The Contribution of Groundwater Discharge to Nutrient Exports from a Coastal Catchment: Post-Flood Seepage Increases Estuarine N/P Ratios

Four months of daily nutrient and radon (a natural groundwater tracer) observations at the outlet of a heavily drained coastal wetland illustrated how episodic floods and diffuse groundwater seepage influence the biogeochemistry of a sub-tropical estuary (Richmond River, New South Wales, Australia). Our observations downstream of the Tuckean Swamp (an acid sulphate soil floodplain) covered a dry stage, a flood triggered by a 213-mm rain event and a post-flood stage when surface water chemistry was dominated by groundwater discharge. Significant correlations were found between radon and ammonium and N/P ratios and between radon and dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) during the post-flood stage. While the flood lasted for 14?% of the time of the surface water time series, it accounted for 18?% of NH₄, 32?% of NO _x , 66?% of DON, 58?% of PO₄ and 55?% of dissolved organic phosphorus (DOP) catchment exports. Over the 4-month study period, groundwater fluxes of 35.0, 3.6, 36.3, 0.5 and 0.7?mmol?m^?2?day^?1 for NH₄, NO _x , DON, PO₄ and DOP, respectively, were estimated. The groundwater contribution to the total surface water catchment exports was nearly 100?% for ammonium, and <20?% for the other nutrients. Post-flood groundwater seepage shifted the system from a DON to a dissolved inorganic N-dominated system and doubled N/P ratios in surface waters. We hypothesise that the Richmond River Estuary N/P ratios may reflect a widespread trend of tidal rivers and estuaries becoming more groundwater-dominated and phosphorus-limited as coastal wetlands are drained for agriculture, grazing and development.     

Bidirectional Type III Solar Radio Bursts

Bidirectional coronal type III bursts are modeled by combining a model of coronal electron heating and beam generation via time-of-flight effects with semiquantitative estimates of quasilinear relaxation. Electromagnetic emissivities are estimated by extending the recently developed theory of interplanetary type III bursts to coronal emissions, including its features of stochastic Langmuir-wave growth and three-wave interactions. The results are investigated for heating on open and closed coronal field lines and are compared with observations of normal, reverse-slope, bidirectional, and inverted-J and -U coronal type III radio bursts. Harmonic emission is predicted to dominate at plasma frequencies above roughly 100 MHz where the efficiency of fundamental emission falls off steeply, while its free-free reabsorption rises. The model also explains the observed trends in the likelihood of occurrence of normal, reverse-slope, and bidirectional coronal type III bursts.     

Lunar meteorite Queen Alexandra Range 93069 and the iron concentration of the lunar highlands surface

Abstract— Lunar meteorite Queen Alexandra Range 93069 is a clast-rich, glassy-matrix regolith breccia of ferroan, highly aluminous bulk composition. It is similar in composition to other feldspathic lunar meteorites but differs in having higher concentrations of siderophile elements and incompatible trace elements. Based on electron microprobe analyses of the fusion crust, glassy matrix, and clasts, and instrumental neutron activation analysis of breccia fragments, QUE 93069 is dominated by nonmare components of ferroan, noriticanorthosite bulk composition. Thin section QUE 93069,31 also contains a large, impact-melted, partially devitrified clast of magnesian, anorthositic-norite composition. The enrichment in Fe, Sc, and Cr and lower Mg/Fe ratio of lunar meteorites Yamato 791197 and Yamato 82192/3 compared to other feldspathic lunar meteorites can be attributed to a small proportion (5–10%) of low-Ti mare basalt. It is likely that the nonmare components of Yamato 82192/3 are similar to and occur in similar abundance to those of Yamato 86032, with which it is paired. There is a significant difference between the average FeO concentration of the lunar highlands surface as inferred from the feldspathic lunar meteorites (mean: ～5.0%; range: 4.3–6.1%) and a recent estimate based on data from the Clementine mission (3.6%).     

Heavy-element abundances from a neutron burst that produces Xe-H

Abstract— We examine quantitatively the suggestion that the heavy anomalous isotopes of Xe-HL found in meteoritic diamonds were produced by a short intense neutron burst and then implanted into the diamonds. Using a large nuclear reaction network we establish one (out of many) neutron irradiation histories that successfully reproduces the heavy isotopes of Xe-HL, and then evaluate what that same history would produce in every heavy element. This has become more relevant following recent measurement of anomalous Ba and Sr in those same diamond samples. Therefore we offer these calculations as a guide to the anomalies to be expected in all elements if this scenario is correct. We also discuss several other aspects of the problem, especially the established contradictions for Ba, the observed Kr pattern, the near normalcy of ¹²⁹Xe, and some related astrophysical ideas. In particular we argue from p-process theory that the observed deficit of ⁷⁸Kr in correlation with ^124–126Xe excess implicates Type II supernovae as the diamond sources. However, our more complete astrophysical conclusions will be published elsewhere. This present work is offered as computational expectation for this class of models and as a guide to considerations that may accelerate the digestion of new experimental results in the diamonds.     

Detrital zircon geochronology of pre‐ and syncollisional strata,Acadian orogen,Maine Appalachians

The Central Maine Basin is the largest expanse of deep‐marine, Upper Ordovician to Devonian metasedimentary rocks in the New England Appalachians, and is a key to the tectonics of the Acadian Orogeny. Detrital zircon ages are reported from two groups of strata: (1) the Quimby, Rangeley, Perry Mountain and Smalls Falls Formations, which were derived from inboard, northwesterly sources and are supposedly older; and (2) the Madrid, Carrabassett and Littleton Formations, which were derived from outboard, easterly sources and are supposedly younger. Deep‐water deposition prevailed throughout, with the provenance shift inferred to mark the onset of foredeep deposition and orogeny. The detrital zircon age distribution of a composite of the inboard‐derived units shows maxima at 988 and 429 Ma; a composite from the outboard‐derived units shows maxima at 1324, 1141, 957, 628, and 437 Ma. The inboard‐derived units have a greater proportion of zircons between 450 and 400 Ma. Three samples from the inboard‐derived group have youngest age maxima that are significantly younger than the nominal depositional ages. The outboard‐derived group does not share this problem. These results are consistent with the hypothesised provenance shift, but they signal potential problems with the established stratigraphy, structure, and (or) regional mapping. Shallow‐marine deposits of the Silurian to Devonian Ripogenus Formation, from northwest of the Central Maine Basin, yielded detrital zircons featuring a single age maximum at 441 Ma. These zircons were likely derived from a nearby magmatic arc now concealed by younger strata. Detrital zircons from the Tarratine Formation, part of the Acadian foreland‐basin succession in this strike belt, shows age maxima at 1615, 980 and 429 Ma. These results are consistent with three episodes of zircon recycling beginning with the deposition of inboard‐derived strata of the Central Maine Basin, which were shed from post‐Taconic highlands located to the northwest. Next, southeasterly parts of this succession were deformed in the Acadian orogeny, shedding detritus towards the northwest into what remained of the basin. Finally, by Pragian time, all strata in the Central Maine Basin had been deformed and detritus from this new source accumulated as the Tarratine Formation in a new incarnation of the foreland basin. Silurian‐Devonian strata from the Central Maine Basin have similar detrital zircon age distributions to coeval rocks from the Arctic Alaska and Farewell terranes of Alaska and the Northwestern terrane of Svalbard. We suggest that these strata were derived from different segments of the 6500‐km‐long Appalachian‐Caledonide orogen.     

Sulfur isotope evidence for penetration of MVT fluids into igneous basement rocks,southeast Missouri,USA

Previous studies of galena and sphalerite from Paleozoic MVT deposits in the Viburnum Trend, southeast Missouri documented large variations in ³⁴S values throughout the ore-forming event. The present study of Cu-Fe-sulfides reveals a similar ³⁴S variation that reflects two end-member sulfur reservoirs whose relative importance varied both temporally and spatially. More ³⁴S-enriched sulfides (³⁴S approaching 25) indicate introduction of sulfur from basinal sedimentary sources, whereas more ³²S-enriched sulfides (³⁴S < 5) may reflect fluids moving through underlying granitic basement. Two areas containing Precambrian, igneous-hosted FeCu mineralization in southeast Missouri (West and Central Domes of Boss-Bixby) were investigated to elucidate their relationship to Cu-rich MVT orebodies hosted nearby within the overlying Cambrian Bonneterre Dolomite. Mineralization at Boss-Bixby is composed of an early phase of iron oxide deposition followed by Cu-Fe-sulfides. The Central Dome is faulted and its mineralization is more fracture-controlled than the typically podiform ores of the West Dome. The ³⁴S values of West Dome sulfides are 0.9 to 6.5 and pyrite-chalcopyrite indicate a temperature of 525° ± 50 °C. These data indicate an igneous source of sulfur during Precambrian ore deposition. In contrast, ³⁴S values of Central Dome sulfides are 9.4 to 20.0 and pyrite-chalcopyrite indicate temperatures of 275° ± 50 °C. Similar ³⁴S values are obtained for chalcopyrite from the overlying MVT deposits. We speculate that deeply circulating, basin-derived MVT fluids mobilized sulfur and copper from the underlying igneous basement and redeposited them in overlying Curich MVT orebodies, as well as overprinting earlier Precambrian sulfides of the Central Dome with a later, Paleozoic MVT sulfur isotope signature. Many models for MVT fluid circulation in the Midcontinent region of North America assume that igneous basement rocks are an impermeable boundary, but in southeast Missouri, evidence exists for structurally controlled MVT fluid movement > 600 m vertically through underlying Precambrian igneous rocks. Such basement involvement has been suggested for other carbonate-hosted base-metal districts (e.g. Irish base metal deposits) and should be considered an integral part of the ore-forming process in southeast Missouri.     

Gods of the City? Reflecting on City Building Games as an Early Introduction to Urban Systems

For millions of gamers and students alike, city building games (CBGs) like SimCity and the more recent Cities: Skylines present a compelling initial introduction to the world of urban planning and development. As such, these games have great potential to shape players’ understanding and expectations of real urban patterns and processes. In this article I argue that, despite the fundamental role of agency in CBGs and other sandbox type games, players are constrained by the developers’ assumptions and biases regarding how cities ought to look and function. Of particular consideration is the tendency among CBGs to emphasize personal transportation over transit, autocentric over mixed-use development, and simplified social dynamics over a more realistic model.