Vitrification darkening of rock powders: implications for optical properties of the lunar surface

Laboratory experiments show that albedoes as low as those on the Moon can be produced by vacuum vitrification and associated chemical fractionation of ordinary terrestrial basaltic material. Vitrification is established as an unequivocal process that can account for the low albedo and apparent local darkening with age of the lunar surface. The spectral reflectance curves of glass powders are significantly different than those of the parent rock mineralogy; thus, the presence of ubiquitous glass in lunar surface material complicates compositional determinations by interpretation of spectral reflectance curves. Vitrification of rocks on the Moon may highly modify the chemical composition of the resulting glass; thus, glass fragments found in lunar fines cannot be assumed to represent bulk parent rock material. Progressive impact vitrification of lunar surface material throughout the Moon's history may have led to a fine-grain, opaque, refractory-rich material we call ultimate glass. This unidentified and, at this point, hypothetical component may exist in dark regolith material; if found, it may be a useful indicator of regolith maturity.Paper dedicated to Prof. Harold C. Urey on the occasion of his 80th birthday on 29 April 1973.     

Decametric radio spectra and positions during the flare of August 28, 1966: 1522 UT

During a period of intense decametric continuum arising near the center of the sun, there occurred additional very strong emission closely associated with the flare beginning at 1522 UT on August 28, 1966. Owing to strong ionospheric absorption from about 1527 UT on, which eliminated telecommunications interference, the frequency range over which the flare-associated emission appears is unusually large, from the upper limit of the spectrograph, 41 MHz, to about 11 MHz, where external reflection cuts off the solar signals. Strong bursts of Type III (fast drift) occur from 1527 to 1531 UT, and a complex Type II (slow drift) from 1532 to 1547 UT. As the Type-II burst progresses at frequencies from 15 to 25 MHz, Northward position shifts of many solar radii probably take place; at higher frequencies the burst moves in a complicated pattern through a much narrower range of distances to the North of the sun. Type-IV emission, from 1540 UT on, moves a large distance to the sun's North, and then, after 1600 UT, returns to a stable position quite close to the sun.     

On the interpretation of the “inverse phase effect” for CO2 equivalent widths on Venus

Computations of the equivalent widths of absorption lines as a function of planetary phase angle are made for a homogeneous cloud with particles having the properties (shape, refractive index, and size distribution) deduced from polarimetry of Venus. The computed equivalent widths show an “inverse phase effect” comparable to that which is observed for CO₂ lines on Venus. This result verifies a recent suggestion of Regas et al. that the existence of an inverse phase effect does not by itself imply the presence of multiple layers of scattering particles in the atmosphere of Venus.     

Compliance costs and the small fisher: A study of exiters from the New Zealand fishery

Over 3000 predominantly small-scale fishers have exited the New Zealand's quota management system (QMS) between its inception in 1986 and 2000. This study, based on the Ministry of Fisheries database and a questionnaire sent to the exiters, establishes that compliance costs in general, and those specifically related to the QMS, were one of the most consistent reasons for exit. Uncertainty about future QMS policy and the high cost of quota were also significant factors. It appears that the small fishers’ perception of high compliance cost can be supported by industry data.     

A seasonal survey of the sterol composition of the cockle cerastoderma edule: A comparison of polluted and non-polluted environments

The sterol composition of a cockle population from an unpolluted environment in South Wales was monitored by monthly sampling over a 12-month period. In spite of the likely variation in dietary sterols during this period, the component sterols of the cockles showed no significant seasonal variation, indicating that the cockle was able to exhibit a high degree of control over the composition of its functional sterols.Dramatic differences were observed in the sterol compositions of a nearby cockle population from a highly polluted environment, near a sewage outfall; only three out of the ten sterols present were common to the unpolluted cockles. Forty-five per cent of the sterols from the ‘polluted’ samples contained fully reduced systems and included three new alkylated C-29, C-30 and C-31 stanols. It is considered possible that these structural changes may affect the stereochemistry of the functional sterols and hence alter the permeability of the animal's membranes. This may reflect a biochemical response to the polluted environment.     

The reliability of analytical data for tributyltin (TBT) in sea water and its implications on water quality criteria

To investigate the reliability of analytical data for tributyltin (TBT) in sea water, split water samples were distributed to ten laboratories in six countries. The sub-surface samples comprised: (i) an offshore (0·5 km) water sample, (ii) the same sample but spiked with an undisclosed quantity of TBT standard compound (175 ng TBT⁺ liter⁻¹), and (iii) a sample taken from a yacht marina. The seven acceptable data sets were in good agreement for the spiked sample (178 ± 26 ng TBT⁺ liter⁻¹) but showed a greater variation in concentrations reported for the yacht marina sample (366 ± 93 ng TBT⁺ liter⁻¹). Atomic absorption and gas chromatographic-flame photometric detection techniques produced results of similar accuracy and precision. Samples acidified with 1 ml of 10% (v/v) acetic acid appeared stable for more than 2 weeks when stored refrigerated and in darkness. Analyses of the offshore seawater sample revealed TBT contamination (9 ± 7 ng TBT⁺ liter⁻¹) indicating dispersion of the compound to the shelf waters off Monaco. The spread in values reported by the laboratories demonstrates inherent difficulties in obtaining good precision below approximately 20 ng TBT⁺ liter⁻¹. This observation is discussed with respect to the setting and enforcing of water quality standards.     

Seasonal methyltin and (3-dimethylsulphonio)propionate concentrations in leaf tissue of Spartina alterniflora of the Great Bay estuary (NH)

Concentrations of total recoverable inorganic tin (TRISn), monomethyltin (MeSn³⁺), dimethyltin (Me₂Sn²⁺), trimethyltin (Me₃Sn⁺) and (3-dimethylsulphonio)propionate (DMSP) were determined in leaves of Spartina alterniflora from three sites in the Great Bay estuary (NH) from 8 May to 15 September 1989. Total methyltin concentration increased from 8·9 ng g⁻¹ (fresh weight) on 8 May to 472 ng g⁻¹ on 23 May, decreased to 52 ng g⁻¹ on 7 June and 16ng g⁻¹ on 20 June, and remained low until the last sample on 18 September. Statistical calculations showed that methyltin concentrations varied significantly with sampling week, but not with site. DMSP concentrations showed very different behaviour. During the same sampling period DMSP concentrations varied only from 7·5 to 26 μmol g⁻¹ (fresh weight). DMSP concentrations varied significantly for site, but not sampling week.     

Sedimentary development of the Louisiana continental shelf related to sea level cycles: Part II—seismic response

Cyclic sequences occur worldwide in nearly every stratigraphic sequence; they are particularly well-developed in fluvial and deltaic sediments that have been influenced by high-frequency eustatic sea-level fluctuations. The large data base for this study (including 471 deep foundation borings, thousands of line kilometers of high-resolution seismic, and sedimentological and dating analyses) represents the most complete information on high-resolution chronostratigraphy and lithostratigraphy that is available on any modern continental shelf/upper slope. These data are used to document sedimentological characteristics and high-resolution seismic responses during three complete sea-level cycles over the entire continental shelf/upper slope of offshore Louisiana. Examination of high-resolution seismic records indicates that well-defined, high-amplitude, laterally continuous reflectors correlate with rising and high stand condensed sedimentary sequences and that the deposits laid down during falling and low-stand periods (expanded sections) are characterized by a wide range of acoustic responses. Discontinuous reflectors with high-amplitude variability, continuous parallel reflectors, and chaotic and amorphous zones are common acoustic responses. The association between a particular lithofacies and a specific acoustic response on 3.5-kHz records was found to be very poor.