Calculating palaeomagnetic poles for oceanic plates

b
The information available for determining palaeopoles for oceanic plates includes data of four types: (1) palaeomagnetic measurements of inclinations but not declinations from core samples; (2) palaeopoles determined from magnetic anomalies over seamounts; (3) phase shifts of linear magnetic anomalies; and (4) palaeoequators determined from geological analysis of sediment cores. A method is presented which combines these different kinds of data and their respective confidence limits to yield a best fit pole, a confidence ellipse, estimates of the data importances and goodness of fit parameters. Using this method we calculate the Campanian pole position for the Pacific plate which is shown by a chi-squared test to be a reasonable fit to the data. We conclude that the method should be a useful tool for calculating pole paths for oceanic plates such as the Pacific and Indian plates.     

AMPHIBOLE AND HERCYNITE SPINEL IN SHERGOTTY AND ZAGAMI: MAGMATIC WATER,DEPTH OF CRYSTALLIZATION,AND METASOMATISM

Amphibole and spinel occur in the Shergotty and Zagami meteorites only in magmatic inclusions in pigeonite. The trapped magma is essentially identical to the parental magmas for Shergotty and Zagami. The amphibole is a kaersutite with minimal halogen content; by inference, it must have been hydrous. If so, the Shergotty and Zagami melts contained at least 0.2 wt % H₂O and were probably H₂O-undersaturated. Pressures in excess of 1 kilobar seem necessary for the formation of amphibole. Spinel replaces magnetite in the inclusions, and olivine replaces magnetite elsewhere in the meteorites. To stabilize spinel, the melt in the inclusions must have become enriched in Al during fractionation, possibly because the small volume of the inclusions made nucleation of plagioclase unlikely. Pervasive replacement of magnetite through reduction reactions suggests that Shergotty and Zagami interacted with hydrogen-rich fluids during their cooling.     

Observations of the 4000 Å break strength in the spectra of elliptical and S0 galaxies

Spectrophotometric observations of the 4000 Å break strength in a large sample of nearby E and S0 galaxies are described. A tight relationship between luminosity and break strength is found, though it is too shallow at the bright end to serve as a useful distance indicator. Correlations are found between the break strength and various metal lines, Balmer lines, and the Greenwich gradient, which demonstrate the sensitivity of the break to both metallicity and composite temperature effects.     

The parent magmas of the cumulate eucrites: A mass balance approach

Abstract— The cumulate eucrite meteorites are gabbros that are related to the eucrite basalt meteorites. The eucrite basalts are relatively primitive (nearly flat REE patterns with La ～ 8–30 × CI), but the parent magmas of the cumulate eucrites have been inferred as extremely evolved (La to > 100 × CI). This inference has been based on mineral/magma partitioning, and on mass balance considering the cumulate eucrites as adcumulates of plagioclase + pigeonite only; both approaches have been criticized as inappropriate. Here, mass balance including magma + equilibrium pigeonite + equilibrium plagioclase is used to test a simple model for the cumulate eucrites: that they formed from known eucritic magma types, that they consisted only of magma + crystals in chemical equilibrium with the magma, and that they were closed to chemical exchange after the accumulation of crystals. This model is tested for major and rare earth elements (REE). The cumulate eucrites Serra de Magé and Moore County are consistent, in both REE and major elements, with formation by this simple model from a eucrite magma with a composition similar to the Nuevo Laredo meteorite: Serra de Magé as 14% magma, 47.5% pigeonite, and 38.5% plagioclase; Moore County as 35% magma, 37.5% pigeonite, and 27.5% plagioclase. These results are insensitive to the choice of mineral/magma partition coefficients. Results for the Moama cumulate eucrite are strongly dependent on choice of partition coefficients; for one reasonable choice, Moama's composition can be modeled as 4% Nuevo Laredo magma, 60% pigeonite, and 36% plagioclase. Selection of parent magma composition relies heavily on major elements; the REE cannot uniquely indicate a parent magma among the eucrite basalts. The major element composition of Y-791195 can be fit adequately as a simple cumulate from any basaltic eucrite composition. However, Y-791195 has LREE abundances and La/Lu too low to be accommodated within the model using any basaltic eucrite composition and any reasonable partition coefficients. Postcumulus loss of incompatible elements seems possible. It is intriguing that Serra de Magé, Moore County, and Moama are consistent with the same parental magma; could they be from the same igneous body on the eucrite parent asteroid (4 Vesta)?     

Igneous petrology of the new ureilites Nova 001 and Nullarbor 010

Abstract— The Nova 001 [= Nuevo Mercurio (b)] and Nullarbor 010 meteorites are ureilites, both of which contain euhedral graphite crystals. The bulk of the meteorites are olivine (Fo₇₉) and pyroxenes (Wo₉En₇₃Fs₁₈, Wo₃En₇₇Fs₂₀), with a few percent graphite and minor amounts of troilite, Ni-Fe metal, and possibly diamond. The rims of olivine grains are reduced (to Fo₉₁) and contain abundant blebs of Fe metal. Silicate mineral grains are equant, anhedral, up to 2 mm across, and lack obvious preferred orientations. Euhedral graphite crystals (to 1 mm x 0.3 mm) are present at silicate grain boundaries, along boundaries and protruding into the silicates, and entirely within silicate mineral grains. Graphite euhedra are also present as radiating clusters and groups of parallel plates grains embedded in olivine; no other ureilite has comparable graphite textures. Minute lumps within graphite grains are possibly diamond, inferred to be a result of shock. Other shock effects are limited to undulatory extinction and fracturing. Both ureilites have been weathered significantly. Considering their similar mineralogies, identical mineral compositions, and identical unusual textures, Nova 001 and Nullarbor 010 are probably paired. Based on olivine compositions, Nova 001 and Nullarbor 010 are in Group 1 (FeO-rich) of Berkley et al. (1980). Silicate mineral compositions are consistent with those of other known ureilites. The presence of euhedral graphite crystals within the silicate minerals is consistent with an igneous origin, and suggests that large proportions of silicate magma were present locally and crystallized in situ.     

A long-duration balloon payload for hard X-ray and gamma-ray observations of the sun

We describe a balloon payload designed to study the processes of energy release, particle acceleration, and heating of the active corona, in hard X-ray microflares and normal flares. An array of liquid nitrogen-cooled germanium detectors together with large area phoswich scintillation detectors provide the highest sensitivity (500 cm²) and energy resolution (0.7 keV) ever achieved for solar hard X-ray (15–600 keV) measurements. These detectors were flown in February 1987 from Australia on a long duration RAdiation COntrolled balloON (RACOON) flight (LDBF) which provided 12 days of observations before cutdown in Brazil. The payload includes solar cells for power, pointing and navigation sensors, a microprocessor controlled data system with VCR tape storage, and transmitters for GOES and ARGOS spacecraft. This successful flight illustrates the potential of LDBF's for solar flare studies.Also Physics Department.Presently at Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley CA 94720.     

Minimum relative entropy and probabilistic inversion in groundwater hydrology

The similarity between maximum entropy (MaxEnt) and minimum relative entropy (MRE) allows recent advances in probabilistic inversion to obviate some of the shortcomings in the former method. The purpose of this paper is to review and extend the theory and practice of minimum relative entropy. In this regard, we illustrate important philosophies on inversion and the similarly and differences between maximum entropy, minimum relative entropy, classical smallest model (SVD) and Bayesian solutions for inverse problems. MaxEnt is applicable when we are determining a function that can be regarded as a probability distribution. The approach can be extended to the case of the general linear problem and is interpreted as the model which fits all the constraints and is the one model which has the greatest multiplicity or “spreadout” that can be realized in the greatest number of ways. The MRE solution to the inverse problem differs from the maximum entropy viewpoint as noted above. The relative entropy formulation provides the advantage of allowing for non-positive models, a prior bias in the estimated pdf and `hard' bounds if desired. We outline how MRE can be used as a measure of resolution in linear inversion and show that MRE provides us with a method to explore the limits of model space. The Bayesian methodology readily lends itself to the problem of updating prior probabilities based on uncertain field measurements, and whose truth follows from the theorems of total and compound probabilities. In the Bayesian approach information is complete and Bayes' theorem gives a unique posterior pdf. In comparing the results of the classical, MaxEnt, MRE and Bayesian approaches we notice that the approaches produce different results. In␣comparing MaxEnt with MRE for Jayne's die problem we see excellent comparisons between the results. We compare MaxEnt, smallest model and MRE approaches for the density distribution of an equivalent spherically-symmetric earth and for the contaminant plume-source problem. Theoretical comparisons between MRE and Bayesian solutions for the case of the linear model and Gaussian priors may show different results. The Bayesian expected-value solution approaches that of MRE and that of the smallest model as the prior distribution becomes uniform, but the Bayesian maximum aposteriori (MAP) solution may not exist for an underdetermined case with a uniform prior.     

Design, Installation, and Uses of Combination Ground Water and Gas Sampling Wells

Waste disposal sites with volatile organic compounds (VOCs) frequently contain contaminants that are present in both the ground water and vadose zone. Vertical sampling is useful where transport of VOCs in the vadose zone may effect ground water and where steep vertical gradients in chemical concentrations are anticipated. Designs for combination ground water and gas sampling wells place the tubing inside the casing with the sample port penetrating the casing for sampling. This physically interferes with pump or sampler placement. This paper describes a well design that combines a ground water well with gas sampling ports by attaching the gas sampling tubing and ports to the exterior of the casing. Placement of the tubing on the exterior of the casing allows exact definition of gas port depth, reduces physical interference between the various monitoring equipment, and allows simultaneous remediation and monitoring in a single well. The usefulness and versatility of this design was demonstrated at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) with the installation of seven wells with 53 gas ports, in a geologic formation consisting of deep basalt with sedimentary interbeds at depths from 7.2 to 178 m below land surface. The INEEL combination well design is easy to construct, install, and operate.