Thermochemistry of high pressure garnets and clinopyroxenes in the system CaO-MgO-Al2O3-SiO2

The enthalpies of solution of several synthetic garnets on the join Mg₃Al₂Si₃O₁₂-Ca₃Al₂Si₃O₁₂ (pyrope-grossular) and of several synthetic clinopyroxenes on the join CaMgSi₂O₆-CaAl₂SiO₆ (diopside-Ca-Tschermak's molecule) were measured in a melt of composition 2PbO · B₂O₃ at 970 K. The determinations were made with sufficient precision so that thermochemical characterizations of the solid solutions could be achieved.The pyrope-grossular solutions show positive enthalpies of mixing. The non-ideality in the range 0–30 mole % grossular is relatively the largest and is in good agreement with the predictions of Ganguly and Kennedy (1974) based largely on cation partitioning of natural high grade metamorphic garnets with biotite, and with the deductions of Hensenet al. (1975) based on measurement of the compositions of synthetic pyrope-rich garnets equilibrated with anorthite, Al₂SiO₅ and quartz. However, the garnets show smaller excess enthalpies at higher grossular contents. This would lead to an asymmetric solvus with a critical temperature lower than predicted by the symmetrical regular solution model of Ganguly and Kennedy (1974). The composition-dependent non-ideality can be understood by simple ionic size considerations in solid substitution and is analogous to the situations for the calcite-dolomite and enstatite-diopside solvi.The heats of solution of pyropes crystallized in the range 1000–1500°C were all the same, within the precision of measurement, and thus we have found no evidence for temperature-dependent cation disordering as a possible explanation of the high entropy of pyrope, as suggested by Charluet al. (1975). Positional disorder of dodecahedral Mg is a more probable reason.The diopside-CaTs join is also non-ideal, with the larger positive enthalpy deviations near the diopside end. The calorimetric data in the magnesian range are consistemt with the model for completely disordered tetrahedral Si and Al which results from the free energy derivations of wood (1975) based on syntheses of diopside-rich aluminous pyroxenes in the presence of anorthite and quartz. At higher Al concentrations the calorimetric data seem more consistent with the ‘local charge-balance’ model of Wood (1975).No evidence for temperature-dependent disorder was found for either the diopside or CaTs end-members.     

Movement and propagation of multicellular convective storms

Migration velocities of convective storms are summarized for six situations, with different environmental wind fields. Small-and medium-sized storms generally moved to left of the direction of, and at speeds somewhat less than, the vector mean wind in the troposphere. Large-diameter (ca. 20–30 km) storms generally deviated to the right, in proportion to their sizes and to the veering of wind with height. This behavior, and the tendency for large storms to move appreciably slower than the mean wind, are even more pronounced when giant clusters of thunderstorms are considered. An example is analyzed in which a multicellular storm, 80 km wide, moved 55° to right of the mean wind and with half its speed. This behavior results from a characteristic pattern of propagation, in which new cells tend to form on the general upwind side of the cluster, with the larger and more intense cells developing on its right flank. The individual cells move through the cluster, dissipating on approach to its advancing and left flanks. Preferential formation of cells toward the rear side of the cluster is shown to be compatible with the probable origin and trajectories (relative to the moving storm) of air ascending from the lower part of the subcloud layer. The sometimes-observed rapid movement of large multicellular storms to left of the mean wind is partly accounted for by an opposite (left forward flank) pattern of propagation.     

Discussion of “Thermodynamic parameters of CaMgSi<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>6</Subscript>-Mg<Subscript>2</Subscript>Si<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>6</Subscript> pyroxenes based on regular solution and cooperative disordering models” by Holland,Navrotsky, and Newton

Phase equilibria in the join CaMgSi₂O₆-CaFeAlSiO₆-CaTiAl₂O₆ have been determined in air at 1 atm by the ordinary quenching method. Clinopyroxene_ss, forsterite, perovskite, magnetite_ss, spinel_ss, hibonite and an unknown phase X are present at liquidus temperatures (ss: solid solution). At subsolidus temperatures the following phase assemblages were encountered; clinopyroxene_ss+perovskite, clinopyroxene_ss +perovskite+spinel_ss, clinopyroxene_ss +perovskite+melilite (+anorthite), clinopyroxene_ss +perovskite+melilite+spinel_ss+anorthite, clinopyroxene_ss +perovskite+anorthite+spinel_ss, and clinopyroxene_ss +perovskite+anorthite+hibonite. At subsolidus temperatures the single phase field of clinopyroxene_ss extends up to 19 wt.% CaTiAl₂O₆. Even in the field of clinopyroxene_ss+perovskite, the TiO₂ content in clinopyroxene_ss continues to increase and attains 9.2 wt.% TiO₂ with 24.8 wt.% Al₂O₃. An interesting fact is that unusual clinopyroxenes which contain more Al^IV than Si^IV are present in the CaFe-AlSiO₆-rich region. The liquid coexisting with pyroxene is richer in Ti, Al, and Fe³⁺ than the coexisting pyroxene. The clinopyroxenes_ss coexisting with liquid contain less TiO₂, Al₂O₃ and Fe₂O₃ than those crystallized at subsolidus temperatures. The petrological significance of the join and the crystallization of Ti- and Al-rich clinopyroxenes are discussed on the basis of the experimental results of the join.     

A calorimetric investigation of the stability of anhydrous magnesium cordierite with application to granulite facies metamorphism

The heats of solution of synthetic anhydrous Mg-cordierite and of its high-pressure breakdown assemblage sapphirine + quartz (+ enstatite?) have been measured in a lead borate melt at 694°C. The ΔH of this reaction at this temperature and one atmosphere is 6.1±1 kilocalorie per mole of cordierite. A P-T stability diagram of cordierite relative to other synthetic phases in the system MgO-Al₂O₃-SiO₂ was constructed which satisfies the heat of reaction data and all other reliable observations pertaining to the stability of anhydrous cordierite. The stability field of cordierite is limited by boundaries of very small dP/dT slopes. The maximum pressure of cordierite stability is about 8 kilobars. Above an invariant point near 950°C the sapphirine-bearing assemblage is the stable breakdown product of cordierite. Below 950°C the stable breakdown assemblage is enstatite + sillimanite + quartz. New heat of solution data for orthorhombic enstatite are presented which allow a calculation of the lower-temperature breakdown boundary. This calculation is in good agreement with the boundary deduced above. The calculated breakdown pressure of cordierite at 700°C is 5.6±1.5 kilobars. This is much lower than estimates of earlier workers and shows that cordierite stability is greatly restricted under very dry conditions. Heat of solution data of natural low-iron cordierite and sapphirine samples are presented. These indicate that synthetic cordierite is energetically close to natural cordierite and is therefore an adequate stability model to apply to natural occurrences but that the synthetic sapphirine prepared by the breakdown of cordierite is quite different from natural sapphirine. An estimate of the breakdown relations of cordierite relative to natural sapphirine is presented, which looks quite like the diagram of the synthetic system except that the invariant point is shifted to considerably lower temperatures. A consequence of the present work is that if conditions of metamorphism were very dry, pressures of only six to eight kilobars would have been necessary to produce the dense anhydrous assemblages equivalent to natural cordierite which are found in some ancient granulites. The subcrustal pressures considered necessary by some workers should not be regarded as established by presently available evidence.     

Impact of Fertilization on a Salt Marsh Food Web in Georgia

We examined the response of a salt marsh food web to increases in nutrients at 19 coastal sites in Georgia. Fertilization increased the nitrogen content of the two dominant plants, Spartina alterniflora and Juncus roemerianus, indicating that added nutrients were available to and taken up by both species. Fertilization increased Spartina cover, height, and biomass and Juncus height, but led to decreases in Juncus cover and biomass. Fertilization increased abundances of herbivores (grasshoppers) and herbivore damage, but had little effect on decomposers (fungi), and no effect on detritivores (snails). In the laboratory, herbivores and detritivores did not show a feeding preference for fertilized versus control plants of either species, nor did detritivores grow more rapidly on fertilized versus control plants, suggesting that changes in herbivore abundance in the field were driven more by plant size or appearance than by plant nutritional quality. Community patterns in control plots varied predictably among sites (i.e., 17 of 20 regression models examining variation in biological variables across sites were significant), but variation in the effects of fertilization across sites could not be easily predicted (i.e., only 6 of 20 models were significant). Natural variation among sites was typically similar or greater than impacts of fertilization when both were assessed using the coefficient of variation. Overall, these results suggest that eutrophication of salt marshes is likely to have stronger impacts on plants and herbivores than on decomposers and detritivores, and that impacts at any particular site might be hard to distinguish from natural variation among sites.     

The optimum distance at which to determine the size of a giant air shower

To determine the size of an extensive air shower it is not necessary to have knowledge of the function that describes the fall-off of signal size from the shower core (the lateral distribution function). In this paper an analysis with a simple Monte Carlo model is used to show that an optimum ground parameter can be identified for each individual shower. At this optimal core distance, r_opt, the fluctuations in the expected signal, S(r_opt), due to a lack of knowledge of the lateral distribution function are minimised. Furthermore it is shown that the optimum ground parameter is determined primarily by the array geometry, with little dependence on the energy or zenith angle of the shower or choice of lateral distribution function. For an array such as the Pierre Auger Southern Observatory, with detectors separated by 1500 m in a triangular configuration, the optimum distance at which to measure this characteristic signal is close to 1000 m.     

The Meteoritical Bulletin,No. 93, 2008 March

Abstract— In this edition of the Meteoritical Bulletin, 1443 approved meteorite names with their relevant data are reported, one from a specific location within Africa, 211 from Northwest Africa, 5 from KOREAMET, 598 from the Chinese Antarctic Expedition, 23 from the Americas, 151 from Asia, three from Australia, two from Europe, two from NOVA, and 447 from ANSMET that were not reported in the Meteoritical Bulletin no. 87. Also reported are 4 falls from the Americas. Some highlights of approved meteorites are 10 lunar (including NWA 5000, an 11.528 kg sample), 3 Martian, 4 irons (one from Indonesia), 2 ureilites, 5 mesosiderites, 1 pallasite, 6 brachinites, 3 CV3s, 4 CO3s, 8 CMs, 12 CK3s, and many more. Finally, the Committee on Nomenclature of the Meteoritical Society announces two new names series in North America.     

Pattern-based conditional simulation with a raster path: a few techniques to make it more efficient

Mass transport is known to depend on heterogeneity in geological formations. This entails geological bodies with complex geometries. The major interest of multiple-point simulation is its ability to reproduce such geological features through the use of a training image. The idea behind the training image is to describe a geological concept with the expected geological architecture. Its structural content is then used to infer multiple-point statistics. This yields a database with a variety of possible patterns or events. In this paper, we present a hybrid algorithm combining geostatistical multiplepoint and texture synthesis techniques for simulating geological reservoir models constrained to hard data. The proposed algorithm is a two steps process, involving first analysis with the building of an organized database from the training image content, and second synthesis with the simulation of a realization. Various tests are performed to investigate the potential of the algorithm in terms of computation time and ability to properly reproduce the shapes and connectivity features of the objects represented in the training image. We also propose a few improvements to make the algorithm more efficient. Last, six examples are presented based upon different kinds of training images depicting large-scale channelized and fractured media as well as fine-scale porous media.     

Metal tissue levels in Steller sea lion (Eumetopias jubatus) pups

The endangered Western population of the Steller sea lion declined for three decades for uncertain reasons. We present baseline data of metal concentrations in pups as a first step towards investigating the potential threat of developmental exposures to contaminants. Seven metals were investigated: arsenic, cadmium, silver, aluminum, mercury, lead and vanadium. Vanadium was detected in only a single blubber sample. Mercury appears to be the most toxicologically significant metal with concentrations in the liver well above the current action level for mercury in fish. The concentrations of aluminum, arsenic, silver, cadmium and lead were present in one-fourth to two-thirds of all samples and were at either comparable or below concentrations previously reported. Neither gender nor region had a significant effect on metal burdens. Future work should consider metal concentrations in juveniles and adults and toxicological studies need to be performed to begin to assess the toxicity of these metals.