It all comes out in the wash: Actualistic petrofacies modeling of temper provenance,Tonto Basin,Arizona, USA

Prehistoric potters frequently tempered their pottery with sand, the provenance of which can be established petrographically. In the Tonto Basin of central Arizona, the bedrock geology is highly variable, giving rise to geographically unique sands. Zones of sands with similar compositions can be modeled at an archaeologically relevant scale. Here we use the actualistic petrofacies concept, the Gazzi–Dickinson point‐counting technique, and multivariate statistics to create a petrofacies model, then apply it to sand‐tempered utilitarian pottery recovered from three Tonto Basin project areas. Data analysis reveals strong temporal and spatial ceramic production and consumption patterns. Production of pottery for exchange was established in at least one petrofacies ca. A.D. 600–950, with increasing specialization through time. By ca. A.D. 1150, corrugated wares had been added, and specialized production by ware was established in two petrofacies. Provenance evidence suggests different regional affiliations for groups in different parts of the basin. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Experimental study of the K2ZrSi3O9 (wadeite)–K2TiSi3O9 and K2(Zr,Ti)Si3O9–phlogopite systems at 2–3 GPa

Experiments ranging from 2 to 3 GPa and 800 to 1300 °C and at 0.15 GPa and 770 °C were performed to investigate the stability and mutual solubility of the K₂ZrSi₃O₉ (wadeite) and K₂TiSi₃O₉ cyclosilicates under upper mantle conditions. The K₂ZrSi₃O₉–K₂TiSi₃O₉ join exhibits complete miscibility in the P–T interval investigated. With increasing degree of melting the solid solution becomes progressively enriched in Zr, indicating that K₂ZrSi₃O₉ is the more refractory end member. At 2 GPa, in the more complex K₂ZrSi₃O₉–K₂TiSi₃O₉–K₂Mg₆Al₂Si₆O₂₀(OH)₄ system, the presence of phlogopite clearly limits the extent of solid solution of the cyclosilicate to more Zr-rich compositions [Zr/(Zr + Ti) > 0.85], comparable to wadeite found in nature, with TiO₂ partitioning strongly into the coexisting mica and/or liquid. However, at 1200 °C, with increasing pressure from 2 to 3 GPa, the partitioning behaviour of TiO₂ changes in favour of the cyclosilicate, with Zr/(Zr + Ti) of the K₂(Zr,Ti)Si₃O₉ phase decreasing from ∼0.9 to ∼0.6. The variation in the Ti content of the coexisting phlogopite is related to its degree of melting to forsterite and liquid, following the major substitution ^VITi+^VI□=2^VIMg. Received: 26 January 1999 / Accepted: 10 January 2000     

Numerical modelling of the effects of foundation scour on the response of a bridge pier

Foundation scour can have a detrimental effect on the performance of bridge piers, inducing a significant reduction of the lateral capacity of the footing and accumulation of permanent settlement and rotation. Although the hydraulic processes responsible for foundation scour are nowadays well known, predicting their mechanical consequences is still challenging. Indeed, its impact on the failure mechanisms developing around the foundation has not been fully investigated. In this paper, numerical simulations are performed to study the vertical and lateral response of a scoured bridge pier founded on a cylindrical caisson foundation embedded in a layer of dense sand. The sand stress–strain behaviour is reproduced by employing the Severn-Trent model. The constitutive model is firstly calibrated on a set of soil element tests, including drained and undrained monotonic triaxial tests and resonant column tests. The calibration procedure is implemented considering the stress and strain nonuniformities within the samples, by simulating the laboratory tests as boundary value problems. The numerical model is then validated against the results of centrifuge tests. The results of the simulations are in good agreement with the experimental results in terms of foundation capacity and settlement accumulation. Moreover, the model can predict the effects of local and general scour. The numerical analyses also highlight the impact of scouring on the failure mechanisms, revealing that the soil resistance depends on the hydraulic scenario.

     

The influence of slope gradient and gully channel on the run-out behavior of rockslide-debris flow: an analysis on the Verghereto landslide in Italy

Landslides - Rockslide-debris flow may cause catastrophic damages because of its high speed and long run-out distance. The influences of slope gradient and gully channel on the entrainment,...     

A record of Lateglacial/Holocene environmental change from a high‐elevation site in the Intermountain West,USA

Records of past vegetation and fire history can be complicated by changes in the depositional environment of a sampling location. However, these changes can alternatively be used as a measure of climate variability. Our study site, ca. 18.0 cal. ka BP record from Little Brooklyn Lake, Wyoming, located near the crest of the Snowy Range, records three moisture states. Initially, the lake was likely a glacier‐fed pond indicated by the presence of Pediastrum algae colonies. Around 13.0 cal. ka BP this pond transitioned to a meadow environment, suggested by the loss of Pediastrum algae colonies and slow sedimentation rates. Meadow conditions were maintained until ca. 5.0 cal. ka BP when Pediastrum algae colony abundance increased,indicating the formation of a shallow lake. From 18.0 to ca. 5.0 cal. ka BP, the pollen record is suggestive of alpine vegetation conditions with relatively high spruce and herbaceous taxa. Low charcoal influx also characterizes the period between 18.0 and 5.0 cal. ka BP. After 5.0 cal. ka BP, the coincidence of the formation of shallow lake and pollen data, indicating a shift to a spruce and fir forest, suggests an increase in effective moisture. Fire remained rare in this basin over the entire record, however, once the lake established sedimentation rates and charcoal influx increased. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The thermal stability of sideronatrite and its decomposition products in the system Na2O–Fe2O3–SO2–H2O

The thermal stability of sideronatrite, ideally Na₂Fe³⁺(SO₄)₂(OH)·3(H₂O), and its decomposition products were investigated by combining thermogravimetric and differential thermal analysis, in situ high-temperature X-ray powder diffraction (HT-XRPD) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (HT-FTIR). The data show that for increasing temperature there are four main dehydration/transformation steps in sideronatrite: (a) between 30 and 40 °C sideronatrite transforms into metasideronatrite after the loss of two water molecules; both XRD and FTIR suggest that this transformation occurs via minor adjustments in the building block. (b) between 120 and 300 °C metasideronatrite transforms into metasideronatrite II, a still poorly characterized phase with possible orthorhombic symmetry, consequently to the loss of an additional water molecule; X-ray diffraction data suggest that metasideronatrite disappears from the assemblage above 175 °C. (c) between 315 and 415 °C metasideronatrite II transforms into the anhydrous Na₃Fe(SO₄)₃ compound. This step occurs via the loss of hydroxyl groups that involves the breakdown of the [Fe³⁺(SO₄)₂(OH)] _∞ ^2? chains and the formation of an intermediate transient amorphous phase precursor of Na₃Fe(SO₄)₃. (d) for T > 500 °C, the Na₃Fe(SO₄)₃ compound is replaced by the Na-sulfate thenardite, Na₂SO₄, plus Fe-oxides, according to the Na₃Fe³⁺(SO₄)₃ → 3/2 Na₂(SO₄) + 1/2 Fe₂O₃ + SO_x reaction products. The Na–Fe sulfate disappears around 540 °C. For higher temperatures, the Na-sulfates decomposes and only hematite survives in the final product. The understanding of the thermal behavior of minerals such as sideronatrite and related sulfates is important both from an environmental point of view, due to the presence of these phases in evaporitic deposits, soils and sediments including extraterrestrial occurrences, and from the technological point of view, due to the use of these materials in many industrial applications.     

Late Pleistocene–Holocene environments in Valle Carbajal, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina

The authors discuss Late Pleistocene–Holocene depositional environments in one of the Fuegian Andes valleys on the basis of palynological, geomorphological, and sedimentological analyses from two sites located near the Beagle Channel. The results obtained at these localities reinforce and refine the Late Pleistocene–Holocene climatic pattern previously recorded there. A colder period, associated with the Younger Dryas stadial event, is suggested by low Nothofagus pollen frequency, and communities of grass, low scrub, and shrub heath expanded into the low/middle slopes (10,310 ¹⁴C yr BP). By ca. 9500 ¹⁴C yr BP, warmer and drier conditions occurred, as evidenced by the development of open-grown vegetation in the valley floors (pollen zone O-3), followed by the expansion of open Nothofagus woodland (pollen zone O-2) in the middle Holocene. The milder climate subsequently changed, as indicated by the spreading of the closed forest and mire (pollen zone O-1), to more humid and cooler conditions during the last ca. 5000 yr BP.     

Monitoring large oil slick dynamics with moderate resolution multispectral satellite data

Accidental release of crude oil into the sea due to human activity causes water pollution and heavy damages to natural ecosystems killing birds, fish, mammals and other organisms. A number of monitoring systems are used for tracking the spills and their effects on the marine environment, as well as for collecting data for feeding models. Among them, Earth observation technologies play a crucial role and moderate spatial resolution satellite systems are able to collect images with a very short revisit time or even daily. This paper describes the use of Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer data for monitoring large oil slicks with the fluorescence/emissivity index and object-based image analysis. Two case studies are presented: the Deepwater Horizon (2010) and the Campos Basin (2011) oil spill accidents. Results show that it is possible to track the dynamics of the slick both for massive and long-lasting accidents and for smaller and very quick accidents. The main advantages of the method proposed are a straightforward implementation, a fast and semi-automated data processing and the capability of integration of daytime and nighttime acquisitions, as well as its adaptability to different sensors.