The MV Rena shipwreck: time-critical scientific response and environmental legacies

ABSTRACT

The sinking of the MV Rena on Astrolabe Reef (Otaiti) in the Bay of Plenty, New Zealand, resulted in the release of oil and ship debris, including dangerous goods carried as cargo. Two key questions of concern to the public and environmental managers were posed immediately: what was the impact of the Rena oil spill and how long would it take for the marine environment to recover? The research that began immediately after the ship grounded provided answers, as documented in this special issue.     

THE HYDROGEOLOGY OF GHANA

SUMMARY

Many hydrological systems exhibit long periods of quiescent behaviour, broken only occasionally by short periods of comparatively intense activity. Clear examples arise in stream run-off measurements and in ground water table observations. The number of measurements recorded can then be considerably reduced by reducing the frequency of recording over the quiescent periods. The paper describes an algorithm whereby this reduction is attained in an optimum manner. When recordings can be accepted directly by a computer, the algorithm simply provides a translation programme Whereby the quality of data may be very considerably reduced. Other applications are, however, discussed.

The problems of Optimum representations is first presented, and choices of norm indicated. Using a particular norm, it is shown that the optimum representation is characterised, under certain limiting conditions, by the property that the second moments of the second derivatives are constant over all optimum intervals. This characterisation is used to construct an iterative difference scheme, whereby a certain truncation error is accepted. Sufficient conditions for stability of the scheme are determined and these incorporated into a computer programme. The programme has been tested on a variety of data with satisfactory results. In conclusion, a further development of the method is indicated.     

Road Reduction Filtering for GPS-GIS Navigation

A novel method of map matching using the Global Positioning System (GPS) has been developed for civilian use, which uses digital mapping data to infer the systematic position errors of less than 100m which result largely from 'selective availability' (S/A) imposed by the US military. Selective availability was switched off on the 2nd of May 2000, and is to be replaced with 'regional denial capabilities in lieu of global degradation'. The system tracks a vehicle on all possible roads (road centre-lines) in a computed error region, then uses a method of rapidly detecting inappropriate road centre-lines from the set of all those possible. This is called the Road Reduction Filter (RRF) algorithm. Point positioning is computed using C/A code pseudorange measurements direct from a GPS receiver. The least squares estimation is performed in the software developed for the experiment described in this paper. Virtual differential GPS (VDGPS) corrections are computed and used from a vehicle's previous positions, thus providing an autonomous alternative to DGPS for in-car navigation and fleet management. Height aiding is used to augment the solution and reduce the number of satellites required for a position solution. Ordnance Survey (OS) digital map data was used for the experiment, i.e. OSCAR 1 m resolution road centre-line geometry and Land Form PANORAMA 1:50,000, 50 m-grid digital terrain model (DTM). Testing of the algorithm is reported and results are analysed. Vehicle positions provided by RRF are compared with the 'true' position determined using high precision (cm) GPS carrier phase techniques. It is shown that height aiding using a DTM and the RRF significantly improve the accuracy of position provided by inexpensive single frequency GPS receivers.     

Regional retrograde metamorphism of a high grade terrain: the Willyama Complex,Broken Hill,Australia

Retrograde metamorphism has been a major influence in the development of the presently observed lithologies of the Willyama Complex, Broken Hill. Two broad types of retrogression are distinguished: pseudomorphous and kinematic retrogression. The former type of retrogression involves replacement of prograde phases without complete loss of the high grade fabric; hence the prograde assemblage can frequently be inferred. Kinematic retrogression involves the development of a new schistose fabric and, like pseudomorphous retrogression, is commonly related to F₃ deformation. Retrogression was initiated during the waning stage of prograde metamorphism and was accompanied by an influx of aqueous fluid at similar pressure, but lower temperature conditions than prograde metamorphism. The source of the water is believed to be the crystallization of cooling partial melts. The regional nature of this ‘Willyama-style’ of retrogression is attributed to the metasediment-rich nature of the sequence, the high geothermal gradient and the considerable amount of in situ partial melting.     

Development of an Airborne Positioning System

A joint research project between the University of Newcastle upon Tyne and City University is developing a prototype system for using kinematic GPS techniques to derive the exterior orientation of an oblique sensor without the use of co-ordinated ground control. This paper presents an overview of the techniques employed in deriving GPS antenna co-ordinates and their subsequent use in finding the required orientations. The latest results and future plans are presented and discussed.     

Emplacement age and thermal footprint of the diamondiferous Ellendale E9 lamproite pipe, Western Australia

The diamondiferous Ellendale 9 (E9) pipe is a funnel-shaped maar-diatreme volcano consisting of inward-dipping tuff sequences intruded by lamproite plugs and dykes. The host rocks for the E9 pipe are Permian sandstones. The multiple lithological contacts exposed within the mined maar volcano provide a natural laboratory in which to study the effect of volcanic processes on U–Th–Pb–He systematics. Zircon from the regional sandstone and E9 lamproite display a bimodal distribution of ages on (U–Th)/He–U/Pb plots. The zircon U/Pb ages for the E9 pipe (n?=?52) range from 440 to 2,725 Ma, while the cluster of (U–Th)/He ages for the lamproite dyke zircon indicate that dyke emplacement occurred at 20.6?±?2.8 Ma, concordant with a maximum emplacement age of about ≤22 Ma from phlogopite ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar. These ages indicate a xenocrystic origin for the zircon entrained in the E9 dyke. The U/Pb ages of detrital zircon from the regional sandstone host (373–3,248 Ma; n?=?41) are indistinguishable from those of the lamproite zircon xenocrysts, whereas the detrital zircon in the host sandstone yield (U–Th)/He ages from 260 to 1,500 Ma. A thermochronology traverse across the E9 lamproite dyke reveals that the zircon (U–Th)/He ages in the host sandstone have not been significantly thermally reset during dyke emplacement, even at the contact. The capability of the zircon (U–Th)/He method to distinguish deep, mantle source lithologies from upper crustal source lithologies could be used in geochemical exploration for diamonds. Pre-screening of detrital samples using etching and helium assay methods will improve the efficiency and decrease the cost of greenfields exploration.