Retrowedge-related Carboniferous units and coeval magmatism in the northwestern Neuquén province, Argentina

The studied Carboniferous units comprise metasedimentary (Guaraco Norte Formation), pyroclastic (Arroyo del Torreón Formation), and sedimentary (Huaraco Formation) rocks that crop out in the northwestern Neuquén province, Argentina. They form part of the basement of the Neuquén Basin and are mostly coeval with the Late Paleozoic accretionary prism complex of the Coastal Cordillera, south-central Chile. U–Pb SHRIMP dating of detrital zircon yielded a maximum depositional age of 374?Ma (Upper Devonian) for the Guaraco Norte Formation and 389?Ma for the Arroyo del Torreón Formation. Detrital magmatic zircon from the Guaraco Norte Formation are grouped into two main populations of Devonian and Ordovician (Famatinian) ages. In the Arroyo del Torreón Formation, zircon populations are also of Devonian and Ordovician (Famatinian), as well as of Late Neoproterozoic and Mesoproterozoic ages. In both units, there is a conspicuous population of Devonian magmatic zircon grains (from 406?±?4?Ma to 369?±?5?Ma), indicative of active magmatism at that time range. The ε_Hf values of this population range between ?2.84 and ?0.7, and the TDM-(Hf) are mostly Mesoproterozoic, suggesting that the primary sources of the Devonian magmatism contained small amounts of Mesoproterozoic recycled crustal components. The chemical composition of the Guaraco Norte Formation corresponds to recycled, mature polycyclic sediment of mature continental provenance, pointing to a passive margin with minor inputs from continental margin magmatic rocks. The chemical signature of the Huaraco Formation indicates that a magmatic arc was the main provenance for sediments of this unit, which is consistent with the occurrence of tuff—mostly in the Arroyo del Torreón Formation and very scarcely in the Huaraco Formation—with a volcanic-arc signature, jointly indicating the occurrence of a Carboniferous active arc magmatism during the deposition of the two units. The Guaraco Norte Formation is interpreted to represent passive margin deposits of mostly Lower Carboniferous age (younger than 374?Ma and older than 326?Ma) that precede the onset of the accretionary prism in Chile and extend into the earliest stage of the accretion, in a retrowedge position. The Arroyo del Torreón and Huaraco formations are considered to be retrowedge basin deposits to the early frontal accretionary prism (Eastern Series) of Chile. The presence of volcanism with arc signature in the units provides evidence of a Mississippian magmatic arc that can be correlated with limited exposures of the same age in the Frontal Cordillera (Argentina). The arc would have migrated to the West (Coastal Batholith) during Pennsylvanian–Permian times (coevally with the later basal accretionary prism/Western Series). The source of a conspicuous population of Devonian detrital zircon interpreted to be of magmatic origin in the studied units is discussed in various possible geotectonic scenarios, the preferred model being a magmatic arc developed in the Chilenia block, related to a west-dipping subduction beneath Chilenia before and shortly after its collision against Cuyania/Gondwana, at around 390?Ma and not linked to the independent, Devonian–Mississippian arc, developed to the south, in Patagonia.     

Nutrient Transport into the White Sea with River Runoff

Averaged data from long-term observations of concentrations of mineral-nutrient fractions along with fragmentary data and indirect estimates of organic-component concentrations in the tributaries of the sea (the Niva, the Onega, the Northern Dvina, the Mezen, and the Kem rivers) are analyzed. Monthly variations in the concentrations of the major nutrients in the river water flowing into the sea are characterized, and relationships between them in different seasons are determined. Annual nutrient transport into the White Sea by river water is assessed based on characteristics of river runoff and nutrient concentrations using a mathematical model. Wide variations are established in the ratios of organic and mineral fractions of nutrients delivered into the sea. The shares of mineral components in the total runoff of N_tot and P_tot into the sea are found to be equal to 18.1 and 18.8%, respectively.     

Baryon loading and the Weibel instability in gamma-ray bursts

The dynamics of two counter-streaming electron–positron–ion unmagnetized plasma shells with zero net charge is analysed in the context of magnetic field generation in gamma-ray burst internal shocks due to the Weibel instability. The effects of large thermal motion of plasma particles, arbitrary mixture of plasma species and space charge effects are taken into account. We show that, although thermal effects slow down the instability, baryon loading leads to a non-negligible growth rate even for large temperatures and different shell velocities, thus guaranteeing the robustness and the occurrence of the Weibel instability for a wide range of scenarios.     

The contact binary system YY Eri

Relatively new and unanalysed photometric data-sets of the contact binary system YY Eri are presented. The light curves have been analysed using information limit optimization techniques, and the Binary Maker program of Bradstreet (1992).Comparison of the results allows insight into determinacy questions affecting the W UMa type of light curve, which relates to our general understanding of contact binaries. A limiting contact configuration cannot be ruled out on the basis of empirical data-analysis alone.Very careful analysis of the photospheric flux distribution over the surface of the Sun may help establish appropriate values of the gravity brightening parameter for cool dwarf stars. At present, however, empirical photometric information on contact binaries is non-discriminatory: i.e. alternative cosmogonies can find alternative support from available evidence. The implication is then for more and better observational data to allow better real independent parameter determination.     

An Attempt to Integrate Reflection Seismics and Balanced Profiles

—Different techniques in Geophysics and Geology are used to derive the structure of the subsurface. They are based on different data sets, i.e., seismic and geological data, and a combination of these techniques should produce better earth models. The case study presented in this paper is based on data of the German Continental Reflection program (DEKORP) collected in the Münsterland basin and the Rhenish Massif located at the northern border of the Rhenohercynian fold and thrust belt of the Mid-European Variscides. In this study we present an attempt to integrate balanced profiles, i.e., structural geology, and reflection seismics. The integration is performed by synthetically modelling seismic waves according to the acquisition of the field data, where the velocity model is based on the balanced profile. The synthetic data are compared with the field observations. Differences between observed data and field data are either caused by velocity errors in the model or by errors in the balanced profile. Criteria are developed to interpret these differences in order to improve the joint model of geologists and geophysicists. The case study presented in this paper shows that the combination of balanced profiles and reflection seismics may lead to shortcuts in the determination of seismic velocities of the subsurface. These shortcuts can reduce processing times and processing costs of reflection seismic data.     

Chemical and mineralogical characterization of the Mineo (Sicily,Italy) pallasite: A unique sample

The Mineo pallasite is characterized here for the first time. The only 42 g still available worldwide is part of the collection of the Department of Physics and Geology, University of Perugia. A multianalytical approach was used, joining field-emission scanning electron microscopy, Raman analysis, X-ray powder diffraction, electron-probe microanalysis, and laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Results highlighted that (1) the Mineo pallasite belongs to the Main Group pallasites; (2) the silicate component is essentially olivine, with no pyroxene component; (3) the olivine chemical composition varies in terms of both iron and trace elements; (4) the metal phase is essentially kamacite with the taenite mainly found in the plessite structure; (5) phosphide phases are present as schreibersite and barringerite. The observed compositional variability in olivines as well as their occurrence as both angular and rounded crystals suggest that the Mineo pallasite could have been derived from a large impact of a differentiated parent body with a larger solid body. The resulting pallasite conglomerate consists of the compositionally different olivines, likely coming from different areas of the same differentiated parent body, and the residual molten Fe-Ni.     

Estimating sagebrush cover in semi-arid environments using Landsat Thematic Mapper data

Sagebrush ecosystems of the western US provide important habitat for several ungulate and vertebrate species. As a consequence of energy development, these ecosystems in Wyoming have been subjected to a variety of anthropogenic disturbances. Land managers require methodology that will allow them to consistently catalog sagebrush ecosystems and evaluate potential impact of proposed anthropogenic activities. This study addresses the utility of remotely sensed and ancillary geospatial data to estimate sagebrush cover using ordinal logistic regression. We demonstrate statistically significant prediction of ordinal sagebrush cover categories using spectral (χ² = 113; p < 0.0001) and transformed indices (χ² = 117; p < 0.0001). Both Landsat spectral bands (c-value = 0.88) and transformed indices (c-value = 0.89) can distinguish sites with closed, moderate and open cover sagebrush cover categories from no cover. The techniques described in this study can be used for estimating categories of sagebrush cover in arid ecosystems.     

The characteristics of rain electricity in Nigeria. I — Magnitudes and variations

The characteristics of rain and point charges based on routine measurements extending over four rainy seasons are presented. An average rain current density of (1.0±0.1)×10^–10 A m^–2 and charge per unit volume of rain water of (0.43±0.02)×10^–4 C m^–3 for the locality are obtained, which are compared with data obtained elsewhere by other workers. The point-discharge current measurements lead to a revised estimate of (0.86±0.08)×10^–9 A m^–2 for the average point discharge current below storm clouds.     

Whipple telescope observations of LS I +61 303: 2004–2006

In this paper we present the results of the past two years observations on the galactic microquasar LS I +61 303 with the Whipple 10 m gamma-ray telescope. The recent MAGIC detection of the source between 200 GeV and 4 TeV suggests that the source is periodic with very high energy (VHE) gamma-ray emission linked to its orbital cycle. The entire 50-hour data set obtained with Whipple from 2004 to 2006 was analyzed with no reliable detection resulting. The upper limits obtained in the 2005–2006 season covered several of the same epochs as the MAGIC Telescope detections, albeit with lower sensitivity. Upper limits are placed on emission during the orbital phases of 0→0.1 and 0.8→1, phases which are not included in the MAGIC data set.