Geology and the Allied liberation of Normandy: highlights to help mark the 75th anniversary of D‐Day, 6 June 1944

During the Second World War, the Allied invasion of the French coast of Normandy on D‐Day, 6 June 1944, was the greatest amphibious assault in world history. An article in Geology Today (v.11, for 1995, pp.58–63) marked the 50th anniversary of the end of the war in Europe, on 8 May 1945, by describing how British military geologists had participated in planning for D‐Day and in the NW Europe campaign that followed it. The work of these geologists provides a classic case history, revealing that ‘military geology’ has many potential applications. Geological factors influenced site selection for temporary airfields, predictions of trafficability for the Normandy beaches, the development of potable water supplies, and quarrying for road metal—and more besides. This new article helps to mark the 75th anniversary of D‐Day by further details of how geologists and geology contributed to Allied victory.     

Modeling X-Ray Photoionized Plasmas Produced at the Sandia Z-Facility

In experiments at the high-power Z-facility at Sandia National Laboratory in Albuquerque, New Mexico, we have been able to produce a low density photoionized laboratory plasma of Fe mixed with NaF. The conditions in the experiment allow a meaningful comparison with X-ray emission from astrophysical sources. The charge state distributions of Fe, Na and F are determined in this plasma using high resolution X-ray spectroscopy. Independent measurements of the density and radiation flux indicate unprecedented values for the ionization parameter ξ = 20–25 erg cm s⁻¹ under nearly steady-state conditions. First comparisons of the measured charge state distributions with X-ray photoionization models show reasonable agreement, although many questions remain.     

Metabolism of perylene by monooxygenases of the skin and liver of Ambystoma tigrinum

The prevalence of dermal neoplasia among neotenic tiger salamanders (Ambystoma tigrinum) collected from the Reese Air Force Base sewage lagoon far exceeded that among salamanders from nearby uncontaminated lagoons. Perylene was the predominant pglycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon contaminant in this lagoon. Perylene was shown to be a substrate for monooxygenases in skin and liver homogenates and formed DNA-binding metabolites. Perylene exposure appeared to augment subsequent perylene metabolism by dermal enzymes but it was not a strong inducer of hepatic monooxygenases. Aroclor 1254 induced benzo(a)pyrene and perylene metabolism by both skin and liver enzymes. However, perylene apparently was not activated by salamander enzymes, as suggested by its lack of in vitro mutagenicity and failure to induce tumors.     

Dark matter particles and the flat rotation curves of spiral galaxies

It is shown that a gas of massive bosonic particles (m 60 eV), e.g. Higgs particles, surrounding disk galaxies is able to generate the flat rotation curves of spiral galaxies without internal difficulties with physical principles. We have analyzed 36 galaxies and find good agreement with the empirical data.     

Sediment deposition from flow at low gradients into a buffer strip—a critical test of re-entrainment theory

The spatial and size distribution of sediment deposited from short periods of overland flow due to the effect of a simulated grass buffer strip was measured for low slopes of 1.6, 3.4 and 5.1%. These data were analysed so as to critically evaluate two alternative models of the process of re-entrainment of recently deposited sediment. A model of re-entrainment, previously thought to be appropriate only for a steady-state or equilibrium situation, was found to give better agreement with experiments than did a model previously used in the literature on this subject.     

Spectroscopy of astrophysic al plasmas in the laboratory

Francis Keenan and Steven Rose examine how and why astrophysicists use plasma in the laboratory to mimic accretion processes in stars.     

Recent Environmental Change and Atmospheric Contamination on Svalbard as Recorded in Lake Sediments – an Introduction

This paper outlines an interdisciplinary project on recent environmental change and atmospheric contamination on the high Arctic archipelago of Svalbard (76°30′N–80°30′N). It describes the rationale and aims of the project and summarises the location, climate, geology, vegetation, and land-use of Svalbard.     

Probing the oxidation-reduction properties of terrestrially and microbially derived dissolved organic matter

Dissolved organic matter (DOM) has been shown to be an integral component in biogeochemical electron transfer reactions due to its demonstrated ability to facilitate redox reactions. While the role of DOM as a facilitator of electron transfer processes has been demonstrated, greater knowledge would lead to better understanding of the structural components responsible for redox behavior, such as quinones and nitrogen and sulfur (N/S) functional groups. This investigation uses direct scan voltammetry (DSV) coupled with fluorescence and NMR spectroscopy as well as thermochemolysis gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) to elucidate the organic moieties responsible for facilitating electron transfer reactions. We contrast electrochemical properties and structural details of three organic matter isolates from diverse sources; Great Dismal Swamp DOM (terrestrially derived, highly aromatic), Pony Lake DOM (microbially derived, highly aliphatic) and Toolik Lake (terrestrially derived, photochemically and microbially altered) with juglone (a redox-active model quinone). Aromatic and phenolic constituents were detected (by ¹³C NMR) and recovered (by thermochemolysis GC-MS) from all three fulvic acid samples, highlighting the ubiquity of these compounds and suggesting that the quinone-phenol redox couple is not limited to DOM derived from lignin precursors. The range of hydroxy-benzene and benzoic acid derivatives may explain the lack of a single pair of well-defined oxidation and reduction peaks in the DSV scans. The presence of a wide-range of hydroxylated benzoic acid isomers and other redox-active aromatic residues implies that native DOM possesses overlapping redox potentials analogous to their characteristic range of pK_a values.