The Dergaon (H5) chondrite: Fall,classification, petrological and chemical characteristics,cosmogenic effects,and noble gas records

Abstract— A multiple fall of a stony meteorite occurred near the town of Dergaon in Assam, India, on March 2, 2001. Several fragments weighing <2 kg and a single large fragment weighing ～10 kg were recovered from the strewn field, which extended over several tens of square kilometers. Chemical, petrographic, and oxygen isotopic studies indicate it to be, in most aspects, a typical H5 chondrite, except the unusually low K content of ～340 ppm. A cosmic ray exposure of 9.7 Ma is inferred from the cosmogenic noble gas records. Activities of eleven cosmogenic radionuclides were measured. ²⁶Al and ²²Na activities as well as the ²²Na/²⁶Al activity ratio are close to the values expected on the basis of solar modulation of galactic cosmic rays. The low ⁶⁰Co activity (<1 dpm/kg) is indicative of a small preatmospheric size of the meteorite. Cosmic ray heavy nuclei track densities in olivine grains range from ～106 cm^?2 in samples from the largest fragment to approximately (4–9) × 105 cm^?2 in one of the smaller fragments. The combined track, radionuclide, and noble gas data suggest a preatmospheric radius of ～20 cm for the Dergaon meteorite.     

喜马拉雅中部甘达基河流域尼泊尔国鸟(棕尾虹雉)生境分布变化

甘达基河流域(Gandaki River Basin,GRB)是喜马拉雅中部地区的一部分,该地区栖息着许多珍稀的野生动物。由于气候和人类活动的影响,许多珍稀保护物种的生境处于危险之中。本研究基于最大熵(MaxEnt)模型,运用生物气候、土地覆被和DEM数据,分析各环境要素对棕尾虹雉(Lophophorusimpejanus)的生境适宜性的影响,评估棕尾虹雉现在状况和未来栖息地分布的变化。研究表明,目前棕尾虹雉的高度适宜栖息地面积约为749 km^2,主要分布在流域北部、东部和西部,尤其是郎塘国家公园、马纳斯卢峰自然保护区和安纳布尔纳峰自然保护区等保护区内。到2050年,棕尾虹雉的高度适宜栖息地面积将减少至561 km^2,主要在流域北部和西北部(即Chhyo,Tatopani,Humde和Chame地区)。未来环境变化的模拟表明,由于适宜栖息地面积的减少,棕尾虹雉面临的生存风险将增加。     

QUANTITATIVE INTERPRETATION OF PULSE EM MEASUREMENTS OVER A WEATHERED KIMBERLITE DIATREME*

The application of pulse EM and MAXMIN II systems in search of a kimberlite diatremes under conducting cover has been demonstrated through a field example. The effectiveness of the PEM system in the search for conductive zones of economic importance and in discrimination against geologic noise such as overburden has been investigated. The transient observation has been transformed to equivalent half-space resistivities at various times. The feasibility of mapping thin conducting overburden using the PEM system has been studied by inverting the transient measurement to the thin infinite horizontal sheet conductance. The PEM measurement is shown to be an economic and effective tool for shallow geoelectric mapping.     

Late Quaternary changes in surface productivity and oxygen minimum zone (OMZ) in the northwestern Arabian Sea: Micropaleontologic and sedimentary record at ODP site 728A

Changes in the abundance of selected planktic foraminiferal species and some sedimentological parameters at ODP site 728A were examined to understand the fluctuations in the surface productivity and deep sea oxygenation in the NW Arabian Sea during last ∼540 kyr. The increased relative abundances of high fertility taxa, i.e., Globigerinita glutinata and Globigerina bulloides mainly during interglacial intervals indicate intense upwelling. Strong SW summer monsoon probably increased the upwelling in the western Arabian Sea during interglacial intervals and caused high surface productivities due to the lateral transport of eutrophic waters. Most of the glacial periods (i.e., MIS 2, 4, 6, 8 and 12) are characterized by higher relative abundances of Neogloboquadrina pachyderma and Neogloboquadrina dutertrei associated with Globigerinoides ruber. The more stratified condition and deep mixed layer due to increased NE winter monsoon are mainly responsible for the higher relative abundances of N. pachyderma during glacial periods. Some of the glacial intervals (i.e., MIS 6 and 8) are also characterized by pteropod spikes reflecting deepening of aragonite compensation depth (ACD) and relatively less intense oxygen minimum zone (OMZ) in this region due to deep sea mixing and thermocline ventilation, and relatively less intense surface productivity during winter monsoon. The interglacial periods are largely devoid of pteropod shells indicating more aragonite dissolution due to increased intensity of OMZ in the northwestern Arabian Sea.     

Predicting the Impact of Climate Change on Vulnerable Species in Gandaki River Basin,Central Himalayas

Gandaki River Basin (GRB) is an important part of the central Himalayan region, which provides habitat for numerous wild species. However, climatic changes are making the habitat in this basin more vulnerable. This paper aims to assess the potential impacts of climate change on the spatial distributions of habitat changes for two vulnerable species, Himalayan black bear (Ursus thibetanus laniger) and common leopard (Panthera pardus fusca), using the maximum entropy (MaxEnt) species distribution model. Species occurrence locations were used along with several bioclimatic and topographic variables (elevation, slope and aspect) to fit the model and predict the potential distributions (current and future) of the species. The results show that the highly suitable area of Himalayan black bear within the GRB currently encompasses around 1642 km² (5.01% area of the basin), which is predicted to increase by 51 km² in the future (2050). Similarly, the habitat of common leopard is estimated as 3999 km² (12.19% of the GRB area), which is likely to increase to 4806 km² in 2050. Spatially, the habitat of Himalayan black bear is predicted to increase in the eastern part (Baseri, Tatopani and north from Bhainse) and to decrease in the eastern (Somdang, Chhekampar), western (Burtibang and Bobang) and northern (Sangboche, Manang, Chhekampar) parts of the study area. Similarly, the habitat of common leopard is projected to decrease particularly in the eastern, western and southern parts of the basin, although it is estimated to be extended in the southeastern (Bhainse), western (Harichaur and northern Sandhikhark) and north-western (Sangboche) parts of the basin. To determine the habitat impact, the environmental variables such as elevation, Bio 15 (precipitation seasonality) and Bio 16 (precipitation of wettest quarter) highly contribute to habitat change of Himalayan black bear; while Bio 13 (precipitation of wettest month) and Bio 15 are the main contributors for common leopard. Overall, this study predicted that the suitable habitat areas of both species are likely to be impacted by climate change at different altitudes in the future, and these are the areas that need more attention in order to protect these species.     

IN-LOOP PULSE EM RESPONSE OF A STRATIFIED EARTH*

The in-loop pulse electromagnetic response of a stratified earth has been expressed in terms of an apparent resistivity- time plot using the PEM response over a homogeneous half-space which is typically unipolar with monotonic decay. This half-space response characteristic provides a unique relationship between Crone PEM channel amplitude and the apparent half-space resistivity. The possibility to resolve a thin intermediate conductive and resistive layer with the in-loop PEM system has been investigated. The system is well in shallow geoelectric mapping.     

NOMOGRAMS TO INTERPRET CRONE PEM DATA USING A DIPPING SHEET MODEL*

The response of a rectangular plate to the Crone PEM system has been investigated for different values of depth, dip and conductance parameters. The conductance aperture diagram is presented to estimate the conductance and depth to the top of a vertical sheet. Information regarding dip and depth may be obtained using the appropriate nomogram.     

Devgaon (H3) chondrite: Classification and complex cosmic ray exposure history

Abstract— The Devgaon meteorite fell in India on February 12, 2001 and was immediately collected. It is an ordinary chondrite having a number of SiO₂‐rich objects and some Ca, Al‐rich inclusions. Olivines (Fa_17–19) are fairly equilibrated, while pyroxenes (Fs_4–20) are unequilibrated. Occasionally, shock veins are visible, but the bulk rock sample is very weakly shocked (S2). Chondrules and chondrule fragments are abundant. Based on chemical and petrological features, Devgaon is classified as an H3.8 group chondrite. Several cosmogenic radionuclides ranging in half‐lives from 5.6 d (⁵²Mn) to 7.3 times 10⁵ yr (²⁶Al), noble gases (He, Ne, Ar, Kr, and Xe), and particle track density have been measured. The track density in olivines from five spot samples varies between (4.6 to 9) × 10⁶ cm^?2 showing a small gradient within the meteorite. The light noble gases are dominated by cosmogenic and radiogenic components. Large amounts of trapped gases (Ar, Kr, and Xe) are present. In addition, (n, γ) products from Br and I are found in Kr and Xe, respectively. The average cosmic ray exposure age of 101 ± 8 Ma is derived based on cosmogenic ³⁸Ar, ⁸³Kr, and ¹²⁶Xe. The track production rates correspond to shielding depths of about 4.9 to 7.8 cm, indicating that the stone suffered type IV ablation. Low ⁶⁰Co, high (²²Ne/²¹Ne)_c, and large neutron produced excesses at ⁸⁰Kr, ⁸²Kr, and ¹²⁸Xe indicate a complex exposure history of the meteoroid. In the first stage, a meter‐sized body was exposed for nearly 10⁸ yr in the interplanetary space that broke up in ?50 cm‐sized fragments about a million years ago (stage 2), before it was captured by the Earth.