Microstructural constraints on the mechanisms of the transformation to reidite in naturally shocked zircon

Zircon (ZrSiO₄) is used to study impact structures because it responds to shock loading and unloading in unique, crystallographically controlled manners. One such phenomenon is the transformation of zircon to the high-pressure polymorph, reidite. This study quantifies the geometric and crystallographic orientation relationships between these two phases using naturally shocked zircon grains. Reidite has been characterized in 32 shocked zircon grains (shocked to stages II and III) using a combination of electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) and focused ion beam cross-sectional imaging techniques. The zircon-bearing clasts were obtained from within suevite breccia from the Nördlingen 1973 borehole, close to the center of the 14.4 Ma Ries impact crater, in Bavaria, Germany. We have determined that multiple sets (up to 4) of reidite lamellae can form in a variety of non-rational habit planes within the parent zircon. However, EBSD mapping demonstrates that all occurrences of lamellar reidite have a consistent interphase misorientation relationship with the host zircon that is characterized by an approximate alignment of a {100}_zircon with a {112}_reidite and alignment of a {112}_zircon with a conjugate {112}_reidite. Given the tetragonal symmetry of zircon and reidite, we predict that there are eight possible variants of this interphase relationship for reidite transformation within a single zircon grain. Furthermore, laser Raman mapping of one reidite-bearing grain shows that moderate metamictization can inhibit reidite formation, thereby highlighting that the transformation is controlled by zircon crystallinity. In addition to lamellar reidite, submicrometer-scale granules of reidite were observed in one zircon. The majority of reidite granules have a topotaxial alignment that is similar to the lamellar reidite, with some additional orientation dispersion. We confirm that lamellar reidite likely forms via a deviatoric transformation mechanism in highly crystalline zircon, whereas granular reidite forms via a reconstructive transformation from low-crystallinity ZrSiO₄ within the reidite stability field. The results of this study further refine the formation mechanisms and conditions of reidite transformation in naturally shocked zircon.     

The Chemistry of Serpentine Soils Developed Over A Podiform Chromite Deposit, Western Sierra Nevada, USA

The Chinese Camp mining district in the western Sierra Nevada of California,USA,contains a serpentinized,ultramafic dunite intrusion with podiform chromite deposits.Serpentine soils have developed over this intrusion,creating a unique ecosystem of endemic vegetation and soils characterized by low Ca/Mg ratios and high Ni and Cr contents.The vegetation and red coloration make it easy to visually distinguish between soils developed over intruded,serpentinized bedrock and unmineralized,adjacent andesite bedrock(Fig.1).The purpose of our study was to compare soil chemistry and vegetative parameters among 3 study-design levels:1)undisturbed serpentine soil,2)undisturbed background soil(non-serpentine,developed over andesite),and 3)serpentine soil disturbed by mining activities.Within each of these l e v*e ls,3 random locations were chosen where weestablished 3,30-m transects(spaced 120-degrees apart).One soil sample was collected at a random location along each transect(0-15 cm depth after removing litter/O horizon).This scheme resulted in the collection of 9replicate soil samples per study-design level.Samples were analyzed for total metal content by ICP-AES/MS(inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy/mass spectroscopy),p H,electrical conductivity,and total C/N/S.The vegetative parameter of%canopy cover was measured with a line-point intercept survey along each transect,using 0.6m intervals.Above-ground net primary productivity(ANPP)was estimated by harvesting all aboveground living plant material within a 0.5 m quadrant at 3 random locations along each transect,drying,and weighting the material.Significant differences among design levels were observed for ANPP,canopy cover,total P,total N,and Ca/Mg,where the median values for these parameters decreased in the order undisturbed backgroundundisturbed serpentinemining-disturbed serpentine.The highest concentrations of Cr and Ni were found in undisturbed serpentine(medians of 1960 ppm and 2529ppm,respectively)followed by mining-disturbed serpentine(medians of 420 and 2120,respectively)then undisturbed non-serpentine(medians 47.0 and 32.2 ppm,respectively).Soil p H varied significantly among the design levels with a median 5.74 in undisturbed background,median 6.25 in undisturbed serpentine,and median of 7.17 in mining-disturbed serpentine.These data document the distinct differences in soil chemistry and vegetation parameters between undisturbed serpentine soil and adjacent,undisturbed background soil.Efforts toward mining reclamation must recognize these differences and include the correct baseline conditions in the reclamation plan.     

Quantification of Storm-Induced Bathymetric Change in a Back-Barrier Estuary

Geomorphology is a fundamental control on ecological and economic function of estuaries. However, relative to open coasts, there has been little quantification of storm-induced bathymetric change in back-barrier estuaries. Vessel-based and airborne bathymetric mapping can cover large areas quickly, but change detection is difficult because measurement errors can be larger than the actual changes over the storm timescale. We quantified storm-induced bathymetric changes at several locations in Chincoteague Bay, Maryland/Virginia, over the August 2014 to July 2015 period using fixed, downward-looking altimeters and numerical modeling. At sand-dominated shoal sites, measurements showed storm-induced changes on the order of 5 cm, with variability related to stress magnitude and wind direction. Numerical modeling indicates that the predominantly northeasterly wind direction in the fall and winter promotes southwest-directed sediment transport, causing erosion of the northern face of sandy shoals; southwesterly winds in the spring and summer lead to the opposite trend. Our results suggest that storm-induced estuarine bathymetric change magnitudes are often smaller than those detectable with methods such as LiDAR. More precise fixed-sensor methods have the ability to elucidate the geomorphic processes responsible for modulating estuarine bathymetry on the event and seasonal timescale, but are limited spatially. Numerical modeling enables interpretation of broad-scale geomorphic processes and can be used to infer the long-term trajectory of estuarine bathymetric change due to episodic events, when informed by fixed-sensor methods.     

Stress–strain behavior of cement-improved clays: testing and modeling

The results of a series of laboratory tests on unimproved and cement-improved specimens of two clays are presented, and the ability of a bounding surface elastoplastic constitutive model to predict the observed behavior is investigated. The results of the oedometer, triaxial compression, extension, and cyclic shear tests demonstrated that the unimproved soil behavior is similar to that of soft clays. Cement-improved specimens exhibited peak/residual behavior and dilation, as well as higher strength and stiffness over unimproved samples in triaxial compression. Two methods of accounting for the artificial overconsolidation effect created by cement improvement are detailed. The apparent preconsolidation pressure method is considerably easier to use, but the fitted OCR method gave better results over varied levels of confining stresses. While the bounding surface model predicted the monotonic behavior of unimproved soil very well, the predictions made for cyclic behavior and for improved soils were only of limited success.     

A comparison of two physics-based numerical models for simulating surface water–groundwater interactions

Problems in hydrology and water management that involve both surface water and groundwater are best addressed with simulation models that can represent the interactions between these two flow regimes. In the current generation of coupled models, a variety of approaches is used to resolve surface–subsurface interactions and other key processes such as surface flow propagation. In this study we compare two physics-based numerical models that use a 3D Richards equation representation of subsurface flow. In one model, surface flow is represented by a fully 2D kinematic approximation to the Saint–Venant equations with a sheet flow conceptualization. In the second model, surface routing is performed via a quasi-2D diffusive formulation and surface runoff follows a rill flow conceptualization. The coupling between the land surface and the subsurface is handled via an explicit exchange term resolved by continuity principles in the first model (a fully-coupled approach) and by special treatment of atmospheric boundary conditions in the second (a sequential approach). Despite the significant differences in formulation between the two models, we found them to be in good agreement for the simulation experiments conducted. In these numerical tests, on a sloping plane and a tilted V-catchment, we examined saturation excess and infiltration excess runoff production under homogeneous and heterogeneous conditions, the dynamics of the return flow process, the differences in hydrologic response under rill flow and sheet flow parameterizations, and the effects of factors such as grid discretization, time step size, and slope angle. Low sensitivity to vertical discretization and time step size was found for the two models under saturation excess and homogeneous conditions. Larger sensitivity and differences in response were observed under infiltration excess and heterogeneous conditions, due to the different coupling approaches and spatial discretization schemes used in the two models. For these cases, the sensitivity to vertical and temporal resolution was greatest for processes such as reinfiltration and ponding, although the differences between the hydrographs of the two models decreased as mesh and step size were progressively refined. In return flow behavior, the models are in general agreement, with the largest discrepancies, during the recession phase, attributable to the different parameterizations of diffusion in the surface water propagation schemes. Our results also show that under equivalent parameterizations, the rill and sheet flow conceptualizations used in the two models produce very similar responses in terms of hydrograph shape and flow depth distribution.     

Impacts of post-depositional processes on rapid monsoon signals recorded by the last glacial loess deposits of northern China

Rapid East Asian Monsoon oscillations recorded by Chinese loess are thought to be dynamically linked to north Atlantic climate. However, few efforts have been made to assess the effects of post-depositional processes (e.g., surface mixing and pedogenesis) on loess paleoclimatic records. Here a detailed optically stimulated luminescence dating of a thick loess sequence from the western Loess Plateau is presented, offering a reliable chronology for last glacial deposits. Magnetic susceptibility and mean grain size records from three loess–paleosol sequences along a northwest–southeast transect are investigated to evaluate impacts of post-depositional processes on these loess-based proxy records. Our results indicate that: (1) loess sequences developed within the flat tableland of the central and western Loess Plateau are nearly continuous during the last glaciation; and (2) post-depositional processes have distinct impacts on rapid monsoon signals recorded in loess sequences from different regions. In the central Loess Plateau, rapid monsoon signals have been attenuated to various degrees depending on the sedimentation rate and pedogenic intensity. In the northwestern Loess Plateau, however, due to high sedimentation rate and relatively weak pedogenesis, high-resolution grain size oscillations reliably record rapid monsoon changes and can be well correlated to rapid climate changes recorded in the Greenland ice core and Hulu cave stalagmite.     

Mapping Potential Groundwater‐Dependent Ecosystems for Sustainable Management

Ecosystems which rely on either the surface expression or subsurface presence of groundwater are known as groundwater‐dependent ecosystems (GDEs). A comprehensive inventory of GDE locations at an appropriate management scale is a necessary first‐step for sustainable management of supporting aquifers; however, this information is unavailable for most areas of concern. To address this gap, this study created a two‐step algorithm which analyzed existing geospatial and remote sensing data to identify potential GDEs at both state/province and aquifer/basin scales. At the state/province scale, a geospatial information system (GIS) database was constructed for Texas, including climate, topography, hydrology, and ecology data. From these data, a GDE index was calculated, which combined vegetative and hydrological indicators. The results indicated that central Texas, particularly the Edwards Aquifer region, had highest potential to host GDEs. Next, an aquifer/basin scale remote sensing‐based algorithm was created to provide more detailed maps of GDEs in the Edwards Aquifer region. This algorithm used Landsat ETM+ and MODIS images to track the changes of NDVI for each vegetation pixel. The NDVI dynamics were used to identify the vegetation with high potential to use groundwater—such plants remain high NDVI during extended dry periods and also exhibit low seasonal and inter‐annual NDVI changes between dry and wet seasons/years. The results indicated that 8% of natural vegetation was very likely using groundwater. Of the potential GDEs identified, 75% were located on shallow soil averaging 45 cm in depth. The dominant GDE species were live oak, ashe juniper, and mesquite.