and one or two areas of considerable industrial and urban development like Greater Calcutta and nearby towns, seem so far to be happily little affected by the diffusion of malaria, even though as late as 1948 some including much of West Bengal were hyperendemic areas. It remains to be established by detailed studies if these areas are better prepared in some way — natural immunity must have faded especially in the considerable proportion of young people who have been born since malaria eradication was almost within grasp; or are they so far comparatively fortunate through some chances of the diffusion pattern?Urban malaria, and one might say Anopheles stephensi malaria, is probably more widespread and more significant as an important public health problem than in former times. Once more the need for detailed local studies is clear.It is important to re-read the introductory paragraph of this paper. The fiftyfold increase from 100000 to 5 million cases represents a sharp resurgence but the 5 million cases of 1975 and 1976, and few scores of recorded deaths, still represent a remarkable achievement as compared with the 75 million cases and 800,000 deaths a year at the time of Independence. From over 5 million in 1976 to 10 million in the first nine months of 1977, however, is a quite disquieting increase. If complacence did indeed play a part in the crucial years of resurgence in the late 1960s, it is unlikely to continue today in medical circles. One can only hope that politicians will take the issue seriously. Studies of the economic, educational and demographic impact of the resurgence may help them to do so.     

Increase of nitrous oxide flux to the atmosphere upon nitrogen addition to red mangroves sediments

Response of nitrous oxide N20 sediment/air flux to nitrogen addition was assessed in mangrove (Rhizophora mangle) sediments. Fluxes were enhanced with both ammonium and nitrate loading. Greatest fluxes (52 micromol m(-2) h(-1)) were obtained with ammonium addition and saturation was achieved with additions of 0.9 mol m(-2). Maximum flux following ammonium addition was 2785 times greater than control plots and 4.5 times greater during low tide than with equivalent ammonium addition at high tide. Nitrate enrichment resulted in exponential growth, with maximal mean flux of 36.7 micromolm(-2) h(-1) at 1.9 molm(-2); saturation was not achieved. Differential response to ammonium and nitrate, and to tide and elevation, indicate that microbial nitrification is responsible for most of the observed gas flux. Mangrove sediments constitute an important source of global atmospheric N20 and increases in nitrogen loading will lead to significant increases in the flux of this atmospherically active gas.     

New evidence from a calcite-dolomite carbonatite dyke for the magmatic origin of the massive Bayan Obo ore-bearing dolomite marble, Inner Mongolia, China

Summary New data on Sr and Nd isotope composition and major and trace element distribution in dolomite-calcite carbonatite dykes at Bayan Obo are provided, and a Mid-Proterozoic age is deduced. The dykes and the neighbouring massive dolomite (H8) body have similar geochemical characteristics, interpreted to indicate a carbonatitic magmatic origin. The occurrence of riebeckite-bearing fenitized quartzites marginal to both dykes and H8 dolomite body, and the presence of xenoliths in the latter, supports this conclusion. Taken together with previously published stable isotope data, these data confirm a mantle-derived origin for the H8 body. The oxygen isotope composition of the dolomite and magnetite in the dykes is lower than that in the fine-grained dolomite. Oxygen data from samples of the coarse-grained dolomite host are either similar to the dykes or to the fine-grained type in agreement with their other geochemical characteristics. The carbonate-magnetite thermometric pairs of the fine-grained dolomite indicate a range of 350–540 °C, which is probably lower than that of the original main magmatic emplacement. This supports the distinction made between the original coarse-grained dolomite marble and dyke composition from the later fine-grained dolomite. Thus the large H8 dolomite is interpreted as a carbonatite intrusion that contains wall-rock xenoliths and caused fenitization of the hanging wall, foot wall and the xenoliths, and that the coarse-grained portions of the H8 marble are those portions that, in the Late Proterozoic to Palaeozoic, escaped recrystallization to fine-grained dolomite and subsequent REE-Fe mineralization. Currently at National Oceanography Centre, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK An erratum to this article is available at .