Dating Gondwanan continental crust at the Rio Grande Rise,South Atlantic

Crystalline continental rocks and associated crust‐contaminated basaltic rocks were unexpectedly dredged on the crest and at seamounts of the Rio Grande Rise, South Atlantic. Zircon U–Pb ages of one gabbro (ca. 2,200 Ma) and four granitoids (between ca. 1,430–480 Ma) indicate that the breakup of SW Gondwana left behind continental fragments of dominantly African age. These rocks may have been incorporated into the oceanic lithosphere by complex processes including rifting and interaction of the Tristan‐Gough mantle plume with hyperextended continental margins. Until ca. 80–70 Ma, the Rio Grande Rise and an old portion of the Walvis Ridge formed a conjugate pair of aseismic ridges, and the Tristan‐Gough plume was positioned at the Mid‐Atlantic Ridge. The finding of continental rock fragments in one of these conjugate pairs opens new perspectives on the mechanisms of continental break‐up, the nature of this conjugate pair, and the geodynamic evolution of rifted Gondwana margins in the South Atlantic.     

Di-nitrogen fixation in a eutrophic tropical bay

Di-nitrogen fixation, measured in situ by the acetylene reduction technique, was shown to be associated with regular summer blooms of Oscillatoria erythraea in Mazatlán bay, a eutrophic tropical embayment on the Pacific Coast of Mexico. The Oscillatoria population density and the rate of di-nitrogen fixation per cell were of similar magnitude to those observed by other workers in the oligotrophic Caribbean Sea. Since the non-nitrogen limited fraction (Oscillatoria) of the total population was generally less than 10% and the nutrient supply to the bay is relatively abundant, di-nitrogen fixation does not appear to play an important role in the eutrophication of the bay.     

Rotational properties of ten main belt asteroids: Analysis of the results obtained by photoelectric photometry

V photoelectric lightcurves of ten main belt asteroids (11 Partenope, 20 Massalia, 31 Euphrosyne, 41 Daphne, 55 Pandora, 71 Niobe, 79 Eurynome, 129 Antigone, 344 Desiderata, and 387 Aquitania), obtained during the 1981–1983 oppositions, are reported. The rotation period of 11 Partenope is P = 7.83 hr and that of 344 Desiderata P = 10.53 hr. The shape and the pole coordinates of 20 Massalia, 31 Euphrosyne, and 129 Antigone were also derived and those of 41 Daphne confirmed. The lightcurves of the remaining objects are presented: a preliminary discussion of their possible rotational properties and their morphological features is given.     

The Ca II triplet lines in Starburst and AGN

In the frame of the Starburst Model for AGN, we show that the evolution of a massive stellar cluster in a high metallicity environment can reproduce the observed equivalent widths of Ca II triplet lines in absorption in Starburst and active galactic nuclei. In the case of Starburst galaxies, this strength, together with the emission-line ratio [O II]/[O III], can be used to determine the age of the cluster. The strength of the Ca II lines is mainly governed by the age of the stellar cluster through the presence of red supergiant stars.     

The determination of deep temperatures by means of the CO-CO2-H2-H2O geothermometer: an example using fumaroles in the Campi Flegrei,Italy. A comment

Three points raised in the paper by Tedesco and Sabroux (1987) are dealt with. (1) The inconsistency between the water partial pressure calculated by Tedesco and Sabroux (1987) and saturation pressure is due to the improper use of the water-gas-shift reaction as a geothermometer. In fact Tedesco and Sabroux (1987) do not take into account the distribution of gas species between the coexisting vapour and liquid phases. (2) The depth of the “steam reservoir” is evaluated by Tedesco and Sabroux (1987) in too simplistic a way. This matter should be treated with greater care owing to the high social impact of any consideration on the Phlegraean Fields system. (3) The reliability of carbon monoxide determination at the concentration level encountered at Solfatara depends on the collection method rather than on the gas-chromatographic technique.     

CCD surface photometry of the Seyfert 1 galaxy NGC 4151

We present CCD surface photometry of the central region of the bright Seyfert 1 galaxy NGC 4151. The observations were obtained under excellent seeing conditions (0.75 FWHM). Morphological parameters for the bulge of the galaxy are estimated from the observed broad bandV, R, andI surface brightness profiles.From the analysis of the colour maps two distinct nuclear structures emerge perpendicular to each other. One of them is elliptically elongated at PA angle 50°. This direction is close to the direction of the radio jets and coincides with the Extended Narrow Emission Line Region (ENELR). Its extension is about 7 arc sec and its colours are bluer than the surronding bulge. The second structure is smaller in extension (about 1 arc sec) and is elongated at PA130°. Its colours are redder than those of the surrounding bulge. It is suggested that this might constitute areal extension of the Broad Line Region (BLR).Paper presented at the 11th European Regional Astronomical Meetings of the IAU on New Windows to the Universe, held 3–8 July, 1989, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain.     

Biogeographical drivers of ragweed pollen concentrations in Europe

Theoretical and Applied Climatology - The drivers of spatial variation in ragweed pollen concentrations, contributing to severe allergic rhinitis and asthma, are poorly quantified. We analysed the...     

Climatic constraints for the maize-soybean system in the humid subtropical region of Argentina

The implementation of two summer crops in the same growing season is a possible alternative for land intensification in areas with a long frost-free period. The aim of this study was to analyse the strategy of land intensification through the implementation of the maize-soybean succession at two locations (Reconquista, 29°09′S 59°40′W and Las Breñas, 27°05′S 61°5′W) of the humid subtropical region of Argentina. CERES-Maize and CROPGRO-Soybean models were used to evaluate the impact of inter-annual variability of climate (36 years) of both locations on rain-fed grain yields of the following productive alternatives: (i) monoculture of maize, (ii) monoculture of soybean and (iii) the succession of a short-cycle maize followed by soybean as the second summer crop (maize-soybean system). The maize-soybean system was evaluated by the method of land equivalent ratio (LER), based on the sum of the relative grain yields of its components. The impact of the inter-annual variability of climate and of “El Niño” or “La Niña” episodes (El Niño Southern Oscillation phenomenon (ENSO)) on LER values was analysed. Simulated yields of maize monoculture (5687 kg ha^?1; CV = 49.7% and 5637 kg ha^?1; CV = 57.6% at Reconquista and Las Breñas, respectively) were higher than those of the short-cycle maize, especially at Las Breñas (5448 kg ha^?1; CV = 49.3% and 2322 kg ha^?1; CV = 33.9% at Reconquista and Las Breñas, respectively). Simulated yields of the soybean monoculture were higher (3588 kg ha^?1; CV = 26.1% and 2883 kg ha^?1; CV = 20.7% at Reconquista and Las Breñas, respectively) that those of the soybean as the second crop (2634 kg ha^?1; CV = 38.1% and 2456 kg ha^?1; CV = 32.9% at Reconquista and Las Breñas, respectively) at both locations. Average LERs were 1.69 (CV = 11.4%) at Reconquista and 1.41 (CV = 26.1%) at Las Breñas, and the inter-annual variability of LER was mainly determined by grain yields of (i) soybean as the second crop at Reconquista and (ii) maize monoculture at Las Breñas. Soil water content after maize harvest and rainfalls during reproductive period of soybean as the second crop conditioned LER values, but they were generally greater than 1. At Reconquista, LER values were not affected by the different episodes of ENSO phenomenon. By contrast, at Las Breñas, LER values were higher during La Niña episodes (1.48; CV = 26.6%) than during El Niño episodes (1.32; CV = 23.7%) mainly by their effects on grain yields of maize monoculture. Therefore, crop simulation models demonstrate the possibility to intensify land use (40–70%) at two locations of the humid subtropical region of Argentina, by the implementation of the maize-soybean system.