Emplacement and deformation of the ca. 1.45 Ga Karlshamn granitoid pluton,southeastern Sweden,during ENE-WSW Danopolonian shortening

Anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility and structural geology of the ca. 1.45 Ga Karlshamn pluton (southern Sweden) are used to study its emplacement and structural evolution. The Karlshamn pluton is one of the largest metaluminous A-type granitoid intrusions in southern Sweden. It is a multiphase body made up of two suites that differ in composition but which have similar crystallization ages. The magmatic foliation, ductile shear zones and granite–pegmatite filled fractures were mapped as well as the metamorphic foliation and extension lineation in the metamorphic host rocks. The anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility was used to map the magnetite petrofabric of the pluton, providing a larger data set for both the magmatic foliations and lineations, which could not be mapped in the field. The fabrics within the pluton are continuous with the metamorphic fabrics in the country rocks. Both the pluton and the country rock fabrics were folded during ENE–WSW compression, while the pluton was still a magma mush. The stress field orientation during cooling of the pluton is determined on the basis of magmatic, ductile and brittle structures in the Karlshamn pluton that formed successively as the pluton cooled. The compressional event is referred to as the Danopolonian orogeny and therefore the Karlshamn granitoids, and other plutons of similar composition and age in central and southern Sweden, on the Danish Island of Bornholm, and in Lithuania, may be considered as syntectonic intrusions and not as anorogenic, as was previously thought.     

Starspot distributions on XY UMa during 1997–2000 from eclipse mapping

We present narrow-band red light curves and surface maps of the short-period RS CVn binary system XY UMa, obtained between 1997 January and 2000 March. The light-curve morphology of this system is known to vary on time-scales of a few days. We have used eclipse-mapping techniques to map the distribution of cool starspots on the surface of the primary star. The resulting maps show the continued evolution of spot features on time-scales of a few days to a week. By comparison with the images of Collier Cameron & Hilditch, we also find evidence for longer term trends, including a decline to an activity minimum during 1997 and a rise in activity during 1998–2000. We also find marginal evidence from the O–C ephemeris curves for a periodicity and a peak corresponding to the time of activity minimum.     

Sensitivity and cost considerations for the detection and eradication of marine pests in ports

Port surveys are being conducted in Australia, New Zealand and around the world to confirm the presence or absence of particular marine pests. The most critical aspect of these surveys is their sensitivity-the probability that they will correctly identify a species as present if indeed it is present. This is not, however, adequately addressed in the relevant national and international standards. Simple calculations show that the sensitivity of port survey methods is closely related to their encounter rate-the average number of target individuals expected to be detected by the method. The encounter rate (which reflects any difference in relative pest density), divided by the cost of the method, provides one way to compare the cost-effectiveness of different survey methods. The most cost-effective survey method is site- and species-specific but, in general, will involve sampling from the habitat with the highest expected population of target individuals. A case study of Perna viridis in Trinity Inlet, Cairns, demonstrates that plankton trawls processed with gene probes provide the same level of sensitivity for a fraction of the cost associated with the next best available method-snorkel transects in bad visibility (secchi depth=0.72 m). Visibility and the adult/larvae ratio, however, are critical to these arguments. If visibility were good (secchi depth=10 m), the two approaches would be comparable. Diver deployed quadrats were at least three orders of magnitude less cost-effective in this case study. It is very important that environmental managers and scientists perform sensitivity calculations before embarking on port surveys to ensure the highest level of sensitivity is achieved for any given budget.     

Composition of groundwaters associated with porphyry-Cu deposits, Atacama Desert, Chile: Elemental and isotopic constraints on water sources and water-rock reactions

Groundwaters were collected around the Spence porphyry copper deposit, Atacama Desert, northern Chile, to study water-porphyry copper ore bodies interaction and test hypotheses regarding transport of metals through thick overburden leading to the formation of soil geochemical anomalies. The deposit contains 400 Mt of 1% Cu and is completely buried by piedmont gravels of Miocene age. Groundwaters were recovered from the eastern up hydraulic gradient (upflow) margin of the Spence deposit, from within the deposit, and for two kilometers down flow from the deposit. Water table depths decrease from 90 m at the upflow margin to 30 m 1.5 km down flow. Groundwaters at the Spence deposit are compositionally variable with those upflow of the deposit characterized by relatively low salinities (900-7000 mg/L) and Na⁺-SO₄²⁻-type compositions. These waters have compositions and stable isotope values similar to regional groundwaters recovered elsewhere in the Atacama Desert of Northern Chile. In contrast, groundwaters recovered within and down flow of the deposit range in salinity from 10,000 to 55,000 mg/L (one groundwater at 145,000 mg/L) and are dominantly Na⁺-Cl⁻-type waters. Dissolved sulfate values are, however, elevated compared to upflow waters, and δ³⁴S_CDT decreases into the deposit (from >4‰ to 2‰), consistent with increasing influence of sulfur derived from oxidation of sulfide minerals within the deposit. The increase in salinity and conservative tracers (Cl⁻, Br⁻, Li⁺, and Na⁺) and the relationship between oxygen and hydrogen isotopes suggests that in addition to water-rock reactions within the deposit, most of the compositional variation can be explained by groundwater mixing (with perhaps a minor role for evaporation). A groundwater-mixing scenario implies a deeper, more saline groundwater source mixing with the less saline regional groundwater-flow system. Flow of deeper, more saline groundwater along pre-existing structures has important implications for geochemical exploration and metal-transport models.     

Extreme spatial variations in crime density in Baltimore County, MD

A salient characteristic of the geography of crime in the US is the presence of extremely sharp geographic variations. These variations may be significant indicators of local environmental inequalities and may have implications for fear of crime and crime contagion, and may also be indicators of potential or actual neighborhood instability. Such micro-level variations are not generally apparent on small scale maps of urban crime. Previously, micro-level analysis of this gradient phenomenon has been inhibited by the confluence of large volumes of data over large areas, a plethora of possible boundaries that might be used for the purpose of data aggregation, and practical difficulties in the identification of gradients in the context of small units of analysis. The present study attempts to identify steep crime gradients and to characterize the physical and social circumstances under which they occur. Analysis was based on 97,880 geocodable incidents reported in 2000 in Baltimore County, Maryland. Crime densities were calculated for 5324 census blocks that experienced at least one crime incident. A steep gradient for the purpose of this research was the juxtaposition of blocks in the highest and lowest quintiles in terms of crime density. Using residential and commercial land uses as a filter, some 259 blocks satisfied the gradient criterion. Further analysis linked these blocks to their parent block groups for the purpose of identifying their social attributes. In addition, six clusters of blocks were investigated in the field. A typology of adjacencies identified six categories.     

The 2dF Galaxy Redshift Survey: the power spectrum and the matter content of the Universe

The 2dF Galaxy Redshift Survey has now measured in excess of 160 000 galaxy redshifts. This paper presents the power spectrum of the galaxy distribution, calculated using a direct Fourier transform based technique. We argue that, within the k -space region     , the shape of this spectrum should be close to that of the linear density perturbations convolved with the window function of the survey. This window function and its convolving effect on the power spectrum estimate are analysed in detail. By convolving model spectra, we are able to fit the power-spectrum data and provide a measure of the matter content of the Universe. Our results show that models containing baryon oscillations are mildly preferred over featureless power spectra. Analysis of the data yields 68 per cent confidence limits on the total matter density times the Hubble parameter     , and the baryon fraction     , assuming scale-invariant primordial fluctuations.     

A new iterative technique for the deconvolution of real data

A fast new deconvolution technique has been developed which employs a complex iterative scheme in order to deconvolve severely broadened noisy data. A great many computer-simulated experiments have been made using the iterative scheme in order to test its reliability and stability in many different situations. It is found to be extremely reliable in the reclaiming of partially resolved multi-featured spectra and can be used with any type of instrumental profile. Deconvolution of single Gaussian features are achieved in 5% noise conditions, where the instrumental profile is 5 times broader than the spectral features to be reclaimed.