Comparison of USGS and DLR topographic models of Comet Borrelly and photometric applications

Stereo analysis of images obtained during the 2001 flyby of Comet Borrelly by NASA's Deep Space 1 (DS1) probe allows us to quantify the shape and photometric behavior of the nucleus. The shape is complex, with planar facets corresponding to the dark, mottled regions of the surface whereas the bright, smooth regions are convexly curved. The photometric as well as textural differences between these regions can be explained in terms of topography (roughness) at and below the image resolution, without invoking significant variations in single-particle properties; the material on Borrelly's surface could be quite uniform. A statistical comparison of the digital elevation models (DEMs) produced from the three highest-resolution images independently at the USGS and DLR shows that their difference standard deviation is 120 m, consistent with a matching error of 0.20 pixel (similar to reported matching accuracies for many other stereo datasets). The DEMs also show some systematic differences attributable to manual versus automatic matching. Disk-resolved photometric modeling of the nucleus using the DEM shows that bright, smooth terrains on Borrelly are similar in roughness (Hapke roughness θ=20°) to C-type asteroid Mathilde but slightly brighter and more backscattering (single-scattering albedo w=0.056, Henyey-Greenstein phase parameter g=−0.32). The dark, mottled terrain is photometrically consistent with the same particles but with roughnesses as large as 60°. Intrinsically darker material is inconsistent with the phase behavior of these regions. Many local radiance variations are clearly related to topography, and others are consistent with a topographic explanation; one need not invoke albedo variations greater than a few tens of percent to explain the appearance of Borrelly.     

Crustal structure along a traverse across the Middle and High Atlas mountains derived from seismic refraction studies

In 1986 explosion seismic investigations have been carried out along a traverse of about 350 km length running from NNW to SSE crossing the High and Middle Atlas. Two further profiles run E/W through the Middle and NW-SE through the High Atlas.Neither the High nor the Middle Atlas mountains have a significant root. The maximum thickness of crust with 38–39 km is found under the northern border of the High Atlas. South and north of the High Atlas the crustal thickness amounts to 35 km. The upper as well as the lower crust are stongly structurized in the vertical direction. Significant for the profiles observed is the change between high and low velocities in the whole crust. The velocities at the uppermost mantle are relatively low with values of 7.7–7.9 km/s. The average velocities for the whole crust are 6.1–6.2 km/s.

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Zusammenfassung Sprengseismische Untersuchungen wurden 1986 längs einer etwa 350 km langen Traverse durchgeführt, die NNW-SSO verläuft und den Mittleren und den Hohen Atlas quert. Zwei weitere Profile verlaufen E-W durch den Mittleren und NW-SO durch den Hohen Atlas.Der Hohe und der Mittlere Atlas besitzen keine ausgeprägte Gebirgswurzel. Die maximale Krustendicke wird mit 38–39 km unter dem nördlichen Rand des Hohen Atlas angetroffen. Südlich und nördlich vom Hohen Atlas beträgt die Krustenmächtigkeit 35 km. Sowohl die obere als auch die untere Kruste sind in vertikaler Richtung stark strukturiert. Auf allen beobachteten Profilen ist ein Wechsel zwischen hohen und niedrigen Geschwindigkeiten für die gesamte Kruste charakteristisch. Die Geschwindigkeiten im obersten Mantel sind mit Werten von 7.7–7.9 km/s relativ niedrig. Die Durchschnittsgeschwindigkeiten für die gesamte Kruste liegen bei 6.1–6.2 km/s.

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Résumé Durant l'année 1986 des sondages sismiques de tirs ont été entrepris le long d'une traverse d'environ 350 km de longueur se dirigeant du nord nordouest au sud sud-est et parcourant le Haut et Moyen Atlas. Deux autres profils parcourent le Moyen Atlas de l'est à l'ouest et le Haut Atlas du nord-ouest au sud-est.Le Haut et Moyen Atlas ne possèdent pas de racine montagneuse. L'épaisseur maximale de 38–39 km de la croûte a été localisée sous le bord nord du Haut Atlas. Au sud et au nord du Haut Atlas l'épaisseur de la croûte s'élève à 35 km. La croûte supérieure ainsi que la croûte inférieure est très structurée en direction verticale.Ce qui est caractéristique pour tous les profils observés c'est un changement rapide entre de grandes et petites vitesses et concernant le total de la croûte. Les vitesses dans le manteau le plus élevé haut sont relativement basses avec 7,7–7,9 km/s. Les vitesses moyennes pour la croûte entière sont de 6,1 à 6,2 km/s.

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1986 350 , NNW SSE . : E-W , NWSE . . , 38/39 , 35 . , . . : 7,7–7,9 /. 6,1–6,2 /.

     

Inversion tectonics of intracontinental ranges: High and Middle Atlas,Morocco

The High and Middle Atlas are intracontinental mountain belts situated within the mobile foreland of the Mediterranean Rif orogen. They developed in three stages. The first period (Permian — Bathonian) culminated during the Lias with extended rift grabens and tholeiite extrusions. From Callovian to Eocene, the tectonic activity and the rates of sedimentation were reduced, both pointing to a cooling of the lithosphere. Since the Oligocene, the whole region is submitted to compressional stress. The High and the Middle Atlas were uplifted within two phases, which were correlated with main phases of Rif orogenesis. Refraction seismic measurements have recently revealed there a flat layered structure of the crust with several low velocity zones. The deepest one coincides with a layer of high electric conductivity, which is interpreted as a zone of detachment.From the geotectonic evolution of the High and Middle Atlas and from the structure of the crust, the following model was deduced: During Early Mesozoic rifting, the crust on top of the mantle elevations was thinned by both extensional fracturing and by gliding along intracrustal detachment planes. During the Cenozoic collisions of the Rif, these shear planes were reactivated by thrusting in opposite directions. Compressional deformation of the graben fillings led now to a moderate thickening of the crust, e.g. up to 40 km beneath the High Atlas. Subsequent uplift and inversion was not only caused by isostasy, but also by squeezing upward due to thick- and thin-skinned tectonics.

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Zusammenfassung Der Hohe und der Mittlere Atlas sind intrakontinentale Gebirge im mobilen Vorland des mediterranen Rif-Orogens. Ihre Entwicklung weist drei Perioden auf: Die erste (Perm-Bathonium) kulminierte im Lias mit der Bildung von Riftgräben entlang spätvariskischer Bruchzonen und Tholeiit-Ergüssen. Im Intervall Callovium-Eozän deuten tektonische Beruhigung und geringere Sedimentation auf eine allmähliche Abkühlung der Lithosphäre hin. Seit dem Oligozän steht die Region unter Kompression. Der Hohe und der Mittlere Atlas haben sich zeitgleich mit den Hauptphasen der Kompression im Rif herausgehoben. Refraktionsseismische Untersuchungen haben einen flachen Lagenbau der Kruste mit mehreren low-velocity-Zonen aufgewiesen, deren tiefste mit einer Zone hoher elektrischer Leitfähigkeit zusammenfällt und als bedeutende Abscherungszone gedeutet wird.Aus der geotektonischen Entwicklung des Hohen und des Mittleren Atlas und aus der heutigen Krustenstruktur wird folgendes Modell abgeleitet: In der frühmesozoischen Rift-Phase wurde die Kruste über den Mantel-Aufwölbungen durch Zerrungsbrüche und durch Zergleiten an subhorizontalen Scherflächen ausgedünnt. Während der känozoischen Kollisionen im Rif-Atlas wurden diese Scherflächen dann gegenläufig bewegt, die Riftgraben-Füllungen dabei bis zu geringer Krustenverdickung eingeengt und anschließend herausgehoben. Die Inversion der beiden Atlas-Gebirge ist somit nicht nur isostatisch bedingt, sondern auch durch Aufpressung bei thick-and-thin-skinned-Tektonik verursacht.

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Résumé Le Haut Atlas et le Moyen Atlas sont des chaînes intracontinentales situées dans l'avant pays mobile de l'orogène méditerranéen du Rif. Elles se sont développées en trois périodes. La première (du Permien au Bathonien) a culminé au Lias avec la formation de fossés de rift accompagnés d'effusions tholéiitiques. Au cours de la deuxième période (du Callovien à l'Eocène), l'activité tectonique et les taux de sédimentation étaient réduits, indice d'un refroidissement de la lithosphère. Depuis l'Oligocène, la région est soumise à une compression. Le Haut Atlas et le Moyen Atlas se sont soulevés en deux phases, coïncidant avec les phases principales de compression du Rif. Les sondages sismiques ont mis en évidence une structure de la croûte en couches subhorizontales comportant plusieurs zones à faible vitesse dont la plus profonde coïncide avec une zone de haute conductivité électrique interprétée comme un vaste décollement.En conclusion, nous proposons le modèle suivant pour le Haut et le Moyen Atlas: pendant la phase de rifting du Mésozoïque inférieur, la croûte a été amincie au-dessus de bombements du manteau, non seulement par des fracture d'extension mais aussi par glissement le long de décollements subhorizontaux. Durant les collisions cénozoïques du Rif, ces décollements ont été réactivés en charriages par glissement en sens inverse. Ce processus, en rétrécissant les remplissages des grabens, a provoqué un léger épaississement de la croûte (jusqu'à 40 km sous le Haut Atlas) et le soulèvement final. L'inversion des chaînes atlasiques n'a donc pas seulement été l'effet de l'isostasie, mais aussi d'une tectonique »thin-and-thick- skinned«.

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. : (-) , . - , . . . , , . , , : , , . , , , ; , , . .. , , »thick-and-thin-skinned-tectonics«.

     

Accompanying seismic refraction investigations along the profile DEKORP 2-North

Seismic refraction measurements were carried out along the DEKORP 2-N reflection line. Traveltime data have been inverted to velocity-depth distributions using x-t-inversion- und ray-tracing-methods. The velocity-model shows alternating layers of high and low velocity. High-velocity values range from 6.0 to 6.6 km/s in the upper crust and from 70 to 8.2 km/s in the lower crust. In low-velocity zones velocities do not exceed 6.25 km/s. The crust/mantle boundary lies in about 28–30 km depth. Correlations exist between the velocity-model of refraction seismics and the line drawing section of reflection seismics.

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Zusammenfassung Entlang dem tiefenseismischen Reflexionsprofil DEKORP 2-Nord wurden seismische Refraktionsmessungen durchgeführt. Die Laufzeitdaten wurden mit Hilfe von x-t-Inversions- und Ray-Tracing-Verfahren in Geschwindigkeits-Tiefen-Verteilungen transformiert. Es treten alternierende Hoch- und Niedriggeschwindigkeitszonen auf. In der oberen Kruste treten hohe Geschwindigkeitswerte im Bereich von 6,0 bis 6,6 km/s auf und in der unteren Kruste Werte von 7,0 bis 8,2 km/s. Die Geschwindigkeitswerte in Niedriggeschwindigkeitszonen überschreiten 6,25 km/s nicht. Die Grenze zwischen Erdkruste und Erdmantel liegt in einer Tiefe von etwa 28 bis 30 km. Es bestehen Übereinstimmungen zwischen dem Geschwindigkeitsmodell der Refraktionsseismik und der Struktur der reflexionsseismischen Sektion.

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Résumé Des mesures en sismique-réfraction ont été effectuées le long du profil de sismique réflexion DEKORP 2-N. On a réalisé une inversion des temps de propagation en distribution vitesse/profondeur par les méthodes de l'inversion x-t et du traçage de raie. Le modèle des vitesses fait apparaître des couches alternées à grandes et faibles vitesses. Les grandes vitesses sont de 6,0 à 6,6 km/sec dans la croûte supérieure et de 7,0 à 8,2 km/sec dans la croûte inférieure. Dans les zones à faible vitesse, celle-ci n'excède pas 6,25 km/sec. La profondeur du contact croûte/manteau est d'environ 28 à 30 km. Il existe une correspondance entre le modèle des vitesses de la sismique-réfraction et l'image fournie par la sismique-réflexion.

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1986 1987 53 - DEKORP 2-Nord . , , . , , » «. , . , 6 8 ; 14 16 . . .. - . , , , , , . , . , , , - . , , . . . , , , . , , , . , .

     

Light requirements of the seagrass,Zostera muelleri,determined by observations at the maximum depth limit in a temperate estuary,New Zealand

The Kaipara Harbour in New Zealand is one of the largest estuarine systems in the world, containing significant areas of subtidal seagrass habitat (Zostera muelleri). Light availability at the maximum depth limit for Z. muelleri was measured at 2.10 (0.19 SEM) and 4.91 (0.53 SEM) mol photons m^?2 d^?1 during the winter and summer monitoring periods, respectively. The primary drivers of benthic light availability were found to be surface light availability, the timing of the low tide and water clarity. Core sampling analysis suggested that biomass of seagrass growing at the maximum depth limit was low, indicative of light limitation. The results of this study suggest that the subtidal distribution of seagrass in the Kaipara Harbour is light-limited and that reductions in water clarity due to changes in land use are likely to result in significant reductions in the extent and productivity of subtidal seagrass habitat.     

Topographic modeling of Phoebe using Cassini images

High-resolution Cassini stereo images of Saturn's moon Phoebe have been used to derive a regional digital terrain model (DTM) and an orthoimage mosaic of the surface. For DTM-control a network of 130 points measured in 14 images (70-390 m/pixel resolution) was established which was simultaneously used to determine the orientation of the spin-axis. The J2000 spin-axis was found at Dec=78.0°±0.1° and RA=356.6°±0.3°, substantially different from the former Voyager solution. The control points yield a mean figure radius of 107.2 km with RMS residuals of 6.2 km demonstrating the irregular shape of this body. The DTM was computed from densely spaced conjugate image points determined by methods of digital image correlation. It has a horizontal resolution of 1-2 km and vertical accuracies in the range 50-100 m. It is limited in coverage, but higher in resolution than the previously derived global shape model of Phoebe [Porco et al., 2005. Cassini imaging science: initial results on Phoebe and Iapetus. Science 307, 1237-1242] and allows us to study the morphology of the surface in more detail. There is evidence for unconsolidated material from a steep and smooth slope at the rim of a 100 km impact feature. There are several conically shaped craters on Phoebe, which may hint at highly porous and low compaction material on the surface.     

The nucleus of Comet Borrelly: a study of morphology and surface brightness

Stereo images obtained during the DS1 flyby were analyzed to derive a topographic model for the nucleus of Comet 19P/Borrelly for morphologic and photometric studies. The elongated nucleus has an overall concave shape, resembling a peanut, with the lower end tilted towards the camera. The bimodal character of surface-slopes and curvatures support the idea that the nucleus is a gravitational aggregate, consisting of two fragments in contact. Our photometric modeling suggests that topographic shading effects on Borrelly's surface are very minor (<10%) at the given resolution of the terrain model. Instead, albedo effects are thought to dominate Borrelly's large variations in surface brightness. With 90% of the visible surface having single scattering albedos between 0.008 and 0.024, Borrelly is confirmed to be among the darkest of the known Solar System objects. Photometrically corrected images emphasize that the nucleus has distinct, contiguous terrains covered with either bright or dark, smooth or mottled materials. Also, mapping of the changes in surface brightness with phase angle suggests that terrain roughness at subpixel scale is not uniform over the nucleus. High surface roughness is noted in particular near the transition between the upper and lower end of the nucleus, as well as near the presumed source region of Borrelly's main jets. Borrelly's surface is complex and characterized by distinct types of materials that have different compositional and/or physical properties.     

Reflection on the first five years of South Africa’s Acoustic Tracking Array Platform (ATAP): status,challenges and opportunities

The Acoustic Tracking Array Platform (ATAP) is a marine science programme that monitors the movements and migrations of inshore marine animals along the South African coastline. Acoustically tagged animals are monitored by an expanded network of approximately 100 automated data-logging acoustic receivers moored at strategic node sites, from Cape Point in the west to the South Africa–Mozambique border in the east. During five years since its inception, in 2011, the ATAP has achieved outstanding progress in terms of the numbers of animals and the variety of species tagged. To date, the ATAP has yielded over 2.6 million detections from more than 700 acoustically tagged animals, representing 27 different species from 20 families, including the African penguin Spheniscus demersus, fishery-at-risk species (e.g. dusky kob Argyrosomus japonicus) and iconic elasmobranchs (e.g. white shark Carcharodon carcharias). Following a period of considerable equipment loss in 2014, refinement of the receiver network was required and the deeper receivers at each site were decommissioned without influencing the integrity of the nationwide array. The platform, managed by the South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity, ultimately represents a low-cost method of collecting long-term data that currently benefits approximately 25 researchers from 14 organisations. Case studies are presented to expose the opportunities provided by the ATAP, which will undoubtedly yield new discoveries and provide a greater understanding of the movement patterns and migrations of a wide variety of inshore marine and estuary-associated species.     

Application of the flow dimension concept for numerical drawdown data analyses in mixed-flow karst systems

Hydrogeology Journal - A numerical discrete conduit-continuum model is employed to investigate large-scale groundwater abstraction in karst aquifers. The application of large-scale experiments is...     

Re-calculation of efficiency factors for radiation pressure

Corrected values of the efficiency factorQ _pr of light pressure are presented for spherical particles of graphite and metallic materials.