Unveiling the chemistry of hot protostellar cores with ALMA

High angular resolution mm-wave observations of the Orion-KL region, made with the IRAM Plateau de Bure interferometer (PdBI), reveal the presence of several cores of size 10³ AU, which have distinct spectral signatures. Complex molecules such as ethanol, vinyl cyanide and dimethyl ether show different distributions and their relative abundance varies from core to core by orders of magnitude. The molecular column densities derived in the cores also differ widely from the beam-averaged column densities observed with large single-dish telescopes. Obviously, the predictions of hot core chemistry models must be checked against high resolution observations. ALMA, which allies sensitivity and high angular resolution, will be a key instrument for this type of studies. The PdBI observations were part of a search for interstellar glycine, also carried out with the IRAM 30-m telescope and the Green Bank Telescope. We derive a 3σ upper limit on the column density of glycine of 1×10¹⁵ cm⁻² per 2″×3″ beam in the Orion Hot Core and Compact Ridge. Based on observations made with the IRAM PdB Interferometer, the IRAM 30-m telescope and the NRAO Green-Bank telescope. IRAM is supported by CNRS, MPG and IGN.     

Possible liquid water origin for Atacama Desert mudflow and recent gully deposits on Mars

Evidence of recent gully activity on Mars has been reported based on the formation of new light toned deposits within the past decade, the origin of which remains controversial. Analogous recent light toned gully features have formed by liquid water activity in the Atacama Desert on Earth. These terrestrial deposits leave no mineralogical trace of water activity but rather show an albedo difference due to particle size sorting within a fine-grained mudflow. Therefore, spectral differences indicating varying mineralogy between a recent gully deposit and the surrounding terrain may not be the most relevant criteria for detecting water flow in arid environments. Instead, variation in particle size between the deposit and surrounding terrain is a possible discriminator to identify a water-based flow. We show that the Atacama deposit is similar to the observed Mars gully deposits, and both are consistent with liquid water activity. The light-toned Mars gully deposits could have formed from dry debris flows, but a liquid water origin cannot be ruled out because not all liquid water flows leave hydrated minerals behind on the surface. Therefore, the Mars deposits could be remnant mudflows that formed on Mars within the last decade.     

Volatile retention from cometary impacts on the Moon

Impacts of comets and asteroids play an important role in volatile delivery on the Moon. We use a novel method for tracking vapor masses that reach escape velocity in hydrocode simulations of cometary impacts to explore the effects of volatile retention. We model impacts on the Moon to find the mass of vapor plume gravitationally trapped on the Moon as a function of impact velocity. We apply this result to the impactor velocity distribution and find that the total impactor mass retained on the Moon is approximately 6.5% of the impactor mass flux. Making reasonable assumptions about water content of comets and the comet size-frequency distribution, we derive a water flux for the Moon. After accounting for migration and stability of water ice at the poles, we estimate a total 1.3×10⁸-4.3×10⁹ metric tons of water is delivered to the Moon and remains stable at the poles over 1 Ga. A factor of 30 uncertainty in the estimated cometary impact flux is primarily responsible for this large range of values. The calculated mass of water is sufficient to account for the neutron fluxes poleward of 75° observed by Lunar Prospector. A similar analysis for water delivery to the Moon via asteroid impacts shows that asteroids provide six times more water mass via impacts than comets.     

火箭观测到的中层垂直速度扰动细微结构

使用一枚携带ｃｈａｆｆ的火箭观测到的垂直速度数据，研究中层大气垂直速度扰动细微结构。结果表明，垂直速度扰动有明显的层状结构，各层厚度约１５０－５００ｍ，层间垂直分离距离在几百米到１－３ｋｍ间。在垂直速度方差和低Ｒｉ数峰值间以及动力不稳定和ＭＳＴ雷达回波区域间有好的对应关系。水平速度垂直波数谱与饱和谱在谱斜率和谱振幅上存在好的一致．这些观测结果表明，火箭测量到的细微结构可以用波场饱和解释。     

Influence of Wind on Dynamics and Flushing of Shallow Estuaries

Observations of two small estuaries in Cape Cod, U.S.A. indicate large variations in salinity structure that are forced by variations in along-estuary wind stress. During onshore winds, the estuarine circulation is reduced, and the along-estuary salinity gradient increases as freshwater accumulates. During offshore winds, the surface outflow is enhanced, freshwater is flushed out of the estuary, and the along-estuary salinity gradient becomes weak. Constrictions block the wind-induced flushing, resulting in strong salinity fronts across the constrictions. The residence time of one of the estuaries varies by more than a factor of three in response to variations in wind-induced flushing. The other estuary has little variation of flushing associated with winds, due to a constriction at the mouth that inhibits the wind-induced exchange. The strong influence of winds on the flushing of these estuaries is due in part to their shallow depths, which accentuates the influence of wind stress relative to the effects of the horizontal density gradient. In addition, the residence times of the estuaries are comparable to the time scale of wind forcing, allowing large changes in water properties during wind events.     

珠江口八大口门径、潮作用动力过程研究

根据2006—2007年期间在珠江口八大口门进行的丰水期大、中、小潮3个航次、平水期和枯水期各1个航次的全潮同步水文观测资料,分析了八大口门的潮流特性、涨落潮通量等特征,并建立了逐时潮差与流量的相关关系。在丰水期小潮期间,八大口门受强热带风暴"碧利斯"带来的强降雨的影响,潮流特性、断面流量等水文特征出现较大的变化,逐时潮差与流量的相关关系与其他航次相比表现出不同的规律。在无强径流影响下,逐时潮差与流量的相关关系用线性方程拟合,相关性较好;但在强径流影响下,则采用二次多项式拟合较为合适,且拟合曲线的左右侧表现出涨、落潮过程的区别。     

Hydrology and hydrogeology of Sakaryabaşı Karstic springs, Çifteler, Turkey

The Sakarya River is one of the largest rivers in Turkey and is fed mainly from Sakaryabaşı springs. The Sakaryabaşı springs are located in the Central Anatolia and issue from confined/semi-confined karst having a thermal component and therefore, having quite different hydrogeological characteristics as compared to the Taurus Karst region, a typical example of the Mediterranean type of karst. The karstic carbonate rocks that form the groundwater reservoir are overlain by a thick semi-pervious overburden of mainly clastics of Neogene age. Tectonics is the major factor controlling the occurrence of the karst springs in the area where topography is rather flat. This study aimed at explaining the occurrence and movement of the karst groundwater within the system by use of hydrogeological, chemical, and isotopic tools. Isotopic composition of the waters revealed that all waters in the region are of meteoric origin and the thermal component is due to deep circulation. The catchment area of the hydrogeological system extends to the south and groundwater movement is towards the outlets, which are in a depression along a major fault. The movement of the groundwater, based on analysis of remotely sensed images, is controlled mainly by structural elements.     

东昆仑夏日哈木镁铁质-超镁铁质岩体岩石成因与拉张型岛弧背景

赋存超大型镍矿床的夏日哈木Ⅰ号岩体位于东昆仑造山带西段之东昆中早古生代岛弧带。锆石U-Pb年龄为439Ma,由分属橄榄岩相、辉石岩相、辉长-苏长岩相的多种岩石类型组成。堆晶结构与堆晶层理发育,属岩床状层状岩体。不平衡结晶作用在岩浆演化过程中居于主导地位。矿物结晶顺序为尖晶石/橄榄石→斜方辉石→单斜辉石→单斜辉石+斜长石→褐色普通角闪石。各种岩石均富集轻稀土元素和大离子亲石元素,亏损Nb、Ta、Ti、P,显示了岛弧环境岩浆岩的地球化学特征。Nd、Sr同位素组成均属富集型地幔范畴和EMⅡ型趋势。矿区内的Ⅲ号与Ⅳ号岩体属蛇绿岩套,证明在昆中岛弧带内部存在岩石圈破裂带。区域构造格局与演化历史以及区域地球物理场的研究表明,东昆中岛弧带属拉张型岛弧带。据此,可以认定拉张型岛弧环境是全球范围内第五种有利于形成镍矿床的构造环境,中古生代是我国第三个镍矿主成矿期。     

应用泉水均衡法分析四川省兴文县新坝水库岩溶渗漏问题

岩溶地区水库渗漏是碳酸盐岩地区兴建水利枢纽的主要工程地质问题之一,尤其是在可溶岩广布、岩溶发育强烈、地形复杂地区。拟建兴文县新坝水库地处岩溶地区,存在岩溶渗漏的可能性。通过对该水库库区地质概况、岩溶水系统进行分析研究,论证了水库潜在的三条岩溶渗漏途径均不会发生渗漏;并利用库区降雨量与泉流量进行水均衡计算,计算结果进一步论证了该水库不存在岩溶渗漏问题。     

Dynamics and interaction of organic carbon, turbidity and bacteria in a karst aquifer system

The dynamics of organic carbon (OC), turbidity, faecal indicator bacteria and physicochemical parameters was studied in a karst system near Yverdon, Switzerland. Online measurements and sampling were done at a swallow hole draining an agricultural surface (the input), and two groups of springs (the outputs) that often show bacterial contamination. A fluorescent tracer that was injected into the swallow hole during low-flow conditions first arrived at the springs 10–12 days after injection; the total recovery rate was 29%. Previous tracer tests during high-flow conditions gave shorter travel times. After a major rainfall event, a primary turbidity peak was observed at the springs. It coincides with the rising limb of the hydrograph, indicating remobilisation of autochthonous particles from the aquifer. A secondary turbidity peak occurs several days later, suggesting the arrival of allochthonous particles from the swallow hole. Wider peaks of OC and bacteria were observed simultaneously. Applying methods from molecular microbiology (PCR-DGGE) allowed characterisation of the bacterial communities at the swallow hole and the springs. The results demonstrate that the swallow hole is an important source of groundwater contamination, while its contribution to aquifer recharge is insignificant. OC appears to be a better indicator for bacterial contamination than turbidity.