Satellite estimates and subpixel variability of rainfall in a semi-arid grassland

卫星估雨精度的不确定性受到当地降雨类型和像元内降雨非均匀性影响,而结合这两个关键因素开展半干旱草原卫星估雨的研究有限.2009年夏,我们在中国锡林郭勒半干旱草原用多部微雨雷达和雨量计构建了9 km卫星像元降雨观测网,观测了像元内降雨非均匀性(空间变异系数CV),并评估了卫星估雨精度.结果表明:(1)CV值受像元内平均降雨量,降雨类型,降雨云面积及移向等影响,如高Cv值的降雨过程大多为平均降雨量小,对流性降雨过程,降雨云边缘像元CV值较高;(2)TRMM 3B42V7卫星估雨产品适用性较好,CMORPH和PERSIANN次之,但TRMM 3B42V7易在半干旱草原湖泊处高估降雨.     

Ex situ cultivation of Aplysinaaerophoba close to in situ conditions: ecological, biochemical and histological aspects

Sponges provide the largest number of biologically active natural products known from the marine environment and continue to be a very well studied phylum of marine fauna. The Mediterranean sponge Aplysina aerophoba accumulates brominated isoxazoline alkaloids such as Aplysinamisin-1, Aerophobin-2, Isofistularin-3 and the biotransformation product Aeroplysinin-1, which possesses, for example, antibiotic and cytotoxic properties. Until now, it is still being discussed which organisms – the sponge itself or associated microorganisms – are responsible for metabolite production. For cultivating Aplysina individuals under ex situ conditions, we surveyed relevant ecological factors in situ and controlled them in our aquarium system. We maintained A. aerophoba for more than 9 months and analysed changes of metabolite content and composition, microbial association as well as morphology in situ and ex situ under different light exposure. Although sponges showed slight reduction during maintenance, ex situ cultivation similar to in situ conditions provides a promising method to keep sponges and obtain their bioactive metabolites.     

Unique achondrite Northwest Africa 11042: Exploring the melting and breakup of the L chondrite parent body

Northwest Africa (NWA) 11042 is a heavily shocked achondrite with medium‐grained cumulate textures. Its olivine and pyroxene compositions, oxygen isotopic composition, and chromium isotopic composition are consistent with L chondrites. Sm‐Nd dating of its primary phases shows a crystallization age of 4100 ± 160 Ma. Ar‐Ar dating of its shocked mineral maskelynite reveals an age of 484.0 ± 1.5 Ma. This age coincides roughly with the breakup event of the L chondrite parent body evident in the shock ages of many L chondrites and the terrestrial record of fossil L chondritic chromite. NWA 11042 shows large depletions in siderophile elements (<0.01×CI) suggestive of a complex igneous history involving extraction of a Fe‐Ni‐S liquid on the L chondrite parent body. Due to its relatively young crystallization age, the heat source for such an igneous process is most likely impact. Because its mineralogy, petrology, and O isotopes are similar to the ungrouped achondrite NWA 4284 (this work), the two meteorites are likely paired and derived from the same parent body.     

On the occurrence and origin of anthropogenic radionuclides found in a fragment of the Chelyabinsk (LL5) meteorite

A piece of the 2013 Chelyabinsk meteorite was investigated for its content of anthropogenic radionuclides. In addition to traces of cesium‐137 that had been previously reported for this particular fragment, we found an unusually high amount of strontium‐90, which indicates that the source of this contamination was the Kyshtym accident (1957). A high Sr‐90/Cs‐137 activity ratio is characteristic for Kyshtym‐derived contaminations. Based on the cesium‐137 content in the soil from the finding site, it is estimated that the fragment was contaminated with soil particles in the milligram range upon impact. Investigation of the soil revealed very unusual ferromagnetic characteristics and an iron‐rich chemical composition. Mössbauer spectroscopy indicated the presence of steel components in this soil, suggesting that the investigated meteorite fragment was found in an industrial dumping site rather than natural soil.     

Observations of some sedimentary processes acting on a tidal flat

In order to examine sedimentary processes acting on tidal flats, eighteen foot valves were “plumbed” into a small tidal cove in southern New Hampshire. Transport of suspended sediment was determined by comparing concentrations (determined by filtering) at 15 and 30 cm above the tidal flats throughout a tidal cycle. In general, sediment resuspension occurs more readily on the flood tide than the ebb. The concentration of suspended sediment follows the water mass distribution and is affected to a lesser degree by tidal currents and small amplitude waves. Deposition occurs during slack water shortly after high tide primarily in the bottom regime (15 cm); it is probably related to coarser particle sedimentation. The water mass distribution was not a simple rise and fall perpendicular to the bottom contours, but rather followed a slow clockwise gyre. The net effect on the suspended sediments was to impart a “longshore” component of drift to the suspended load during the tidal cycle.     

Trends,drivers and impacts of changes in swidden cultivation in tropical forest-agriculture frontiers: A global assessment

This meta-analysis of land-cover transformations of the past 10–15 years in tropical forest-agriculture frontiers world-wide shows that swidden agriculture decreases in landscapes with access to local, national and international markets that encourage cattle production and cash cropping, including biofuels. Conservation policies and practices also accelerate changes in swidden by restricting forest clearing and encouraging commercial agriculture. However, swidden remains important in many frontier areas where farmers have unequal or insecure access to investment and market opportunities, or where multi-functionality of land uses has been preserved as a strategy to adapt to current ecological, economic and political circumstances. In some areas swidden remains important simply because intensification is not a viable choice, for example when population densities and/or food market demands are low. The transformation of swidden landscapes into more intensive land uses has generally increased household incomes, but has also led to negative effects on the social and human capital of local communities to varying degrees. From an environmental perspective, the transition from swidden to other land uses often contributes to permanent deforestation, loss of biodiversity, increased weed pressure, declines in soil fertility, and accelerated soil erosion. Our prognosis is that, despite the global trend towards land use intensification, in many areas swidden will remain part of rural landscapes as the safety component of diversified systems, particularly in response to risks and uncertainties associated with more intensive land use systems.     

Metamorphic evolution of the palaeozoic series of the Betic Cordilleras (Nevado-Filabride complex,SE Spain) and its relationship with the alpine orogeny

The Palaeozoic rocks of the Veleta nappe (Nevado-Filábride complex, Betic Cordilleras, Southern Spain) consist of graphite-mica schists with oxychlorite — chloritoid — albite — garnet porphyroblasts. Crystal chemistry of the minerals, their phase relations and microfabrics are consistent with a normal prograde metamorphic evolution and a slight retrograde overprint. The basis of the overlying Mulhacén nappe consists also of Palaeozoic graphite-mica schists, but with clear signs of polymetamorphic development. An early low-pressure metamorphism with andalusite and chloritoid is overprinted by high-pressure metamorphism with kyanite and Mg-rich chloritoid. This later development is of Alpine age, which is demonstrated by the metamorphic conditions of Permo-Triassic rocks in the upper part of the Mulhacén nappe, included formation of eclogites, followed by an amphibolite facies overprint. The metamorphism of the Veleta nappe is regarded as pre-Alpine: a possible Alpine overprint did not cause an increase in temperatures. No inverse metamorphic gradient exists between Veleta and Mulhacén nappes, because of the different ages of metamorphism.

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Zusammenfassung Die paläozoischen Gesteinsserien der Veletadecke im Nevado-Filábride Komplex (Betische Kordillere, Südspanien) bestehen aus Graphitglimmerschiefern mit Oxichlorit — Chloritoid — Albit — Granat — Porphyroblasten. Die Kristallchemie der Minerale, ihre Phasenbeziehungen und Mikrogefüge sind konsistent mit einer normalen prograden Metamorphoseentwicklung und leichter retrograder Überprägung. Die Basis der darüberliegenden Mulhacendecke besteht ebenfalls aus paläozoischen Graphitglimmerschiefern, die jedoch deutliche Anzeichen für polymetamorphe Entwicklung zeigen: Eine frühe Niedrigdruckmetamorphose mit Andalusit und Chloritoid wird überprägt von einer Hochdruckmetamorphose mit Disthen und Mg-reichem Chloritoid. Diese spätere Entwicklung ist, wie die Metamorphosebedingungen der im Hangenden folgenden permotriadischen Gesteine der Mulhacendecke zeigen, frühalpin und schließt Eklogitbildung mit ein, gefolgt von einer amphibolitfaziellen Überprägung. Die Metamorphose der Veletadecke wird als präalpine Metamorphose angesehen: Eine mögliche alpine Überprägung hat keinen Temperaturanstieg verursacht. Zwischen Mulhacendecke und Veletadecke besteht kein inverser Metamorphosegradient, sondern ein Sprung in den Metamorphosealtern.

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Résumén El Paleozoico del Manto del Veleta (complejo Nevado-Filábride, Cordilleras Béticas, suroeste de España) está formado por micasquistos grafitosos con porfiroblastos de oxicloritas — chloritoide — albita — granate. La cristalquímica de los minerales, sus relaciones de fase y microfábrica son coherentes con una evolución metamórfica progresiva normal y con un ligero retrometamorfismo. La base del suprayacente Manto del Mulhacén está también formado por micasquistos grafitosos paleozoicos, pero muestran signos evidentes de un desarrollo polimetamórfico. El metamorfismo más antiguo tiene unas caracteristicas de baja presión con la formación de andalucita y cloritoide. Estas rocas sufren los efectos de un nuevo proceso metamorfico de edad alpina, lo que puede ser demostrado por comparación con las rocas Permo-Triásicas de la parte superior del Manto del Mulhacén, en las cuales las eclogitas formadas en la primera fase son afectadas por otra en la facies de las anfibolitas. El metamorfismo del Manto del Veleta puede ser probablemente considerado como pre-Alpino: si está afectado por el metamorfismo alpino, éste no ha causado un incremento de temperatura. No existe, por tanto, inversión del gradiente metamórfico entre los Mantos del Veleta y del Mulhacén puesto que la edad del metamorfismo en ambos es diferente.

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Calorimetry of silicate melts at 1773 K: measurement of enthalpies of fusion and of mixing in the systems diopside-anorthite-albite and anorthite-forsterite

Transposed-temperature-drop calorimetry, using a Setaram HT 1500 calorimeter, was used to study directly the melting at 1773 K of mixtures of crystalline albite, anorthite, and diopside and of anorthite and forsterite. The enthalpy of albite at 1000–1773 K, starting with both crystalline and glassy samples, was also measured. The results confirm previously measured enthalpies of fusion of albite, diopside and anorthite (Stebbins et al. 1982, 1983; Richet and Bottinga 1984,1986). The new results use thermochemical cycles which completely avoid the glassy state by transforming crystals directly to melts. The enthalpy of fusion of forsterite is estimated to be 89±12 kJ/mol at 1773 K and 114±20 kJ/mol at its melting point of 2163 K. The data allow semiquantitative evaluation of heats of mixing in the molten silicates. Along the Ab-An join, enthalpies of mixing in the liquid at 773 K are the same or somewhat more negative than those in the glass at 986 K, whereas along Ab-Di and An-Di, enthalpies of mixing in the liquid are distinctly more positive than in the glass. These differences correlate with excess heat capacities in the liquids suggested by Stebbins et al. (1984).