Pinch-out style and position of tidally influenced strata in a regressive–transgressive wave-dominated deltaic sandbody, Twentymile Sandstone, Mesaverde Group, NW Colorado

The Upper Cretaceous Twentymile Sandstone of the Mesaverde Group in NW Colorado, USA, has been analysed with respect to its pinch‐out style and the stratigraphic position of tidally influenced facies within the sandstone tongue. Detailed sedimentological analysis has revealed that the Twentymile Sandstone as a whole is a deltaic shoreface sandstone tongue up to 50 m thick proximally. Facies change character vertically from very fine‐grained, storm wave‐dominated shelf sandstones and mudstones to fine‐grained, wave‐dominated sandstones and, finally, to fine‐ to coarse‐grained tidally dominated sandstones. The pinch‐out style is characterized by a basinward splitting of the massive proximal sandbody into seven coarsening‐upward fourth‐order sequences consisting of a lower shaly part and an upper sandy part (sandstone tongue). These are stacked overall to reflect the regressive‐to‐transgressive development of the tongue. Each of the lower sandstone tongues 1–3 are gradationally based, very fine‐grained and dominated by hummocky cross‐stratification and were deposited on the lower to upper shoreface. Sandstone tongues 4 and 5 prograded further basinwards than the underlying tongues, are erosively based, fine‐ to coarse‐grained and mainly hummocky, herringbone and trough cross‐stratified. Especially in tongue 5, tidal indicators, such as bipolar foresets and double mud drapes, are common. These tongues were deposited as upper shoreface and tidal channel sandstones respectively. Sandstone tongues 6 and 7 retrograded in relation to tongue 5, are very fine‐ to fine‐grained and hummocky cross‐stratified. These tongues were deposited in lower shoreface to offshore transition environments. The two lower fourth‐order sequences were deposited during normal regressions during slowly rising or stable relative sea level and represent the highstand systems tract. The three succeeding fourth‐order sequences, which show succeedingly increasing evidence of tidal influence, were deposited during falling and lowstand of relative sea level and represent the falling stage (forced regressive) and lowstand systems tracts. The uppermost two fourth‐order sequences were deposited during rapidly rising sea level in the transgressive systems tract. The maximum tidal influence occurred during lowstand progradation, in contrast to most other published examples reporting maximum tidal influence during transgression.     

A synthetic Earth gravity model based on a topographic-isostatic model

The Earth??s gravity field is related to the topographic potential in medium and higher degrees, which is isostatically compensated. Hence, the topographic-isostatic (TI) data are indispensable for extending an available Earth Gravitational Model (EGM) to higher degrees. Here we use TI harmonic coefficients to construct a Synthetic Earth Gravitational Model (SEGM) to extend the EGMs to higher degrees. To achieve a high-quality SEGM, a global geopotential model (EGM96) is used to describe the low degrees, whereas the medium and high degrees are obtained from the TI or topographic potential. This study differes from others in that it uses a new gravimetric-isostatic model for determining the TI potential. We test different alternatives based on TI or only topographic data to determine the SEGM. Although the topography is isostatically compensated only to about degree 40?C60, our study shows that using a compensation model improves the SEGM in comparison with using only topographic data for higher degree harmonics. This is because the TI data better adjust the applied Butterworth filter, which bridges the known EGM and the new high-degree potential field than the topographic data alone.     

Providing the evidence: Geographic accessibility of maternity units in New Zealand

Abstract:  Public health planners should be providing evidence to the public that maternity units are fairly distributed. This research demonstrates how a Geographical Information System (GIS) can be used to provide information on travel time to the closest maternity unit from the 38 000 population census enumeration districts in New Zealand. The distribution of accessibility is mapped and regions and population groups that appear under-serviced are highlighted. We conclude by stating that GIS accessibility models provide important evidence for health policy and that the information generated from these models should be routinely produced for a wide range of health services and communicated to the public.     

Almost analytic models of ultramagnetized neutron star envelopes

Recent ROSAT measurements show that the X-ray emission from isolated neutron stars is modulated at the stellar rotation period. To interpret these measurements, one needs precise calculations of the heat transfer through the thin insulating envelopes of neutron stars. We present nearly analytic models of the thermal structure of the envelopes of ultramagnetized neutron stars. Specifically, we examine the limit in which only the ground Landau level is filled. We use the models to estimate the amplitude of modulation expected from non-uniformities in the surface temperatures of strongly magnetized neutron stars. In addition, we estimate cooling rates for stars with fields B  ∼ 10¹⁵ − 10¹⁶ G, which are relevant to models that invoke 'magnetars' to account for soft γ-ray emission from some repeating sources.     

Undrained behaviour of silt under static and cyclic loading

In this study, the undrained behaviour of silt under low stress level is studied. An effective preparation method for built—in silt samples in the triaxial test was firstly developed. By triaxial testing of samples at low confining pressures it was found that silt easily loses stability and liquefies. Loose silt may show temporary liquefaction under static loading, and develop full liquefaction under cyclic loading. The most important factors influencing the silt behaviour are porosity, confining pressure, consolidation state, cyclic loading level and number of cycles. The maximum obtainable shear stress is primarily a function of the confining pressure and the internal frictional angle. The actual structure of the silt material is the key factor in controlling its behaviour.     

A petrogenetic model for the origin and compositional variation of the martian basaltic meteorites

Abstract— The major element, trace element, and isotopic compositional ranges of the martian basaltic meteorite source regions have been modeled assuming that planetary differentiation resulted from crystallization of a magma ocean. The models are based on low to high pressure phase relationships estimated from experimental runs and estimates of the composition of silicate Mars from the literature. These models attempt to constrain the mechanisms by which the martian meteorites obtained their superchondritic CaO/Al₂O₃ ratios and their source regions obtained their parent/daughter (⁸⁷Rb/⁸⁶Sr, ¹⁴⁷Sm/¹⁴⁴Nd, and ¹⁷⁶Lu/¹⁷⁷Hf) ratios calculated from the initial Sr, Nd, and Hf isotopic compositions of the meteorites. High pressure experiments suggest that majoritic garnet is the liquidus phase for Mars relevant compositions at or above 12 GPa. Early crystallization of this phase from a martian magma ocean yields a liquid characterized by an elevated CaO/Al₂O₃ ratio and a high Mg#. Olivine‐pyroxene‐garnet‐dominated cumulates that crystallize subsequently will also be characterized by superchondritic CaO/Al₂O₃ ratios. Melting of these cumulates yields liquids with major element compositions that are similar to calculated parental melts of the martian meteorites. Furthermore, crystallization models demonstrate that some of these cumulates have parent/daughter ratios that are similar to those calculated for the most incompatible‐element‐depleted source region (i.e., that of the meteorite Queen Alexandra [QUE] 94201). The incompatible‐element abundances of the most depleted (QUE 94201‐like) source region have also been calculated and provide an estimate of the composition of depleted martian mantle. The incompatible‐element pattern of depleted martian mantle calculated here is very similar to the pattern estimated for depleted Earth's mantle. Melting the depleted martian mantle composition reproduces the abundances of many incompatible elements in the parental melt of QUE 94201 (e.g., Ba, Th, K, P, Hf, Zr, and heavy rare earth elements) fairly well but does not reproduce the abundances of Rb, U, Ta and light rare earth elements. The source regions for meteorites such as Shergotty are successfully modeled as mixtures of depleted martian mantle and a late stage liquid trapped in the magma ocean cumulate pile. Melting of this hybrid source yields liquids with major element abundances and incompatible‐element patterns that are very similar to the Shergotty bulk rock.     

A review of lunar chronology revealing a preponderance of 4.34–4.37 Ga ages

Data obtained from Sm‐Nd and Rb‐Sr isotopic measurements of lunar highlands’ samples are renormalized to common standard values and then used to define ages with a common isochron regression algorithm. The reliability of these ages is evaluated using five criteria that include whether: (1) the ages are defined by multiple isotopic systems, (2) the data demonstrate limited scatter outside uncertainty, (3) initial isotopic compositions are consistent with the petrogenesis of the samples, (4) the ages are defined by an isotopic system that is resistant to disturbance by impact metamorphism, and (5) the rare‐earth element abundances determined by isotope dilution of bulk of mineral fractions match those measured by in situ analyses. From this analysis, it is apparent that the oldest highlands’ rock ages are some of the least reliable, and that there is little support for crustal ages older than approximately 4.40 Ga. A model age for ur‐KREEP formation calculated using the most reliable Mg‐suite Sm‐Nd isotopic systematics, in conjunction with Sm‐Nd analyses of KREEP basalts, is 4389 ± 45 Ma. This age is a good match to the Lu‐Hf model age of 4353 ± 37 Ma determined using a subset of this sample suite, the average model age of 4353 ± 25 Ma determined on mare basalts with the ¹⁴⁶Sm‐¹⁴²Nd isotopic system, with a peak in Pb‐Pb ages observed in lunar zircons of approximately 4340 ± 20 Ma, and the oldest terrestrial zircon age of 4374 ± 6 Ma. The preponderance of ages between 4.34 and 4.37 Ga reflect either primordial solidification of a lunar magma ocean or a widespread secondary magmatic event on the lunar nearside. The first scenario is not consistent with the oldest ages reported for lunar zircons, whereas the second scenario does not account for concordance between ages of crustal rocks and mantle reservoirs.     

The effects of gas on morphological transformation in mergers: implications for bulge and disc demographics

Transformation of discs into spheroids via mergers is a well-accepted element of galaxy formation models. However, recent simulations have shown that the bulge formation is suppressed in increasingly gas-rich mergers. We investigate the global implications of these results in a cosmological framework, using independent approaches: empirical halo-occupation models (where galaxies are populated in haloes according to observations) and semi-analytic models. In both, ignoring the effects of gas in mergers leads to the overproduction of spheroids: low- and intermediate-mass galaxies are predicted to be bulge-dominated (   B / T ∼ 0.5  at  <10¹⁰ M_⊙  , with almost no 'bulgeless' systems), even if they have avoided major mergers. Including the different physical behaviour of gas in mergers immediately leads to a dramatic change: bulge formation is suppressed in low-mass galaxies, observed to be gas-rich (giving   B / T ∼ 0.1  at  <10¹⁰ M_⊙  , with a number of bulgeless galaxies in good agreement with observations). Simulations and analytic models which neglect the similarity-breaking behaviour of gas have difficulty reproducing the strong observed morphology–mass relation. However, the observed dependence of gas fractions on mass, combined with suppression of bulge formation in gas-rich mergers, naturally leads to the observed trends. Discrepancies between observations and models that ignore the role of gas increase with redshift; in models that treat gas properly, galaxies are predicted to be less bulge-dominated at high redshifts, in agreement with the observations. We discuss implications for the global bulge mass density and future observational tests.