Dissolved silica budget in the North basin of Lake Lugano

We studied the dissolved silica cycle in the water column of the North basin of Lake Lugano, Switzerland/Italy. Lake Lugano is a meromictic, eutrophic lake, permanently stratified below 100-m depth. A one-box model was used to calculate a silica mass-balance over 1993, based on various lake measurements, such as sediment traps, sediment cores, water analysis and biota countings. We found that the North basin of Lake Lugano is at steady state as far as dissolved silica is concerned. The primary source of dissolved silica in the lake is river input (about 80%), with diffusion from bottom sediments and groundwater input also playing a role. Atmospheric input is negligible. The main export of dissolved silica occurs via biogenic uptake by diatoms and final burial of their frustules in the bottom sediment. Loss of dissolved silica through the lake outflow only represents 15% of the total output. Of the total amount of Si exported to the lake bottom through diatom sinking, less than 20% is re-supplied to the surface water by diffusion. Thus, the lake acts as an important permanent sink for silica. The long residence time of dissolved silica in the lake (7 years) is related to the strong physical stratification of the lake. Only about 10% of the standing stock are available to phytoplankton uptake.     

New W-isotope evidence for rapid terrestrial accretion and very early core formation

The short-lived ¹⁸²Hf-¹⁸²W-isotope system is an ideal clock to trace core formation and accretion processes of planets. Planetary accretion and metal/silicate fractionation chronologies are calculated relative to the chondritic ¹⁸²Hf-¹⁸²W-isotope evolution. Here, we report new high-precision W-isotope data for the carbonaceous chondrite Allende that are much less radiogenic than previously reported and are in good agreement with published internal Hf-W chronometry of enstatite chondrites. If the W-isotope composition of terrestrial rocks, representing the bulk silicate Earth, is homogeneous and 2.24 ε_182W units more radiogenic than that of the bulk Earth, metal/silicate differentiation of the Earth occurred very early. The new W-isotope data constrain the mean time of terrestrial core formation to 34 million years after the start of solar system accretion. Early terrestrial core formation implies rapid terrestrial accretion, thus permitting formation of the Moon by giant impact while ¹⁸²Hf was still alive. This could explain why lunar W-isotopes are more radiogenic than the terrestrial value.     

Trace element and isotope geochemistry of depleted peridotites from an N-MORB type ophiolite (Internal Liguride,N. Italy)

 Mantle peridotites of the Internal Liguride (IL) units (Northern Apennines) constitute a rare example of the depleted lithosphere of the Jurassic Ligurian Tethys. Detailed chemical (ICP-MS and SIMS techniques) and isotopic investigations on very fresh samples have been performed with the major aim to constrain the timing and mechanism of their evolution and to furnish new data for the geodynamic interpretation. The data are also useful to discuss some general geochemical aspects of oceanic-type mantle. The studied samples consist of clinopyroxene-poor spinel lherzolites, showing incipient re-equilibration in the plagioclase-facies stability field. The spinel-facies assemblage records high (asthenospheric) equilibration temperatures (1150–1250° C). Whole rocks, and constituent clinopyroxenes, show a decoupling between severe depletion in highly incompatible elements [light rare earth elements (LREE), Sr, Zr, Na, Ti] and less pronounced depletion in moderate incompatible elements (Ca, Al, Sc, V). Bulk rocks also display a relatively strong M(middle)REE/H(heavy)REE fractionation. These compositional features indicate low-degree (<10%) fractional melting, which presumably started in the garnet stability field, as the most suitable depletion mechanism. In this respect, the IL ultramafics show strong similarity to abyssal peridotites. The Sr and Nd isotopic compositions, determined on carefully handpicked clinopyroxene separates, indicate an extremely depleted signature (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr=0.702203–0.702285; ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd=0.513619–0.513775). The Sm/Nd model ages suggest that the IL peridotites melted most likely during Permian times. They could record, therefore, the early upwelling and melting of mid ocean ridge basalt (MORB) type asthenosphere, in response to the onset of extensional mechanisms which led to the opening of the Western Tethys. They subsequently cooled and experienced a composite subsolidus evolution testified by multiple episodes of gabbroic intrusions and HT-LP retrograde metamorphic re-equilibration, prior to their emplacement on the sea floor. The trace element chemistry of IL peridotites also provides useful information about the composition of oceanic-type mantle. The most important feature concerns the occurrence of Sr and Zr negative anomalies (relative to “adjacent” REE) in both clinopyroxenes and bulk rocks. We suggest that such anomalies reflect changes in the relative magnitude of Sr, Zr and REE partition coefficients, depending on the specific melting conditions. Received: 15 February 1995/Accepted: 4 August 1995     

A distributed parallel multiple-relaxation-time lattice Boltzmann method on general-purpose graphics processing units for the rapid and scalable computation of absolute permeability from high-resolution 3D micro-CT images

Digital rock physics (DRP) is a rapidly evolving technology targeting fast turnaround times for repeatable core analysis and multi-physics simulation of rock properties. We develop and validate a rapid and scalable distributed-parallel single-phase pore-scale flow simulator for permeability estimation on real 3D pore-scale micro-CT images using a novel variant of the lattice Boltzmann method (LBM). The LBM code implementation is designed to take maximum advantage of distributed computing on multiple general-purpose graphics processing units (GPGPUs). We describe and extensively test the distributed parallel implementation of an innovative LBM algorithm for simulating flow in pore-scale media based on the multiple-relaxation-time (MRT) model that utilizes a precise treatment of body force. While the individual components of the resulting simulator can be separately found in various references, our novel contributions are (1) the integration of all of the mathematical and high-performance computing components together with a highly optimized code implementation and (2) the delivery of quantitative results with the simulator in terms of robustness, accuracy, and computational efficiency for a variety of flow geometries including various types of real rock images. We report on extensive validations of the simulator in terms of accuracy and provide near-ideal distributed parallel scalability results on large pore-scale image volumes that were largely computationally inaccessible prior to our implementation. We validate the accuracy of the MRT-LBM simulator on model geometries with analytical solutions. Permeability estimation results are then provided on large 3D binary microstructures including a sphere pack and rocks from various sandstone and carbonate formations. We quantify the scalability behavior of the distributed parallel implementation of MRT-LBM as a function of model type/size and the number of utilized GPGPUs for a panoply of permeability estimation problems.     

Crustal melting and recycling: geochronology and sources of Variscan syn-kinematic anatectic granitoids of the Tormes Dome (Central Iberian Zone). A U–Pb LA-ICP-MS study

International Journal of Earth Sciences - In this study, we report U–Pb Laser Ablation ICP-MS zircon and ID-TIMS monazite ages for peraluminous granitoid plutons...     

A statistical analysis of the H/L ratio of ordinary chondrite finds and falls: A comparison of Oman finds with other populations

Hot and cold deserts have been thoroughly searched for meteorites in the past decades, which has led to a large inventory of classified meteorites. H‐ and L‐chondrites are the most abundant meteorites in all collections, and many authors used the H/L ratio as a characteristic parameter in comparing meteorite populations. H/L ratios (after pairing) vary from 0.90 in observed falls up to 1.74 in El Médano (Atacama Desert). In this study, we investigate the H/L ratio of 965 unpaired H‐ and L‐chondrites collected in Oman and compare this population with observed falls and other hot desert collections. We find a mass dependence of the H/L ratio among hot desert finds and identify mechanisms such as fragmentation during weathering and fall that have an impact on the H/L ratio. We employ the Kolmogorov–Smirnov and Mann–Whitney U statistical tests to compare the mass distributions of H‐ and L‐chondrites and to test the relationship between the similarity of mass distributions and the H/L ratio. We conclude that the variations of the H/L ratios observed in various populations are a sampling artifact resulting from secondary effects and observational bias, expressed in differences of the H and L mass distributions which are not observed in falls, and not due to variations in H/L of the meteorite flux. The H/L ratio of 0.90 observed among recent falls is considered as most representative for the overall meteorite flux, at least since the Late Pleistocene.     

Analysis and results of cooperative magnetographic measurements III. Vertical gradients of the magnetic field in the sunspot photosphere

We compare vertical gradients of sunspot magnetic fields which were derived for the first time from nearly simultaneous vector magnetograms. The measurements were obtained in the photospheric lines Fe I 5250 and Fe I 5253 by the vector magnetographs of the Sayan-Observatory (Irkutsk) and the Solar Observatory “Einsteinturm”. The gradients derived from the different measurements show a good correspondence with respect to the numerical values as well as to the morphological structure of the distributions in the magnetograph's field of view. In the umbral region of the spot the vertical gradients amount to about 0.32 Gkm^-1 indicating that the umbral field can extend with strong field strengths into chromosphere and corona. A circle-like area with opposite sign to the umbral gradient was found on the boundary between penumbra and surrounding photosphere. The physical significance of this area should be the goal of further observations and interpretations. Wir vergleichen Vertikalgradienten des Magnetfeldes von Sonnenflecken, die erstmals aus fast simultan aufgenommenen Vektormagnetogrammen abgeleitet wurden. Die Messungen erfolgten unter Verwendung der photosphärischen Linien Fe I 5250 Å und Fe I 5253 Å mit den Vektormagnetografen des Sayan-Observatoriums (Irkutsk) und des Sonnenobservatoriums “Einsteinturm”. Die aus den verschiedenen Messungen ermittelten Gradienten zeigen sowohl hinsichtlich der numerischen Werte als auch bezüglich der morphologischen Struktur ihrer Verteilung im Bildfeld der Magnetografen eine gute Übereinstimmung. Im Kern des Flecks erreicht der Vertikalgradient 0,32 g kin^-1. Das weist darauf hin, daß sich das umbrale Feld mit hoher Feldstärke bis in die Chromosphäre und Korona erstrecken kann. Ein kreisförmiges Gebiet mit entgegengesetztem Vorzeichen zum umbralen Gradienten ist an der Grenze zwischen Penumbra und umgebender Photosphäre zu finden. Die physikalische Bedeutung dieses Gebietes soll durch weitere Beobachtungen und Auswertungen geklärt werden.     

Quantifying the effects of environmental change on an oyster population: A modeling study

Three models are combined to investigate the effects of changes in environmental conditions on the population structure of the Eastern oyster,Crassostrea virginica. The first model, a time-dependent model of the oyster population as described in Powell et al. (1992, 1994, 1995a,b, 1996, 1997) and Hofmann et al. (1992, 1994, 1995), tracks the distribution, development, spawning, and mortality of sessile oyster populations. The second model, a time-dependent larval growth model as described in Dekshenieks et al. (1993), simulates larval growth and mortality. The final model, a finite element hydrodynamic model, simulates the circulation in Galveston Bay, Texas. The coupled post-settlement-larval model (the oyster model) runs within the finite element grid at locations that include known oyster reef habitats. The oyster model was first forced with 5 yr of mean environmental conditions to provide a reference simulation for Galveston Bay. Additional simulations considered the effects of long-term increases and decreases in freshwater inflow and temperature, as well as decreases in food concentration and total seston on Galveston Bay oyster populations. In general, the simulations show that salinity is the primary environmental factor controling the spatial extent of oyster distribution within the estuary. Results also indicate a need to consider all environmental factors when attempting to predict the response of oyster populations; it is the superposition of a combination of these factors that determines the state of the population. The results from this study allow predictions to be made concerning the effects of environmental change on the status of oyster populations, both within Galveston Bay and within other estuarine systems supporting oyster populations.     

The mafic-ultramafic complex near Finero (Ivrea-Verbano Zone), I. Chemistry of MORB-like magmas

Geochemical data are presented for the meta-igneous, mafic-ultramafic complex near Finero. This complex is in contact with a phlogopite-bearing mantle peridotite and is subdivided into the Internal Gabbro unit, the Amphibole Peridotite unit, and the External Gabbro unit. The Internal Gabbro and the Amphibole Peridotite units consist of coarse-grained, chemically heterogeneous cumulates, whereas the External Gabbro unit is generally massive, chemically more uniform and approximately representative of the residual melt with MgO contents between 6.6 and 9.1% and Mg numbers between 38 and 58. Both whole-rock and mineral contents of Ni and Cr are significantly higher (at similar Mg numbers) in the Amphibole Peridotite unit than in the Internal Gabbro unit. The most straightforward interpretation of this is that the Amphibole Peridotite unit accumulated after the influx of fresh mafic (or ultramafic) magma into the magma chamber. Major-element chemical trends are continuous from the Amphibole Peridotite unit to the External Gabbro unit and are consistent with closed-system fractionation with no further addition of magma or contamination by wall or roof rock assimilation. In the External Gabbro unit, total FeO and TiO₂ contents are strongly correlated with each other (and with P₂O₅ and Zr) and reach values as high as 19 and 4%, respectively, indicating an advanced degree of crystal fractionation along a tholeftic trend. The External Gabbro samples have generally smooth normalized trace element patterns, which are consistent with being representative of a liquid composition. The residual nature of the External Gabbro magma is also indicated by negative Eu and Sr anomalies, clear evidence for prior feldspar fractionation. REE patterns are otherwise indistinguishable from N-type MORB, but Th and U are significantly more depleted than in MORB. This Th and U depletion is similar to that found in olivine basalts and picrites on Iceland and Hawaii; its origin is not well understood. No evidence is seen for any assimilation of crystal material, in sharp contrast with the situation of the igneous complex in Val Sesia near Balmuccia, where the magma composition is dominated by assimilation of crust. We suggest that the heat provided by at most two injections of magma near Finero was insufficient to induce crystal anatexis, in contrast with the excess heat supplied by multiple magma injections at Balmuccia.