Origin of differentiated lavas at Kilauea Volcano,Hawaii: Implications from the 1955 eruption

Kilauea's 1955 eruption was the first major eruption (longer than 2 days) on its east rift zone in 115 years. It lasted 88 days during which 108 × 10⁶ m³ of lava was erupted along a discontinuous, 15-km-long system of fissures. A wide compositional range of lavas was erupted including the most differentiated lavas (5.0 wt% MgO) from a historic Kilauea eruption. Lavas from the first half of the eruption are strongly differentiated (5.0–5.7 wt% MgO); later lavas are weakly to moderately differentiated (6.2–6.7 wt% MgO). Previous studies using only major-element compositions invoked either crystal fractionation (Macdonald and Eaton 1964) or magma mixing (Wright and Fiske 1971) as models to explain the wide compositional variation in the lavas. To further evaluate these models detailed petrographic, mineralogical, and whole-rock, major, and trace element XRF analyses were made of the 1955 lavas. Plagioclase and clinopyroxene in the early and late lavas show no petrographic evidence for magma mixing. Olivines from both the early and late lavas show minor resorption, which is typical of tholeiitic lavas with low MgO contents. Core-to-rim microprobe analyses across olivine, augite, and plagioclase mineral grains give no evidence of disequilibrium features related to mixing. Instead, plots of An/Ab vs distance from the core (D) and %Fo vs (D)^4.5 generated essentially linear trends indicative of simple crystal fractionation. Least-squares, mass-balance calculations for major- and trace-element data using observed mineral compositions yield excellent results for crystal fractionation (sum of residuals squared <0.01 for major elements, and <5% for trace elements); magma mixing produced less satisfactory results especially for Cr. Furthermore, trace-element plots of Zr vs Sr, Cr, and A1₂O₃ generate curved trends indicative of crystal fractionation processes. There is no evidence that mixing occurred in the 1955 lavas. Instead, the data are best explained by crystal fractionation involving a reservoir that extends at least 15 km along Kilauea's east rift zone. A dike was intruded into the rift zone from the summit reservoir eight days after the eruption started. Instead of causing magma mixing, the dike probably acted as a hydraulic plunger forcing more of the stored magma to be erupted.     

The energy exchange within a vegetation layer

Summary The concept of vegetation as a multi-layered heat exchange system is discussed with reference to measurements in a barley field. These measurements included the monitoring of net radiation at various levels inside the crop and the conducted heat flux in the soil for typical clear and overcast days. The diurnal variations of the components of the heat balance throughout the crop are discussed, computing the combined flux of sensible and latent heat as a remainder term. The results show a complete reversal of the flux of sensible and latent heat from the top of the crop to the soil surface: during the night the surface loses heat by eddy diffusion as well as radiation and during the day it gains heat through both these processes. The total heat exchange between the crop and the atmosphere gives the usual heat gains by eddy diffusion during the night and losses during the day. The radiation absorbed by a layer of vegetation is converted into sensible and latent heat and 80% of the total energy exchange takes place in the upper half of the crop. The magnitude of the exchange process falls off rapidly with depth in the crop.

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Zusammenfassung Die Vegetation wird als mehrschichtiges System im Hinblick auf den Wärmeaustausch betrachtet, wobei Messungen in einem Gerstenfeld verwendet werden. Die Messungen umfaßten die Registrieuung der Wärmebilanz in verschiedenen Höhen im Getreidestand und des Wärmeflusses im Boden an typischen klaren und bedeckten Tagen. Der Tagesgang der Komponenten der Wärmebilanz durch die Vegetationsschicht wird untersucht, dabei wird die Summe des Fluesses von fühlbarer und von latenter Wärme als Restglied berechnet. Die Resultate zeigen eine vollkommene Umkehr des Flusses von fühlbarer und latenter Wärme von der Obergrenze des Getreidestandes zum Boden: während der Nacht verliert die Erdoberfläche Wärme sowohl durch turbulenten Austausch wie durch Strahlung, während des Tages nimmt sie durch beide Prozesse Wärme auf. Der gesamte Wärmeastausch zwischen dem Getreidefeld und der Atmosphäre ergibt die gewöhnlichen Wärmegewinne durch turbulenten Austausch bei Nacht und die Wärmeverluste bei Tag. Die von der Vegetationsschicht absorbierte Strahlung wird in fühlbare und latente Wärme umgesetzt, wobei 80% des gesamten Wärmeaustausches in der oberen Hälfte der Vegetationsschicht erfolgen. Die Größe des Austauschprozesses vermindert sich rasch mit der Tiefe in der Vegetationsschicht.

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Résumé On considère ici la végétation comme un système à plusieurs strates vis à vis des échanges de chaleur. Pour cela on se sert de mesures effectuées dans un champ d'orge. Ces mesures comprenaient l'enregistrement du bilan de chaleur à différentes hauteurs dans le dit champ ainsi que du flux de chaleur dans le sol à des jours typiques: couverts ou clairs. On étudie l'évolution diurne des composantes du bilan de chaleur au travers de la couche végétale. Pour ce faire, on clacule la somme du flux des chaleurs sensible et latente comme terme final de l'équation. Les résultats montrent une inversion complète du flux de ces deux chaleurs de la surface supérieure du champ jusqu'au sol. Pendant la nuit, la surface du sol perd de la chaleur aussi bien par des échanges turbulents que par rayonnement. Pendant le jour, le sol reçoit de la chaleur par ces deux processus. L'échange total de chaleur entre le champ d'orge et l'atmosphère présente les gains de chaleur ordinaire par turbulence de nuit et les pertes de jour. Le rayonnement absorbé par la couche végétale est transformé en chaleur latente et sensible. 80% de la totalité des échanges de chaleur se passent dans la moitié supérieure de la couche végétale. L'importance des processus d'échange diminue rapidement avec la profondeur de la couche végétale.

     

Combined amino acids in Pacific Ocean waters

Filtration and extraction indicate that the bulk of the combined amino acids in Pacific Ocean waters are a constituent of a dissolved component, and that they cannot be efficiently extracted from seawater by the macroreticular XAD-2 resin. In deep waters of the Pacific Ocean, alanine accounts for～60–70% of the combined amino acids, while in surface waters alanine makes up only～30% of the combined amino acid fraction. Serine is present in the combined fraction in surface waters, but is essentially absent in deep waters. These differences in the serine and alanine abundances between surface and deep waters are possibly the result of the dehydration of serine, which produces racemic alanine. Threonine can also undergo dehydration producing racemicα-amino-n-butyric acid, a non-biological amino acid which has been detected in deep waters of the Pacific Ocean. Estimates of the rate of serine and threonine dehydration in the oceans suggest that these reactions may have half-lives at 0°C of less than 100 years. As a consequence of dehydration, the dissolved organic material in which this diagenetic reaction has occurred may have reduced biological degradability.     

Petrologic constraints on rift-zone processes

The Puu Oo eruption in the middle of Kilauea volcano's east rift zone provides an excellent opportunity to utilize petrologic constraints to interpret rift-zone processes. Emplacement of a dike began 24 hours before the start of the eruption on 3 January 1983. Seismic and geodetic evidence indicates that the dike collided with a magma body in the rift zone. Most of the lava produced during the initial episode of the Puu Oo eruption is of hybrid composition, with petrographic and geochemical evidence of mixing magmas of highly evllved and more mafic compositions. Some olivine and plagioclase grains in the hybrid lavas show reverse zoning. Whole-rock compositional variations are linear even for normally compatible elements like Ni and Cr. Leastsquares mixing calculations yield good residuals for major and trace element analyses for magma mixing. Crystal fractionation calculations yield unsatisfactory residuals. The highly evolved magma is similar in composition to the lava from the 1977 eruption and, at one point, vents for these two eruptions are only 200 m apart. Possibly both the 1977 lava and the highly evolved component of the episode 1 Puu Oo lava were derived from a common body of rift-zone-stored magma. The more mafic mixing component may be represented by the most mafic lava from the January 1983 eruption; it shows no evidence of magma mixing. The dike that was intruded just prior to the start of the Puu Oo eruption may have acted as a hydraulic plunger causing mixing of the two rift-zone-stored magmas.     

An SF<Subscript>6</Subscript> Tracer Study of the Flow Dynamics in the Stockton Deep Water Ship Channel: Implications for Dissolved Oxygen Dynamics

A sulfur hexafluoride (SF₆) tracer release experiment was conducted in the Stockton Deep Water Ship Channel (DWSC) to quantify mixing and transport rates. SF₆ was injected in the San Joaquin River upstream of the DWSC and mapped for 8 days. From the temporal change in SF₆ distributions, the longitudinal dispersion coefficient (K _x ) was determined to be 32.7 ± 3.6 m² s⁻¹ and the net velocity was 1.75 ± 0.03 km day⁻¹. Based on the decrease in SF₆ inventory during the experiment, the pulsed residence time for waters in the DWSC was estimated at ∼17 days. Within the DWSC from Stockton downstream to Turner Cut, dissolved oxygen concentrations maintained a steady state value of 4 mg l⁻¹. These values are below water quality objectives for the time of year. The low flow rates observed in the DWSC and the inability of oxygen-rich waters from downstream to mix into the DWSC upstream of Turner Cut contribute to the low dissolved oxygen concentration.     

Population dynamics of the solitary ascidian <Emphasis Type="Italic">Herdmania momus</Emphasis> (Savignyi, 1816) in Jeju Island,Korea

In 2007–2008, a population outbreak of the solitary ascidian Herdmania momus was observed along the coasts of Jeju Island and the ascidians became the top dominant species in macrobenthic communities. We conducted field experiments on population dynamics and demographic parameters including seasonal density fluctuation, vertical distribution, recruitment patterns, mortality, and growth rate. Recruitment continued year-round except in April following the lowest water temperature season in February. Population density was highest in August-October, concomitantly with the peak in recruitment, related to the highest water temperature. The lowest density was observed in February-April when the water temperature was lowest. In April all individuals disappeared from all permanent plots, resulting in a maximum life span of 10–12 months. Individuals of newly recruited H. momus grew to have an adult size of 4–6 cm in only 3–4 months. Higher densities were observed in the shallower areas (5 m) compared to the deeper zones. More recruitment occurred on vertical slopes than horizontal substrates, but substrate pre-occupancy caused no difference in recruitment. This is the first report on H. momus population-level investigation in Korea, which provides valuable baseline information on the current status of population demography and their potential community-level influence on Jeju coasts.     

The photoionization mechanism of LINERs: stellar and nonstellar

We present high quality spectroscopic observations of a sample of 14 low ionization nuclear emission-line regions (LINERs). Starlight removal is achieved by the subtraction of a suitable absorption-line template galaxy, allowing accurate measurements of emission lines. We use these line fluxes to examine the possible excitation mechanisms of LINERs. We suggest that LINERs with weak [O I] 6300 emission ([O I]/H < 1/6) may beH II regions photoionized by unusually hot O-type stars. LINERs with [O I]/H < 1/6 may be powered by photoionization from a nonstellar continuum. This is supported by the detection of broad h emission, a correlation between line width and critical density, and point-like X-ray emission in several of these objects.