Extensional tectonic origin of gneissosity and related structures of the Feiran–Solaf metamorphic belt, Sinai, Egypt

The Feiran–Solaf metamorphic belt consists of low-P high-T amphibolite facies, partly migmatized gneisses, schists, amphibolites and minor calc-silicate rocks of metasedimentary origin. There are also thick concordant synkinematic sheets of diorite, tonalite and granodiorite orthogneiss and foliated granite and pegmatite dykelets. The gneissosity (or schistosity) is referred to as S₁, and is almost everywhere parallel to lithological layering, S₀. This parallelism is not due to transposition. The gneissosity formed during an extensional tectonic event (termed D1), before folding of S₀. S₁ formed by coaxial pure shear flattening strain (Z normal to S₀, i.e. vertical; with X and Y both extensional and lying in S₁). This strain also produced chocolate tablet boudinage of some layers and S₁-concordant sills and veins. S₁ has a strong stretching lineation L₁ with rodding characteristics. Within-plane plastic anisotropy (lower ductility along Y compared to along X) resulted in L₁-parallel extensional ductile shears and melt filled cracks. Continued shortening of these veins, and back-rotation of foliations on the shears produced intrafolial F₁ folds with hinges parallel to the stretching lineation. F₁ fold asymmetry variations do not support previous models involving macroscopic F₁ folds or syn-gneissosity compressional tectonics. The sedimentary protoliths of the Feiran–Solaf gneisses were probably deposited in a pre-800 Ma actively extending intracratonic rift characterizing an early stage of the break-up of Rodinia.     

The Migif–Hafafit gneissic complex of the Egyptian Eastern Desert: fold interference patterns involving multiply deformed sheath folds

The Wadi Hafafit Complex (WHC) is an arcuate belt of orthogneisses, migmatites and other high-grade metamorphic rocks, which marks the boundary between the Central Eastern and the South Eastern Deserts of Egypt. In the WHC, gneissic meta-gabbro outlines macroscopic fold interference patterns characterized by elliptical to irregular culminations cored by gneissic meta-tonalite to meta-trondhjemite. The five main culminations of the WHC have previously been labeled A (most northerly), B, C, D and E (most southerly). A detailed structural investigation of B, C, D and E reveals that these structures are a result of the interference of four macroscopic fold phases, the first three of which may represent a single deformation event. The first folding involved sheath-like fold nappes, which were transported to the N or NW, assisted by translation on gently dipping mylonite zones. The regional gneissosity and mineral extension lineations formed during this folding event. The fold nappes were deformed by mainly open upright small macroscopic and mesocopic folds with approximately NE-trending hinges. As a probable continuation of the latter folding, the sheaths were buckled into large macroscopic folds and monoclines with the same NE-trends. The fourth macroscopic folding resulted from shortening along the NE–SW direction, producing mainly NW–SE-trending upright gently plunging folds. Gravitative uplift is disputed as a component of the deformation history of the WHC. The peculiarities of the fold interference pattern result from the interesting behaviour of sheath folds during their refolding.     

Practical VTI approximations: a systematic anatomy

Transverse isotropy (TI) with a vertical symmetry axis (VTI) often provides an appropriate earth model for prestack imaging of steep-dip reflection seismic data. Exact P-wave and SV-wave phase velocities in VTI media are described by complicated equations requiring four independent parameters. Estimating appropriate multiparameter earth models can be difficult and time-consuming, so it is often useful to replace the exact VTI equations with simpler approximations requiring fewer parameters. The accuracy limits of different previously published VTI approximations are not always clear, nor is it always obvious how these different approximations relate to each other. Here I present a systematic framework for deriving a variety of useful VTI approximations. I develop first a sequence of well-defined approximations to the exact P-wave and SV-wave phase velocities. In doing so, I show how the useful but physically questionable heuristic of setting shear velocities identically to zero can be replaced with a more precise and quantifiable approximation. The key here to deriving accurate approximations is to replace the stiffness a₁₃ with an appropriate factorization in terms of velocity parameters. Two different specific parameter choices lead to the P-wave approximations of Alkhalifah (Geophysics 63 (1998) 623) and Schoenberg and de Hoop (Geophysics 65 (2000) 919), but there are actually an infinite number of reasonable parametrizations possible. Further approximations then lead to a variety of other useful phase velocity expressions, including those of Thomsen (Geophysics 51 (1986) 1954), Dellinger et al. (Journal of Seismic Exploration 2 (1993) 23), Harlan (Stanford Exploration Project Report 89 (1995) 145), and Stopin (Stopin, A., 2001. Comparison of v(θ) equations in TI medium. 9th International Workshop on Seismic Anisotropy). Each P-wave phase velocity approximation derived this way can be paired naturally with a corresponding SV-wave approximation. Each P-wave or SV-wave phase velocity approximation can then be converted into an equivalent dispersion relation in terms of horizontal and vertical slownesses. A simple heuristic substitution also allows each phase velocity approximation to be converted into an explicit group velocity approximation. From these, in turn, travel time or moveout approximations can also be derived. The group velocity and travel time approximations derived this way include ones previously used by Byun et al. (Geophysics 54 (1989) 1564), Dellinger et al. (Journal of Seismic Exploration 2 (1993) 23), Tsvankin and Thomsen (Geophysics 59 (1994) 1290), Harlan (89 (1995) 145), and Zhang and Uren (Zhang, F. and Uren, N., 2001. Approximate explicit ray velocity functions and travel times for P-waves in TI media. 71st Annual International Meeting, Society of Exploration Geophysicists, Expanded Abstracts, 106–109).     

Application of topo-edaphic factors and remotely sensed vegetation indices to enhance biomass estimation in a heterogeneous landscape in the Eastern Arc Mountains of Tanzania

Estimating tropical biomass is critical for establishment of conservation inventories and landscape monitoring. However, monitoring biomass in a complex and dynamic environment using traditional methods is challenging. Recently, biomass estimates based on remotely sensed data and ecological variables have shown great potential. The present study explored the utility of remotely sensed data and topo-edaphic factors to improve biomass estimation in the Eastern Arc Mountains of Tanzania. Twenty-nine vegetation indices were calculated from RapidEye data, while topo-edaphic factors were taken from field measurements. Results showed that using topo-edaphic variables or vegetation indices, biomass could be predicted with an R² of 0.4. A combination of topo-edaphic variables and vegetation indices improved the prediction accuracy to an R² of 0.6. Results further showed a decrease in biomass estimates from 1162 ton ha^?1 in 1980 to 285.38 ton ha^?1 in 2012. This study demonstrates the value of combining remotely sensed data with topo-edaphic variables in biomass estimation.     

MedFlux: Investigations of particle flux in the Twilight Zone

The MedFlux project was devised to determine and model relationships between organic matter and mineral ballasts of sinking particulate matter in the ocean. Specifically we investigated the ballast ratio hypothesis, tested various commonly used sampling and modeling techniques, and developed new technologies that would allow better characterization of particle biogeochemistry. Here we describe the rationale for the project, the biogeochemical provenance of the DYFAMED site, the international support structure, and highlights from the papers published here. Additional MedFlux papers can be accessed at the MedFlux web site (http://msrc.sunysb.edu/MedFlux/).     

Comment on Malanson(2017) “Mixed signals in trends of variance in high-elevation tree ring chronologies” published in Journal of Mountain Science

In a recent paper published in Journal of Mountain Science, Malanson (2017) explored variance changes in Rocky Mountains tree-ring chronologies. This commentary points out some methodological issues related to systematic bias in evolving tree-ring chronology variance and suggests that analyzing the slopes of linear regression lines may be suboptimal for identifying temporal changes in variance. The journal editor invited the original article’s authors Dr. Malandson to respond to the comments. Thus Dr. Malandson’s response is attached behind the comments.     

Statistical study of visual binaries

In this paper, some statistical distributions of wide pairs included in the Washington Double Star Catalog are investigated. Frequency distributions and testing hypothesis are derived for some basic parameters of visual binaries. It was found that the magnitude difference is distributed exponentially, which means that the majority of the components of the selected systems are of the same spectral type. The distribution of mass ratios is concentrated at about 0.7 which agrees with Salpeter mass function. The distribution of the linear separation appears to be exponential which contradicts previous studies for close binaries.