Pressure-induced incipient amorphization of α-quartz and transition to coesite in an eclogite from Antarctica: a first record and some consequences

Monocrystalline quartz inclusions in garnet and omphacite from various eclogite samples from the Lanterman Range (Northern Victoria Land, Antarctica) have been investigated by cathodoluminescence (CL), Raman spectroscopy and imaging, and in situ X‐ray (XR) microdiffraction using the synchrotron. A few inclusions, with a clear‐to‐opalescent lustre, show ‘anomalous’ Raman spectra characterized by weak α‐quartz modes, the broadening of the main α‐quartz peak at 465 cm^?1, and additional vibrations at 480–485, 520–523 and 608 cm^?1. CL and Raman imaging indicate that this ‘anomalous’α‐quartz occurs as relicts within ordinary α‐quartz, and that it was preserved in the internal parts of small quartz inclusions. XR diffraction circular patterns display irregular and broad α‐quartz spots, some of which show an anomalous d‐spacing tightening of ～2%. They also show some very weak, hazy clouds that have d‐spacing compatible with coesite but not with α‐quartz. Raman spectrometry and XR microdiffraction characterize the anomalies with respect to α‐quartz as (i) a pressure‐induced disordering and incipient amorphization, mainly revealed by the 480–485 and 608‐cm^?1 Raman bands, together with (ii) a lattice densification, evidenced by d‐spacing tightening; (iii) the cryptic development of coesite, 520–523 cm^?1 being the main Raman peak of coesite and (iv) Brazil micro‐twinning. This ‘anomalous’α‐quartz represents the first example of pressure‐induced incipient amorphization of a metastable phase in a crustal rock. This issue is really surprising because pressure‐induced amorphization of metastable α‐quartz, observed in impactites and known to occur between 15 and 32 GPa during ultrahigh‐pressure (UHP) experiments at room temperature, is in principle irrelevant under normal geological P–T conditions. A shock (due to a seism?) or a local overpressure at the inclusion scale (due to expansion mismatch between quartz and its host mineral) seem the only geological mechanisms that can produce such incipient amorphization in crustal rocks. This discovery throws new light on the modality of the quartz‐coesite transition and on the pressure regimes (non‐lithostatic v. lithostatic) during high‐pressure/UHP metamorphism. In particular, incipient amorphization of quartz could favour the quartz‐coesite transition, or allow the growth of metastable coesite, as already experimentally observed.     

P‐wave transmission across fractures with nonlinear deformational behaviour

Stress wave attenuation across fractured rock masses is a great concern of underground structure safety. When the wave amplitude is large, fractures experience nonlinear deformation during the wave propagation. This paper presents a study on normal transmission of P‐wave across parallel fractures with nonlinear deformational behaviour (static Barton–Bandis model). The results show that the magnitude of transmission coefficient is a function of incident wave amplitude, nondimensional fracture spacing and number of fractures. Two important indices of nondimensional fracture spacing are identified, and they divide the area of nondimensional fracture spacing into three parts (individual fracture area, transition area and small spacing area). In the different areas, the magnitude of transmission coefficient has different trends with nondimensional fracture spacing and number of fractures. In addition, the study reveals that under some circumstances, the magnitude of transmission coefficient increases with increasing number of fractures, and is larger than 1. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Regionalization for large area crop estimates by remote sensing

The crop estimates by remote sensing, developing quickly in recent decades, is a up-to-date technique. Regionalization for large area crop estimates by remote sensing, a special applied regionalization, is the foundation of crop estimates in a large area by remote sensing. According to the actual demands of wheat yield estimation by remote sensing and wheat agroclimatic demarcation of China, this paper first puts forward some principles upheld in this regionalization and analyses its main bases. Secondly, it works out the classificatory schemes about the optimum temporal for estimating wheat yield by remote sensing, information sources of space remote sensing and landuse structure in China. Finally, According to the regionalization indices, this study divides the wheat plantable region of China into 14 regions of crop yield estimates and 31 subregions of crop yield estimates.     

Porphyroblast inclusion-trail orientation data: eppure non son girate*!

Extensive examination of large numbers of spatially orientated thin sections of orientated samples from orogens of all ages around the world has demonstrated that porphyroblasts do not rotate relative to geographical coordinates during highly non-coaxial ductile deformation of the matrix subsequent to their growth. This has been demonstrated for all tectonic environments so far investigated. The work also has provided new insights and data on metamorphic, structural and tectonic processes including: (1) the intimate control of deformation partitioning on metamorphic reactions; (2) solutions to the lack of correlation between lineations that indicate the direction of movement within thrusts and shear zones, and relative plate motion; and (3) a possible technique for determining the direction of relative plate motion that caused orogenesis in ancient orogens.     

Use of multi‐platform,multi‐temporal remote‐sensing data for calibration of a distributed hydrological model: an application in the Arno basin,Italy

Images from satellite platforms are a valid aid in order to obtain distributed information about hydrological surface states and parameters needed in calibration and validation of the water balance and flood forecasting. Remotely sensed data are easily available on large areas and with a frequency compatible with land cover changes. In this paper, remotely sensed images from different types of sensor have been utilized as a support to the calibration of the distributed hydrological model MOBIDIC, currently used in the experimental system of flood forecasting of the Arno River Basin Authority. Six radar images from ERS‐2 synthetic aperture radar (SAR) sensors (three for summer 2002 and three for spring–summer 2003) have been utilized and a relationship between soil saturation indexes and backscatter coefficient from SAR images has been investigated. Analysis has been performed only on pixels with meagre or no vegetation cover, in order to legitimize the assumption that water content of the soil is the main variable that influences the backscatter coefficient. Such pixels have been obtained by considering vegetation indexes (NDVI) and land cover maps produced by optical sensors (Landsat‐ETM). In order to calibrate the soil moisture model based on information provided by SAR images, an optimization algorithm has been utilized to minimize the regression error between saturation indexes from model and SAR data and error between measured and modelled discharge flows. Utilizing this procedure, model parameters that rule soil moisture fluxes have been calibrated, obtaining not only a good match with remotely sensed data, but also an enhancement of model performance in flow prediction with respect to a previous calibration with river discharge data only. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Chemical alteration of tephra in the depositional environment: theoretical stability modelling

The study of the chemical stability of vitreous material in aqueous media is well‐established. There has to date been little consideration of the implications of variations in the chemical durability of tephra in Quaternary tephrochronology. Chemical alteration can take the form of cationic leaching from the matrix, or complete destruction of the silica network, either of which could constrain the ability to chemically identify distal tephra. Here we apply established models of vitreous durability to the published chemical analyses of a large number of Icelandic tephras in order to predict their relative durabilities under equivalent conditions. This suggests that some important tephras have relatively poor chemical stability, and that rhyolitic tephras are, in general, more stable than basaltic. We conclude that tephras should be expected to show predictable differential chemical stability in the post‐depositional environment. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

NORTHERN AND SOUTHERN HEMISPHERIC POLAR LOWS——A COMPARATIVE STUDY

Northern Hemispheric“polar lows”,i.e.maritime,small,but fairly intense cyclonic systems have been studied formore than two decades.Recently researchers have turned their attention towards the occurrence of polar lows and othersmall-scale cyclonic disturbances on the Southern Hemisphere.In this paper a short account of our present knowledgeof Northern Hemispheric polar lows will be given,followed by some preliminary results of an investigation of the natureand occurrence of polar lows on the Southern Hemisphere.     

Observations on the ecological importance of salt marshes in the Cumberland Basin,a macrotidal estuary in the Bay of Fundy

The Cumberland Basin, a 118 km² estuary at the head of the Bay of Fundy which has an average tidal range of about 11m, contains large tracts of salt marsh (15% of the area below highest high water). Low marsh (below about 0·9 m above mean high water) is composed almost exclusively of Spartina alterniflora while the vegetation on high marsh is more diverse but dominated by Spartina patens. Because of its higher elevation, high marsh is flooded infrequently for short periods by only extreme high tides. Low marsh is inundated much more frequently by water as much as 4m deep for periods as long as 4 h per tide. Temporal variability in the occurrence of extreme tides influences the flooding frequency of high marsh for any given month and year. Using a modification of Smalley's method, the mean annual net aerial primary production (NAPP) of low and high marsh is estimated to be 272 and 172 g C m^?2, respectively. Vegetation turnover times average 1·0 and 2·0 y for low and high marsh, respectively. Because of abundant tidal energy, much of the low marsh production appears to be exported and distributed widely about the estuary. Since high levels of turbidity suppress phytoplankton production, salt marshes produce approximately half of the carbon fixed photosynthetically in the Cumberland Basin. It is concluded that salt marshes play a major ecological role in the Cumberland Basin.     

Survival,growth and shell deformities of copper- and cadmium-exposed mussels (Mytilus edulis L.) in brackish water

Mussels, Mytilus edulis L., were exposed to elevated concentrations of copper or cadmium in the laboratory, then placed in cages in the sea (salinity 7‰). One year later maximum lengths of the mussels were measured and shells screened for deformities. Growth was 0·6 cm year^?1 in the control cages and retarded in cages of exposed mussels. A total of 63% of cadmium-exposed and 46% of copper-exposed mussels had shell deformities. In the control cages 26% were deformed while in a natural population only 3% were deformed. The proportion of deformities to growth was inversely related. Low concentrations showed their injuriousness in this long-term test, probably due to the closing of the valves during exposure to high concentrations.     

Numerical prediction of blast‐induced stress wave from large‐scale underground explosion

This paper presents a numerical model for predicting the dynamic response of rock mass subjected to large‐scale underground explosion. The model is calibrated against data obtained from large‐scale field tests. The Hugoniot equation of state for rock mass is adopted to calculate the pressure as a function of mass density. A piecewise linear Drucker–Prager strength criterion including the strain rate effect is employed to model the rock mass behaviour subjected to blast loading. A double scalar damage model accounting for both the compression and tension damage is introduced to simulate the damage zone around the charge chamber caused by blast loading. The model is incorporated into Autodyn3D through its user subroutines. The numerical model is then used to predict the dynamic response of rock mass, in terms of the peak particle velocity (PPV) and peak particle acceleration (PPA) attenuation laws, the damage zone, the particle velocity time histories and their frequency contents for large‐scale underground explosion tests. The computed results are found in good agreement with the field measured data; hence, the proposed model is proven to be adequate for simulating the dynamic response of rock mass subjected to large‐scale underground explosion. Extended numerical analyses indicate that, apart from the charge loading density, the stress wave intensity is also affected, but to a lesser extent, by the charge weight and the charge chamber geometry for large‐scale underground explosions. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.