Sedimentary mode and reservoir distribution of the Cambrian carbonate & evaporate paragenesis system in the Sichuan Basin

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Anna Xu

2016-11-01

Full Text Available The Cambrian carbonate & evaporite paragenesis system in the Sichuan Basin is made up of the Longwangmiao, Gaotai and Xixiangchi Fms. So far, great breakthrough has been made only in the Longwangmiao Fm instead of the latter two, and the Anyue Gasfield was discovered in the center of this basin. In this paper, therefore, the Cambrian carbonate & evaporite paragenesis system in the Sichuan Basin was analyzed in terms of its structural–sedimentary setting, sequence stratigraphic framework, sedimentary facies and the distribution of evaporites by using various geologic, logging and seismic data. Then, the geological model of sedimentary facies was established and the distribution range of favorable reservoirs was predicted. Based on these studies, the following results are obtained. Firstly, the palaeotectonic framework is characterized by the style of “one depression between two uplifts” in the setting of a large SE dipping slope, and the stratigraphic filling is in the structure of “onlapping at the bottom and truncation at the top” which is thin in the west and thick in the east. Secondly, three third-order sequence cycles which, on the whole, become shallow upward are developed from bottom to top, and gypsum-salt rocks are mainly located at the high system tract (HST of third-order sequences and concentrated in the Wanzhou–Yibin sag. Thirdly, the geological model of sedimentary facies is composed of three major sedimentary structural layers from bottom to top, namely the evaporative carbonate ramp, the evaporative diamictic restricted platform and the evaporative restricted platform. The sedimentary environment changes from the open to the closed and the penesaline for a long time, and then back to the open. The distribution of shoals changes from the pattern of “dual banks” in a large area to more scattered shoals and banded shoals, while the evaporative lagoon and tidal flat shrink. Fourthly, the reservoir distribution is

The role microbial sulfate reduction in the direct mediation of sedimentary authigenic carbonate precipitation

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Turchyn, A. V.; Walker, K.; Sun, X.

2016-12-01

The majority of modern deep marine sediments are bathed in water that is undersaturated with respect to calcium carbonate. However, within marine sediments changing chemical conditions, driven largely by the microbial oxidation of organic carbon in the absence of oxygen, lead to supersaturated conditions and drive calcium carbonate precipitation. This sedimentary calcium carbonate is often called `authigenic carbonate', and is found in the form of cements and disseminated crystals within the marine sedimentary pile. As this precipitation of this calcium carbonate is microbially mediated, identifying authigenic carbonate within the geological record and understanding what information its geochemical and/or isotopic signature may hold is key for understanding its importance and what information it may contain past life. However, the modern controls on authigenic carbonate precipitation remain enigmatic because the myriad of microbially mediated reactions occurring within sediments both directly and indirectly impact the proton balance. In this submission we present data from 25 ocean sediment cores spanning the globe where we explore the deviation from the stoichiometrically predicted relationships among alkalinity, calcium and sulfate concentrations. In theory for every mol of organic carbon reduced by sulfate, two mol of alkalinity is produced, and to precipitate subsurface calcium carbonate one mol of calcium is used to consume two mol of alkalinity. We use this data with a model to explore changes in carbonate saturation state with depth below the seafloor. Alkalinity changes in the subsurface are poorly correlated with changes in calcium concentrations, however calcium concentrations are directly and tightly coupled to changes in sulfate concentrations in all studied sites. This suggests a direct role for sulfate reducing bacteria in the precipitation of subsurface carbonate cements.

Deposition of a saline giant in the Mississippian Windsor Group, Nova Scotia, and the nascent Late Paleozoic Ice Age

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MacNeil, Laura A.; Pufahl, Peir K.; James, Noel P.

2018-01-01

Saline giants are vast marine evaporite deposits that currently have no modern analogues and remain one of the most enigmatic of chemical sedimentary rocks. The Mississippian Windsor Group (ca. 345 Ma), Maritimes Basin, Atlantic Canada is a saline giant that consists of two evaporite-rich sedimentary sequences that are subdivided into five subzones. Sequence 1 is composed almost entirely of thick halite belonging to Subzone A (Osagean). Sequence 2 is in unconformable contact and comprised of stacked carbonate-evaporite peritidal cycles of Subzones B through E (Meramecian). Subzone B, the focus of research herein, documents the transition from wholly evaporitic to open marine conditions and thus, preserves an exceptional window into the processes forming saline giants. Lithofacies stacking patterns in Subzone B reveal that higher-order fluctuations in relative sea level produced nine stacked parasequences interpreted to reflect high frequency glacioeustatic oscillations during the onset of the Late Paleozoic Ice Age. Each parasequence reflects progradation of intertidal and sabkha sediments over subtidal carbonate and evaporite deposits. Dissimilarities in cycle composition between sub-basins imply the development of contrasting brine chemistries from differing recharge rates with the open ocean. What the Windsor Group shows is that evaporite type is ostensibly linked to the amplitude and frequency of sea level rise and fall during deposition. True saline giants, like the basinwide evaporites of Sequence 1, apparently require low amplitude, long frequency changes in sea level to promote the development of stable brine pools that are only periodically recharged with seawater. By contrast, the high amplitude, short frequency glacioeustatic variability in sea level that controlled the accumulation of peritidal evaporites in Subzone B produce smaller, subeconomic deposits with more complex facies relationships.

Contribution of deep sourced carbon from hydrocarbon seeps to sedimentary organic carbon: Evidence from Δ14C and δ13C isotopes

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Feng, D.; Peckmann, J.; Peng, Y.; Liang, Q.; Roberts, H. H.; Chen, D.

2017-12-01

Sulfate-driven anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM) limits the release of methane from marine sediments and promotes the formation of carbonates close to the seafloor along continental margins. It has been established that hydrocarbon seeps are a source of dissolved inorganic and organic carbon to marine environments. However, questions remain about the contribution of deep sourced carbon from hydrocarbon seeps to the sedimentary organic carbon pool. For a number of hydrocarbon seeps from the South China Sea and the Gulf of Mexico, the portion of modern carbon was determined based on natural radiocarbon abundances (Δ14C) and stable carbon isotope (δ13Corganic carbon) compositions of the non-carbonate fractions extracted from authigenic carbonates. Samples from both areas show a mixing trend between ideal planktonic organic carbon (δ13C = -22‰ VPDB and 90% modern carbon) and the ambient methane. The δ13Corganic carbon values of non-carbonate fractions from three ancient seep deposits (northern Italy, Miocene; western Washington State, USA, Eocene to Oligocene) confirm that the proxy can be used to constrain the record of sulfate-driven AOM through most of Earth history by measuring the δ13C values of organic carbon. This study reveals the potential of using δ13C values of organic carbon to discern seep and non-seep environments. This new approach is particularly promising when authigenic carbonate is not present in ancient sedimentary environments. Acknowledgments: The authors thank BOEM and NOAA for their years' support of the deep-sea dives. Funding was provided by the NSF of China (Grants: 41422602 and 41373085).

Genomic diversification of giant enteric symbionts reflects host dietary lifestyles

KAUST Repository

Ngugi, David

2017-08-24

Herbivorous surgeonfishes are an ecologically successful group of reef fish that rely on marine algae as their principal food source. Here, we elucidated the significance of giant enteric symbionts colonizing these fishes regarding their roles in the digestive processes of hosts feeding predominantly on polysiphonous red algae and brown Turbinaria algae, which contain different polysaccharide constituents. Using metagenomics, single-cell genomics, and metatranscriptomic analyses, we provide evidence of metabolic diversification of enteric microbiota involved in the degradation of algal biomass in these fishes. The enteric microbiota is also phylogenetically and functionally simple relative to the complex lignocellulose-degrading microbiota of terrestrial herbivores. Over 90% of the enzymes for deconstructing algal polysaccharides emanate from members of a single bacterial lineage,

Distribution and sedimentary arrangement of carbon in South African proterozoic placer deposits

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Minter, W.E.L.

1981-01-01

Carbon, which occurs as grains, films, and thin seams in Witwatersrand Proterozoic placer deposits, is generally confined to carbon-seam reefs that were deposited in distal environments. The distribution of carbon on paleosurfaces, on sedimentary accumulation surfaces like pebble layers, on trough-shaped bedforms of pi-crossbedded units and foresets, and on the winnowed top of placer sediments implies that its growth took place contemporaneously with placer deposition in an aquatic fluvial environment. The areal distribution of carbon seams in distal environments is patchy, and its sparsity or total absence in some areas does not affect either the gold or the uranium content of the placer. High gold and uranium contents that appear to be associated with carbon seams are at the base of the reef because that position represents both the stable consolidated paleosurface upon which the plant material anchored itself and also the surface of bedload concentration

Age, sedimentary environments, and other aspects of sandstone and related host rocks for uranium deposits

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1983-01-01

Project II of the Uranium Geology Working Group was assigned to the study of sedimentary basins and sandstone - type uranium deposits. About 40% of the worlds's uranium resources are contained in sandstone-type deposits, which has led to extensive research. The research was carried out mainly by correspondence, and the results reported by 21 geologists from 10 nations are summarized in this report. It investigated five topics dealing with important aspects of the geology of uranium ores in sandstone host formations: age of host rock; partitioning of uranium between continental and marine sediments; latitude limitation on formation of sandstone deposits; effect of rock formation dip on sandstone ores; usefulness of stable isotope and fluid inclusion studies. The results of studies on these subjects form part of a wider programme of the Working Group, whose final results will be presented at the 27th International Geological Congress in Moscow in 1984

Advancements in exploration and In-Situ Recovery of sedimentary hosted uranium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Märten, H.; Marsland-Smith, A.; Ross, J.; Haschke, M.; Kalka, H.; Schubert, J.

2014-01-01

This paper describes recent advancements in exploration technologies for sedimentary-hosted uranium deposits as basis for improved model-based planning and optimization of in-situ recovery (ISR). High-resolution shallow (<500 m depth) seismic in combination with refraction tomography is used for high-fidelity imaging of true-depth stratigraphy of sedimentary formations, tectonic faults and specific structures for the improved understanding of (hydro)geology in general and as potential indicator for uranium mineralization in particular. A new-generation geophysical downhole-wireline tool with pulsed neutron generator has been developed (i) to accurately measure U grade (PFN [prompt fission neutron] method with important intool corrections for systematic influences), (ii) to determine geophysical parameters including porosity, density, macroscopic neutron cross section (clay content) and deduced permeability, and (iii) to log the mineral composition (based on element-specific gamma ray spectroscopy applied to natural gamma rays as well as gamma rays from inelastic neutron scattering, thermal-neutron capture and neutron activation) – all by one tool. This new data - together with conventional geophysical and geochemical information – provides an excellent aid to the assessment of ISR feasibility, the design of wellfields and planning of wellfield operation. A new kinetic leaching model (reactive transport) has been specifically adjusted to acidic leaching conditions considering kinetic rates of the main neutralizing and redox reactions as function of both pH and oxidation potential (balance of e- acceptor species). It is used as an effective tool for predicting wellfield recovery curves, estimating chemicals’ consumption and optimizing leaching chemistry (i.e. dosage of chemicals to injection lixiviant) in dependence on mineralogical conditions (abundance of main reactants). (author)

The "DREAM" IODP project to drill the Mediterranean Salt Giant on the Balearic Promontory

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Lofi, Johanna; Camerlenghi, Angelo; Aloisi, Giovanni; Maillard, Agnès; Garcia-Castellanos, Daniel; Huebscher, Christian; Kuroda, Junichiro

2017-04-01

Salt giants preserving kilometer-thick evaporite layers are the sedimentary expression of extreme environmental events of global relevance. Despite their global occurrence and general importance on Earth, there is currently no complete stratigraphic record through an un-deformed salt giant of marine origin. Similarly, there is a significant lack of knowledge about the factors controlling salt giants deposition, their early evolution, the impact they exert on the isostatic response of continental margins and on sub-salt formations, and the unprecedented deep biosphere they may harbor. The Mediterranean Messinian salt giant, which formed 5.5 Myrs ago, is one of the youngest salt giant on Earth and is currently lying below the Plio-Quaternary cover in a relatively un-deformed state close to its original depositional configuration. This salt giant is thus accessible by drilling and forms an ideal case study that could be used as a reference for older salt giants. However, since its discovery in 1970 during the DSDP Leg XIII, and despite 40 years or multi-disciplinary researches, this salt giant is still not fully understood and remains one of the longest-living controversies in Earth Science. In this context, the IODP DREAM project aims at exploring the Mediterranean salt giant by drilling with the JOIDES Resolution a transect of 4 sites on the southern margin of the Balearic promontory (Western Mediterranean). We identified this area as likely the only place in the Mediterranean where we could implement a shallow-to-deep transect of non-riser drilling sites. Due to the geological history and pre-structuration of the Promontory, MSC deposits are found preserved in a series of sedimentary basins lying at different water depths between the present-day coastline and the deep central salt basins. DREAM thus offers a unique opportunity to sample several hundred of meters of material forming the Mediterranean salt giant in varied water depths. This unique sedimentary record

Lithium in Open Cluster Red Giants Hosting Substellar Companions

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Carlberg, Joleen K.; Smith, Verne V.; Cunha, Katia; Carpenter, Kenneth G.

2016-02-01

We have measured stellar parameters, [Fe/H], lithium abundances, rotation, and 12C/13C in a small sample of red giants (RGs) in three open clusters that are each home to a RG star that hosts a substellar companion (SSC) (NGC 2423 3, NGC 4349 127, and BD+12 1917 in M67). Our goal is to explore whether the presence of SSCs influences the Li content. Both 12C/13C and stellar rotation are measured as additional tracers of stellar mixing. One of the companion hosts, NGC 2423 3, is found to be Li-rich with A(Li){}{{NLTE}} = 1.56 dex, and this abundance is significantly higher than the A(Li) of the two comparison stars in NGC 2423. All three SSC hosts have the highest A(Li) and 12C/13C when compared to the control RGs in their respective clusters; however, except for NGC 2423 3, at least one control star has similarly high abundances within the uncertainties. Higher A(Li) could suggest that the formation or presence of planets plays a role in the degree of internal mixing on or before the RG branch. However, a multitude of factors affect A(Li) during the RG phase, and when the abundances of our sample are compared with the abundances of RGs in other open clusters available in the literature, we find that they all fall well within a much larger distribution of A(Li) and 12C/13C. Thus, even the high Li in NGC 2423 3 cannot be concretely tied to the presence of the SSC.

The giant Upper Yangtze Pb-Zn province in SW China: Reviews, new advances and a new genetic model

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Zhou, Jia-Xi; Xiang, Zhen-Zhong; Zhou, Mei-Fu; Feng, Yue-Xing; Luo, Kai; Huang, Zhi-Long; Wu, Tao

2018-04-01

In the western margin of the Yangtze Block, SW China, the Emeishan large igneous province (ELIP) is spatially associated with >400 carbonate-hosted epigenetic Pb-Zn deposits. These deposits form the giant Upper Yangtze Pb-Zn metallogenic province with >20 Mt base metals. In the southeastern part of this province, the important Pb-Zn deposits include those of the Yinchangpo, Yunluhe, Maozhachang, Tianqiao, Banbanqiao, Mangdong, Shaojiwan, Liangyan, Qingshan, Shanshulin, Nayongzhi and Guanziyao deposits. Sulfide ore bodies in these deposits are (i) hosted in late Ediacaran to middle Permian limestone, dolomitic limestone and dolostone; (ii) structurally controlled by reverse fault-anticline tectonic systems; and (iii) spatially associated with the ELIP flood basalts and mafic dikes, and early Permian, early Carboniferous and early Cambrian organic matter-rich black shales. C-O isotopic compositions suggest that dolostone and limestone, mantle-derived rocks of the ELIP, and sedimentary organic matters supplied C-O to the hydrothermal systems through water/rock (W/R) interaction. New and existing S isotopic compositions of sulfides imply multiple sources of S and the reduction of sulfate through both abiotic thermochemical (TSR) and bacterially mediated (BSR) processes. Zn isotopes indicate that the sources of Zn were most likely related to the ELIP with various contributions from sediments and basements locally. Pb isotope signatures are suggestive of derivation of Pb from basements and sedimentary rocks with variable influences from the ELIP. Sr isotopes support that mantle-derived rocks, sediments and basements were involved in Pb-Zn mineralization, and they have various contributions in different deposits. We consider that the Pb-Zn deposits in the Upper Yangtze province are the mixed products of multiple S species-bearing solutions and metal-rich fluids, both of which were derived from, flowed through or interacted with multiple lithostratigraphic units in the

Descriptive models, grade-tonnage relations, and databases for the assessment of sediment-hosted copper deposits: with emphasis on deposits in the Central Africa Copperbelt, Democratic Republic of the Congo and Zambia: Chapter J in Global mineral resource assessment

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Taylor, Cliff D.; Causey, J. Douglas; Denning, Paul; Hammarstrom, Jane M.; Hayes, Timothy S.; Horton, John D.; Kirschbaum, Michael J.; Parks, Heather L.; Wilson, Anna B.; Wintzer, Niki E.; Zientek, Michael L.

2013-01-01

The Central African Copperbelt (CACB) is one of the most important copper-producing regions of the world. The majority of copper produced in Africa comes from this region defined by the Neoproterozoic Katanga sedimentary basin of the southern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and northern Zambia. Copper in the CACB is mined from sediment-hosted stratabound copper deposits associated with red beds and includes the giant deposits in the Kolwezi and Tenge-Fungurume districts in the DRC and the Konkola-Musoshi and Nchanga-Chingola districts in Zambia. In recent years, sediment-hosted structurally controlled replacement and vein (SCRV) copper deposits, such as the giant Kansanshi deposit in Zambia have become important exploration targets in the CACB region.

Giants among larges: how gigantism impacts giant virus entry into amoebae.

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Rodrigues, Rodrigo Araújo Lima; Abrahão, Jônatas Santos; Drumond, Betânia Paiva; Kroon, Erna Geessien

2016-06-01

The proposed order Megavirales comprises the nucleocytoplasmic large DNA viruses (NCLDV), infecting a wide range of hosts. Over time, they co-evolved with different host cells, developing various strategies to penetrate them. Mimiviruses and other giant viruses enter cells through phagocytosis, while Marseillevirus and other large viruses explore endocytosis and macropinocytosis. These differing strategies might reflect the evolution of those viruses. Various scenarios have been proposed for the origin and evolution of these viruses, presenting one of the most enigmatic issues to surround these microorganisms. In this context, we believe that giant viruses evolved independently by massive gene/size gain, exploring the phagocytic pathway of entry into amoebas. In response to gigantism, hosts developed mechanisms to evade these parasites. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Far-ultraviolet fluorescence of carbon monoxide in the red giant Arcturus

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ayres, T.R.; Moos, H.W.; Linsky, J.L.

1981-01-01

We present evidence that many of the weak features observed with the International Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE) in the far-ultraviolet (1150--2000 A) spectrum of the archetype red giant Arcturus (K2 III) are A--X fourth positive bands of carbon monoxide excited by chromospheric emissions of O I, C I, and H I. The appearance of fluorescent CO bands near the wavelengths of commonly used indicators of high-temperature (T>2 x 10 4 K) plasma, such as C II lambda1335 and C IV lambda1548, introduces a serious ambiguity in diagnosing the presence of hot material in the outer atmospheres of the cool giants by means of low-dispersion IUE spectra

210Pb dating of sediments from the central and the northern Adriatic Sea: The deposition and preservation of sedimentary organic carbon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hamilton, T.; Fowler, S.; Miquel, J.C.; La Rosa, J.

1996-04-01

A central goal of the ELNA project is to assess the carbon assimilation capacity of the Northern Adriatic Sea. This requires fundamental quantitative information on budgets and sinks of organic carbon. Any change in carbon production in the water column should be reflected in the underlying sediments. Moreover, the fraction of particulate organic carbon reaching the sea floor which is subsequently preserved in the sediment will be strongly coupled to sediment accumulation and mixing. In this study a series of box cores were collected in order to characterize a hypothetical eutrophication gradient extending from the Po River outflow region in the north down to the shallow meso-Adriatic depression (Jabuka Pit). The main tasks assigned to IAEA-MEL were to provide 210 Pb derived sedimentation and dry-mass accumulation rates and to examine the possible correlations between sedimentary processes, the deposition and preservation of sedimentary organic carbon and pelagic primary productivity

Estimation of Potential Carbon Dioxide Storage Capacities of Onshore Sedimentary Basins in Republic of Korea

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Park, S.; Kim, J.; Lee, Y.

2010-12-01

The potential carbon dioxide storage capacities of the five main onshore sedimentary basins (Chungnam, Gyeongsang, Honam, Mungyeong, and Taebaeksan Basins) in Republic of Korea are estimated based on the methods suggested by the United States National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL). The target geologic formations considered for geologic storage of carbon dioxide in the sedimentary basins are sandstone and coal beds. The density of carbon dioxide is set equal to 446.4 kg/m3. The adsorption capacity and density of coal (anthracite) are set equal to 2.71 × 10-2 kg/kg and 1.82 × 103 kg/m3, respectively. The average storage efficiency factors for sandstone and coal are set equal to 2.5% and 34.0%, respectively. The Chungnam Basin has the sandstone volume of 72 km3 and the coal volume of 1.24 km3. The average porosity of sandstone in the Chungnam Basin is 3.8%. As a result, the potential carbon dioxide storage capacities of sandstone and coal in the Chungnam Basin are estimated to be 31 Mton and 21 Mton, respectively. The Gyeongsang Basin has the sandstone volume of 1,960 km3. The average porosity of sandstone in the Gyeongsang Basin is 4.6%. As a result, the potential carbon dioxide storage capacity of sandstone in the Gyeongsang Basin is estimated to be 1,011 Mton. The Honam Basin has the sandstone volume of 8 km3 and the coal volume of 0.27 km3. The average porosity of sandstone in the Honam Basin is 1.9%. As a result, the potential carbon dioxide storage capacities of sandstone and coal in the Honam Basin are estimated to be 2 Mton and 5 Mton, respectively. The Mungyeong Basin has the sandstone volume of 60 km3 and the coal volume of 0.66 km3. The average porosity of sandstone in the Mungyeong Basin is 2.0%. As a result, the potential carbon dioxide storage capacities of sandstone and coal in the Mungyeong Basin are estimated to be 13 Mton and 11 Mton, respectively. The Taebaeksan Basin has the sandstone volume of 71 km3 and the coal volume of 0.73 km3. The

Geological factors of the isotopic distribution of carbon of organic matter in sedimentary rocks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maass, J.

1981-01-01

The isotope ratio of carbon of fossile organic matter can be regarded as a definite criterion of its genetic origin. As the biofacial character of organic matter, especially the chemical composition (H/C-ratio), decisively influences the mode and quantity of the potential hydrocarbon production, isotopic analysis is an essential method for the prognostic evaluation of sedimentary basins with regard to their oil and gas perspectives. The genetic relations to the parent substance continue in the bituminization and coalification products and make it possible to apply the isotopic analysis of carbon to prospection work for hydrocarbons. (author)

Giant Circular Dichroism in Individual Carbon Nanotubes Induced by Extrinsic Chirality

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Yokoyama

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Circular dichroism is widely used for characterizing organic and biological materials, but measurements at a single-molecule level are challenging because differences in absorption for opposite helicities are small. Here, we show that extrinsic chirality can induce giant circular dichroism in individual carbon nanotubes, with the degree of polarization reaching 65%. The signal has a large dependence on the incidence angle, consistent with extrinsic-chirality-induced effects in which symmetry is broken by the optical wave vector. We propose that the field-induced charge distribution on the substrate results in an efficient polarization conversion, giving rise to the giant dichroism. Our results highlight the possibility of polarization manipulation at the nanoscale for applications in integrated photonics and novel metamaterial designs.

Four new planets around giant stars and the mass-metallicity correlation of planet-hosting stars

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, M. I.; Jenkins, J. S.; Brahm, R.; Wittenmyer, R. A.; Olivares E., F.; Melo, C. H. F.; Rojo, P.; Jordán, A.; Drass, H.; Butler, R. P.; Wang, L.

2016-05-01

Context. Exoplanet searches have revealed interesting correlations between the stellar properties and the occurrence rate of planets. In particular, different independent surveys have demonstrated that giant planets are preferentially found around metal-rich stars and that their fraction increases with the stellar mass. Aims: During the past six years we have conducted a radial velocity follow-up program of 166 giant stars to detect substellar companions and to characterize their orbital properties. Using this information, we aim to study the role of the stellar evolution in the orbital parameters of the companions and to unveil possible correlations between the stellar properties and the occurrence rate of giant planets. Methods: We took multi-epoch spectra using FEROS and CHIRON for all of our targets, from which we computed precision radial velocities and derived atmospheric and physical parameters. Additionally, velocities computed from UCLES spectra are presented here. By studying the periodic radial velocity signals, we detected the presence of several substellar companions. Results: We present four new planetary systems around the giant stars HIP 8541, HIP 74890, HIP 84056, and HIP 95124. Additionally, we study the correlation between the occurrence rate of giant planets with the stellar mass and metallicity of our targets. We find that giant planets are more frequent around metal-rich stars, reaching a peak in the detection of f = 16.7+15.5-5.9% around stars with [Fe/H] ~ 0.35 dex. Similarly, we observe a positive correlation of the planet occurrence rate with the stellar mass, between M⋆ ~ 1.0 and 2.1 M⊙, with a maximum of f = 13.0+10.1-4.2% at M⋆ = 2.1 M⊙. Conclusions: We conclude that giant planets are preferentially formed around metal-rich stars. In addition, we conclude that they are more efficiently formed around more massive stars, in the stellar mass range of ~1.0-2.1 M⊙. These observational results confirm previous findings for solar

A seismic network to investigate the sedimentary hosted hydrothermal Lusi system

Science.gov (United States)

Javad Fallahi, Mohammad; Mazzini, Adriano; Lupi, Matteo; Obermann, Anne; Karyono, Karyono

2016-04-01

The 29th of May 2006 marked the beginning of the sedimentary hosted hydrothermal Lusi system. During the last 10 years we witnessed numerous alterations of the Lusi system behavior that coincide with the frequent seismic and volcanic activity occurring in the region. In order to monitor the effect that the seismicity and the activity of the volcanic arc have on Lusi, we deployed a ad hoc seismic network. This temporary network consist of 10 broadband and 21 short period stations and is currently operating around the Arjuno-Welirang volcanic complex, along the Watukosek fault system and around Lusi, in the East Java basin since January 2015. We exploit this dataset to investigate surface wave and shear wave velocity structure of the upper-crust beneath the Arjuno-Welirang-Lusi complex in the framework of the Lusi Lab project (ERC grant n° 308126). Rayleigh and Love waves travelling between each station-pair are extracted by cross-correlating long time series of ambient noise data recorded at the stations. Group and phase velocity dispersion curves are obtained by time-frequency analysis of cross-correlation functions, and are tomographically inverted to provide 2D velocity maps corresponding to different sampling depths. 3D shear wave velocity structure is then acquired by inverting the group velocity maps.

Factors influencing the biogeochemistry of sedimentary carbon and phosphorus in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta

Science.gov (United States)

Nilsen, E.B.; Delaney, M.L.

2005-01-01

This study characterizes organic carbon (Corganic) and phosphorus (P) geochemistry in surface sediments of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, California. Sediment cores were collected from five sites on a sample transect from the edge of the San Francisco Bay eastward to the freshwater Consumnes River. The top 8 cm of each core were analyzed (in 1-cm intervals) for Corganic, four P fractions, and redox-sensitive trace metals (uranium and manganese). Sedimentary Corganic concentrations and Corganic:P ratios decreased, while reactive P concentrations increased moving inland in the Delta. The fraction of total P represented by organic P increased inland, while that of authigenic P was higher bayward than inland reflecting increased diagenetic alteration of organic matter toward the bayward end of the transect. The redox indicator metals are consistent with decreasing sedimentary suboxia inland. The distribution of P fractions and C:P ratios reflect the presence of relatively labile organic matter in upstream surface sediments. Sediment C and P geochemistry is influenced by site-specific particulate organic matter sources, the sorptive power of the sedimentary material present, physical forcing, and early diagenetic transformations presumably driven by Corganic oxidation. ?? 2005 Estuarine Research Federation.

Atmospheric oxygen regulation at low Proterozoic levels by incomplete oxidative weathering of sedimentary organic carbon

Science.gov (United States)

Daines, Stuart J.; Mills, Benjamin J. W.; Lenton, Timothy M.

2017-02-01

It is unclear why atmospheric oxygen remained trapped at low levels for more than 1.5 billion years following the Paleoproterozoic Great Oxidation Event. Here, we use models for erosion, weathering and biogeochemical cycling to show that this can be explained by the tectonic recycling of previously accumulated sedimentary organic carbon, combined with the oxygen sensitivity of oxidative weathering. Our results indicate a strong negative feedback regime when atmospheric oxygen concentration is of order pO2~0.1 PAL (present atmospheric level), but that stability is lost at pO2counterbalancing changes in the weathering of isotopically light organic carbon. This can explain the lack of secular trend in the Precambrian δ13C record, and reopens the possibility that increased biological productivity and resultant organic carbon burial drove the Great Oxidation Event.

Hydro-mechanical modelling of a shaft seal in crystalline and sedimentary host rock media using COMSOL

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Priyanto, D.G. [Atomic Energy of Canada Limited, Pinawa, MB (Canada)

2011-07-01

Shaft seals are components of the engineered barriers system considered for closure of a Deep Geological Repository (DGR). These seals would be installed in strategic locations of the shafts, where significant fracture zones (FZ) are located and would serve to limit upward flow of groundwater from the repository level towards the surface. This paper presents the results of hydro-mechanical (HM) numerical modelling exercises to evaluate the performance of a shaft seal using a finite element computer code, COMSOL. This study considered a variety of host geological media as part of generic assessments of system evolution in a variety of environments including five hypothetical sedimentary and crystalline host rock conditions. Four simulations of a shaft seal in different sedimentary rocks were completed, including: shale with isotropic permeability; shale with anisotropic permeability; limestone with isotropic permeability; and limestone with anisotropic permeability. The other simulation was a shaft seal in crystalline rock with isotropic permeability. Two different stages were considered in these HM simulations. Stages 1 and 2 simulated the groundwater flow into an open shaft and after installation of shaft sealing components, respectively. As expected, the models were able to simulate that installation of the shaft seal limits groundwater flow through the shaft. Based on the conditions and assumptions defined for the host media and fracture features examined in this study, the following conclusions can be drawn from the results of the numerical modelling exercises. A shaft that remained open for a longer time was beneficial with respect to delaying of seal saturation because it could reduce the groundwater flow rate around the fracture zone. Delaying saturation time indicates slower movement of the groundwater or other substances that may be transported with the groundwater. The core of the shaft seal (i.e., the bentonite-sand mixture (BSM)) became fully saturated

Pore water colloid properties in argillaceous sedimentary rocks

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Degueldre, Claude, E-mail: c.degueldre@lancaster.ac.uk [Engineering Department, University of Lancaster, LA1 4YW Lancaster (United Kingdom); ChiAM & Institute of Environment, University of Geneva, 1211 Genève 4, Swizerland (Switzerland); Earlier, NES, Paul Scherrer Institute, 5232 Villigen (Switzerland); Cloet, Veerle [NAGRA, Hardstrasse 73, 5430 Wettingen (Switzerland)

2016-11-01

The focus of this work is to evaluate the colloid nature, concentration and size distribution in the pore water of Opalinus Clay and other sedimentary host rocks identified for a potential radioactive waste repository in Switzerland. Because colloids could not be measured in representative undisturbed porewater of these host rocks, predictive modelling based on data from field and laboratory studies is applied. This approach allowed estimating the nature, concentration and size distributions of the colloids in the pore water of these host rocks. As a result of field campaigns, groundwater colloid concentrations are investigated on the basis of their size distribution quantified experimentally using single particle counting techniques. The colloid properties are estimated considering data gained from analogue hydrogeochemical systems ranging from mylonite features in crystalline fissures to sedimentary formations. The colloid concentrations were analysed as a function of the alkaline and alkaline earth element concentrations. Laboratory batch results on clay colloid generation from compacted pellets in quasi-stagnant water are also reported. Experiments with colloids in batch containers indicate that the size distribution of a colloidal suspension evolves toward a common particle size distribution independently of initial conditions. The final suspension size distribution was found to be a function of the attachment factor of the colloids. Finally, calculations were performed using a novel colloid distribution model based on colloid generation, aggregation and sedimentation rates to predict under in-situ conditions what makes colloid concentrations and size distributions batch- or fracture-size dependent. The data presented so far are compared with the field and laboratory data. The colloid occurrence, stability and mobility have been evaluated for the water of the considered potential host rocks. In the pore water of the considered sedimentary host rocks, the clay

Study on investigation and evaluation methods of deep seated sedimentary rocks. Chemical weathering, pore water squeezing and relationships of physical properties of sedimentary rocks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oyama, Takahiro; Suzuki, Koichi

2006-01-01

Chemical weathering, porewater squeezing and physical properties for the sedimentary rocks were examined. Chemical weathering potential of rocks was described by the sulfur as a acceleration factor of weathering and carbonate contents as a neutralization factor of it. The carbonate contents in the rocks were measured accurately by the gas pressure measurement method. Pore water squeezing method was applied for the semi-hard sedimentary rocks (Opalinusclay). The chemical change of extracted pore water under high pressure conditions was estimated. Physical property of sedimentary rocks have relationship among the porosity and permeability and resistivity coefficient in the same rock types. It is possible to estimate the water permeability from the geophysical tests. (author)

The giant Bayan Obo REE-Nb-Fe deposit, China: Controversy and ore genesis

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Hong-Rui Fan

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Bayan Obo ore deposit is the largest rare-earth element (REE resource, and the second largest niobium (Nb resource in the world. Due to the complicated element/mineral compositions and involving several geological events, the REE enrichment mechanism and genesis of this giant deposit still remains intense debated. The deposit is hosted in the massive dolomite, and nearly one hundred carbonatite dykes occur in the vicinity of the deposit. The carbonatite dykes can be divided into three types from early to late: dolomite, co-existing dolomite-calcite and calcite type, corresponding to different evolutionary stages of carbonatite magmatism based on the REE and trace element data. The latter always has higher REE content. The origin of the ore-hosting dolomite at Bayan Obo has been addressed in various models, ranging from a normal sedimentary carbonate rocks to volcano-sedimentary sequence, and a large carbonatitic intrusion. More geochemical evidences show that the coarse-grained dolomite represents a Mesoproterozoic carbonatite pluton and the fine-grained dolomite resulted from the extensive REE mineralization and modification of the coarse-grained variety. The ore bodies, distributed along an E–W striking belt, occur as large lenses and underwent more intense fluoritization and fenitization. The first episode mineralization is characterized by disseminated mineralization in the dolomite. The second or main-episode is banded and/or massive mineralization, cut by the third episode consisting of aegirine-rich veins. Various dating methods gave different mineralization ages at Bayan Obo, resulting in long and hot debates. Compilation of available data suggests that the mineralization is rather variable with two peaks at ∼1400 and 440 Ma. The early mineralization peak closes in time to the intrusion of the carbonatite dykes. A significant thermal event at ca. 440 Ma resulted in the formation of late-stage veins with coarse crystals of REE

Assessing the potential of amino acid 13C patterns as a carbon source tracer in marine sediments: effects of algal growth conditions and sedimentary diagenesis

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Larsen, T.; Bach, L. T.; Salvatteci, R.; Wang, Y. V.; Andersen, N.; Ventura, M.; McCarthy, M. D.

2015-08-01

Burial of organic carbon in marine sediments has a profound influence in marine biogeochemical cycles and provides a sink for greenhouse gases such as CO2 and CH4. However, tracing organic carbon from primary production sources as well as its transformations in the sediment record remains challenging. Here we examine a novel but growing tool for tracing the biosynthetic origin of amino acid carbon skeletons, based on naturally occurring stable carbon isotope patterns in individual amino acids (δ13CAA). We focus on two important aspects for δ13CAA utility in sedimentary paleoarchives: first, the fidelity of source diagnostic of algal δ13CAA patterns across different oceanographic growth conditions, and second, the ability of δ13CAA patterns to record the degree of subsequent microbial amino acid synthesis after sedimentary burial. Using the marine diatom Thalassiosira weissflogii, we tested under controlled conditions how δ13CAA patterns respond to changing environmental conditions, including light, salinity, temperature, and pH. Our findings show that while differing oceanic growth conditions can change macromolecular cellular composition, δ13CAA isotopic patterns remain largely invariant. These results emphasize that δ13CAA patterns should accurately record biosynthetic sources across widely disparate oceanographic conditions. We also explored how δ13CAA patterns change as a function of age, total nitrogen and organic carbon content after burial, in a marine sediment core from a coastal upwelling area off Peru. Based on the four most informative amino acids for distinguishing between diatom and bacterial sources (i.e., isoleucine, lysine, leucine and tyrosine), bacterially derived amino acids ranged from 10 to 15 % in the sediment layers from the last 5000 years, and up to 35 % during the last glacial period. The greater bacterial contributions in older sediments indicate that bacterial activity and amino acid resynthesis progressed, approximately as a

Mineralizations of the Lavalleja Group (Uruguay), a Probable Neoproterozoic Volcano-sedimentary Sequence

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sanchez Bettucci, L.; Oyhantcabal, P.; Loureiro, J.; Basei, M.; Ramos, V.; Preciozzi, F.; Basei, M.

2004-01-01

The Lavalleja Group is located in the southern extreme of the Dom Feliciano Belt, being tentatively correlated with the Porongos and Brusque Groups of Brazil. The basement of the Lavalleja Group is probably represented by granitic gneissic rocks of the Campanero Unit with ages, in the southern portion, ranging from 1.75 to 2.1 Ga (U-Pb in zircon). The Lavalleja Group is characterized by narrow bands of meta sedimentary and meta volcanic rocks and it is separated in three formations, namely (from base to top): Zanja del Tigre, Fuente del Puma and Minas. Outcrops assigned to the Minas Formation have been recently correlated with the Arroyo del Soldado Group. Only the Fuente del Puma formation hosts base metals, Au and Ag occurrences. The Fuente del Puma formation is divided into three informal units: sedimentary, volcanic and hornblenditic gabbros. The sedimentary unit is characterized by an important amount of carbonates. Syn collisional to pos tectonic granitic bodies (Carapé Complex) intrudes the Lavalleja Group and the Campanero Unit. Several mineralizations are located in the Fuente del Puma Formation, those associated to Arrospide, Ramallo-Reus, Chape, Valencia, La Oriental, Apolonia, Redondo Hill, La China and La Paloma mines are the most important. In addition, many occurrences of Cu-Zn-Pb were recognized in the region. The Cu-Zn-Pb mineralization includes massive sulfides with pyrite-chalcopyrite-sphalerite-galena-pyrrothyte, arsenopyrite-hematite into small bodies with lenticular shape. The host rock shows frequently hydrothermal alteration. The geochemistry and the geological features of the mineralizations suggest Besshi Massive Sulphide Zn-Cu-Pb and SEDEX Zn-Pb as most probably genetic models for the deposits related to the Neoproterozoic orogeny. Early mineralizations are syngenetic and were formed on the sea floor, although the main mineralizations are related to remobilization during syn- to late-metamorphic events and thrusting

Magnetic susceptibility evolution and sedimentary environments on carbonate platform sediments and atolls, comparison of the Frasnian from Belgium and Alberta, Canada

Science.gov (United States)

da Silva, Anne-Christine; Potma, Ken; Weissenberger, John A. W.; Whalen, Michael T.; Humblet, Marc; Mabille, Cédric; Boulvain, Frédéric

2009-02-01

Magnetic susceptibility (MS) measurements on carbonate rocks are considered as a proxy for impurities delivered to the carbonate environments. In the absence of strong climatic or tectonic variations, bulk MS values have been linked to sea level variations, because sea-level fall increases clastic supply and therefore increases in magnetic mineral deposition. In this paper we explore the relationship between the average magnitude of bulk MS, with shallowing-up sequences and facies evolution in different Devonian carbonate complexes. Similarities and differences between these parameters have been scrutinized in carbonate attached platform and detached platforms (mounds and/or atolls) from Belgium and Canada. In the carbonate attached platforms from Belgium and Canada, the MS patterns are directly related to depositional environment. Mean MS values increase from the most distal towards the most proximal facies and towards the top of the majority of fourth-order shallowing-up sequences. These trends are in agreement with theoretical background (MS increases with regression). In the Belgian detached platform, the average MS pattern generally shows an opposite behaviour to that observed in the attached carbonate platforms. Average MS decreases towards the most proximal facies and towards the top of a majority of the fourth-order shallowing-up sequences. This behaviour can be explained by the influence of sedimentary rate and water agitation during deposition. A high sedimentary rate will dilute the magnetic minerals in the atoll facies and the high water agitation during deposition may be expected to have prevented the deposition of the magnetic grains. So, the combination of these two effects will result in the observed low values in the atoll crown and lagoonal facies. In the Canadian detached platform, MS is mainly negative. This means that the limestones are very pure. The technique does not appear to be appropriate in these rocks. The variations of average MS

Pore water colloid properties in argillaceous sedimentary rocks.

Science.gov (United States)

Degueldre, Claude; Cloet, Veerle

2016-11-01

The focus of this work is to evaluate the colloid nature, concentration and size distribution in the pore water of Opalinus Clay and other sedimentary host rocks identified for a potential radioactive waste repository in Switzerland. Because colloids could not be measured in representative undisturbed porewater of these host rocks, predictive modelling based on data from field and laboratory studies is applied. This approach allowed estimating the nature, concentration and size distributions of the colloids in the pore water of these host rocks. As a result of field campaigns, groundwater colloid concentrations are investigated on the basis of their size distribution quantified experimentally using single particle counting techniques. The colloid properties are estimated considering data gained from analogue hydrogeochemical systems ranging from mylonite features in crystalline fissures to sedimentary formations. The colloid concentrations were analysed as a function of the alkaline and alkaline earth element concentrations. Laboratory batch results on clay colloid generation from compacted pellets in quasi-stagnant water are also reported. Experiments with colloids in batch containers indicate that the size distribution of a colloidal suspension evolves toward a common particle size distribution independently of initial conditions. The final suspension size distribution was found to be a function of the attachment factor of the colloids. Finally, calculations were performed using a novel colloid distribution model based on colloid generation, aggregation and sedimentation rates to predict under in-situ conditions what makes colloid concentrations and size distributions batch- or fracture-size dependent. The data presented so far are compared with the field and laboratory data. The colloid occurrence, stability and mobility have been evaluated for the water of the considered potential host rocks. In the pore water of the considered sedimentary host rocks, the clay

Different controls on sedimentary organic carbon in the Bohai Sea: River mouth relocation, turbidity and eutrophication

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Yunping; Zhou, Shangzhe; Hu, Limin; Wang, Yinghui; Xiao, Wenjie

2018-04-01

The extractable lipids and bulk organic geochemical parameters in three sediment cores (M-1, M-3 and M-7) from southern, central and northern Bohai Sea were analyzed in order to reconstruct environmental changes since 1900. The C/N ratio and multiple biomarkers (e.g., C27 + C29 + C31n-alkanes, C24 + C26 + C28n-alkanols, branched versus isoprenoid tetraether index) suggest more terrigenous organic carbon (OC) inputs in southern Bohai Sea. The abrupt changes of biomarker indicators in core M-1 are generally synchronous with the Yellow River mouth relocation events (e.g., 1964, 1976 and 1996), suggesting the distance to the river mouth being an important factor for sedimentary OC dispersal in the southern Bohai Sea. However, in cores M-3 and M-7, terrigenous biomarkers (i.e., BIT) show a long-term declining trend, consistent with a continuous reduction of the Yellow River sediment load, whereas marine biomarkers such as cholesterol, brassicasterol and dinosterol dramatically increased post-1980, apparently related to human-induced eutrophication in the Bohai Sea. Our study suggests different controlling factors on sedimentary OC distribution in the southern (high turbidity) and other parts (less turbidity) of the Bohai Sea, which should be considered for interpretation of paleoenvironments and biogeochemical processes in the river dominated margins that are hotspots of the global carbon cycling.

Stratigraphic position, origin and characteristics of manganese mineralization horizons in the Late Cretaceous volcano-sedimentary sequence, south-southwest of Sabzevar

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Sajjad Maghfouri

2014-10-01

part or LMV unit comprised of limestone, marl and volcanic rocks, overlies concordantly on the lower part (K2tv. The manganese mineralization within the host volcano-sedimentary sequence, based on stratigraphic position, relative age and type of host rocks involved the two horizons: the first horizon (Mn Ia, Ib consisting of Benesbourd (Masoudi, 2008, Nudeh (Nasrolahi et al., 2012, Homaie (Nasiri et al., 2010, Goft and Manganese Gostar Khavar Zamin deposits, occurred in the lower part of the sequence (K2tv unit and is hosted by red tuffs. The second horizon (Mn II comprising of Zakeri (Taghizadeh et al., 2012, Cheshmeh Safeid, Mohammad Abad Oryan and Chah Setareh deposits, is hosted by marly-carbonate tuffs and locates within the upper part of the sequence (LMV unit (Maghfouri, 2012. Geometry and shape of the ore bodies in various deposits are as stratiform, layered, parallel and concordant with layering of the host rocks. Textures of the ores include massive, lenticular, banded, laminated and disseminated. Mineralogy of the ores in the two ore horizons is simple and similar and is dominated by pyrolusite, psilomelane and braunite. Gangue minerals are predominantly the host rock-forming minerals including quartz, chlorite and feldspar. Discussion Geochemical data, structures and textures, stratigraphic position and lithologic characteristics of the host rocks represent that manganese reserves in south-southwest Sabzevar were formed as sedimentary-exhalative. Acknowledgements The authors are grateful to the Tarbiat Modares University Grant Commission for research funding. References Maghfouri, S., 2012. Geology, Mineralogy, Geochemistry and Genesis of Cu Mineralization within Late Cretaceous Volcano-Sedimentary Sequence in Southwest of Sabzevar, with emphasis on the Nudeh Deposit. M.Sc. Thesis, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran, 312 pp. (in Persian Masoudi, M., 2008. Geology, mineralogy, geochemistry and genesis of Benesbourd Mn deposit in the Southwest Sabzevar

Molecular characterization, light-dependent expression, and cellular localization of a host vacuolar-type H+-ATPase (VHA) subunit A in the giant clam, Tridacna squamosa, indicate the involvement of the host VHA in the uptake of inorganic carbon and its supply to the symbiotic zooxanthellae.

Science.gov (United States)

Ip, Yuen K; Hiong, Kum C; Lim, Leon J Y; Choo, Celine Y L; Boo, Mel V; Wong, Wai P; Neo, Mei L; Chew, Shit F

2018-06-15

The giant clam, Tridacna squamosa, represents a clam-zooxanthellae association. In light, the host clam and the symbiotic zooxanthellae conduct light-enhanced calcification and photosynthesis, respectively. We had cloned the cDNA coding sequence of a Vacuolar-type Proton ATPase (VHA) subunit A, ATP6V1A, from T. squamosa, whereby the VHA is an electrogenic transporter that actively 'pumps' H + out of the cell. The ATP6V1A of T. squamosa comprised 1866 bp, encoding a protein of 622 amino acids and 69.9 kDa, and had a host-origin. Its gene expression was strong in the ctenidium and the colorful outer mantle, but weak in the whitish inner mantle, corroborating a previous proposition that VHA might have a trivial role in light-enhanced calcification. Light exposure led to significant increases in the gene and protein expression levels of ATP6V1A/ATP6V1A in the ctenidium and the outer mantle. In the ctenidium, the ATP6V1A was localized in the apical epithelia of the filaments and tertiary water channels, indicating that the VHA could participate in the increased excretion of H + produced during light-enhanced calcification. Additionally, the excreted H + would augment HCO 3 - dehydration in the external medium and facilitate the uptake of CO 2 by the ctenidium during insolation. In the outer mantle, the ATP6V1A was detected in intracellular vesicles in a type of cells, presumably iridocytes, surrounding the zooxanthellal tubules, and in the apical epithelium of zooxanthellal tubules. Hence, the host VHA could participate in the transfer of inorganic carbon from the hemolymph to the luminal fluid of the tubules by increasing the supply of H + for the dehydration of HCO 3 - to CO 2 during insolation to benefit the photosynthesizing zooxanthellae. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

DOE workshop: Sedimentary systems, aqueous and organic geochemistry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1993-07-01

A DOE workshop on sedimentary systems, aqueous and organic geochemistry was held July 15-16, 1993 at Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory. Papers were organized into several sections: Fundamental Properties, containing papers on the thermodynamics of brines, minerals and aqueous electrolyte solutions; Geochemical Transport, covering 3-D imaging of drill core samples, hydrothermal geochemistry, chemical interactions in hydrocarbon reservoirs, fluid flow model application, among others; Rock-Water Interactions, with presentations on stable isotope systematics of fluid/rock interaction, fluid flow and petotectonic evolution, grain boundary transport, sulfur incorporation, tracers in geologic reservoirs, geothermal controls on oil-reservoir evolution, and mineral hydrolysis kinetics; Organic Geochemistry covered new methods for constraining time of hydrocarbon migration, kinetic models of petroleum formation, mudstones in burial diagenesis, compound-specific carbon isotope analysis of petroleums, stability of natural gas, sulfur in sedimentary organic matter, organic geochemistry of deep ocean sediments, direct speciation of metal by optical spectroscopies; and lastly, Sedimentary Systems, covering sequence stratigraphy, seismic reflectors and diagenetic changes in carbonates, geochemistry and origin of regional dolomites, and evidence of large comet or asteroid impacts at extinction boundaries

DOE workshop: Sedimentary systems, aqueous and organic geochemistry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1993-07-01

A DOE workshop on sedimentary systems, aqueous and organic geochemistry was held July 15-16, 1993 at Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory. Papers were organized into several sections: Fundamental Properties, containing papers on the thermodynamics of brines, minerals and aqueous electrolyte solutions; Geochemical Transport, covering 3-D imaging of drill core samples, hydrothermal geochemistry, chemical interactions in hydrocarbon reservoirs, fluid flow model application, among others; Rock-Water Interactions, with presentations on stable isotope systematics of fluid/rock interaction, fluid flow and petotectonic evolution, grain boundary transport, sulfur incorporation, tracers in geologic reservoirs, geothermal controls on oil-reservoir evolution, and mineral hydrolysis kinetics; Organic Geochemistry covered new methods for constraining time of hydrocarbon migration, kinetic models of petroleum formation, mudstones in burial diagenesis, compound-specific carbon isotope analysis of petroleums, stability of natural gas, sulfur in sedimentary organic matter, organic geochemistry of deep ocean sediments, direct speciation of metal by optical spectroscopies; and lastly, Sedimentary Systems, covering sequence stratigraphy, seismic reflectors and diagenetic changes in carbonates, geochemistry and origin of regional dolomites, and evidence of large comet or asteroid impacts at extinction boundaries.

A 200 year sedimentary record of progressive eutrophication in lake Greifen (Switzerland): Implications for the origin of organic-carbon-rich sediments

Science.gov (United States)

Hollander, David J.; McKenzie, Judith A.; Lo Ten Haven, H.

1992-09-01

Over the past 200 years Lake Greifen, a small lake in northeastern Switzerland, has undergone dramatic changes in primary productivity and eutrophication due to increased nutrient supply from agricultural activity and industrialization. A 40 year historical record of the water-column chemistry indicates that productivity and eutrophication reached a maximum in 1974, after which stricter regulations on the input of nutrients resulted in a progressive decrease. Collected cores show the sedimentary expression of this anthropogenically induced eutrophication by a well-developed annual sedimentation and by enhanced values of total organic carbon, organic-carbon accumulation rates, and hydrogen indices (HI) of the kerogens. Analyses of the carbon isotopic composition of sedimentary carbonates and organic matter reveal that the fractionation between these two phases varies with the HI of kerogens. This observation is explicable in terms of changing productivity and preservation of the organic matter, and the CO2(aq) budget of the water body. We propose that if high primary productivity were primarily responsible for the preservation and accumulation of organic matter, then a negative correlation will occur between Δδ13Ccalcite-organic matter (Δδ13Ccal-om) and HI values. In an environment with relatively low to moderate productivity but with bottom-water anoxia, a positive correlation will exist between Δδ13Ccal-om and HI values. This study of Lake Greifen has implications for understanding paleoenvironmental controls on ancient organic-carbon-rich sediments.

PLANET ENGULFMENT BY ∼1.5-3 Msun RED GIANTS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kunitomo, M.; Ikoma, M.; Sato, B.; Ida, S.; Katsuta, Y.

2011-01-01

Recent radial-velocity surveys for GK clump giants have revealed that planets also exist around ∼1.5-3 M sun stars. However, no planets have been found inside 0.6 AU around clump giants, in contrast to solar-type main-sequence stars, many of which harbor short-period planets such as hot Jupiters. In this study, we examine the possibility that planets were engulfed by host stars evolving on the red-giant branch (RGB). We integrate the orbital evolution of planets in the RGB and helium-burning phases of host stars, including the effects of stellar tide and stellar mass loss. Then we derive the critical semimajor axis (or the survival limit) inside which planets are eventually engulfed by their host stars after tidal decay of their orbits. Specifically, we investigate the impact of stellar mass and other stellar parameters on the survival limit in more detail than previous studies. In addition, we make detailed comparisons with measured semimajor axes of planets detected so far, which no previous study has done. We find that the critical semimajor axis is quite sensitive to stellar mass in the range between 1.7 and 2.1 M sun , which suggests a need for careful comparison between theoretical and observational limits of the existence of planets. Our comparison demonstrates that all planets orbiting GK clump giants that have been detected are beyond the survival limit, which is consistent with the planet-engulfment hypothesis. However, on the high-mass side (>2.1M sun ), the detected planets are orbiting significantly far from the survival limit, which suggests that engulfment by host stars may not be the main reason for the observed lack of short-period giant planets. To confirm our conclusion, the detection of more planets around clump giants, especially with masses ∼> 2.5M sun , is required.

A giant planet undergoing extreme-ultraviolet irradiation by its hot massive-star host.

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Gaudi, B Scott; Stassun, Keivan G; Collins, Karen A; Beatty, Thomas G; Zhou, George; Latham, David W; Bieryla, Allyson; Eastman, Jason D; Siverd, Robert J; Crepp, Justin R; Gonzales, Erica J; Stevens, Daniel J; Buchhave, Lars A; Pepper, Joshua; Johnson, Marshall C; Colon, Knicole D; Jensen, Eric L N; Rodriguez, Joseph E; Bozza, Valerio; Novati, Sebastiano Calchi; D'Ago, Giuseppe; Dumont, Mary T; Ellis, Tyler; Gaillard, Clement; Jang-Condell, Hannah; Kasper, David H; Fukui, Akihiko; Gregorio, Joao; Ito, Ayaka; Kielkopf, John F; Manner, Mark; Matt, Kyle; Narita, Norio; Oberst, Thomas E; Reed, Phillip A; Scarpetta, Gaetano; Stephens, Denice C; Yeigh, Rex R; Zambelli, Roberto; Fulton, B J; Howard, Andrew W; James, David J; Penny, Matthew; Bayliss, Daniel; Curtis, Ivan A; DePoy, D L; Esquerdo, Gilbert A; Gould, Andrew; Joner, Michael D; Kuhn, Rudolf B; Labadie-Bartz, Jonathan; Lund, Michael B; Marshall, Jennifer L; McLeod, Kim K; Pogge, Richard W; Relles, Howard; Stockdale, Christopher; Tan, T G; Trueblood, Mark; Trueblood, Patricia

2017-06-22

The amount of ultraviolet irradiation and ablation experienced by a planet depends strongly on the temperature of its host star. Of the thousands of extrasolar planets now known, only six have been found that transit hot, A-type stars (with temperatures of 7,300-10,000 kelvin), and no planets are known to transit the even hotter B-type stars. For example, WASP-33 is an A-type star with a temperature of about 7,430 kelvin, which hosts the hottest known transiting planet, WASP-33b (ref. 1); the planet is itself as hot as a red dwarf star of type M (ref. 2). WASP-33b displays a large heat differential between its dayside and nightside, and is highly inflated-traits that have been linked to high insolation. However, even at the temperature of its dayside, its atmosphere probably resembles the molecule-dominated atmospheres of other planets and, given the level of ultraviolet irradiation it experiences, its atmosphere is unlikely to be substantially ablated over the lifetime of its star. Here we report observations of the bright star HD 195689 (also known as KELT-9), which reveal a close-in (orbital period of about 1.48 days) transiting giant planet, KELT-9b. At approximately 10,170 kelvin, the host star is at the dividing line between stars of type A and B, and we measure the dayside temperature of KELT-9b to be about 4,600 kelvin. This is as hot as stars of stellar type K4 (ref. 5). The molecules in K stars are entirely dissociated, and so the primary sources of opacity in the dayside atmosphere of KELT-9b are probably atomic metals. Furthermore, KELT-9b receives 700 times more extreme-ultraviolet radiation (that is, with wavelengths shorter than 91.2 nanometres) than WASP-33b, leading to a predicted range of mass-loss rates that could leave the planet largely stripped of its envelope during the main-sequence lifetime of the host star.

Giant Planets: Good Neighbors for Habitable Worlds?

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Georgakarakos, Nikolaos; Eggl, Siegfried; Dobbs-Dixon, Ian

2018-04-01

The presence of giant planets influences potentially habitable worlds in numerous ways. Massive celestial neighbors can facilitate the formation of planetary cores and modify the influx of asteroids and comets toward Earth analogs later on. Furthermore, giant planets can indirectly change the climate of terrestrial worlds by gravitationally altering their orbits. Investigating 147 well-characterized exoplanetary systems known to date that host a main-sequence star and a giant planet, we show that the presence of “giant neighbors” can reduce a terrestrial planet’s chances to remain habitable, even if both planets have stable orbits. In a small fraction of systems, however, giant planets slightly increase the extent of habitable zones provided that the terrestrial world has a high climate inertia. In providing constraints on where giant planets cease to affect the habitable zone size in a detrimental fashion, we identify prime targets in the search for habitable worlds.

Carbon doping induced giant low bias negative differential resistance in boron nitride nanoribbon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, N.; Liu, J.B.; Gao, G.Y.; Yao, K.L.

2014-01-01

By applying nonequilibrium Green's function combined with density functional theory, we investigated the electronic transport properties of carbon-doped armchair boron nitride nanoribbons. Obvious negative differential resistance (NDR) behavior with giant peak-to-valley ratio up to the order of 10 4 –10 6 is found by tuning the doping position and concentration. Especially, with the reduction of doping concentration, NDR peak position can enter into mV bias range and even can be expected lower than mV bias. The negative differential resistance behavior is explained by the evolution of the transmission spectra and band structures with applied bias. - Highlights: • Negative differential resistance (NDR) behavior with giant peak-to-valley ratio is found. • Doping concentration changes the NDR peak position significantly. • NDR peak position can enter into mV bias range and even lower than mV bias. • The results are explained by the bias-dependent transmission spectra and band structures

Semi-isolated, flat-topped carbonate platform (Oligo-Miocene, Sardinia, Italy): Sedimentary architecture and processes

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Andreucci, Stefano; Pistis, Marco; Funedda, Antonio; Loi, Alfredo

2017-11-01

The Chattian-Aquitanian carbonate system of Isili sub-basin (SE Sardinia, Italy) were studied to better understand the hydrodynamic processes controlling the formation of landward-downlapping, rhodolith-rich, giant clinoforms. The studied flat-topped platform was attached to an island (semi-isolated) and migrated onshore (landward) over a shallow marine, protected embayment. The depositional profile is characterized by four, sea to land, zones: seaward slope, flat-topped platform (submerged flat), landward slope and mixed siliciclastic-carbonate embayment. In particular, these zones record different levels, from high to moderate, of hydrodynamic energy and persistency. The paleodepth of the studied succession, based on T/D test on Amphistegina specimens, red-algal genera and geometric reconstruction of the overall system, ranges from - 10 to - 30 m for the platform up to around - 40 m for the landward slope base. Thus, the flat-topped platform was permanently submerged and an extensive carbonate (sea grass, algal and bryozoan-algal) factory along with oyster framestones developed. The widespread presence in the barren zones of rhodolith-to-shell rich small to very small compound dunes (high-energy zone) suggests that the flat-topped platform was periodically swept by unidirectional, landward-directed currents. These currents allow the formation of large-scale, rhodolith-rich clinobeds along the landward slope (washover fan-like system). The presence of rodolith pavements developed along the flat-topped platform at or slightly below the fairweather wave base suggests that clinobeds were formed in a nearshore, shallow subtidal setting. Finally, the shallow marine, protected embayment (moderate-energy zone) represents the widening distal reaches of the currents flowing or along the clinoforms or from the coast basinward (river floods and/or ebb tidal currents). Despite few tidal-related sedimentary structures such as bi-directional ripples and small compound dunes

Dwarf carbon stars are likely metal-poor binaries and unlikely hosts to carbon planets

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Whitehouse, Lewis J.; Farihi, J.; Green, P. J.; Wilson, T. G.; Subasavage, J. P.

2018-06-01

Dwarf carbon stars make up the largest fraction of carbon stars in the Galaxy with ≈1200 candidates known to date primarily from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. They either possess primordial carbon-enhancements, or are polluted by mass transfer from an evolved companion such that C/O is enhanced beyond unity. To directly test the binary hypothesis, a radial velocity monitoring survey has been carried out on 28 dwarf carbon stars, resulting in the detection of variations in 21 targets. Using Monte Carlo simulations,this detection fraction is found to be consistent with a 100% binary population and orbital periods on the order of hundreds of days. This result supports the post-mass transfer nature of dwarf carbon stars, and implies they are not likely hosts to carbon planets.

Glendonites in Neoproterozoic low-latitude, interglacial, sedimentary rocks, northwest Canada: Insights into the Cryogenian ocean and Precambrian cold-water carbonates

Science.gov (United States)

James, Noel P.; Narbonne, Guy M.; Dalrymple, Robert W.; Kurtis Kyser, T.

2005-01-01

Stellate crystals of ferroan dolomite in neritic siliciclastic and carbonate sedimentary rocks between Sturtian and Marinoan glaciations in the Mackenzie Mountains are interpreted as replaced glendonites. These pseudomorphs after ikaite indicate that shallow seawater at that time was near freezing. Stromatolites verify that paleoenvironments were in the photic zone and physical sedimentary structures such as hummocky cross-bedding confirm that the seafloor was repeatedly disturbed by storms. Glendonites within these low-latitude, continental shelf to coastal sedimentary deposits imply that global ocean water during much of Cryogenian time was likely very cold. Such an ocean would easily have cooled to yield widespread sea ice and, through positive feedback, growth of low-latitude continental glaciers. In this situation gas hydrates could have formed in shallow-water, cold shelf sediment, but would have been particularly sensitive to destabilization as a result of sea-level change. Co-occurrence of pisolites and glendonites in these rocks additionally implies that some ooids and pisoids might have been, unlike Phanerozoic equivalents, characteristic of cold-water sediments.

Asymptotic giant branch stars as producers of carbon and of neutron-rich isotopes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iben, I. Jr.

1984-01-01

Carbon stars are thought to be in the asymptotic giant branch (AGB) phase of evolution, alternately burning hydrogen and helium in shells above an electron-degenerate carbon-oxygen (CO) core. The excess of carbon relative to oxygen at the surfaces of these stars is thought to be due to convective dredge-up which occurs following a thermal pulse. During a thermal pulse, carbon and neutron-rich isotopes are made in a convective helium-burning zone. In model stars of large CO core mass, the source of neutrons for producing the neutron-rich isotopes is the 22 Ne(α,n) 25 Mg reaction and the isotopes are produced in the solar system s-process distribution. In models of small core mass, the 13 C(α,n) 16 reaction is thought to be responsible for the release of neutrons, and the resultant distribution of neutron-rich isotopes is expected to vary considerably from one star to the next, with the distribution in isolated instances possibly resembling the solar system distribution of r-process isotopes

Carbonate hosted gold deposit in Tasmania, Australia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abadi, M.H.

1999-01-01

Full text: This study uses elemental and isotopic composition of carbonates associated with gold from Henty and Beaconsfield in Tasmania, Australia, to illustrate source of gold-bearing fluids, salinity, temperature and dissolution and reprecipitation of carbonate. The Beaconsfield and Henty gold mines are located in northern and western Tasmania respectively. Gold mineralisation in Beaconsfield occurs within the quartz-carbonate Tasmania Reef (Lower to Middle Palaeozoic sequence, Hills, 1998). The Henty gold mine is located at the base of the Cambrian Tyndall Group (volcano-sedimentary succession, White and McPhie, 1996) close to Henty Fault. Gold in carbonate samples from Henty ranges from 7.7 to 9360 ppm and in Beaconsfield ranges from 0.01 to 434 ppm. The amount of carbonate in samples from Henty and Beaconsfield gold mines varies from approximately 24 to 99.8%. Bivariate plot of Ca relative to total amounts of Mg, Fe and Mn illustrates that the major carbonate minerals at Beaconsfield and Henty gold mines are magnesian ankerite and calcite. The difference in carbonate mineralogy, at Henty and Beaconsfield gold mines, is attributed to the composition of fluids responsible for carbonate alteration. Gold and magnesium in Beaconsfield ankerite are derived from the leaching of Cambrian ultramafic rocks during the Devonian by the passage of meteoric fluids through tectonically affected Ordovician carbonates (Rao and Adabi, 1999). The total concentration of Fe and Mn are low (0.5 to 2%) in Henty and high (1 to 17.5%) in Beaconsfield ankerite, possibly due to oxidising conditions at Henty and reducing conditions at Beaconsfield gold mines during gold mineralisation. Variation of Sr values between Beaconsfield ankerite and Henty calcite is related to dissolution of limestone that increase Sr concentrations in gold mineralising fluids. Na values in both Beaconsfield (20 to 1100 ppm) and Henty carbonates (25 to 1650 ppm) suggest low salinity fluids responsible for gold

Advancements in Exploration and In-Situ Recovery of Sedimentary-Hosted Uranium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maerten, Horst; Marsland-Smith, Andrea; Ross, Jonathan; Haschke, Michael; Kalka, Harald; Schubert, Jens

2014-01-01

Context and Outline: • ISR feasibility – determining factors: – What counts?; • High-resolution shallow seismic: – Methodology from ‘oil & gas hunting’ adapted to mineral exploration in sedimentary basins; • New down-hole logging tool: – Advanced PFN technology combined with lithologic logging; • Moving theory to practice: – Reactive-transport modelling for optimizing ISR

Extensional Tectonics and Sedimentary Architecture Using 3-D Seismic Data: An Example from Hydrocarbon-Bearing Mumbai Offshore Basin, West Coast of India

Science.gov (United States)

Mukhopadhyay, D. K.; Bhowmick, P. K.; Mishra, P.

2016-12-01

In offshore sedimentary basins, analysis of 3-D seismic data tied with well log data can be used to deduce robust isopach and structure contour maps of different stratigraphic formations. The isopach maps give depocenters whereas structure contour maps give structural relief at a specific time. Combination of these two types of data helps us decipher horst-graben structures, sedimentary basin architecture and tectono-stratigraphic relations through Tertiary time. Restoration of structural cross sections with back-stripping of successively older stratigraphic layers leads to better understand tectono-sedimentary evolution of a basin. The Mumbai (or Bombay) Offshore Basin is the largest basin off the west coast of India and includes Bombay High giant oil/gas field. Although this field was discovered in 1974 and still producing, the basin architecture vis-à-vis structural evolution are not well documented. We take the approach briefly outlined above to study in detail three large hydrocarbon-bearing structures located within the offshore basin. The Cretaceous Deccan basalt forms the basement and hosts prodigal thickness (> 8 km at some localities) of Tertiary sedimentary formations.A two stage deformation is envisaged. At the first stage horst and graben structures formed due to approximately E-W extensional tectonics. This is most spectacularly seen at the basement top level. The faults associated with this extension strike NNW. At the second stage of deformation a set of ENE-striking cross faults have developed leading to the formation of transpressional structures at places. High rate of early sedimentation obliterated horst-graben architecture to large extent. An interesting aspect emerges is that the all the large-scale structures have rather low structural relief. However, the areal extent of such structures are very large. Consequently, these structures hold commercial quantities of oil/gas.

SILICON AND OXYGEN ABUNDANCES IN PLANET-HOST STARS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brugamyer, Erik; Dodson-Robinson, Sarah E.; Cochran, William D.; Sneden, Christopher

2011-01-01

The positive correlation between planet detection rate and host star iron abundance lends strong support to the core accretion theory of planet formation. However, iron is not the most significant mass contributor to the cores of giant planets. Since giant planet cores are thought to grow from silicate grains with icy mantles, the likelihood of gas giant formation should depend heavily on the oxygen and silicon abundance of the planet formation environment. Here we compare the silicon and oxygen abundances of a set of 76 planet hosts and a control sample of 80 metal-rich stars without any known giant planets. Our new, independent analysis was conducted using high resolution, high signal-to-noise data obtained at McDonald Observatory. Because we do not wish to simply reproduce the known planet-metallicity correlation, we have devised a statistical method for matching the underlying [Fe/H] distributions of our two sets of stars. We find a 99% probability that planet detection rate depends on the silicon abundance of the host star, over and above the observed planet-metallicity correlation. We do not detect any such correlation for oxygen. Our results would thus seem to suggest that grain nucleation, rather than subsequent icy mantle growth, is the important limiting factor in forming giant planets via core accretion. Based on our results and interpretation, we predict that planet detection should correlate with host star abundance for refractory elements responsible for grain nucleation and that no such trends should exist for the most abundant volatile elements responsible for icy mantle growth.

RE-INFLATED WARM JUPITERS AROUND RED GIANTS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lopez, Eric D. [Institute for Astronomy, Royal Observatory Edinburgh, University of Edinburgh, Blackford Hill, Edinburgh (United Kingdom); Fortney, Jonathan J. [Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064 (United States)

2016-02-10

Since the discovery of the first transiting hot Jupiters, models have sought to explain the anomalously large radii of highly irradiated gas giants. We now know that the size of hot Jupiter radius anomalies scales strongly with a planet's level of irradiation and numerous models like tidal heating, ohmic dissipation, and thermal tides have since been developed to help explain these inflated radii. In general, however, these models can be grouped into two broad categories: models that directly inflate planetary radii by depositing a fraction of the incident irradiation into the interior and models that simply slow a planet's radiative cooling, allowing it to retain more heat from formation and thereby delay contraction. Here we present a new test to distinguish between these two classes of models. Gas giants orbiting at moderate orbital periods around post-main-sequence stars will experience enormous increases to their irradiation as their host stars move up the sub-giant and red-giant branches. If hot Jupiter inflation works by depositing irradiation into the planet's deep interiors then planetary radii should increase in response to the increased irradiation. This means that otherwise non-inflated gas giants at moderate orbital periods of >10 days can re-inflate as their host stars evolve. Here we explore the circumstances that can lead to the creation of these “re-inflated” gas giants and examine how the existence or absence of such planets can be used to place unique constraints on the physics of the hot Jupiter inflation mechanism. Finally, we explore the prospects for detecting this potentially important undiscovered population of planets.

Ecology of litterfall production of giant bamboo Dendrocalamus asper in a watershed area

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A.G. Toledo Bruno

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Giant bamboo Dendrocalamus asper is recommended in environmental and livelihood programs in the Philippines due to its various ecological, economic and social benefits. However, there are limited data on the ecology of giant bamboo litterfall production, which contributes to soil nutrient availability. Bamboo also contributed in carbon sequestration. The study was conducted within the Taganibong Watershed in Bukidnon, Philippines. Nine litterfall traps measuring 1mx1m were established within the giant bamboo stand in the study area. Results show that giant bamboo litterfall is dominated by leaves. Biological characteristics of bamboo litterfall do no not influence litterfall production but temperature, wind speed and humidity correlate with the amount of litterfall. Findings of the study further revealed that fresh giant bamboo tissue contains high carbon content and the soil in the bamboo stand has higher organic matter than the open clearing. These data indicate the role of giant bamboo in carbon sequestration and soil nutrient availability.

FLUORINE IN ASYMPTOTIC GIANT BRANCH CARBON STARS REVISITED

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abia, C.; Dominguez, I.; Recio-Blanco, A.; De Laverny, P.; Cristallo, S.; Straniero, O.

2009-01-01

A re-analysis of the fluorine abundance in three Galactic asymptotic giant branch (AGB) carbon stars (TX Psc, AQ Sgr, and R Scl) has been performed from the molecular HF (1-0) R9 line at 2.3358 μm. High resolution (R ∼ 50,000) and high signal-to-noise spectra obtained with the CRIRES spectrograph and the VLT telescope or from the NOAO archive (for TX Psc) have been used. Our abundance analysis uses the latest generation of MARCS model atmospheres for cool carbon-rich stars. Using spectral synthesis in local thermodynamic equilibrium, we derive for these stars fluorine abundances that are systematically lower by ∼0.8 dex in average with respect to the sole previous estimates by Jorissen et al. The possible reasons of this discrepancy are explored. We conclude that the difference may rely on the blending with C-bearing molecules (CN and C 2 ) that were not properly taken into account in the former study. The new F abundances are in better agreement with the prediction of full network stellar models of low-mass AGB stars. These models also reproduce the s-process elements distribution in the sampled stars. This result, if confirmed in a larger sample of AGB stars, might alleviate the current difficulty to explain the largest [F/O] ratios found by Jorissen et al. In particular, it may not be necessary to search for alternative nuclear chains affecting the production of F in AGB stars.

Phylogenetic Diversity, Distribution, and Cophylogeny of Giant Bacteria (Epulopiscium) with their Surgeonfish Hosts in the Red Sea

KAUST Repository

Miyake, Sou

2016-03-14

Epulopiscium is a group of giant bacteria found in high abundance in intestinal tracts of herbivorous surgeonfish. Despite their peculiarly large cell size (can be up to 600 μm), extreme polyploidy (some with over 100,000 genome copies per cell) and viviparity (whereby mother cells produce live offspring), details about their diversity, distribution or their role in the host gut are lacking. Previous studies have highlighted the existence of morphologically distinct Epulopiscium cell types (defined as morphotypes A to J) in some surgeonfish genera, but the corresponding genetic diversity and distribution among other surgeonfishes remain mostly unknown. Therefore, we investigated the phylogenetic diversity of Epulopiscium, distribution and co-occurrence in multiple hosts. Here, we identified eleven new phylogenetic clades, six of which were also morphologically characterized. Three of these novel clades were phylogenetically and morphologically similar to cigar-shaped type A1 cells, found in a wide range of surgeonfishes including Acanthurus nigrofuscus, while three were similar to smaller, rod-shaped type E that has not been phylogenetically classified thus far. Our results also confirmed that biogeography appears to have relatively little influence on Epulopiscium diversity, as clades found in the Great Barrier Reef and Hawaii were also recovered from the Red Sea. Although multiple symbiont clades inhabited a given species of host surgeonfish and multiple host species possessed a given symbiont clade, statistical analysis of host and symbiont phylogenies indicated significant cophylogeny, which in turn suggests co-evolutionary relationships. A cluster analysis of Epulopiscium sequences from previously published amplicon sequencing dataset revealed a similar pattern, where specific clades were consistently found in high abundance amongst closely related surgeonfishes. Differences in abundance may indicate specialization of clades to certain gut environments

Phylogenetic Diversity, Distribution, and Cophylogeny of Giant Bacteria (Epulopiscium) with their Surgeonfish Hosts in the Red Sea

Science.gov (United States)

Miyake, Sou; Ngugi, David K.; Stingl, Ulrich

2016-01-01

Epulopiscium is a group of giant bacteria found in high abundance in intestinal tracts of herbivorous surgeonfish. Despite their peculiarly large cell size (can be up to 600 μm), extreme polyploidy (some with over 100,000 genome copies per cell) and viviparity (whereby mother cells produce live offspring), details about their diversity, distribution or their role in the host gut are lacking. Previous studies have highlighted the existence of morphologically distinct Epulopiscium cell types (defined as morphotypes A to J) in some surgeonfish genera, but the corresponding genetic diversity and distribution among other surgeonfishes remain mostly unknown. Therefore, we investigated the phylogenetic diversity of Epulopiscium, distribution and co-occurrence in multiple hosts. Here, we identified eleven new phylogenetic clades, six of which were also morphologically characterized. Three of these novel clades were phylogenetically and morphologically similar to cigar-shaped type A1 cells, found in a wide range of surgeonfishes including Acanthurus nigrofuscus, while three were similar to smaller, rod-shaped type E that has not been phylogenetically classified thus far. Our results also confirmed that biogeography appears to have relatively little influence on Epulopiscium diversity, as clades found in the Great Barrier Reef and Hawaii were also recovered from the Red Sea. Although multiple symbiont clades inhabited a given species of host surgeonfish and multiple host species possessed a given symbiont clade, statistical analysis of host and symbiont phylogenies indicated significant cophylogeny, which in turn suggests co-evolutionary relationships. A cluster analysis of Epulopiscium sequences from previously published amplicon sequencing dataset revealed a similar pattern, where specific clades were consistently found in high abundance amongst closely related surgeonfishes. Differences in abundance may indicate specialization of clades to certain gut environments

Phylogenetic Diversity, Distribution, and Cophylogeny of Giant Bacteria (Epulopiscium) with their Surgeonfish Hosts in the Red Sea

KAUST Repository

Miyake, Sou; Ngugi, David; Stingl, Ulrich

2016-01-01

Epulopiscium is a group of giant bacteria found in high abundance in intestinal tracts of herbivorous surgeonfish. Despite their peculiarly large cell size (can be up to 600 μm), extreme polyploidy (some with over 100,000 genome copies per cell) and viviparity (whereby mother cells produce live offspring), details about their diversity, distribution or their role in the host gut are lacking. Previous studies have highlighted the existence of morphologically distinct Epulopiscium cell types (defined as morphotypes A to J) in some surgeonfish genera, but the corresponding genetic diversity and distribution among other surgeonfishes remain mostly unknown. Therefore, we investigated the phylogenetic diversity of Epulopiscium, distribution and co-occurrence in multiple hosts. Here, we identified eleven new phylogenetic clades, six of which were also morphologically characterized. Three of these novel clades were phylogenetically and morphologically similar to cigar-shaped type A1 cells, found in a wide range of surgeonfishes including Acanthurus nigrofuscus, while three were similar to smaller, rod-shaped type E that has not been phylogenetically classified thus far. Our results also confirmed that biogeography appears to have relatively little influence on Epulopiscium diversity, as clades found in the Great Barrier Reef and Hawaii were also recovered from the Red Sea. Although multiple symbiont clades inhabited a given species of host surgeonfish and multiple host species possessed a given symbiont clade, statistical analysis of host and symbiont phylogenies indicated significant cophylogeny, which in turn suggests co-evolutionary relationships. A cluster analysis of Epulopiscium sequences from previously published amplicon sequencing dataset revealed a similar pattern, where specific clades were consistently found in high abundance amongst closely related surgeonfishes. Differences in abundance may indicate specialization of clades to certain gut environments

Migration of accreting giant planets

Science.gov (United States)

Robert, C.; Crida, A.; Lega, E.; Méheut, H.

2017-09-01

Giant planets forming in protoplanetary disks migrate relative to their host star. By repelling the gas in their vicinity, they form gaps in the disk's structure. If they are effectively locked in their gap, it follows that their migration rate is governed by the accretion of the disk itself onto the star, in a so-called type II fashion. Recent results showed however that a locking mechanism was still lacking, and was required to understand how giant planets may survive their disk. We propose that planetary accretion may play this part, and help reach this slow migration regime.

Sedimentary organic matter and carbonate variations in the Chukchi Borderland in association with ice sheet and ocean-atmosphere dynamics over the last 155 kyr

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. F. Rella

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Knowledge on past variability of sedimentary organic carbon in the Arctic Ocean is important to assess natural carbon cycling and transport processes related to global climate changes. However, the late Pleistocene oceanographic history of the Arctic is still poorly understood. In the present study we show sedimentary records of total organic carbon (TOC, CaCO₃, benthic foraminiferal δ¹⁸O and the coarse grain size fraction from a piston core recovered from the northern Northwind Ridge in the far western Arctic Ocean, a region potentially sensitively responding to past variability in surface current regimes and sedimentary processes such as coastal erosion. An age model based on oxygen stratigraphy, radiocarbon dating and lithological constraints suggests that the piston core records paleoenvironmental changes of the last 155 kyr. TOC shows orbital-scale increases and decreases that can be respectively correlated to the waxing and waning of large ice sheets dominating the Eurasian Arctic, suggesting advection of fine suspended matter derived from glacial erosion to the Northwind Ridge by eastward flowing intermediate water and/or surface water and sea ice during cold episodes of the last two glacial-interglacial cycles. At millennial scales, increases in TOC might correlate to a suite of Dansgaard-Oeschger Stadials between 120 and 45 ka before present (BP indicating a possible response to abrupt northern hemispheric temperature changes. Between 70 and 45 ka BP, closures and openings of the Bering Strait could have additionally influenced TOC variability. CaCO₃ content tends to anti-correlate with TOC on both orbital and millennial time scales, which we interpret in terms of enhanced sediment advection from the carbonate-rich Canadian Arctic via an extended Beaufort Gyre during warm periods of the last two glacial-interglacial cycles and increased organic carbon advection from the Siberian Arctic during cold

THE FIRST FLUORINE ABUNDANCE DETERMINATIONS IN EXTRAGALACTIC ASYMPTOTIC GIANT BRANCH CARBON STARS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abia, C.; Cristallo, S.; Dominguez, I.; Cunha, K.; Smith, V. V.; De Laverny, P.; Recio-Blanco, A.; Straniero, O.

2011-01-01

Fluorine ( 19 F) abundances (or upper limits) are derived in six extragalactic asymptotic giant branch (AGB) carbon stars from the HF(1-0) R9 line at 2.3358 μm in high-resolution spectra. The stars belong to the Local Group galaxies, Large Magellanic Cloud, Small Magellanic Cloud, and Carina dwarf spheroidal, spanning more than a factor of 50 in metallicity. This is the first study to probe the behavior of F with metallicity in intrinsic extragalactic C-rich AGB stars. Fluorine could be measured only in four of the target stars, showing a wide range in F enhancements. Our F abundance measurements together with those recently derived in Galactic AGB carbon stars show a correlation with the observed carbon and s-element enhancements. The observed correlations, however, display a different dependence on the stellar metallicity with respect to theoretical predictions in low-mass, low-metallicity AGB models. We briefly discuss the possible reasons for this discrepancy. If our findings are confirmed in a larger number of metal-poor AGBs, the issue of F production in AGB stars will need to be revisited.

Molecular Characterization of a Dual Domain Carbonic Anhydrase From the Ctenidium of the Giant Clam, Tridacna squamosa, and Its Expression Levels After Light Exposure, Cellular Localization, and Possible Role in the Uptake of Exogenous Inorganic Carbon

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Clarissa Z. Y. Koh

2018-03-01

Full Text Available A Dual-Domain Carbonic Anhydrase (DDCA had been sequenced and characterized from the ctenidia (gills of the giant clam, Tridacna squamosa, which lives in symbiosis with zooxanthellae. DDCA was expressed predominantly in the ctenidium. The complete cDNA coding sequence of DDCA from T. squamosa comprised 1,803 bp, encoding a protein of 601 amino acids and 66.7 kDa. The deduced DDCA sequence contained two distinct α-CA domains, each with a specific catalytic site. It had a high sequence similarity with tgCA from Tridacna gigas. In T. squamosa, the DDCA was localized apically in certain epithelial cells near the base of the ctenidial filament and the epithelial cells surrounding the tertiary water channels. Due to the presence of two transmembrane regions in the DDCA, one of the Zn2+-containing active sites could be located externally and the other one inside the cell. These results denote that the ctenidial DDCA was positioned to dehydrate HCO3- to CO2 in seawater, and to hydrate the CO2 that had permeated the apical membrane back to HCO3- in the cytoplasm. During insolation, the host clam needs to increase the uptake of inorganic carbon from the ambient seawater to benefit the symbiotic zooxanthellae; only then, can the symbionts conduct photosynthesis and share the photosynthates with the host. Indeed, the transcript and protein levels of DDCA/DDCA in the ctenidium of T. squamosa increased significantly after 6 and 12 h of exposure to light, respectively, denoting that DDCA could participate in the light-enhanced uptake and assimilation of exogenous inorganic carbon.

Sedimentary Petrology: from Sorby to the globalization of Sedimentary Geology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alonso-Zarza, A. M.

2013-01-01

We describe here the most important milestones and contributions to Sedimentary Petrology compared to other geological disciplines. We define the main aim of our study and the scientific and economic interests involved in Sedimentary Petrology. The body of the paper focuses upon the historical development of this discipline from Henry Sorby's initial work until the present day. The major milestones in its history include: 1) initial descriptive works; 2) experimental studies; 3) the establishment of the different classifications of sedimentary rocks; 4) studies into facies and sedimentary environments; 5) advances in the study of diagenetic processes and their role in hydrocarbon prospection; and 6) the development of Sedimentary Geochemistry. Relationships and coincidences with Sedimentology are discussed. We go on to look at the advances that have taken place over the last 30 years, in which the study of sedimentary rocks is necessarily included in the wider field of Sedimentary Geology as a logical result of the proposal of global models of a changing Earth in which Sedimentary Geology plays a significant part. Finally we mention the notable contributions of Spanish sedimentary petrologists to this whole field of science. (Author) 120 refs.

Sedimentary mode and reservoir genesis of dual grain banks at the Lower Cambrian Longwangmiao Fm carbonate ramp in the Sichuan Basin

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Jinhu Du

2016-11-01

Full Text Available The gas reservoir of the Lower Cambrian Longwangmiao Fm in the Sichuan Basin is a supergiant integral marine carbonate gas reservoir whose single scale is currently the largest in China. In order to figure out its sedimentary model and reservoir genesis, its geological structures and sedimentary settings and facies were analyzed comprehensively and the lithofacies paleographic map was plotted. It is revealed that the following sedimentary facies are successively developed in the Longwangmiao Fm from West Sichuan to Southeast Chongqing: diamictic tidal flat at the back ramp, grain bank (the upper bank at the inner/shallow ramp – interbank sea (depression, deeper open bay at the platform depression of inner ramp → evaporative lagoon → evaporative tidal flat, tempestite at the middle ramp – barrier beach – mud mound beach (the lower bank, and outer ramp – basin. Accordingly, the specific sedimentary model of dual grain banks in the Longwangmiao Fm carbonate ramp was established as follows. Firstly, in this model, dual grain banks are symmetrically developed with Wanzhou–Yibin platform depression as the axis, on whose dual sides the paleohighs have shallow water bodies with strong energy. Compared with the classical model, the new one has a new upper bank which is developed around the paleohighs covering an area of about 8 × 104 km2. Secondly, the upper bank is large for its paleogeomorphology being located at the highest position with the strongest water energy during deposition. Therefore, it is prone to dolomitization and meteoric dissolution respectively during contemporaneous–penecontemporaneous hot-dry and hot-humid periods, and especially the Caledonian–Early Hercynian denudation wedge out tends to undergo post-supergene multiphase karstification. Therefore, quality reservoirs are more developed on scale. Thirdly, the intergranular pores and vermes moldic pores were dissolved and enlarged due to the multiphase

Spatially-resolved isotopic study of carbon trapped in ∼3.43 Ga Strelley Pool Formation stromatolites

Science.gov (United States)

Flannery, David T.; Allwood, Abigail C.; Summons, Roger E.; Williford, Kenneth H.; Abbey, William; Matys, Emily D.; Ferralis, Nicola

2018-02-01

The large isotopic fractionation of carbon associated with enzymatic carbon assimilation allows evidence for life's antiquity, and potentially the early operation of several extant metabolic pathways, to be derived from the stable carbon isotope record of sedimentary rocks. Earth's organic carbon isotope record extends to the Late Eoarchean-Early Paleoarchean: the age of the oldest known sedimentary rocks. However, complementary inorganic carbon reservoirs are poorly represented in the oldest units, and commonly reported bulk organic carbon isotope measurements do not capture the micro-scale isotopic heterogeneities that are increasingly reported from younger rocks. Here, we investigated the isotopic composition of the oldest paired occurrences of sedimentary carbonate and organic matter, which are preserved as dolomite and kerogen within textural biosignatures of the ∼3.43 Ga Strelley Pool Formation. We targeted least-altered carbonate phases in situ using microsampling techniques guided by non-destructive elemental mapping. Organic carbon isotope values were measured by spatially-resolved bulk analyses, and in situ using secondary ion mass spectrometry to target microscale domains of organic material trapped within inorganic carbon matrixes. Total observed fractionation of 13C ranges from -29 to -45‰. Our data are consistent with studies of younger Archean rocks that host biogenic stromatolites and organic-inorganic carbon pairs showing greater fractionation than expected for Rubisco fixation alone. We conclude that organic matter was fixed and/or remobilized by at least one metabolism in addition to the CBB cycle, possibly by the Wood-Ljungdahl pathway or methanogenesis-methanotrophy, in a shallow-water marine environment during the Paleoarchean.

Carbon translocation from symbiont to host depends on irradiance and food availability in the tropical coral Stylophora pistillata

Science.gov (United States)

Tremblay, P.; Grover, R.; Maguer, J. F.; Hoogenboom, M.; Ferrier-Pagès, C.

2014-03-01

Reef-building corals live in symbiosis with dinoflagellates that translocate a large proportion of their photosynthetically fixed carbon compounds to their coral host for its own metabolism. The carbon budget and translocation rate, however, vary depending on environmental conditions, coral host species, and symbiont clade. To quantify variability in carbon translocation in response to environmental conditions, this study assessed the effect of two different irradiance levels (120 and 250 μmol photons m-2 s-1) and feeding regimes (fed with Artemia salina nauplii and unfed) on the carbon budget of the tropical coral Stylophora pistillata. For this purpose, H13CO3 --enriched seawater was used to trace the conversion of photosynthetic carbon into symbiont and coral biomass and excrete particulate organic carbon. Results showed that carbon translocation (ca. 78 %) and utilization were similar under both irradiance levels for unfed colonies. In contrast, carbon utilization by fed colonies was dependent on the growth irradiance. Under low irradiance, heterotrophy was accompanied by lower carbon translocation (71 %), higher host and symbiont biomass, and higher calcification rates. Under high irradiance, heterotrophy was accompanied by higher rates of photosynthesis, respiration, and carbon translocation (90 %) as well as higher host biomass. Hence, levels of resource sharing within coral-dinoflagellate symbioses depend critically on environmental conditions.

Multimolecular tracers of terrestrial carbon transfer across the pan-Arctic: 14C characteristics of sedimentary carbon components and their environmental controls

Science.gov (United States)

Feng, Xiaojuan; Gustafsson, Örjan; Holmes, R. Max; Vonk, Jorien E.; van Dongen, Bart E.; Semiletov, Igor P.; Dudarev, Oleg V.; Yunker, Mark B.; Macdonald, Robie W.; Wacker, Lukas; Montluçon, Daniel B.; Eglinton, Timothy I.

2015-11-01

Distinguishing the sources, ages, and fate of various terrestrial organic carbon (OC) pools mobilized from heterogeneous Arctic landscapes is key to assessing climatic impacts on the fluvial release of carbon from permafrost. Through molecular 14C measurements, including novel analyses of suberin- and/or cutin-derived diacids (DAs) and hydroxy fatty acids (FAs), we compared the radiocarbon characteristics of a comprehensive suite of terrestrial markers (including plant wax lipids, cutin, suberin, lignin, and hydroxy phenols) in the sedimentary particles from nine major arctic and subarctic rivers in order to establish a benchmark assessment of the mobilization patterns of terrestrial OC pools across the pan-Arctic. Terrestrial lipids, including suberin-derived longer-chain DAs (C24,26,28), plant wax FAs (C24,26,28), and n-alkanes (C27,29,31), incorporated significant inputs of aged carbon, presumably from deeper soil horizons. Mobilization and translocation of these "old" terrestrial carbon components was dependent on nonlinear processes associated with permafrost distributions. By contrast, shorter-chain (C16,18) DAs and lignin phenols (as well as hydroxy phenols in rivers outside eastern Eurasian Arctic) were much more enriched in 14C, suggesting incorporation of relatively young carbon supplied by runoff processes from recent vegetation debris and surface layers. Furthermore, the radiocarbon content of terrestrial markers is heavily influenced by specific OC sources and degradation status. Overall, multitracer molecular 14C analysis sheds new light on the mobilization of terrestrial OC from arctic watersheds. Our findings of distinct ages for various terrestrial carbon components may aid in elucidating fate of different terrestrial OC pools in the face of increasing arctic permafrost thaw.

Heterogeneous carbonaceous matter in sedimentary rock lithocomponents causes significant trichloroethylene (TCE) sorption in a low organic carbon content aquifer/aquitard system.

Science.gov (United States)

Choung, Sungwook; Zimmerman, Lisa R; Allen-King, Richelle M; Ligouis, Bertrand; Feenstra, Stanley

2014-10-15

This study evaluated the effects of heterogeneous thermally altered carbonaceous matter (CM) on trichloroethylene (TCE) sorption for a low fraction organic carbon content (foc) alluvial sedimentary aquifer and aquitard system (foc=0.046-0.105%). The equilibrium TCE sorption isotherms were highly nonlinear with Freundlich exponents of 0.46-0.58. Kerogen+black carbon was the dominant CM fraction extracted from the sediments and accounted for >60% and 99% of the total in the sands and silt, respectively. Organic petrological examination determined that the kerogen included abundant amorphous organic matter (bituminite), likely of marine origin. The dark calcareous siltstone exhibited the greatest TCE sorption among aquifer lithocomponents and accounted for most sorption in the aquifer. The results suggest that the source of the thermally altered CM, which causes nonlinear sorption, was derived from parent Paleozoic marine carbonate rocks that outcrop throughout much of New York State. A synthetic aquifer-aquitard unit system (10% aquitard) was used to illustrate the effect of the observed nonlinear sorption on mass storage potential at equilibrium. The calculation showed that >80% of TCE mass contained in the aquifer was sorbed on the aquifer sediment at aqueous concentration TCE groundwater plume in the aquifer studied. It is implied that sorption may similarly contribute to TCE persistence in other glacial alluvial aquifers with similar geologic characteristics, i.e., comprised of sedimentary rock lithocomponents that contain thermally altered CM. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Fatal canine distemper virus infection of giant pandas in China.

Science.gov (United States)

Feng, Na; Yu, Yicong; Wang, Tiecheng; Wilker, Peter; Wang, Jianzhong; Li, Yuanguo; Sun, Zhe; Gao, Yuwei; Xia, Xianzhu

2016-06-16

We report an outbreak of canine distemper virus (CDV) infection among endangered giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca). Five of six CDV infected giant pandas died. The surviving giant panda was previously vaccinated against CDV. Genomic sequencing of CDV isolated from one of the infected pandas (giant panda/SX/2014) suggests it belongs to the Asia-1 cluster. The hemagglutinin protein of the isolated virus and virus sequenced from lung samples originating from deceased giant pandas all possessed the substitutions V26M, T213A, K281R, S300N, P340Q, and Y549H. The presence of the Y549H substitution is notable as it is found at the signaling lymphocytic activation molecule (SLAM) receptor-binding site and has been implicated in the emergence of highly pathogenic CDV and host switching. These findings demonstrate that giant pandas are susceptible to CDV and suggest that surveillance and vaccination among all captive giant pandas are warranted to support conservation efforts for this endangered species.

Herschel/HIFI Observations of IRC+10216: Water Vapor in the Inner Envelope of a Carbon-rich Asymptotic Giant Branch Star

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Neufeld, D. A.; González-Alfonso, E.; Melnick, G.; Szczerba, R.; Schmidt, M.; Decin, L.; de Koter, A.; Schöier, F. L.; Cernicharo, J.

2011-01-01

We report the results of observations of 10 rotational transitions of water vapor toward the carbon-rich asymptotic giant branch (AGB) star IRC+10216 (CW Leonis), carried out with Herschel's HIFI instrument. Each transition was securely detected by means of observations using the dual beam switch

Carbonate rock classification applied to brazilian sedimentary basins; Classificacao de rochas carbonaticas aplicavel as bacias sedimentares brasileiras

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Terra, Gerson Jose Salamoni [Universidade Petrobras, Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil). Escola de Ciencias e Tecnologias de Exploracao e Producao], E-mail: gersonterra@petrobras.com.br; Spadini, Adali Ricardo [Petrobras E e P, Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil). Exploracao], E-mail: spadini@petrobras.com.br; Franca, Almerio Barros [Centro de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento Leopoldo A. Miguez de Mello (CENPES), Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil). Sedimentologia e Petrologia] (and others)

2009-11-15

A new classification of carbonate rocks is proposed seeking to cover the entire spectrum of their occurrence in Brazilian basins. Emphasis is given to those in oil exploration and production locations, especially since the discovery of giant oil fields in the so called Pre-Salt section. This classification is a synergy between the various existing classifications adapting or modifying some terms and introducing new names. The carbonate rocks were divided into four groups according to their depositional texture: 1) elements not bound during deposition (mudstone, wackestone, packstone, grainstone, floatstone, rudstone, bioaccumulated, breccia), 2) elements bound during deposition, or in situ (boundstone, stromatolite, arborescent stromatolite, arbustiform stromatolite, dendriform stromatolite, thrombolite, dendrolite, leiolite, spherulitite, travertine and tufa), 3) elements bound or not bound during deposition (laminite, smooth laminite, crenulated laminite); 4) unrecognized depositional texture (crystalline limestone, dolomite). (author)

Evaluation of Five Sedimentary Rocks Other Than Salt for Geologic Repository Siting Purposes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Croff, A.G.; Lomenick, T.F.; Lowrie, R.S.; Stow, S.H.

2003-11-15

The US Department of Energy (DOE), in order to increase the diversity of rock types under consideration by the geologic disposal program, initiated the Sedimary ROck Program (SERP), whose immediate objectiv eis to evaluate five types of secimdnary rock - sandstone, chalk, carbonate rocks (limestone and dolostone), anhydrock, and shale - to determine the potential for siting a geologic repository. The evaluation of these five rock types, together with the ongoing salt studies, effectively results in the consideration of all types of relatively impermeable sedimentary rock for repository purposes. The results of this evaluation are expressed in terms of a ranking of the five rock types with respect to their potential to serve as a geologic repository host rock. This comparative evaluation was conducted on a non-site-specific basis, by use of generic information together with rock evaluation criteria (RECs) derived from the DOE siting guidelines for geologic repositories (CFR 1984). An information base relevant to rock evaluation using these RECs was developed in hydrology, geochemistry, rock characteristics (rock occurrences, thermal response, rock mechanics), natural resources, and rock dissolution. Evaluation against postclosure and preclosure RECs yielded a ranking of the five subject rocks with respect to their potential as repository host rocks. Shale was determined to be the most preferred of the five rock types, with sandstone a distant second, the carbonate rocks and anhydrock a more distant third, and chalk a relatively close fourth.

Evaluation of Five Sedimentary Rocks Other Than Salt for Geologic Repository Siting Purposes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Croff, A.G.; Lomenick, T.F.; Lowrie, R.S.; Stow, S.H.

2003-01-01

The US Department of Energy (DOE), in order to increase the diversity of rock types under consideration by the geologic disposal program, initiated the Sedimary ROck Program (SERP), whose immediate objectiv eis to evaluate five types of secimdnary rock - sandstone, chalk, carbonate rocks (limestone and dolostone), anhydrock, and shale - to determine the potential for siting a geologic repository. The evaluation of these five rock types, together with the ongoing salt studies, effectively results in the consideration of all types of relatively impermeable sedimentary rock for repository purposes. The results of this evaluation are expressed in terms of a ranking of the five rock types with respect to their potential to serve as a geologic repository host rock. This comparative evaluation was conducted on a non-site-specific basis, by use of generic information together with rock evaluation criteria (RECs) derived from the DOE siting guidelines for geologic repositories (CFR 1984). An information base relevant to rock evaluation using these RECs was developed in hydrology, geochemistry, rock characteristics (rock occurrences, thermal response, rock mechanics), natural resources, and rock dissolution. Evaluation against postclosure and preclosure RECs yielded a ranking of the five subject rocks with respect to their potential as repository host rocks. Shale was determined to be the most preferred of the five rock types, with sandstone a distant second, the carbonate rocks and anhydrock a more distant third, and chalk a relatively close fourth.

New Members in the Galaxy Group Around Giant Radio Galaxy DA 240

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Ru-Rong; Peng, Bo; Strom, Richard

2018-05-01

With new spectroscopic observations of group candidates around the giant radio galaxy DA 240, we have identified five new group members, increasing the number to twenty-five. While all the new members are located some distance from the host galaxy, two of them lie in one of the radio lobes, and the rest are found at a distance from the radio components. The new group members reinforce our earlier conclusion that the distribution of the DA 240 group with respect to the radio lobes is unusual among giant radio galaxy host environments.

Measuring Precise Radii of Giants Orbiting Giants to Distinguish Between Planet Evolution Models

Science.gov (United States)

Grunblatt, Samuel; Huber, Daniel; Lopez, Eric; Gaidos, Eric; Livingston, John

2017-10-01

Despite more than twenty years since the initial discovery of highly irradiated gas giant planets, the mechanism for planet inflation remains unknown. However, proposed planet inflation mechanisms can now be separated into two general classes: those which allow for post-main sequence planet inflation by direct irradiation from the host star, and those which only allow for slowed cooling of the planet over its lifetime. The recent discovery of two inflated warm Jupiters orbiting red giant stars with the NASA K2 Mission allows distinction between these two classes, but uncertainty in the planet radius blurs this distinction. Observing transits of these planets with the Spitzer Space Telescope would reduce stellar variability and thus planet radius uncertainties by approximately 50% relative to K2, allowing distinction between the two planet inflation model classes at a 3-sigma level. We propose to observe one transit of both known warm Jupiters orbiting red giant stars, K2-97b and EPIC228754001.01, to distinguish between planet model inflation classes and measure the planetary heating efficiency to 3-sigma precision. These systems are benchmarks for the upcoming NASA TESS Mission, which is predicted to discover an order of magnitude more red giant planet systems after launching next year.

Epigenetic alterations of sedimentary rocks at deposits

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Komarova, G.V.; Kondrat'eva, I.A.; Zelenova, O.I.

1980-01-01

Notions are explained, and technique for studying epigenetic alterations of sedimentary rocks at uranium deposits is described. Main types of epigenetic transformations and their mineralogic-geochemical characteristics are considered. Rock alterations, accompanying uranium mineralization, can be related to 2 types: oxidation and reduction. The main mineralogic-geochemical property of oxidation transformations is epigenetic limonitization. Stratal limonitization in primary grey-coloured terrigenic rocks and in epigenetically reduced (pyritized) rocks, as well as in rock, subjected to epigenetic gleying, are characterized. Reduction type of epigenetic transformations is subdivided into sulphidic and non-sulphidic (gley) subtypes. Sulphidic transformations in grey-coloured terrigenic rocks with organic substance of carbonic row, in rocks, containing organic substance of oil row, sulphide transformations of sedimentary rocks, as well as gley transformations, are considered

A two-dimensional model of the passive coastal margin deep sedimentary carbon and methane cycles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D. E. Archer

2012-08-01

Full Text Available We present a new geologic-time and basin-spatial scale model of the continental margin methane cycle. The model, SpongeBOB, is used to simulate evolution of the carbon cycle in a passive sedimentary continental margin in response to changing oceanographic and geologic forcing over a time scale of 200 million years. The geochemistry of the sediment column is altered by the addition of vertical high-permeability channels intended to mimic the effects of heterogeneity in the real sediment column due to faults, and produces results consistent with measured pore-water tracers SO₄²⁻ and ¹²⁹I. Pore water dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC concentrations are consistent with chemical weathering (CaCO₃ formation from igneous rocks at depth within the sediment column. The carbon isotopic composition of the DIC is consistent with a methane production efficiency from particulate organic carbon (POC of 50%, which is somewhat lower than redox balance with the H / C of organic matter in the model. The hydrate inventory in the model is somewhat less sensitive to temperature than our previous results with a one-dimensional model, quite sensitive to reasonable changes in POC, and extremely sensitive to the ability of methane bubbles to rise within the sediment column, and how far gas-phase methane can get through the sediment column before it redissolves when it reaches undersaturated conditions. Hydrate formation is also sensitive to deep respiration of migrating petroleum. Other phenomena which we simulated had only a small impact on the hydrate inventory, including thermogenic methane production and production/decomposition of dissolved organic carbon.

Sedimentary Record of the Back-Arc Basins of South-Central Mexico: an Evolution from Extensional Basin to Carbonate Platform.

Science.gov (United States)

Sierra-Rojas, M. I.; Molina-Garza, R. S.; Lawton, T. F.

2015-12-01

The Lower Cretaceous depositional systems of southwestern Oaxaquia, in south-central Mexico, were controlled by tectonic processes related to the instauration of a continental arc and the accretion of the Guerrero arc to mainland Mexico. The Atzompa Formation refers to a succession of conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone, and limestone that crop out in southwestern Mexico with Early Cretaceous fauna and detrital zircon maximum depositional ages. The sedimentary record shows a transition from early fluvial/alluvial to shallow marine depositional environments. The first stage corresponds to juvenile fluvial/alluvial setting followed by a deep lacustrine depositional environment, suggesting the early stages of an extensional basin. The second stage is characterized by anabranched deposits of axial fluvial systems flowing to the NE-SE, showing deposition during a period of rapid subsidence. The third and final stage is made of tidal deposits followed, in turn, by abrupt marine flooding of the basin and development of a Barremian-Aptian carbonate ramp. We interpret the Tentzo basin as a response to crustal extension in a back-arc setting, with high rates of sedimentation in the early stages of the basin (3-4 mm/m.y), slower rates during the development of starved fluvial to tidal systems and carbonate ramps, and at the top of the Atzompa Formation an abrupt deepening of the basin due to flexural subsidence related to terrane docking and attendant thrusting to the west. These events were recorded in the back-arc region of a continental convergent margin (Zicapa arc) where syn-sedimentary magmatism is indicated by Early Cretaceous detrital and volcanic clasts from alluvial fan facies west of the basin. Finally, and as a response to the accretion of the Guerrero superterrane to Oaxaquia during the Aptian, a carbonate platform facing toward the Gulf of Mexico was established in central to eastern Oaxaquia.

Ambient Temperature Flotation of Sedimentary Phosphate Ore Using Cottonseed Oil as a Collector

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yaoyang Ruan

2017-04-01

Full Text Available The mid-low grade sedimentary phosphate ore, abundant in silicate and carbonate gangue minerals, exhibits a poor processability. It is conventionally enriched using high temperature flotation to remove silicate gangues with fatty acid as a collector. Cottonseed oil has been proved to be an efficient collector for achieving ambient temperature flotation of the sedimentary phosphate ore used in this study. Flotation kinetics was investigated to ascertain the excellent collecting performance of cottonseed oil, as compared with oleic acid, and the phosphate flotation fitted well with the first-order flotation model. Based on the analysis of flotation reagent effect on the direct flotation process using the response surface methodology (RSM, a closed circuit of direct-reverse flotation for stepwise removing silicate and carbonate gangues from the sedimentary phosphate ore was established. Consequently, a required high quality of phosphate concentrate containing 30.16% P2O5 was obtained, with a recovery of 90.90%. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM and X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD of the flotation products confirmed that the majority of silicate and carbonate gangues were effectively removed from the concentrate products.

Sedimentary record of water column trophic conditions and sediment carbon fluxes in a tropical water reservoir (Valle de Bravo, Mexico).

Science.gov (United States)

Carnero-Bravo, Vladislav; Merino-Ibarra, Martín; Ruiz-Fernández, Ana Carolina; Sanchez-Cabeza, Joan Albert; Ghaleb, Bassam

2015-03-01

Valle de Bravo (VB) is the main water reservoir of the Cutzamala hydraulic system, which provides 40% of the drinking water consumed in the Mexico City Metropolitan Area and exhibits symptoms of eutrophication. Nutrient (C, N and P) concentrations were determined in two sediment cores to reconstruct the water column trophic evolution of the reservoir and C fluxes since its creation in 1947. Radiometric methods ((210)Pb and (137)Cs) were used to obtain sediment chronologies, using the presence of pre-reservoir soil layers in one of the cores as an independent chronological marker. Mass accumulation rates ranged from 0.12 to 0.56 g cm(-2) year(-1) and total organic carbon (TOC) fluxes from 122 to 380 g m(-2) year(-1). Total N ranged 4.9-48 g m(-2) year(-1), and total P 0.6-4.2 g m(-2) year(-1). The sedimentary record shows that all three (C, N and P) fluxes increased significantly after 1991, in good agreement with the assessed trophic evolution of VB and with historic and recent real-time measurements. In the recent years (1992-2006), the TOC flux to the bottom of VB (average 250 g m(-2) year(-1), peaks 323 g m(-2) year(-1)) is similar to that found in highly eutrophic reservoirs and impoundments. Over 1/3 of the total C burial since dam construction, circa 70,000 t, has occurred in this recent period. These results highlight the usefulness of the reconstruction of carbon and nutrient fluxes from the sedimentary record to assess carbon burial and its temporal evolution in freshwater ecosystems.

Assessing the potential of amino acid δ13C patterns as a carbon source tracer in marine sediments: effects of algal growth conditions and sedimentary diagenesis

Science.gov (United States)

Larsen, T.; Bach, L. T.; Salvatteci, R.; Wang, Y. V.; Andersen, N.; Ventura, M.; McCarthy, M. D.

2015-01-01

Burial of organic carbon in marine sediments has a profound influence in marine biogeochemical cycles, and provides a sink for greenhouse gases such as CO2 and CH4. However, tracing organic carbon from primary production sources as well as its transformations in the sediment record remains challenging. Here we examine a novel but growing tool for tracing biosynthetic origin of amino acid carbon skeletons, based on natural occurring stable carbon isotope patterns in individual amino acids (δ13CAA). We focus on two important aspects for δ13CAA utility in sedimentary paleoarchives: first, the fidelity of source diagnostic of algal δ13CAA patterns across different oceanographic growth conditions; and second, the ability of δ13CAA patterns to record the degree of subsequent microbial amino acid synthesis after sedimentary burial. Using the marine diatom Thalassiosira weissflogii, we tested under controlled conditions how δ13CAA patterns respond to changing environmental conditions, including light, salinity, temperature, and pH. Our findings show that while differing oceanic growth conditions can change macromolecular cellular composition, δ13CAA isotopic patterns remain largely invariant. These results underscore that δ13CAA patterns should accurately record biosynthetic sources across widely disparate oceanographic conditions. We also explored how δ13CAA patterns change as a function of age, total nitrogen and organic carbon content after burial, in a marine sediment core from a coastal upwelling area off Peru. Based on the four most informative amino acids for distinguishing between diatom and bacterial sources (i.e. isoleucine, lysine, leucine and tyrosine), bacterial derived amino acids ranged from 10-15% in the sediment layers from the last 5000 years to 35% during the last glacial period. The larger bacterial fractions in older sediments indicate that bacterial activity and amino acid resynthesis progressed, approximately as a function of sediment age, to

Mass loss by stars on the asymptotic giant branch

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Frantsman, Yu.L.

1986-01-01

The theoretical populations of white dwarfs and carbon stars were generated for Salpeter initial mass function and constant stellar birth rate history. The effect of very strong mass loss on the mass distribution of white dwarfs and luminosity distribution of carbon stars is discussed and the results are compared with observations. This comparison suggested that a signioficant mass loss by stars on the asymptotic giant branch occurs besides stellar wind and planetary nebulae ejection. Thus it is possible to explain the absence of carbon stars with Msub(bol) 1.0 Msub(sun). The luminosity of asymptotic giant branch stars in the globular clusters of the Magellanic Clouds appears to be a very good indicator of the age

A search for lithium-rich giant stars

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brown, J.A.; Sneden, C.; Lambert, D.L.; Dutchover, E. Jr.

1989-01-01

Lithium abundances or upper limits have been determined for 644 bright G-K giant stars selected from the DDO photometric catalog. Two of these giants possess surface lithium abundances approaching the cosmic value of the interstellar medium and young main-sequence stars, and eight more giants have Li contents far in excess of standard predictions. At least some of these Li-rich giants are shown to be evolved to the stage of having convectively mixed envelopes, either from the direct evidence of low surface carbon isotope ratios, or from the indirect evidence of their H-R diagram positions. Suggestions are given for the unique conditions that might have allowed these stars to produce or accrete new lithium for their surface layers, or simply to preserve from destruction their initial lithium contents. The lithium abundance of the remaining stars demonstrates that giants only very rarely meet the expectations of standard first dredge-up theories; the average extra Li destruction required is about 1.5 dex. The evolutionary states of these giants and their average masses are discussed briefly, and the Li distribution of the giants is compared to predictions of Galactic chemical evolution. 110 refs

Fatal canine distemper virus infection of giant pandas in China

Science.gov (United States)

Feng, Na; Yu, Yicong; Wang, Tiecheng; Wilker, Peter; Wang, Jianzhong; Li, Yuanguo; Sun, Zhe; Gao, Yuwei; Xia, Xianzhu

2016-01-01

We report an outbreak of canine distemper virus (CDV) infection among endangered giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca). Five of six CDV infected giant pandas died. The surviving giant panda was previously vaccinated against CDV. Genomic sequencing of CDV isolated from one of the infected pandas (giant panda/SX/2014) suggests it belongs to the Asia-1 cluster. The hemagglutinin protein of the isolated virus and virus sequenced from lung samples originating from deceased giant pandas all possessed the substitutions V26M, T213A, K281R, S300N, P340Q, and Y549H. The presence of the Y549H substitution is notable as it is found at the signaling lymphocytic activation molecule (SLAM) receptor-binding site and has been implicated in the emergence of highly pathogenic CDV and host switching. These findings demonstrate that giant pandas are susceptible to CDV and suggest that surveillance and vaccination among all captive giant pandas are warranted to support conservation efforts for this endangered species. PMID:27310722

Comparative geology and geochemistry of sedimentary-rock-hosted (Carlin Type) gold deposits in the People's Republic of China and in Nevada, USA

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Zhiping; Peters, Stephen G.

1998-01-01

Sedimentary-rock-hosted (Carlin-type) gold deposits have been considered economically significant and geologically distinct since the early 1960's. This report consists of a nine-part text and an interactive database. This small database is to help Western companies get more information about these gold deposits in China, and to help geologists who are interested in world Carlin-type deposits conduct research on them. Because of their economic significance and geological distinctiveness, these deposits have caught the interest of economic geologists all over the world since the early 1960's. Similar deposits have been discovered in China, Australia, Dominican Republic, Spain, and Russia besides Nevada. Perhaps most significant are the 165 Carlin-type gold deposits that were found in southwest China during the past 15 years. Of these, at least 19 deposits have proven to be of substantial tonnage, making China the second leading country to exploit such deposits. With the increasing interest in Chinese Carlin-type gold deposits, some western companies and geologists desire to get more information about these Chinese deposits. This seems to have been very difficult because the literature was in Chinese. It is estimated that several hundred scientific publications (including papers, books, and technical reports) have been published. This database of Chinese Carlin-type Gold deposits is built on the documentation published during the most recent 10 years and includes six subjects, which consist of 165 records and 30 fields. A new Proterozoic-age sedimentary-rock-hosted gold deposit in northeastern P.R. China also is described. Note that for the old version 1.1 on the CD-ROM, the latitude and longitude locations of the mineral occurrences have been estimated from sketch maps and journal articles and are not intended for digital analysis. One of the improvements in this version 1.2 is the accuracy of geographic data. Version 1.3 updates to the database and includes maps

Sedimentary organic matter and carbonate variations in the Chukchi Borderland in association with ice sheet and ocean-atmosphere dynamics over the last 155 kyr

Science.gov (United States)

Rella, S. F.; Uchida, M.

2012-12-01

Knowledge on past variability of sedimentary organic carbon in the Arctic Ocean is important to assess natural carbon cycling and transport processes related to global climate changes. However, the late Pleistocene oceanographic history of the Arctic is still poorly understood. In the present study we show sedimentary records of total organic carbon (TOC), CaCO3, benthic foraminiferal δ18O and the coarse grain size fraction from a piston core recovered from the northern Northwind Ridge in the far western Arctic Ocean. TOC shows orbital-scale increases and decreases during the past ~155 kyr that can be respectively correlated to the waxing and waning of large ice sheets dominating the Eurasian Arctic, suggesting advection of fine suspended matter derived from glacial erosion to the Northwind Ridge by eastward flowing intermediate water and/or surface water and sea ice during cold periods. At millennial scales, increases in TOC might correlate to a suite of Dansgaard-Oeschger Stadials between 120 and 45 ka BP indicating a possible response to abrupt northern hemispheric temperature changes. Between 70 and 45 ka BP, closures and openings of the Bering Strait could have additionally influenced TOC variability. CaCO3 contents tend to anti-correlate with TOC on both orbital and millennial time scales, which we interpret in terms of enhanced sediment advection from the carbonate-rich Canadian Arctic via an extended Beaufort Gyre during warm periods and increased organic carbon advection from the Siberian Arctic during cold periods when the Beaufort Gyre contracted. We propose that this pattern may be related to orbital- and millennial-scale variations of dominant atmospheric surface pressure systems expressed in mode shifts of the Arctic Oscillation.

Modern sedimentary processes along the Doce river adjacent continental shelf

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Valéria da Silva Quaresma

Full Text Available In areas of the continental shelf where sediment supply is greater than the sediment dispersion capacity, an extensive terrigenous deposits and consequently submerged deltas can be formed. The Eastern Brazilian shelf is characterized by the occurrence of river feed deltas in between starving coasts. Herein, modern sedimentary processes acting along the Doce river adjacent continental shelf are investigated. The main objective was to understand the shelf sediment distribution, recognizing distinct sedimentary patterns and the major influence of river sediment discharge in the formation of shelf deposits. The study used 98 surficial samples that were analyzed for grain size, composition and bulk density. Results revealed 3 distinct sectors: south - dominated by mud fraction with a recent deposition from riverine input until 30 m deep and from this depth bioclastic sands dominate; central north - sand mud dominated, been recognized as a bypass zone of resuspended sediment during high energy events; and north - relict sands with high carbonate content. The modern sedimentation processes along the Doce river continental shelf is dominated by distinct sedimentary regimes, showing a strong fluvial influence associated with wave/wind induced sediment dispersion and a carbonate regime along the outer shelf. These regimes seem to be controlled by the distance from the river mouth and bathymetric gradients.

Geologic, geochemical, and isotopic studies of a carbonate- and siliciclastic-hosted Pb-Zn deposit at Lion Hill, Vermont

Science.gov (United States)

Foley, Nora K.; Clark, Sandra H.B.; Woodruff, Laurel G.; Mosier, Elwin L.

1995-01-01

Zn-, Pb-, Cu-, and Fe-bearing rocks of the Lion Hill area in western Vermont formed during the Early Cambrian by syngenetic sedimentary-exhalative and diagenetic replacement processes. Sphalerite, galena, chalcopyrite, pyrite, and, locally, magnetite form stratabound and broadly stratiform lenticular zones, -300 meters long and 25-50 meters thick, which are uneconomic at the present time. The lenses are structurally disrupted and metamorphosed to greenschist facies, probably due to the Taconic orogeny. Textural evidence suggests that mineralizing fluids permeated the sediments prior to lithification and that a dilatant fracture zone, possibly a feeder zone, contains some of the discordant veins at Lion Hill. The veins may have formed when the sediments were in a plastic, semiconsolidated state. The association of layered iron formation containing base-metal sulfide minerals provides possible lithologic evidence for syngenetic mineralization by submarine exhalative activity. Sand bars and tidal channels present in the sedimentary section could have acted as permeable pathways for movement of mineralizing fluids. The complex interlayering in the sedimentary sequence of carbonate and siliciclastic rock types having widely varying permeabilities created numerous fluid traps.

Sedimentary condensation and authigenesis

Science.gov (United States)

Föllmi, Karl

2016-04-01

Most marine authigenic minerals form in sediments, which are subjected to condensation. Condensation processes lead to the formation of well individualized, extremely thin ( 100ky), and which experienced authigenesis and the precipitation of glaucony, verdine, phosphate, iron and manganese oxyhydroxides, iron sulfide, carbonate and/or silica. They usually show complex internal stratigraphies, which result from an interplay of sediment accumulation, halts in sedimentation, sediment winnowing, erosion, reworking and bypass. They may include amalgamated faunas of different origin and age. Hardgrounds may be part of condensed beds and may embody strongly condensed beds by themselves. Sedimentary condensation is the result of a hydrodynamically active depositional regime, in which sediment accumulation, winnowing, erosion, reworking and bypass are processes, which alternate as a function of changes in the location and intensity of currents, and/or as the result of episodic high-energy events engendered by storms and gravity flow. Sedimentary condensation has been and still is a widespread phenomenon in past and present-day oceans. The present-day distribution of glaucony and verdine-rich sediments on shelves and upper slopes, phosphate-rich sediments and phosphorite on outer shelves and upper slopes, ferromanganese crusts on slopes, seamounts and submarine plateaus, and ferromanganese nodules on abyssal seafloors is a good indication of the importance of condensation processes today. In the past, we may add the occurrence of oolitic ironstone, carbonate hardgrounds, and eventually also silica layers in banded iron formations as indicators of the importance of condensation processes. Besides their economic value, condensed sediments are useful both as a carrier of geochemical proxies of paleoceanographic and paleoenvironmental change, as well as the product of episodes of paleoceanographic and paleoenvironmental change themselves.

Limits on stellar companions to exoplanet host stars with eccentric planets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kane, Stephen R.; Hinkel, Natalie R.; Howell, Steve B.; Horch, Elliott P.; Feng, Ying; Wright, Jason T.; Ciardi, David R.; Everett, Mark E.; Howard, Andrew W.

2014-01-01

Though there are now many hundreds of confirmed exoplanets known, the binarity of exoplanet host stars is not well understood. This is particularly true of host stars that harbor a giant planet in a highly eccentric orbit since these are more likely to have had a dramatic dynamical history that transferred angular momentum to the planet. Here we present observations of four exoplanet host stars that utilize the excellent resolving power of the Differential Speckle Survey Instrument on the Gemini North telescope. Two of the stars are giants and two are dwarfs. Each star is host to a giant planet with an orbital eccentricity >0.5 and whose radial velocity (RV) data contain a trend in the residuals to the Keplerian orbit fit. These observations rule out stellar companions 4-8 mag fainter than the host star at passbands of 692 nm and 880 nm. The resolution and field of view of the instrument result in exclusion radii of 0.''05-1.''4, which excludes stellar companions within several AU of the host star in most cases. We further provide new RVs for the HD 4203 system that confirm that the linear trend previously observed in the residuals is due to an additional planet. These results place dynamical constraints on the source of the planet's eccentricities, place constraints on additional planetary companions, and inform the known distribution of multiplicity amongst exoplanet host stars.

Synchronous response of sedimentary organic carbon accumulation on the inner shelf of the East China Sea to the water impoundment of Three Gorges and Gezhouba Dams

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Lin, Jia; Zhu, Qing; Hong, Yuehui; Yuan, Lirong; Liu, Jinzhong; Xu, Xiaoming; Wang, Jianghai

2018-01-01

Coastal seas, located between continents and the open ocean, are an important active carbon pool. The sedimentary total organic carbon (TOC) in these areas is a mixture of terrestrial and marine sources, and can be a powerful proxy for tracing natural processes and human activities. In this study, one fine-grained sediment core (DH5-1) from the inner shelf of the East China Sea was systematically analyzed for TOC and black carbon (BC) contents and TOC stable carbon isotope ratios (δ13C). By combining these data with 210Pb dating, an improved carbon correction model and a two end-member mixing model, we reconstructed century-scale high-resolution sequences of corrected TOC, terrestrial TOC and marine TOC contents and identified two carbon depletion events in the DH5-1 record. The two events, shown as two minima in the TOC profiles, correspond temporally to 1985-1987 AD and 2003-2006 AD, which exactly matches the water impoundment of the Gezhouba Dam and Three Gorges Dam, respectively. In addition, the variations in TOC contents and δ13C values before, during or after the minima demonstrate a relationship between the depletion events and water impoundment of the dams on the Changjiang River. The TOC reductions may represent synchronous responses of sedimentary TOC and resultant ecological effects on the inner shelf of the East China Sea to the water impoundment of the dams. These new TOC records reflect the interaction between natural and anthropogenic processes and, accordingly, provide a deep insight and important references for assessing marine ecological effects resulting from water impoundment of largescale dams.

Zooxanthellar symbionts shape host sponge trophic status through translocation of carbon.

Science.gov (United States)

Weisz, Jeremy B; Massaro, Andrew J; Ramsby, Blake D; Hill, Malcolm S

2010-12-01

Sponges belonging to the genus Cliona are common inhabitants of many coral reefs, and as bioeroders, they play an important role in the carbonate cycle of the reef. Several Cliona species maintain intracellular populations of dinoflagellate zooxanthellae (i.e., Symbiodinium spp.), which also form symbioses with a variety of other invertebrates and protists (e.g., corals, molluscs, foraminifera). Unlike the case of coral symbioses, however, almost nothing is known of the metabolic interaction between sponges and their zooxanthella symbionts. To assess this interaction, we performed a tracer experiment to follow C and N in the system, performed a reciprocal transplant experiment, and measured the stable carbon isotope ratio of Cliona spp. with and without zooxanthellae to study the influence of environment on the interaction. We found strong evidence of a transfer of C from zooxanthellae to their sponge hosts but no evidence of a transfer of N from sponge to zooxanthellae. We also saw significant influences of the environment on the metabolism of the sponges. Finally, we observed significant differences in carbon metabolism of sponge species with and without symbionts. These data strongly support hypotheses of metabolic integration between zooxanthellae and their sponge host and extend our understanding of basic aspects of benthic-pelagic coupling in shallow-water marine environments.

On the Composition of Young, Directly Imaged Giant Planets

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Moses, J. I.; Marley, M. S.; Zahnle, K.; Line, M. R.; Fortney, J. J.; Barman, T. S.; Visscher, C.; Lewis, N. K.; Wolff, M. J.

2016-01-01

The past decade has seen significant progress on the direct detection and characterization of young, self-luminous giant planets at wide orbital separations from their host stars. Some of these planets show evidence for disequilibrium processes like transport-induced quenching in their atmospheres; photochemistry may also be important, despite the typically large orbital distances. Disequilibrium chemical processes such as these can alter the expected composition, spectral behavior, thermal structure, and cooling history of the planets, and can potentially confuse determinations of bulk elemental ratios, which provide important insights into planet-formation mechanisms. Using a thermo/photochemical kinetics and transport model, we investigate the extent to which disequilibrium chemical processes affect the composition and spectra of directly imaged giant exoplanets. Results for specific "young Jupiters" such as HR 8799 b and c and 51 Eri b are presented, as are general trends as a function of planetary effective temperature, surface gravity, incident ultraviolet flux, and strength of deep atmospheric convection. We find that quenching is very important on young Jupiters, leading to CO/CH4 and N2/NH3 ratios much greater than; and H2O mixing ratios a factor of a few less than chemical equilibrium predictions. Photochemistry can also be important on such planets, with CO2 and HCN being key photochemical products. Carbon dioxide becomes a particularly major constituent when stratospheric temperatures are low and recycling of water following H2O photolysis becomes stifled. Young Jupiters with effective temperatures less than 700 degrees Kelvin are in a particularly interesting photochemical regime that differs from both transiting hot Jupiters and our own solar-system giant planets.

Upper Cretaceous (Campanian) phosphorites in Jordan: implications for the formation of a south Tethyan phosphorite giant

Science.gov (United States)

Pufahl, Peir K.; Grimm, Kurt A.; Abed, Abdulkader M.; Sadaqah, Rushdi M. Y.

2003-10-01

A record of sedimentary, authigenic, and biological processes are preserved within the Upper Cretaceous (Campanian) Alhisa Phosphorite Formation (AP) in central and northern Jordan. The AP formed near the eastern extremity of the south Tethyan Phosphorite Province (STPP), a carbonate-dominated Upper Cretaceous to Eocene "phosphorite giant" that extends from Colombia, North Africa to the Middle East. Multidisciplinary research of the AP and associated cherts, chalks, and oyster buildups indicate that phosphatic strata formed on a highly productive, storm-dominated, east-west trending epeiric platform along the south Tethyan margin. The onset of phosphogenesis and the accumulation of economic phosphorite coincided with a rise in relative sea level that onlapped peritidal carbonates of the Ajlun Group. Pristine phosphates are associated with well-developed micrite concretionary horizons and contain abundant non-keeled spiral planktic foraminifera and a low diversity benthic assemblage of Buliminacean foraminifera, suggesting that pristine phosphates are a condensed facies and phosphogenesis was stimulated by the effects of a highly productive surface ocean and the suboxic diagenesis of sedimentary organic matter. The bulk sediment composition and absence of Fe-bearing authigenic phases such as glauconite, pyrite (including pyrite molds), siderite, and goethite within pristine phosphates suggests that deposition and authigenesis occurred under conditions of detrital starvation and that "iron-pumping" played a minimal role in phosphogenesis. Authigenic precipitation of phosphate occurred in a broad array of sedimentary environments—herein termed a "phosphorite nursery"—that spanned the entire platform. This is a non-uniformitarian phenomenon reflecting precipitation of sedimentary apatite across a wide depositional spectrum in a variety of depositional settings, wherever the conditions were suitable for phosphogenesis. Sedimentologic data indicate that pristine

Giant linear plasmids in Streptomyces: a treasure trove of antibiotic biosynthetic clusters.

Science.gov (United States)

Kinashi, Haruyasu

2011-01-01

Many giant linear plasmids have been isolated from Streptomyces by using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and some of them were found to carry an antibiotic biosynthetic cluster(s); SCP1 carries biosynthetic genes for methylenomycin, pSLA2-L for lankacidin and lankamycin, and pKSL for lasalocid and echinomycin. Accumulated data suggest that giant linear plasmids have played critical roles in genome evolution and horizontal transfer of secondary metabolism. In this review, I summarize typical examples of giant linear plasmids whose involvement in antibiotic production has been studied in some detail, emphasizing their finding processes and interaction with the host chromosomes. A hypothesis on horizontal transfer of secondary metabolism involving giant linear plasmids is proposed at the end.

Assessment of Deep Seated Geothermal Reservoirs in Selected European Sedimentary Environments

Science.gov (United States)

Ungemach, Pierre; Antics, Miklos

2014-05-01

Europe at large enjoys a variety of sedimentary environments. They most often host dependable geothermal reservoirs thus favouring the farming of hot fluids, within the low to medium enthalpy range, among which geothermal district heating (GDH) and combined heat and power (CHP) undertakings hold a dominant share. Three selected reservoir settings, addressing carbonate and clastic deposits, the Central part of the Paris Basin, the Southern Germany Molasse Basin in the Münich area and the Netherland Basin respectively will be presented and the exploratory, modeling and development strategies discussed accordingly. Whereas 2D (reprocessed) and 3D seismics have become a standard in matching the distinctive (reef facies, an echelon faulting, carbonate platform layering) features of a deep buried karst and a key to drilling success in the Molasse Basin, thus emphasizing a leading exploratory rationale, the Netherland and Paris Basin instead benefit from a mature data base inherited from extensive hydrocarbon exploration campaigns, with concerns focused on reservoir modeling and sustainable management issues. As a result the lessons learned from the foregoing have enabled to build up a nucleus of expertise in the whole chain from resource identification to reservoir assessment and market penetration. The seismic risk, indeed a sensitive though somewhat emotional issue, which is requiring special attention and due microseismic monitoring from the geothermal community will also be commented.

Origin of planation surfaces in the hinterland of Šumljak sedimentary bodies in Rebrnice (Upper Vipava Valley, SW Slovenia

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Tomislav Popit

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The Rebrnice area forms the north eastern slopes of the Upper Vipava Valley and is located between Karst plateau to the southwest and the Nanos plateau to the northeast. The Rebrnice slopes are geomorphologically defied by a thrust front of Mesozoic carbonates over Tertiary flsch deposits and are characterised by a variety of polygenetic landslides (being the most prominent geomorphological features. Among them, the three Šumljak sedimentary bodies of fossil landslides (approximately 0.56 km² in area comprise carbonate gravels and breccia. The most distinctive geomorphological element is the planation surface of the carbonate breccia blocks positioned in the hinterland of the Šumljak sedimentary bodies. Another feature is the presence of local escarpments (steep scarps defiing the border between the planation surface in the hinterland and sedimentary bodies. Our research suggests that the whole area in the hinterland of the Šumljak sedimentary bodies form part of a deep-seated rotational landslide formed of carbonate breccia. On the basis of the dipping of the breccia beds, in particular parts of the rotational blocks, the rotation can reach up to 60°. Planation surfaces developed above the curved, sliding plane in the central part and/or slightly outer part of the landslide. Steep scarps on the external parts of the planation surface represent the main scarps of the Šumljak sedimentary bodies. We propose that these bodies originated from the remobilization of material accumulated in outer parts of large-scale rotational slides and its transportation further downslope, mostly by rock avalanches.

Stepwise drowning of the urgonian carbonate platform and the sedimentary regime during the Mid-Cretaceous environmental crisis: new evidence from the Helvetic Alps

Science.gov (United States)

Linder, P.; Weissert, H.; Funk, H.; Föllmi, K. B.

2003-04-01

In the region of Anzeindaz (Ct. Vaud, Switzerland) the sedimentary succession of the so-called "Urgonian" of the Schrattenkalk Formation (late Barremian to early Aptian in age) and of the Garschella Formation (early Aptian to late Cenomanian in age) is well developed. These outcrops in the helvetic Morcles nappe are particularly appropriate to study the drowning events that lead to the disappearance of the urgonian carbonate platform and the subsequent development towards a sedimentary regime of condensation and authigenesis. Cavities with infillings of Garschella Formation sediments penetrating the Schrattenkalk limestone up to 20 meters deep are interpreted as karstic erosional cavities and/or neptunian dikes. The most interesting finding was the special way in which the drowning of the urgonian carbonate platform is documented. At one outcrop (La Corde) thin relics of a bed interpreted as the Upper Orbitolina Bed seem to be integrated in the Garschella Formation since it separates relics of at least two phosphoritic beds, probably the Luitere Bed but also an older bed that was not described by Föllmi and Ouwehand (1987). In fact a diploma student at the University of Neuchâtel, François Gainon (2001) just recently rediscovered and correctly interpreted a similar but less condensed succession in the nearby Rawil region that was first described (but misinterpreted) by Schaub (1936). Gainon named this older phosphoritic horizon of the Rawil region "Plaine Morte Bed" and he was able to date it with an ammonite of the earliest Aptian Weissi/Tuarkyricus Zones. In both the Rawil and Anzeindaz regions the whole ensemble is deposited over an erosive unconformity cutting off the Schrattenkalk limestone. The sedimentary succession of the Garschella Formation in the Anzeindaz region contains equivalents of nearly all beds described and defined in the type outcrops of eastern Switzerland and Austria (Föllmi &Ouwehand 1987). The study of these sediments revealed new

Calculating the Contribution of Zooxanthellae to Giant Clams Respiration Energy Requirements

OpenAIRE

Ambariyanto

2002-01-01

Giant clams (Tridacnidae) are known to live in association with photosynthetic single cell dinoflagellate algae commonly called zooxanthellae. These algae which can be found in the mantle of the clams are capable of transferring part of their photosynthates which become an important source of energy to the host ( apart from filter feeding activity). In order to understand the basic biological processes of the giant clams , the contribution of zooxanthellae to the clam's energy requirement nee...

Origin of stratiform sediment-hosted manganese carbonate ore deposits: Examples from Molango, Mexico, and TaoJiang, China

Science.gov (United States)

Okita, P.M.; Shanks, Wayne C.

1992-01-01

Carbonate and sulfide minerals from the Molango, Mexico, and TaoJiang, China, Mn deposits display similar and distinctive ??34S and ??13C patterns in intervals of manganese carbonate mineralization. ??13C-values for Mn-bearing carbonate range from -17.8 to +0.5??? (PDB), with the most negative values occurring in high-grade ore zones that are composed predominantly of rhodochrosite. In contrast, calcite from below, within and above Mn-carbonate zones at Molango has ??13C???0??? (PDB). Markedly negative ??13C data indicate that a large proportion of the carbon in Mn-carbonates was derived from organic matter oxidation. Diagenetic reactions using MnO2 and SO2-4 to oxidize sedimentary organic matter were the principle causes of such 12C enrichment. Pyrite content and sulfide ?? 34S-values also show distinctive variations. In unmineralized rocks, very negative ??34S-values (avg. < -21??? CDT) and abundant pyrite content suggest that pyrite formed from diagenetic, bacteriogenic sulfate reduction. In contrast, Mn-bearing horizons typically contain only trace amounts of pyrite (e.g., <0.5 wt% S with ??34S-values 34S-enriched, in some cases to nearly the value for contemporaneous seawater. 34S-enriched pyrite from the Mn-carbonate intervals indicates sulfide precipitation in an environment that underwent extensive SO2-4 reduction, and was largely a closed system with regard to exchange of sulfate and dissolved sulfide with normal seawater. The occasional occurrence of 34S-depleted pyrite within Mn-carbonate zones dominated by 34S-enriched pyrite is evidence that closed-system conditions were intermittent and limited to local pore waters and did not involve entire sedimentary basins. Mn-carbonate precipitation may have occluded porosity in the surficial sediments, thus establishing an effective barrier to SO2-4 exchange with overlying seawater. Similar isotopic and mineralogic characteristics from both the Molango and TaoJiang deposits, widely separated in geologic time and

Photochemical Creation of Fluorescent Quantum Defects in Semiconducting Carbon Nanotube Hosts.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Xiaojian; Kim, Mijin; Kwon, Hyejin; Wang, YuHuang

2018-01-15

Quantum defects are an emerging class of synthetic single-photon emitters that hold vast potential for near-infrared imaging, chemical sensing, materials engineering, and quantum information processing. Herein, we show that it is possible to optically direct the synthetic creation of molecularly tunable fluorescent quantum defects in semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotube hosts through photochemical reactions. By exciting the host semiconductor with light that resonates with its electronic transition, we find that halide-containing aryl groups can covalently bond to the sp 2 carbon lattice. The introduced quantum defects generate bright photoluminescence that allows tracking of the reaction progress in situ. We show that the reaction is independent of temperature but correlates strongly with the photon energy used to drive the reaction, suggesting a photochemical mechanism rather than photothermal effects. This type of photochemical reactions opens the possibility to control the synthesis of fluorescent quantum defects using light and may enable lithographic patterning of quantum emitters with electronic and molecular precision. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Modelling hydrothermal venting in volcanic sedimentary basins: Impact on hydrocarbon maturation and paleoclimate

Science.gov (United States)

Iyer, Karthik; Schmid, Daniel W.; Planke, Sverre; Millett, John

2017-06-01

Vent structures are intimately associated with sill intrusions in sedimentary basins globally and are thought to have been formed contemporaneously due to overpressure generated by gas generation during thermogenic breakdown of kerogen or boiling of water. Methane and other gases generated during this process may have driven catastrophic climate change in the geological past. In this study, we present a 2D FEM/FVM model that accounts for 'explosive' vent formation by fracturing of the host rock based on a case study in the Harstad Basin, offshore Norway. Overpressure generated by gas release during kerogen breakdown in the sill thermal aureole causes fracture formation. Fluid focusing and overpressure migration towards the sill tips results in vent formation after only few tens of years. The size of the vent depends on the region of overpressure accessed by the sill tip. Overpressure migration occurs in self-propagating waves before dissipating at the surface. The amount of methane generated in the system depends on TOC content and also on the type of kerogen present in the host rock. Generated methane moves with the fluids and vents at the surface through a single, large vent structure at the main sill tip matching first-order observations. Violent degassing takes place within the first couple of hundred years and occurs in bursts corresponding to the timing of overpressure waves. The amount of methane vented through a single vent is only a fraction (between 5 and 16%) of the methane generated at depth. Upscaling to the Vøring and Møre Basins, which are a part of the North Atlantic Igneous Province, and using realistic host rock carbon content and kerogen values results in a smaller amount of methane vented than previously estimated for the PETM. Our study, therefore, suggests that the negative carbon isotope excursion (CIE) observed in the fossil record could not have been caused by intrusions within the Vøring and Møre Basins alone and that a contribution

KEPLER EXOPLANET CANDIDATE HOST STARS ARE PREFERENTIALLY METAL RICH

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schlaufman, Kevin C.; Laughlin, Gregory

2011-01-01

We find that Kepler exoplanet candidate (EC) host stars are preferentially metal rich, including the low-mass stellar hosts of small-radius ECs. The last observation confirms a tentative hint that there is a correlation between the metallicity of low-mass stars and the presence of low-mass and small-radius exoplanets. In particular, we compare the J-H-g-r color-color distribution of Kepler EC host stars with a control sample of dwarf stars selected from the ∼150, 000 stars observed during Q1 and Q2 of the Kepler mission but with no detected planets. We find that at J - H = 0.30 characteristic of solar-type stars, the average g-r color of stars that host giant ECs is 4σ redder than the average color of the stars in the control sample. At the same J - H color, the average g-r color of solar-type stars that host small-radius ECs is indistinguishable from the average color of the stars in the control sample. In addition, we find that at J - H = 0.62 indicative of late K dwarfs, the average g-r color of stars that host small-radius ECs is 4σ redder than the average color of the stars in the control sample. These offsets are unlikely to be caused by differential reddening, age differences between the two populations, or the presence of giant stars in the control sample. Stellar models suggest that the first color offset is due to a 0.2 dex enhancement in [Fe/H] of the giant EC host population at M * ∼ 1 M sun , while Sloan photometry of M 67 and NGC 6791 suggests that the second color offset is due to a similar [Fe/H] enhancement of the small-radius EC host population at M * ∼ 0.7 M sun . These correlations are a natural consequence of the core-accretion model of planet formation.

Disk Evolution, Element Abundances and Cloud Properties of Young Gas Giant Planets

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Christiane Helling

2014-04-01

Full Text Available We discuss the chemical pre-conditions for planet formation, in terms of gas and ice abundances in a protoplanetary disk, as function of time and position, and the resulting chemical composition and cloud properties in the atmosphere when young gas giant planets form, in particular discussing the effects of unusual, non-solar carbon and oxygen abundances. Large deviations between the abundances of the host star and its gas giants seem likely to occur if the planet formation follows the core-accretion scenario. These deviations stem from the separate evolution of gas and dust in the disk, where the dust forms the planet cores, followed by the final run-away accretion of the left-over gas. This gas will contain only traces of elements like C, N and O, because those elements have frozen out as ices. PRODIMO protoplanetary disk models are used to predict the chemical evolution of gas and ice in the midplane. We find that cosmic rays play a crucial role in slowly un-blocking the CO, where the liberated oxygen forms water, which then freezes out quickly. Therefore, the C/O ratio in the gas phase is found to gradually increase with time, in a region bracketed by the water and CO ice-lines. In this regions, C/O is found to approach unity after about 5 Myrs, scaling with the cosmic ray ionization rate assumed. We then explore how the atmospheric chemistry and cloud properties in young gas giants are affected when the non-solar C/O ratios predicted by the disk models are assumed. The DRIFT cloud formation model is applied to study the formation of atmospheric clouds under the influence of varying premordial element abundances and its feedback onto the local gas. We demonstrate that element depletion by cloud formation plays a crucial role in converting an oxygen-rich atmosphere gas into carbon-rich gas when non-solar, premordial element abundances are considered as suggested by disk models.

Sedimentary facies and depositional history of the Swan Islands, Honduras

Science.gov (United States)

Ivey, Marvin L.; Breyer, John A.; Britton, Joseph C.

1980-10-01

Swan Island is a Honduran possession in the western Caribbean, located on the southeastern side of the Cayman Trench. Two sedimentary assemblages are found on the island: an older bedded sequence of mid-Tertiary age (Aquitanian or Burdigalian) and a younger sedimentary sequence of Late Pleistocene age. The older sequence is composed of a series of calcarenites, calcilutites, and siliciclastic mudstones; capping these are cliff-forming reefal carbonates of the younger sequence. The rocks of the older bedded sequence accumulated in deep water. Sedimentation consisted of a constant rain of pyroclastic debris interrupted by the episodic introduction of upslope carbonate material by turbidity currents. Uplift and deformation of this sequence was initiated sometime after the Early Miocene. By the Late Pleistocene, uplift had brought the rocks into water depths conducive to coral growth. Pleistocene sedimentation on the island was controlled by the interaction between tectonic uplift and eustatic sea-level changes. The primary controlling force on the tectonic history of the island is its proximity to the boundary between the North American and Caribbean plates.

FUNDAMENTAL PROPERTIES OF KEPLER PLANET-CANDIDATE HOST STARS USING ASTEROSEISMOLOGY

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Huber, Daniel; Lissauer, Jack J.; Rowe, Jason F. [NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035 (United States); Chaplin, William J. [School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT (United Kingdom); Christensen-Dalsgaard, Jorgen; Kjeldsen, Hans; Handberg, Rasmus; Karoff, Christoffer; Lund, Mikkel N.; Lundkvist, Mia [Stellar Astrophysics Centre, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 120, DK-8000 Aarhus C (Denmark); Gilliland, Ronald L. [Center for Exoplanets and Habitable Worlds, The Pennsylvania State University, 525 Davey Lab, University Park, PA 16802 (United States); Buchhave, Lars A. [Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, DK-2100 Copenhagen (Denmark); Fischer, Debra A.; Basu, Sarbani [Department of Astronomy, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511 (United States); Sanchis-Ojeda, Roberto [Department of Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 02139 (United States); Hekker, Saskia [Astronomical Institute ' ' Anton Pannekoek' ' , University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098 XH Amsterdam (Netherlands); Howard, Andrew W. [Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawaii, 2680 Woodlawn Drive, Honolulu, HI 96822 (United States); Isaacson, Howard; Marcy, Geoffrey W. [Department of Astronomy, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720 (United States); Latham, David W., E-mail: daniel.huber@nasa.gov [Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); and others

2013-04-20

We have used asteroseismology to determine fundamental properties for 66 Kepler planet-candidate host stars, with typical uncertainties of 3% and 7% in radius and mass, respectively. The results include new asteroseismic solutions for four host stars with confirmed planets (Kepler-4, Kepler-14, Kepler-23 and Kepler-25) and increase the total number of Kepler host stars with asteroseismic solutions to 77. A comparison with stellar properties in the planet-candidate catalog by Batalha et al. shows that radii for subgiants and giants obtained from spectroscopic follow-up are systematically too low by up to a factor of 1.5, while the properties for unevolved stars are in good agreement. We furthermore apply asteroseismology to confirm that a large majority of cool main-sequence hosts are indeed dwarfs and not misclassified giants. Using the revised stellar properties, we recalculate the radii for 107 planet candidates in our sample, and comment on candidates for which the radii change from a previously giant-planet/brown-dwarf/stellar regime to a sub-Jupiter size or vice versa. A comparison of stellar densities from asteroseismology with densities derived from transit models in Batalha et al. assuming circular orbits shows significant disagreement for more than half of the sample due to systematics in the modeled impact parameters or due to planet candidates that may be in eccentric orbits. Finally, we investigate tentative correlations between host-star masses and planet-candidate radii, orbital periods, and multiplicity, but caution that these results may be influenced by the small sample size and detection biases.

Description and hydrogeologic implications of cored sedimentary material from the 1975 drilling program at the Radioactive Waste Management Complex, Idaho

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rightmire, C.T.

1984-08-01

Samples of sedimentary material from interbeds between basalt flows and from fractures in the flows, taken from two drill cores at the Radioactive Waste Management Complex at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory were analyzed for (1) particle-size distribution, (2) bulk mineralogy, (3) clay mineralogy, (4) cation-exchange capacity, and (5) carbonate content. Thin sections of selected sedimentary material were made for petrographic examination. These analyses are needed for a characterization of paths and rates of movement of radionuclides transported by infiltrating water. Preliminary interpretations indicate that (1) it may be possible to distinguish the various sedimentary interbeds on the basis of their mineralogy, (2) the presence of carbonate horizons in sedimentary interbeds may be utilized to approximate the time of exposure and the climate while the surface was exposed, and (3) the type and orientation of fracture-filling material may be utilized to determine the mechanism by which fractures were filled. 9 references, 14 figures, 8 tables

Provirophages and transpovirons as the diverse mobilome of giant viruses.

Science.gov (United States)

Desnues, Christelle; La Scola, Bernard; Yutin, Natalya; Fournous, Ghislain; Robert, Catherine; Azza, Saïd; Jardot, Priscilla; Monteil, Sonia; Campocasso, Angélique; Koonin, Eugene V; Raoult, Didier

2012-10-30

A distinct class of infectious agents, the virophages that infect giant viruses of the Mimiviridae family, has been recently described. Here we report the simultaneous discovery of a giant virus of Acanthamoeba polyphaga (Lentille virus) that contains an integrated genome of a virophage (Sputnik 2), and a member of a previously unknown class of mobile genetic elements, the transpovirons. The transpovirons are linear DNA elements of ~7 kb that encompass six to eight protein-coding genes, two of which are homologous to virophage genes. Fluorescence in situ hybridization showed that the free form of the transpoviron replicates within the giant virus factory and accumulates in high copy numbers inside giant virus particles, Sputnik 2 particles, and amoeba cytoplasm. Analysis of deep-sequencing data showed that the virophage and the transpoviron can integrate in nearly any place in the chromosome of the giant virus host and that, although less frequently, the transpoviron can also be linked to the virophage chromosome. In addition, integrated fragments of transpoviron DNA were detected in several giant virus and Sputnik genomes. Analysis of 19 Mimivirus strains revealed three distinct transpovirons associated with three subgroups of Mimiviruses. The virophage, the transpoviron, and the previously identified self-splicing introns and inteins constitute the complex, interconnected mobilome of the giant viruses and are likely to substantially contribute to interviral gene transfer.

The impact of sedimentary alkalinity release on the water column CO

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Brenner, H.; Braeckman, U.; Le Guitton, M.; Meysman, F.J.R.

2016-01-01

It has been previously proposed that alkalinity release from sediments can play an important role in the carbonate dynamics on continental shelves, lowering the pCO₂ of seawater and hence increasing the CO₂ uptake from the atmosphere. To test this hypothesis, sedimentary

2D numerical modeling of gravity-driven giant-scale deformation processes in the offshore Barreirinhas Basin (Brazil)

Science.gov (United States)

Cruciani, Francesco; Manconi, Andrea; Rinaldo Barchi, Massimiliano

2014-05-01

Gravity-driven deformation processes at continental passive margins occur at different scales, from small-scale turbidity currents and sediment slides, to large-scale mass transport complexes (MTCs), to the giant-scale deep water fold and thrust belts (DW-FTBs), which affect most or the entire sedimentary sequence. This kind of giant structures, quite widespread in passive margins, may be active for tens of millions of years. In this context, the Brazilian Atlantic margin hosts several well-known DW-FTBs detached on both shale and salt décollement. Despite of their relevant scientific and economic importance, the mechanical processes driving the onset and evolution of these giant-scale structures are still poorly investigated. In this work, we focus on the shale décollement DW-FTB of the Barreirinhas Basin, where the continental slope has been affected by multi-phase gravitational processes since the Late Cretaceous. This DW-FTB consists of a linked fault system of listric normal faults updip and thrust faults downdip, detached over a common concave upward décollement surface. From the onshore extensional to the offshore compressional domain the DW-FTB is about 50 km wide and involve a sedimentary sequence up to 5 km thick. Shortening within the compressional domain is accommodated almost entirely from a single thrust ramp with a large related anticline fold. Previous studies have shown that the main activity phases of the gravitational processes are closely linked to significant increases in the sediment supply within the basin. Indeed, the highest deformation rate, accounting for about 80% of the net strain, occurred in the Upper Miocene following a drainage rearrangement which led to the birth of the modern Amazon River drainage system. The Barreirinhas Basin DW-FTB entails a rather simple geometrical structure, which can be well schematized, therefore is particularly suitable for numerical simulations aimed to study and understand the dynamics of DW-FTB at

Elements of Eoarchean life trapped in mineral inclusions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hassenkam, T.; Andersson, M. P.; Dalby, K. N.

2017-01-01

with carbon-rich sedimentary beds in the host rock, where carbon is fully graphitized. Previous studies have not been able to document other elements of life (mainly hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen and phosphorus) structurally bound to this carbonaceous material. Here we study carbonaceous inclusions armoured...... residues within sedimentary material corroborates earlier claims for the biogenic origins of carbon in Isua metasediments....

Compatible intracellular ion composition of the host improves carbon assimilation by zooxanthellae in mutualistic symbioses.

Science.gov (United States)

Seibt, C; Schlichter, D

2001-09-01

Cytosymbiotic algae within the host's plasma are exposed to completely different ionic conditions than microalgae living in the sea. The altered ionic gradients, in particular, could be the reason for higher in hospite carbon assimilation levels. To study the effect of varying extracellular ionic conditions on isolated zooxanthellae, their photosynthetic capacity in pure seawater was compared to that in a test medium in which the concentrations of the major inorganic ions, the pH and the osmolality were adjusted to the conditions measured in the host cytoplasm. In this test medium the ratio between oxygen evolution and carbon fixation was 1.2:1.0; in contrast, zooxanthellae in the hyperionic seawater medium showed a comparatively higher oxygen production (2.6:1.0). These results are attributed to a higher energy demand for ion regulation of the isolated algae in the hyperionic medium. Isolated cytosymbionts in seawater need more energy both for the readjustment to the original intracellular ion concentration within the host cell and also for the maintenance of a much steeper gradient during incubation under hyperionic conditions outside the host. The particular intracellular ion concentration of the host cells could have been a decisive evolutionary factor for the very successful establishment of the mutualistic symbioses between anthozoans and dinoflagellates more than 200 million years ago.

Explorability and predictability of the paleozoic sedimentary sequence beneath the Bruce nuclear site

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Parmenter, A.; Jensen, M.; Crowe, R.; Raven, K.

2011-01-01

Ontario Power Generation (OPG) is proposing to develop a Deep Geologic Repository (DGR) for the long-term management of its Low and Intermediate Level Waste (L&ILW) at the Bruce nuclear site located in the Municipality of Kincardine, Ontario. A 4-year program of geoscientific studies to assess the suitability of the 850 m thick Palaeozoic age sedimentary sequence beneath the site to host the DGR was completed in 2010. The studies provide evidence of a geologic setting in which the DGR concept would be safely implemented at a nominal depth of 680 m within the argillaceous limestone of the Cobourg Formation. This paper describes the geologic framework of the Bruce nuclear site with a focus on illustrating the high degree of stratigraphic continuity and traceability at site-specific and regional scales within the Ordovician sediments proposed to host and enclose the DGR. As part of the site-specific studies, a program of deep drilling/coring (6 boreholes) and in-situ testing through the sedimentary sequence was completed from 4 drill sites situated beyond the DGR footprint, approximately 1 km apart. Core logging reveals that the stratigraphic sequence comprises 34 distinct bedrock formations/members/units consistent with the known regional stratigraphic framework. These layered sedimentary formations dip 0.6 o (~10 m/km) to the southwest with highly uniform thicknesses both at the site- and regional-scale, particularly, the Ordovician sediments, which vary on the order of metres. The occurrence of steeply-dipping faults within the sedimentary sequence is not revealed through surface outcrop fracture mapping, micro-seismic (M ≥ 1) monitoring, inclined borehole coring or intersection of hydrothermal type dolomitized reservoir systems. Potential fault structures, interpreted from a 2-D seismic survey, were targeted by angled boreholes which found no evidence for their existence. Formation specific continuity is also evidence by the lateral traceability of physical rock

Mineralogy and depositional sources of sedimentary interbeds beneath the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory; eastern Snake River Plain, Idaho

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reed, M.F.

1994-01-01

Idaho State University, in cooperation with the U.S. Geological Survey, and the U.S. Department of Energy, collected 57 samples of sedimentary interbeds at 19 sites at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) for mineralogical analysis. Previous work by the U.S. Geological Survey on surficial sediments showed that ratios detrital of quartz, total feldspars, and calcite can be used to distinguish the sedimentary mineralogy of specific stream drainages at the INEL. Semi-quantitative x-ray diffraction analyses were used to determine mineral abundances in the sedimentary interbeds. Samples were collected from wells at the New Production Reactor (NPR) area, Idaho Chemical Processing Plant (ICPP), Test Reactor Area (TRA), miscellaneous sites, Radioactive Waste Management Complex (RWMC), Naval Reactors Facility (NRF), and Test Area North (TAN). Normalized mean percentages of quartz, feldspar, and carbonate were calculated from sample data sets at each site. Percentages for quartz, feldspar, and carbonate from the NPR, ICPP, TRA, miscellaneous sites, RWMC, and NRF ranged from 37 to 59, 26 to 40, and 5 to 25, respectively. Percentages for quartz, feldspar, and carbonate from wells at Test Area North (TAN) were 24, 10, and 66, respectively. Mineralogical data indicate that sedimentary interbed samples collected from the NPR, ICPP, TRA, miscellaneous sites, RWMC, and NRF correlate with surficial sediment samples from the present day Big Lost River. Sedimentary interbeds from TAN sites correlate with surficial sediment samples from Birch Creek. These correlations suggest that the sources for the sediments at and near the INEL have remained relatively consistent for the last 580,000 years. 12 refs., 4 figs., 3 tabs

Sedimentary processes and depositional environments of the Horn River Shale in British Columbia, Canada

Science.gov (United States)

Yoon, Seok-Hoon; Koh, Chang-Seong; Joe, Young-Jin; Woo, Ju-Hwan; Lee, Hyun-Suk

2017-04-01

The Horn River Basin in the northeastern British Columbia, Canada, is one of the largest unconventional gas accumulations in North America. It consists mainly of Devonian shales (Horn River Formation) and is stratigraphically divided into three members, the Muskwa, Otterpark and Evie in descending order. This study focuses on sedimentary processes and depositional environments of the Horn River shale based on sedimentary facies analysis aided by well-log mineralogy (ECS) and total organic carbon (TOC) data. The shale formation consists dominantly of siliceous minerals (quartz, feldspar and mica) and subordinate clay mineral and carbonate materials, and TOC ranging from 1.0 to 7.6%. Based on sedimentary structures and micro texture, three sedimentary facies were classified: homogeneous mudstone (HM), indistinctly laminated mudstone (ILM), and planar laminated mudstone (PLM). Integrated interpretation of the sedimentary facies, lithology and TOC suggests that depositional environment of the Horn River shale was an anoxic quiescent basin plain and base-of-slope off carbonate platform or reef. In this deeper marine setting, organic-rich facies HM and ILM, dominant in the Muskwa (the upper part of the Horn River Formation) and Evie (the lower part of the Horn River Formation) members, may have been emplaced by pelagic to hemipelagic sedimentation on the anoxic sea floor with infrequent effects of low-density gravity flows (turbidity currents or nepheloid flows). In the other hand, facies PLM typifying the Otterpark Member (the middle part of the Horn River Formation) suggests more frequent inflow of bottom-hugging turbidity currents punctuating the hemipelagic settling of the background sedimentation process. The stratigraphic change of sedimentary facies and TOC content in the Horn River Formation is most appropriately interpreted to have been caused by the relative sea-level change, that is, lower TOC and frequent signal of turbidity current during the sea

LACK OF INFLATED RADII FOR KEPLER GIANT PLANET CANDIDATES RECEIVING MODEST STELLAR IRRADIATION

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Demory, Brice-Olivier; Seager, Sara

2011-01-01

The most irradiated transiting hot Jupiters are characterized by anomalously inflated radii, sometimes exceeding Jupiter's size by more than 60%. While different theoretical explanations have been applied, none of them provide a universal resolution to this observation, despite significant progress in the past years. We refine the photometric transit light curve analysis of 115 Kepler giant planet candidates based on public Q0-Q2 photometry. We find that 14% of them are likely false positives, based on their secondary eclipse depth. We report on planet radii versus stellar flux. We find an increase in planet radii with increased stellar irradiation for the Kepler giant planet candidates, in good agreement with existing hot Jupiter systems. We find that in the case of modest irradiation received from the stellar host, giant planets do not have inflated radii, and appear to have radii independent of the host star incident flux. This finding suggests that the physical mechanisms inflating hot Jupiters become ineffective below a given orbit-averaged stellar irradiation level of ∼2 × 10 8 erg s –1 cm –2 .

Carbon Flux Through the Giant Barrel Sponge Xestospongia testudinaria in the Red Sea

KAUST Repository

Wooster, Michael K.

2017-11-01

Sponges have important ecological functions on coral reefs because they are regionally abundant, competitively dominant, and process large volumes of seawater. The sponge loop hypothesis proposes that sponges consume dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and then releases the carbon as shed cellular detritus back to the reef benthos. Within this context, we examined the carbon flux mediated by the giant barrel sponge, Xestospongia testudinaria, on reefs in the Red Sea, where sponge abundance is comparatively low relative to coral reefs elsewhere, such as the Caribbean. Seawater samples were collected from the incurrent and excurrent (In-Ex) flow of 40 sponges from inshore, mid-shelf, and offshore reefs between 18° and 22°N latitude off the coast of Saudi Arabia. Concentrations of DOC and living particulate organic carbon (LPOC) were significantly higher in incurrent (ambient) seawater on inshore reefs than mid-shelf and offshore reefs. Consistent with studies of X. muta in the Caribbean, the diet of X. testudinaria is comprised primarily of DOC; mean values of the nutritional components across all sites were 60.5% DOC, 35.7% detritus, and 3.8% LPOC. Taking into account the specific filtration rates of nutritional components and oxygen consumption of sponges across the inshore-offshore gradient, there is evidence (1) of a threshold concentration of DOC below which sponges cease to be net consumers of DOC, and (2) that sponges on offshore reefs are food-limited. Contrary to the sponge loop hypothesis, there was no evidence that X. testudinaria, returned DOC to the benthos in the form of detritus, but was, instead, a net consumer of detritus from the water column. Unlike the cryptic, interstitial sponges that were studied to advance the sponge-loop hypothesis, emergent sponges may have an alternate pathway for returning DOC to the benthos by converting it to sponge biomass rather than sponge detritus.

Kepler-91b: a planet at the end of its life. Planet and giant host star properties via light-curve variations

Science.gov (United States)

Lillo-Box, J.; Barrado, D.; Moya, A.; Montesinos, B.; Montalbán, J.; Bayo, A.; Barbieri, M.; Régulo, C.; Mancini, L.; Bouy, H.; Henning, T.

2014-02-01

Context. The evolution of planetary systems is intimately linked to the evolution of their host stars. Our understanding of the whole planetary evolution process is based on the wide planet diversity observed so far. Only a few tens of planets have been discovered orbiting stars ascending the red giant branch. Although several theories have been proposed, the question of how planets die remains open owing to the small number statistics, making it clear that the sample of planets around post-main sequence stars needs to be enlarged. Aims: In this work we study the giant star Kepler-91 (KOI-2133) in order to determine the nature of a transiting companion. This system was detected by the Kepler Space Telescope, which identified small dims in its light curve with a period of 6.246580 ± 0.000082 days. However, its planetary confirmation is needed due to the large pixel size of the Kepler camera, which can hide other stellar configurations able to mimic planet-like transit events. Methods: We analysed Kepler photometry to 1) re-calculate transit parameters; 2) study the light-curve modulations; and 3) to perform an asteroseismic analysis (accurate stellar parameter determination) by identifying solar-like oscillations on the periodogram. We also used a high-resolution and high signal-to-noise ratio spectrum obtained with the Calar Alto Fiber-fed Échelle spectrograph (CAFE) to measure stellar properties. Additionally, false-positive scenarios were rejected by obtaining high-resolution images with the AstraLux lucky imaging camera on the 2.2 m telescope at the Calar Alto Observatory. Results: We confirm the planetary nature of the object transiting the star Kepler-91 by deriving a mass of Mp=0.88+0.17-0.33 MJup and a planetary radius of Rp=1.384+0.011-0.054 RJup. Asteroseismic analysis produces a stellar radius of R⋆ = 6.30 ± 0.16 R⊙ and a mass of M⋆ = 1.31 ± 0.10 M⊙. We find that its eccentric orbit (e=0.066+0.013-0.017) is just 1.32+0.07-0.22 R⋆ away from

Capture of terrestrial-sized moons by gas giant planets.

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, Darren M

2013-04-01

Terrestrial moons with masses >0.1 M (symbol in text) possibly exist around extrasolar giant planets, and here we consider the energetics of how they might form. Binary-exchange capture can occur if a binary-terrestrial object (BTO) is tidally disrupted during a close encounter with a giant planet and one of the binary members is ejected while the other remains as a moon. Tidal disruption occurs readily in the deep gravity wells of giant planets; however, the large encounter velocities in the wells make binary exchange more difficult than for planets of lesser mass. In addition, successful capture favors massive binaries with large rotational velocities and small component mass ratios. Also, since the interaction tends to leave the captured moons on highly elliptical orbits, permanent capture is only possible around planets with sizable Hill spheres that are well separated from their host stars.

Spatial sedimentary distribution, seasonality and the characteristics of organic matter on Fernando de Noronha insular shelf

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Roberto Lima Barcellos

Full Text Available Abstract The present study was conducted in the Fernando de Noronha archipelago (4°S/32°W. The objective is the evaluation of the spatial distribution and seasonal variations in the sediments and sedimentary organic matter in the northern insular shelf of Fernando de Noronha ("Mar de Dentro". Nineteen surface sediment samples were collected between December 2013, July 2014 and November 2014. The studied methods included analysis of the grain size, coarse fraction, morphoscopy, total organic matter content, calcium carbonate, organic carbon, total nitrogen, sedimentary phosphorus (organic, inorganic and total, elemental ratios (C/N, C/P and stable isotopic ratios (δ13C-δ15N. The results allowed to infer that there is no seasonal variation in sediment distribution. Whereas, the shelf sediments present a calcareous sandy sedimentary cover (CaCO3≈ 88.3%, predominantly of well-sorted fine sands, with low organic matter content (TOM3.0%; TN>0.4% of mixed origin (δ13C= -24.5 to -23.0%PDB, which were related to anthropogenic impacts and the biotic and abiotic local processes.

Quantification of CO2 generation in sedimentary basins through carbonate/clays reactions with uncertain thermodynamic parameters

Science.gov (United States)

Ceriotti, G.; Porta, G. M.; Geloni, C.; Dalla Rosa, M.; Guadagnini, A.

2017-09-01

We develop a methodological framework and mathematical formulation which yields estimates of the uncertainty associated with the amounts of CO2 generated by Carbonate-Clays Reactions (CCR) in large-scale subsurface systems to assist characterization of the main features of this geochemical process. Our approach couples a one-dimensional compaction model, providing the dynamics of the evolution of porosity, temperature and pressure along the vertical direction, with a chemical model able to quantify the partial pressure of CO2 resulting from minerals and pore water interaction. The modeling framework we propose allows (i) estimating the depth at which the source of gases is located and (ii) quantifying the amount of CO2 generated, based on the mineralogy of the sediments involved in the basin formation process. A distinctive objective of the study is the quantification of the way the uncertainty affecting chemical equilibrium constants propagates to model outputs, i.e., the flux of CO2. These parameters are considered as key sources of uncertainty in our modeling approach because temperature and pressure distributions associated with deep burial depths typically fall outside the range of validity of commonly employed geochemical databases and typically used geochemical software. We also analyze the impact of the relative abundancy of primary phases in the sediments on the activation of CCR processes. As a test bed, we consider a computational study where pressure and temperature conditions are representative of those observed in real sedimentary formation. Our results are conducive to the probabilistic assessment of (i) the characteristic pressure and temperature at which CCR leads to generation of CO2 in sedimentary systems, (ii) the order of magnitude of the CO2 generation rate that can be associated with CCR processes.

Quantifying the evidence for co-benefits between species conservation and climate change mitigation in giant panda habitats.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Renqiang; Xu, Ming; Powers, Ryan; Zhao, Fen; Jetz, Walter; Wen, Hui; Sheng, Qingkai

2017-10-05

Conservationists strive for practical, cost-effective management solutions to forest-based species conservation and climate change mitigation. However, this is compromised by insufficient information about the effectiveness of protected areas in increasing carbon storage, and the co-benefits of species and carbon conservation remain poorly understood. Here, we present the first rigorous quantitative assessment of the roles of giant panda nature reserves (NRs) in carbon sequestration, and explore the co-benefits of habitat conservation and climate change mitigation. Results show that more than 90% of the studied panda NRs are effective in increasing carbon storage, with the mean biomass carbon density of the whole NRs exhibiting a 4.2% higher growth rate compared with lands not declared as NRs over the period 1988-2012, while this effectiveness in carbon storage masks important patterns of spatial heterogeneity across the giant panda habitats. Moreover, the significant associations have been identified between biomass carbon density and panda's habitat suitability in ~85% NRs and at the NR level. These findings suggest that the planning for carbon and species conservation co-benefits would enhance the greatest return on limited conservation investments, which is a critical need for the giant panda after its conservation status has been downgraded from "endangered" to "vulnerable".

Fluvial systems and their sedimentary models

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dragomir Skabeme

1995-12-01

Full Text Available The Slovenian géomorphologie and sedimentologie terminology for fluvial depositional environments is not established yet. Therefore a classification and the proposal for Slovenian names of fluvial sedimentary and erosional forms and influences controlling them are discussed. Attention is given to the problems of recognition of sedimentary environments in sedimentary rocks, and to fluvial sedimentary models.

Two-dimensional simulation of clastic and carbonate sedimentation, consolidation, subsidence, fluid flow, heat flow and solute transport during the formation of sedimentary basins

Science.gov (United States)

Bitzer, Klaus

1999-05-01

Geological processes that create sedimentary basins or act during their formation can be simulated using the public domain computer code `BASIN'. For a given set of geological initial and boundary conditions the sedimentary basin evolution is calculated in a forward modeling approach. The basin is represented in a two-dimensional vertical cross section with individual layers. The stratigraphic, tectonic, hydrodynamic and thermal evolution is calculated beginning at an initial state, and subsequent changes of basin geometry are calculated from sedimentation rates, compaction and pore fluid mobilization, isostatic compensation, fault movement and subsidence. The sedimentologic, hydraulic and thermal parameters are stored at discrete time steps allowing the temporal evolution of the basin to be analyzed. A maximum flexibility in terms of geological conditions is achieved by using individual program modules representing geological processes which can be switched on and off depending on the data available for a specific simulation experiment. The code incorporates a module for clastic and carbonate sedimentation, taking into account the impact of clastic sediment supply on carbonate production. A maximum of four different sediment types, which may be mixed during sedimentation, can be defined. Compaction and fluid flow are coupled through the consolidation equation and the nonlinear form of the equation of state for porosity, allowing nonequilibrium compaction and overpressuring to be calculated. Instead of empirical porosity-effective stress equations, a physically consistent consolidation model is applied which incorporates a porosity dependent sediment compressibility. Transient solute transport and heat flow are calculated as well, applying calculated fluid flow rates from the hydraulic model. As a measure for hydrocarbon generation, the Time-Temperature Index (TTI) is calculated. Three postprocessing programs are available to provide graphic output in Post

Giant Magnetoresistance in Carbon Nanotubes with Single-Molecule Magnets TbPc2.

Science.gov (United States)

Krainov, Igor V; Klier, Janina; Dmitriev, Alexander P; Klyatskaya, Svetlana; Ruben, Mario; Wernsdorfer, Wolfgang; Gornyi, Igor V

2017-07-25

We present experimental results and a theoretical model for the gate-controlled spin-valve effect in carbon nanotubes with side-attached single-molecule magnets TbPc 2 (Terbium(III) bis-phthalocyanine). These structures show a giant magnetoresistance up to 1000% in experiments on single-wall nanotubes that are tunnel-coupled to the leads. The proposed theoretical model combines the spin-dependent Fano effect with Coulomb blockade and predicts a spin-spin interaction between the TbPc 2 molecules, mediated by conducting electrons via the charging effect. This gate-tuned interaction is responsible for the stable magnetic ordering of the inner spins of the molecules in the absence of magnetic field. In the case of antiferromagnetic arrangement, electrons with either spin experience the scattering by the molecules, which results in blocking the linear transport. In strong magnetic fields, the Zeeman energy exceeds the effective antiferromagnetic coupling and one species of electrons is not scattered by molecules, which leads to a much lower total resistance at the resonant values of gate voltage, and hence to a supramolecular spin-valve effect.

CARBON-RICH GIANT PLANETS: ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY, THERMAL INVERSIONS, SPECTRA, AND FORMATION CONDITIONS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Madhusudhan, Nikku [Department of Astrophysical Sciences, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544 (United States); Mousis, Olivier [Institut UTINAM, CNRS-UMR 6213, Observatoire de Besancon, BP 1615, F-25010 Besancon Cedex (France); Johnson, Torrence V. [Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109 (United States); Lunine, Jonathan I., E-mail: nmadhu@astro.princeton.edu [Department of Astronomy, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853 (United States)

2011-12-20

The recent inference of a carbon-rich atmosphere, with C/O {>=} 1, in the hot Jupiter WASP-12b motivates the exotic new class of carbon-rich planets (CRPs). We report a detailed study of the atmospheric chemistry and spectroscopic signatures of carbon-rich giant (CRG) planets, the possibility of thermal inversions in their atmospheres, the compositions of icy planetesimals required for their formation via core accretion, and the apportionment of ices, rock, and volatiles in their envelopes. Our results show that CRG atmospheres probe a unique region in composition space, especially at high temperature (T). For atmospheres with C/O {>=} 1, and T {approx}> 1400 K in the observable atmosphere, most of the oxygen is bound up in CO, while H{sub 2}O is depleted and CH{sub 4} is enhanced by up to two or three orders of magnitude each, compared to equilibrium compositions with solar abundances (C/O = 0.54). These differences in the spectroscopically dominant species for the different C/O ratios cause equally distinct observable signatures in the spectra. As such, highly irradiated transiting giant exoplanets form ideal candidates to estimate atmospheric C/O ratios and to search for CRPs. We also find that the C/O ratio strongly affects the abundances of TiO and VO, which have been suggested to cause thermal inversions in highly irradiated hot Jupiter atmospheres. A C/O = 1 yields TiO and VO abundances of {approx}100 times lower than those obtained with equilibrium chemistry assuming solar abundances, at P {approx} 1 bar. Such a depletion is adequate to rule out thermal inversions due to TiO/VO even in the most highly irradiated hot Jupiters, such as WASP-12b. We estimate the compositions of the protoplanetary disk, the planetesimals, and the envelope of WASP-12b, and the mass of ices dissolved in the envelope, based on the observed atmospheric abundances. Adopting stellar abundances (C/O = 0.44) for the primordial disk composition and low-temperature formation conditions

The giant Jiaodong gold province: The key to a unified model for orogenic gold deposits?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David I. Groves

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Although the term orogenic gold deposit has been widely accepted for all gold-only lode-gold deposits, with the exception of Carlin-type deposits and rare intrusion-related gold systems, there has been continuing debate on their genesis. Early syngenetic models and hydrothermal models dominated by meteoric fluids are now clearly unacceptable. Magmatic-hydrothermal models fail to explain the genesis of orogenic gold deposits because of the lack of consistent spatially – associated granitic intrusions and inconsistent temporal relationships. The most plausible, and widely accepted, models involve metamorphic fluids, but the source of these fluids is hotly debated. Sources within deeper segments of the supracrustal successions hosting the deposits, the underlying continental crust, and subducted oceanic lithosphere and its overlying sediment wedge all have their proponents. The orogenic gold deposits of the giant Jiaodong gold province of China, in the delaminated North China Craton, contain ca. 120 Ma gold deposits in Precambrian crust that was metamorphosed over 2000 million years prior to gold mineralization. The only realistic source of fluid and gold is a subducted oceanic slab with its overlying sulfide-rich sedimentary package, or the associated mantle wedge. This could be viewed as an exception to a general metamorphic model where orogenic gold has been derived during greenschist- to amphibolite-facies metamorphism of supracrustal rocks: basaltic rocks in the Precambrian and sedimentary rocks in the Phanerozoic. Alternatively, if a holistic view is taken, Jiaodong can be considered the key orogenic gold province for a unified model in which gold is derived from late-orogenic metamorphic devolatilization of stalled subduction slabs and oceanic sediments throughout Earth history. The latter model satisfies all geological, geochronological, isotopic and geochemical constraints but the precise mechanisms of auriferous fluid release, like many

The puzzle of the CNO isotope ratios in asymptotic giant branch carbon stars

Science.gov (United States)

Abia, C.; Hedrosa, R. P.; Domínguez, I.; Straniero, O.

2017-03-01

Context. The abundance ratios of the main isotopes of carbon, nitrogen and oxygen are modified by the CNO-cycle in the stellar interiors. When the different dredge-up events mix the burning material with the envelope, valuable information on the nucleosynthesis and mixing processes can be extracted by measuring these isotope ratios. Aims: Previous determinations of the oxygen isotopic ratios in asymptotic giant branch (AGB) carbon stars were at odds with the existing theoretical predictions. We aim to redetermine the oxygen ratios in these stars using new spectral analysis tools and further develop discussions on the carbon and nitrogen isotopic ratios in order to elucidate this problem. Methods: Oxygen isotopic ratios were derived from spectra in the K-band in a sample of galactic AGB carbon stars of different spectral types and near solar metallicity. Synthetic spectra calculated in local thermodynamic equillibrium (LTE) with spherical carbon-rich atmosphere models and updated molecular line lists were used. The CNO isotope ratios derived in a homogeneous way, were compared with theoretical predictions for low-mass (1.5-3 M⊙) AGB stars computed with the FUNS code assuming extra mixing both during the RGB and AGB phases. Results: For most of the stars the 16O/17O/18O ratios derived are in good agreement with theoretical predictions confirming that, for AGB stars, are established using the values reached after the first dredge-up (FDU) according to the initial stellar mass. This fact, as far as the oxygen isotopic ratios are concerned, leaves little space for the operation of any extra mixing mechanism during the AGB phase. Nevertheless, for a few stars with large 16O/17O/18O, the operation of such a mechanism might be required, although their observed 12C/13C and 14N/15N ratios would be difficult to reconcile within this scenario. Furthermore, J-type stars tend to have lower 16O/17O ratios than the normal carbon stars, as already indicated in previous studies

Carbon and oxygen isotope compositions of the carbonate facies

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

The Vindhyan sedimentary succession in central India spans a wide time bracket from the Paleopro- terozoic to the Neoproterozoic period.Chronostratigraphic significance of stable carbon and oxygen isotope ratios of the carbonate phase in Vindhyan sediments has been discussed in some recent studies.However,the ...

Fifty years of eutrophication and lake restoration reflected in sedimentary carbon and nitrogen isotopes of a small, hardwater lake (south Germany

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Emanuel Braig

2013-04-01

Full Text Available This study analyses the response of the carbon and nitrogen isotopic composition of sedimentary organic matter to rapid human-induced eutrophication and meromixis as well as subsequent restoration efforts [in-lake phosphorus (P-Precipitation, P-remediation of the well inflow and multiannual destratification] in a 46-yr sediment core sequence (1963-2009 from Fischkaltersee, a small hard-water lake (S-Germany. In addition, the sediment record was compared with detailed data on water column chemistry during almost (1977-2009 the recorded history of eutrophication and trophic recovery of the named lake. While the onset of eutrophication resulted in an abrupt positive excursion (+2.4‰, the overall reaction of δ13CSOM to ongoing eutrophication and meromixis as well as to permanent hypolimnion aeration and trophic recovery is a continous negative trend (-3.7‰ with the most depleted signatures (-38.8‰ present in the youngest part of the core. This negative trend was not influenced by multiannual hypolimnion aeration, which although oxygenating bottom waters (>2 mg O2 L–1, did not reverse the increasing anoxis in the sediment, as is indicated by an declining Mn/Fe ratio. Hence, we conclude that in Fischkaltersee δ13CSOM was controlled by photoautotrophic input only during an early phase in the eutrophication process. The signal of intensifying microbially mediated carbon cycling processes in the sediment, i.e. methanogenesis and methanotrophy, was superimposed on the primary productivity signal by crossing a certain TP threshold (approx. TP=0.04 mg L–1. Sedimentary δ15N values exhibit an overall increase (+3.4‰ in reaction to the eutrophication process, while trophic recovery produces a continous decrease in the signal (-2.7‰. Linear correlation of δ15N to nitrate utilisation in the epilimnion, however, is rather weak (R2=0.33. Comparison between sediment δ15N values and water column data reveals that two negative shifts in the

Chemistry of decomposition of freshwater wetland sedimentary organic material during ramped pyrolysis

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Williams, E. K.; Rosenheim, B. E.

2011-12-01

Ramped pyrolysis methodology, such as that used in the programmed-temperature pyrolysis/combustion system (PTP/CS), improves radiocarbon analysis of geologic materials devoid of authigenic carbonate compounds and with low concentrations of extractable authochthonous organic molecules. The approach has improved sediment chronology in organic-rich sediments proximal to Antarctic ice shelves (Rosenheim et al., 2008) and constrained the carbon sequestration potential of suspended sediments in the lower Mississippi River (Roe et al., in review). Although ramped pyrolysis allows for separation of sedimentary organic material based upon relative reactivity, chemical information (i.e. chemical composition of pyrolysis products) is lost during the in-line combustion of pyrolysis products. A first order approximation of ramped pyrolysis/combustion system CO2 evolution, employing a simple Gaussian decomposition routine, has been useful (Rosenheim et al., 2008), but improvements may be possible. First, without prior compound-specific extractions, the molecular composition of sedimentary organic matter is unknown and/or unidentifiable. Second, even if determined as constituents of sedimentary organic material, many organic compounds have unknown or variable decomposition temperatures. Third, mixtures of organic compounds may result in significant chemistry within the pyrolysis reactor, prior to introduction of oxygen along the flow path. Gaussian decomposition of the reaction rate may be too simple to fully explain the combination of these factors. To relate both the radiocarbon age over different temperature intervals and the pyrolysis reaction thermograph (temperature (°C) vs. CO2 evolved (μmol)) obtained from PTP/CS to chemical composition of sedimentary organic material, we present a modeling framework developed based upon the ramped pyrolysis decomposition of simple mixtures of organic compounds (i.e. cellulose, lignin, plant fatty acids, etc.) often found in sedimentary

Ironstone deposits hosted in Eocene carbonates from Bahariya (Egypt)-New perspective on cherty ironstone occurrences

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Afify, A. M.; Sanz-Montero, M. E.; Calvo, J. P.

2015-11-01

This paper gives new insight into the genesis of cherty ironstone deposits. The research was centered on well-exposed, unique cherty ironstone mineralization associated with Eocene carbonates from the northern part of the Bahariya Depression (Egypt). The economically important ironstones occur in the Naqb Formation (Early Eocene), which is mainly formed of shallow marine carbonate deposits. Periods of lowstand sea-level caused extensive early dissolution (karstification) of the depositional carbonates and dolomitization associated with mixing zones of fresh and marine pore-water. In faulted areas, the Eocene carbonate deposits were transformed into cherty ironstone with preservation of the precursor carbonate sedimentary features, i.e. skeletal and non-skeletal grain types, thickness, bedding, lateral and vertical sequential arrangement, and karst profiles. The ore deposits are composed of iron oxyhydroxides, mainly hematite and goethite, chert in the form of micro- to macro-quartz and chalcedony, various manganese minerals, barite, and a number of subordinate sulfate and clay minerals. Detailed petrographic analysis shows that quartz and iron oxides were coetaneous and selectively replaced carbonates, the coarse dolomite crystals having been preferentially transformed into quartz whereas the micro-crystalline carbonates were replaced by the iron oxyhydroxides. A number of petrographic, sedimentological and structural features including the presence of hydrothermal-mediated minerals (e.g., jacobsite), the geochemistry of the ore minerals as well as the structure-controlled location of the mineralization suggest a hydrothermal source for the ore-bearing fluids circulating through major faults and reflect their proximity to centers of magmatism. The proposed formation model can contribute to better understanding of the genetic mechanisms of formation of banded iron formations (BIFs) that were abundant during the Precambrian.

Permanganate diffusion and reaction in sedimentary rocks.

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Huang, Qiuyuan; Dong, Hailiang; Towne, Rachael M; Fischer, Timothy B; Schaefer, Charles E

2014-04-01

In situ chemical oxidation using permanganate has frequently been used to treat chlorinated solvents in fractured bedrock aquifers. However, in systems where matrix back-diffusion is an important process, the ability of the oxidant to migrate and treat target contaminants within the rock matrix will likely determine the overall effectiveness of this remedial approach. In this study, a series of diffusion experiments were performed to measure the permanganate diffusion and reaction in four different types of sedimentary rocks (dark gray mudstone, light gray mudstone, red sandstone, and tan sandstone). Results showed that, within the experimental time frame (~2 months), oxidant migration into the rock was limited to distances less than 500 μm. The observed diffusivities for permanganate into the rock matrices ranged from 5.3 × 10(-13) to 1.3 × 10(-11) cm(2)/s. These values were reasonably predicted by accounting for both the rock oxidant demand and the effective diffusivity of the rock. Various Mn minerals formed as surface coatings from reduction of permanganate coupled with oxidation of total organic carbon (TOC), and the nature of the formed Mn minerals was dependent upon the rock type. Post-treatment tracer testing showed that these Mn mineral coatings had a negligible impact on diffusion through the rock. Overall, our results showed that the extent of permanganate diffusion and reaction depended on rock properties, including porosity, mineralogy, and organic carbon. These results have important implications for our understanding of long-term organic contaminant remediation in sedimentary rocks using permanganate. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

MOLECULAR CLONING, SEQUENCING, EXPRESSION AND BIOLOGICAL ACTIVITY OF GIANT PANDA (AILUROPODA MELANOLEUCA) INTERFERON-GAMMA.

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Zhu, Hui; Wang, Wen-Xiu; Wang, Bao-Qin; Zhu, Xiao-Fu; Wu, Xu-Jin; Ma, Qing-Yi; Chen, De-Kun

2012-06-29

The giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) is an endangered species and indigenous to China. Interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) is the only member of type □ IFN and is vital for the regulation of host adapted immunity and inflammatory response. Little is known aboutthe FN-γ gene and its roles in giant panda.In this study, IFN-γ gene of Qinling giant panda was amplified from total blood RNA by RT-CPR, cloned, sequenced and analysed. The open reading frame (ORF) of Qinling giant panda IFN-γ encodes 152 amino acidsand is highly similar to Sichuan giant panda with an identity of 99.3% in cDNA sequence. The IFN-γ cDNA sequence was ligated to the pET32a vector and transformed into E. coli BL21 competent cells. Expression of recombinant IFN-γ protein of Qinling giant panda in E. coli was confirmed by SDS-PAGE and Western blot analysis. Biological activity assay indicated that the recombinant IFN-γ protein at the concentration of 4-10 µg/ml activated the giant panda peripheral blood lymphocytes,while at 12 µg/mlinhibited. the activation of the lymphocytes.These findings provide insights into the evolution of giant panda IFN-γ and information regarding amino acid residues essential for their biological activity.

Triple oxygen isotopes in biogenic and sedimentary carbonates

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Passey, Benjamin H.; Hu, Huanting; Ji, Haoyuan; Montanari, Shaena; Li, Shuning; Henkes, Gregory A.; Levin, Naomi E.

2014-09-01

The 17O anomaly (Δ17O) of natural waters has been shown to be sensitive to evaporation in a way analogous to deuterium excess, with evaporated bodies of water (e.g., leaf waters, lake waters, animal body waters) tending to have lower Δ17O than primary meteoric waters. In animal body water, Δ17O relates to the intake of evaporated waters, evaporative effluxes of water, and the Δ17O value of atmospheric O2, which itself carries signatures of global carbon cycling and photochemical reactions in the stratosphere. Carbonates have the potential to record the triple oxygen isotope compositions of parent waters, allowing reconstruction of past water compositions, but such investigations have awaited development of methods for high-precision measurement of Δ17O of carbonate. We describe optimized methods based on a sequential acid digestion/reduction/fluorination approach that yield Δ17O data with the high precision (∼0.010‰, 1σ) needed to resolve subtle environmental signals. We report the first high-precision Δ17O dataset for terrestrial carbonates, focusing on vertebrate biogenic carbonates and soil carbonates, but also including marine invertebrates and high-temperature carbonates. We determine apparent three-isotope fractionation factors between the O2 analyte derived from carbonate and the parent waters of the carbonate. These in combination with appropriate temperature estimates (from clumped isotope thermometry, or known or estimated body temperatures) are used to calculate the δ18O and Δ17O of parent waters. The clearest pattern to emerge is the strong 17O-depletion in avian, dinosaurian, and mammalian body water (from analyses of eggshell and tooth enamel) relative to meteoric waters, following expected influences of evaporated water (e.g., leaf water) and atmospheric O2 on vertebrate body water. Parent waters of the soil carbonates studied here have Δ17O values that are similar to or slightly lower than global precipitation. Our results suggest

Discussion on the origin of sedimentary rock resistivity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dong Gangjian

2012-01-01

Conduction current way of sedimentary rock sedimentary rock is caused by the internal structure of sedimentary rock sedimentary rock pore resistance depends on the salinity of pore water and clay content and distribution. Resistivity of sedimentary rock sedimentary rock major factor in mineral composition, water resistance, oil resistance. and sedimentary structures. In practice, we should give full attention to the difference between lithology and physical properties. (author)

The sedimentary facies characteristics and lithofacies palaeogeography during Middle-Late Cambrian, Sichuan Basin and adjacent area

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Feifan Lu

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Combined with the regional strata filling characteristics of Middle-Upper Cambrian, the present paper conducts a systematic research on sedimentary facies in the basin and its peripheral area by utilizing 164 field outcrops and drilling and coring data. Further, the method of “multi-factor comprehensive synthesis based on single-factor analysis” was employed to investigate the sedimentary facies and palaeogeography of the study area and establish the sedimentary facies model. Stratigraphic reveals that the study area represents the pattern of thin-northwest and thick-southeast by stretching northeast-southwest. Within the present basin, the pattern of “one thin and two thick” predominates, while outside the basin “four thin and three thick” filling feature was found. Sedimentary facies shows that the study area was featured by rimmed carbonate platform. Specifically, carbonate platform, slope and northeastern corner Qinling paleooceanic Basin and southeastern corner Jiangnan Bain was identified from the west to the east. The carbonate platform contains restricted platform, evaporation-restricted platform, semi-restricted platform and the platform margin. Single factor analysis and lithofacies palaeogeographic characteristics manifests that during Middle-Late Cambrian, the western Old land evolved into peneplain stage, and that the eastern and southwestern sub-sags remained connected to the open-sea to some extent. At the time, the shllow seawater circulation was relatively restricted, while the ancient seabed tended to be flat and evaporation characteristics significantly diminished. Secondary sea-level fluctuation intensively influenced the development of scaled grain beach. It is suggested that tide marginal beach, intraplatform shoal subfacies zone, along with Shiqian-SangZhi in southeast and Zhenba-Xinshan in northeast platform-margin beach subfacies zone to be preferable targets for the favorable reservoir facies zone and

THE ANGLO-AUSTRALIAN PLANET SEARCH. XXI. A GAS-GIANT PLANET IN A ONE YEAR ORBIT AND THE HABITABILITY OF GAS-GIANT SATELLITES

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tinney, C. G.; Wittenmyer, Robert A.; Bailey, Jeremy A.; Horner, J.; Butler, R. Paul; Jones, Hugh R. A.; O'Toole, Simon J.; Carter, Brad D.

2011-01-01

We have detected the Doppler signature of a gas-giant exoplanet orbiting the star HD 38283, in an eccentric orbit with a period of almost exactly one year (P = 363.2 ± 1.6 d, m sin i = 0.34 ± 0.02 M Jup , e = 0.41 ± 0.16). The detection of a planet with period very close to one year critically relied on year-round observation of this circumpolar star. Discovering a planet in a 1 AU orbit around a G dwarf star has prompted us to look more closely at the question of the habitability of the satellites of such planets. Regular satellites orbit all the giant planets in our solar system, suggesting that their formation is a natural by-product of the planet formation process. There is no reason for exomoon formation not to be similarly likely in exoplanetary systems. Moreover, our current understanding of that formation process does not preclude satellite formation in systems where gas giants undergo migration from their formation locations into the terrestrial planet habitable zone. Indeed, regular satellite formation and Type II migration are both linked to the clearing of a gap in the protoplanetary disk by a planet, and so may be inextricably linked. Migration would also multiply the chances of capturing both irregular satellites and Trojan companions sufficiently massive to be habitable. The habitability of such exomoons and exo-Trojans will critically depend on their mass, whether or not they host a magnetosphere, and (for the exomoon case) their orbital radius around the host exoplanet.

Hydrogeologic framework of fractured sedimentary rock, Newark Basin, New Jersey

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Lacombe, Pierre J.; Burton, William C.

2010-01-01

The hydrogeologic framework of fractured sedimentary bedrock at the former Naval Air Warfare Center (NAWC), Trenton, New Jersey, a trichloroethylene (TCE)-contaminated site in the Newark Basin, is developed using an understanding of the geologic history of the strata, gamma-ray logs, and rock cores. NAWC is the newest field research site established as part of the U.S. Geological Survey Toxic Substances Hydrology Program, Department of Defense (DoD) Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program, and DoD Environmental Security Technology Certification Program to investigate contaminant remediation in fractured rock. Sedimentary bedrock at the NAWC research site comprises the Skunk Hollow, Byram, and Ewing Creek Members of the Lockatong Formation and Raven Rock Member of the Stockton Formation. Muds of the Lockatong Formation that were deposited in Van Houten cycles during the Triassic have lithified to form the bedrock that is typical of much of the Newark Basin. Four lithotypes formed from the sediments include black, carbon-rich laminated mudstone, dark-gray laminated mudstone, light-gray massive mudstone, and red massive mudstone. Diagenesis, tectonic compression, off-loading, and weathering have altered the rocks to give some strata greater hydraulic conductivity than other strata. Each stratum in the Lockatong Formation is 0.3 to 8 m thick, strikes N65 degrees E, and dips 25 degrees to 70 degrees NW. The black, carbon-rich laminated mudstone tends to fracture easily, has a relatively high hydraulic conductivity and is associated with high natural gamma-ray count rates. The dark-gray laminated mudstone is less fractured and has a lower hydraulic conductivity than the black carbon-rich laminated mudstone. The light-gray and the red massive mudstones are highly indurated and tend to have the least fractures and a low hydraulic conductivity. The differences in gamma-ray count rates for different mudstones allow gamma-ray logs to be used to correlate and

Influence of variable rates of neritic carbonate deposition on atmospheric carbon dioxide and pelagic sediments

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Walker, J. C.; Opdyke, B. C.

1995-01-01

Short-term imbalances in the global cycle of shallow water calcium carbonate deposition and dissolution may be responsible for much of the observed Pleistocene change in atmospheric carbon dioxide content. However, any proposed changes in the alkalinity balance of the ocean must be reconciled with the sedimentary record of deep-sea carbonates. The possible magnitude of the effect of shallow water carbonate deposition on the dissolution of pelagic carbonate can be tested using numerical simulations of the global carbon cycle. Boundary conditions can be defined by using extant shallow water carbonate accumulation data and pelagic carbonate deposition/dissolution data. On timescales of thousands of years carbonate deposition versus dissolution is rarely out of equilibrium by more than 1.5 x 10(13) mole yr-1. Results indicate that the carbonate chemistry of the ocean is rarely at equilibrium on timescales less than 10 ka. This disequilibrium is probably due to sea level-induced changes in shallow water calcium carbonate deposition/dissolution, an interpretation that does not conflict with pelagic sedimentary data from the central Pacific.

A Student's Guide to Giant Viruses Infecting Small Eukaryotes: From Acanthamoeba to Zooxanthellae.

Science.gov (United States)

Wilhelm, Steven W; Bird, Jordan T; Bonifer, Kyle S; Calfee, Benjamin C; Chen, Tian; Coy, Samantha R; Gainer, P Jackson; Gann, Eric R; Heatherly, Huston T; Lee, Jasper; Liang, Xiaolong; Liu, Jiang; Armes, April C; Moniruzzaman, Mohammad; Rice, J Hunter; Stough, Joshua M A; Tams, Robert N; Williams, Evan P; LeCleir, Gary R

2017-03-17

The discovery of infectious particles that challenge conventional thoughts concerning "what is a virus" has led to the evolution a new field of study in the past decade. Here, we review knowledge and information concerning "giant viruses", with a focus not only on some of the best studied systems, but also provide an effort to illuminate systems yet to be better resolved. We conclude by demonstrating that there is an abundance of new host-virus systems that fall into this "giant" category, demonstrating that this field of inquiry presents great opportunities for future research.

Sedimentary organic matter variations in the Chukchi Borderland over the last 155 kyr

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Rella, S. F.; Uchida, M.

2011-03-01

Knowledge on past variability of sedimentary organic carbon in the Arctic Ocean is important to assess natural carbon cycling and transport processes related to global climate changes. However, the late Pleistocene oceanographic history of the Arctic is still poorly understood. In the present study we show sedimentary records of total organic carbon (TOC), C/N and CaCO3 from a piston core recovered from the northern Northwind Ridge in the far western Arctic Ocean, a region potentially sensitively responding to past variability in surface current regimes and sedimentary processes such as coastal erosion. An age model based on correlation of our CaCO3 record with the benthic δ18O stack, supplemented by lithological constraints, suggests that the piston core records paleoenvironmental changes of the last 155 kyr. According to this age model, TOC and C/N show orbital-scale increases and decreases that can be respectively correlated to the waxing and waning of large ice sheets dominating the Eurasian Arctic, suggesting advection of fine suspended matter derived from glacial erosion to the Northwind Ridge by eastward flowing intermediate water and/or surface water and sea ice during cold episodes of the last two glacial-interglacial cycles. At millennial scales, increases in TOC and C/N appear to correlate to a suite of Dansgaard-Oeschger Stadials between 120 and 40 ka before present (BP) and thus seem to respond to abrupt northern hemispheric temperature changes. Between 65 and 40 ka BP, closures and openings of the Bering Strait could have additionally influenced TOC and C/N variability. CaCO3 content tends to anti-correlate with TOC and C/N on both orbital and millennial time scales, which we interpret as enhanced sediment advection from the carbonate-rich Canadian Arctic via an extended Beaufort Gyre during warm periods of the last two glacial-interglacial cycles and increased terrestrial organic carbon advection from the Siberian Arctic during cold periods when the

Field-Free Nucleation of Antivortices and Giant Vortices in Nonsuperconducting Materials

Science.gov (United States)

Amundsen, Morten; Ouassou, Jabir Ali; Linder, Jacob

2018-05-01

Giant vortices with higher phase winding than 2 π are usually energetically unfavorable, but geometric symmetry constraints on a superconductor in a magnetic field are known to stabilize such objects. Here, we show via microscopic calculations that giant vortices can appear in intrinsically nonsuperconducting materials, even without any applied magnetic field. The enabling mechanism is the proximity effect to a host superconductor where a current flows, and we also demonstrate that antivortices can appear in this setup. Our results open the possibility to study electrically controllable topological defects in unusual environments, which do not have to be exposed to magnetic fields or intrinsically superconducting, but instead display other types of order.

DEEP MIXING IN EVOLVED STARS. II. INTERPRETING Li ABUNDANCES IN RED GIANT BRANCH AND ASYMPTOTIC GIANT BRANCH STARS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Palmerini, S.; Busso, M.; Maiorca, E.; Cristallo, S.; Abia, C.; Uttenthaler, S.; Gialanella, L.

2011-01-01

We reanalyze the problem of Li abundances in red giants of nearly solar metallicity. After outlining the problems affecting our knowledge of the Li content in low-mass stars (M ≤ 3 M sun ), we discuss deep-mixing models for the red giant branch stages suitable to account for the observed trends and for the correlated variations of the carbon isotope ratio; we find that Li destruction in these phases is limited to masses below about 2.3 M sun . Subsequently, we concentrate on the final stages of evolution for both O-rich and C-rich asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars. Here, the constraints on extra-mixing phenomena previously derived from heavier nuclei (from C to Al), coupled to recent updates in stellar structure models (including both the input physics and the set of reaction rates used), are suitable to account for the observations of Li abundances below A(Li) ≡ log ε(Li) ≅ 1.5 (and sometimes more). Also, their relations with other nucleosynthesis signatures of AGB phases (like the abundance of F, and the C/O and 12 C/ 13 C ratios) can be explained. This requires generally moderate efficiencies (M-dot -6 M sun yr -1 ) for non-convective mass transport. At such rates, slow extra mixing does not remarkably modify Li abundances in early AGB phases; on the other hand, faster mixing encounters a physical limit in destroying Li, set by the mixing velocity. Beyond this limit, Li starts to be produced; therefore, its destruction on the AGB is modest. Li is then significantly produced by the third dredge up. We also show that effective circulation episodes, while not destroying Li, would easily bring the 12 C/ 13 C ratios to equilibrium, contrary to the evidence in most AGB stars, and would burn F beyond the limits shown by C(N) giants. Hence, we do not confirm the common idea that efficient extra mixing drastically reduces the Li content of C stars with respect to K-M giants. This misleading appearance is induced by biases in the data, namely: (1) the difficulty

A novel polyomavirus from the nasal cavity of a giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca).

Science.gov (United States)

Qi, Dunwu; Shan, Tongling; Liu, Zhijian; Deng, Xutao; Zhang, Zhihe; Bi, Wenlei; Owens, Jacob Robert; Feng, Feifei; Zheng, Lisong; Huang, Feng; Delwart, Eric; Hou, Rong; Zhang, Wen

2017-10-27

Polyomaviruses infect a wide variety of mammalian and avian hosts with a broad spectrum of outcomes including asymptomatic infection, acute systemic disease, and tumor induction. Viral metagenomics and general PCR methods were used to detected viral nucleic acid in the samples from a diseased and healthy giant pandas. A novel polyomavirus, the giant panda polyomavirus 1 (GPPyV1) from the nasal cavity of a dead giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) was characterized. The GPPyV1 genome is 5144 bp in size and reveals five putative open-reading frames coding for the classic small and large T antigens in the early region, and the VP1, VP2 and VP3 capsid proteins in the late region. Phylogenetic analyses of the large T antigen of the GPPyV1 indicated GPPyV1 belonged to a putative new species within genus Deltapolyomavirus, clustering with four human polyomavirus species. The GPPyV1 VP1 and VP2 clustered with genus Alphapolyomavirus. Our epidemiologic study indicated that this novel polyomavirus was also detected in nasal swabs and fecal samples collected from captive healthy giant pandas. A novel polyomavirus was detected in giant pandas and its complete genome was characterized, which may cause latency infection in giant pandas.

Mass loss by stars at the stage of the asymptotic giant branch

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Frantsman, Y.L.

1986-01-01

For a given initial stellar mass function, star formation function, and initial chemical composition, distributions have been constructed for stars of the asymptotic giant branch by luminosity, and for white dwarfs by mass, by calculating the approximate evolution of a large number of stars. Variants are calculated with different assumptions about the mass loss in the asymptotic branch. Theory can be reconciled with observation only if it is assumed that at this stage there is also a still large mass loss in addition to the stellar wind and the ejection of a planetary nebula shell. This provides the explanation for the absence in the Magellanic clouds of carbon stars with M /sub bol/ 1.0M /sub ./. The degenerate carbon-oxygen nuclei of stars evolving along the asymptotic giant branch cannot attain the Chandrasekhar limit on account of the great mass loss by the stars. The luminosity of stars of the asymptotic giant branch in the globular clusters of the Magellanic Clouds is a good indicator of the age of the clusters

The making of giant pumpkins: how selective breeding changed the phloem of Cucurbita maxima from source to sink.

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Savage, Jessica A; Haines, Dustin F; Holbrook, N Michele

2015-08-01

Despite the success of breeding programmes focused on increasing fruit size, relatively little is known about the anatomical and physiological changes required to increase reproductive allocation. To address this gap in knowledge, we compared fruit/ovary anatomy, vascular structure and phloem transport of two varieties of giant pumpkins, and their smaller fruited progenitor under controlled environmental conditions. We also modelled carbon transport into the fruit of competitively grown plants using data collected in the field. There was no evidence that changes in leaf area or photosynthetic capacity impacted fruit size. Instead, giant varieties differed in their ovary morphology and contained more phloem on a cross-sectional area basis in their petioles and pedicels than the ancestral variety. These results suggest that sink activity is important in determining fruit size and that giant pumpkins have an enhanced capacity to transport carbon. The strong connection observed between carbon fixation, phloem structure and fruit growth in field-grown plants indicates that breeding for large fruit has led to changes throughout the carbon transport system that could have important implications for how we think about phloem transport velocity and carbon allocation. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Highly Shocked Low Density Sedimentary Rocks from the Haughton Impact Structure, Devon Island, Nunavut, Canada

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Osinski, G. R.; Spray, J. G.

2001-01-01

We present the preliminary results of a detailed investigation of the shock effects in highly shocked, low density sedimentary rocks from the Haughton impact structure. We suggest that some textural features can be explained by carbonate-silicate immiscibility. Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.

Neoproterozoic-Early Paleozoic Peri-Pacific Accretionary Evolution of the Mongolian Collage System: Insights From Geochemical and U-Pb Zircon Data From the Ordovician Sedimentary Wedge in the Mongolian Altai

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Y. D.; Schulmann, K.; Kröner, A.; Sun, M.; Lexa, O.; Janoušek, V.; Buriánek, D.; Yuan, C.; Hanžl, P.

2017-11-01

Neoproterozoic to early Paleozoic accretionary processes of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt have been evaluated so far mainly using the geology of ophiolites and/or magmatic arcs. Thus, the knowledge of the nature and evolution of associated sedimentary prisms remains fragmentary. We carried out an integrated geological, geochemical, and zircon U-Pb geochronological study on a giant Ordovician metasedimentary succession of the Mongolian Altai Mountains. This succession is characterized by dominant terrigenous components mixed with volcanogenic material. It is chemically immature, compositionally analogous to graywacke, and marked by significant input of felsic to intermediate arc components, pointing to an active continental margin depositional setting. Detrital zircon U-Pb ages suggest a source dominated by products of early Paleozoic magmatism prevailing during the Cambrian-Ordovician and culminating at circa 500 Ma. We propose that the Ordovician succession forms an "Altai sedimentary wedge," the evolution of which can be linked to the geodynamics of the margins of the Mongolian Precambrian Zavhan-Baydrag blocks. This involved subduction reversal from southward subduction of a passive continental margin (Early Cambrian) to the development of the "Ikh-Mongol Magmatic Arc System" and the giant Altai sedimentary wedge above a north dipping subduction zone (Late Cambrian-Ordovician). Such a dynamic process resembles the tectonic evolution of the peri-Pacific accretionary Terra Australis Orogen. A new model reconciling the Baikalian metamorphic belt along the southern Siberian Craton with peri-Pacific Altai accretionary systems fringing the Mongolian microcontinents is proposed to explain the Cambro-Ordovician geodynamic evolution of the Mongolian collage system.

Compound- and position-specific carbon isotopic signatures of abiogenic hydrocarbons from on-land serpentinite-hosted Hakuba Happo hot spring in Japan

Science.gov (United States)

Suda, Konomi; Gilbert, Alexis; Yamada, Keita; Yoshida, Naohiro; Ueno, Yuichiro

2017-06-01

It has been proposed that serpentinite-hosted hydrothermal/hot spring systems played a significant role in the origin and early evolution of life on early Earth because abiogenic synthesis of organic compounds may accompany serpentinization. However, production mechanisms for apparently abiogenic hydrocarbons that have been observed in the ongoing serpentinizing systems are still poorly constrained. We report a new geochemical study of hydrocarbons in an on-land serpentinite-hosted hot spring in Hakuba Happo, Japan. We have conducted both compound-specific and position-specific carbon isotopic analyses of the observed C1 to C5 hydrocarbons. A positive linear relationship between the δ13C values and the inverse carbon number is found in C1 to C5 straight-chain alkanes in the Happo sample. This isotopic trend is consistent with a simple polymerization model developed in this study. Our model assumes that, for any particular alkane, all of the subsequently added carbons have the same isotopic composition, and those are depleted in 13C with respect to the first carbon in the growing carbon chain. The fit of this model suggests that Happo alkanes can be produced via polymerization from methane with a constant kinetic isotopic fractionation of -8.9 ± 1.0‰. A similar carbon isotopic relationship among alkanes has been observed in some serpentinite-hosted seafloor hydrothermal systems, indicating that the same process is responsible for the abiological hydrocarbon in general serpentinization fields, not only in the Hakuba Happo hot spring. Moreover, our model is also applicable to other potentially abiogenic natural gases and experimentally synthesized hydrocarbon products. For the first time, the intramolecular 13C composition of propane from a natural sample derived from a serpentinite-hosted system was determined. The intramolecular 13C distribution in propane shows the important potential to identify different polymerization mechanisms that cannot be discriminated

Sedimentary environments and stratigraphy of the carbonate-silicilastic deposits of the Shirgesht Formation: implications for eustasy and local tectonism in the Kalmard Block, Central Iran

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

reza Mousavi-Harami

2015-09-01

Full Text Available   Introduction   Sedimentological and sequence stratigraphic analysis providing insight into the main relationships between sequence architecture and stacking pattern, syn/post-depositional tectonics, and eustatic sea-level fluctuations (Gawthorpe and Leeder 2000 Zecchin et al. 2003, 2004 Carpentier et al. 2007. Relative variations in sea level are due to tectonic activity and eustasy. The Shirgesht Formation in the Kalmard Block of Central Iran provides a useful case study for to determine the processes responsible on internal architecture and stacking pattern of depositional sequences in a half-graben basin. In the Shirgesht Formation, siliciclastic and carbonate successions of the Kalmard Basin, the cyclic stratigraphic record is the result of the complex interaction of regional uplift, eustasy, local tectonics, sediment supply, and sedimentary processes (Bayet-Goll 2009, 2014 Hosseini-Barzi and Bayet-Goll 2009.     Material & Methods   Lower Paleozoic successions in Tabas and Kalmard blocks from Central Iran share the faunal and floral characteristics with other Gondwana sectors such as south-western Europe and north Africa–Middle East (Ghaderi et al. 2009. The geology of these areas was outlined by Ruttner et al. (1968 and by Bruton et al. (2004. The Cambrian-Middle Triassic strata in the Kalmard Block were deposited in a shallow water platform that possesses lithologic dissimilarities with the Tabas area (Aghanabati 2004. The occurrence of two active faults indicates clearly that Kalmard basin formed a mobile zone throughout the Paleozoic so that lithostratigraphic units show considerably contrasting facies in comparison with Tabas basin (Hosseini-Barzi and Bayet-Goll 2009 Bayet-Goll 2014 . The Shirgesht Formation in the Block Kalmard is mainly composed of carbonate-siliciclastic successions that disconformability overlain Kalmard Formation (attributed to Pre-Cambrian and is underlain by Gachal (Carboniferous or

Sedimentary environments and stratigraphy of the carbonate-silicilastic deposits of the Shirgesht Formation: implications for eustasy and local tectonism in the Kalmard Block, Central Iran

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

aram bayetgoll

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Introduction   Sedimentological and sequence stratigraphic analysis providing insight into the main relationships between sequence architecture and stacking pattern, syn/post-depositional tectonics, and eustatic sea-level fluctuations (Gawthorpe and Leeder 2000; Zecchin et al. 2003, 2004; Carpentier et al. 2007. Relative variations in sea level are due to tectonic activity and eustasy. The Shirgesht Formation in the Kalmard Block of Central Iran provides a useful case study for to determine the processes responsible on internal architecture and stacking pattern of depositional sequences in a half-graben basin. In the Shirgesht Formation, siliciclastic and carbonate successions of the Kalmard Basin, the cyclic stratigraphic record is the result of the complex interaction of regional uplift, eustasy, local tectonics, sediment supply, and sedimentary processes (Bayet-Goll 2009, 2014; Hosseini-Barzi and Bayet-Goll 2009.     Material & Methods   Lower Paleozoic successions in Tabas and Kalmard blocks from Central Iran share the faunal and floral characteristics with other Gondwana sectors such as south-western Europe and north Africa–Middle East (Ghaderi et al. 2009. The geology of these areas was outlined by Ruttner et al. (1968 and by Bruton et al. (2004. The Cambrian-Middle Triassic strata in the Kalmard Block were deposited in a shallow water platform that possesses lithologic dissimilarities with the Tabas area (Aghanabati 2004. The occurrence of two active faults indicates clearly that Kalmard basin formed a mobile zone throughout the Paleozoic so that lithostratigraphic units show considerably contrasting facies in comparison with Tabas basin (Hosseini-Barzi and Bayet-Goll 2009; Bayet-Goll 2014 . The Shirgesht Formation in the Block Kalmard is mainly composed of carbonate-siliciclastic successions that disconformability overlain Kalmard Formation (attributed to Pre-Cambrian and is underlain by Gachal (Carboniferous or Rahdar (Devonian

Ferroan dolomite cement in Cambrian sandstones: burial history and hydrocarbon generation of the Baltic sedimentary basin

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sliaupa, S.; Cyziene, J.; Molenaar, Nicolaas

2008-01-01

The conditions and timing of carbonate cementation in Cambrian sandstones of the Baltic sedimentary basin were determined by oxygen and carbon stable isotope and chemical data in combination with optical and cathodoluminescence petrographic studies. Studied samples represent a range in present...... burial depth from 340 to 2150 m. The carbonate cement is dominantly ferroan dolomite that occurs as dispersed patches of poikilotopic crystals. Temperatures of dolomite precipitation, based on delta O-18 values, range from 27 degrees C in the shallow buried to 95 degrees C in the deep buried sandstones...

Land to ocean transfer of erosion-related organic carbon, Waipaoa sedimentary system, East Coast, New Zealand

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brackley, H.L.

2006-01-01

Mountainous islands of the Pacific Rim (such as New Zealand) purportedly deliver up to 40% of the suspended sediment load and up to 35% of the riverine particulate organic carbon (POC) load to the world's oceans. On the east coast of New Zealand's North Island, the Waipaoa River drains a steep, 2205 km 2 catchment located on the active collisional East Coast Continental Margin. It has an annual suspended sediment load of 15 Tg (15 x 10 1 2 g), making up ∼ 7% of New Zealand's total yield to the Pacific Ocean, and a mean annual POC discharge to the Pacific Ocean of 86.7 Gg (86.7 x 10 9 g). The annual loss of OC to the floodplain is ∼ 9% of this annual POC discharge (∼ 7.8 Gg). A range of analyses (including organic carbon content (%OC), stable carbon isotopes (δ 1 3C), radiocarbon ( 1 4C), carbon to nitrogen ratios (C/N)a and carbon loadings (OC:SA)) were performed on correlative sediments from a transect of 7 cores from depositional sites located on the Waipaoa River floodplain and adjacent continental shelf and slope. Results were used to determine biogeochemical characteristics of organic carbon (OC) at a range of depositional sites during its transfer from terrestrial source to marine sink, and how large floods impact OC transfer to the marine environment. The high temporal variability in OC content (0.2 to 3.5%) and different source signatures (δ 1 3C of -26.7 to -20.6 permille) of Waipaoa River floodplain deposits prevented the establishment of a clear benchmark signature for flood deposits that may be recognisable in the marine sedimentary record. The high spatial and temporal variability of floodplain sediment OC, combined with the areal extent of floodplains within the catchment, indicates the appreciable modulating effect the floodplain has on OC transfers to the ocean. Since extensive stopbanks were constructed on the main floodplain since the 1940's, sequestration of OC in floodplain sediments has reduced by about half, increasing the overall

Sources and distribution of sedimentary organic matter along the Andong salt marsh, Hangzhou Bay

Science.gov (United States)

Yuan, Hong-Wei; Chen, Jian-Fang; Ye, Ying; Lou, Zhang-Hua; Jin, Ai-Min; Chen, Xue-Gang; Jiang, Zong-Pei; Lin, Yu-Shih; Chen, Chen-Tung Arthur; Loh, Pei Sun

2017-10-01

Lignin oxidation products, δ13C values, C/N ratios and particle size were used to investigate the sources, distribution and chemical stability of sedimentary organic matter (OM) along the Andong salt marsh located in the southwestern end of Hangzhou Bay, China. Terrestrial OM was highest at the upper marshes and decreased closer to the sea, and the distribution of sedimentary total organic carbon (TOC) was influenced mostly by particle size. Terrestrial OM with a C3 signature was the predominant source of sedimentary OM in the Spartina alterniflora-dominated salt marsh system. This means that aside from contributions from the local marsh plants, the Andong salt marsh received input mostly from the Qiantang River and the Changjiang Estuary. Transect C, which was situated nearer to the Qiantang River mouth, was most likely influenced by input from the Qiantang River. Likewise, a nearby creek could be transporting materials from Hangzhou Bay into Transect A (farther east than Transect C), as Transect A showed a signal resembling that of the Changjiang Estuary. The predominance of terrestrial OM in the Andong salt marsh despite overall reductions in sedimentary and terrestrial OM input from the rivers is most likely due to increased contributions of sedimentary and terrestrial OM from erosion. This study shows that lower salt marsh accretion due to the presence of reservoirs upstream may be counterbalanced by increased erosion from the surrounding coastal areas.

Heterogeneous arsenic enrichment in meta-sedimentary rocks in central Maine, United States

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

O' Shea, Beth, E-mail: bethoshea@sandiego.edu [Department of Marine Science and Environmental Studies, University of San Diego, 5998 Alcala Park, San Diego, CA 92110 (United States); Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, 61 Route 9W, Palisades, NY 10964 (United States); Stransky, Megan; Leitheiser, Sara [Department of Marine Science and Environmental Studies, University of San Diego, 5998 Alcala Park, San Diego, CA 92110 (United States); Brock, Patrick [School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Queens College, City University of New York, 65-30 Kissena Blvd., Flushing, NY 11367 (United States); Marvinney, Robert G. [Maine Geological Survey, 93 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333 (United States); Zheng, Yan [School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Queens College, City University of New York, 65-30 Kissena Blvd., Flushing, NY 11367 (United States); Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, 61 Route 9W, Palisades, NY 10964 (United States)

2015-02-01

Arsenic is enriched up to 28 times the average crustal abundance of 4.8 mg kg{sup −1} for meta-sedimentary rocks of two adjacent formations in central Maine, USA where groundwater in the bedrock aquifer frequently contains elevated As levels. The Waterville Formation contains higher arsenic concentrations (mean As 32.9 mg kg{sup −1}, median 12.1 mg kg{sup −1}, n = 38) than the neighboring Vassalboro Group (mean As 19.1 mg kg{sup −1}, median 6.0 mg kg{sup −1}, n = 38). The Waterville Formation is a pelitic meta-sedimentary unit with abundant pyrite either visible or observed by scanning electron microprobe. Concentrations of As and S are strongly correlated (r = 0.88, p < 0.05) in the low grade phyllite rocks, and arsenic is detected up to 1944 mg kg{sup −1} in pyrite measured by electron microprobe. In contrast, statistically significant (p < 0.05) correlations between concentrations of As and S are absent in the calcareous meta-sediments of the Vassalboro Group, consistent with the absence of arsenic-rich pyrite in the protolith. Metamorphism converts the arsenic-rich pyrite to arsenic-poor pyrrhotite (mean As 1 mg kg{sup −1}, n = 15) during de-sulfidation reactions: the resulting metamorphic rocks contain arsenic but little or no sulfur indicating that the arsenic is now in new mineral hosts. Secondary weathering products such as iron oxides may host As, yet the geochemical methods employed (oxidative and reductive leaching) do not conclusively indicate that arsenic is associated only with these. Instead, silicate minerals such as biotite and garnet are present in metamorphic zones where arsenic is enriched (up to 130.8 mg kg{sup −1} As) where S is 0%. Redistribution of already variable As in the protolith during metamorphism and contemporary water–rock interaction in the aquifers, all combine to contribute to a spatially heterogeneous groundwater arsenic distribution in bedrock aquifers. - Highlights: • Arsenic is enriched up to 138 mg kg

Geochemistry of shale and sedimentary pyrite as a proxy for gold fertility in the Selwyn basin area, Yukon

Science.gov (United States)

Sack, Patrick J.; Large, Ross R.; Gregory, Daniel D.

2018-01-01

Selwyn basin area strata contain sedimentary pyrite with Au above background levels when analyzed by laser ablation-inductively coupled mass spectrometry. Hyland Group rocks contain framboidal pyrite contents of 670 ppb Au, 1223 ppm As, and 5.3 ppm Te; the mean of all types of sedimentary pyrite in the Hyland Group is 391 ppb Au, 1489 ppm As, and 3.8 ppm Te. These levels are similar to sedimentary pyrite in host lithologies from major orogenic gold districts in New Zealand and Australia. Comparison of whole rock and pyrite data show that rocks deposited in continental slope settings with significant terrigenous input contain pyrite that is consistently enriched in Au, As, Te, Co, and Cu. Although data are limited, whole rock samples of stratigraphic units containing Au-rich pyrite also contain high Au, indicating that most of the Au is within sedimentary pyrite. Based on geologic characteristics and comparison of pyrite chemistry data with whole rock chemistry, Selwyn basin area strata have the necessary ingredients to form orogenic gold deposits: Au-enriched source rocks, metamorphic conditions permissive of forming a metamorphic ore fluid, and abundant structural preparation for channeling fluids and depositing ore.

The Efficacy and Potential of Renewable Energy from Carbon Dioxide that is Sequestered in Sedimentary Basin Geothermal Resources

Science.gov (United States)

Bielicki, J. M.; Adams, B. M.; Choi, H.; Saar, M. O.; Taff, S. J.; Jamiyansuren, B.; Buscheck, T. A.; Ogland-Hand, J.

2015-12-01

Mitigating climate change requires increasing the amount of electricity that is generated from renewable energy technologies and while simultaneously reducing the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) that is emitted to the atmosphere from present energy and industrial facilities. We investigated the efficacy of generating electricity using renewable geothermal heat that is extracted by CO2 that is sequestered in sedimentary basins. To determine the efficacy of CO2-Geothermal power production in the United States, we conducted a geospatial resource assessment of the combination of subsurface CO2 storage capacity and heat flow in sedimentary basins and developed an integrated systems model that combines reservoir modeling with power plant modeling and economic costs. The geospatial resource assessment estimates the potential resource base for CO2-Geothermal power plants, and the integrated systems model estimates the physical (e.g., net power) and economic (e.g., levelized cost of electricity, capital cost) performance of an individual CO2-Geothermal power plant for a range of reservoir characteristics (permeability, depth, geothermal temperature gradient). Using coupled inverted five-spot injection patterns that are common in CO2-enhanced oil recovery operations, we determined the well pattern size that best leveraged physical and economic economies of scale for the integrated system. Our results indicate that CO2-Geothermal plants can be cost-effectively deployed in a much larger region of the United States than typical approaches to geothermal electricity production. These cost-effective CO2-Geothermal electricity facilities can also be capacity-competitive with many existing baseload and renewable energy technologies over a range of reservoir parameters. For example, our results suggest that, given the right combination of reservoir parameters, LCOEs can be as low as $25/MWh and capacities can be as high as a few hundred MW.

A process-sedimentary framework for characterizing recent and ancient sabkhas

Science.gov (United States)

Handford, C.R.

1981-01-01

The discovery of sabkha environments during the 1960's, marked the beginning of Recent evaporite sedimentological studies and their perception as models for facies analysis. However, variation among Recent sabkhas, though recognized by the geologic community, has not been duly addressed, which has resulted in overuse of the Trucial Coast model in comparative sedimentological studies. Knowledge of the dominant physical processes which determine sabkha morphology, and of the sedimentary response to those processes, can lead to a fundamental understanding of a sabkha's origin and of how it differs from other sabkhas. Physical processes thought to be most important (besides evaporation) include those operative under: (1) marine-; (2) fluvial-lacustrine-; and (3) eolian-dominated conditions. Dominance of one or more of these in the proper settings give rise to marine coastal sabkhas, continental playas, and interdune sabkhas. Sedimentary responses to dominant physical processes lead to the development of sabkhas consisting of a combination of either: (1) terrigenous clastics; (2) carbonate-sulfate (anhydrite-gypsum) minerals; or (3) soluble salts (halite, sylvite, polyhalite, etc.). Sediment characterization can also allow discrimination of the range or compositional variety in, for example, coastal sabkhas. Where applied to the stratigraphic record, this classification system may help unravel the sedimentary history of an ancient sabkha system, and a determination of the dominant physical processes that ruled its development. ?? 1981.

Mercury isotope constraints on the source for sediment-hosted lead-zinc deposits in the Changdu area, southwestern China

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Chunxia; Yin, Runsheng; Peng, Jiantang; Hurley, James P.; Lepak, Ryan F.; Gao, Jianfeng; Feng, Xinbin; Hu, Ruizhong; Bi, Xianwu

2018-03-01

The Lanuoma and Cuona sediment-hosted Pb-Zn deposits hosted by Upper Triassic limestone and sandstone, respectively, are located in the Changdu area, SW China. Mercury concentrations and Hg isotopic compositions from sulfide minerals and potential source rocks (e.g., the host sedimentary rocks and the metamorphic basement) were investigated to constrain metal sources and mineralization processes. In both deposits, sulfide minerals have higher mercury (Hg) concentrations (0.35 to 1185 ppm) than the metamorphic basement rocks (0.05 to 0.15 ppm) and sedimentary rocks (0.02 to 0.08 ppm). Large variations of mass-dependent fractionation (3.3‰ in δ202Hg) and mass-independent fractionation (0.3‰ in Δ199Hg) of Hg isotopes were observed. Sulfide minerals have Hg isotope signatures that are similar to the hydrothermal altered rocks around the deposit, and similar to the metamorphic basement, but different from barren sedimentary rocks. The variation of Δ199Hg suggests that Hg in sulfides was mainly derived from the underlying metamorphic basement. Mercury isotopes could be a geochemical tracer in understanding metal sources in hydrothermal ore deposits.

Mutual Dependence Between Sedimentary Organic Carbon and Infaunal Macrobenthos Resolved by Mechanistic Modeling

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Wenyan; Wirtz, Kai

2017-10-01

The mutual dependence between sedimentary total organic carbon (TOC) and infaunal macrobenthos is here quantified by a mechanistic model. The model describes (i) the vertical distribution of infaunal macrobenthic biomass resulting from a trade-off between nutritional benefit (quantity and quality of TOC) and the costs of burial (respiration) and mortality, and (ii) the variable vertical distribution of TOC being in turn shaped by bioturbation of local macrobenthos. In contrast to conventional approaches, our model emphasizes variations of bioturbation both spatially and temporally depending on local food resources and macrobenthic biomass. Our implementation of the dynamic interaction between TOC and infaunal macrobenthos is able to capture a temporal benthic response to both depositional and erosional environments and provides improved estimates of the material exchange flux at the sediment-water interface. Applications to literature data for the North Sea demonstrate the robustness and accuracy of the model and its potential as an analysis tool for the status of TOC and macrobenthos in marine sediments. Results indicate that the vertical distribution of infaunal biomass is shaped by both the quantity and the quality of OC, while the community structure is determined only by the quality of OC. Bioturbation intensity may differ by 1 order of magnitude over different seasons owing to variations in the OC input, resulting in a significant modulation on the distribution of OC. Our relatively simple implementation may further improve models of early diagenesis and marine food web dynamics by mechanistically connecting the vertical distribution of both TOC and macrobenthic biomass.

Fungal-host diversity among mycoheterotrophic plants increases proportionally to their fungal-host overlap.

Science.gov (United States)

Gomes, Sofia I F; Merckx, Vincent S F T; Saavedra, Serguei

2017-05-01

The vast majority of plants obtain an important proportion of vital resources from soil through mycorrhizal fungi. Generally, this happens in exchange of photosynthetically fixed carbon, but occasionally the interaction is mycoheterotrophic, and plants obtain carbon from mycorrhizal fungi. This process results in an antagonistic interaction between mycoheterotrophic plants and their fungal hosts. Importantly, the fungal-host diversity available for plants is restricted as mycoheterotrophic interactions often involve narrow lineages of fungal hosts. Unfortunately, little is known whether fungal-host diversity may be additionally modulated by plant-plant interactions through shared hosts. Yet, this may have important implications for plant competition and coexistence. Here, we use DNA sequencing data to investigate the interaction patterns between mycoheterotrophic plants and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. We find no phylogenetic signal on the number of fungal hosts nor on the fungal hosts shared among mycoheterotrophic plants. However, we observe a potential trend toward increased phylogenetic diversity of fungal hosts among mycoheterotrophic plants with increasing overlap in their fungal hosts. While these patterns remain for groups of plants regardless of location, we do find higher levels of overlap and diversity among plants from the same location. These findings suggest that species coexistence cannot be fully understood without attention to the two sides of ecological interactions.

Expression of a symbiosis-specific gene in Symbiodinium type A1 associated with coral, nudibranch and giant clam larvae

KAUST Repository

Mies, M.

2017-05-24

Symbiodinium are responsible for the majority of primary production in coral reefs and found in a mutualistic symbiosis with multiple animal phyla. However, little is known about the molecular signals involved in the establishment of this symbiosis and whether it initiates during host larval development. To address this question, we monitored the expression of a putative symbiosis-specific gene (H+-ATPase) in Symbiodinium A1 ex hospite and in association with larvae of a scleractinian coral (Mussismilia hispida), a nudibranch (Berghia stephanieae) and a giant clam (Tridacna crocea). We acquired broodstock for each host, induced spawning and cultured the larvae. Symbiodinium cells were offered and larval samples taken for each host during the first 72 h after symbiont addition. In addition, control samples including free-living Symbiodinium and broodstock tissue containing symbionts for each host were collected. RNA extraction and RT-PCR were performed and amplified products cloned and sequenced. Our results show that H+-ATPase was expressed in Symbiodinium associated with coral and giant clam larvae, but not with nudibranch larvae, which digested the symbionts. Broodstock tissue for coral and giant clam also expressed H+-ATPase, but not the nudibranch tissue sample. Our results of the expression of H+-ATPase as a marker gene suggest that symbiosis between Symbiodinium and M. hispida and T. crocea is established during host larval development. Conversely, in the case of B. stephanieae larvae, evidence does not support a mutualistic relationship. Our study supports the utilization of H+-ATPase expression as a marker for assessing Symbiodinium-invertebrate relationships with applications for the differentiation of symbiotic and non-symbiotic associations. At the same time, insights from a single marker gene approach are limited and future studies should direct the identification of additional symbiosis-specific genes, ideally from both symbiont and host.

Giant grains

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leitch-Devlin, M.A.; Millar, T.J.; Williams, D.A.

1976-01-01

Infrared observations of the Orion nebula have been interpreted by Rowan-Robinson (1975) to imply the existence of 'giant' grains, radius approximately 10 -2 cm, throughout a volume about a parsec in diameter. Although Rowan-Robinson's model of the nebula has been criticized and the presence of such grains in Orion is disputed, the proposition is accepted, that they exist, and in this paper situations in which giant grains could arise are examined. It is found that, while a giant-grain component to the interstellar grain density may exist, it is difficult to understand how giant grains arise to the extent apparently required by the Orion nebula model. (Auth.)

Characteristics of depositional environment and evolution of Upper Cretaceous Mishrif Formation, Halfaya Oil field, Iraq based on sedimentary microfacies analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Zhong, Yuan; Zhou, Lu; Tan, Xiucheng; Guo, Rui; Zhao, Limin; Li, Fei; Jin, Zhimin; Chen, Yantao

2018-04-01

As one of the most important carbonate targets in the Middle East, Upper Cretaceous Mishrif Formation has been highlighted for a long time. Although consensus has been reached on the overall sedimentary background, disputes still exist in understanding the sedimentary environment changes among sub-regions due to relatively limited research, rare outcrop, and incomplete drilled core, which hinders the analysis on sedimentary environment and thus the horizontal and vertical correlation. In this study, taking the Halfaya Oil Field as an example, the sedimentary microfacies analysis method was introduced to comprehensively characterize the cored interval of Mishrif Formation, including Single Layers MC1-1 to MA2. A total of 11 sedimentary microfacies are identified through system identification of sedimentary microfacies and environmental analysis, with reference to the standard microfacies classification in the rimmed carbonate platform. Then three kinds of environments are identified through microfacies assemblage analysis, namely restricted platform, open platform, and platform margin. Systematic analyses indicate that the deposits are mainly developed in the open platform and platform margin. Meanwhile, rock-electricity interpretation model is established according to the electricity response to cored intervals, and is then employed to interpret the uncored intervals, which finally helps build the sedimentary evolution pattern through horizontal and vertical correlation. It is proposed that the Single Layers MC1-1 to MB2-3 were deposited in the open platform featured by low water level, including sub-environments of low-energy shoal within platform and inter-shoal sea; Single Layers MB2-2 to MB1-2B were deposited in the open platform and platform margin, including sub-environments of high-energy shoal on the platform margin, low-energy shoal within platform, inter-shoal sea, and open sea; and Single Layers MB1-2A to MA2 were again deposited in the open platform

Developing porous carbon with dihydrogen phosphate groups as sulfur host for high performance lithium sulfur batteries

Science.gov (United States)

Cui, Yanhui; Zhang, Qi; Wu, Junwei; Liang, Xiao; Baker, Andrew P.; Qu, Deyang; Zhang, Hui; Zhang, Huayu; Zhang, Xinhe

2018-02-01

Carbon matrix (CM) derived from biomass is low cost and easily mass produced, showing great potential as sulfur host for lithium sulfur batteries. In this paper we report on a dihydrogen phosphate modified CM (PCM-650) prepared from luffa sponge (luffa acutangula) by phosphoric acid treatment. The phosphoric acid not only increases the surface area of the PCM-650, but also introduces dihydrogen phosphate onto PCM-650 (2.28 at% P). Sulfur impregnated (63.6 wt%) PCM-650/S, in comparison with samples with less dihydrogen phosphate LPCM-650/S, shows a significant performance improvement. XPS analysis is conducted for sulfur at different stages, including sulfur (undischarged), polysulfides (discharge to 2.1 V) and short chain sulfides (discharge to 1.7 V). The results consistently show chemical shifts for S2p in PCM-650, suggesting an enhanced adsorption effect. Furthermore, density functional theory (DFT) calculations is used to clarify the molecular binding: carbon/sulfur (0.86 eV), carbon/Li2S (0.3 eV), CH3-O-PO3H2/sulfur (1.24 eV), and CH3-O-PO3H2/Li2S (1.81 eV). It shows that dihydrogen phosphate group can significantly enhance the binding with sulfur and sulfide, consistent with XPS results. Consequently a CM functionalised with dihydrogen phosphate shows great potential as the sulfur host in a Li-S battery.

Violet and visual flux problems in red giant stars

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Faulkner, D.R.

1989-01-01

Red giant stars are sites of many astrophysically interesting processes and are important links to late stages of stellar evolution and the chemical history of the galaxy. Much of what is known about stars comes from their spectra, which are formed in the outer layers (atmospheres). Unfortunately the low temperatures in red giant atmospheres promote the formation of many molecules, and the resultant complexity of the spectra has slowed progress in obtaining good models of these objects and leaves many unanswered questions. Several of these problems are investigated. Spectra of red giants provide a natural classification according to composition: M stars are oxygen rich, C stars are carbon rich, while S stars are intermediate. One long standing problem with C stars has been the explanation of the severe lack of energy flux in the violet and near ultraviolet part of their spectrum, generally attributed to an unusual opacity. Results show that one source, SiC, is untenable, while the case for the other, C3, is severely weakened. Synthetic spectra from atmospheric models are compared to spectra of TX Psc, a C star, to show that the contribution of thousands of atomic lines are probably responsible for the violet and ultraviolet flux deficiency. The agreement between the synthetic spectra and observations is very good. K and M type stars also have a violet flux deficiency, though it is less severe than with carbon stars

A giant oil seep at a salt-induced escarpment of the São Paulo Plateau, Espírito Santo Basin, off Brazil: Host rock characteristics and geochemistry

Science.gov (United States)

Freire, Antonio Fernando Menezes; Iemini, Juliana Andrade; Viana, Adriano Roessler; Magnavita, Luciano Portugal; Dehler, Nolan Maia; Kowsmann, Renato Oscar; Miller, Dennis James; Bezerra, Sabrina Helena Diniz Gilaberte; Zerfass, Geise de Santana dos Anjos; Shimabukuro, Seirin; Nóbrega, Marcos, II

2017-12-01

An international research cruise named Iatá-Piuna took place on the São Paulo Plateau on May 2013 in the Campos and Espírito Santo basins, off Brazil. The cruise was carried ou on board the research vessel (R/V) Yokosuka that hosts the human operated vehicle (HOV) SHINKAI 6500. It aimed at finding chemosynthetic communities, composed of organisms capable of generating their own vital energy by metabolizing organic and inorganic compounds related to seeps. Identification of these organisms could provide information for understanding the origin of life, since they may resemble primitive organisms that existed in the initial stages of life on Earth. During Leg 2 (May 10-24, 2013), however, dives on the northern part of the São Paulo Plateau at the Espírito Santo Basin led to the discovery of a giant oil seep. The seep, ca. 3 nautical miles (ca. 5.6 km) in length is located along an outcrop of Eocene rocks on a salt-induced escarpment of the plateau and at a water depth of ca. 2700 m. The 200 m relief of the seafloor suggests that the seep takes place along an active fault system driven by salt diapirism. The oil was analyzed and identified as a severely biodegraded marine oil, generated by carbonate rocks within a minibasin located to the east of the escarpment. This represents valuable exploratory information because it proves that an active petroleum system is present in the context of minibasins associated with salt diapirism in the area.

Sedimentary Petrology: from Sorby to the globalization of Sedimentary Geology; La Petrologia Sedimentaria: desde Sorby a la globalizacion de la Geologia Sedimentaria

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Alonso-Zarza, A M

2013-02-01

We describe here the most important milestones and contributions to Sedimentary Petrology compared to other geological disciplines. We define the main aim of our study and the scientific and economic interests involved in Sedimentary Petrology. The body of the paper focuses upon the historical development of this discipline from Henry Sorby's initial work until the present day. The major milestones in its history include: 1) initial descriptive works; 2) experimental studies; 3) the establishment of the different classifications of sedimentary rocks; 4) studies into facies and sedimentary environments; 5) advances in the study of diagenetic processes and their role in hydrocarbon prospection; and 6) the development of Sedimentary Geochemistry. Relationships and coincidences with Sedimentology are discussed. We go on to look at the advances that have taken place over the last 30 years, in which the study of sedimentary rocks is necessarily included in the wider field of Sedimentary Geology as a logical result of the proposal of global models of a changing Earth in which Sedimentary Geology plays a significant part. Finally we mention the notable contributions of Spanish sedimentary petrologists to this whole field of science. (Author) 120 refs.

Sedimentary Petrology: from Sorby to the globalization of Sedimentary Geology; La Petrologia Sedimentaria: desde Sorby a la globalizacion de la Geologia Sedimentaria

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Alonso-Zarza, A. M.

2013-02-01

We describe here the most important milestones and contributions to Sedimentary Petrology compared to other geological disciplines. We define the main aim of our study and the scientific and economic interests involved in Sedimentary Petrology. The body of the paper focuses upon the historical development of this discipline from Henry Sorby's initial work until the present day. The major milestones in its history include: 1) initial descriptive works; 2) experimental studies; 3) the establishment of the different classifications of sedimentary rocks; 4) studies into facies and sedimentary environments; 5) advances in the study of diagenetic processes and their role in hydrocarbon prospection; and 6) the development of Sedimentary Geochemistry. Relationships and coincidences with Sedimentology are discussed. We go on to look at the advances that have taken place over the last 30 years, in which the study of sedimentary rocks is necessarily included in the wider field of Sedimentary Geology as a logical result of the proposal of global models of a changing Earth in which Sedimentary Geology plays a significant part. Finally we mention the notable contributions of Spanish sedimentary petrologists to this whole field of science. (Author) 120 refs.

Improving the capacity of lithium-sulfur batteries by tailoring the polysulfide adsorption efficiency of hierarchical oxygen/nitrogen-functionalized carbon host materials.

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Schneider, Artur; Janek, Jürgen; Brezesinski, Torsten

2017-03-22

The use of monolithic carbons with structural hierarchy and varying amounts of nitrogen and oxygen functionalities as sulfur host materials in high-loading lithium-sulfur cells is reported. The primary focus is on the strength of the polysulfide/carbon interaction with the goal of assessing the effect of (surface) dopant concentration on cathode performance. The adsorption capacity - which is a measure of the interaction strength between the intermediate lithium polysulfide species and the carbon - was found to scale almost linearly with the nitrogen level. Likewise, the discharge capacity of lithium-sulfur cells increased linearly. This positive correlation can be explained by the favorable effect of nitrogen on both the chemical and electronic properties of the carbon host. The incorporation of additional oxygen-containing surface groups into highly nitrogen-functionalized carbon helped to further enhance the polysulfide adsorption efficiency, and therefore the reversible cell capacity. Overall, the areal capacity could be increased by almost 70% to around 3 mA h cm -2 . We believe that the design parameters described here provide a blueprint for future carbon-based nanocomposites for high-performance lithium-sulfur cells.

Aeolian sedimentary processes at the Bagnold Dunes, Mars: Implications for modern dune dynamics and sedimentary structures in the aeolian stratigraphic record of Mars

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Ewing, Ryan C.; Bridges, Nathan T.; Sullivan, Rob; Lapotre, Mathieu G. A.; Fischer, Woodward W.; Lamb, Mike P.; Rubin, David M.; Lewis, Kevin W.; Gupta, Sanjeev

2016-04-01

Wind-blown sand dunes are ubiquitous on the surface of Mars and are a recognized component of the martian stratigraphic record. Our current knowledge of the aeolian sedimentary processes that determine dune morphology, drive dune dynamics, and create aeolian cross-stratification are based upon orbital studies of ripple and dune morphodynamics, rover observations of stratification on Mars, Earth analogs, and experimental and theoretical studies of sand movement under Martian conditions. In-situ observations of sand dunes (informally called the Bagnold Dunes) by Curiosity Rover in Gale Crater, Mars provide the first opportunity to make observations of dunes from the grain-to-dune scale thereby filling the gap in knowledge between theory and orbital observations and refining our understanding of the martian aeolian stratigraphic record. We use the suite of cameras on Curiosity, including Navigation Camera (Navcam), Mast Camera (Mastcam) and Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI), to make observations of the Bagnold Dunes. Measurements of sedimentary structures are made where stereo images are available. Observations indicate that structures generated by gravity-driven processes on the dune lee slopes, such as grainflow and grainfall, are similar to the suite of aeolian sedimentary structures observed on Earth and should be present and recognizable in Mars' aeolian stratigraphic record. Structures formed by traction-driven processes deviate significantly from those found on Earth. The dune hosts centimeter-scale wind ripples and large, meter-scale ripples, which are not found on Earth. The large ripples migrate across the depositional, lee slopes of the dune, which implies that these structures should be present in Mars' stratigraphic record and may appear similar to compound-dune stratification.The Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity Rover Team is acknowledged for their support of this work.

Sedimentary changes on the Southeastern Brazilian upper slope during the last 35,000 years

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michel M. Mahiques

2007-03-01

Full Text Available A first evaluation of the sedimentary changes, including accumulation of inorganic and organic carbon on the upper slope off Southeastern Brazil under different climatic conditions, based on the analysis of a sedimentary core, is here presented. Results indicate that sedimentation rate as well sedimentary characteristics, including the nature of the organic carbon deposited during the LGM (Last Glacial Maximum, were different from the present deposition, indicating higher primary productivity during the LGM, to be accounted for by the higher values of marine organic carbon. Nevertheless, the higher values of Accumulation Rate of calcium carbonate and organic carbon can be credited to the higher values of the sedimentation rates. Conditions prevailing during Isotope Stage 3 may be considered intermediate as between the LGM and the present day. The conditions for a higher primary productivity associated with the deposition of finer terrigenous sediments may be explained as a response to the off shoreward displacement of the main flow of the Brazil Current.Este trabalho apresenta uma primeira avaliação das mudanças sedimentares, incluindo a acumulação de carbono orgânico e inorgânico, no talude continental superior do Brasil, sob diferentes condições climáticas, baseadas em análises de um testemunho. Os resultados indicam que a taxa de sedimentação, assim como as características sedimentares, incluindo a natureza do carbono orgânico depositado durante o UMG (Último Máximo Glacial, foram diferentes dos processos deposicionais atuais, indicando maior produtividade primária durante o UMG, como determinado pelos maiores valores de carbono orgânico marinho. Entretanto, os maiores valores de Taxa de Acumulação de carbonato de cálcio e carbono orgânico podem ser creditados aos valores mais altos de taxas de sedimentação. As condições prevalentes durante o Estágio Isotópico 3 podem ser consideradas intermediárias entre o UMG e

Subcutaneous injection of water-soluble multi-walled carbon nanotubes in tumor-bearing mice boosts the host immune activity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meng Jie; Yang Man; Jia Fumin; Kong Hua; Zhang Weiqi; Xu Haiyan; Wang Chaoying; Xie Sishen; Xing Jianmin

2010-01-01

The immunological responses induced by oxidized water-soluble multi-walled carbon nanotubes on a hepatocarcinoma tumor-bearing mice model via a local administration of subcutaneous injection were investigated. Experimental results show that the subcutaneously injected carbon nanotubes induced significant activation of the complement system, promoted inflammatory cytokines' production and stimulated macrophages' phagocytosis and activation. All of these responses increased the general activity of the host immune system and inhibited the progression of tumor growth.

Subcutaneous injection of water-soluble multi-walled carbon nanotubes in tumor-bearing mice boosts the host immune activity

Science.gov (United States)

Meng, Jie; Yang, Man; Jia, Fumin; Kong, Hua; Zhang, Weiqi; Wang, Chaoying; Xing, Jianmin; Xie, Sishen; Xu, Haiyan

2010-04-01

The immunological responses induced by oxidized water-soluble multi-walled carbon nanotubes on a hepatocarcinoma tumor-bearing mice model via a local administration of subcutaneous injection were investigated. Experimental results show that the subcutaneously injected carbon nanotubes induced significant activation of the complement system, promoted inflammatory cytokines' production and stimulated macrophages' phagocytosis and activation. All of these responses increased the general activity of the host immune system and inhibited the progression of tumor growth.

Subcutaneous injection of water-soluble multi-walled carbon nanotubes in tumor-bearing mice boosts the host immune activity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jie, Meng; Man, Yang; Fumin, Jia; Hua, Kong; Weiqi, Zhang; Haiyan, Xu [Department of Biomedical Engineering, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences and School of Basic Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, 5 Dong Dan San Tiao, Beijing 100005 (China); Chaoying, Wang; Sishen, Xie [Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 8 Nan San Jie, Zhongguancun, Beijing100080 (China); Xing Jianmin, E-mail: xuhy@pumc.edu.cn [Centre for Evidence-Based Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, 11 Bei San Huan Dong Lu, Beijing 100029 (China)

2010-04-09

The immunological responses induced by oxidized water-soluble multi-walled carbon nanotubes on a hepatocarcinoma tumor-bearing mice model via a local administration of subcutaneous injection were investigated. Experimental results show that the subcutaneously injected carbon nanotubes induced significant activation of the complement system, promoted inflammatory cytokines' production and stimulated macrophages' phagocytosis and activation. All of these responses increased the general activity of the host immune system and inhibited the progression of tumor growth.

Icebergs, sea ice, blue carbon and Antarctic climate feedbacks.

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Barnes, David K A; Fleming, Andrew; Sands, Chester J; Quartino, Maria Liliana; Deregibus, Dolores

2018-06-28

Sea ice, including icebergs, has a complex relationship with the carbon held within animals (blue carbon) in the polar regions. Sea-ice losses around West Antarctica's continental shelf generate longer phytoplankton blooms but also make it a hotspot for coastal iceberg disturbance. This matters because in polar regions ice scour limits blue carbon storage ecosystem services, which work as a powerful negative feedback on climate change (less sea ice increases phytoplankton blooms, benthic growth, seabed carbon and sequestration). This resets benthic biota succession (maintaining regional biodiversity) and also fertilizes the ocean with nutrients, generating phytoplankton blooms, which cascade carbon capture into seabed storage and burial by benthos. Small icebergs scour coastal shallows, whereas giant icebergs ground deeper, offshore. Significant benthic communities establish where ice shelves have disintegrated (giant icebergs calving), and rapidly grow to accumulate blue carbon storage. When 5000 km 2 giant icebergs calve, we estimate that they generate approximately 10 6 tonnes of immobilized zoobenthic carbon per year (t C yr -1 ). However, their collisions with the seabed crush and recycle vast benthic communities, costing an estimated 4 × 10 4  t C yr -1 We calculate that giant iceberg formation (ice shelf disintegration) has a net potential of approximately 10 6  t C yr -1 sequestration benefits as well as more widely known negative impacts.This article is part of the theme issue 'The marine system of the West Antarctic Peninsula: status and strategy for progress in a region of rapid change'. © 2018 The Authors.

Allometry indicates giant eyes of giant squid are not exceptional.

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Schmitz, Lars; Motani, Ryosuke; Oufiero, Christopher E; Martin, Christopher H; McGee, Matthew D; Gamarra, Ashlee R; Lee, Johanna J; Wainwright, Peter C

2013-02-18

The eyes of giant and colossal squid are among the largest eyes in the history of life. It was recently proposed that sperm whale predation is the main driver of eye size evolution in giant squid, on the basis of an optical model that suggested optimal performance in detecting large luminous visual targets such as whales in the deep sea. However, it is poorly understood how the eye size of giant and colossal squid compares to that of other aquatic organisms when scaling effects are considered. We performed a large-scale comparative study that included 87 squid species and 237 species of acanthomorph fish. While squid have larger eyes than most acanthomorphs, a comparison of relative eye size among squid suggests that giant and colossal squid do not have unusually large eyes. After revising constants used in a previous model we found that large eyes perform equally well in detecting point targets and large luminous targets in the deep sea. The eyes of giant and colossal squid do not appear exceptionally large when allometric effects are considered. It is probable that the giant eyes of giant squid result from a phylogenetically conserved developmental pattern manifested in very large animals. Whatever the cause of large eyes, they appear to have several advantages for vision in the reduced light of the deep mesopelagic zone.

The comparative effect of FUV, EUV and X-ray disc photoevaporation on gas giant separations

Science.gov (United States)

Jennings, Jeff; Ercolano, Barbara; Rosotti, Giovanni P.

2018-04-01

Gas giants' early (≲ 5 Myr) orbital evolution occurs in a disc losing mass in part to photoevaporation driven by high energy irradiance from the host star. This process may ultimately overcome viscous accretion to disperse the disc and halt migrating giants by starving their orbits of gas, imprinting on giant planet separations in evolved systems. Inversion of this distribution could then give insight into whether stellar FUV, EUV or X-ray flux dominates photoevaporation, constraining planet formation and disc evolution models. We use a 1D hydrodynamic code in population syntheses for gas giants undergoing Type II migration in a viscously evolving disc subject to either a primarily FUV, EUV or X-ray flux from a pre-solar T Tauri star. The photoevaporative mass loss profile's unique peak location and width in each energetic regime produces characteristic features in the distribution of giant separations: a severe dearth of ≲ 2 MJ planets interior to 5 AU in the FUV scenario, a sharp concentration of ≲ 3 MJ planets between ≈1.5 - 2 AU in the EUV case, and a relative abundance of ≈2 - 3.5 MJ giants interior to 0.5 AU in the X-ray model. These features do not resemble the observational sample of gas giants with mass constraints, though our results do show some weaker qualitative similarities. We thus assess how the differing photoevaporative profiles interact with migrating giants and address the effects of large model uncertainties as a step to better connect disc models with trends in the exoplanet population.

Use of variations in unit cell length, reflectance and hardness for determining the origin of Fe disulphides in sedimentary rocks

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Dill, H. G.; Eberhard, E.; Hartmann, B.

1997-01-01

Fe disulphides are common opaque accessories in sedimentary rocks. Both marcasite and pyrite may shed some light on the depositional environment and help determine the diagenesis of their host rocks. Quantitative ore microscopy (reflectance measurements, Vickers hardness numbers) and X-ray diffraction methods, supplemented with scanning electron microscopy and chemical analyses, were applied to pyrite (and some marcasite) hosted by sedimentary rocks spanning the interval from the Devonian to the Pliocene, and formed in various marine and continental environments. Quantitative ore microscopy of pyrites of sedimentary origin does not seem to be an efficient tool for analyzing the environment owing to the inhomogeneous nature of sulphide aggregates when viewed under the ore microscope, and the variable amounts of minor elements (e.g., As, Ni, and Co) that control the reflectance values (RV) and Vickers hardness numbers (VHN) of the host sulphides. However, such parameters as crystal habit and unit cell length of pyrite, which correlate with FeS x, are useful for environmental analysis. The redox conditions and the presence of organic remains during formation are the main factors determining these crystallographic parameters. Differences in these parameters from those of pure, ideal FeS 2 can be related to substitution of, e.g., wustite in the pyrite lattice, reflecting moderate oxidation (i.e. in the microenvironment). As far as crystal habit and length of the cell edge are concerned, late stage diagenesis is obviously less important than the microenvironment attending initial formation. The environment of deposition (i.e. the macroenvironment) of pyrite-bearing rocks has no influence on the crystal morphology or the length of the unit cell of Fe disulphide. X-ray diffraction measurements demonstrate that this method provides useful evidence on the microenvironment of sulphide precipitation around a single, equant pyrite, as well as around pyritized fossils.

Distinctive diet-tissue isotopic discrimination factors derived from the exclusive bamboo-eating giant panda.

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Han; Wei, Wei; Nie, Yonggang; Zhou, Wenliang; Hu, Yibo; Wu, Qi; Wei, Fuwen

2016-11-01

Stable isotope analysis is very useful in animal ecology, especially in diet reconstruction and trophic studies. Differences in isotope ratios between consumers and their diet, termed discrimination factors, are essential for studies of stable isotope ecology and are species-specific and tissue-specific. Given the specialized bamboo diet and clear foraging behavior, here, we calculated discrimination factors for carbon and nitrogen isotopes from diet to tissues (tooth enamel, hair keratin and bone collagen) for the giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca), a species derived from meat-eating ancestors. Our results showed that carbon discrimination factor obtained from giant panda tooth enamel (ε 13 C diet-enamel = 10.0‰) and nitrogen discrimination factors from hair keratin (Δ 15 N diet-hair = 2.2‰) and bone collagen (Δ 15 N diet-collagen = 2.3‰) were lower, and carbon discrimination factors from hair keratin (Δ 13 C diet-hair = 5.0‰) and bone collagen (Δ 13 C diet-collagen = 6.1‰) were higher than those of other mammalian carnivores, omnivores and herbivores. Such distinctive values are likely the result of a low-nutrient and specialized bamboo diet, carnivore-like digestive system and exceptionally low metabolism in giant pandas. © 2016 International Society of Zoological Sciences, Institute of Zoology/Chinese Academy of Sciences and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

Combining charcoal and elemental black carbon analysis in sedimentary archives: Implications for past fire regimes, the pyrogenic carbon cycle, and the human-climate interactions

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Thevenon, Florian; Williamson, David; Bard, Edouard; Anselmetti, Flavio S.; Beaufort, Luc; Cachier, Hélène

2010-07-01

and environment, surface runoffs from forested areas and/or aerial transportation over short distances are also important sources for detrital charred particles. However, this 4.3 kyr-long record exhibits a major increase in charcoal and BC sediment influxes between 1.8 and 0.6 kyr BP, synchronously with the regional extent of Late Iron Age and agricultural innovations. Therefore, in both marine and terrestrial depositional environments, the climate- and vegetation-controlled fire regimes appear to be strongly associated to societal changes, or directly affected by human practices. In fact, the anthropogenic effect associated to past human activities (e.g. settlement, agriculture, and metallurgy) has temporarily at least tripled the emissions of pyrogenic carbon in the environment. However, the data from the three Late Pleistocene to Holocene sequences also show that the redistribution of fossil particles by runoff and erosion processes is a significant source of pyrogenic carbon that should be understood as a prerequisite for interpreting sedimentary records of biomass burning.

Characterization and function of carbonic anhydrases in the zooxanthellae-giant clam symbiosis.

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Baillie, B K; Yellowlees, D

1998-03-22

Carbonic anhydrase (CA) has been purified from the host tissue of Tridacna gigas, a clam that lives in symbiosis with the dinoflagellate alga, Symbiodinium. At least two isoforms of CA were identified in both gill and mantle tissue. The larger (70 kDa) isoform is a glycoprotein with both N- and O-glycans attached and has highest homology to CAII. It is associated with the membrane fraction while the smaller (32 kDa) is present in the aqueous phase in both tissues. The 32 kDa CA has high homology with mammalian CAI at the N-terminus. Both isoforms cross-reacted with antibodies to CAII from chicken. Immunohistology demonstrated that the 70 kDa CA is present within the ciliated branchial filaments and cells lining the tertiary water channels in the gills of T. gigas. This is consistent with a role in the transport of inorganic carbon (Ci) to the haemolymph and therefore supply of Ci to the zooxanthellae. CA was also detected in mantle epithelial cells where it may also contribute to Ci supply to the zooxanthellae. The hyaline body and nerve tissue in the mantle express the 70 kDa CA where it may be involved in light sensing and nervous transmission.

Long-term carbon accumulation in Andes peatlands

Science.gov (United States)

Huaman, Yizet; Moreira-turq, Patricia; Willems, Bram; Espinoza, Raul; Turq, Bruno; Apaéstegui, James; Llanos, Romina

2017-04-01

High-altitude peatlands of the Andes still remain relatively unexplored since most of the studies on carbon capture in tropical soils have focused on peatlands in low altitude areas, leaving aside the importance of the study of high mountain wetlands, currently called "bofedales" located between 3000 and 5000 masl, covering most of the Andes mountains in South America. These peatlands in turn may also represent important paleoclimatic records. In this study, we investigated three peatland cores (APA-01, APA2-01, and APA2-02) at different altitudes (4210 m, 4420 m and 4432 m, respectively) in high Andean Peatlands of southern Peru. The peatland studied is located at the headwater basin Cachi River, in the town of Ayacucho, Peru. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role played by past climatic changes on the peatlands carbon accumulation. Each core was sectioned centimeter by centimeter and sub samples (n = 31) were collected for radiocarbon dating by AMS (acceleration mass spectrometer) and were used to create a sedimentological model based on the program Clam2.2R. The concentrations of carbon and nitrogen were determined from a C / H / N elemental analyzer and the stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes (δ13C and δ15N) were also analyzed. The bulk density was determined based on the volume occupied by the sediment (g /cm3). Finally, the carbon accumulation rate (gC m-2año-1) was determined. The three cores were characterized by two sedimentary units, the results present in the first sedimentary unit of APA01 an average long-term carbon accumulation rate of 59 gC m-2año-1, APA2-01 with 32 gC m-2año-1 and finally APA2-02 with 24 gC m-2año-1; for the second sedimentary unit we have: APA01 on average 17 gC m-2año-1, APA2-01 with 33 gC m-2año-1 and finally APA2-02 with 49 gC m-2año-1. In conclusion, we can say that the carbon accumulation rate for the first sedimentary unit of the three cores decreases as the altitude increases; on the other hand, we have the

Carbonate dissolution in the South Atlantic Ocean: evidence from ultrastructure breakdown in Globigerina bulloides

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Dittert, Nicolas; Henrich, Rüdiger

2000-04-01

Ultrastructure dissolution susceptibility of the planktic foraminifer Globigerina bulloides, carbonate ion content of the water column, calcium carbonate content of the sediment surface, and carbonate/carbon weight percentage ratio derived from sediment surface samples were investigated in order to reconstruct the position of the calcite saturation horizon, the sedimentary calcite lysocline, and the calcium carbonate compensation depth (CCD) in the modern South Atlantic Ocean. Carbonate ion data from the water column refer to the GEOSECS locations 48, 103, and 109 and calcium carbonate data come from 19 GeoB sediment surface samples of 4 transects into the Brazil, the Guinea, and the Cape Basins. We present a new (paleo-) oceanographic tool, namely the Globigerina bulloides dissolution index (BDX). Further, we give evidence (a) for progressive G. bulloides ultrastructural breakdown with increasing carbonate dissolution even above the lysocline; (b) for a sharp BDX increase at the sedimentary lysocline; and (c) for the total absence of this species at the CCD. BDX puts us in the position to distinguish the upper open ocean and the upwelling influenced continental margin above from the deep ocean below the sedimentary lysocline. Carbonate ion data from water column samples, calcite weight percentage data from surface sediment samples, and carbonate/carbon weight percentage ratio appear to be good proxies to confirm BDX. As shown by BDX both the calcite saturation horizon (in the water column) and the sedimentary lysocline (at the sediment-water interface) mark the boundary between the carbonate ion undersaturated and highly corrosive Antarctic Bottom Water and the carbonate ion saturated North Atlantic Deep Water (NADW) of the modern South Atlantic.

Deep-Water Resedimented Carbonate Exploration Play Types: Controls and Models

Science.gov (United States)

Minzoni, M.; Janson, X.; Kerans, C.; Playton, T.; Winefield, P.; Burgess, P. M.

2016-12-01

Deepwater resedimented deposits have been described in both modern and ancient carbonate sequences, many with good reservoir potential, for example the giant Cretaceous Poza Rica field in Mexico ( 40 MMBoe), the Mississippian Tangiz field in Kazakhstan, and several fields in the U.S. Permian basin (several Tcf gas). Nevertheless, carbonate slope and basin systems remain poorly understood when compared to their siliciclastic counterparts. Legacy published and unpublished work, combined with a global database of surface and sub-surface examples of resedimented carbonates, has highlighted that downslope resedimentation of carbonate material is in large part controlled by the evolution of the parent platform margin, which in turn is best characterized in terms of various controlling processes such as the carbonate factory type, tectonic setting, eustatic variations, and prevailing wind direction and ocean current patterns. Two generic play types emerge: (i) attached carbonate slope play -developed immediately adjacent to the parent carbonate platform and dominated by rock fall and platform collapse deposits or in situ boundstone; and (ii) detached carbonate slope play - deposited further from the platform margin via channelized turbidity currents and other mass-flow processes. High-rising, steep, bypass platform margins with collapse scars and grain-dominated factories have the highest potential to generate channelized and detached deep-water reservoirs with high initial porosity and permeability. Best reservoirs are aragonitic grainstones transported from the platform into the adjacent basin, and undergoing dissolution in submarine undersaturated water with early formation of secondary porosity to further enhance reservoir properties. Any exploration model aiming at identifying potential resedimented carbonate plays should be based on carbonate platform configurations and factory types favorable for re-sedimentation of large sedimentary bodies and preservation or

AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE SHOULDER OF GIANTS: JOVIAN PLANETS AROUND LATE K DWARF STARS AND THE TREND WITH STELLAR MASS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gaidos, Eric [Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Hawai' i at Manoa, Honolulu, HI 96822 (United States); Fischer, Debra A. [Department of Astronomy, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520 (United States); Mann, Andrew W.; Howard, Andrew W., E-mail: gaidos@hawaii.edu [Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawai' i at Manoa, Honolulu, HI 96822 (United States)

2013-07-01

Analyses of exoplanet statistics suggest a trend of giant planet occurrence with host star mass, a clue to how planets like Jupiter form. One missing piece of the puzzle is the occurrence around late K dwarf stars (masses of 0.5-0.75 M{sub Sun} and effective temperatures of 3900-4800 K). We analyzed four years of Doppler radial velocity (RVs) data for 110 late K dwarfs, one of which hosts two previously reported giant planets. We estimate that 4.0% {+-} 2.3% of these stars have Saturn-mass or larger planets with orbital periods <245 days, depending on the planet mass distribution and RV variability of stars without giant planets. We also estimate that 0.7% {+-} 0.5% of similar stars observed by Kepler have giant planets. This Kepler rate is significantly (99% confidence) lower than that derived from our Doppler survey, but the difference vanishes if only the single Doppler system (HIP 57274) with completely resolved orbits is considered. The difference could also be explained by the exclusion of close binaries (without giant planets) from the Doppler but not Kepler surveys, the effect of long-period companions and stellar noise on the Doppler data, or an intrinsic difference between the two populations. Our estimates for late K dwarfs bridge those for solar-type stars and M dwarfs, and support a positive trend with stellar mass. Small sample size precludes statements about finer structure, e.g., a ''shoulder'' in the distribution of giant planets with stellar mass. Future surveys such as the Next Generation Transit Survey and the Transiting Exoplanet Satellite Survey will ameliorate this deficiency.

AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE SHOULDER OF GIANTS: JOVIAN PLANETS AROUND LATE K DWARF STARS AND THE TREND WITH STELLAR MASS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gaidos, Eric; Fischer, Debra A.; Mann, Andrew W.; Howard, Andrew W.

2013-01-01

Analyses of exoplanet statistics suggest a trend of giant planet occurrence with host star mass, a clue to how planets like Jupiter form. One missing piece of the puzzle is the occurrence around late K dwarf stars (masses of 0.5-0.75 M ☉ and effective temperatures of 3900-4800 K). We analyzed four years of Doppler radial velocity (RVs) data for 110 late K dwarfs, one of which hosts two previously reported giant planets. We estimate that 4.0% ± 2.3% of these stars have Saturn-mass or larger planets with orbital periods <245 days, depending on the planet mass distribution and RV variability of stars without giant planets. We also estimate that 0.7% ± 0.5% of similar stars observed by Kepler have giant planets. This Kepler rate is significantly (99% confidence) lower than that derived from our Doppler survey, but the difference vanishes if only the single Doppler system (HIP 57274) with completely resolved orbits is considered. The difference could also be explained by the exclusion of close binaries (without giant planets) from the Doppler but not Kepler surveys, the effect of long-period companions and stellar noise on the Doppler data, or an intrinsic difference between the two populations. Our estimates for late K dwarfs bridge those for solar-type stars and M dwarfs, and support a positive trend with stellar mass. Small sample size precludes statements about finer structure, e.g., a ''shoulder'' in the distribution of giant planets with stellar mass. Future surveys such as the Next Generation Transit Survey and the Transiting Exoplanet Satellite Survey will ameliorate this deficiency.

Transferability of geodata from European to Canadian (Ontario) sedimentary rocks to study gas transport from nuclear wastes repositories

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fall, M.; Ghafari, H.; Evgin, E.; Nguyen, T.S.

2010-01-01

, most of these studies, especially the gas migration tests, were conducted in European sedimentary rocks (Opalinus Clay in Benken and Mont Terri, Callovo-Oxfordian Clay at Bure). At present, gas transport data specific for Ontario sedimentary rocks are not available; the input parameters for mathematical models have to be inferred from the European database. This paper presents a methodological approach and the results of a study to assess the usefulness and transferability of geo-data from European to Ontario sedimentary rocks to model the THMC processes associated with gas migration in Ontario. Furthermore, predictive models (based on advanced soft-computing methods) to estimate the gas transport parameters of the Ontario rocks from data on European sedimentary rocks are presented and discussed. The paper is divided into three main parts: - In the first part, the main similarities and differences between the thermal, hydraulic, geochemical and geomechanical properties of the host rocks of the proposed Ontario DGR and European DGRs are highlighted and discussed, based on a comparison of the collected technical information on sedimentary rocks in Ontario and Europe. - The second part includes an analysis of the quality (e.g., uncertainties), suitability and transferability of the data gathered with respect to the investigation of gas generation and migration in a potential repository in Ontario's sedimentary rocks. - In the third part, a quantitative analysis of the transferability of the data is conducted by using advanced soft computing methods (e.g., Self Organizing Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System (SONFIS)). Predictive models are developed to predict the relevant parameters that are necessary to model and analyze gas transport in the study DGR in Ontario. The validation results show good agreement between the predicted and measured field values. In conclusion, this study has allowed us to identify the similarities and differences between the Ontario and European

Isotopic data from proterozoic sediment-hosted sulfide deposits of Brazil: Implications for their metallogenic evolution and for mineral exploration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Misi, Aroldo; Coelho, Carlos E.S.; Franca Rocha, Washington J.S.; Gomez, Adriana S.R.; Cunha, Iona A.; Iyer, Sundaram S.; Tassinari, Colombo C.G.; Kyle, J. Richard

1998-01-01

Geological, petrographic, fluid inclusions studies and isotopic data of seven Proterozoic sediment-hosted Pb-Zn-Ag sulfide deposits of Brazil, permit the estimation of the age of the hosting sequence and the mineralization, the nature of the sulfur and metal sources, the temperature range of sulfide formation and the environment of deposition of the mineral deposits. The studies suggest that they were formed during periods of extensional tectonics: Growth faults or reactivated basement faults were responsible for localized circulation of metal-bearing fluids within the sedimentary sequences. In most cases, sulfides were formed by the reduction of sedimentary sulfates. Linear structures are important controls for sulfide concentration in these Proterozoic basins. (author)

FLUORINE ABUNDANCES IN GALACTIC ASYMPTOTIC GIANT BRANCH STARS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abia, C.; Cristallo, S.; DomInguez, I.; Cunha, K.; Hinkle, K.; Smith, V. V.; De Laverny, P.; Recio-Blanco, A.; Eriksson, K.; Wahlin, R.; Gialanella, L.; Imbriani, G.; Straniero, O.

2010-01-01

An analysis of the fluorine abundance in Galactic asymptotic giant branch (AGB) carbon stars (24 N-type, 5 SC-type, and 5 J-type) is presented. This study uses the state-of-the-art carbon-rich atmosphere models and improved atomic and molecular line lists in the 2.3 μm region. Significantly lower F abundances are obtained in comparison to previous studies in the literature. This difference is mainly due to molecular blends. In the case of carbon stars of SC-type, differences in the model atmospheres are also relevant. The new F enhancements are now in agreement with the most recent theoretical nucleosynthesis models in low-mass AGB stars, solving the long-standing problem of F in Galactic AGB stars. Nevertheless, some SC-type carbon stars still show larger F abundances than predicted by stellar models. The possibility that these stars are of larger mass is briefly discussed.

Surface Compositions of Red Giant Stars in Globular Clusters

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Eric; Lau, Marie; Smith, Graeme; Chen, Brian

2018-01-01

Globular clusters (GCs) are excellent “laboratories” to study the formation and evolution of our galaxy. In order to understand, more specifically, the chemical compositions and stellar evolution of the stars in GCs, we ask whether or not deep internal mixing occurs in red giants or if in fact the compositions come from the primordial interstellar medium or previous generations of stars. It has been discovered that as a star evolves up the red giant branch, the surface carbon abundance decreases, which is evidence of deep internal mixing. We questioned whether these processes also affect O or Na abundance as a star evolves. We collected measurement data of red giants from GCs out of academic journals and sorted the data into catalogs. Then, we plotted the catalogs into figures, comparing surface O and Na each with stellar luminosity. Statistical tests were ran to quantify the amount of correlation between the variables. Out of 27 GCs, we concluded that eight show a positive correlation between Na and luminosity, and two show a negative correlation between O and luminosity. Properties of GCs were compared to determine if chemical distribution in stars depends on GCs as the self-enrichment scenario suggests. We created histograms of sodium distribution to test for bimodality to examine if there are separate trends in each GC. In six GCs, two different sequences of red giants appear for Na versus luminosity, suggesting evidence that the depth of mixing may differ among each red giant in a GC. This study has provided new evidence that the changing chemical abundances on the surfaces of red giants can be due to stellar evolutionary effects and deep internal mixing, which may not necessarily depend on the GC and may differ in depth among each red giant. Through this study, we learn more about stellar evolution which will eventually help us understand the origins of our universe. Most of this work was carried out by high school students working under the auspices of

From red giants to planetary nebulae: Asymmetries, dust, and polarization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Johnson, J.J.

1990-01-01

In order to investigate the development of aspherical planetary nebulae, polarimetry was obtained for a group of planetary nebulae and for objects that will evolve into planetary nebulae, i.e., red giants, late asymptotic giant branch (AGB) objects, proto-planetary nebulae, and young planetary nebulae. To study the dust around the objects in our sample, we also used data from the Infrared Astronomy Satellite (IRAS) mission. The youngest objects in our survey, red giants, had the hottest dust temperatures while planetary nebulae had the coolest. Most of the objects were intrinsically polarized, including the red giants. This indicated that the circumstellar dust shells of these objects were aspherical. Both carbon- and oxygen-rich objects could be intrinsically polarized. The intrinsic polarizations of a sample of our objects were modeled using an ellipsoidal circumstellar dust shell. The findings of this study suggest that the asphericities that lead to an aspherical planetary nebula originate when a red giant begins to undergo mass loss. The polarization and thus the asphericity as the star evolves, with both reaching a maximum during the proto-planetary nebula stage. The circumstellar dust shell will dissipate after the proto-planetary nebulae stage since no new material is being added. The polarization of planetary nebulae will thus be low. In the most evolved planetary nebulae, the dust has either been destroyed or dissipated into the interstellar medium. In these objects no polarization was observed

Survival and growth of the giant clam larvae utilizing zooxanthellae from Acropora valenciennesi, Tridacna crocea and Sarcophyton trocheliophorum

OpenAIRE

A. Niartiningsih; Magdalena Litaay; Niradhyna W. M

2015-01-01

The aim of this study was to know the survival and growth of the giant clam larvae given zooxanthellae from different host. The field experiment was conducted from September ???November 2006 at hatchery of Marine Field Station Barrang Lompo Island, Makassar. Zooxanthellae hosts used were: (A) Table coral (Acropora valenciennesi); (B) Tridacna crocea, (C) soft coral (Sarcophyton trocheliophorum) and (D) control (no additional zooxanthellae). The Complete Randomized Design with four treatments ...

GIANT IMPACT: AN EFFICIENT MECHANISM FOR THE DEVOLATILIZATION OF SUPER-EARTHS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, Shang-Fei [Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064 (United States); Hori, Yasunori; Lin, D. N. C. [Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064 (United States); Asphaug, Erik, E-mail: sliu26@ucsc.edu, E-mail: yahori@ucsc.edu, E-mail: lin@ucolick.org, E-mail: easphaug@asu.edu [School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287 (United States)

2015-10-20

Mini-Neptunes and volatile-poor super-Earths coexist on adjacent orbits in proximity to host stars such as Kepler-36 and Kepler-11. Several post-formation processes have been proposed for explaining the origin of the compositional diversity between neighboring planets: mass loss via stellar XUV irradiation, degassing of accreted material, and in situ accumulation of the disk gas. Close-in planets are also likely to experience giant impacts during the advanced stage of planet formation. This study examines the possibility of transforming volatile-rich super-Earths/mini-Neptunes into volatile-depleted super-Earths through giant impacts. We present the results of three-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations of giant impacts in the accretionary and disruptive regimes. Target planets are modeled with a three-layered structure composed of an iron core, silicate mantle, and hydrogen/helium envelope. In the disruptive case, the giant impact can remove most of the H/He atmosphere immediately and homogenize the refractory material in the planetary interior. In the accretionary case, the planet is able to retain more than half of the original gaseous envelope, while a compositional gradient suppresses efficient heat transfer as the planetary interior undergoes double-diffusive convection. After the giant impact, a hot and inflated planet cools and contracts slowly. The extended atmosphere enhances the mass loss via both a Parker wind induced by thermal pressure and hydrodynamic escape driven by the stellar XUV irradiation. As a result, the entire gaseous envelope is expected to be lost due to the combination of those processes in both cases. Based on our results, we propose that Kepler-36b may have been significantly devolatilized by giant impacts, while a substantial fraction of Kepler-36c’s atmosphere may remain intact. Furthermore, the stochastic nature of giant impacts may account for the observed large dispersion in the mass–radius relationship of close-in super

The influence of "host release factor" on carbon release by zooxanthellae isolated from fed and starved Aiptasia pallida (Verrill).

Science.gov (United States)

Davy, S K; Cook, C B

2001-06-01

Symbiotic dinoflagellates (zooxanthellae) typically respond to extracts of host tissue with enhanced release of short-term photosynthetic products. We examined this "host release factor" (HRF) response using freshly isolated zooxanthellae of differing nutritional status. The nutritional status was manipulated by either feeding or starving the sea anemone Aiptasia pallida (Verrill). The release of fixed carbon from isolated zooxanthellae was measured using 14C in 30 min experiments. Zooxanthellae in filtered seawater alone released approximately 5% of photosynthate irrespective of host feeding history. When we used a 10-kDa ultrafiltrate of A. pallida host tissue as a source of HRF, approximately 14% of photosynthate was released to the medium. This increased to over 25% for zooxanthellae from anemones starved for 29 days or more. The cell-specific photosynthetic rate declined with starvation in these filtrate experiments, but the decline was offset by the increased percentage release. Indeed, the total amount of released photosynthate remained unchanged, or even increased, as zooxanthellae became more nutrient deficient. Similar trends were also observed when zooxanthellae from A. pallida were incubated in a 3-kDa ultrafiltrate of the coral Montastraea annularis, suggesting that HRF in the different filtrates operated in a similar manner. Our results support the suggestion that HRF diverts surplus carbon away from storage compounds to translocated compounds such as glycerol.

Psychological effectiveness of carbon labelling

Science.gov (United States)

Beattie, Geoffrey

2012-04-01

Despite the decision by supermarket-giant Tesco to delay its plan to add carbon-footprint information onto all of its 70,000 products, carbon labelling, if carefully designed, could yet change consumer behaviour. However, it requires a new type of thinking about consumers and much additional work.

ON THE SURVIVABILITY AND METAMORPHISM OF TIDALLY DISRUPTED GIANT PLANETS: THE ROLE OF DENSE CORES

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, Shang-Fei; Lin, Douglas N. C. [Kavli Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics and Department of Astronomy, Peking University, Beijing 100871 (China); Guillochon, James; Ramirez-Ruiz, Enrico, E-mail: liushangfei@pku.edu.cn [Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064 (United States)

2013-01-01

A large population of planetary candidates in short-period orbits have been found recently through transit searches, mostly with the Kepler mission. Radial velocity surveys have also revealed several Jupiter-mass planets with highly eccentric orbits. Measurements of the Rossiter-McLaughlin effect indicate that the orbital angular momentum vector of some planets is inclined relative to the spin axis of their host stars. This diversity could be induced by post-formation dynamical processes such as planet-planet scattering, the Kozai effect, or secular chaos which brings planets to the vicinity of their host stars. In this work, we propose a novel mechanism to form close-in super-Earths and Neptune-like planets through the tidal disruption of gas giant planets as a consequence of these dynamical processes. We model the core-envelope structure of gas giant planets with composite polytropes which characterize the distinct chemical composition of the core and envelope. Using three-dimensional hydrodynamical simulations of close encounters between Jupiter-like planets and their host stars, we find that the presence of a core with a mass more than 10 times that of the Earth can significantly increase the fraction of envelope which remains bound to it. After the encounter, planets with cores are more likely to be retained by their host stars in contrast with previous studies which suggested that coreless planets are often ejected. As a substantial fraction of their gaseous envelopes is preferentially lost while the dense incompressible cores retain most of their original mass, the resulting metallicity of the surviving planets is increased. Our results suggest that some gas giant planets can be effectively transformed into either super-Earths or Neptune-like planets after multiple close stellar passages. Finally, we analyze the orbits and structure of known planets and Kepler candidates and find that our model is capable of producing some of the shortest-period objects.

Gravimetric survey and modeling of the basement morphology in the sedimentary thickness characterization, NE portion of Paraná Sedimentary Basin - Brazil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maximilian Fries

2017-05-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACT: The northeast portion of the Paraná Sedimentary Basin is distinguished by structural highs as the known Pitanga Dome, an uplifted structure identified in the last century. It represents a geological and evolutionary evidence of the Paraná Sedimentary Basin and has undergone inspired studies and intense exploration surveys. This study consists of a gravimetric survey in the Pitanga Dome area, State of São Paulo, Brazil. The Bouguer gravity anomalies have been identified and related to the structural high, sedimentary thickness, and the basement morphology. Processing and enhancement techniques were used for forward modeling based on previous studies. The three models from profiles sectioning the dome have a sedimentary thickness varying from 200 to 1.250 meters. The adopted methodology has provided important results determining that the Pitanga Dome can be understood through rational 3D visualization. The area can be interpreted as an undulating basement with thinning of sedimentary rocks related to deep features (structures in the crust/mantle limit (Moho uplift. This characteristic is confirmed by the sedimentary layer thickening present throughout the surrounding area. The results also offer important insights and support for further studies concerning the genesis and evolution of this and other uplifted structures of the Paraná Sedimentary Basin.

Isolation of Geobacter species from diverse sedimentary environments

Science.gov (United States)

Coaxes, J.D.; Phillips, E.J.P.; Lonergan, D.J.; Jenter, H.; Lovley, D.R.

1996-01-01

In an attempt to better understand the microorganisms responsible for Fe(III) reduction in sedimentary environments, Fe(III)-reducing microorganisms were enriched for and isolated from freshwater aquatic sediments, a pristine deep aquifer, and a petroleum-contaminated shallow aquifer. Enrichments were initiated with acetate or toluene as the electron donor and Fe(III) as the electron acceptor. Isolations were made with acetate or benzoate. Five new strains which could obtain energy for growth by dissimilatory Fe(III) reduction were isolated. All five isolates are gram- negative strict anaerobes which grow with acetate as the electron donor and Fe(III) as the electron acceptor. Analysis of the 16S rRNA sequence of the isolated organisms demonstrated that they all belonged to the genus Geobacter in the delta subdivision of the Proteobacteria. Unlike the type strain, Geobacter metallireducens, three of the five isolates could use H2 as an electron donor fur Fe(III) reduction. The deep subsurface isolate is the first Fe(III) reducer shown to completely oxidize lactate to carbon dioxide, while one of the freshwater sediment isolates is only the second Fe(III) reducer known that can oxidize toluene. The isolation of these organisms demonstrates that Geobacter species are widely distributed in a diversity of sedimentary environments in which Fe(III) reduction is an important process.

Giant polygons and mounds in the lowlands of Mars: signatures of an ancient ocean?

Science.gov (United States)

Oehler, Dorothy Z; Allen, Carlton C

2012-06-01

This paper presents the hypothesis that the well-known giant polygons and bright mounds of the martian lowlands may be related to a common process-a process of fluid expulsion that results from burial of fine-grained sediments beneath a body of water. Specifically, we hypothesize that giant polygons and mounds in Chryse and Acidalia Planitiae are analogous to kilometer-scale polygons and mud volcanoes in terrestrial, marine basins and that the co-occurrence of masses of these features in Chryse and Acidalia may be the signature of sedimentary processes in an ancient martian ocean. We base this hypothesis on recent data from both Earth and Mars. On Earth, 3-D seismic data illustrate kilometer-scale polygons that may be analogous to the giant polygons on Mars. The terrestrial polygons form in fine-grained sediments that have been deposited and buried in passive-margin, marine settings. These polygons are thought to result from compaction/dewatering, and they are commonly associated with fluid expulsion features, such as mud volcanoes. On Mars, in Chryse and Acidalia Planitiae, orbital data demonstrate that giant polygons and mounds have overlapping spatial distributions. There, each set of features occurs within a geological setting that is seemingly analogous to that of the terrestrial, kilometer-scale polygons (broad basin of deposition, predicted fine-grained sediments, and lack of significant horizontal stress). Regionally, the martian polygons and mounds both show a correlation to elevation, as if their formation were related to past water levels. Although these observations are based on older data with incomplete coverage, a similar correlation to elevation has been established in one local area studied in detail with newer higher-resolution data. Further mapping with the latest data sets should more clearly elucidate the relationship(s) of the polygons and mounds to elevation over the entire Chryse-Acidalia region and thereby provide more insight into this

Deformation style of the Mesozoic sedimentary rocks in southern Thailand

Science.gov (United States)

Kanjanapayont, Pitsanupong

2014-10-01

Mesozoic sedimentary rocks in southern Thailand are widespread from NNE-SSW and N-S in Chumphon and Trang provinces. The Mesozoic stratigraphic units are the marine Triassic Sai Bon Formation and the non-marine Jurassic-Cretaceous Thung Yai Group, the latter subdivided into Khlong Min, Lam Thap, Sam Chom, and Phun Phin Formations. These units overlie Permian carbonate rocks with an angular unconformity, and are overlain unconformably by Cenozoic units and the Quaternary sediments. The Mesozoic rocks have been folded to form two huge first-ordered syncline or synclinoria, the Chumphon and Surat Thani-Krabi-Trang synclinoria. These synclinoria are elongated in NNE-SSW to N-S direction, and incorporate asymmetric lower-order parasitic folds. The folds have moderately to steeply dipping eastward limbs and more gently dipping westward limbs. These folds were transected by brittle fractures in four major directions. These geologic structures indicate WNW-ESE to E-W contraction with top-to-the-east simple shear at some time before the deposition of the Cenozoic sedimentary units. No major deformation has affected the rocks subsequently, apart from the formation of the fault-controlled Cenozoic basins.

RADIO EMISSION FROM RED-GIANT HOT JUPITERS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fujii, Yuka; Spiegel, David S.; Mroczkowski, Tony; Nordhaus, Jason; Zimmerman, Neil T.; Parsons, Aaron R.; Mirbabayi, Mehrdad; Madhusudhan, Nikku

2016-01-01

When planet-hosting stars evolve off the main sequence and go through the red-giant branch, the stars become orders of magnitudes more luminous and, at the same time, lose mass at much higher rates than their main-sequence counterparts. Accordingly, if planetary companions exist around these stars at orbital distances of a few au, they will be heated up to the level of canonical hot Jupiters and also be subjected to a dense stellar wind. Given that magnetized planets interacting with stellar winds emit radio waves, such “Red-Giant Hot Jupiters” (RGHJs) may also be candidate radio emitters. We estimate the spectral auroral radio intensity of RGHJs based on the empirical relation with the stellar wind as well as a proposed scaling for planetary magnetic fields. RGHJs might be intrinsically as bright as or brighter than canonical hot Jupiters and about 100 times brighter than equivalent objects around main-sequence stars. We examine the capabilities of low-frequency radio observatories to detect this emission and find that the signal from an RGHJ may be detectable at distances up to a few hundred parsecs with the Square Kilometer Array

RADIO EMISSION FROM RED-GIANT HOT JUPITERS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fujii, Yuka [Earth-Life Science Institute, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo, 152-8550 (Japan); Spiegel, David S. [Analytics and Algorithms, Stitch Fix, San Francisco, CA 94103 (United States); Mroczkowski, Tony [Naval Research Laboratory, 4555 Overlook Ave SW, Washington, DC 20375 (United States); Nordhaus, Jason [Department of Science and Mathematics, National Technical Institute for the Deaf, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY 14623 (United States); Zimmerman, Neil T. [Space Telescope Science Institute, 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218 (United States); Parsons, Aaron R. [Astronomy Department, University of California, Berkeley, CA (United States); Mirbabayi, Mehrdad [Astrophysics Department, Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton, NJ 08540 (United States); Madhusudhan, Nikku, E-mail: yuka.fujii@elsi.jp [Astronomy Department, University of Cambridge (United Kingdom)

2016-04-01

When planet-hosting stars evolve off the main sequence and go through the red-giant branch, the stars become orders of magnitudes more luminous and, at the same time, lose mass at much higher rates than their main-sequence counterparts. Accordingly, if planetary companions exist around these stars at orbital distances of a few au, they will be heated up to the level of canonical hot Jupiters and also be subjected to a dense stellar wind. Given that magnetized planets interacting with stellar winds emit radio waves, such “Red-Giant Hot Jupiters” (RGHJs) may also be candidate radio emitters. We estimate the spectral auroral radio intensity of RGHJs based on the empirical relation with the stellar wind as well as a proposed scaling for planetary magnetic fields. RGHJs might be intrinsically as bright as or brighter than canonical hot Jupiters and about 100 times brighter than equivalent objects around main-sequence stars. We examine the capabilities of low-frequency radio observatories to detect this emission and find that the signal from an RGHJ may be detectable at distances up to a few hundred parsecs with the Square Kilometer Array.

Radio Emission from Red-Giant Hot Jupiters

Science.gov (United States)

Fujii, Yuka; Spiegel, David S.; Mroczkowski, Tony; Nordhaus, Jason; Zimmerman, Neil T.; Parsons, Aaron R.; Mirbabayi, Mehrdad; Madhusudhan, Nikku

2016-01-01

When planet-hosting stars evolve off the main sequence and go through the red-giant branch, the stars become orders of magnitudes more luminous and, at the same time, lose mass at much higher rates than their main sequence counterparts. Accordingly, if planetary companions exist around these stars at orbital distances of a few au, they will be heated up to the level of canonical hot Jupiters and also be subjected to a dense stellar wind. Given that magnetized planets interacting with stellar winds emit radio waves, such "Red-Giant Hot Jupiters" (RGHJs) may also be candidate radio emitters. We estimate the spectral auroral radio intensity of RGHJs based on the empirical relation with the stellar wind as well as a proposed scaling for planetary magnetic fields. RGHJs might be intrinsically as bright as or brighter than canonical hot Jupiters and about 100 times brighter than equivalent objects around main-sequence stars. We examine the capabilities of low-frequency radio observatories to detect this emission and find that the signal from an RGHJ may be detectable at distances up to a few hundred parsecs with the Square Kilometer Array.

Novel hierarchically porous carbon materials obtained from natural biopolymer as host matrixes for lithium-sulfur battery applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Bin; Xiao, Min; Wang, Shuanjin; Han, Dongmei; Song, Shuqin; Chen, Guohua; Meng, Yuezhong

2014-08-13

Novel hierarchically porous carbon materials with very high surface areas, large pore volumes and high electron conductivities were prepared from silk cocoon by carbonization with KOH activation. The prepared novel porous carbon-encapsulated sulfur composites were fabricated by a simple melting process and used as cathodes for lithium sulfur batteries. Because of the large surface area and hierarchically porous structure of the carbon material, soluble polysulfide intermediates can be trapped within the cathode and the volume expansion can be alleviated effectively. Moreover, the electron transport properties of the carbon materials can provide an electron conductive network and promote the utilization rate of sulfur in cathode. The prepared carbon-sulfur composite exhibited a high specific capacity and excellent cycle stability. The results show a high initial discharge capacity of 1443 mAh g(-1) and retain 804 mAh g(-1) after 80 discharge/charge cycles at a rate of 0.5 C. A Coulombic efficiency retained up to 92% after 80 cycles. The prepared hierarchically porous carbon materials were proven to be an effective host matrix for sulfur encapsulation to improve the sulfur utilization rate and restrain the dissolution of polysulfides into lithium-sulfur battery electrolytes.

Inner Super-Earths, Outer Gas Giants: How Pebble Isolation and Migration Feedback Keep Jupiters Cold

Science.gov (United States)

Fung, Jeffrey; Lee, Eve J.

2018-06-01

The majority of gas giants (planets of masses ≳102 M ⊕) are found to reside at distances beyond ∼1 au from their host stars. Within 1 au, the planetary population is dominated by super-Earths of 2–20 M ⊕. We show that this dichotomy between inner super-Earths and outer gas giants can be naturally explained should they form in nearly inviscid disks. In laminar disks, a planet can more easily repel disk gas away from its orbit. The feedback torque from the pile-up of gas inside the planet’s orbit slows down and eventually halts migration. A pressure bump outside the planet’s orbit traps pebbles and solids, starving the core. Gas giants are born cold and stay cold: more massive cores are preferentially formed at larger distances, and they barely migrate under disk feedback. We demonstrate this using two-dimensional hydrodynamical simulations of disk–planet interaction lasting up to 105 years: we track planet migration and pebble accretion until both come to an end by disk feedback. Whether cores undergo runaway gas accretion to become gas giants or not is determined by computing one-dimensional gas accretion models. Our simulations show that in an inviscid minimum mass solar nebula, gas giants do not form inside ∼0.5 au, nor can they migrate there while the disk is present. We also explore the dependence on disk mass and find that gas giants form further out in less massive disks.

Evidence for microbial activity in the formation of carbonate-hosted Zn-Pb deposits

Science.gov (United States)

Kucha, H.; Raith, J.

2009-04-01

*Kucha H **Raith J *University of Mining and Metallurgy, Faculty of Geology, Geophysics and Environmental Protection, Mickiewicza 30, PL-30-059 Krakow, Poland. ** University of Leoben, Department of Applied Geosciences and Geophysics, A-8700 Leoben, Peter Tunner Str. 5, Austria Evidence for microbial activity in the formation of carbonate-hosted Zn-Pb deposits To date evaluation of bacterial processes in the formation of carbonate-hosted Zn-Pb deposits is largely based on sulphur isotope evidence. However, during a past few years, textural criteria, have been established, which support the bacterial origin of many of these deposits. This has received a strong support from micro-, and nano-textures of naturally growing bacterial films in a flooded tunnel within carbonates that host the Piquette Zn-Pb deposit (Druschel et al., 2002). Bacterial textures, micro- and nano textures found in carbonate-hosted Zn-Pb deposits are: i)wavy bacterial films up to a few mm thick to up to a few cm long composed of peloids, ii)semimassive agglomeration of peloids in the carbonate matrix, and iii)solitary peloids dispersed in the carbonate matrix. Peloids are usually composed of a distinct 50-90um core most often made up of Zn-bearing calcite surrounded by 30-60um thick dentate rim composed of ZnS. Etching of Zn-carbonate cores reveals 1 - 2um ZnS filaments, and numerous 15 to 90nm large ZnS nano-spheres (Kucha et al., 2005). In massive ore composite Zn-calcite - sphalerite peloids are entirely replaced by zinc sulphide, and form peloids ghosts within banded sulphide layers. Bacterially derived micro- and nano-textures have been observed in the following carbonate-hosted Zn-Pb deposits: 1)Irish-type Zn-Pb deposits. In the Navan deposit the basic sulphur is isotopically light bacteriogenic S (Fallick at al., 2001). This is corroborated by semimassive agglomerations of composite peloids (Zn-calcite-ZnS corona or ZnS core-melnikovite corona). Etching of Zn-calcite core reveals globular

EVIDENCE FOR THE DIRECT DETECTION OF THE THERMAL SPECTRUM OF THE NON-TRANSITING HOT GAS GIANT HD 88133 b

KAUST Repository

Piskorz, Danielle; Benneke, Bjö rn; Crockett, Nathan R.; Lockwood, Alexandra C.; Blake, Geoffrey A.; Barman, Travis S.; Bender, Chad F.; Bryan, Marta L.; Carr, John S.; Fischer, Debra A.; Howard, Andrew W.; Isaacson, Howard; Johnson, John A.

2016-01-01

We target the thermal emission spectrum of the non-transiting gas giant HD 88133 b with high-resolution near-infrared spectroscopy, by treating the planet and its host star as a spectroscopic binary. For sufficiently deep summed flux observations

Mineralization, geochemistry, fluid inclusion and sulfur stable isotope studies in the carbonate hosted Baqoroq Cu-Zn-As deposit (NE Anarak)

OpenAIRE

Mohammad Ali Jazi; Mohammad Hassan Karimpour; Azadeh Malekzadeh Shafaroudi

2015-01-01

Introduction The Baqoroq Cu-Zn-As deposit is located northeast of the town ofAnarak in Isfahan province, in theeast central areaof Iran. Copper mineralization occursin upper cretaceous carbonate rocks.Studyof thegeologyof the Nakhlak area, the location ofa carbonate-hosted base metaldeposit, indicatesthe importance of stratigraphic, lithological and structural controls in the placement of this ore deposit. (Jazi et al., 2015).Some of the most world’s most important epigenetic, stratabo...

Genetic Factors in Rhizobium Affecting the Symbiotic Carbon Costs of N2 Fixation and Host Plant Biomass Production

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Skøt, L.; Hirsch, P. R.; Witty, J. F.

1986-01-01

The effect of genetic factors in Rhizobium on host plant biomass production and on the carbon costs of N2 fixation in pea root nodules was studied. Nine strains of Rhizobium leguminosarum were constructed, each containing one of three symbiotic plasmids in combination with one of three different ...

STARDUST FROM ASYMPTOTIC GIANT BRANCH STARS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gail, H.-P.; Zhukovska, S. V.; Hoppe, P.; Trieloff, M.

2009-01-01

The formation of dust in the outflows of low- and intermediate-mass stars on the first giant branch and asymptotic giant branch (AGB) is studied and the relative contributions of stars of different initial masses and metallicities to the interstellar medium (ISM) at the instant of solar system formation are derived. These predictions are compared with the characteristics of the parent stars of presolar dust grains found in primitive meteorites and interplanetary dust particles (IDPs) inferred from their isotopic compositions. For this purpose, model calculations for dust condensation in stellar outflows are combined with synthetic models of stellar evolution on the first giant branch and AGB and an evolution model of the Milky Way for the solar neighborhood. The dust components considered are olivine, pyroxene, carbon, SiC, and iron. The corresponding dust production rates are derived for the solar vicinity. From these rates and taking into account dust destruction by supernova shocks in the ISM, the contributions to the inventory of presolar dust grains in the solar system are derived for stars of different initial masses and metallicities. It is shown that stars on the first giant branch and the early AGB are not expected to form dust, in accord with astronomical observations. Dust formation is concentrated in the last phase of evolution, the thermally pulsing AGB. Due to the limited lifetime of dust grains in the ISM only parent stars from a narrow range of metallicities are expected to contribute to the population of presolar dust grains. Silicate and silicon carbide dust grains are predicted to come from parent stars with metallicities not less than about Z ∼ 0.008 (0.6 x solar). This metallicity limit is higher than that inferred from presolar SiC grain isotope data. The population of presolar carbon dust grains is predicted to originate from a wider range of metallicities, down to Z ∼ 0.004. Masses of AGB stars that produce C-rich dust are in the range �

THE REDSHIFT DISTRIBUTION OF GIANT ARCS IN THE SLOAN GIANT ARCS SURVEY

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bayliss, Matthew B.; Gladders, Michael D.; Koester, Benjamin P.; Oguri, Masamune; Hennawi, Joseph F.; Sharon, Keren; Dahle, Haakon

2011-01-01

We measure the redshift distribution of a sample of 28 giant arcs discovered as a part of the Sloan Giant Arcs Survey. Gemini/GMOS-North spectroscopy provides precise redshifts for 24 arcs, and 'redshift desert' constrains for the remaining 4 arcs. This is a direct measurement of the redshift distribution of a uniformly selected sample of bright giant arcs, which is an observable that can be used to inform efforts to predict giant arc statistics. Our primary giant arc sample has a median redshift z = 1.821 and nearly two-thirds of the arcs, 64%, are sources at z ∼> 1.4, indicating that the population of background sources that are strongly lensed into bright giant arcs resides primarily at high redshift. We also analyze the distribution of redshifts for 19 secondary strongly lensed background sources that are not visually apparent in Sloan Digital Sky Survey imaging, but were identified in deeper follow-up imaging of the lensing cluster fields. Our redshift sample for the secondary sources is not spectroscopically complete, but combining it with our primary giant arc sample suggests that a large fraction of all background galaxies that are strongly lensed by foreground clusters reside at z ∼> 1.4. Kolmogorov-Smirnov tests indicate that our well-selected, spectroscopically complete primary giant arc redshift sample can be reproduced with a model distribution that is constructed from a combination of results from studies of strong-lensing clusters in numerical simulations and observational constraints on the galaxy luminosity function.

Giant CP stars

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Loden, L.O.; Sundman, A.

1989-01-01

This study is part of an investigation of the possibility of using chemically peculiar (CP) stars to map local galactic structure. Correct luminosities of these stars are therefore crucial. CP stars are generally regarded as main-sequence or near-main-sequence objects. However, some CP stars have been classified as giants. A selection of stars, classified in literature as CP giants, are compared to normal stars in the same effective temperature interval and to ordinary 'non giant' CP stars. There is no clear confirmation of a higher luminosity for 'CP giants', than for CP stars in general. In addition, CP characteristics seem to be individual properties not repeated in a component star or other cluster members. (author). 50 refs., 5 tabs., 3 figs

Profile of microRNA in Giant Panda Blood: A Resource for Immune-Related and Novel microRNAs.

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Mingyu Yang

Full Text Available The giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca is one of the world's most beloved endangered mammals. Although the draft genome of this species had been assembled, little was known about the composition of its microRNAs (miRNAs or their functional profiles. Recent studies demonstrated that changes in the expression of miRNAs are associated with immunity. In this study, miRNAs were extracted from the blood of four healthy giant pandas and sequenced by Illumina next generation sequencing technology. As determined by miRNA screening, a total of 276 conserved miRNAs and 51 novel putative miRNAs candidates were detected. After differential expression analysis, we noticed that the expressions of 7 miRNAs were significantly up-regulated in young giant pandas compared with that of adults. Moreover, 2 miRNAs were up-regulated in female giant pandas and 1 in the male individuals. Target gene prediction suggested that the miRNAs of giant panda might be relevant to the expressions of 4,602 downstream genes. Subseuqently, the predicted target genes were conducted to KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analysis and we found that these genes were mainly involved in host immunity, including the Ras signaling pathway, the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, and the MAPK signaling pathway. In conclusion, our results provide the first miRNA profiles of giant panda blood, and the predicted functional analyses may open an avenue for further study of giant panda immunity.

Profile of microRNA in Giant Panda Blood: A Resource for Immune-Related and Novel microRNAs.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Mingyu; Du, Lianming; Li, Wujiao; Shen, Fujun; Fan, Zhenxin; Jian, Zuoyi; Hou, Rong; Shen, Yongmei; Yue, Bisong; Zhang, Xiuyue

2015-01-01

The giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) is one of the world's most beloved endangered mammals. Although the draft genome of this species had been assembled, little was known about the composition of its microRNAs (miRNAs) or their functional profiles. Recent studies demonstrated that changes in the expression of miRNAs are associated with immunity. In this study, miRNAs were extracted from the blood of four healthy giant pandas and sequenced by Illumina next generation sequencing technology. As determined by miRNA screening, a total of 276 conserved miRNAs and 51 novel putative miRNAs candidates were detected. After differential expression analysis, we noticed that the expressions of 7 miRNAs were significantly up-regulated in young giant pandas compared with that of adults. Moreover, 2 miRNAs were up-regulated in female giant pandas and 1 in the male individuals. Target gene prediction suggested that the miRNAs of giant panda might be relevant to the expressions of 4,602 downstream genes. Subseuqently, the predicted target genes were conducted to KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes) pathway analysis and we found that these genes were mainly involved in host immunity, including the Ras signaling pathway, the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, and the MAPK signaling pathway. In conclusion, our results provide the first miRNA profiles of giant panda blood, and the predicted functional analyses may open an avenue for further study of giant panda immunity.

The predictable nature of the Paleozoic sedimentary sequence beneath the Bruce nuclear site in Southern Ontario, Canada

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Parmenter, Andrew; Jensen, Mark; Crowe, Richard

2012-01-01

hydrocarbon occurrences within the sedimentary sequence underlying the Bruce nuclear site. This information, coupled with in-situ geophysical and hydraulic borehole testing, characterization of groundwater and matrix pore fluids and laboratory based petrophysical analyses, provides a unique opportunity to describe the sub-surface geologic conditions relevant to DGR implementation and safety. Core logging revealed that the stratigraphic sequence comprises 34 distinct bedrock formations/members/units, consistent with the known regional stratigraphic framework. These sedimentary formations dip 0.6 deg. (∼10 m/km) to the southwest with highly uniform thicknesses both at the site- and regional-scale, particularly the Ordovician formations, which vary on the order of metres. The occurrence of steeply-dipping faults originating within the underlying crystalline basement is not evident through surface outcrop fracture mapping, micro-seismic (M ≥ 1) monitoring, or intersection of hydrothermally dolomitized hydrocarbon reservoir systems. Potential fault structures, interpreted from the 2-D seismic survey, were drilled and cored by angled boreholes, which found no evidence for their existence. Formation-specific continuity is evidenced by the lateral traceability of chronostratigraphic marker beds, as well as, litho-facies and their vertical transitions, at decimetre scale through the sedimentary sequence. The correlation of hydraulic conductivities, porosities and diffusion coefficients within these near-horizontal lithostratigraphic units, regardless of which individual borehole dataset is examined, is a significant factor influencing confidence in sub-surface exploration. Effective horizontal hydraulic conductivities estimated by in-situ hydraulic testing yields uniformly low values (≤10 -13 m/s) for the host Cobourg Formation and enclosing rock mass. In addition, there are evident trends, for example, between formation sheet silicate content (shale 50%; carbonate -13 and 10

The nature of the giant exomoon candidate Kepler-1625 b-i

Science.gov (United States)

Heller, René

2018-02-01

The recent announcement of a Neptune-sized exomoon candidate around the transiting Jupiter-sized object Kepler-1625 b could indicate the presence of a hitherto unknown kind of gas giant moon, if confirmed. Three transits of Kepler-1625 b have been observed, allowing estimates of the radii of both objects. Mass estimates, however, have not been backed up by radial velocity measurements of the host star. Here we investigate possible mass regimes of the transiting system that could produce the observed signatures and study them in the context of moon formation in the solar system, i.e., via impacts, capture, or in-situ accretion. The radius of Kepler-1625 b suggests it could be anything from a gas giant planet somewhat more massive than Saturn (0.4 MJup) to a brown dwarf (BD; up to 75 MJup) or even a very-low-mass star (VLMS; MJup ≈ 0.11 M⊙). The proposed companion would certainly have a planetary mass. Possible extreme scenarios range from a highly inflated Earth-mass gas satellite to an atmosphere-free water-rock companion of about 180 M⊕. Furthermore, the planet-moon dynamics during the transits suggest a total system mass of 17.6-12.6+19.2 MJup. A Neptune-mass exomoon around a giant planet or low-mass BD would not be compatible with the common mass scaling relation of the solar system moons about gas giants. The case of a mini-Neptune around a high-mass BD or a VLMS, however, would be located in a similar region of the satellite-to-host mass ratio diagram as Proxima b, the TRAPPIST-1 system, and LHS 1140 b. The capture of a Neptune-mass object around a 10 MJup planet during a close binary encounter is possible in principle. The ejected object, however, would have had to be a super-Earth object, raising further questions of how such a system could have formed. In summary, this exomoon candidate is barely compatible with established moon formation theories. If it can be validated as orbiting a super-Jovian planet, then it would pose an exquisite riddle for

Infection by a Giant Virus (AaV Induces Widespread Physiological Reprogramming in Aureococcus anophagefferens CCMP1984 – A Harmful Bloom Algae

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Mohammad Moniruzzaman

2018-04-01

Full Text Available While viruses with distinct phylogenetic origins and different nucleic acid types can infect and lyse eukaryotic phytoplankton, “giant” dsDNA viruses have been found to be associated with important ecological processes, including the collapse of algal blooms. However, the molecular aspects of giant virus–host interactions remain largely unknown. Aureococcus anophagefferens virus (AaV, a giant virus in the Mimiviridae clade, is known to play a critical role in regulating the fate of brown tide blooms caused by the pelagophyte Aureococcus anophagefferens. To understand the physiological response of A. anophagefferens CCMP1984 upon AaV infection, we studied the transcriptomic landscape of this host–virus pair over an entire infection cycle using a RNA-sequencing approach. A massive transcriptional response of the host was evident as early as 5 min post-infection, with modulation of specific processes likely related to both host defense mechanism(s and viral takeover of the cell. Infected Aureococcus showed a relative suppression of host-cell transcripts associated with photosynthesis, cytoskeleton formation, fatty acid, and carbohydrate biosynthesis. In contrast, host cell processes related to protein synthesis, polyamine biosynthesis, cellular respiration, transcription, and RNA processing were overrepresented compared to the healthy cultures at different stages of the infection cycle. A large number of redox active host-selenoproteins were overexpressed, which suggested that viral replication and assembly progresses in a highly oxidative environment. The majority (99.2% of annotated AaV genes were expressed at some point during the infection cycle and demonstrated a clear temporal–expression pattern and an increasing relative expression for the majority of the genes through the time course. We detected a putative early promoter motif for AaV, which was highly similar to the early promoter elements of two other Mimiviridae members

DISCOVERY OF A GIANT RADIO HALO IN A NEW PLANCK GALAXY CLUSTER PLCKG171.9-40.7

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Giacintucci, Simona [Department of Astronomy, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742 (United States); Kale, Ruta; Venturi, Tiziana [INAF-Istituto di Radioastronomia, via Gobetti 101, I-40129 Bologna (Italy); Wik, Daniel R.; Markevitch, Maxim, E-mail: simona@astro.umd.edu [Astrophysics Science Division, NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771 (United States)

2013-03-20

We report the discovery of a giant radio halo in a new, hot, X-ray luminous galaxy cluster recently found by Planck, PLCKG171.9-40.7. The radio halo was found using Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope observations at 235 MHz and 610 MHz, and in the 1.4 GHz data from an NRAO Very Large Array Sky Survey pointing that we have reanalyzed. The diffuse radio emission is coincident with the cluster X-ray emission, and has an extent of {approx}1 Mpc and a radio power of {approx}5 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 24} W Hz{sup -1} at 1.4 GHz. Its integrated radio spectrum has a slope of {alpha} Almost-Equal-To 1.8 between 235 MHz and 1.4 GHz, steeper than that of a typical giant halo. The analysis of the archival XMM-Newton X-ray data shows that the cluster is hot ({approx}10 keV) and disturbed, consistent with X-ray-selected clusters hosting radio halos. This is the first giant radio halo discovered in one of the new clusters found by Planck.

Rapid formation of gas giants, ice giants and super-Earths

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Boss, A P [DTM, Carnegie Institution of Washington, 5241 Broad Branch Road, NW, Washington, DC 20015 (United States)], E-mail: boss@dtm.ciw.edu

2008-08-15

Giant planets might have been formed by either of the two basic mechanisms, top-down (disk instability) or bottom-up (core accretion). The latter mechanism is the most generally accepted mechanism and it begins with the collisional accumulation of solid cores that may then accrete sufficient gas to become gas giants. The former mechanism is more heretical and begins with the gravitational instability of the protoplanetary disk gas, leading to the formation of self-gravitating protoplanets, within which the dust settles to form a solid core. The disk instability mechanism has been thought of primarily as a mechanism for the formation of gas giants, but if it occurs in a disk that is being photoevaporated by the ultraviolet radiation from nearby massive stars, then the outer gaseous protoplanets can be photoevaporated as well and stripped of their gaseous envelopes. The result would then be ice giants (cold super-Earths), such as the objects discovered recently by microlensing orbiting two presumed M dwarf stars. M dwarfs that form in regions of future high-mass star formation would be expected to produce cold super-Earths orbiting at distances of several astronomical units (AU) and beyond, while M dwarfs that form in regions of low-mass star formation would be expected to have gas giants at those distances. Given that most stars are born in the former rather than in the latter regions, M dwarfs should have significantly more super-Earths than gas giants on orbits of several AU or more.

Rapid formation of gas giants, ice giants and super-Earths

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boss, A P

2008-01-01

Giant planets might have been formed by either of the two basic mechanisms, top-down (disk instability) or bottom-up (core accretion). The latter mechanism is the most generally accepted mechanism and it begins with the collisional accumulation of solid cores that may then accrete sufficient gas to become gas giants. The former mechanism is more heretical and begins with the gravitational instability of the protoplanetary disk gas, leading to the formation of self-gravitating protoplanets, within which the dust settles to form a solid core. The disk instability mechanism has been thought of primarily as a mechanism for the formation of gas giants, but if it occurs in a disk that is being photoevaporated by the ultraviolet radiation from nearby massive stars, then the outer gaseous protoplanets can be photoevaporated as well and stripped of their gaseous envelopes. The result would then be ice giants (cold super-Earths), such as the objects discovered recently by microlensing orbiting two presumed M dwarf stars. M dwarfs that form in regions of future high-mass star formation would be expected to produce cold super-Earths orbiting at distances of several astronomical units (AU) and beyond, while M dwarfs that form in regions of low-mass star formation would be expected to have gas giants at those distances. Given that most stars are born in the former rather than in the latter regions, M dwarfs should have significantly more super-Earths than gas giants on orbits of several AU or more

Giant Cell Arteritis

Science.gov (United States)

Giant cell arteritis is a disorder that causes inflammation of your arteries, usually in the scalp, neck, and arms. ... arteries, which keeps blood from flowing well. Giant cell arteritis often occurs with another disorder called polymyalgia ...

Response of Hepatoma 9618a and Normal Liver to Host Carbogen and Carbon Monoxide Breathing

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Simon P. Robinson

1999-12-01

Full Text Available The effects of hyperoxia (induced by host carbogen 95% oxygen/5% carbon dioxide breathing. and hypoxia (induced by host carbon monoxide CO at 660 ppm. breathing were compared by using noninvasive magnetic resonance (MR methods to gain simultaneous information on blood flow/oxygenation and the bioenergetic status of rat Morris H9618a hepatomas. Both carbogen and CO breathing induced a 1.5- to 2-fold increase in signal intensity in blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD MR images. This was due to a decrease in deoxyhemoglobin (deoxyHb, which acts as an endogenous contrast agent, caused either by formation of oxyhemoglobin in the case of carbogen breathing, or carboxyhemoglobin with CO breathing. The results were confirmed by observation of similar changes in deoxyHb in arterial blood samples examined ex vivo after carbogen or CO breathing. There was no change in nucleoside triphosphates (NTP/PI in either tumor or liver after CO breathing, whereas NTP/Pl increased twofold in the hepatoma (but not in the liver after carbogen breathing. No changes in tumor intracellular pH were seen after either treatment, whereas extracellular pH became more alkaline after CO breathing and more acid after carbogen breathing, respectively. This tumor type and the liver are unaffected by CO breathing at 660 ppm, which implies an adequate oxygen supply.

Metagenomic Study Suggests That the Gut Microbiota of the Giant Panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca May Not Be Specialized for Fiber Fermentation

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Wei Guo

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Bamboo-eating giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca is an enigmatic species, which possesses a carnivore-like short and simple gastrointestinal tract (GIT. Despite the remarkable studies on giant panda, its diet adaptability status continues to be a matter of debate. To resolve this puzzle, we investigated the functional potential of the giant panda gut microbiome using shotgun metagenomic sequencing of fecal samples. We also compared our data with similar data from other animal species representing herbivores, carnivores, and omnivores from current and earlier studies. We found that the giant panda hosts a bear-like gut microbiota distinct from those of herbivores indicated by the metabolic potential of the microbiome in the gut of giant pandas and other mammals. Furthermore, the relative abundance of genes involved in cellulose- and hemicellulose-digestion, and enrichment of enzymes associated with pathways of amino acid degradation and biosynthetic reactions in giant pandas echoed a carnivore-like microbiome. Most significantly, the enzyme assay of the giant panda's feces indicated the lowest cellulase and xylanase activity among major herbivores, shown by an in-vitro experimental assay of enzyme activity for cellulose and hemicellulose-degradation. All of our results consistently indicate that the giant panda is not specialized to digest cellulose and hemicellulose from its bamboo diet, making the giant panda a good mammalian model to study the unusual link between the gut microbiome and diet. The increased food intake of the giant pandas might be a strategy to compensate for the gut microbiome functions, highlighting a strong need of conservation of the native bamboo forest both in high- and low-altitude ranges to meet the great demand of bamboo diet of giant pandas.

Metagenomic Study Suggests That the Gut Microbiota of the Giant Panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) May Not Be Specialized for Fiber Fermentation.

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Wei; Mishra, Sudhanshu; Zhao, Jiangchao; Tang, Jingsi; Zeng, Bo; Kong, Fanli; Ning, Ruihong; Li, Miao; Zhang, Hengzhi; Zeng, Yutian; Tian, Yuanliangzi; Zhong, Yihang; Luo, Hongdi; Liu, Yunhan; Yang, Jiandong; Yang, Mingyao; Zhang, Mingwang; Li, Yan; Ni, Qingyong; Li, Caiwu; Wang, Chengdong; Li, Desheng; Zhang, Hemin; Zuo, Zhili; Li, Ying

2018-01-01

Bamboo-eating giant panda ( Ailuropoda melanoleuca ) is an enigmatic species, which possesses a carnivore-like short and simple gastrointestinal tract (GIT). Despite the remarkable studies on giant panda, its diet adaptability status continues to be a matter of debate. To resolve this puzzle, we investigated the functional potential of the giant panda gut microbiome using shotgun metagenomic sequencing of fecal samples. We also compared our data with similar data from other animal species representing herbivores, carnivores, and omnivores from current and earlier studies. We found that the giant panda hosts a bear-like gut microbiota distinct from those of herbivores indicated by the metabolic potential of the microbiome in the gut of giant pandas and other mammals. Furthermore, the relative abundance of genes involved in cellulose- and hemicellulose-digestion, and enrichment of enzymes associated with pathways of amino acid degradation and biosynthetic reactions in giant pandas echoed a carnivore-like microbiome. Most significantly, the enzyme assay of the giant panda's feces indicated the lowest cellulase and xylanase activity among major herbivores, shown by an in-vitro experimental assay of enzyme activity for cellulose and hemicellulose-degradation. All of our results consistently indicate that the giant panda is not specialized to digest cellulose and hemicellulose from its bamboo diet, making the giant panda a good mammalian model to study the unusual link between the gut microbiome and diet. The increased food intake of the giant pandas might be a strategy to compensate for the gut microbiome functions, highlighting a strong need of conservation of the native bamboo forest both in high- and low-altitude ranges to meet the great demand of bamboo diet of giant pandas.

Influencing factors on δ(13C) of organic matter and carbonate in labke sediments on songnen plain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ou Wenjia; Zhang Chengjun

2009-01-01

Carbon isotopic compositions of organic matter and carbonate in surface sediments from lakes in Songnen Plain, northeast of China, were carried out.n-alkanes carbon distribution characteristics of the organic matter in lake sediments were also analyzed to identify the source of organic matter and sedimentary environment in these lakes. With the limnological characteristics of water and sediment, the influencing factors on isotopic composition in sedimentary organic matter and carbonate were discussed. The results showed that types of organic matter affected the carbon isotopic composition. 13 C of carbonate depleted by input of biologic organic matter and enriched by input of oil pollution. (authors)

Isotopic fractionation between organic carbon and carbonate carbon in Precambrian banded ironstone series from Brazil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schidlowski, M.; Eichmann, R.; Fiebiger, W.

1976-01-01

37 delta 13 Csub(org) and 9 delta 13 Csub(carb) values furnished by argillaceous and carbonate sediments from the Rio das Velhas and Minas Series (Minas Gerais, Brazil) have yielded means of -24.3 +- 3.9 promille [PDB] and -0.9 +- 1.4 promille [PDB], respectively. These results, obtained from a major sedimentary banded ironstone province with an age between 2 and 3 x 10 9 yr, support previous assumptions that isotopic fractionation between inorganic and organic carbon in Precambrian sediments is about the same as in Phanerozoic rocks. This is consistent with a theoretically expected constancy of the kinetic fractionation factor governing biological carbon fixation and, likewise, with a photosynthetic pedigree of the reduced carbon fraction of Precambrian rocks. (orig.) [de

TESTING THE METAL OF LATE-TYPE KEPLER PLANET HOSTS WITH IRON-CLAD METHODS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mann, Andrew W.; Hilton, Eric J. [Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawaii, 2680 Woodlawn Dr, Honolulu, HI 96822 (United States); Gaidos, Eric [Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Hawaii, 1680 East-West Road, Honolulu, HI 96822 (United States); Kraus, Adam [Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden St, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States)

2013-06-10

It has been shown that F, G, and early K dwarf hosts of Neptune-sized planets are not preferentially metal-rich. However, it is less clear whether the same holds for late K and M dwarf planet hosts. We report metallicities of Kepler targets and candidate transiting planet hosts with effective temperatures below 4500 K. We use new metallicity calibrations to determine [Fe/H] from visible and near-infrared spectra. We find that the metallicity distribution of late K and M dwarfs monitored by Kepler is consistent with that of the solar neighborhood. Further, we show that hosts of Earth- to Neptune-sized planets have metallicities consistent with those lacking detected planets and rule out a previously claimed 0.2 dex offset between the two distributions at 6{sigma} confidence. We also demonstrate that the metallicities of late K and M dwarfs hosting multiple detected planets are consistent with those lacking detected planets. Our results indicate that multiple terrestrial and Neptune-sized planets can form around late K and M dwarfs with metallicities as low as 0.25 solar. The presence of Neptune-sized planets orbiting such low-metallicity M dwarfs suggests that accreting planets collect most or all of the solids from the disk and that the potential cores of giant planets can readily form around M dwarfs. The paucity of giant planets around M dwarfs compared to solar-type stars must be due to relatively rapid disk evaporation or a slower rate of planet accretion, rather than insufficient solids to form a core.

TESTING THE METAL OF LATE-TYPE KEPLER PLANET HOSTS WITH IRON-CLAD METHODS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mann, Andrew W.; Hilton, Eric J.; Gaidos, Eric; Kraus, Adam

2013-01-01

It has been shown that F, G, and early K dwarf hosts of Neptune-sized planets are not preferentially metal-rich. However, it is less clear whether the same holds for late K and M dwarf planet hosts. We report metallicities of Kepler targets and candidate transiting planet hosts with effective temperatures below 4500 K. We use new metallicity calibrations to determine [Fe/H] from visible and near-infrared spectra. We find that the metallicity distribution of late K and M dwarfs monitored by Kepler is consistent with that of the solar neighborhood. Further, we show that hosts of Earth- to Neptune-sized planets have metallicities consistent with those lacking detected planets and rule out a previously claimed 0.2 dex offset between the two distributions at 6σ confidence. We also demonstrate that the metallicities of late K and M dwarfs hosting multiple detected planets are consistent with those lacking detected planets. Our results indicate that multiple terrestrial and Neptune-sized planets can form around late K and M dwarfs with metallicities as low as 0.25 solar. The presence of Neptune-sized planets orbiting such low-metallicity M dwarfs suggests that accreting planets collect most or all of the solids from the disk and that the potential cores of giant planets can readily form around M dwarfs. The paucity of giant planets around M dwarfs compared to solar-type stars must be due to relatively rapid disk evaporation or a slower rate of planet accretion, rather than insufficient solids to form a core.

Genesis of Pb-Zn-Cu-Ag Deposits within Permian Carboniferous-Carbonate Rocks in Madina Regency, North Sumatra

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Bhakti Hamonangan Harahap

2015-09-01

Full Text Available DOI:10.17014/ijog.2.3.167-184Strong mineralized carbonate rock-bearing Pb-Zn-Cu-Ag-(Au ores are well exposed on the Latong River area, Madina Regency, North Sumatra Province. The ore deposit is hosted within the carbonate rocks of the Permian to Carboniferous Tapanuli Group. It is mainly accumulated in hollows replacing limestone in the forms of lensoidal, colloform, veins, veinlets, cavity filling, breccia, and dissemination. The ores dominantly consist of galena (126 000 ppm Pb and sphalerite (2347 ppm Zn. The other minerals are silver, azurite, covellite, pyrite, marcasite, and chalcopyrite. This deposit was formed by at least three phases of mineralization, i.e. pyrite and then galena replaced pyrite, sphalerite replaced galena, and pyrite. The last phase is the deposition of chalcopyrite that replaced sphalerite. The Latong sulfide ore deposits posses Pb isotope ratio of 206Pb/204Pb = 19.16 - 20.72, 207Pb/204Pb = 16.16 - 17.29, and 208Pb/204Pb = 42.92 - 40.78. The characteristic feature of the deposit indicates that it is formed by a sedimentary process rather than an igneous activity in origin. This leads to an interpretation that the Latong deposit belongs to the Sedimentary Hosted Massive Sulfide (SHMS of Mississippi Valley-Type (MVT. The presence of SHMS in the island arc such as Sumatra has become controversial. For a long time, ore deposits in the Indonesian Island Arc are always identical with the porphyry and hydrothermal processes related to arc magmatism. This paper is dealing with the geology of Latong and its base metal deposits. This work is also to interpret their genesis as well as general relationship to the regional geology and tectonic setting of Sumatra.

Big Sky Carbon Sequestration Partnership

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Susan Capalbo

2005-12-31

The Big Sky Carbon Sequestration Partnership, led by Montana State University, is comprised of research institutions, public entities and private sectors organizations, and the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes and the Nez Perce Tribe. Efforts under this Partnership in Phase I are organized into four areas: (1) Evaluation of sources and carbon sequestration sinks that will be used to determine the location of pilot demonstrations in Phase II; (2) Development of GIS-based reporting framework that links with national networks; (3) Design of an integrated suite of monitoring, measuring, and verification technologies, market-based opportunities for carbon management, and an economic/risk assessment framework; (referred to below as the Advanced Concepts component of the Phase I efforts) and (4) Initiation of a comprehensive education and outreach program. As a result of the Phase I activities, the groundwork is in place to provide an assessment of storage capabilities for CO{sub 2} utilizing the resources found in the Partnership region (both geological and terrestrial sinks), that complements the ongoing DOE research agenda in Carbon Sequestration. The geology of the Big Sky Carbon Sequestration Partnership Region is favorable for the potential sequestration of enormous volume of CO{sub 2}. The United States Geological Survey (USGS 1995) identified 10 geologic provinces and 111 plays in the region. These provinces and plays include both sedimentary rock types characteristic of oil, gas, and coal productions as well as large areas of mafic volcanic rocks. Of the 10 provinces and 111 plays, 1 province and 4 plays are located within Idaho. The remaining 9 provinces and 107 plays are dominated by sedimentary rocks and located in the states of Montana and Wyoming. The potential sequestration capacity of the 9 sedimentary provinces within the region ranges from 25,000 to almost 900,000 million metric tons of CO{sub 2}. Overall every sedimentary formation investigated

Deciphering the genomes of 16 Acanthamoeba species does not provide evidence of integration of known giant virus-associated mobile genetic elements.

Science.gov (United States)

Chelkha, Nisrine; Colson, Philippe; Levasseur, Anthony; La Scola, Bernard

2018-06-02

Giant viruses infect protozoa, especially amoebae of the genus Acanthamoeba. These viruses possess genetic elements named Mobilome. So far, this mobilome comprises provirophages which are integrated into the genome of their hosts, transpovirons, and Maverick/Polintons. Virophages replicate inside virus factories within Acanthamoeba and can decrease the infectivity of giant viruses. The virophage infecting CroV was found to be integrated in the host of CroV, Cafeteria roenbergensis, thus protecting C. roenbergensis by reduction of CroV multiplication. Because of this unique property, assessment of the mechanisms of replication of virophages and their relationship with giant viruses is a key element of this investigation. This work aimed at evaluating the presence and the dynamic of these mobile elements in sixteen Acanthamoeba genomes. No significant traces of the integration of genomes or sequences from known virophages were identified in all the available Acanthamoeba genomes. These results brought us to hypothesize that the interactions between mimiviruses and their virophages might occur through different mechanisms, or at low frequency. An additional explanation could be that our knowledge of the diversity of virophages is still very limited. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Dietary shift and dysbiosis may trigger mucous stools in giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca

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Candace L Williams

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Dietary shifts can result in dysbiosis between the host and its gastrointestinal tract (GIT microbiota, leading to negative outcomes including inflammation. Giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca are physiologically classified as carnivores; however, they consume a herbivorous diet with dramatic seasonal feeding shifts and episodes of chronic GIT distress with symptoms including abdominal pain, loss of appetite and the excretion of mucous stools (mucoids. These episodes adversely affect the overall nutritional and health status of giant pandas. Here, we examined the fecal microbiota of two giant pandas’ normal and mucoid stools and compared these microbiota to baseline samples from a season with historically few episodes. To identify the microbiota present, we isolated and sequenced 16S rRNA using next-generation sequencing. Mucoids occurred following a seasonal feeding switch from predominately bamboo culm (stalk to leaves. All fecal samples displayed low diversity and were dominated by bacterial in the phyla Firmicutes and to a lesser extent, the Proteobacteria. Fecal samples immediately prior to mucoid episodes had lower microbial diversity compared to baseline samples, followed by increased diversity in mucoids. Mucoids were mostly comprised of common mucosal-associated taxa including Streptococcus and Leuconostoc species, and exhibited increased abundance for bacteria in the family Pasteurellaceae. Taken together, these findings indicate that diet-induced intestinal dysbiosis in giant pandas likely results in an expulsion of the mucosal lining in the form of mucoids. We suggest that these occurrences serve to reset their GIT microbiota, as giant pandas have retained a carnivorous GIT anatomy while shifting to an herbivorous diet.

Anthropogenic Forcing of Carbonate and Organic Carbon Preservation in Marine Sediments.

Science.gov (United States)

Keil, Richard

2017-01-03

Carbon preservation in marine sediments, supplemented by that in large lakes, is the primary mechanism that moves carbon from the active surficial carbon cycle to the slower geologic carbon cycle. Preservation rates are low relative to the rates at which carbon moves between surface pools, which has led to the preservation term largely being ignored when evaluating anthropogenic forcing of the global carbon cycle. However, a variety of anthropogenic drivers-including ocean warming, deoxygenation, and acidification, as well as human-induced changes in sediment delivery to the ocean and mixing and irrigation of continental margin sediments-all work to decrease the already small carbon preservation term. These drivers affect the cycling of both carbonate and organic carbon in the ocean. The overall effect of anthropogenic forcing in the modern ocean is to decrease delivery of carbon to sediments, increase sedimentary dissolution and remineralization, and subsequently decrease overall carbon preservation.

The SOPHIE search for northern extrasolar planets. X. Detection and characterization of giant planets by the dozen

Science.gov (United States)

Hébrard, G.; Arnold, L.; Forveille, T.; Correia, A. C. M.; Laskar, J.; Bonfils, X.; Boisse, I.; Díaz, R. F.; Hagelberg, J.; Sahlmann, J.; Santos, N. C.; Astudillo-Defru, N.; Borgniet, S.; Bouchy, F.; Bourrier, V.; Courcol, B.; Delfosse, X.; Deleuil, M.; Demangeon, O.; Ehrenreich, D.; Gregorio, J.; Jovanovic, N.; Labrevoir, O.; Lagrange, A.-M.; Lovis, C.; Lozi, J.; Moutou, C.; Montagnier, G.; Pepe, F.; Rey, J.; Santerne, A.; Ségransan, D.; Udry, S.; Vanhuysse, M.; Vigan, A.; Wilson, P. A.

2016-04-01

We present new radial velocity measurements of eight stars that were secured with the spectrograph SOPHIE at the 193 cm telescope of the Haute-Provence Observatory. The measurements allow detecting and characterizing new giant extrasolar planets. The host stars are dwarfs of spectral types between F5 and K0 and magnitudes of between 6.7 and 9.6; the planets have minimum masses Mp sin I of between 0.4 to 3.8 MJup and orbitalperiods of several days to several months. The data allow only single planets to be discovered around the first six stars (HD 143105, HIP 109600, HD 35759, HIP 109384, HD 220842, and HD 12484), but one of them shows the signature of an additional substellar companion in the system. The seventh star, HIP 65407, allows the discovery of two giant planets that orbit just outside the 12:5 resonance in weak mutual interaction. The last star, HD 141399, was already known to host a four-planet system; our additional data and analyses allow new constraints to be set on it. We present Keplerian orbits of all systems, together with dynamical analyses of the two multi-planet systems. HD 143105 is one of the brightest stars known to host a hot Jupiter, which could allow numerous follow-up studies to be conducted even though this is not a transiting system. The giant planets HIP 109600b, HIP 109384b, and HD 141399c are located in the habitable zone of their host star. Based on observations collected with the SOPHIE spectrograph on the 1.93-m telescope at Observatoire de Haute-Provence (CNRS), France, by the SOPHIE Consortium (programs 07A.PNP.CONS to 15A.PNP.CONS).Full version of the SOPHIE measurements (Table 1) is only available at the CDS via anonymous ftp to http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (ftp://130.79.128.5) or via http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr/viz-bin/qcat?J/A+A/588/A145

Rare earth elements and neodymium isotopes in sedimentary organic matter

Science.gov (United States)

Freslon, Nicolas; Bayon, Germain; Toucanne, Samuel; Bermell, Sylvain; Bollinger, Claire; Chéron, Sandrine; Etoubleau, Joel; Germain, Yoan; Khripounoff, Alexis; Ponzevera, Emmanuel; Rouget, Marie-Laure

2014-09-01

We report rare earth element (REE) and neodymium (Nd) isotope data for the organic fraction of sediments collected from various depositional environments, i.e. rivers (n = 25), estuaries (n = 18), open-ocean settings (n = 15), and cold seeps (n = 12). Sedimentary organic matter (SOM) was extracted using a mixed hydrogen peroxide/nitric acid solution (20%-H2O2-0.02 M-HNO3), after removal of carbonate and oxy-hydroxide phases with dilute hydrochloric acid (0.25 M-HCl). A series of experimental tests indicate that extraction of sedimentary organic compounds using H2O2 may be complicated occasionally by partial dissolution of sulphide minerals and residual carbonates. However, this contamination is expected to be minor for REE because measured concentrations in H2O2 leachates are about two-orders of magnitude higher than in the above mentioned phases. The mean REE concentrations determined in the H2O2 leachates for samples from rivers, estuaries, coastal seas and open-ocean settings yield relatively similar levels, with ΣREE = 109 ± 86 ppm (mean ± s; n = 58). The organic fractions leached from cold seep sediments display even higher concentration levels (285 ± 150 ppm; mean ± s; n = 12). The H2O2 leachates for most sediments exhibit remarkably similar shale-normalized REE patterns, all characterized by a mid-REE enrichment compared to the other REE. This suggests that the distribution of REE in leached sedimentary organic phases is controlled primarily by biogeochemical processes, rather than by the composition of the source from which they derive (e.g. pore, river or sea-water). The Nd isotopic compositions for organic phases leached from river sediments are very similar to those for the corresponding detrital fractions. In contrast, the SOM extracted from marine sediments display εNd values that typically range between the εNd signatures for terrestrial organic matter (inferred from the analysis of the sedimentary detrital fractions) and marine organic matter

Stratigraphy of neoproterozoic sedimentary and volcano sedimentary successions of Uruguay

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pecoits, E.; Aubet, N.; Oyhantcabal, P.; Sanchez Bettucci, L.

2004-01-01

Based on the new data the different characteristics of the Neoproterozoic (volcano) sedimentary succesions of Uruguay are described and discussed. Their stratigraphic tectonics and palaeoclimatic implications are analyzed.The results of the present investigations also allow to define the Maldonado Group which would beintegrated by the Playa Hermosa and Las Ventanas formations.

Amoeba/amoebal symbiont genetic transfers: lessons from giant virus neighbours.

Science.gov (United States)

Thomas, Vincent; Greub, Gilbert

2010-01-01

Free-living amoebae serve as hosts for a variety of amoebae-resisting microorganisms, including giant viruses and certain bacteria. The latter include symbiotic bacteria as well as bacteria exhibiting a pathogenic phenotype towards amoebae. Amoebae-resisting bacteria have been shown to be widespread in water and to use the amoebae as a reservoir, a replication niche, a protective armour as well as a training ground to select virulence traits allowing survival in the face of microbicidal effects of macrophages, the first line of defense against invading pathogens. More importantly, amoebae play a significant role as a melting pot for genetic exchanges. These ecological and evolutionary roles of amoebae might also be at play for giant viruses and knowledge derived from the study of amoebae-resisting bacteria is useful for the study and understanding of interactions between amoebae and giant viruses. This is especially important since some genes have spread in all domains of life and the exponential availability of eukaryotic genomes and metagenomic sequences will allow researchers to explore these genetic exchanges in a more comprehensive way, thus completely changing our perception of the evolutionary history of organisms. Thus, a large part of this review is dedicated to report current known gene exchanges between the different amoebae-resisting organisms and between amoebae and the internalized bacteria. Copyright 2010 S. Karger AG, Basel.

The magnetic fields at the surface of active single G-K giants

Science.gov (United States)

Aurière, M.; Konstantinova-Antova, R.; Charbonnel, C.; Wade, G. A.; Tsvetkova, S.; Petit, P.; Dintrans, B.; Drake, N. A.; Decressin, T.; Lagarde, N.; Donati, J.-F.; Roudier, T.; Lignières, F.; Schröder, K.-P.; Landstreet, J. D.; Lèbre, A.; Weiss, W. W.; Zahn, J.-P.

2015-02-01

Aims: We investigate the magnetic field at the surface of 48 red giants selected as promising for detection of Stokes V Zeeman signatures in their spectral lines. In our sample, 24 stars are identified from the literature as presenting moderate to strong signs of magnetic activity. An additional 7 stars are identified as those in which thermohaline mixing appears not to have occured, which could be due to hosting a strong magnetic field. Finally, we observed 17 additional very bright stars which enable a sensitive search to be performed with the spectropolarimetric technique. Methods: We use the spectropolarimeters Narval and ESPaDOnS to detect circular polarization within the photospheric absorption lines of our targets. We treat the spectropolarimetric data using the least-squares deconvolution method to create high signal-to-noise ratio mean Stokes V profiles. We also measure the classical S-index activity indicator for the Ca ii H&K lines, and the stellar radial velocity. To infer the evolutionary status of our giants and to interpret our results, we use state-of-the-art stellar evolutionary models with predictions of convective turnover times. Results: We unambiguously detect magnetic fields via Zeeman signatures in 29 of the 48 red giants in our sample. Zeeman signatures are found in all but one of the 24 red giants exhibiting signs of activity, as well as 6 out of 17 bright giant stars. However no detections were obtained in the 7 thermohaline deviant giants. The majority of the magnetically detected giants are either in the first dredge up phase or at the beginning of core He burning, i.e. phases when the convective turnover time is at a maximum: this corresponds to a "magnetic strip" for red giants in the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram. A close study of the 16 giants with known rotational periods shows that the measured magnetic field strength is tightly correlated with the rotational properties, namely to the rotational period and to the Rossby number Ro

Lower Cretaceous paleo-Vertisols and sedimentary interrelationships in stacked alluvial sequences, Utah, USA

Science.gov (United States)

Joeckel, R. M.; Ludvigson, G. A.; Kirkland, J. I.

2017-11-01

The Yellow Cat Member of the Cedar Mountain Formation in Poison Strip, Utah, USA, consists of stacked, erosionally bounded alluvial sequences dominated by massive mudstones (lithofacies Fm) with paleo-Vertisols. Sediment bodies within these sequences grade vertically and laterally into each other at pedogenic boundaries, across which color, texture, and structures (sedimentary vs. pedogenic) change. Slickensides, unfilled (sealed) cracks, carbonate-filled cracks, and deeper cracks filled with sandstone; the latter features suggest thorough desiccation during aridification. Thin sandstones (Sms) in some sequences, typically as well as laminated to massive mudstones (Flm) with which they are interbedded in some cases, are interpreted as avulsion deposits. The termini of many beds of these lithofacies curve upward, parallel to nearby pedogenic slickensides, as the features we call ;turnups.; Turnups are overlain or surrounded by paleosols, but strata sheltered underneath beds with turnups retain primary sedimentary fabrics. Turnups were produced by movement along slickensides during pedogenesis, by differential compaction alongside pre-existing gilgai microhighs, or by a combination of both. Palustrine carbonates (lithofacies C) appear only in the highest or next-highest alluvial sequences, along with a deep paleo-Vertisol that exhibits partially preserved microrelief at the base of the overlying Poison Strip Member. The attributes of the Yellow Cat Member suggest comparatively low accommodation, slow accumulation, long hiatuses in clastic sedimentation, and substantial time intervals of subaerial exposure and pedogenesis; it appears to be distinct among the members of the Cedar Mountain Formation in these respects.

Sedimentary Geology Context and Challenges for Cyberinfrastructure Data Management

Science.gov (United States)

Chan, M. A.; Budd, D. A.

2014-12-01

A cyberinfrastructure data management system for sedimentary geology is crucial to multiple facets of interdisciplinary Earth science research, as sedimentary systems form the deep-time framework for many geoscience communities. The breadth and depth of the sedimentary field spans research on the processes that form, shape and affect the Earth's sedimentary crust and distribute resources such as hydrocarbons, coal, and water. The sedimentary record is used by Earth scientists to explore questions such as the continental crust evolution, dynamics of Earth's past climates and oceans, evolution of the biosphere, and the human interface with Earth surface processes. Major challenges to a data management system for sedimentary geology are the volume and diversity of field, analytical, and experimental data, along with many types of physical objects. Objects include rock samples, biological specimens, cores, and photographs. Field data runs the gamut from discrete location and spatial orientation to vertical records of bed thickness, textures, color, sedimentary structures, and grain types. Ex situ information can include geochemistry, mineralogy, petrophysics, chronologic, and paleobiologic data. All data types cover multiple order-of-magnitude scales, often requiring correlation of the multiple scales with varying degrees of resolution. The stratigraphic framework needs dimensional context with locality, time, space, and depth relationships. A significant challenge is that physical objects represent discrete values at specific points, but measured stratigraphic sections are continuous. In many cases, field data is not easily quantified, and determining uncertainty can be difficult. Despite many possible hurdles, the sedimentary community is anxious to embrace geoinformatic resources that can provide better tools to integrate the many data types, create better search capabilities, and equip our communities to conduct high-impact science at unprecedented levels.

Dependence of hydrogen storage characteristics of mechanically milled carbon materials on their host structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shindo, K.; Kondo, T.; Sakurai, Y.

2004-01-01

We investigated whether the hydrogen storage characteristics of carbon materials prepared by mechanical milling in an H 2 atmosphere were dependent on their host structures. We used natural graphite (NG) and activated carbon fibers (ACF) and compared them with activated carbon (AC) powders. The XRD patterns of NG and ACF milled for over 20 h and SEM images of these samples milled for 80 h were almost the same as those of AC. The hydrogen storage capacities of NG and ACF estimated by the inert gas fusion-thermal conductivity method increased with the mechanical milling time up to 10 h and showed little milling time dependence thereafter. The capacities of NG and ACF reached about 3.0 wt.% and were similar to that of AC. However, it should be noted that the hydrogen storage mechanism of NG and ACF mechanically milled in an H 2 atmosphere might be different because the changes in their specific surface areas with milling time were opposite. Thermal desorption mass spectroscopy (TDS) revealed that the desorption spectra of the hydrogen molecules (mass number=2) of NG and ACF milled for 10 h in the same way as AC contained two peaks at about 500 and 800 deg. C. The desorption activation energies of hydrogenated NG and ACF at these peaks calculated from a Kissinger plot were almost with the same as those of hydrogenated AC. This suggests that the state of the hydrogen trapped in the structural defects in NG introduced by the mechanical milling may be almost the same as that of AC. In addition, we assumed the possibility that the state of the hydrogen in ACF hydrogenated by mechanical milling could be almost the same as that in hydrogenated AC. We considered that the nanocarbon materials hydrogenated under our milling conditions had very similar physical shapes and hydrogen storage capacities, independent of their host structures

Geologic processes and sedimentary system on Mars

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lewis, A S

1988-01-01

The subject is covered under following headings: (1) morphology and processes at the martian surface (impact craters, water and ice, landslide, aeolian processes, volcanism, chemical weathering); (2) the sedimentary system (martian geologic documentation, sedimentary balance, regolith, pyroclastics, erosion phenomena, deposit and loss of sediments) as well as (3) summary and final remarks. 72 refs.

Mineralization, geochemistry, fluid inclusion and sulfur stable isotope studies in the carbonate hosted Baqoroq Cu-Zn-As deposit (NE Anarak

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohammad Ali Jazi

2015-10-01

bacterial sulfate reduction or by nonbacterial sulfate reduction through a reaction with organic materialin the sedimentary rocks (thermochemical sulfate reduction. However, the narrow range of δ34S and positive values indicates that they were not produced by bacterial sulfate reduction.Partial thermochemical reduction of sulfates has apparently produced light sulfurvalues (~ 21‰ lighter and it has been effective inthe deposition of ore minerals. Organic matter occurs as graphite in the Baqoroq formation in proximity of Baqoroq deposit (Cherepovsky et al., 1982. Discussion Epigenetic, stratabound and discordant Cu-Zn-As mineralization in the Baqoroq deposit occurs as open space filling of upper Cretaceous rocks. Host rock is partially dolomitized by ascending warm, saline fluids. Seawater sulfates were the source of the sulfidesulfur and the sulfate in the barite. The reduced sulfur was generated by partial thermochemical reduction and it was effective inthe deposition ofthe ore minerals. Based onthe evidence of carbonate host rocks, the absence of igneous activity, the open space filling texture, mineralogy, dolomite alteration, ore geochemistry (As and Sb high content and absence of Bi, microthermometric data of ore bearing fluid and sulfur isotope values, the Baqoroq deposit is very similar to the carbonate hosted copper deposits in Africa and in particular the Tsumeb deposit in Namibia. The Baqoroqdepositmay have been produced bymetamorphicfluids during orogenyrelated to theclosureof the Neo-Tethys ocean. References Cherepovsky, N., Plyaskin, V., Zhitinev, N., Kokorin, Y., Susov, M., Melnikov, B. and Aistov, L., 1982. Report on detailed geological prospecting in Anarak area (Central Iran Nakhlak locality. Geological Survey of Iran and Technoexport Company, Tehran. Report 14, 196 pp. Jazi, M.A., Karimpour, M.H., Malekzadeh, A. and Rahimi, B., 2015. Stratigraphic, lithological and structural controls in placement of Nakhlak deposit (northeast of Esfahan. Advanced

Evidence of an Upper Bound on the Masses of Planets and Its Implications for Giant Planet Formation

Science.gov (United States)

Schlaufman, Kevin C.

2018-01-01

Celestial bodies with a mass of M≈ 10 {M}{Jup} have been found orbiting nearby stars. It is unknown whether these objects formed like gas-giant planets through core accretion or like stars through gravitational instability. I show that objects with M≲ 4 {M}{Jup} orbit metal-rich solar-type dwarf stars, a property associated with core accretion. Objects with M≳ 10 {M}{Jup} do not share this property. This transition is coincident with a minimum in the occurrence rate of such objects, suggesting that the maximum mass of a celestial body formed through core accretion like a planet is less than 10 {M}{Jup}. Consequently, objects with M≳ 10 {M}{Jup} orbiting solar-type dwarf stars likely formed through gravitational instability and should not be thought of as planets. Theoretical models of giant planet formation in scaled minimum-mass solar nebula Shakura–Sunyaev disks with standard parameters tuned to produce giant planets predict a maximum mass nearly an order of magnitude larger. To prevent newly formed giant planets from growing larger than 10 {M}{Jup}, protoplanetary disks must therefore be significantly less viscous or of lower mass than typically assumed during the runaway gas accretion stage of giant planet formation. Either effect would act to slow the Type I/II migration of planetary embryos/giant planets and promote their survival. These inferences are insensitive to the host star mass, planet formation location, or characteristic disk dissipation time.

Des-A-lupane in an East African lake sedimentary record as a new proxy for the stable carbon isotopic composition of C3 plants

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Bree, Loes G.J.; Rijpstra, W. Irene C; Al-Dhabi, N.A.; Verschuren, D.; Sinninghe Damste, J.S.; de Leeuw, J.W.

2016-01-01

We studied the high-resolution and well-dated 25,000 year sedimentary record of Lake Challa, a deep tropical crater lake in equatorial East Africa, to explore new proxies for paleoenvironmental and paleohydrological change. Sedimentary biomarker analysis revealed the presence of des-A-triterpenoids

Evidence for lignin oxidation by the giant panda fecal microbiome.

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Wei Fang

Full Text Available The digestion of lignin and lignin-related phenolic compounds from bamboo by giant pandas has puzzled scientists because of the lack of lignin-degrading genes in the genome of the bamboo-feeding animals. We constructed a 16S rRNA gene library from the microorganisms derived from the giant panda feces to identify the possibility for the presence of potential lignin-degrading bacteria. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the phylotypes of the intestinal bacteria were affiliated with the phyla Proteobacteria (53% and Firmicutes (47%. Two phylotypes were affiliated with the known lignin-degrading bacterium Pseudomonas putida and the mangrove forest bacteria. To test the hypothesis that microbes in the giant panda gut help degrade lignin, a metagenomic library of the intestinal bacteria was constructed and screened for clones that contained genes encoding laccase, a lignin-degrading related enzyme. A multicopper oxidase gene, designated as lac51, was identified from a metagenomic clone. Sequence analysis and copper content determination indicated that Lac51 is a laccase rather than a metallo-oxidase and may work outside its original host cell because it has a TAT-type signal peptide and a transmembrane segment at its N-terminus. Lac51 oxidizes a variety of lignin-related phenolic compounds, including syringaldazine, 2,6-dimethoxyphenol, ferulic acid, veratryl alcohol, guaiacol, and sinapinic acid at conditions that simulate the physiologic environment in giant panda intestines. Furthermore, in the presence of 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS, syringic acid, or ferulic acid as mediators, the oxidative ability of Lac51 on lignin was promoted. The absorbance of lignin at 445 nm decreased to 36% for ABTS, 51% for syringic acid, and 51% for ferulic acid after incubation for 10 h. Our findings demonstrate that the intestinal bacteria of giant pandas may facilitate the oxidation of lignin moieties, thereby clarifying the digestion

Three-dimensional hierarchical porous tubular carbon as a host matrix for long-term lithium-selenium batteries

Science.gov (United States)

Jia, Min; Lu, Shiyu; Chen, Yuming; Liu, Ting; Han, Jin; Shen, Bolei; Wu, Xiaoshuai; Bao, Shu-Juan; Jiang, Jian; Xu, Maowen

2017-11-01

Lithium-selenium (Li-Se) batteries are of great interest as a representative family of electrochemical energy storage systems because of their high theoretical volumetric capacity and considerable electronic conductivity. However, the main drawback of Se electrodes is the rapid capacity fading caused by the dissolution of polyselenides upon cycling. Here, we report a simple, economical, and effective method for the synthesis of three-dimensional (3D) hierarchical porous carbon with a hollow tubular structure as a host matrix for loading Se and trapping polyselenides. The as-obtained porous tubular carbon shows a superior specific surface area of 1786 m2 g-1, a high pore volume of 0.79 cm3 g-1, and many nanostructured pores. Benefiting from the unique structural characteristics, the resulting hierarchical porous carbon/Se composite exhibits a high capacity of 515 mAh g-1 at 0.2 C. More importantly, a remarkable cycling stability over 900 cycles at 2 C with a capacity fading rate of merely 0.02% per cycle can be achieved. The 3D hollow porous tubular carbon can be also used for other high-performance electrodes of electrochemical energy storage.

The impact of vegetation on sedimentary organic matter composition and PAH desorption

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nichols, Elizabeth Guthrie [North Carolina State University, Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources, 2800 Faucette Drive, Raleigh, NC 27695 (United States)], E-mail: elizabeth_nichols@ncsu.edu; Gregory, Samuel T.; Musella, Jennifer S. [North Carolina State University, Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources, 2800 Faucette Drive, Raleigh, NC 27695 (United States)

2008-12-15

Relationships between sedimentary organic matter (SOM) composition and PAH desorption behavior were determined for vegetated and non-vegetated refinery distillate waste sediments. Sediments were fractionated into size, density, and humin fractions and analyzed for their organic matter content. Bulk sediment and humin fractions differed more in organic matter composition than size/density fractions. Vegetated humin and bulk sediments contained more polar organic carbon, black carbon, and modern (plant) carbon than non-vegetated sediment fractions. Desorption kinetics of phenanthrene, pyrene, chrysene, and C{sub 3}-phenanthrene/anthracenes from humin and bulk sediments were investigated using Tenax beads and a two-compartment, first-order kinetic model. PAH desorption from distillate waste sediments appeared to be controlled by the slow desorbing fractions of sediment; rate constants were similar to literature values for k{sub slow} and k{sub veryslow}. After several decades of plant colonization and growth (Phragmites australis), vegetated sediment fractions more extensively desorbed PAHs and had faster desorption kinetics than non-vegetated sediment fractions. - Plants alter sediment organic matter composition and PAH desorption behavior.

The impact of vegetation on sedimentary organic matter composition and PAH desorption

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nichols, Elizabeth Guthrie; Gregory, Samuel T.; Musella, Jennifer S.

2008-01-01

Relationships between sedimentary organic matter (SOM) composition and PAH desorption behavior were determined for vegetated and non-vegetated refinery distillate waste sediments. Sediments were fractionated into size, density, and humin fractions and analyzed for their organic matter content. Bulk sediment and humin fractions differed more in organic matter composition than size/density fractions. Vegetated humin and bulk sediments contained more polar organic carbon, black carbon, and modern (plant) carbon than non-vegetated sediment fractions. Desorption kinetics of phenanthrene, pyrene, chrysene, and C 3 -phenanthrene/anthracenes from humin and bulk sediments were investigated using Tenax beads and a two-compartment, first-order kinetic model. PAH desorption from distillate waste sediments appeared to be controlled by the slow desorbing fractions of sediment; rate constants were similar to literature values for k slow and k veryslow . After several decades of plant colonization and growth (Phragmites australis), vegetated sediment fractions more extensively desorbed PAHs and had faster desorption kinetics than non-vegetated sediment fractions. - Plants alter sediment organic matter composition and PAH desorption behavior

Tunga penetrans and further parasites in the giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla) from Minas Gerais, Brazil.

Science.gov (United States)

Frank, Raphael; Melaun, Christian; Martins, Maria Marlene; Santos, André Luiz Quagliatto; Heukelbach, Jörg; Klimpel, Sven

2012-11-01

The Brazilian savannah-like area, the Cerrado region, covers large areas of the country and provides a habitat for a multitude of different animal species. The giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla) is geographically widespread and one of the typical inhabitants of the Cerrado. They are listed as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources. A population loss of at least 30 % over the past 10 years has been estimated based on local extinctions, habitat loss and deaths caused by fires, roadkills and hunting. Little is known about ecological and in particular parasitic conditions of this highly specialised insectivore species. During September and November 2010 we examined three roadkilled giant anteater for the presence of metazoan ecto- and endoparasites. Besides the cestode species Oochoristica tetragonocephala and the tick species Amblyomma nodosum, we found for the first time the flea Tunga penetrans. Beside morphological flea species identification, we compared a fragment of the 16S rRNA gene of eggs, a molecular method utilised for the first time in this combination. The identification of T. penetrans in M. tridactyla represents a new host record and expands the host and distribution range of the zoonotic flea species.

Application of Nuclear Volume Measurements to Comprehend the Cell Cycle in Root-Knot Nematode-Induced Giant Cells

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José Dijair Antonino de Souza Junior

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Root-knot nematodes induce galls that contain giant-feeding cells harboring multiple enlarged nuclei within the roots of host plants. It is recognized that the cell cycle plays an essential role in the set-up of a peculiar nuclear organization that seemingly steers nematode feeding site induction and development. Functional studies of a large set of cell cycle genes in transgenic lines of the model host Arabidopsis thaliana have contributed to better understand the role of the cell cycle components and their implication in the establishment of functional galls. Mitotic activity mainly occurs during the initial stages of gall development and is followed by an intense endoreduplication phase imperative to produce giant-feeding cells, essential to form vigorous galls. Transgenic lines overexpressing particular cell cycle genes can provoke severe nuclei phenotype changes mainly at later stages of feeding site development. This can result in chaotic nuclear phenotypes affecting their volume. These aberrant nuclear organizations are hampering gall development and nematode maturation. Herein we report on two nuclear volume assessment methods which provide information on the complex changes occurring in nuclei during giant cell development. Although we observed that the data obtained with AMIRA tend to be more detailed than Volumest (Image J, both approaches proved to be highly versatile, allowing to access 3D morphological changes in nuclei of complex tissues and organs. The protocol presented here is based on standard confocal optical sectioning and 3-D image analysis and can be applied to study any volume and shape of cellular organelles in various complex biological specimens. Our results suggest that an increase in giant cell nuclear volume is not solely linked to increasing ploidy levels, but might result from the accumulation of mitotic defects.

Driving Forces Controlling Host-Guest Recognition in Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Solvent.

Science.gov (United States)

Ingrosso, Francesca; Altarsha, Muhannad; Dumarçay, Florence; Kevern, Gwendal; Barth, Danielle; Marsura, Alain; Ruiz-López, Manuel F

2016-02-24

The formation of supramolecular host-guest complexes is a very useful and widely employed tool in chemistry. However, supramolecular chemistry in non-conventional solvents such as supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2 ), one of the most promising sustainable solvents, is still in its infancy. In this work, we explored a successful route to the development of green processes in supercritical CO2 by combining a theoretical approach with experiments. We were able to synthesize and characterize an inclusion complex between a polar aromatic molecule (benzoic acid) and peracetylated-β-cyclodextrin, which is soluble in the supercritical medium. This finding opens the way to wide, environmental friendly, applications of scCO2 in many areas of chemistry, including supramolecular synthesis, reactivity and catalysis, micro and nano-particle formation, molecular recognition, as well as enhanced extraction processes with increased selectivity. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

The giant cold-water coral mound as a nested microbial/metazoan system: physical, chemical, biological and geological picture (ESF EuroDiversity MiCROSYSTEMS)

Science.gov (United States)

Henriet, J. P.; Microsystems Team

2009-04-01

The MiCROSYSTEMS project under the ESF EUROCORES EuroDiversity scheme is a holistic and multi-scale approach in studying microbial diversity and functionality in a nested microbial/metazoan system, which thrives in deep waters: the giant cold-water coral mound. Studies on prolific cold-water coral sites have been carried out from the canyons of the Bay of Biscay to the fjords of the Norwegian margin, while the Pen Duick carbonate mound province off Morocco developed into a joint natural lab for studying in particular the impact of biogeochemical and microbial processes on modern sedimentary diagenesis within the reef sediments, in complement to the studies on I0DP Exp. 307 cores (Challenger Mound, off Ireland). Major outcomes of this research can be summarized as follows. • IODP Exp. 307 on Challenger Mound had revealed a significant prokaryotic community both within and beneath the carbonate mound. MiCROSYSTEMS unveils a remarkable degree of compartmentalization in such community from the seawater, the coral skeleton surface and mucus to the reef sediments. The occurrence of such multiple and distinct microbial compartments associated with cold-water coral ecosystems promotes opportunities for microbial diversity in the deep ocean. • New cases of co-habitation of cold-water corals and giant deep-water oysters were discovered in the Bay of Biscay, which add a new facet of macrofaunal diversity to cold-water coral reef systems. • The discovery of giant, ancient coral graveyards on the Moroccan mounds not only fuels the debate about natural versus anthropogenic mass extinction, but these open frameworks simultaneously invite for the study of bio-erosion and early diagenesis, in particular organo-mineralization, and of the possible role and significance of these thick, solid rubble patches in 3D mound-building and consolidation. • The assessment of the carbonate budget of a modern cold-water coral mound (Challenger Mound) reveals that only 33 to 40 wt % of

Western Canada Sedimentary Basin competitiveness

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Millar, R.H.G.

1996-01-01

Recent dramatic expansion of the natural gas industry in the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin provided ample proof of the potential of this area for further development of natural gas supply. However, the inherent competitive advantages provided by the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin were said to have been offset by low netback prices resulting in poor producer economics when competitiveness is measured by availability of opportunities to find and develop gas supply at costs low enough to ensure attractive returns. Technology was identified as one of the key elements in improving basin competitiveness, but the greatest potential lies in reduced transportation costs and increased access to North American market centres. 8 figs

Giant caldera in the Arctic Ocean: Evidence of the catastrophic eruptive event.

Science.gov (United States)

Piskarev, Alexey; Elkina, Daria

2017-04-10

A giant caldera located in the eastern segment of the Gakkel Ridge could be firstly seen on the bathymetric map of the Arctic Ocean published in 1999. In 2014, seismic and multibeam echosounding data were acquired at the location. The caldera is 80 km long, 40 km wide and 1.2 km deep. The total volume of ejected volcanic material is estimated as no less than 3000 km 3 placing it into the same category with the largest Quaternary calderas (Yellowstone and Toba). Time of the eruption is estimated as ~1.1 Ma. Thin layers of the volcanic material related to the eruption had been identified in sedimentary cores located about 1000 km away from the Gakkel Ridge. The Gakkel Ridge Caldera is the single example of a supervolcano in the rift zone of the Mid-Oceanic Ridge System.

Ecophysiology of terminal carbon metabolizing bacteria in anoxic sedimentary environments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Phelps, T.J.

1985-01-01

Chemical, radiotracer, and microbiological experiments were used to understand the transformation of simple carbon compounds by anaerobic bacteria in diverse aquatic sediments and laboratory cultures. The mildly acidic sediments of Knack Lake (pH 6.2), displayed low rates of organic decomposition, and methane formation occurred almost exclusively from acetate. Low pH inhibited methanogenesis and organic decomposition. Fall turnover in Lake Mendota sediments was associated with dramatic changes in environmental parameters including: elevated concentrations of sulfate and carbon metabolites, increased rates of sulfate reduction, decreased levels of methanogenesis, increased ratio (by viable counts) of sulfate reducing to methanogenic bacteria, and higher 14 CO 2 / 14 C 4 + 14 CO 2 gas ratios produced during the biodegradation of 14 C-carbon substrates (e.g., acetate and methanol). Hydrogen consumption by sulfate reducers in Lake Mendota sediments and in co-cultures of Desulfovibrio vulgaris and Methanosarcina barkeri led to an alteration in the carbon and electron flow pathway resulting in increased CO 2 , sulfide production, and decreased methanogenesis. These data agreed with the environmental observations in Lake Mendota that high sulfate concentrations resulted in higher ratios of CO 2 /CH 4 produced from the degradation of organic matter. A new glycine-metabolizing acetogenic species was isolated and characterized from Knaack Lake which further extended the known diversity of anaerobic bacteria in nature

Exosomal microRNAs in giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) breast milk: potential maternal regulators for the development of newborn cubs.

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Jideng; Wang, Chengdong; Long, Keren; Zhang, Hemin; Zhang, Jinwei; Jin, Long; Tang, Qianzi; Jiang, Anan; Wang, Xun; Tian, Shilin; Chen, Li; He, Dafang; Li, Desheng; Huang, Shan; Jiang, Zhi; Li, Mingzhou

2017-06-14

The physiological role of miRNAs is widely understood to include fine-tuning the post-transcriptional regulation of a wide array of biological processes. Extensive studies have indicated that exosomal miRNAs in the bodily fluids of various organisms can be transferred between living cells for the delivery of gene silencing signals. Here, we illustrated the expression characteristics of exosomal miRNAs in giant panda breast milk during distinct lactation periods and highlighted the enrichment of immune- and development-related endogenous miRNAs in colostral and mature giant panda milk. These miRNAs are stable, even under certain harsh conditions, via the protection of extracellular vesicles. These findings indicate that breast milk may facilitate the dietary intake of maternal miRNAs by infants for the regulation of postnatal development. We also detected exogenous plant miRNAs from the primary food source of the giant panda (bamboo) in the exosomes of giant panda breast milk that were associated with regulatory roles in basic metabolism and neuron development. This result suggested that dietary plant miRNAs are absorbed by host cells and subsequently secreted into bodily fluids as potential cross-kingdom regulators. In conclusion, exosomal miRNAs in giant panda breast milk may be crucial maternal regulators for the development of intrinsic 'slink' newborn cubs.

Tectonic and sedimentological environments of sandstone-hosted uranium deposits, with special reference to the Karoo Basin of South Africa

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Le Roux, J.P.

1985-01-01

The principal tectonic and sedimentological settings for sandstone-hosted uranium deposits are described. Back-arc basins filled with post-Silurian, fluvial sediments bordering subduction zone magmatic arcs of calc-alkaline composition are considered favourable tectonic environments. The basins should be closed to prevent excessive oxidation of the sediments. Uranium deposits are concentrated near basin rims in the transition zone between uplift and basin subsidence, because of favourable sedimentary facies in those areas. Syn- and post-depositional deformation could have affected the localisation of uranium ore-bodies, while intrusive centres or uplifted arcs commonly have surrounding aprons of potential host rocks. Stratigraphic zoning is also related to source area tectonics and can be used to predict favourable sedimentary environments. Sedimentological processes had a direct influence on the permeability and carbonaceous matter content of sandstones and therefore have often controlled the localisation of ore-bodies. (author)

Hg and Pt-metals in meteorite carbon-rich residues - Suggestions for possible host phase for Hg

Science.gov (United States)

Jovanovic, S.; Reed, G. W., Jr.

1980-01-01

Carbon-rich and oxide residual phases have been isolated from Allende and Murchison by acid demineralization for the determination of their Hg, Pt-metal, Cr, Sc, Co, and Fe contents. Experimental procedures used eliminated the possibility of exogenous and endogenous contaminant trace elements from coprecipitating with the residues. Large enrichments of Hg and Pt-metals were found in Allende but not in Murchison residues. Hg-release profiles from stepwise heating experiments suggest a sulfide as the host for Hg. Diffusion calculations for Hg based on these experiments indicate an activation energy of 7-8 kcal/mol, the same as that for Hg in troilite from an iron meteorite. This is further support for a sulfide host phase for Hg. Equilibration of Hg with this phase at approximately 900 K is indicated. Reasons for the presence of Pt-metals in noncosmic relative abundances are explored.

Flea (Pulex simulans) infestation in captive giant anteaters (Myrmecophaga tridactyla).

Science.gov (United States)

Mutlow, Adrian G; Dryden, Michael W; Payne, Patricia A

2006-09-01

A pair of captive adult giant anteaters (Myrmecophaga tridactyla) presented heavily infested with a flea species (Pulex simulans) commonly found on Virginia opossums (Didelphis virginiana) and raccoons (Procyon lotor) in the central United States. In this case, the flea was demonstrated to have completed its entire life cycle with the anteaters as the host. A single treatment of topical imidacloprid, coupled with removal and replacement of infested bedding, was rapidly effective at controlling the infestation and no adverse effects of the drug were noted. Control of the anteater infestation also removed the flea infestation of aardvarks in the same building.

Study on evaluation method for heterogeneous sedimentary rocks based on forward model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Masui, Yasuhiro; Kawada, Koji; Katoh, Arata; Tsuji, Takashi; Suwabe, Mizue

2004-02-01

It is very important to estimate the facies distribution of heterogeneous sedimentary rocks for geological disposal of high level radioactive waste. The heterogeneousness of sedimentary rocks is due to variable distribution of grain size and mineral composition. The objective of this study is to establish the evaluation method for heterogeneous sedimentary rocks based on forward model. This study consisted of geological study for Horonobe area and the development of soft wear for sedimentary model. Geological study was composed of following items. 1. The sedimentary system for Koetoi and Wakkanai formations in Horonobe area was compiled based on papers. 2. The cores of HDB-1 were observed mainly from sedimentological view. 3. The facies and compaction property of argillaceous rocks were studied based on physical logs and core analysis data of wells. 4. The structure maps, isochrone maps, isopach maps and restored geological sections were made. The soft wear for sedimentary model to show sedimentary system on a basin scale was developed. This soft wear estimates the facies distribution and hydraulic conductivity of sedimentary rocks on three dimensions scale by numerical simulation. (author)

IONIZATION OF EXTRASOLAR GIANT PLANET ATMOSPHERES

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koskinen, Tommi T.; Cho, James Y-K.; Achilleos, Nicholas; Aylward, Alan D.

2010-01-01

Many extrasolar planets orbit close in and are subject to intense ionizing radiation from their host stars. Therefore, we expect them to have strong, and extended, ionospheres. Ionospheres are important because they modulate escape in the upper atmosphere and can modify circulation, as well as leave their signatures, in the lower atmosphere. In this paper, we evaluate the vertical location Z I and extent D I of the EUV ionization peak layer. We find that Z I ∼1-10 nbar-for a wide range of orbital distances (a = 0.047-1 AU) from the host star-and D I /H p ∼>15, where H p is the pressure scale height. At Z I , the plasma frequency is ∼80-450 MHz, depending on a. We also study global ion transport, and its dependence on a, using a three-dimensional thermosphere-ionosphere model. On tidally synchronized planets with weak intrinsic magnetic fields, our model shows only a small, but discernible, difference in electron density from the dayside to the nightside (∼9 x 10 13 m -3 to ∼2 x 10 12 m -3 , respectively) at Z I . On asynchronous planets, the distribution is essentially uniform. These results have consequences for hydrodynamic modeling of the atmospheres of close-in extrasolar giant planets.

Shell Bed Identification of Kaliwangu Formation and its Sedimentary Cycle Significance, Sumedang, West Java

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aswan Aswan

2014-07-01

Full Text Available DOI: 10.17014/ijog.v8i1.151Kaliwangu Formation cropping out around Sumedang area contains mollusk fossils dominated by gastropods and bivalves. In terms of sequence stratigraphy, each sedimentary cycle generally consists of four shell bed types: Early Transgressive Systems Tract (Early TST deposited above an erosional surface or sequence boundary, that is characterized by shell disarticulation, trace fossils, gravelly content, no fossil orientation direction, and concretion at the bottom; Late Transgressive Systems Tract (Late TST identified by articulated (conjoined specimen in its life position, that shows a low level abration and fragmentation, adult specimen with complete shells, and variation of taxa; Early Highstand Systems Tract (Early HST characterized by adult taxa that was found locally in their life position with individual articulation, juvenile specimens frequently occured; Late Highstand Systems Tract (Late HST determined as multiple-event concentrations, disarticulated shell domination, and some carbon or amber intercalation indicating terrestrial influence. Shell bed identification done on this rock unit identified nineteen sedimentary cycles.

Could a secular increase in organic burial explain the rise of oxygen? Insights from a geological carbon cycle model constrained by the carbon isotope record

Science.gov (United States)

Krissansen-Totton, J.; Kipp, M.; Catling, D. C.

2017-12-01

The stable isotopes of carbon in marine sedimentary rock provide a window into the evolution of the Earth system. Conventionally, a relatively constant carbon isotope ratio in marine sedimentary rocks has been interpreted as implying constant organic carbon burial relative to total carbon burial. Because organic carbon burial corresponds to net oxygen production from photosynthesis, it follows that secular changes in the oxygen source flux cannot explain the dramatic rise of oxygen over Earth history. Instead, secular declines in oxygen sink fluxes are often invoked as causes for the rise of oxygen. However, constant fractional organic burial is difficult to reconcile with tentative evidence for low phosphate concentrations in the Archean ocean, which would imply lower marine productivity and—all else being equal—less organic carbon burial than today. The conventional interpretation of the carbon isotope record rests on the untested assumption that the isotopic ratio of carbon inputs into the ocean reflect mantle isotopic values throughout Earth history. In practice, differing rates of carbonate and organic weathering will allow for changes in isotopic inputs, as suggested by [1] and [2]. However, these inputs can not vary freely because large changes in isotopic inputs would induce secular trends in carbon reservoirs, which are not observed in the isotope record. We apply a geological carbon cycle model to all Earth history, tracking carbon isotopes in crustal, mantle, and ocean reservoirs. Our model is constrained by the carbon isotope record such that we can determine the extent to which large changes in organic burial are permitted. We find both constant organic burial and 3-5 fold increases in organic burial since 4.0 Ga can be reconciled with the carbon isotope record. Changes in the oxygen source flux thus need to be reconsidered as a possible contributor to Earth's oxygenation. [1] L. A. Derry, Organic carbon cycling and the lithosphere, in Treatise on

Ongoing transients in carbonate compensation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Boudreau, B.P.; Middelburg, J.J.; Hofmann, A.F.; Meysman, F.J.R.

2010-01-01

Uptake of anthropogenic CO2 is acidifying the oceans. Over the next 2000 years, this will modify the dissolution and preservation of sedimentary carbonate. By coupling new formulas for the positions of the calcite saturation horizon, zsat, the compensation depth, zcc, and the snowline, zsnow, to a

Giant pulses of pulsar radio emission

OpenAIRE

Kuzmin, A. D.

2007-01-01

Review report of giant pulses of pulsar radio emission, based on our detections of four new pulsars with giant pulses, and the comparative analysis of the previously known pulsars with giant pulses, including the Crab pulsar and millisecond pulsar PSR B1937+21.

Temporal evolution of the giant Salobo IOCG deposit, Carajás Province (Brazil): constraints from paragenesis of hydrothermal alteration and U-Pb geochronology

Science.gov (United States)

deMelo, Gustavo H. C.; Monteiro, Lena V. S.; Xavier, Roberto P.; Moreto, Carolina P. N.; Santiago, Erika S. B.; Dufrane, S. Andrew; Aires, Benevides; Santos, Antonio F. F.

2017-06-01

The giant Salobo copper-gold deposit is located in the Carajás Province, Amazon Craton. Detailed drill core description, petrographical studies, and U-Pb SHRIMP IIe and LA-ICP-MS geochronology unravel its evolution regarding the host rocks, hydrothermal alteration and mineralization. Within the Cinzento Shear Zone, the deposit is hosted by orthogneisses of the Mesoarchean Xingu Complex (2950 ± 25 and 2857 ± 6.7 Ma) and of the Neoarchean Igarapé Gelado suite (2763 ± 4.4 Ma), which are crosscut by the Old Salobo granite. Remnants of the Igarapé Salobo metavolcanic-sedimentary sequence are represented by a quartz mylonite with detrital zircon populations (ca. 3.1-3.0, 2.95, 2.86, and 2.74 Ga). High-temperature calcic-sodic hydrothermal alteration (hastingsite-actinolite) was followed by silicification, iron-enrichment (almandine-grunerite-magnetite), tourmaline formation, potassic alteration with biotite, copper-gold ore formation, and later Fe-rich hydrated silicate alteration. Myrmekitic bornite-chalcocite and magnetite comprise the bulk of copper-gold ore. All these alteration assemblages have been overprinted by post-ore hematite-bearing potassic and propylitic alteration, which is also recognized in the Old Salobo granite. In the central zone of the deposit the mylonitized Igarapé Gelado suite rocks yield an age of 2701 ± 30 Ma. Zircon ages of 2547 ± 5.3 and 2535 ± 8.4 Ma were obtained for the Old Salobo granite and for the high-grade copper ore, respectively. A U-Pb LA-ICP-MS monazite age (2452 ± 14 Ma) from the copper-gold ore indicates hydrothermal activity and overprinting in the Siderian. Therefore, a protracted tectono-thermal event due to the reactivation of the Cinzento Shear Zone is proposed for the evolution of the Salobo deposit.

Arabian Night and Sea Story - Biomarkers from a Giant Mass Transport Deposit.

Science.gov (United States)

Bratenkov, Sophia; Kulhanek, Denise K.; Clift, Peter D.; George, Simon C.

2016-04-01

The study of mass transport deposits (MTDs) is an important field of research due to the potential insights into catastrophic events in the past and modern geohazard threats (e.g. tsunamis). Submarine mass movements are very significant processes in sculpturing the structure of continental margins, particularly in their extent and magnitude that have consequences both in the modern day, as well as in the geological past. An understanding of the complex stratigraphy of a submarine mass transport deposit (MTD) might help in reconstructing the provenance and transport pathways of sedimentary material and thus give important insights into sedimentary dynamics and processes triggering specific events. Drilling operations during International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) Expedition 355 Arabian Sea Monsoon, which took place during April and May, 2015 cored two sites in Laxmi Basin. Site U1456 was cored to 1109.4 m below seafloor (mbsf), with the oldest recovered rock dated to ~13.5-17.7 Ma. Site U1457 was cored to 1108.6 mbsf, with the oldest rock dated to ~62 Ma. At each site, we cored through ~330 m and ~190 m of MTD material. The MTD layers mainly consist of interbedded lithologies of dark grey claystone, light greenish calcarenite and calcilutite, and conglomerate/breccia, with ages based on calcareous nannofossil and foraminifer biostratigraphy ranging from the Eocene to early Miocene (Pandey et al., 2015). This MTD, known as Nataraja Slide, is the third largest MTD known from the geological record and the second largest on a passive margin. Calvés et al. (2015) identified a potential source area offshore Sourashstra on the Indian continental margin and invoked the single step mass movement model to explain the mechanism of emplacement. Initial shipboard work demonstrated the high variability in total organic carbon and total nitrogen levels in different layers within the MTD, which raises a number of questions related to the source and composition of the organic

Giant Oil Fields - The Highway to Oil: Giant Oil Fields and their Importance for Future Oil Production

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Robelius, Fredrik

2007-01-01

Since the 1950s, oil has been the dominant source of energy in the world. The cheap supply of oil has been the engine for economic growth in the western world. Since future oil demand is expected to increase, the question to what extent future production will be available is important. The belief in a soon peak production of oil is fueled by increasing oil prices. However, the reliability of the oil price as a single parameter can be questioned, as earlier times of high prices have occurred without having anything to do with a lack of oil. Instead, giant oil fields, the largest oil fields in the world, can be used as a parameter. A giant oil field contains at least 500 million barrels of recoverable oil. Only 507, or 1 % of the total number of fields, are giants. Their contribution is striking: over 60 % of the 2005 production and about 65 % of the global ultimate recoverable reserve (URR). However, giant fields are something of the past since a majority of the largest giant fields are over 50 years old and the discovery trend of less giant fields with smaller volumes is clear. A large number of the largest giant fields are found in the countries surrounding the Persian Gulf. The domination of giant fields in global oil production confirms a concept where they govern future production. A model, based on past annual production and URR, has been developed to forecast future production from giant fields. The results, in combination with forecasts on new field developments, heavy oil and oil sand, are used to predict future oil production. In all scenarios, peak oil occurs at about the same time as the giant fields peak. The worst-case scenario sees a peak in 2008 and the best-case scenario, following a 1.4 % demand growth, peaks in 2018

Determining the Accuracy of Paleomagnetic Remanence and High-Resolution Chronostratigraphy for Sedimentary Rocks using Rock Magnetics

Science.gov (United States)

Kodama, K. P.

2017-12-01

The talk will consider two broad topics in rock magnetism and paleomagnetism: the accuracy of paleomagnetic remanence and the use of rock magnetics to measure geologic time in sedimentary sequences. The accuracy of the inclination recorded by sedimentary rocks is crucial to paleogeographic reconstructions. Laboratory compaction experiments show that inclination shallows on the order of 10˚-15˚. Corrections to the inclination can be made using the effects of compaction on the directional distribution of secular variation recorded by sediments or the anisotropy of the magnetic grains carrying the ancient remanence. A summary of all the compaction correction studies as of 2012 shows that 85% of sedimentary rocks studied have enjoyed some amount of inclination shallowing. Future work should also consider the effect of grain-scale strain on paleomagnetic remanence. High resolution chronostratigraphy can be assigned to a sedimentary sequence using rock magnetics to detect astronomically-forced climate cycles. The power of the technique is relatively quick, non-destructive measurements, the objective identification of the cycles compared to facies interpretations, and the sensitivity of rock magnetics to subtle changes in sedimentary source. An example of this technique comes from using rock magnetics to identify astronomically-forced climate cycles in three globally distributed occurrences of the Shuram carbon isotope excursion. The Shuram excursion may record the oxidation of the world ocean in the Ediacaran, just before the Cambrian explosion of metazoans. Using rock magnetic cyclostratigraphy, the excursion is shown to have the same duration (8-9 Myr) in southern California, south China and south Australia. Magnetostratigraphy of the rocks carrying the excursion in California and Australia shows a reversed to normal geomagnetic field polarity transition at the excursion's nadir, thus supporting the synchroneity of the excursion globally. Both results point to a

Investigating Coccolithophorid Biology in the Sedimentary Laboratory

Science.gov (United States)

McClelland, H. L. O.; Barbarin, N.; Beaufort, L.; Hermoso, M.; Rickaby, R. E. M.

2014-12-01

Coccolithophores are the ocean's dominant calcifying phytoplankton; they play an important, but poorly understood, role in long-term biogeochemical climatic feedbacks. Calcite producing marine organisms are likely to calcify less in a future world where higher carbon dioxide concentrations will lead to ocean acidification (OA), but coccolithophores may be the exception. In coccolithophores calcification occurs in an intracellular vesicle, where the site of calcite precipitation is buffered from the external environment and is subject to a uniquely high degree of biological control. Culture manipulation experiments mimicking the effects of OA in the laboratory have yielded empirical evidence for phenotypic plasticity, competition and evolutionary adaptation in asexual populations. However, the extent to which these results are representative of natural populations, and of the response over timescales of greater than a few hundred generations, is unclear. Here we describe a new sediment-based proxy for the PIC:POC (particulate inorganic to particulate organic carbon ratio) of coccolithophore biomass, which is equivalent to the fractional energy contribution to calcification at constant pH, and a biologically meaningful measure of the organism's tendency to calcify. Employing the geological record as a laboratory, we apply this proxy to sedimentary material from the southern Pacific Ocean to investigate the integrated response of real ancient coccolithophore populations to environmental change over many thousands of years. Our results provide a new perspective on phenotypic change in real populations of coccolithophorid algae over long timescales.

Mineralogical and geochemical characteristics of Miocene pelitic sedimentary rocks from the south-western part of the Pannonian Basin System (Croatia: Implications for provenance studies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anita Grizelj

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Fifty-two samples of Miocene pelitic sedimentary rock from outcrops on Medvednica, Moslavačka Gora and Psunj Mts., and boreholes in the Sava Depression and the Požega Sub-depression were investigated. These sediments formed in different marine (with normal and reduced salinity, brackish, and freshwater environments, depending on the development stage of the Pannonian Basin System. Carbonate minerals, clay minerals and quartz are the main constituents of all pelitic sedimentary rocks, except in those from Moslavačka Gora Mt in which carbonate minerals are not present. Feldspars, pyrite, opal-CT, and hematite are present as minor constituents in some rocks. Besides calcite, dependent on the sedimentary environment and diagenetic changes, high-magnesium calcite, aragonite, dolomite and ankerite/Ca-dolomite are also present. Smectite or illite-smectite is the main clay minerals in the samples. Minor constituents, present in almost all samples, are detrital illite and kaolinite. In some samples chlorite is also present in a low amount. Major elements, trace elements and rare earth elements patterns used in provenance analysis show that all analysed samples have a composition similar to the values of the upper continental crust (UCC. The contents of major and trace elements as well as SiO2/Al2O3, K2O/Al2O3, Na2O/K2O, Eu/Eu*, La/Sc, Th/Sc, La/Co Th/Co, Th/Cr, Ce/Ce* and LREE/HREE ratios, show that the analysed pelitic sedimentary rocks were formed by weathering of different types of mostly acidic (silicic, i.e. felsic rocks.

Excitation of giant resonances in heavy ion collisions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kuehn, W.

1991-01-01

Introduction: What are Giant Resonances? General Features of Giant Resonances, Macroscopic Description and Classification, Basic Excitation Mechanisms, Decay Modes, Giant Resonances Built on Excited States, Relativistic Coulomb Excitation of Giant Resonances, Experimental Situation. (orig.)

Floret-like multinucleated giant cells in neurofibroma

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Golka Dariusz

2007-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract This short report discusses a case of neurofibroma containing floret-like multinucleated giant cells. This being the second such case in the literature. Floret-like multinucleated giant cells have been reported in gynaecomastia and neurofibroma in neurofibromatosis type 1. These cells have been reported in uncommon soft tissue tumours including pleomorphic lipoma, giant cell collagenoma, giant cell fibroblastoma and giant cell angiofibroma. We recommend these cells to be interpreted carefully keeping in mind the rare malignant change in neurofibromas. Immunohistochemistry would help in defining the nature of such cells.

An Overview of Geologic Carbon Sequestration Potential in California

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cameron Downey; John Clinkenbeard

2005-10-01

As part of the West Coast Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnership (WESTCARB), the California Geological Survey (CGS) conducted an assessment of geologic carbon sequestration potential in California. An inventory of sedimentary basins was screened for preliminary suitability for carbon sequestration. Criteria included porous and permeable strata, seals, and depth sufficient for critical state carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}) injection. Of 104 basins inventoried, 27 met the criteria for further assessment. Petrophysical and fluid data from oil and gas reservoirs was used to characterize both saline aquifers and hydrocarbon reservoirs. Where available, well log or geophysical information was used to prepare basin-wide maps showing depth-to-basement and gross sand distribution. California's Cenozoic marine basins were determined to possess the most potential for geologic sequestration. These basins contain thick sedimentary sections, multiple saline aquifers and oil and gas reservoirs, widespread shale seals, and significant petrophysical data from oil and gas operations. Potential sequestration areas include the San Joaquin, Sacramento, Ventura, Los Angeles, and Eel River basins, followed by the smaller Salinas, La Honda, Cuyama, Livermore, Orinda, and Sonoma marine basins. California's terrestrial basins are generally too shallow for carbon sequestration. However, the Salton Trough and several smaller basins may offer opportunities for localized carbon sequestration.

The carbon budget in the outer solar nebula.

Science.gov (United States)

Simonelli, D P; Pollack, J B; McKay, C P; Reynolds, R T; Summers, A L

1989-01-01

Detailed models of the internal structures of Pluto and Charon, assuming rock and water ice as the only constituents, indicate that the mean silicate mass fraction of this two-body system is on the order of 0.7; thus the Pluto/Charon system is significantly "rockier" than the satellites of the giant planets (silicate mass fraction approximately 0.55). This compositional contrast reflects different formation mechanisms: it is likely that Pluto and Charon formed directly from the solar nebula, while the circumplanetary nebulae that produced the giant planet satellites were derived from envelopes that surrounded the forming giant planets (envelopes in which icy planetesimals dissolved more readily than rocky planetesimals). Simple cosmic abundance calculations, and the assumption that the Pluto/Charon system formed directly from solar nebula condensates, strongly suggest that the majority of the carbon in the outer solar nebula was in the form of carbon monoxide; these results are consistent with (1) inheritance from the dense molecular clouds in the interstellar medium (where CH4/CO nebula chemistry. Theoretical predictions of the C/H enhancements in the atmospheres of the giant planets, when compared to the actual observed enhancements, suggest that 10%, or slightly more, of the carbon in the outer solar nebula was in the form of condensed materials (although the amount of condensed C may have dropped slightly with increasing heliocentric distance). Strict compositional limits computed for the Pluto/Charon system using the densities of CH4 and CO ices indicate that these pure ices are at best minor components in the interiors of these bodies, and imply that CH4 and CO ices were not the dominant C-bearing solids in the outer nebula. Clathrate-hydrates could not have appropriated enough CH4 or CO to be the major form of condensed carbon, although such clathrates may be necessary to explain the presence of methane on Pluto after its formation from a CO-rich nebula

Silicon and Ge in the deep sea deduced from Si isotope and Ge measurements in giant glass sponges

Science.gov (United States)

Jochum, K. P.; Schuessler, J. A.; Haug, G. H.; Andreae, M. O.; Froelich, P. N.

2016-12-01

Biogenic silica, such as giant glass spicules of the deep-sea sponge Monorhaphis chuni, is an archive to monitor paleo-Si and -Ge in past seawater. Here we report on Si isotopes and Ge/Si ratios in up to 2.7 m long spicules using LA-(MC)-ICP-MS. Isotope ratios of Si are suitable proxies for Si concentrations in seawater, because Si isotope fractionation into biogenic silica is a function of seawater dissolved Si concentration. The δ30Si values for our specimens range from about - 0.5 ‰ to - 3.6 ‰ and are much lower than modern (>1000 m) seawater δ30Si of about 1.3 ‰. Interestingly, there is a systematic Si isotopic and Ge variation from the rim to the center of the cross sections, which we interpret as seawater paleo-Si and -Ge changes. The lifetime of the giant sponges appears to be between about 6 and 14 ka. These age estimates were obtained by comparing our analytical data with various paleo-markers of the glacial-interglacial termination. Thus, the entire Holocene and the end of the last glacial period are contained in the oldest giant spicules. The derived Si and Ge seawater concentrations are ca. 12 % higher and 20 % lower, respectively, during the late glacial than at present. Possible explanations for changing Si, Ge and Ge/Si during the deglaciation could be changes in riverine, glacial, and/or eolian deliveries of silica to the oceans and changes in marine sedimentary reverse weathering, which removes Ge into marine sediments during opal dissolution and diagenesis.

Nanodielectrics with giant permittivity

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Following the prediction, during the last couple of years we have investigated the effect of giant permittivity in one-dimensional systems of conventional metals and conjugated polymer chains. In this article, we have tried to summarize the works on giant permittivity and finally the fabrication of nanocapacitor using metal ...

From red giants to planetary nebulae

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kwok, S.

1982-01-01

The transition from red giants to planetary nebulae is studied by comparing the spectral characteristics of red giant envelopes and planetary nebulae. Observational and theoretical evidence both suggest that remnants of red giant envelopes may still be present in planetary nebula systems and should have significant effects on their formation. The dynamical effects of the interaction of stellar winds from central stars of planetary nebulae with the remnant red giant envelopes are evaluated and the mechanism found to be capable of producing the observed masses and momenta of planetary nebulae. The observed mass-radii relation of planetary nebulae may also be best explained by the interacting winds model. The possibility that red giant mass loss, and therefore the production of planetary nebulae, is different between Population I and II systems is also discussed

Detection of leakage magnetic flux from near-side and far-side defects in carbon steel plates using a giant magneto-resistive sensor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Singh, W Sharatchandra; Rao, B P C; Vaidyanathan, S; Jayakumar, T; Raj, Baldev

2008-01-01

Giant magneto-resistive (GMR) sensors are attractive for magnetic flux leakage measurements, especially for the detection of shallow near-side cracks and deeply located defects. An optimized measurement system with magnetic yoke, GMR sensor and selective amplifier has been devised to detect the tangential component of leakage flux from various near-side notches and far-side notches (widths 0.5 mm and 1.0 mm, respectively) in 12 mm thick carbon steel plates. Far-side notches located at nearly 11 mm below the measurement surface have been detected with a good signal-to-noise ratio. The performance of the GMR sensor with lift off has also been studied for possible non-contact examination of hot surfaces and a lift off of 2 mm is expected to ensure the saturation-free detection of near-side as well as far-side notches

Lithofacies-paleo-geography and uranium sedimentary facies in Hailar basin

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Qi Fucheng

1992-01-01

Cretaceous-Tertiary sedimentary paleo-structure and lithofacies-paleo-geography in Hailar Basin are described. Taking Chenqi coal field as an example, the sedimentary facies pattern of coal-bearing series characterized by alternating sedimentation of fluviatile and lacustrine-swampy facies is reconstructed. It is pointed out that this sedimentary facies not only controls the sedimentation and distribution of syngenetic uranium mineralization, but also is a favourable place that converges uranium-bearing solution and reduces and precipitates uranium for the second time in epigenetic mineralization

Osteoclasts derive from hematopoietic stem cells according to marker, giant lysosomes of beige mice

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ash, P.; Loutit, J.F.; Townsend, K.M.

1981-01-01

To ascertain the origin of multinucleated osteoclasts from hematopoietic stem cells, giant lysosomes peculiar to cells of beige mice (bg bg) were used as marker cells of that provenance. Radiation chimeras were established reciprocally between bg bg mice and osteopetrotic mi mi mice with defective osteoclasts. As a result, all the derivative cells of the hematopoietic stem cell would depend on the donor's cell line, whereas osteogenesis would remain the province of the host. It was affirmed in the chimeras mi mi/bg bg that the osteopetrosis was cured within six weeks. Thereafter the definitive osteoclasts of the chimeras contained giant lysosomes attributable to the beige cell line. However, the cure was well advanced before donor osteoclasts were prominent, for which several reasons are offered. In the mouse chimeras, bg bg/mi mi, there was a delay of some six weeks before osteopetrosis became evident, histologically before radiologically, at the major metaphyseal growth centers. During the period one to two months after establishment, osteoclasts appeared to be a mixture of two cell lines according to quantitative assessments for giant lysosomes. Assessments consisted of measurements of the percentage area of osteoclasts occupied by lysosomes over 1 micrometer diameter. The means were 0.018% +/- 0.008% for nonbeige stock and 2.09% +/- 0.58% for beige stock

ON INFRARED EXCESSES ASSOCIATED WITH Li-RICH K GIANTS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rebull, Luisa M. [Spitzer Science Center (SSC) and Infrared Science Archive (IRSA), Infrared Processing and Analysis Center - IPAC, 1200 E. California Blvd., California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Carlberg, Joleen K. [NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Code 667, Greenbelt, MD 20771 (United States); Gibbs, John C.; Cashen, Sarah; Datta, Ashwin; Hodgson, Emily; Lince, Megan [Glencoe High School, 2700 NW Glencoe Rd., Hillsboro, OR 97124 (United States); Deeb, J. Elin [Bear Creek High School, 9800 W. Dartmouth Pl., Lakewood, CO 80227 (United States); Larsen, Estefania; Altepeter, Shailyn; Bucksbee, Ethan; Clarke, Matthew [Millard South High School, 14905 Q St., Omaha, NE 68137 (United States); Black, David V., E-mail: rebull@ipac.caltech.edu [Walden School of Liberal Arts, 4230 N. University Ave., Provo, UT 84604 (United States)

2015-10-15

Infrared (IR) excesses around K-type red giants (RGs) have previously been discovered using Infrared Astronomy Satellite (IRAS) data, and past studies have suggested a link between RGs with overabundant Li and IR excesses, implying the ejection of circumstellar shells or disks. We revisit the question of IR excesses around RGs using higher spatial resolution IR data, primarily from the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer. Our goal was to elucidate the link between three unusual RG properties: fast rotation, enriched Li, and IR excess. Our sample of RGs includes those with previous IR detections, a sample with well-defined rotation and Li abundance measurements with no previous IR measurements, and a large sample of RGs asserted to be Li-rich in the literature; we have 316 targets thought to be K giants, about 40% of which we take to be Li-rich. In 24 cases with previous detections of IR excess at low spatial resolution, we believe that source confusion is playing a role, in that either (a) the source that is bright in the optical is not responsible for the IR flux, or (b) there is more than one source responsible for the IR flux as measured in IRAS. We looked for IR excesses in the remaining sources, identifying 28 that have significant IR excesses by ∼20 μm (with possible excesses for 2 additional sources). There appears to be an intriguing correlation in that the largest IR excesses are all in Li-rich K giants, though very few Li-rich K giants have IR excesses (large or small). These largest IR excesses also tend to be found in the fastest rotators. There is no correlation of IR excess with the carbon isotopic ratio, {sup 12}C/{sup 13}C. IR excesses by 20 μm, though relatively rare, are at least twice as common among our sample of Li-rich K giants. If dust shell production is a common by-product of Li enrichment mechanisms, these observations suggest that the IR excess stage is very short-lived, which is supported by theoretical calculations. Conversely, the

Cyclicity recorded in the provenance sandstones in the sedimentary in fill of the Cameros basin (N. Spain)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gonzalez-Acebron, L.; Arribas, J.; Omodeo-Sale, S.; Arribas, E.; Le Pera, E.; Mas, R.; Lopez-Elorza, M.; Fernandez-Diaz, P. R.

2013-06-01

The intra plate Cameros rift basin in the north of Spain was formed came into being between the Tithonian and the Early Albian and contains 9 000 m of mostly continental sediments. This basin is a good example of cyclicity of different depositional sequences (DSs) in sedimentary environments, which show clear repetition in their sandstone composition (petrofacies) and diagenetic patterns. The DSs are arranged in two mega sequences (MSs) separated by a tectonic unconformity. A similar vertical sandstone compositional evolution, subdivided into two stages that repeat cyclically, has been recognised in both MSs: the first comprises quartzo-sedimentolithic petrofacies and the second is made up of several quartzo-feldspathic petrofacies. This was caused by a progression from the recycling of the pre-rift sedimentary cover to the erosion of the mainly plutonic and metamorphic crystalline basement. These changes in the erosion of the different source areas were conditioned by the tectonics of the basin. Furthermore, the original sandstone framework composition conditioned the diagenetic pattern of the two stages: quartzo-sedimentolithic sandstones containing large amounts of very pervasive carbonate cement that reduce their original porosity considerably, and quartzo-feldspathic petrofacies with a rigid framework that maintained the original pores during burial diagenesis. This compositional and diagenetic pattern is probably applicable to other non-volcanic rifted basins, depending upon the original amount of carbonate rock fragments present. (Author)

Giant multipole resonances: an experimental review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bertrand, F.E.

1979-01-01

During the past several years experimental evidence has been published for the existance of nondipole giant resonances. These giant multipole resonances, the so-called new giant resonances were first observed through inelastic hadron and electron scattering and such measurements have continued to provide most of the information in this field. A summary is provided of the experimental evidence for these new resonances. The discussion deals only with results from inelastic scattering and only with the electric multipoles. Emphasis is placed on the recent observations of the giant monopole resonance. Results from recent heavy-ion and pion inelastic scattering are discussed. 38 references

Giant dipole resonance in hot nuclei

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mau, N.V.

1993-01-01

Giant resonances built on an excited state of the nucleus at a finite temperature T are studied. The following questions are investigated: how long such collective effects occur in a nucleus when T increases. How the properties of the giant resonances vary when the temperature increases. How the study of giant resonances in hot nuclei can give information on the structure of the nucleus in a highly excited state. The special case of the giant dipole resonance is studied. Some of the experimental results are reviewed and in their theoretical interpretation is discussed. (K.A.). 56 refs., 20 figs., 4 tabs

The volcanic-sedimentary sequence of the Lousal deposit, Iberian Pyrite Belt (Portugal)

Science.gov (United States)

Rosa, Carlos; Rosa, Diogo; Matos, Joao; Relvas, Jorge

2010-05-01

The Iberian Pyrite Belt (IPB) is a massive sulfide province that is located in the south of Portugal and Spain, and hosts more than 90 massive sulfide deposits that amount to more than 1850 million metric tonnes of sulfide ore (Tornos, 2006). The ore deposits size, vary from ~1Mt to >100Mt (e.g. Neves Corvo and Aljustrel in Portugal, and Rio Tinto and Tharsis in Spain). The ore deposits are hosted by a submarine sedimentary and volcanic, felsic dominated, succession that constitutes the Upper Devonian to Lower Carboniferous Volcanic and Sedimentary Complex (VSC). The VSC ranges in thickness from approximately 600 to 1300 m (Tornos 2006). The VSC overlies the Phyllite-Quartzite Group (PQ) (Upper Devonian, base unknown) and is overlain by the Baixo Alentejo Flysch Group (Lower to Upper Carboniferous). The Lousal massive sulfide deposit is located in the western part of the IPB and occurs mostly interbedded with black mudstone. The VSC sequence at Lousal mine consists of a mudstone and quartzite sequence (PQ Group) in the lower part of the succession, over which a thick sequence of rhyolitic lavas (>300 m) occurs. Above the rhyolitic lavas there is a thick sequence of black and grey mudstone that hosts the massive sulfide ore bodies, and a rhyolitic sill. The upper part of the VSC sequence consists of a thick mudstone interval that hosts two thick basaltic units, locally with pillows. The rhyolites have small coherent cores, locally with flow bands, that grade to surrounding massive clastic intervals, with large lateral extent. The clasts show jigsaw-fit arrangement in many places and have planar or curviplanar margins and locally are perlitic at the margin. The top contact of these units is in most locations not exposed, which makes difficult to interpret the mode of emplacement. However, the thick clastic intervals, above described, are in accordance with quenching of volcanic glass with abundant water and therefore indicate that quenching of the rhyolites was the

Evaluation criteria for uranium potential of sedimentary basins based on analysis of host sand body and structurally reworking pattern host sand body has been subject to

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen Zuyi; Guo Qingyin; Liu Hongxu

2005-01-01

On the basis of the introduction and the analysis of regional evaluation criteria for sandstone-type uranium deposits summarized by uranium geologists of USA and former Soviet Union, and by introducing new scientific progress in the field of sedimentology of clastic rocks, and basin geodynamics, main evaluation criteria composed of host sand body criterion and the criterion of structurally reworking pattern the host sand body has been subject to, are proposed, and the evaluation model based on analyzing the regional tectonic history and the evolution of prototype basin is set up. Finally, taking the Chaoshui basin as an example, the possibility for hosting epigenetic uranium mineralization in each horizon of the basin cover is discussed, then the main prospecting target horizon is discriminated, and potential ore-formation areas are proposed. (authors)

Electrified BPS giants: BPS configurations on giant gravitons with static electric field

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ali-Akbari, Mohammad; Sheikh-Jabbari, Mohammad Mahdi

2007-01-01

We consider D3-brane action in the maximally supersymmetric type IIB plane-wave background. Upon fixing the light-cone gauge, we obtain the light-cone Hamiltonian which is manifestly supersymmetric. The 1/2 BPS solutions of this theory (solutions which preserve 16 supercharges) are either of the form of spherical three branes, the giant gravitons, or zero size point like branes. We then construct specific classes of 1/4 BPS solutions of this theory in which static electric field on the brane is turned on. These solutions are deformations about either of the two 1/2 BPS solutions. In particular, we study in some detail 1/4 BPS configurations with electric dipole on the three sphere giant, i.e. BIons on the giant gravitons, which we hence call BIGGons. We also study BPS configurations corresponding to turning on a background uniform constant electric field. As a result of this background electric field the three sphere giant is deformed to squashed sphere, while the zero size point like branes turn into circular or straight fundamental strings in the plane-wave background, with their tension equal to the background electric field

Host plant quality mediates competition between arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Knegt, B.; Jansa, J.; Franken, O.; Engelmoer, D.J.P.; Werner, G.D.A.; Bücking, H.; Kiers, E.T.

2016-01-01

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi exchange soil nutrients for carbon from plant hosts. Empirical works suggests that hosts may selectively provide resources to different fungal species, ultimately affecting fungal competition. However, fungal competition may also be mediated by colonization strategies of

Plant Traits Demonstrate That Temperate and Tropical Giant Eucalypt Forests Are Ecologically Convergent with Rainforest Not Savanna

Science.gov (United States)

Tng, David Y. P.; Jordan, Greg J.; Bowman, David M. J. S.

2013-01-01

Ecological theory differentiates rainforest and open vegetation in many regions as functionally divergent alternative stable states with transitional (ecotonal) vegetation between the two forming transient unstable states. This transitional vegetation is of considerable significance, not only as a test case for theories of vegetation dynamics, but also because this type of vegetation is of major economic importance, and is home to a suite of species of conservation significance, including the world’s tallest flowering plants. We therefore created predictions of patterns in plant functional traits that would test the alternative stable states model of these systems. We measured functional traits of 128 trees and shrubs across tropical and temperate rainforest – open vegetation transitions in Australia, with giant eucalypt forests situated between these vegetation types. We analysed a set of functional traits: leaf carbon isotopes, leaf area, leaf mass per area, leaf slenderness, wood density, maximum height and bark thickness, using univariate and multivariate methods. For most traits, giant eucalypt forest was similar to rainforest, while rainforest, particularly tropical rainforest, was significantly different from the open vegetation. In multivariate analyses, tropical and temperate rainforest diverged functionally, and both segregated from open vegetation. Furthermore, the giant eucalypt forests overlapped in function with their respective rainforests. The two types of giant eucalypt forests also exhibited greater overall functional similarity to each other than to any of the open vegetation types. We conclude that tropical and temperate giant eucalypt forests are ecologically and functionally convergent. The lack of clear functional differentiation from rainforest suggests that giant eucalypt forests are unstable states within the basin of attraction of rainforest. Our results have important implications for giant eucalypt forest management. PMID:24358359

Quantifying manganese and nitrogen cycle coupling in manganese-rich, organic carbon-starved marine sediments : Examples from the Clarion-Clipperton fracture zone

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mogollon, J.M.|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/304823783; Mewes, Konstantin; Kasten, Sabine

2016-01-01

Extensive deep-sea sedimentary areas are characterized by low organic carbon contents and thus harbor suboxic sedimentary environments where secondary (autotrophic) redox cycling becomes important for microbial metabolic processes. Simulation results for three stations in the Eastern Equatorial

Mineralogy and origin of surficial uranium deposits hosted in travertine and calcrete from central Jordan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khoury, H.N.; Salameh, E.M.; Clark, I.D.

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Surficial uranium deposits are hosted in thick travertine and calcrete. • Tyuyamunite–strelkinite are the major components in central Jordan. • The leached water was enriched in redox sensitive U and V. • Deposition is related to unusual highly alkaline circulating water. - Abstract: Secondary uranium encrustations are hosted in thick travertine and calcrete deposits of Pleistocene–Recent age in central Jordan. The central Jordan varicolored marble and travertine are equivalent to the active metamorphic area in Maqarin, north Jordan. More than 100 samples were collected from the outcrops of the varicolored marble, travertine, calcrete, and the yellow uranium encrustations. The secondary yellow encrustations are mainly composed of uranyl vanadate complexes. Tyuyamunite Ca(UO 2 ) 2 V 2 5+ O 8 ·3(H 2 O)–strelkinite Na 2 (UO 2 ) 2 V 2 O 8 ·6(H 2 O) solid solution series are the major components and their composition reflects changes in the Ca/Na ratio in solution. Potentially, new vanadium free calcium uranate phases (restricted to the varicolored marble) were identified with CaO:UO 3 ratios different from the known mineral vorlanite (CaU 6+ )O 4 . Carbon and oxygen isotope data from calcite in the varicolored marble are characterized by Rayleigh-type enrichment in light isotopes associated with release of 13 C and 18 O enriched CO 2 by high temperature decarbonation during combustion of the bituminous marl. Stable isotope results from uranium hosted travertine and calcrete varieties exhibit a wide range in isotopic values, between decarbonated and normal sedimentary carbonate rocks. The depleted δ 13 C and δ 18 O values in the travertine are related to the kinetic reaction of atmospheric CO 2 with hyperalkaline Ca(OH) 2 water. The gradual enrichment of δ 13 C and δ 18 O values in the calcrete towards equilibrium with the surrounding environment is related to continuous evaporation during seasonal dry periods. Uranium mineralization in

Giant cells around bone biomaterials: Osteoclasts or multi-nucleated giant cells?

Science.gov (United States)

Miron, Richard J; Zohdi, Hamoon; Fujioka-Kobayashi, Masako; Bosshardt, Dieter D

2016-12-01

Recently accumulating evidence has put into question the role of large multinucleated giant cells (MNGCs) around bone biomaterials. While cells derived from the monocyte/macrophage lineage are one of the first cell types in contact with implanted biomaterials, it was originally thought that specifically in bone tissues, all giant cells were bone-resorbing osteoclasts whereas foreign body giant cells (FBGCs) were found associated with a connective tissue foreign body reaction resulting in fibrous encapsulation and/or material rejection. Despite the great majority of bone grafting materials routinely found with large osteoclasts, a special subclass of bone biomaterials has more recently been found surrounded by large giant cells virtually incapable of resorbing bone grafts even years after their implantation. While original hypotheses believed that a 'foreign body reaction' may be taking place, histological data retrieved from human samples years after their implantation have put these original hypotheses into question by demonstrating better and more stable long-term bone volume around certain bone grafts. Exactly how or why this 'special' subclass of giant cells is capable of maintaining long-term bone volume, or methods to scientifically distinguish them from osteoclasts remains extremely poorly studied. The aim of this review article was to gather the current available literature on giant cell markers and differences in expression patterns between osteoclasts and MNGCs utilizing 19 specific markers including an array of CD-cell surface markers. Furthermore, the concept of now distinguishing between pro-inflammatory M1-MNGCs (previously referred to as FBGCs) as well as wound-healing M2-MNGCs is introduced and discussed. This review article presents 19 specific cell-surface markers to distinguish between osteoclasts and MNGCs including an array of CD-cell surface markers. Furthermore, the concept of now distinguishing between pro-inflammatory M1-MNGCs (often

The role of iron-sulfides on cycling of organic carbon in the St Lawrence River system: Evidence of sulfur-promoted carbon sequestration?

Science.gov (United States)

Balind, K.; Barber, A.; Gélinas, Y.

2017-12-01

The biogeochemical cycle of sulfur is intimately linked with that of carbon, as well as with that of iron through the formation of iron-sulfur complexes. Iron-sulfide minerals such as mackinawite (FeS) and greigite (Fe3S4) form below the oxic/anoxic redox boundary in marine and lacustrine sediments and soils. Reactive iron species, abundant in surface sediments, can undergo reductive dissolution leading to the formation of soluble Fe(II) which can then precipitate in the form of iron sulfur species. While sedimentary iron-oxides have been thoroughly explored in terms of their ability to sorb and sequester organic carbon (OC) (Lalonde et al.; 2012), the role of FeS in the long-term preservation of OC remains undefined. In this study, we present depth profiles for carbon, iron, and sulfur in the aqueous-phase, along with data from sequential extractions of sulfur speciation in the solid-phase collected from sediment cores from the St Lawrence River and estuarine system, demonstrating the transition from fresh to saltwater sediments. Additionally, we present synthetic iron sulfur sorption experiments using both model and natural organic molecules in order to assess the importance of FeS in sedimentary carbon storage.

Distinguishing friends, foes, and freeloaders in giant genomes.

Science.gov (United States)

Bennetzen, Jeffrey L; Park, Minkyu

2018-04-01

Most annotations of large eukaryotic genomes initially find transposable elements (TEs) and other repeats, then mask them so that subsequent efforts can be concentrated on the annotation and study of non-TE genes. However, TEs often contribute to host biology, and their community biologies are of intrinsic interest. This review discusses the challenges, rationale and technologies for comprehensive TE annotation in the commonly giant genomes of animals and plants. Complete discovery of the TEs in a fully sequenced genome is laborious, but feasible, with current strategies in the hands of a careful researcher. These deep TE studies have begun to provide important perspectives on how genomes evolve and the degree to which genome changes do and do not affect eukaryotic biology. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Distribution characteristics of interlayer oxidation zone and its relationship with sedimentary facies and uranium mineralization in QJD uranium deposit, Songliao basin, NE China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen Xiaolin; Xiang Weidong; Li Tiangang; Fang Xiheng; Xia Yuliang; Pang Yaqing; Zheng Jiwei; Zhang Mingyu; Zhang Zegui; Tian Shifeng

2006-01-01

QJD uranium deposit is a sandstone-type uranium deposit with the special shape of the interlayer oxidation zone. After studying the palaeoclimate condition and sedimentation of host sandstones, contrasting drilling cross sections, this paper suggests that primary colors of host sandstones are mostly in gray, red and yellow colors of sandstones are the result of oxidation alteration. According to the positions of drill holes with red and yellow alteration sandstones, the plane distribution of oxidation roll fronts of the Upper and Lower Member of Yaojia Formation are delineated. By contrasting the plane distribution of oxidation fronts and sedimentary facies, it can be found that oxidation fronts are obviously controlled by interchannel fine-grained sediments. The movement of uranium-bearing oxidizing groundwater can be obstructed by interchannel sediments and pelitic interbeds of host sandstones. As a result, redox interface will be developed and uranium can be concentrated in neighbouring sandstones. (authors)

Archaen to Recent aeolian sand systems and their sedimentary record

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rodríguez-López, Juan Pedro; Clemmensen, Lars B; Lancaster, Nick

2014-01-01

The sedimentary record of aeolian sand systems extends from the Archean to the Quaternary, yet current understanding of aeolian sedimentary processes and product remains limited. Most preserved aeolian successions represent inland sand-sea or dunefield (erg) deposits, whereas coastal systems are ...

Effect of pond water depth on snail populations and fish-borne zoonotic trematode transmission in juvenile giant gourami (Osphronemus goramy) aquaculture nurseries

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thien, P. C.; Madsen, Henry; Nga, H. T. N.

2015-01-01

. Here we report results from a cross-sectional study to look at the association between pond depth and infection with FZT in giant gourami nursery ponds. Density of intermediate host snails was positively associated with pond depth (count ratio associated with a 1m increase in pond depth was 10.4 (95% C...

The impact of sedimentary alkalinity release on the water column CO₂ system in the North Sea

OpenAIRE

Brenner, H.; Braeckman, U.; Le Guitton, M.; Meysman, F.J.R.

2016-01-01

It has been previously proposed that alkalinity release from sediments can play an important role in the carbonate dynamics on continental shelves, lowering the pCO2 of seawater and hence increasing the CO2 uptake from the atmosphere. To test this hypothesis, sedimentary alkalinity generation was quantified within cohesive and permeable sediments across the North Sea during two cruises in September 2011 (basin-wide) and June 2012 (Dutch coastal zone). Benthic fluxes of oxyge...

Origin, evolution and sedimentary processes associated with a late Miocene submarine landslide, southeast Spain

Science.gov (United States)

Sola, F.; Puga-Bernabéu, Á.; Aguirre, J.; Braga, J. C.

2018-02-01

A submarine landslide, the Alhama de Almería Slide, influenced late Tortonian and early Messinian (late Miocene) sedimentary processes in the vicinity of Alhama de Almería in southeast Spain. Its 220-m-high headscarp and deposits are now subaerially exposed. The landslide occurred at the northern slope of the antecedent relief of the present-day Sierra de Gádor mountain range. This is a large antiform trending east-west to east-northeast-west-southwest, which has been uplifting since the late Miocene due to convergence of the African and Eurasian plates. During the Tortonian, this relief was an island separated from the Iberian Peninsula mainland by the Alpujarra corridor, a small and narrow intermontane basin of the Betic Cordillera in the western Mediterranean Sea. The materials involved in the slope failure were Triassic dolostones and phyllites from the metamorphic Alpujárride Complex and Tortonian marine conglomerates, sandstones, and marls that formed an initial sedimentary cover on the basement rocks. Coherent large masses of metamorphic rocks and Miocene deposits at the base of the headscarp distally change to chaotic deposits of blocks of different lithologies embedded in upper Tortonian marine marls, and high-strength cohesive debrites. During downslope sliding, coherent carbonate blocks brecciated due to their greater strength. Phyllites disintegrated, forming a cohesive matrix that engulfed and/or sustained the carbonate blocks. Resedimented, channelized breccias were formed by continuing clast collision, bed fragmentation, and disaggregation of the failed mass. The conditions leading to rock/sediment failure were favoured by steep slopes and weak planes at the contact between the basement carbonates and phyllites. Displacement of collapsed rocks created a canyon-like depression at the southeast edge of the landslide. This depression funnelled sediment gravity flows that were generated upslope, promoting local thick accumulations of sediments during

Small steps or giant leaps for male-killers? Phylogenetic constraints to male-killer host shifts

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Majerus Michael EN

2007-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Arthropods are infected by a wide diversity of maternally transmitted microbes. Some of these manipulate host reproduction to facilitate population invasion and persistence. Such parasites transmit vertically on an ecological timescale, but rare horizontal transmission events have permitted colonisation of new species. Here we report the first systematic investigation into the influence of the phylogenetic distance between arthropod species on the potential for reproductive parasite interspecific transfer. Results We employed a well characterised reproductive parasite, a coccinellid beetle male-killer, and artificially injected the bacterium into a series of novel species. Genetic distances between native and novel hosts were ascertained by sequencing sections of the 16S and 12S mitochondrial rDNA genes. The bacterium colonised host tissues and transmitted vertically in all cases tested. However, whilst transmission efficiency was perfect within the native genus, this was reduced following some transfers of greater phylogenetic distance. The bacterium's ability to distort offspring sex ratios in novel hosts was negatively correlated with the genetic distance of transfers. Male-killing occurred with full penetrance following within-genus transfers; but whilst sex ratio distortion generally occurred, it was incomplete in more distantly related species. Conclusion This study indicates that the natural interspecific transmission of reproductive parasites might be constrained by their ability to tolerate the physiology or genetics of novel hosts. Our data suggest that horizontal transfers are more likely between closely related species. Successful bacterial transfer across large phylogenetic distances may require rapid adaptive evolution in the new species. This finding has applied relevance regarding selection of suitable bacteria to manipulate insect pest and vector populations by symbiont gene-drive systems.

Giant coercivity in ferromagnetic Co doped ZnO single crystal thin film

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Loukya, B.; Negi, D.S.; Dileep, K.; Kumar, N.; Ghatak, Jay; Datta, R.

2013-01-01

The origin of ferromagnetism in ZnO doped with transition metal impurities has been discussed extensively and appeared to be a highly controversial and challenging topic in today's solid state physics. Magnetism observed in this system is generally weak and soft. We have grown Co:ZnO up to 30 at% Co in single crystal thin film form on c-plane sapphire. A composition dependent coercivity is observed in this system which reaches peak value at 25 at% Co, the values are 860 Oe and 1149 Oe with applied field along parallel and perpendicular to the film substrate interface respectively. This giant coercivity might pave the way to exploit this material as a magnetic semiconductor with novel logic functionalities. The findings are explained based on defect band itinerant ferromagnetism and its partial interaction with localized d electrons of Co through charge transfer. Besides large coercivity, an increase in the band gap with Co concentration has also been observed along with blue emission peak with long tail confirming the formation of extended point defect levels in the host lattice band gap. - Highlights: • Co doped ZnO ferromagnetic single crystal thin film. • Giant coercivity in Co:ZnO thin film which may help to turn this material into application. • Cathodoluminescence (CL) data showing increase in band gap with Co concentrations. • A theoretical proposal is made to explain the observed giant coercivity

Mineralogy, early marine diagenesis, and the chemistry of shallow-water carbonate sediments

Science.gov (United States)

Higgins, J. A.; Blättler, C. L.; Lundstrom, E. A.; Santiago-Ramos, D. P.; Akhtar, A. A.; Crüger Ahm, A.-S.; Bialik, O.; Holmden, C.; Bradbury, H.; Murray, S. T.; Swart, P. K.

2018-01-01

Shallow-water carbonate sediments constitute the bulk of sedimentary carbonates in the geologic record and are widely used archives of Earth's chemical and climatic history. One of the main limitations in interpreting the geochemistry of ancient carbonate sediments is the potential for post-depositional diagenetic alteration. In this study, we use paired measurements of calcium (44Ca/40Ca or δ44Ca) and magnesium (26Mg/24Mg or δ26Mg) isotope ratios in sedimentary carbonates and associated pore-fluids as a tool to understand the mineralogical and diagenetic history of Neogene shallow-water carbonate sediments from the Bahamas and southwest Australia. We find that the Ca and Mg isotopic composition of bulk carbonate sediments at these sites exhibits systematic stratigraphic variability that is related to both mineralogy and early marine diagenesis. The observed variability in bulk sediment Ca isotopes is best explained by changes in the extent and style of early marine diagenesis from one where the composition of the diagenetic carbonate mineral is determined by the chemistry of the fluid (fluid-buffered) to one where the composition of the diagenetic carbonate mineral is determined by the chemistry of the precursor sediment (sediment-buffered). Our results indicate that this process, together with variations in carbonate mineralogy (aragonite, calcite, and dolomite), plays a fundamental and underappreciated role in determining the regional and global stratigraphic expressions of geochemical tracers (δ13C, δ18O, major, minor, and trace elements) in shallow-water carbonate sediments in the geologic record. Our results also provide evidence that a large shallow-water carbonate sink that is enriched in 44Ca can explain the mismatch between the δ44/40Ca value of rivers and deep-sea carbonate sediments and call into question the hypothesis that the δ44/40Ca value of seawater depends on the mineralogy of primary carbonate precipitations (e.g. 'aragonite seas' and

Planets around the evolved stars 24 Boötis and γ Libra: A 30 d-period planet and a double giant-planet system in possible 7:3 MMR

Science.gov (United States)

Takarada, Takuya; Sato, Bun'ei; Omiya, Masashi; Harakawa, Hiroki; Nagasawa, Makiko; Izumiura, Hideyuki; Kambe, Eiji; Takeda, Yoichi; Yoshida, Michitoshi; Itoh, Yoichi; Ando, Hiroyasu; Kokubo, Eiichiro; Ida, Shigeru

2018-05-01

We report the detection of planets around two evolved giant stars from radial velocity measurements at Okayama Astrophysical observatory. 24 Boo (G3 IV) has a mass of 0.99 M_{⊙}, a radius of 10.64 R_{⊙}, and a metallicity of [Fe/H] = -0.77. The star hosts one planet with a minimum mass of 0.91 MJup and an orbital period of 30.35 d. The planet has one of the shortest orbital periods among those ever found around evolved stars using radial-velocity methods. The stellar radial velocities show additional periodicity with 150 d, which can probably be attributed to stellar activity. The star is one of the lowest-metallicity stars orbited by planets currently known. γ Lib (K0 III) is also a metal-poor giant with a mass of 1.47 M_{⊙}, a radius of 11.1 R_{⊙}, and [Fe/H] = -0.30. The star hosts two planets with minimum masses of 1.02 MJup and 4.58 MJup, and periods of 415 d and 964 d, respectively. The star has the second-lowest metallicity among the giant stars hosting more than two planets. Dynamical stability analysis for the γ Lib system sets the minimum orbital inclination angle to be about 70° and suggests that the planets are in 7:3 mean-motion resonance, though the current best-fitting orbits for the radial-velocity data are not totally regular.

Should the Endangered Status of the Giant Panda Really Be Reduced? The Case of Giant Panda Conservation in Sichuan, China.

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Ben; Lei, Shuo; Qing, Qin; Wen, Yali

2018-05-03

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) reduced the threat status of the giant panda from “endangered” to “vulnerable” in September 2016. In this study, we analyzed current practices for giant panda conservation at regional and local environmental scales, based on recent reports of giant panda protection efforts in Sichuan Province, China, combined with the survey results from 927 households within and adjacent to the giant panda reserves in this area. The results showed that household attitudes were very positive regarding giant panda protection efforts. Over the last 10 years, farmers’ dependence on the natural resources provided by giant panda reserves significantly decreased. However, socio-economic development increased resource consumption, and led to climate change, habitat fragmentation, environmental pollution, and other issues that placed increased pressure on giant panda populations. This difference between local and regional scales must be considered when evaluating the IUCN status of giant pandas. While the status of this species has improved in the short-term due to positive local attitudes, large-scale socio-economic development pressure could have long-term negative impacts. Consequently, the IUCN assessment leading to the classification of giant panda as “vulnerable” instead of “endangered”, should not affect its conservation intensity and effort, as such actions could negatively impact population recovery efforts, leading to the extinction of this charismatic species.

Should the Endangered Status of the Giant Panda Really Be Reduced? The Case of Giant Panda Conservation in Sichuan, China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ben Ma

2018-05-01

Full Text Available The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN reduced the threat status of the giant panda from “endangered” to “vulnerable” in September 2016. In this study, we analyzed current practices for giant panda conservation at regional and local environmental scales, based on recent reports of giant panda protection efforts in Sichuan Province, China, combined with the survey results from 927 households within and adjacent to the giant panda reserves in this area. The results showed that household attitudes were very positive regarding giant panda protection efforts. Over the last 10 years, farmers’ dependence on the natural resources provided by giant panda reserves significantly decreased. However, socio-economic development increased resource consumption, and led to climate change, habitat fragmentation, environmental pollution, and other issues that placed increased pressure on giant panda populations. This difference between local and regional scales must be considered when evaluating the IUCN status of giant pandas. While the status of this species has improved in the short-term due to positive local attitudes, large-scale socio-economic development pressure could have long-term negative impacts. Consequently, the IUCN assessment leading to the classification of giant panda as “vulnerable” instead of “endangered”, should not affect its conservation intensity and effort, as such actions could negatively impact population recovery efforts, leading to the extinction of this charismatic species.

Carbonate rock depositional models: A microfacies approach

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Carozzi, A.V.

1988-01-01

Carbonate rocks contain more than 50% by weight carbonate minerals such as calcite, dolomite, and siderite. Understanding how these rocks form can lead to more efficient methods of petroleum exploration. Micofacies analysis techniques can be used as a method of predicting models of sedimentation for carbonate rocks. Micofacies in carbonate rocks can be seen clearly only in thin sections under a microscope. This section analysis of carbonate rocks is a tool that can be used to understand depositional environments, diagenetic evolution of carbonate rocks, and the formation of porosity and permeability in carbonate rocks. The use of micofacies analysis techniques is applied to understanding the origin and formation of carbonate ramps, carbonate platforms, and carbonate slopes and basins. This book will be of interest to students and professionals concerned with the disciplines of sedimentary petrology, sedimentology, petroleum geology, and palentology.

Macroscopic description of isoscalar giant multipole resonances

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nix, J.R.; Sierk, A.J.

1980-01-01

On the basis of a simple macroscopic model, we calculate the isoscalar giant-resonance energy as a function of mass number and multipole degree. The restoring force is determined from the distortion of the Fermi surface, and the inertia is determined for the incompressible, irrotational flow of nucleons with unit effective mass. With no adjustable parameters, the resulting closed expression reproduces correctly the available experimental data, namely the magnitude and dependence upon mass number of the giant quadrupole energy and the magnitude of the giant octupole energy for 208 Pb. We also calculate the isoscalar giant-resonance width as a function of mass number and multipole degree for various macroscopic damping mechanisms, including two-body viscosity, one-body dissipation, and modified one-body dissipation. None of these damping mechanisms reproduces correctly all features of the available experimental data, namely the magnitude and dependence upon mass number of the giant quadrupole width and the magnitude of the giant octupole width for 208 Pb

Cyclic Cratonic Carbonates and Phanerozoic Calcite Seas.

Science.gov (United States)

Wilkinson, Bruce H.

1982-01-01

Discusses causes of cyclicity in cratonic carbonate sequences and evidence for and potential significance of postulated primary calcite sediment components in past Paleozoic seas, outlining problems, focusing on models explaining existing data, and identifying background. Future sedimentary geologists will need to address these and related areas…

Tests of the Giant Impact Hypothesis

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, J. H.

1998-01-01

The giant impact hypothesis has gained popularity as a means of explaining a volatile-depleted Moon that still has a chemical affinity to the Earth. As Taylor's Axiom decrees, the best models of lunar origin are testable, but this is difficult with the giant impact model. The energy associated with the impact would be sufficient to totally melt and partially vaporize the Earth. And this means that there should he no geological vestige of Barber times. Accordingly, it is important to devise tests that may be used to evaluate the giant impact hypothesis. Three such tests are discussed here. None of these is supportive of the giant impact model, but neither do they disprove it.

Rejuvenation of the Innocent Bystander: Testing Spin-Up in Dwarf Carbon Stars

Science.gov (United States)

Green, Paul

2013-09-01

Carbon stars (C>O) were long assumed to all be giants, because only AGB stars dredge up significant carbon into their atmospheres. We now know that dwarf carbon (dC) stars are actually far more common than C giants. These dCs are hypothesized to have accreted C-rich envelope material from an AGB companion, in systems that have likely undergone a planetary nebula phase, eventually yielding a white dwarf and a dC that has gained both significant mass and angular momentum. To test whether the X-ray emission strength and spectral properties are consistent with a rejuvenated dynamo, we propose a Chandra pilot study of dCs selected from the SDSS; some have hot white dwarf companions (indicating more recent mass transfer), and all show Balmer emission lines (a sign of activity).

Stratigraphical analysis of the neoproterozoic sedimentary sequences of the Sao Francisco Basin

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martins, Mariela; Lemos, Valesca Brasil

2007-01-01

A stratigraphic analysis was performed under the principles of Sequence Stratigraphy on the neoproterozoic sedimentary sequences of the Sao Francisco Basin (Central Brazil). Three periods of deposition separated by unconformities were recognized in the Sao Francisco Megasequence: (1) Sequences 1 and 2, a cryogenian glaciogenic sequence, followed by a distal scarp carbonate ramp, developed during stable conditions, (2) Sequence 3, a Upper Cryogenian stack homoclinal ramps with mixed carbonate-siliciclastic sedimentation, deposited under a progressive influence of compressional stresses of the Brasiliano Cycle, (3) Sequence 4, a Lower Ediacaran shallow platform dominated by siliciclastic sedimentation of molassic nature, the erosion product of the nearby uplifted thrust sheets. Each of the carbonate-bearing sequences presents a distinct δ 13 C isotopic signature. The superposition to the global curve for carbon isotopic variation allowed the recognition of a major depositional hiatus between the Paranoa and Sao Francisco Megasequences, and suggested that the glacial diamictite deposition (Jequitai Formation) took place most probably around 800 Ma. This constrains the Sao Francisco Megasequence deposition to the interval between 800 and 600 Ma (the known ages of the Brasiliano Orogeny defines the upper limit). A minor depositional hiatus (700.680 Ma) was also identified separating sequences 2 and 3. Isotopic analyses suggest that from then on, more restricted environmental conditions were established in the basin, probably associated with a first order global event, which prevailed throughout deposition of the Sequence 3. (author)

Hadron excitation of giant resonances

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morsch, H.-P.

1985-01-01

A review is given on giant resonance studies in heavy nuclei using scattering of different hadronic probes. Concerning isoscalar giant resonances compression modes are discussed with the possibility to obtain more detailed structure information. From detailed studies of α scattering the distribution of isoscalar strengths of multipolarity up to L=6 was obtained. Some recent aspects of heavy ion excitation of collective modes are mentioned. The possibility to study isovector giant resonances in hadron charge exchange reactions is discussed. Finally, a comparison is made between α and 200 MeV proton scattering from which isoscalar and spin-isospin continuum response are extracted. (orig.)

Geochemistry of the Nsuta Mn deposit in Ghana: Implications for the Paleoproterozoic atmosphere and ocean chemistry

Science.gov (United States)

Goto, K. T.; Ito, T.; Suzuki, K.; Kashiwabara, T.; Takaya, Y.; Shimoda, G.; Nozaki, T.; Kiyokawa, S.; Tetteh, G. M.; Nyame, F. K.

2013-12-01

Oxygenation of the atmosphere and oceans has influenced the evolution of ocean chemistry and diversification of early life. A number of large manganese (Mn) deposits are distributed in the Paleoproterozoic sedimentary successions that were formed during the great oxidation event (GOE) around 2.4-2.2 Ga (Meynard, 2010). Due to the high redox potential of Mn, occurrences of Mn deposits have been regarded as important evidence for a highly oxidized environment during the Paleoproterozoic (Kirschvink et al., 2000). Furthermore, because Mn oxides strongly adsorb various elements, including bioessential elements such as Mo, formation of large Mn deposits may have affected the seawater chemical composition and ecology during the Paleoproterozoic. However, the genesis of each Mn deposit is poorly constrained, and the relationships among the formation of Mn deposits, the evolution of atmospheric and ocean chemistry, and the diversification of early life are still ambiguous. In this study, we report the Re-Os isotope compositions, rare earth element (REE) compositions, and abundance of manganophile elements in the Mn carbonate ore and host sedimentary rock samples collected from the Nsuta Mn deposit of the Birimian Supergroup, Ghana. The Nsuta deposit is one of the largest Paleoproterozoic Mn deposits, although its genesis remains controversial (Melcher et al., 1995; Mucke et al., 1999). The composite Re-Os isochron age (2149 × 130 Ma) of the Mn carbonate and sedimentary rock samples was consistent with the depositional age of the sedimentary rocks (~2.2 Ga) presumed from the U-Pb zircon age of volcanic rocks (Hirdes and Davis, 1998), suggesting that the timing of Mn ore deposition was almost equivalent to the host rock sedimentation. The PAAS-normalized REE pattern showed a positive Eu anomaly in all samples and a positive Ce anomaly only in the Mn carbonate ore. These REE patterns indicate the possible contribution of Eu-enriched fluids derived from hydrothermal activity

YOUNG SOLAR SYSTEM's FIFTH GIANT PLANET?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nesvorný, David

2011-01-01

Studies of solar system formation suggest that the solar system's giant planets formed and migrated in the protoplanetary disk to reach the resonant orbits with all planets inside ∼15 AU from the Sun. After the gas disk's dispersal, Uranus and Neptune were likely scattered by the gas giants, and approached their current orbits while dispersing the transplanetary disk of planetesimals, whose remains survived to this time in the region known as the Kuiper Belt. Here we performed N-body integrations of the scattering phase between giant planets in an attempt to determine which initial states are plausible. We found that the dynamical simulations starting with a resonant system of four giant planets have a low success rate in matching the present orbits of giant planets and various other constraints (e.g., survival of the terrestrial planets). The dynamical evolution is typically too violent, if Jupiter and Saturn start in the 3:2 resonance, and leads to final systems with fewer than four planets. Several initial states stand out in that they show a relatively large likelihood of success in matching the constraints. Some of the statistically best results were obtained when assuming that the solar system initially had five giant planets and one ice giant, with the mass comparable to that of Uranus and Neptune, and which was ejected to interstellar space by Jupiter. This possibility appears to be conceivable in view of the recent discovery of a large number of free-floating planets in interstellar space, which indicates that planet ejection should be common.

Young Solar System's Fifth Giant Planet?

Science.gov (United States)

Nesvorný, David

2011-12-01

Studies of solar system formation suggest that the solar system's giant planets formed and migrated in the protoplanetary disk to reach the resonant orbits with all planets inside ~15 AU from the Sun. After the gas disk's dispersal, Uranus and Neptune were likely scattered by the gas giants, and approached their current orbits while dispersing the transplanetary disk of planetesimals, whose remains survived to this time in the region known as the Kuiper Belt. Here we performed N-body integrations of the scattering phase between giant planets in an attempt to determine which initial states are plausible. We found that the dynamical simulations starting with a resonant system of four giant planets have a low success rate in matching the present orbits of giant planets and various other constraints (e.g., survival of the terrestrial planets). The dynamical evolution is typically too violent, if Jupiter and Saturn start in the 3:2 resonance, and leads to final systems with fewer than four planets. Several initial states stand out in that they show a relatively large likelihood of success in matching the constraints. Some of the statistically best results were obtained when assuming that the solar system initially had five giant planets and one ice giant, with the mass comparable to that of Uranus and Neptune, and which was ejected to interstellar space by Jupiter. This possibility appears to be conceivable in view of the recent discovery of a large number of free-floating planets in interstellar space, which indicates that planet ejection should be common.

Tectono-sedimentary controls on the likelihood of gas hydrate occurrence near Taiwan

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

McDonnell, S.L.; Cherkis, N.Z.; Czarnecki, M.F. [Naval Research Lab., Washington, DC (United States); Max, M.D. [MDS Research, Washington, DC (United States)

2000-09-01

Marine sediments on the continental slope of the NE South China Sea have appropriate thickness, methane-generating potential, and occur in a suitable pressure-temperature regime to host gas hydrate. Evidence for gas hydrate, the bottom simulating reflector (BSR), is observed to the south of Taiwan on reflection seismic records, and can be used to suggest that gas hydrates are widely distributed. The tectono-sedimentary framework south of Taiwan bears directly upon methane generation and the likelihood of the presence of significant gas hydrate deposits. Three zones of probable hydrate occurrence have been delineated along the margins of the NE South China Sea: (1) in a thick accumulation of sediment along the northern passive margin; (2) along a more thinly sedimented eastern active collisional margin, and especially; (3) in a zone of thick originally passive margin sedimentation into which the collisional margin has encroached obliquely. (author)

Evidences of methane-derived authigenic carbonates from the sediments of the Krishna–Godavari Basin, eastern continental margin of India

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Kocherla, M.; Mazumdar, A.; Karisiddaiah, S.M.; Borole, D.V.; Rao, B.R.

ents from the Gulf of Mexico . Earth Planet. Sci. Lett ., 1988, 88 , 263 ? 272. 2. Rodriguez, N. M., Paull, C. K. and Borowski, W. S., Zonation of authigenic carbonates within gas hydrate - bearing sedimentary se c- tions on the Blake Ridge.... H., Di s solved carbon and de lta c - 13 anomalies in the water column caused by hydroca r- bon seeps on the northwestern Gulf of Mexico slope. Geo - Mar. Lett ., 1992, 12 , 33 ? 40. 30. Berner, R. A., Sedimentary pyrite formation. Am. J...

Giant multipole resonances: perspectives after ten years

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bertrand, F.E.

1980-01-01

Nearly ten years ago evidence was published for the first of the so-called giant multipole resonances, the giant quadrupole resonance. During the ensuing years research in this field has spread to many nuclear physics laboratories throughout the world. The present status of electric giant multipole resonances is reviewed. 24 figures, 1 table

The Chicxulub crater - impact metamorphism of sulfate and carbonate lithologies

Science.gov (United States)

Deutsch, A.; Langenhorst, F.; Hornemann, U.; Ivanov, B. A.

2003-04-01

It is discussed whether in the aftermath of the Chicxulub event, impact-released CO_2 and SO_x have changed the Earth's climate, acting also as lethal thread for life. Undoubtedly, vaporization of carbonates and sulfates, which are major target lithologies at the Chicxulub impact site, occurred in the footprint of the projectile. What happened to these lithologies outside this very restricted zone was so far unconstrained. Petrologic observations on PEMEX and UNAM as well as on the CSDP cores allow to set up a general classification for shock-related pro-grade effects on sulfate and carbonate sedimentary rocks. Shock effects in lithic breccias are restricted to brecciation and formation of twins in calcite. Suevites mostly lack melted carbonate clasts; annealing effects in anhydrite fragments are absent. The underlying melt breccias contain anhydrite fragments still displaying a sedimentary texture, and limestone clasts, whose texture reflect crystallization from melt. Impact melt breccias from deeper levels frequently contain partially resorbed anhydrite clasts and a melt matrix with the Ca-rich mineral assemblage quartz + plagioclase + clinopyroxene; this mineral assemblage provides evidence for partial dissociation of CaSO_4. Large clasts of anhydrite consist of equant crystals with 120^o triple junctions, a feature indicative for re-crystallization in the solid state. Tagamites (impact melt rocks) are virtually free of clasts from sedimentary lithologies. These rocks have an extremely high formation temperature, which caused total dissociation of CaSO_4 and CaCO_3. Finally, up to 100 μm wide veins of anhydrite + calcite + quartz cut the matrix of all lithologies except the tagamites. They probably represent "degassing vents". The given scheme is in qualitative accordance with data of shock recovery and annealing experiments as well as with modeling results. In addition, it substantiates that annealing plays a fundamental role in the impact metamorphism of

HERSCHEL /HIFI OBSERVATIONS OF IRC+10216: WATER VAPOR IN THE INNER ENVELOPE OF A CARBON-RICH ASYMPTOTIC GIANT BRANCH STAR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Neufeld, David A.; Gonzalez-Alfonso, Eduardo; Melnick, Gary J.; Szczerba, Ryszard; Schmidt, Miroslaw; Decin, Leen; De Koter, Alex; Schoeier, Fredrik; Cernicharo, Jose

2011-01-01

We report the results of observations of 10 rotational transitions of water vapor toward the carbon-rich asymptotic giant branch (AGB) star IRC+10216 (CW Leonis), carried out with Herschel's HIFI instrument. Each transition was securely detected by means of observations using the dual beam switch mode of HIFI. The measured line ratios imply that water vapor is present in the inner outflow at small distances (≤few x 10 14 cm) from the star, confirming recent results reported by Decin et al. from observations with Herschel's PACS and SPIRE instruments. This finding definitively rules out the hypothesis that the observed water results from the vaporization of small icy objects in circular orbits. The origin of water within the dense C-rich envelope of IRC+10216 remains poorly understood. We derive upper limits on the H 17 2 O/H 16 2 O and H 18 2 O/H 16 2 O isotopic abundance ratios of ∼5 x 10 -3 (3σ), providing additional constraints on models for the origin of the water vapor in IRC+10216.

A hot Saturn on an eccentric orbit around the giant star K2-132

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, M. I.; Brahm, R.; Espinoza, N.; Jordán, A.; Rojas, F.; Rabus, M.; Drass, H.; Zapata, A.; Soto, M. G.; Jenkins, J. S.; Vučković, M.; Ciceri, S.; Sarkis, P.

2018-06-01

Although the majority of radial velocity detected planets have been found orbiting solar-type stars, a fraction of them have been discovered around giant stars. These planetary systems have revealed different orbital properties when compared to solar-type star companions. In particular, radial velocity surveys have shown that there is a lack of giant planets in close-in orbits around giant stars, in contrast to the known population of hot Jupiters orbiting solar-type stars. It has been theorized that the reason for this distinctive feature in the semimajor axis distribution is the result of the stellar evolution and/or that it is due to the effect of a different formation/evolution scenario for planets around intermediate-mass stars. However, in the past few years a handful of transiting short-period planets (P ≲ 10 days) have been found around giant stars, thanks to the high-precision photometric data obtained initially by the Kepler mission, and later by its two-wheel extension K2. These new discoveries have allowed us for the first time to study the orbital properties and physical parameters of these intriguing and elusive substellar companions. In this paper we report on an independent discovery of a transiting planet in field 10 of the K2 mission, also reported recently by Grunblatt et al. (2017, AJ, 154, 254). The host star has recently evolved to the giant phase, and has the following atmospheric parameters: Teff = 4878 ± 70 K, log g = 3.289 ± 0.004, and [Fe/H] = -0.11 ± 0.05 dex. The main orbital parameters of K2-132 b, obtained with all the available data for the system are: P = 9.1708 ± 0.0025 d, e = 0.290 ± 0.049, Mp = 0.495 ± 0.007 MJ and Rp = 1.089 ± 0.006 RJ. This is the fifth known planet orbiting any giant star with a K2-132 b a very interesting object. Tables of the photometry and of the radial velocities are only available at the CDS via anonymous ftp to http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (ftp://130.79.128.5) or via http

New candidates for carbon stars with silicate features

Science.gov (United States)

Chan, S. J.; Kwok, Sun

1991-01-01

All stars in the General Catalog of Cool Galactic Carbon Stars with IRAS 12-micron fluxes greater than 10 Jy were searched for Low-Resolution-Spectrometer (LRS) spectra in the IRAS LRS data base. Out of the 532 spectra examined, 11 were found to show the 9.7-micron silicate emission feature. Four of these are identified for the first time. This group of carbon stars may represent transition objects between oxygen-rich and carbon-rich stars on the asymptotic giant branch.

Solitary ulcerated congenital giant juvenile xanthogranuloma

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Su Yuen Ng

2015-01-01

Full Text Available A 3-month-old female patient with a giant ulcerated nodule over the back since birth was diagnosed as congenital giant juvenile xanthogranuloma (JXG based on clinical and histopathological examination. Congenital giant JXG with ulceration at birth is a rare presentation of JXG and commonly misdiagnosed. This case emphasizes the importance of being aware of the myriad presentations of JXG in order to make a correct diagnosis and avoid unnecessary investigations or treatment.

Giant resonances in heavy-ion reactions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hussein, M.S.

1982-11-01

The several roles of multipole giant resonances in heavy-ion reactions are discussed. In particular, the modifications in the effective ion-ion potencial due to the virtual excitation of giant resonances at low energies, are considered and estimated for several systems. Real excitation of giant resonances in heavy-ion reactions at intermediate energies are then discussed and their importance in the approach phase of deeply inelastic processes in emphasized. Several demonstrative examples are given. (Author) [pt

Stable isotopes estimate the dependence of the parasitic angiosperm striga hermonthica on its maize host

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aflakpui, G.K.S.

2004-01-01

The dependence of the root hemi-parasitic angiosperm striga hermonthica on its host for carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) was estimated by labeling the leaves of maize (grown in sand culture at three rates of nitrogen) with 13 C and 15 N. The Striga x N interaction on the responses measured was not significant. The dependence of the parasite on host nitrogen varied from 75 to 83 percent in the leaf, and from 70 to 80 percent in the stem compared with a total dependence of between 74 and 82 per cent. The dependence of the parasite on its host for nitrogen was not affected by the rate of nitrogen fertilizer applied. The heterotrophic carbon derived by S. hermonthica from its maize host varied from 20 to 32 per cent in the leaf, 23 to 41 per cent in the stem, with a total dependence of 22 to 36 per cent. The heterotrophic carbon in the leaf increased as the rate of nitrogen fertilizer applied increased (P<0.05). The total dependence of the parasite on the host for carbon also increased (P<0.05). The total dependence of the parasite on the host for carbon also increased as the rate of nitrogen fertilizer applied increased (P<0.01). The presence of S. hermonthica reduced the shoot biomass of its maize host by about 40 percent (P<0.001), whilst the root biomass was unaffected. Infected plants also partitioned about 41 percent of their total biomass compared with 27 per cent for the uninfected (P<0.001). The application if nitrogen increased the shoot and root biomass (P<0.001) but did not affect the proportion of the total biomass partitioned to the root. The results show that (i) the dependence of striga on its maize host of C and N can be estimated with stable isotopes of C and N and (ii) Striga derives more nitrogen than carbon from the host. (author)

A potential new proxy for paleo-atmospheric pO2 from soil carbonate-hosted fluid inclusions applied to pristine Chinle soils from the Petrified Forest 1A core

Science.gov (United States)

Schaller, M. F.; Pettitt, E.; Knobbe, T.

2017-12-01

Proxies for the concentration of O2 in the ancient atmosphere are scarce. We have developed a potential new proxy for ancient atmospheric O2 content based on soil carbonate-hosted fluid inclusions. Soils are in continuous atmospheric communication, and relatively static equilibration between soil gas and atmospheric gas during formation, such that a predictable amount of atmosphere infiltrates a soil. This atmosphere is trapped by inclusions during carbonate precipitation. Here we show that carbonate hosted fluid inclusions are faithful recorders of soil gas concentrations and isotope ratios, and specifically that soil O2 partial pressures can be derived from the total gas contents of these inclusions. Using carbonate nodules from a span of depths in a modern vertisol near Dallas, TX, as a test case, we employ an online crushing technique to liberate gases from soil carbonates into a small custom-built quadrupole mass spectrometer where all gases are measured in real time. We quantify the total oxygen content of the gas using a matrix-matched calibration, and define each species as a partial pressure of the total gas released from the nodule. Atmospheric pO2 is very simply derived from the soil-nodule partial pressures by accounting for the static productivity of the soil (using a small correction based on the CO2 concentration). When corrected for aqueous solubility using Henry's Law, these soil-carbonate hosted gas results reveal soil O2 concentrations that are comparable to modern-day dry atmosphere. Armed with this achievement in modern soils, and as a test on the applicability of the approach to ancient samples, we successfully apply the new proxy to nodules from the Late Triassic Chinle formation from the Petrified Forest National Park Core, taken as part of the Colorado Plateau Coring Project. Analysis of soil O2 from soil gas monitoring wells paired with measurements from contemporaneous soil carbonate nodules is needed to precisely calibrate the new proxy.

PREDICTED SEDIMENTARY SECTION OF SUBGLACIAL LAKE VOSTOK

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G. I. Leychenkov

2012-01-01

Full Text Available In early February 2012, the drill hole at the Vostok Station encountered theLakeVostokwater. This step is important to study the lake composition including possible microbial life and to model subglacial environments however, the next ambitious target of the Vostok Drilling Project is sampling of bottom sediments, which contain the unique record of ice sheet evolution and environmental changes in centralAntarcticafor millions of years. In this connection, the forecast of sedimentary succession based on existing geophysical data, study of mineral inclusions in the accretion ice cores and tectonic models is important task. Interpretation of Airborne geophysical data suggests thatLakeVostokis the part of spacious rift system, which exists at least from Cretaceous. Reflection and refraction seismic experiments conducted in the southern part ofLakeVostokshow very thin (200–300 m stratified sedimentary cover overlying crystalline basement with velocity of 6.0–6.2 km/s. At present, deposition in southernLakeVostokis absent and similar conditions occurred likely at least last3 m.y. when ice sheet aboveLakeVostokchanged insignificantly. It can be also inferred that from the Late Miocene the rate of deposition inLakeVostokwas extremely low and so the most of sedimentary section is older being possibly of Oligocene to early to middle Miocene age when ice sheet oscillated and deposition was more vigorous. If so, the sampling of upper few meters of this condensed section is very informative in terms of history of Antarctic glaciation. Small thickness of sedimentary cover raises a question about existence of lake (rift depression during preglacial and early glacial times.

The structure and pyrolysis product distribution of lignite from different sedimentary environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Peng; Zhang, Dexiang; Wang, Lanlan; Zhou, Yang; Pan, Tieying; Lu, Xilan

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Carbon structure of three lignites was measured by solid "1"3C NMR. • Effect of carbon structure on pyrolysis product distribution was studied. • Tar yield is influenced by aliphatic carbon and oxygen functional group. • C1–C4 content of pyrolysis gas is related to CH_2/CH_3 ratio. - Abstract: Low-temperature pyrolysis is an economically efficient method for lignite to obtain coal tar and improve its combustion calorific value. The research on the distribution of pyrolysis product (especially coal tar yield) plays an important role in energy application and economic development in the now and future. Pyrolysis test was carried out in a tube reactor at 873 K for 15 min. The structure of the lignite was measured by solid "1"3C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The thermal analysis was analyzed by thermo-gravimetric (TG) analyzer. The results show that the pyrolysis product distribution is related to the breakage of branch structures of aromatic ring in lignites from different sedimentary environment. The gas yield and composition are related to the decomposition of carbonyl group and the breakage of aliphatic carbon. The tar yield derived from lignite pyrolysis follows the order: Xianfeng lignite (XF, 13.67 wt.%) > Xiaolongtan lignite (XLT, 7.97 wt.%) > Inner Mongolia lignite (IM, 6.30 wt.%), which is mainly influenced by the aliphatic carbon contents, the CH_2/CH_3 ratio and the oxygen functional groups in lignite. The pyrolysis water yield depends on the decomposition of oxygen functional groups. IM has the highest content of oxygen-linked carbon so that the pyrolysis water yield derived from IM is the highest (9.20 wt.%), and is far more than that from the other two lignites.

Building a Bridge to Deep Time: Sedimentary Systems Across Timescales

Science.gov (United States)

Romans, B.; Castelltort, S.; Covault, J. A.; Walsh, J. P.

2013-12-01

It is increasingly important to understand the complex and interdependent processes associated with sediment production, transport, and deposition at timescales relevant to civilization (annual to millennial). However, predicting the response of sedimentary systems to global environmental change across a range of timescales remains a significant challenge. For example, a significant increase in global average temperature at the Paleocene-Eocene boundary (55.8 Ma) is interpreted to have occurred over millennial timescales; however, the specific response of sedimentary systems (e.g., timing and magnitude of sediment flux variability in river systems) to that forcing is debated. Thus, using such environmental perturbations recorded in sedimentary archives as analogs for ongoing/future global change requires improved approaches to bridging across time. Additionally, the ability to bridge timescales is critical for addressing other questions about sedimentary system behavior, including signal propagation and signal versus ';noise' in the record. The geologic record provides information that can be used to develop a comprehensive understanding of process-response behavior at multiple timescales. The geomorphic ';snapshot' of present-day erosional and depositional landscapes can be examined to reconstruct the history of processes that created the observable configurations. Direct measurement and monitoring of active processes are used to constrain conceptual and numerical models and develop sedimentary system theory. But real-time observations of active Earth-surface processes are limited to the very recent, and how such processes integrate over longer timescales to transform into strata remains unknown. At longer timescales (>106 yr), the stratigraphic record is the only vestige of ancient sedimentary systems. Stratigraphic successions contain a complex record of sediment deposition and preservation, as well as the detrital material that originated in long since denuded

Swiss roll operation for giant fibroadenoma.

Science.gov (United States)

Soomro, Saleem A; Memon, Sohail A; Mohammad, Noor; Maher, Mumtaz

2009-01-01

Fibroadenoma 5 cm or more is called giant fibroadenoma. Giant fibroadenoma can distort the shape of breast and causes asymmetry, so it should be excised. There are several techniques for excision of giant fibroadenoma. In our technique we remove them through cosmetically acceptable circumareolar incision to maintain the shape and symmetry of breast. The objectives were to assess the cosmetic results of Swiss roll operation for giant fibroadenoma. The study was conducted for six years from January, 2002 to December, 2007. Seventy patients of giant fibroadenoma were included in this study. They were diagnosed on history and clinical examination supported by ultrasound and postoperative histopathological examination. Data were collected from outpatient department and operation theatre. Swiss roll operation was performed under general anaesthesia. Mean tumor size was 6.38 cm. Three cm and 4 cm incisions were used for tumour 6 cm in size respectively. Skin closed with Vicryl 3/0 subcuticular stitches. Sixteen out of 70 patients had no scar while others hadminimal scar. All patients had normal shape and symmetry of breast. On histopathology fibroadenoma was confirmed. Giant fibroadenoma should be removed through cosmetically acceptable cicumareolar incision especially in unmarried young females who have small breast. Swiss-roll operation is superior in maintaining the shape and symmetry of breast. No major complication was found in our series except seroma formation in 10 patients.

Giant serpentine intracranial aneurysm: a case report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Jae Seong; Lee, Myeong Sub; Kim, Myung Soon; Kim, Dong Jin; Park, Joong Wha; Whang, Kum

2001-01-01

The authors present a case of giant serpentine aneurysm (a partially thrombosed aneurysm containing tortuous vascular channels with a separate entrance and outflow pathway). Giant serpentine aneurysms form a subgroup of giant intracranial aneurysms, distinct from saccular and fusiform varieties, and in this case, too, the clinical presentation and radiographic features of CT, MR imaging and angiography were distinct

A particle-hole-rotator coupling model for the giant resonance of carbon-12

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McDougall, A.; Spicer, B.M.

1975-01-01

A collective correlations calculation has been made for the giant resonance of 12 C. The low-lying states are treated as members of two rotational bands, and higher energy low-lying states are included in the coupling procedure in an attempt to examine the connection of these states with structure in the 30-35 MeV region, and to examine a proposed rotational band of states built on the 7.65 MeV (0 + ) level. The calculation fails to transfer strength to the extent expected. (author)

Giant nuclear resonances

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Snover, K.A.

1989-01-01

Giant nuclear resonances are elementary mods of oscillation of the whole nucleus, closely related to the normal modes of oscillation of coupled mechanical systems. They occur systematically in most if not all nuclei, with oscillation energies typically in the range 10-30 MeV. One of the best - known examples is the giant electric dipole (El) resonance, in which all the protons and all the neutrons oscillate with opposite phase, producing a large time - varying electric dipole moment which acts as an effective antenna for radiating gamma ray. This paper discusses this mode as well as quadrupole and monopole modes

Elemental Geochemistry of Sedimentary Rocks at Yellowknife Bay, Gale Crater, Mars

Science.gov (United States)

McLennan, S. M.; Anderson, R. B.; Bell, J. F.; Bridges, J. C.; Calef, F.; Campbell, J. L.; Clark, B. C.; Clegg, S.; Conrad, P.; Cousin, A.; Des Marais, D. J.; Dromart, G.; Dyar, M. D.; Edgar, L. A.; Ehlmann, B. L.; Fabre, C.; Forni, O.; Gasnault, O.; Gellert, R.; Gordon, S.; Grant, J. A.; Grotzinger, J. P.; Gupta, S.; Herkenhoff, K. E.; Hurowitz, J. A.; King, P. L.; Le Mouélic, S.; Leshin, L. A.; Léveillé, R.; Lewis, K. W.; Mangold, N.; Maurice, S.; Ming, D. W.; Morris, R. V.; Nachon, M.; Newsom, H. E.; Ollila, A. M.; Perrett, G. M.; Rice, M. S.; Schmidt, M. E.; Schwenzer, S. P.; Stack, K.; Stolper, E. M.; Sumner, D. Y.; Treiman, A. H.; VanBommel, S.; Vaniman, D. T.; Vasavada, A.; Wiens, R. C.; Yingst, R. A.; Kemppinen, Osku; Bridges, Nathan; Johnson, Jeffrey R.; Minitti, Michelle; Cremers, David; Farmer, Jack; Godber, Austin; Wadhwa, Meenakshi; Wellington, Danika; McEwan, Ian; Newman, Claire; Richardson, Mark; Charpentier, Antoine; Peret, Laurent; Blank, Jennifer; Weigle, Gerald; Li, Shuai; Milliken, Ralph; Robertson, Kevin; Sun, Vivian; Baker, Michael; Edwards, Christopher; Farley, Kenneth; Griffes, Jennifer; Miller, Hayden; Newcombe, Megan; Pilorget, Cedric; Siebach, Kirsten; Brunet, Claude; Hipkin, Victoria; Marchand, Geneviève; Sánchez, Pablo Sobrón; Favot, Laurent; Cody, George; Steele, Andrew; Flückiger, Lorenzo; Lees, David; Nefian, Ara; Martin, Mildred; Gailhanou, Marc; Westall, Frances; Israël, Guy; Agard, Christophe; Baroukh, Julien; Donny, Christophe; Gaboriaud, Alain; Guillemot, Philippe; Lafaille, Vivian; Lorigny, Eric; Paillet, Alexis; Pérez, René; Saccoccio, Muriel; Yana, Charles; Armiens-Aparicio, Carlos; Rodríguez, Javier Caride; Blázquez, Isaías Carrasco; Gómez, Felipe Gómez; Gómez-Elvira, Javier; Hettrich, Sebastian; Malvitte, Alain Lepinette; Jiménez, Mercedes Marín; Martínez-Frías, Jesús; Martín-Soler, Javier; Martín-Torres, F. Javier; Jurado, Antonio Molina; Mora-Sotomayor, Luis; Caro, Guillermo Muñoz; López, Sara Navarro; Peinado-González, Verónica; Pla-García, Jorge; Manfredi, José Antonio Rodriguez; Romeral-Planelló, Julio José; Fuentes, Sara Alejandra Sans; Martinez, Eduardo Sebastian; Redondo, Josefina Torres; Urqui-O'Callaghan, Roser; Mier, María-Paz Zorzano; Chipera, Steve; Lacour, Jean-Luc; Mauchien, Patrick; Sirven, Jean-Baptiste; Manning, Heidi; Fairén, Alberto; Hayes, Alexander; Joseph, Jonathan; Squyres, Steven; Sullivan, Robert; Thomas, Peter; Dupont, Audrey; Lundberg, Angela; Melikechi, Noureddine; Mezzacappa, Alissa; DeMarines, Julia; Grinspoon, David; Reitz, Günther; Prats, Benito; Atlaskin, Evgeny; Genzer, Maria; Harri, Ari-Matti; Haukka, Harri; Kahanpää, Henrik; Kauhanen, Janne; Kemppinen, Osku; Paton, Mark; Polkko, Jouni; Schmidt, Walter; Siili, Tero; Wray, James; Wilhelm, Mary Beth; Poitrasson, Franck; Patel, Kiran; Gorevan, Stephen; Indyk, Stephen; Paulsen, Gale; Bish, David; Schieber, Juergen; Gondet, Brigitte; Langevin, Yves; Geffroy, Claude; Baratoux, David; Berger, Gilles; Cros, Alain; d'Uston, Claude; Lasue, Jérémie; Lee, Qiu-Mei; Meslin, Pierre-Yves; Pallier, Etienne; Parot, Yann; Pinet, Patrick; Schröder, Susanne; Toplis, Mike; Lewin, Éric; Brunner, Will; Heydari, Ezat; Achilles, Cherie; Oehler, Dorothy; Sutter, Brad; Cabane, Michel; Coscia, David; Israël, Guy; Szopa, Cyril; Robert, François; Sautter, Violaine; Buch, Arnaud; Stalport, Fabien; Coll, Patrice; François, Pascaline; Raulin, François; Teinturier, Samuel; Cameron, James; DeLapp, Dorothea; Dingler, Robert; Jackson, Ryan Steele; Johnstone, Stephen; Lanza, Nina; Little, Cynthia; Nelson, Tony; Williams, Richard B.; Jones, Andrea; Kirkland, Laurel; Baker, Burt; Cantor, Bruce; Caplinger, Michael; Davis, Scott; Duston, Brian; Edgett, Kenneth; Fay, Donald; Hardgrove, Craig; Harker, David; Herrera, Paul; Jensen, Elsa; Kennedy, Megan R.; Krezoski, Gillian; Krysak, Daniel; Lipkaman, Leslie; Malin, Michael; McCartney, Elaina; McNair, Sean; Nixon, Brian; Posiolova, Liliya; Ravine, Michael; Salamon, Andrew; Saper, Lee; Stoiber, Kevin; Supulver, Kimberley; Van Beek, Jason; Van Beek, Tessa; Zimdar, Robert; French, Katherine Louise; Iagnemma, Karl; Miller, Kristen; Summons, Roger; Goesmann, Fred; Goetz, Walter; Hviid, Stubbe; Johnson, Micah; Lefavor, Matthew; Lyness, Eric; Breves, Elly; Fassett, Caleb; Blake, David F.; Bristow, Thomas; Edwards, Laurence; Haberle, Robert; Hoehler, Tori; Hollingsworth, Jeff; Kahre, Melinda; Keely, Leslie; McKay, Christopher; Wilhelm, Mary Beth; Bleacher, Lora; Brinckerhoff, William; Choi, David; Dworkin, Jason P.; Eigenbrode, Jennifer; Floyd, Melissa; Freissinet, Caroline; Garvin, James; Glavin, Daniel; Harpold, Daniel; Jones, Andrea; Mahaffy, Paul; Martin, David K.; McAdam, Amy; Pavlov, Alexander; Raaen, Eric; Smith, Michael D.; Stern, Jennifer; Tan, Florence; Trainer, Melissa; Meyer, Michael; Posner, Arik; Voytek, Mary; Anderson, Robert C.; Aubrey, Andrew; Beegle, Luther W.; Behar, Alberto; Blaney, Diana; Brinza, David; Christensen, Lance; Crisp, Joy A.; DeFlores, Lauren; Ehlmann, Bethany; Feldman, Jason; Feldman, Sabrina; Flesch, Gregory; Jun, Insoo; Keymeulen, Didier; Maki, Justin; Mischna, Michael; Morookian, John Michael; Parker, Timothy; Pavri, Betina; Schoppers, Marcel; Sengstacken, Aaron; Simmonds, John J.; Spanovich, Nicole; Juarez, Manuel de la Torre; Webster, Christopher R.; Yen, Albert; Archer, Paul Douglas; Cucinotta, Francis; Jones, John H.; Niles, Paul; Rampe, Elizabeth; Nolan, Thomas; Fisk, Martin; Radziemski, Leon; Barraclough, Bruce; Bender, Steve; Berman, Daniel; Dobrea, Eldar Noe; Tokar, Robert; Williams, Rebecca M. E.; Cleghorn, Timothy; Huntress, Wesley; Manhès, Gérard; Hudgins, Judy; Olson, Timothy; Stewart, Noel; Sarrazin, Philippe; Vicenzi, Edward; Wilson, Sharon A.; Bullock, Mark; Ehresmann, Bent; Hamilton, Victoria; Hassler, Donald; Peterson, Joseph; Rafkin, Scot; Zeitlin, Cary; Fedosov, Fedor; Golovin, Dmitry; Karpushkina, Natalya; Kozyrev, Alexander; Litvak, Maxim; Malakhov, Alexey; Mitrofanov, Igor; Mokrousov, Maxim; Nikiforov, Sergey; Prokhorov, Vasily; Sanin, Anton; Tretyakov, Vladislav; Varenikov, Alexey; Vostrukhin, Andrey; Kuzmin, Ruslan; Wolff, Michael; Botta, Oliver; Drake, Darrell; Bean, Keri; Lemmon, Mark; Lee, Ella Mae; Sucharski, Robert; Hernández, Miguel Ángel de Pablo; Ávalos, Juan José Blanco; Ramos, Miguel; Kim, Myung-Hee; Malespin, Charles; Plante, Ianik; Muller, Jan-Peter; Navarro-González, Rafael; Ewing, Ryan; Boynton, William; Downs, Robert; Fitzgibbon, Mike; Harshman, Karl; Morrison, Shaunna; Dietrich, William; Kortmann, Onno; Palucis, Marisa; Williams, Amy; Lugmair, Günter; Wilson, Michael A.; Rubin, David; Jakosky, Bruce; Balic-Zunic, Tonci; Frydenvang, Jens; Jensen, Jaqueline Kløvgaard; Kinch, Kjartan; Koefoed, Asmus; Madsen, Morten Bo; Stipp, Susan Louise Svane; Boyd, Nick; Pradler, Irina; Jacob, Samantha; Owen, Tobias; Rowland, Scott; Atlaskin, Evgeny; Savijärvi, Hannu; Boehm, Eckart; Böttcher, Stephan; Burmeister, Sönke; Guo, Jingnan; Köhler, Jan; García, César Martín; Mueller-Mellin, Reinhold; Wimmer-Schweingruber, Robert; McConnochie, Timothy; Benna, Mehdi; Franz, Heather; Bower, Hannah; Brunner, Anna; Blau, Hannah; Boucher, Thomas; Carmosino, Marco; Atreya, Sushil; Elliott, Harvey; Halleaux, Douglas; Rennó, Nilton; Wong, Michael; Pepin, Robert; Elliott, Beverley; Spray, John; Thompson, Lucy; Williams, Joshua; Vasconcelos, Paulo; Bentz, Jennifer; Nealson, Kenneth; Popa, Radu; Kah, Linda C.; Moersch, Jeffrey; Tate, Christopher; Day, Mackenzie; Kocurek, Gary; Hallet, Bernard; Sletten, Ronald; Francis, Raymond; McCullough, Emily; Cloutis, Ed; ten Kate, Inge Loes; Kuzmin, Ruslan; Arvidson, Raymond; Fraeman, Abigail; Scholes, Daniel; Slavney, Susan; Stein, Thomas; Ward, Jennifer; Berger, Jeffrey; Moores, John E.

2014-01-01

Sedimentary rocks examined by the Curiosity rover at Yellowknife Bay, Mars, were derived from sources that evolved from an approximately average martian crustal composition to one influenced by alkaline basalts. No evidence of chemical weathering is preserved, indicating arid, possibly cold, paleoclimates and rapid erosion and deposition. The absence of predicted geochemical variations indicates that magnetite and phyllosilicates formed by diagenesis under low-temperature, circumneutral pH, rock-dominated aqueous conditions. Analyses of diagenetic features (including concretions, raised ridges, and fractures) at high spatial resolution indicate that they are composed of iron- and halogen-rich components, magnesium-iron-chlorine-rich components, and hydrated calcium sulfates, respectively. Composition of a cross-cutting dike-like feature is consistent with sedimentary intrusion. The geochemistry of these sedimentary rocks provides further evidence for diverse depositional and diagenetic sedimentary environments during the early history of Mars.

Elemental geochemistry of sedimentary rocks at Yellowknife Bay, Gale crater, Mars.

Science.gov (United States)

McLennan, S M; Anderson, R B; Bell, J F; Bridges, J C; Calef, F; Campbell, J L; Clark, B C; Clegg, S; Conrad, P; Cousin, A; Des Marais, D J; Dromart, G; Dyar, M D; Edgar, L A; Ehlmann, B L; Fabre, C; Forni, O; Gasnault, O; Gellert, R; Gordon, S; Grant, J A; Grotzinger, J P; Gupta, S; Herkenhoff, K E; Hurowitz, J A; King, P L; Le Mouélic, S; Leshin, L A; Léveillé, R; Lewis, K W; Mangold, N; Maurice, S; Ming, D W; Morris, R V; Nachon, M; Newsom, H E; Ollila, A M; Perrett, G M; Rice, M S; Schmidt, M E; Schwenzer, S P; Stack, K; Stolper, E M; Sumner, D Y; Treiman, A H; VanBommel, S; Vaniman, D T; Vasavada, A; Wiens, R C; Yingst, R A

2014-01-24

Sedimentary rocks examined by the Curiosity rover at Yellowknife Bay, Mars, were derived from sources that evolved from an approximately average martian crustal composition to one influenced by alkaline basalts. No evidence of chemical weathering is preserved, indicating arid, possibly cold, paleoclimates and rapid erosion and deposition. The absence of predicted geochemical variations indicates that magnetite and phyllosilicates formed by diagenesis under low-temperature, circumneutral pH, rock-dominated aqueous conditions. Analyses of diagenetic features (including concretions, raised ridges, and fractures) at high spatial resolution indicate that they are composed of iron- and halogen-rich components, magnesium-iron-chlorine-rich components, and hydrated calcium sulfates, respectively. Composition of a cross-cutting dike-like feature is consistent with sedimentary intrusion. The geochemistry of these sedimentary rocks provides further evidence for diverse depositional and diagenetic sedimentary environments during the early history of Mars.

Cell wall glycoproteins at interaction sites between parasitic giant dodder (Cuscuta reflexa) and its host Pelargonium zonale.

Science.gov (United States)

Striberny, Bernd; Krause, Kirsten

2015-01-01

The process of host plant penetration by parasitic dodder (genus Cuscuta) is accompanied by molecular and structural changes at the host/parasite interface. Recently, changes in pectin methyl esterification levels in the host cell walls abutting parasitic cells in established infection sites were reported. In addition to that, we show here that the composition of cell wall glycoproteins in Cuscuta-infected Pelargonium zonale undergoes substantial changes. While several arabinogalactan protein epitopes exhibit decreased abundances in the vicinity of the Cuscuta reflexa haustorium, extensins tend to increase in the infected areas.

The catabolite repressor/activator, Cra, bridges a connection between carbon metabolism and host colonization in the plant drought resistance-promoting bacterium Pantoea alhagi LTYR-11Z.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Lei; Li, Muhang; Li, Qiqi; Chen, Chaoqiong; Qu, Meng; Li, Mengyun; Wang, Yao; Shen, Xihui

2018-04-27

Efficient root colonization is a prerequisite for application of plant growth promoting (PGP) bacteria in improving health and yield of agricultural crops. We have recently identified an endophytic bacterium Pantoea alhagi LTYR-11Z with multiple PGP properties that effectively colonizes the root system of wheat and improves its growth and drought tolerance. To identify novel regulatory genes required for wheat colonization, we screened a LTYR-11Z transposon (Tn) insertion library and found cra to be a colonization-related gene. By using RNA-seq analysis, we found that transcriptional levels of an eps operon, the ydiV gene encoding an anti-FlhD 4 C 2 factor and the yedQ gene encoding an enzyme for synthesis of cyclic dimeric GMP (c-di-GMP) were significantly downregulated in the mutant Δ cra. Further studies demonstrated that Cra directly binds to the promoters of the eps operon, ydiV and yedQ and activates their expression, thus inhibiting motility and promoting exopolysaccharides (EPS) production and biofilm formation. Consistent with previous findings that Cra plays a role in transcriptional regulation in response to carbon source availability, the activating effects of Cra were much more pronounced when LTYR-11Z was grown within a gluconeogenic environment than when it was grown within a glycolytic environment. We further demonstrate that the ability of LTYR-11Z to colonize wheat roots is modulated by the availability of carbon sources. All together, these results uncover a novel strategy utilized by LTYR-11Z to achieve host colonization in response to carbon nutrition in the environment, in which Cra bridges a connection between carbon metabolism and colonization capacity of LTYR-11Z. IMPORTANCE Rapid and appropriate response to environmental signals is crucial for bacteria to adapt to competitive environments and to establish interactions with their hosts. Efficient colonization and persistence within the host is controlled by various regulatory factors that

EVIDENCE FOR THE DIRECT DETECTION OF THE THERMAL SPECTRUM OF THE NON-TRANSITING HOT GAS GIANT HD 88133 b

KAUST Repository

Piskorz, Danielle

2016-11-23

We target the thermal emission spectrum of the non-transiting gas giant HD 88133 b with high-resolution near-infrared spectroscopy, by treating the planet and its host star as a spectroscopic binary. For sufficiently deep summed flux observations of the star and planet across multiple epochs, it is possible to resolve the signal of the hot gas giant\\'s atmosphere compared to the brighter stellar spectrum, at a level consistent with the aggregate shot noise of the full data set. To do this, we first perform a principal component analysis to remove the contribution of the Earth\\'s atmosphere to the observed spectra. Then, we use a cross-correlation analysis to tease out the spectra of the host star and HD 88133 b to determine its orbit and identify key sources of atmospheric opacity. In total, six epochs of Keck NIRSPEC L-band observations and three epochs of Keck NIRSPEC K-band observations of the HD 88133 system were obtained. Based on an analysis of the maximum likelihood curves calculated from the multi-epoch cross-correlation of the full data set with two atmospheric models, we report the direct detection of the emission spectrum of the non-transiting exoplanet HD 88133 b and measure a radial projection of the Keplerian orbital velocity of 40 +/- 15 km s(-1), a true mass of 1.02(-0.28)(+0.61) M-J, a nearly face-on orbital inclination of 15(-5)(+60), and an atmosphere opacity structure at high dispersion dominated by water vapor. This, combined with 11 years of radial velocity measurements of the system, provides the most up-to-date ephemeris for HD 88133.

Determination of giant resonance strengths

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Serr, F.E.

1983-01-01

Using theoretical strength functions to describe the different giant resonances expected at excitation energies of the order of (60-85)/Asup(1/3) MeV, we calculate the double differential cross sections d 2 sigma/dΩ dE associated with the reactions 208 Pb(α, α') and 90 Zr(α, α') (Esub(α) = 152 MeV). The angular distributions for the giant quadrupole and giant monopole resonances obtained from fits to these spectra, making simple, commonly used assumptions for the peak shapes and background, are compared to the original angular distributions. The differences between them are an indication of some of the uncertainties affecting the giant resonance strengths extracted from hadron inelastic scattering data. Fits to limited angular regions lead to errors of up to 50% in the value of the energy-weighted sum rule, depending on the angles examined. While it seems possible to extract the correct EWSR for the GMR by carrying out the analyses at 0 0 , no single privileged angle seems to exist in the case of the GQR. (orig.)

Repeated fault rupture recorded by paleoenvironmental changes in a wetland sedimentary sequence ponded against the Alpine Fault, New Zealand

Science.gov (United States)

Clark, K.; Berryman, K. R.; Cochran, U. A.; Bartholomew, T.; Turner, G. M.

2010-12-01

At Hokuri Creek, in south Westland, New Zealand, an 18 m thickness of Holocene sediments has accumulated against the upthrown side of the Alpine Fault. Recent fluvial incision has created numerous exposures of this sedimentary sequence. At a decimetre to metre scale there are two dominant types of sedimentary units: clastic-dominated, grey silt packages, and organic-dominated, light brown peaty-silt units. These units represent repeated alternations of the paleoenvironment due to fault rupture over the past 7000 years. We have located the event horizons within the sedimentary sequence, and identified evidence to support earthquake-driven paleoenvironmental change (rather than climatic variability), and developed a model of paleoenvironmental changes over a typical seismic cycle. To quantitatively characterise the sediments we use high resolution photography, x-ray imaging, magnetic-susceptibility and total carbon analysis. To understand the depositional environment we used diatom and pollen studies. The organic-rich units have very low magnetic susceptibility and density values, with high greyscale and high total carbon values. Diatoms indicate these units represent stable wetland environments with standing water and predominantly in-situ organic material deposition. The clastic-rich units are characterised by higher magnetic susceptibility and density values, with low greyscale and total carbon. The clastic-rich units represent environments of flowing water and deep pond settings that received predominantly catchment-derived silt and sand. The event horizon is located at the upper contact of the organic-rich horizons. The event horizon contact marks a drastic change in hydrologic regime as fault rupture changed the stream base level and there was a synchronous influx of clastic sediment as the catchment responded to earthquake shaking. During the interseismic period the flowing-water environment gradually stabilised and returned to an organic-rich wetland. Such

CMB lensing and giant rings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rathaus, Ben; Itzhaki, Nissan, E-mail: nitzhaki@post.tau.ac.il, E-mail: ben.rathaus@gmail.com [Raymond and Beverly Sackler Faculty of Exact Sciences, School of Physics and Astronomy, Tel-Aviv University, Ramat-Aviv, 69978 (Israel)

2012-05-01

We study the CMB lensing signature of a pre-inationary particle (PIP), assuming it is responsible for the giant rings anomaly that was found recently in the WMAP data. Simulating Planck-like data we find that generically the CMB lensing signal to noise ratio associated with such a PIP is quite small and it would be difficult to cross correlate the temperature giant rings with the CMB lensing signal. However, if the pre-inationary particle is also responsible for the bulk flow measured from the local large scale structure, which happens to point roughly at the same direction as the giant rings, then the CMB lensing signal to noise ratio is fairly significant.

Effects of mistletoe removal on growth, N and C reserves, and carbon and oxygen isotope composition in Scots pine hosts.

Science.gov (United States)

Yan, Cai-Feng; Gessler, Arthur; Rigling, Andreas; Dobbertin, Matthias; Han, Xing-Guo; Li, Mai-He

2016-05-01

Most mistletoes are xylem-tapping hemiparasites, which derive their resources from the host's xylem solution. Thus, they affect the host's water relations and resource balance. To understand the physiological mechanisms underlying the mistletoe-host relationship, we experimentally removed Viscum album ssp. austriacum (Wiesb.) Vollmann from adult Pinus sylvestris L. host trees growing in a Swiss dry valley. We analyzed the effects of mistletoe removal over time on host tree growth and on concentrations of nonstructural carbohydrates (NSC) and nitrogen (N) in needles, fine roots and sapwood. In addition, we assessed the δ(13)C and δ(18)O in host tree rings. After mistletoe removal, δ(13)C did not change in newly produced tree rings compared with tree rings in control trees (still infected with mistletoe), but δ(18)O values increased. This pattern might be interpreted as a decrease in assimilation (A) and stomatal conductance (gs), but in our study, it most likely points to an inadequacy of the dual isotope approach. Instead, we interpret the unchanged δ(13)C in tree rings upon mistletoe removal as a balanced increase in A and gs that resulted in a constant intrinsic water use efficiency (defined as A/gs). Needle area-based concentrations of N, soluble sugars and NSC, as well as needle length, single needle area, tree ring width and shoot growth, were significantly higher in trees from which mistletoe was removed than in control trees. This finding suggests that mistletoe removal results in increased N availability and carbon gain, which in turn leads to increased growth rates of the hosts. Hence, in areas where mistletoe is common and the population is large, mistletoe management (e.g., removal) may be needed to improve the host vigor, growth rate and productivity, especially for relatively small trees and crop trees in xeric growth conditions. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Sedimentary structures of tidal flats

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Sedimentary structures of some coastal tropical tidal flats of the east coast of India, and inner estuarine tidal point bars located at 30 to 50 kilometers inland from the coast, have been extensively studied under varying seasonal conditions. The results reveal that physical features such as flaser bedding, herringbone ...

Recent benthic foraminifera and sedimentary facies distribution of the Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates) coastline

Science.gov (United States)

Fiorini, Flavia; Lokier, Stephen W.

2014-05-01

do not contain living foraminifera and the dead assemblage is mostly composed of a few specimens of coarse-sized Miliolidae with fragmented or abraded tests, probably transported from nearby environments. While the shallow-water settings of the Abu Dhabi coastline continue to be areas of active carbonate sedimentation, there have been significant changes in facies distributions over the last 50 years. In particular: × The opportunistic genera Ammonia and Elphidium have become more abundant. Reophax and Ammobaculites are reported in the area for the first time. × With anthropogenic activities some environments, such as inner lagoons, are lost whilst other areas show resilience to anthropogenic activities with little change in sedimentary facies distribution and foraminiferal assemblage. × No living foraminifera are found in dredged channels. The detailed analysis of these changes in foraminifera distribution and sedimentary facies allows us to further our understanding of the effects of anthropogenic activities on shallow-marine environments. By so doing, we are better able to distinguish between those changes that result from anthropogenic activities and those that are a result of naturally-occurring environmental perturbations.

Role of nature reserves in giant panda protection.

Science.gov (United States)

Kang, Dongwei; Li, Junqing

2018-02-01

Giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) is a flagship species in nature conservation of the world; to protect this species, 67 nature reserves have been established in China. To evaluate the protection effect of giant panda nature reserves, we analyzed the variation of giant panda number and habitat area of 23 giant panda nature reserves of Sichuan province based on the national survey data released by State Forestry Administration and Sichuan Forestry Department. Results showed that from the third national survey to the fourth, giant panda number and habitat area of 23 giant panda nature reserves of Sichuan province failed to realize the significant increase. Furthermore, we found that the total population growth rate of 23 nature reserves in the last 12 years was lower than those of the province total of Sichuan and the national total of China, and the total habitat area of the 23 nature reserves was decreasing in the last 12 years, but the province total and national total were all increasing. We propose that giant panda protection should pay more attention to how to improve the protective effects of nature reserves.

Modeling Impacts of Climate Change on Giant Panda Habitat

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Melissa Songer

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca are one of the most widely recognized endangered species globally. Habitat loss and fragmentation are the main threats, and climate change could significantly impact giant panda survival. We integrated giant panda habitat information with general climate models (GCMs to predict future geographic distribution and fragmentation of giant panda habitat. Results support a major general prediction of climate change—a shift of habitats towards higher elevation and higher latitudes. Our models predict climate change could reduce giant panda habitat by nearly 60% over 70 years. New areas may become suitable outside the current geographic range but much of these areas is far from the current giant panda range and only 15% fall within the current protected area system. Long-term survival of giant pandas will require the creation of new protected areas that are likely to support suitable habitat even if the climate changes.

Sedimentary environments: processes, facies, and stratigraphy

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Reading, H. G; Reading, Harold G

1996-01-01

... and chemical systems, 6 2.1.2 Climate, 7 2.1.3 Tectonic movements and subsidence, 11 2.1.4 Sea-level changes, 11 2.1.5 Milankovitch processes and orbital forcing, 14 2.1.6 Intrinsic sedimentary processes,...

The sedimentary dynamics in natural and human-influenced delta channel belts

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hobo, N.

2015-01-01

This study investigates the increased anthropogenic influence on the within-channel belt sedimentary dynamics in the Rhine delta. To make this investigation, the sedimentary dynamics within the life-cycle of a single channel belt were reconstructed for three key periods of increasing human impact,

Association between catastrophic paleovegetation changes during Devonian-Carboniferous boundary and the formation of giant massive sulfide deposits

Science.gov (United States)

Menor-Salván, Cesar; Tornos, Fernando; Fernández-Remolar, David; Amils, Ricardo

2010-11-01

The Iberian Pyrite Belt (SW Iberia) is one of the largest sulfur anomalies in the Earth's crust. In the southern Iberian Pyrite Belt, more than 820 Mt of exhalative massive sulfides were deposited in less than one million years at the Devonian-Carboniferous boundary. The shale of the ore-bearing horizon contains biomarkers indicating major biogenic activity in a methanogenic setting, including a five-fold increase in typical vascular plant biomarkers and a significant anomaly in those probably indicating the presence of thermophilic Archaea. This contrasts with signatures in the average sedimentary rocks of the basin that indicate the sediments settled in oxic to sub-oxic environments, and that they have only minor biomarkers derived from continental paleoflora. These data show that the formation of the mineralization was not only related to major hydrothermal activity synchronous with volcanism but may also have been controlled by the input of large amounts of organic matter, mostly derived from the degradation of woodland detritus sourced in the nearby continent. This massive influx of organic matter could have accelerated extremophilic microbial activity that used short-chain hydrocarbons as electron donors for seawater sulfate reduction, resulting in concomitant massive sulfide precipitation. We propose that the giant massive sulfide deposits resulted from overlapping of geological and biological processes that occurred at the Devonian to Carboniferous transition, including: (1) continent collision during the onset of the Variscan orogeny leading to major paleogeographic changes and volcanism; (2) dramatic stress of continental ecosystems due to the combination of climatic change, volcanism, variations in the sea level and erosion on a regional scale; (3) major biomass destruction and increase of organic supply to marine environments; and, (4) generation of anoxic conditions and the thriving of sulfate reducing microorganisms. Under these conditions, massive

[Giant prostatic calculus with neurogenic bladder disease and prostate diverticulum: a case report and review of the literature].

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Xiao-Shi; Quan, Chang-Yi; Li, Gang; Cai, Qi-Liang; Hu, Bin; Wang, Jiu-Wei; Niu, Yuan-Jie

2013-02-01

To study the etiology, clinical manifestation, diagnosis and treatment of giant prostatic calculus with neurogenic bladder disease and prostate diverticulum. We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of a case of giant prostatic calculus with neurogenic bladder disease and prostate diverticulum and reviewed the relevant literature. The patient was a 37-year-old man, with urinary incontinence for 22 years and intermittent dysuria with frequent micturition for 9 years, aggravated in the past 3 months. He had received surgery for spina bifida and giant vesico-prostatic calculus. The results of preoperative routine urinary examination were as follows: WBC 17 -20/HPF, RBC 12 - 15/HPF. KUB, IVU and pelvic CT revealed spina bifida occulta, neurogenic bladder and giant prostatic calculus. The patient underwent TURP and transurethral lithotripsy with holmium-YAG laser. The prostatic calculus was carbonate apatite in composition. Urinary dynamic images at 2 weeks after surgery exhibited significant improvement in the highest urine flow rate and residual urine volume. Seventeen months of postoperative follow-up showed dramatically improved urinary incontinence and thicker urine stream. Prostate diverticulum with prostatic giant calculus is very rare, and neurogenic bladder may play a role in its etiology. Cystoscopy is an accurate screening method for its diagnosis. For the young patients and those who wish to retain sexual function, TURP combined with holmium laser lithotripsy can be employed, and intraoperative rectal examination should be taken to ensure complete removal of calculi.

Jurassic carbonate microfacies, sea-level changes and the Toarcian anoxic event in the Tethys Himalaya (South Tibet)

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Zhong; Hu, Xiumian; Garzanti, Eduardo

2016-04-01

Detailed microfacies analysis of carbonate rocks from the Tingri and Nyalam areas of South Tibet allowed us to reconstruct the evolution of sedimentary environments during the Early to Middle Jurassic. Based on texture, sedimentary structure, grain composition and fossil content of about 500 thin sections, 17 microfacies overall were identified, and three evolutionary stages were defined. Stage 1 (Rhaetian?-lower Sinemurian Zhamure Formation) was characterized by siliciclastic and mixed siliciclastic-carbonate sedimentation on a barrier shore environment, stage 2 (upper Sinemurian-Pliensbachian Pupuga Formation) by high-energy grainstones with rich benthic faunas thriving on a carbonate platform, and stage 3 (Toarcian-lower Bajocian Nieniexiongla Formation) by low-energy mudstones intercalated with frequent storm layers on a carbonate ramp. Besides, Carbon isotope analyses (δ13Ccarb and δ13Corg) were performed on the late Pliensbachian-early Toarcian interval, and the organic matter recorded a pronounced stepped negative excursion -4.5‰ corresponding to characteristics of the early Toarcian oceanic anoxic event globally, which began just below the stage 2-stage 3 facies shifting boundary. The comparison between the Tethys Himalaya (South Tibet) and the tropical/subtropical zones of the Western Tethys and Panthalassa was carried out to discuss the factors controlling sedimentary evolution. The change from stage 1 to stage 2 was possibly induced by sea-level rise, when the Tibetan Tethys Himalaya was located at tropical/subtropical latitudes in suitable climatic and ecological conditions for carbonate sedimentation. The abrupt change from stage 2 to stage 3 is interpreted as a consequence of the early Toarcian oceanic anoxic event, accompanied by obvious carbon-isotope negative excursion and sea-level rise. The failed recovery from the carbonate crisis in the early Bajocian, with continuing deposition on a low-energy carbonate ramp, is ascribed to the tectonic

A sulfur host based on titanium monoxide@carbon hollow spheres for advanced lithium-sulfur batteries.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Zhen; Zhang, Jintao; Guan, Buyuan; Wang, Da; Liu, Li-Min; Lou, Xiong Wen David

2016-10-20

Lithium-sulfur batteries show advantages for next-generation electrical energy storage due to their high energy density and cost effectiveness. Enhancing the conductivity of the sulfur cathode and moderating the dissolution of lithium polysulfides are two key factors for the success of lithium-sulfur batteries. Here we report a sulfur host that overcomes both obstacles at once. With inherent metallic conductivity and strong adsorption capability for lithium-polysulfides, titanium monoxide@carbon hollow nanospheres can not only generate sufficient electrical contact to the insulating sulfur for high capacity, but also effectively confine lithium-polysulfides for prolonged cycle life. Additionally, the designed composite cathode further maximizes the lithium-polysulfide restriction capability by using the polar shells to prevent their outward diffusion, which avoids the need for chemically bonding all lithium-polysulfides on the surfaces of polar particles.

Giant rectification in graphene nanoflake molecular devices with asymmetric graphene nanoribbon electrodes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ji, Xiao-Li; Xie, Zhen; Zuo, Xi; Zhang, Guang-Ping; Li, Zong-Liang; Wang, Chuan-Kui

2016-01-01

By applying density functional theory based nonequilibrium Green's function method, we theoretically investigate the electron transport properties of a zigzag-edged trigonal graphene nanoflake (ZTGNF) sandwiched between two asymmetric zigzag graphene nanoribbon (zGNR) and armchair graphene nanoribbon (aGNR) electrodes with carbon atomic chains (CACs) as the anchoring groups. Significant rectifying effects have been observed for these molecular devices in low bias voltage regions. Interestingly, the rectifying performance of molecular devices can be optimized by changing the width of the aGNR electrode and the number of anchoring CACs. Especially, the molecular device displays giant rectification ratios up to the order of 10"4 when two CACs are used as the anchoring group between the ZTGNF and the right aGNR electrode. Further analysis indicates that the asymmetric shift of the perturbed molecular energy levels and the spatial parity of the electron wavefunctions in the electrodes around the Fermi level play key roles in determining the rectification performance. And the spatial distributions of tunneling electron wavefunctions under negative bias voltages can be modified to be very localized by changing the number of anchoring CACs, which is found to be the origin of the giant rectification ratios. - Highlights: • The rectification properties of triangular Graphene nanoflakes are investigated. • The rectifying performance can be optimized by changing the width of the right arm-chaired GNR electrode. • The rectifying performance can also be tuned by varying the number of anchoring carbon atomic chains.

Giant lobelias exemplify convergent evolution

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Givnish Thomas J

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Giant lobeliads on tropical mountains in East Africa and Hawaii have highly unusual, giant-rosette growth forms that appear to be convergent on each other and on those of several independently evolved groups of Asteraceae and other families. A recent phylogenetic analysis by Antonelli, based on sequencing the widest selection of lobeliads to date, raises doubts about this paradigmatic example of convergent evolution. Here I address the kinds of evidence needed to test for convergent evolution and argue that the analysis by Antonelli fails on four points. Antonelli's analysis makes several important contributions to our understanding of lobeliad evolution and geographic spread, but his claim regarding convergence appears to be invalid. Giant lobeliads in Hawaii and Africa represent paradigmatic examples of convergent evolution.

Surgical treatment for giant incisional hernia

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Eriksson, A; Rosenberg, J; Bisgaard, T

2014-01-01

INTRODUCTION: Repair for giant incisional hernias is a challenge due to unacceptable high morbidity and recurrence rates. Several surgical techniques are available, but all are poorly documented. This systematic review was undertaken to evaluate the existing literature on repair for giant...... % with a wide range between studies of 4-100 %. The mortality ranged from 0 to 5 % (median 0 %) and recurrence rate ranged from 0 to 53 % (median 5 %). Study follow-up ranged from 15 to 97 months (median 36 months). Mesh repair should always be used for patients undergoing repair for a giant hernia......, and the sublay position may have advantages over onlay positioning. To avoid tension, it may be advisable to use a mesh in combination with a component separation technique. Inlay positioning of the mesh and repair without a mesh should be avoided. CONCLUSIONS: Evidence to optimise repair for giant hernias...

Clay, Water, and Salt: Controls on the Permeability of Fine-Grained Sedimentary Rocks.

Science.gov (United States)

Bourg, Ian C; Ajo-Franklin, Jonathan B

2017-09-19

The ability to predict the permeability of fine-grained soils, sediments, and sedimentary rocks is a fundamental challenge in the geosciences with potentially transformative implications in subsurface hydrology. In particular, fine-grained sedimentary rocks (shale, mudstone) constitute about two-thirds of the sedimentary rock mass and play important roles in three energy technologies: petroleum geology, geologic carbon sequestration, and radioactive waste management. The problem is a challenging one that requires understanding the properties of complex natural porous media on several length scales. One inherent length scale, referred to hereafter as the mesoscale, is associated with the assemblages of large grains of quartz, feldspar, and carbonates over distances of tens of micrometers. Its importance is highlighted by the existence of a threshold in the core scale mechanical properties and regional scale energy uses of shale formations at a clay content X clay ≈ 1/3, as predicted by an ideal packing model where a fine-grained clay matrix fills the gaps between the larger grains. A second important length scale, referred to hereafter as the nanoscale, is associated with the aggregation and swelling of clay particles (in particular, smectite clay minerals) over distances of tens of nanometers. Mesoscale phenomena that influence permeability are primarily mechanical and include, for example, the ability of contacts between large grains to prevent the compaction of the clay matrix. Nanoscale phenomena that influence permeability tend to be chemomechanical in nature, because they involve strong impacts of aqueous chemistry on clay swelling. The second length scale remains much less well characterized than the first, because of the inherent challenges associated with the study of strongly coupled nanoscale phenomena. Advanced models of the nanoscale properties of fine-grained media rely predominantly on the Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek (DLVO) theory, a mean field

X-ray excited photoluminescence near the giant resonance in solid-solution Gd1-xTbxOCl nanocrystals and their retention upon solvothermal topotactic transformation to Gd1-xTbxF3

Science.gov (United States)

Waetzig, Gregory R.; Horrocks, Gregory A.; Jude, Joshua W.; Zuin, Lucia; Banerjee, Sarbajit

2015-12-01

Design rules for X-ray phosphors are much less established as compared to their optically stimulated counterparts owing to the absence of a detailed understanding of sensitization mechanisms, activation pathways and recombination channels upon high-energy excitation. Here, we demonstrate a pronounced modulation of the X-ray excited photoluminescence of Tb3+ centers upon excitation in proximity to the giant resonance of the host Gd3+ ions in solid-solution Gd1-xTbxOCl nanocrystals prepared by a non-hydrolytic cross-coupling method. The strong suppression of X-ray excited optical luminescence at the giant resonance suggests a change in mechanism from multiple exciton generation to single thermal exciton formation and Auger decay processes. The solid-solution Gd1-xTbxOCl nanocrystals are further topotactically transformed with retention of a nine-coordinated cation environment to solid-solution Gd1-xTbxF3 nanocrystals upon solvothermal treatment with XeF2. The metastable hexagonal phase of GdF3 can be stabilized at room temperature through this topotactic approach and is transformed subsequently to the orthorhombic phase. The fluoride nanocrystals indicate an analogous but blue-shifted modulation of the X-ray excited optical luminescence of the Tb3+ centers upon X-ray excitation near the giant resonance of the host Gd3+ ions.Design rules for X-ray phosphors are much less established as compared to their optically stimulated counterparts owing to the absence of a detailed understanding of sensitization mechanisms, activation pathways and recombination channels upon high-energy excitation. Here, we demonstrate a pronounced modulation of the X-ray excited photoluminescence of Tb3+ centers upon excitation in proximity to the giant resonance of the host Gd3+ ions in solid-solution Gd1-xTbxOCl nanocrystals prepared by a non-hydrolytic cross-coupling method. The strong suppression of X-ray excited optical luminescence at the giant resonance suggests a change in mechanism

Carbon and oxygen abundances in cool metal-rich exoplanet hosts: A case study of the C/O ratio of 55 Cancri

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Teske, Johanna K.; Cunha, Katia; Schuler, Simon C.; Griffith, Caitlin A.; Smith, Verne V.

2013-01-01

The super-Earth exoplanet 55 Cnc e, the smallest member of a five-planet system, has recently been observed to transit its host star. The radius estimates from transit observations, coupled with spectroscopic determinations of mass, provide constraints on its interior composition. The composition of exoplanetary interiors and atmospheres are particularly sensitive to elemental C/O ratio, which to first order can be estimated from the host stars. Results from a recent spectroscopic study analyzing the 6300 Å [O I] line and two C I lines suggest that 55 Cnc has a carbon-rich composition (C/O = 1.12 ± 0.09). However, oxygen abundances derived using the 6300 Å [O I] line are highly sensitive to a Ni I blend, particularly in metal-rich stars such as 55 Cnc ([Fe/H] =0.34 ± 0.18). Here, we further investigate 55 Cnc's composition by deriving the carbon and oxygen abundances from these and additional C and O absorption features. We find that the measured C/O ratio depends on the oxygen lines used. The C/O ratio that we derive based on the 6300 Å [O I] line alone is consistent with the previous value. Yet, our investigation of additional abundance indicators results in a mean C/O ratio of 0.78 ± 0.08. The lower C/O ratio of 55 Cnc determined here may place this system at the sensitive boundary between protoplanetary disk compositions giving rise to planets with high (>0.8) versus low (<0.8) C/O ratios. This study illustrates the caution that must applied when determining planet host star C/O ratios, particularly in cool, metal-rich stars.

The Chemistry of Extragalactic Carbon Stars

Science.gov (United States)

Woods, Paul; Walsh, C.; Cordiner, M. A.; Kemper, F.

2013-01-01

Prompted by the ongoing interest in Spitzer Infrared Spectrometer spectra of carbon stars in the Large Magellanic Cloud, we have investigated the circumstellar chemistry of carbon stars in low-metallicity environments. Consistent with observations, our models show that acetylene is particularly abundant in the inner regions of low metallicity carbon-rich asymptotic giant branch stars - more abundant than carbon monoxide. As a consequence, larger hydrocarbons have higher abundances at the metallicities of the Magellanic Clouds than in stars with solar metallicity. We also find that the oxygen and nitrogen chemistry is suppressed at lower metallicity, as expected. Finally, we calculate molecular line emission from carbon stars in the Large and Small Magellanic Cloud and find that several molecules should be readily detectable with the Atacama Large Millimeter Array at Full Science operations.

Static electromagnetic properties of giant resonances

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koo, W.K.

1986-03-01

Static electric monopole and quadrupole matrix elements, which are related to the mean square radius and quadrupole moment respectively, are derived for giant resonances of arbitrary multipolarity. The results furnish information on the size and shape of the nucleus in the excited giant states. (author)

Characterization of nanometer-scale porosity in reservoir carbonate rock by focused ion beam-scanning electron microscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Bera, Bijoyendra; Gunda, Naga Siva Kumar; Mitra, Sushanta K; Vick, Douglas

2012-02-01

Sedimentary carbonate rocks are one of the principal porous structures in natural reservoirs of hydrocarbons such as crude oil and natural gas. Efficient hydrocarbon recovery requires an understanding of the carbonate pore structure, but the nature of sedimentary carbonate rock formation and the toughness of the material make proper analysis difficult. In this study, a novel preparation method was used on a dolomitic carbonate sample, and selected regions were then serially sectioned and imaged by focused ion beam-scanning electron microscopy. The resulting series of images were used to construct detailed three-dimensional representations of the microscopic pore spaces and analyze them quantitatively. We show for the first time the presence of nanometer-scale pores (50-300 nm) inside the solid dolomite matrix. We also show the degree of connectivity of these pores with micron-scale pores (2-5 μm) that were observed to further link with bulk pores outside the matrix.

Geological principles of exploration for sandstone-hosted uranium deposits

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Le Roux, J.P.

1982-10-01

Although the importance of sandstone-hosted uranium deposits has seemingly faded in recent years due to the discovery of large, high -grade deposits elsewhere, a forecasted energy shortage in the near future will probably necessitate a new look at sedimentary basins as a source of uranium. Back-arc basins adjacent to calcalkaline source areas are especially favourable if they are filled with fluvial, post-Devonian sediments. Syn- and post-depositional tectonics play an important role in the sedimentation-mineralisation process and should be investigated. The oxidation-reduction state of the sandstones is a valid prospecting tool. Sedimentological environments govern the permeability and vegetal matter content of sandstones and directly control uranium mineralisation

INITIAL STAGES OF CARBON GENESIS IN THE UNIVERSE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A.L. Vereshchagin

2004-12-01

Full Text Available The formation possibility of the most widespread carbon compounds had been showed on the base of detonation nanodiamonds thermodynamic data. These reactions may play a key role in the life origin and in the atmosphere formation of the Solar system giant planets

Sedimentary and mineral dust sources of dissolved iron to the world ocean

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. K. Moore

2008-05-01

from sinking particles; and 3 an improved sedimentary source for dissolved iron. Most scavenged iron (90% is put on sinking particles to remineralize deeper in the water column. The model-observation differences are reduced with these modifications. The improved BEC model is used to examine the relative contributions of mineral dust and marine sediments in driving dissolved-iron distributions and marine biogeochemistry. Mineral dust and sedimentary sources of iron contribute roughly equally, on average, to dissolved iron concentrations. The sedimentary source from the continental margins has a strong impact on open-ocean iron concentrations, particularly in the North Pacific. Plumes of elevated dissolved-iron concentrations develop at depth in the Southern Ocean, extending from source regions in the SW Atlantic and around New Zealand. The lower particle flux and weaker scavenging in the Southern Ocean allows the continental iron source to be advected far from sources. Both the margin sediment and mineral dust Fe sources substantially influence global-scale primary production, export production, and nitrogen fixation, with a stronger role for the dust source. Ocean biogeochemical models that do not include the sedimentary source for dissolved iron, will overestimate the impact of dust deposition variations on the marine carbon cycle. Available iron observations place some strong constraints on ocean biogeochemical models. Model results should be evaluated against both surface and subsurface Fe observations in the waters that supply dissolved iron to the euphotic zone.

CARBON STARS IN THE SATELLITES AND HALO OF M31

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hamren, Katherine; Guhathakurta, Puragra; Rockosi, Constance M.; Smith, Graeme H. [Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of California Santa Cruz, 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95064 (United States); Beaton, Rachael L. [The Observatories of the Carnegie Institutions for Science, 813 Santa Barbara Street, Pasadena, CA 91101 (United States); Gilbert, Karoline M.; Tollerud, Erik J. [Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, MD 21218 (United States); Boyer, Martha L. [Observational Cosmology Lab, Code 665, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771 (United States); Majewski, Steven R. [Department of Astronomy, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22904 (United States); Howley, Kirsten, E-mail: khamren@ucolick.org [Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, P.O. Box 808, Livermore, CA 94551 (United States)

2016-09-01

We spectroscopically identify a sample of carbon stars in the satellites and halo of M31 using moderate-resolution optical spectroscopy from the Spectroscopic and Photometric Landscape of Andromeda’s Stellar Halo survey. We present the photometric properties of our sample of 41 stars, including their brightness with respect to the tip of the red giant branch (TRGB) and their distributions in various color–color spaces. This analysis reveals a bluer population of carbon stars fainter than the TRGB and a redder population of carbon stars brighter than the TRGB. We then apply principal component analysis to determine the sample’s eigenspectra and eigencoefficients. Correlating the eigencoefficients with various observable properties reveals the spectral features that trace effective temperature and metallicity. Putting the spectroscopic and photometric information together, we find the carbon stars in the satellites and halo of M31 to be minimally impacted by dust and internal dynamics. We also find that while there is evidence to suggest that the sub-TRGB stars are extrinsic in origin, it is also possible that they are are particularly faint members of the asymptotic giant branch.

Thermal conductivity of sedimentary rocks as function of Biot’s coefficient

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Orlander, Tobias; Pasquinelli, Lisa; Asmussen, J.J.

2017-01-01

A theoretical model for prediction of effective thermal conductivity with application to sedimentary rocks is presented. Effective thermal conductivity of sedimentary rocks can be estimated from empirical relations or theoretically modelled. Empirical relations are limited to the empirical...... conductivity of solids is typically orders of magnitude larger than that of fluids, grain contacts constituting the solid connectivity governs the heat transfer of sedi-mentary rocks and hence should be the basis for modelling effective thermal con-ductivity. By introducing Biot’s coefficient, α, we propose (1...... – α) as a measure of the solid connectivity and show how effective thermal conductivity of water saturated and dry sandstones can be modelled....

Chromium isotopes in carbonates — A tracer for climate change and for reconstructing the redox state of ancient seawater

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Frei, Robert; Gaucher, Claudio; Døssing, Lasse Nørbye

2011-01-01

Strontium and carbon isotopes of marine carbonates are routinely applied for chemostratigraphic cross correlations of time-equivalent sedimentary sequences and for calibration of the compositional evolution of seawater throughout Earth's history, mainly for the purpose of reconstructing ancient c...

The Longevity of Water Ice on Ganymedes and Europas around Migrated Giant Planets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lehmer, Owen R.; Catling, David C.; Zahnle, Kevin J.

2017-01-01

The gas giant planets in the Solar System have a retinue of icy moons, and we expect giant exoplanets to have similar satellite systems. If a Jupiter-like planet were to migrate toward its parent star the icy moons orbiting it would evaporate, creating atmospheres and possible habitable surface oceans. Here, we examine how long the surface ice and possible oceans would last before being hydrodynamically lost to space. The hydrodynamic loss rate from the moons is determined, in large part, by the stellar flux available for absorption, which increases as the giant planet and icy moons migrate closer to the star. At some planet–star distance the stellar flux incident on the icy moons becomes so great that they enter a runaway greenhouse state. This runaway greenhouse state rapidly transfers all available surface water to the atmosphere as vapor, where it is easily lost from the small moons. However, for icy moons of Ganymede’s size around a Sun-like star we found that surface water (either ice or liquid) can persist indefinitely outside the runaway greenhouse orbital distance. In contrast, the surface water on smaller moons of Europa’s size will only persist on timescales greater than 1 Gyr at distances ranging 1.49–0.74 au around a Sun-like star for Bond albedos of 0.2 and 0.8, where the lower albedo becomes relevant if ice melts. Consequently, small moons can lose their icy shells, which would create a torus of H atoms around their host planet that might be detectable in future observations.

The Longevity of Water Ice on Ganymedes and Europas around Migrated Giant Planets

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lehmer, Owen R.; Catling, David C. [Dept. of Earth and Space Sciences/Astrobiology Program, University of Washington, Seattle, WA (United States); Zahnle, Kevin J., E-mail: olehmer@gmail.com [NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA (United States)

2017-04-10

The gas giant planets in the Solar System have a retinue of icy moons, and we expect giant exoplanets to have similar satellite systems. If a Jupiter-like planet were to migrate toward its parent star the icy moons orbiting it would evaporate, creating atmospheres and possible habitable surface oceans. Here, we examine how long the surface ice and possible oceans would last before being hydrodynamically lost to space. The hydrodynamic loss rate from the moons is determined, in large part, by the stellar flux available for absorption, which increases as the giant planet and icy moons migrate closer to the star. At some planet–star distance the stellar flux incident on the icy moons becomes so great that they enter a runaway greenhouse state. This runaway greenhouse state rapidly transfers all available surface water to the atmosphere as vapor, where it is easily lost from the small moons. However, for icy moons of Ganymede’s size around a Sun-like star we found that surface water (either ice or liquid) can persist indefinitely outside the runaway greenhouse orbital distance. In contrast, the surface water on smaller moons of Europa’s size will only persist on timescales greater than 1 Gyr at distances ranging 1.49–0.74 au around a Sun-like star for Bond albedos of 0.2 and 0.8, where the lower albedo becomes relevant if ice melts. Consequently, small moons can lose their icy shells, which would create a torus of H atoms around their host planet that might be detectable in future observations.

Provenance of zircon of the lowermost sedimentary cover, Estonia, East-European Craton

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Konsa, M.

1999-12-01

Full Text Available Bulk and accessory mineral composition of fresh and weathered crystalline rocks, and sedimentary deposits overlying the crystalline-sedimentary unconformity have been examined in core samples from 28 drill holes in Estonia. Before the Late Vendian to Early Cambrian regional subsidence and sedimentation, the region represented a flat plateau within the Svecofennian Domain. Palaeo-and Mesoproterozoic crystalline rocks, regardless their different initial mineral composition, subcrop under the Upper Vendian/Lower Cambrian sedimentary cover as usually intensely weathered rocks (saprolites composed of residual quartz, altered micas and prevailing clay minerals mainly of the kaolinite group. Thus, the bulk mineral composition of any basement crystalline rocks imparts no specific inherited rock-forming minerals into the covering sedimentary rocks. From the variety of accessory and opaque minerals of crystalline rocks, only zircon populations survived in saprolites. Crystalline rocks of different origin yield different zircons. Relationships between the zircon typology of the basement rocks having specific areas of distribution and the sedimentary rocks immediately overlying those crystalline rocks were the main subject of this study. The result is that siliciclastic sedimentary rocks covering weathered crystalline rocks only in places inherited zircons with typological features characteristic of specific basement areas. In northeastern Estonia, local lenses of the Oru Member (the earliest Upper Vendian sedimentary rocks in Estonia resembling the debris of weathered crystalline rocks yield accessory zircon which in a 1-2 m thick layer above the basement surface is similar to the zircons of the underlying weathering mantle of certain crystalline rocks. In the next unit, the Moldova Member, up to 43 m above the basement surface, a mixture of zircons resembling those of various local basement rocks has been found. Further upwards, in the Vendian and Lower

Study on flow and mass transport through fractured sedimentary rocks (2)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shimo, Michito; Kumamoto, Sou; Karasaki, Kenzi; Sato, Hisashi; Sawada, Atsushi

2009-03-01

It is important for safety assessment of HLW geological disposal to understand hydro-geological conditions at the investigation area, and to evaluate groundwater flow and mass transport model and parameters, at each investigation phase. Traditionally, for Neogene sedimentary rock, the grain spacing of sediments has been considered as the dominant migration path. However, fractures of sedimentary rock could act as dominant paths, although they were soft sedimentary rocks. In this study, as part of developing groundwater flow and mass transport evaluation methodologies of such a fractured sedimentary rock' distributed area, we conducted two different scale of studies; 1) core rock sample scale and 2) several kilometer scale. For the core rock sample scale, some of laboratory hydraulic and tracer experiments have conducted using the rock cores with tailored parallel fracture, obtained at pilot borehole drilled in the vicinity of ventilation shaft. From the test results, hydraulic conductivity, diffusion coefficient, transport aperture, dispersion length and etc. was evaluated. Based on these test results, the influence of these parameters onto mass transport behavior of fractures sedimentary rocks was examined. For larger scale, such as several kilometer scale, the regional scale groundwater flow was examined using temperature data observed along the boreholes at Horonobe site. The results show that the low permeable zone between the boreholes might be estimated. (author)

Migration rates and formation injectivity to determine containment time scales of sequestered carbon dioxide

Science.gov (United States)

Burke, Lauri

2012-01-01

Supercritical carbon dioxide exhibits highly variable behavior over a range of reservoir pressure and temperature conditions. Because geologic sequestration of supercritical carbon dioxide is targeted for subsurface injection and containment at depths ranging from approximately 3,000 to 13,000 feet, the investigation into the physical properties of this fluid can be restricted to the pressure and temperature conditions likely encountered in the sedimentary strata within this depth interval. A petrophysical based approach was developed to study the widest range of formation properties potentially encountered in sedimentary strata. Fractional porosities were varied from 5 to 95 percent, in 5-percent increments, and permeability values were varied over thirteen orders of magnitude, from 10.0 darcys down to 1.0 picodarcy.

Riverine Carbon and the Sedimentary Record on the Continental Shelves

Science.gov (United States)

2005-09-30

focused on the Gulf of Lions: collecting sediment samples and carrying out elemental and stable carbon isotopic analysis . The field work was carried...organisms. For example, the predominance of nitrogen-free biomacromolecules (e.g. tannin , lignin, cellulose, cutin and suberin) over proteins (C:N ≈ 3-4...are cooperating with J. Fabres and A. Calafat (CRG Marine Geosciences) in carrying out elemental and isotopic analysis on suspended material

The Metamorphic Rocks-Hosted Gold Mineralization At Rumbia Mountains Prospect Area In The Southeastern Arm of Sulawesi Island, Indonesia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hasria Hasria

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Recently, in Indonesia gold exploration activities  are not only focused along volcanic-magmatic belts, but also starting to shift along metamorphic and sedimentary terrains. The study area is located in Rumbia mountains, Bombana Regency, Southeast Sulawesi Province. This paper is aimed to describe characteristics of alteration and ore mineralization associated  with metamorphic rock-related gold deposits.  The study area is found the placer and  primary gold hosted by metamorphic rocks. The gold is evidently derived from gold-bearing quartz veins hosted by Pompangeo Metamorphic Complex (PMC. These quartz veins are currently recognized in metamorphic rocks at Rumbia Mountains. The quartz veins are mostly sheared/deformed, brecciated, irregular vein, segmented and  relatively massive and crystalline texture with thickness from 1 cm to 15.7 cm. The wallrock are generally weakly altered. Hydrothermal alteration types include sericitization, argillic, inner propylitic, propylitic, carbonization and carbonatization. There some precious metal identified consist of native gold and ore mineralization including pyrite (FeS2, chalcopyrite (CuFeS2, hematite (Fe2O3, cinnabar (HgS, stibnite (Sb2S3 and goethite (FeHO2. The veins contain erratic gold in various grades from below detection limit <0.0002 ppm to 18.4 ppm. Based on those characteristics, it obviously indicates that the primary gold deposit present in the study area is of orogenic gold deposit type. The orogenic gold deposit is one of the new targets for exploration in Indonesia

Sedimentary environment and facies of St Lucia Estuary Mouth, Zululand, South Africa

Science.gov (United States)

Wright, C. I.; Mason, T. R.

The St. Lucia Estuary is situated on the subtropical, predominantly microtidal Zululand coast. Modern sedimentary environments within the estuary fall into three categories: (1) barrier environments; (2) abandoned channel environments; and (3) estuarine/lagoonal environments. The barrier-associated environment includes tidal inlet channel, inlet beach face, flood-tidal delta, ebb-tidal delta, spit, backspit and aeolian dune facies. The abandoned channel environment comprises washover fan, tidal creek tidal creek delta and back-barrier lagoon facies. The estuarine/lagoonal environment includes subtidal estuarine channel, side-attached bar, channel margin, mangrove fringe and channel island facies. Each sedimentary facies is characterised by sedimentary and biogenic structures, grain-size and sedimentary processes. Vertical facies sequences produced by inlet channel migration and lagoonal infilling are sufficiently distinct to be recognized in the geological record and are typical of a prograding shoreline.

Decoupling of Mg-C and Sr-Nd-O isotopes traces the role of recycled carbon in magnesiocarbonatites from the Tarim Large Igneous Province

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Zhiguo; Zhang, Zhaochong; Hou, Tong; Santosh, M.; Chen, Lili; Ke, Shan; Xu, Lijuan

2017-04-01

The Tarim Large Igneous Province in NW China hosts numerous magmatic carbonatite dikes along its northern margin. The carbonatites are composed mainly of dolomite (90 vol.%) and minor calcite (5 vol.%), with apatite, barite, celestine, aegirine, monazite and bastnaesite as accessory minerals. The rocks correspond to magnesiocarbonatites with a compositional range of 13.73-19.59 wt.% MgO, and 20.03-30.11 wt.% CaO, along with 1.65-3.31 wt.% total Fe2O3, 0.02-2.39 wt.% SiO2 and other minor elements, such as P2O5, Na2O and K2O. These magnesiocarbonatites are characterized by extreme enrichment in incompatible elements with high total rare earth element (REE) contents of 372-36965 ppm. The strontium [(87Sr/86Sr)i = 0.70378-0.70386], neodymium [εNd(t) = +2.51 - +3.59] and oxygen (δ18OV-SMOW = 5.9‰-8.0‰) isotope values of these rocks are consistent with a mantle origin, whereas the magnesium (δ26Mg = -1.09‰ to -0.85‰) and carbon (δ13CV-PDB = -4.1‰ to -5.9‰) isotopes are decoupled from mantle values and reflect signature of recycled sedimentary carbonates. Global plate tectonic models predict that sedimentary carbonates in convergent margins are subducted to deep domains in the mantle, with phase transitions from calcite/dolomite to magnesite, and eventually to periclase/perovskite. The involvement of a mantle plume enhances the normal mantle geotherms and promotes decomposition reactions of magnesite. The decoupling of Mg-C and Sr-Nd-O isotopes in the mangesiocarbonatites provides insights on the origin of carbonatites, and also illustrates a case of interaction between mantle plume and subduction-related components.

Laboratory simulated hydrothermal alteration of sedimentary organic matter from Guaymas Basin, Gulf of California. Ph.D. Thesis

Science.gov (United States)

Leif, Roald N.

1993-01-01

High temperature alteration of sedimentary organic matter associated with marine hydrothermal systems involves complex physical and chemical processes that are not easily measured in most natural systems. Many of these processes can be evaluated indirectly by examining the geochemistry of the hydrothermal system in the laboratory. In this investigation, an experimental organic geochemical approach to studying pyrolysis of sedimentary organic matter is applied to the hydrothermal system in the Guaymas Basin, Gulf of California. A general survey of hydrothermal oils and extractable organic matter (bitumen) in hydrothermally altered sediments identified several homologous series of alkanones associated with a high temperature hydrothermal origin. The alkanones range in carbon number from C11 to C30 with no carbon number preference. Alkan-2-ones are in highest concentrations, with lower amounts of 3-, 4-, 5- (and higher) homologs. The alkanones appear to be pyrolysis products synthesized under extreme hydrothermal conditions. Hydrous pyrolysis and confinement pyrolysis experiments were performed to simulate thermally enhanced diagenetic and catagenetic changes in the immature sedimentary organic matter. The extent of alteration was measured by monitoring the n-alkanes, acyclic isoprenoids, steroid and triterpenoid biomarkers, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and alkanones. The results were compared to bitumen extracts from sediments which have been naturally altered by a sill intrusion and accompanied hydrothermal fluid flow. These pyrolysis experiments duplicated many of the organic matter transformations observed in the natural system. Full hopane and sterane maturation occurred after 48 hr in experiments at 330 deg C with low water/rock mass ratios (0.29). A variety of radical and ionic reactions are responsible for the organic compound conversions which occur under extreme hydrothermal conditions. Short duration pyrolysis experiments revealed that a portion of the

Accounting for black carbon lowers estimates of blue carbon storage services.

Science.gov (United States)

Chew, Swee Theng; Gallagher, John B

2018-02-07

The canopies and roots of seagrass, mangrove, and saltmarsh protect a legacy of buried sedimentary organic carbon from resuspension and remineralisation. This legacy's value, in terms of mitigating anthropogenic emissions of CO 2 , is based on total organic carbon (TOC) inventories to a depth likely to be disturbed. However, failure to subtract allochthonous recalcitrant carbon overvalues the storage service. Simply put, burial of oxidation-resistant organics formed outside of the ecosystem provides no additional protection from remineralisation. Here, we assess whether black carbon (BC), an allochthonous and recalcitrant form of organic carbon, is contributing to a significant overestimation of blue carbon stocks. To test this supposition, BC and TOC contents were measured in different types of seagrass and mangrove sediment cores across tropical and temperate regimes, with different histories of air pollution and fire together with a reanalysis of published data from a subtropical system. The results suggest current carbon stock estimates are positively biased, particularly for low-organic-content sandy seagrass environs, by 18 ± 3% (±95% confidence interval) and 43 ± 21% (±95% CI) for the temperate and tropical regions respectively. The higher BC fractions appear to originate from atmospheric deposition and substantially enrich the relatively low TOC fraction within these environs.

LITHIUM-RICH GIANTS IN GLOBULAR CLUSTERS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kirby, Evan N.; Cohen, Judith G. [California Institute of Technology, 1200 E. California Boulevard, MC 249-17, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Guhathakurta, Puragra [UCO/Lick Observatory and Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of California, 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95064 (United States); Zhang, Andrew J. [The Harker School, 500 Saratoga Avenue, San Jose, CA 95129 (United States); Hong, Jerry [Palo Alto High School, 50 Embarcadero Road, Palo Alto, CA, 94301 (United States); Guo, Michelle [Stanford University, 450 Serra Mall, Stanford, CA 94305 (United States); Guo, Rachel [Irvington High School, 41800 Blacow Road, Fremont, CA 94538 (United States); Cunha, Katia [Observatório Nacional, São Cristóvão Rio de Janeiro (Brazil)

2016-03-10

Although red giants deplete lithium on their surfaces, some giants are Li-rich. Intermediate-mass asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars can generate Li through the Cameron–Fowler conveyor, but the existence of Li-rich, low-mass red giant branch (RGB) stars is puzzling. Globular clusters are the best sites to examine this phenomenon because it is straightforward to determine membership in the cluster and to identify the evolutionary state of each star. In 72 hours of Keck/DEIMOS exposures in 25 clusters, we found four Li-rich RGB and two Li-rich AGB stars. There were 1696 RGB and 125 AGB stars with measurements or upper limits consistent with normal abundances of Li. Hence, the frequency of Li-richness in globular clusters is (0.2 ± 0.1)% for the RGB, (1.6 ± 1.1)% for the AGB, and (0.3 ± 0.1)% for all giants. Because the Li-rich RGB stars are on the lower RGB, Li self-generation mechanisms proposed to occur at the luminosity function bump or He core flash cannot explain these four lower RGB stars. We propose the following origin for Li enrichment: (1) All luminous giants experience a brief phase of Li enrichment at the He core flash. (2) All post-RGB stars with binary companions on the lower RGB will engage in mass transfer. This scenario predicts that 0.1% of lower RGB stars will appear Li-rich due to mass transfer from a recently Li-enhanced companion. This frequency is at the lower end of our confidence interval.

The rapidly expanding universe of giant viruses: Mimivirus, Pandoravirus, Pithovirus and Mollivirus.

Science.gov (United States)

Abergel, Chantal; Legendre, Matthieu; Claverie, Jean-Michel

2015-11-01

More than a century ago, the term 'virus' was introduced to describe infectious agents that are invisible by light microscopy and capable of passing through sterilizing filters. In addition to their extremely small size, most viruses have minimal genomes and gene contents, and rely almost entirely on host cell-encoded functions to multiply. Unexpectedly, four different families of eukaryotic 'giant viruses' have been discovered over the past 10 years with genome sizes, gene contents and particle dimensions overlapping with that of cellular microbes. Their ongoing analyses are challenging accepted ideas about the diversity, evolution and origin of DNA viruses. © FEMS 2015. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Rejuvenation of the Innocent Bystander: Testing Spin-Up in a Dwarf Carbon Star Sample

Science.gov (United States)

Green, Paul

2014-09-01

Carbon stars (C>O) were long assumed to all be giants, because only AGB stars dredge up significant carbon into their atmospheres. We now know that dwarf carbon (dC) stars are actually far more common than C giants. These dC stars are hypothesized to have accreted C-rich envelope material from an AGB companion, in systems that have likely undergone a planetary nebula phase, eventually yielding a white dwarf and a dC star that has gained both significant mass and angular momentum. To test whether the X-ray emission strength and spectral properties are consistent with a rejuvenated dynamo, we propose a Chandra pilot study of dCs selected from the SDSS; some have hot white dwarf companions (indicating more recent mass transfer), and all show Balmer emission lines (a sign of activity).

Giant Urinary Bladder and Bilateral Giant Hydronephrosis due to Bladder Neck Obstruction: One Case Report and Literature Review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohammed Fadl Tazi

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Bilateral hydronephrosis secondary to urinary obstruction leads to a buildup of back pressure in the urinary tract and may lead to impairment of renal function. Cases of giant hydronephrosis are rare and usually contain no more than 1-2 litres of fluid in the collecting system. Here, we report a rarely seen case with giant urinary bladder and bilateral giant hydronephrosis due to bladder neck obstruction which contains 4000 mL fluid in the collecting system of the kidney mimicking an ascites in an adult male.

Relating sedimentary processes in the Bagnold Dunes to the development of crater basin aeolian stratification

Science.gov (United States)

Ewing, R. C.; Lapotre, M. G. A.; Lewis, K. W.; Day, M. D.; Stein, N.; Rubin, D. M.; Sullivan, R. J., Jr.; Banham, S.; Thomas, N. M.; Lamb, M. P.; Gupta, S.; Fischer, W. W.

2017-12-01

Wind-blown sand dunes are ubiquitous on the surface of Mars and are a recognized component of the martian stratigraphic record. Our current knowledge of the aeolian sedimentary processes that determine dune morphology, drive dune dynamics, and create aeolian cross-stratification are based upon orbital studies of ripple and dune morphodynamics, rover observations of stratification on Mars, Earth analogs, and experimental and theoretical studies of sand movement under martian conditions. Exploration of the Bagnold Dunes by the Curiosity Rover in Gale Crater, Mars provided the first opportunity to make in situ observations of martian dunes from the grain-to-dune scale. We used the suite of cameras on Curiosity, including Navigation Camera, Mast Camera, and Mars Hand Lens Imager. We measured grainsize and identified sedimentary processes similar to processes on terrestrial dunes, such as grainfall, grainflow, and impact ripples. Impact ripple grainsize had a median of 0.103 mm. Measurements of grainflow slopes indicate a relaxation angle of 29° and grainfall slopes indicate critical angles of at least 32°. Dissimilar to terrestrial dunes, large, meter-scale ripples form on all slopes of the dunes. The ripples form both sinuous and linear crestlines, have symmetric and asymmetric profiles, range in height between 12cm and 28cm, and host grainfall, grainflow, and impact ripples. The largest ripples are interpreted to integrate the annual wind cycle within the crater, whereas smaller large ripples and impact ripples form or reorient to shorter term wind cycling. Assessment of sedimentary processes in combination with dune type across the Bagnold Dunes shows that dune-field pattern development in response to a complex crater-basin wind regime dictates the distribution of geomorphic processes. From a stratigraphic perspective, zones of highest potential accumulation correlate with zones of wind convergence, which produce complex winds and dune field patterns thereby

Giant cell arteritis of fallopian tube.

Science.gov (United States)

Azzena, A; Altavilla, G; Salmaso, R; Vasoin, F; Pellizzari, P; Doria, A

1994-01-01

One case of giant cells arteritis involving tubaric arteries in a postmenopausal woman is described. The patient was 59 years old and presented with asthenia, anemia, fever, weight loss, an abdominal palpable mass and elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate. Exploratory laparotomy revealed a large ovarian cyst of 14 cm in diameter. Extensive giant cell arteritis, Horton's type, of the small-sizes arteries was found unexpectedly in the fallopian tube of the patient who had had a prior ovariectomy. Giant cell arteritis of the female genital tract is a rare finding in elderly women and may occur as an isolated finding or as part of generalised arteritis.

The effect of different growth media, carbon source and pgrs on dendrobium broga giant orchid's protocorm-like bodies (plbs) proliferation supported with sem and tem analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Uddain, J.; Gnasekaran, P.; Zakaria, L.

2015-01-01

Dendrobium Broga Giant (Dendrobium Bobby Messina * Dendrobium Superbiens) is a new orchid hybrid in Malaysia. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of different growth media, carbon sources and PGRs on Dendrobium Broga Giant orchid's protocorm-like bodies (PLBs) proliferation supported with SEM and TEM analysis. The PLBs were cultured on different strength of semi-solid and liquid MS medium and the proliferation rate was recorded based on the fresh weight basis. The maximum PLBs proliferation (12.31% 0.57) was obtained in MS semi-solid medium. PLBs were cultured on MS semi-solid media supplemented with different sucrose concentrations (0, 10, 20, 30 and 40 g L-1). The highest proliferation rate of PLBs (15.48% 1.20) was recorded from MS supplemented with 20 g L-1 sucrose. Different concentrations of BAP (0, 0.5, 1.0, 2.0 mg.L-1) and NAA (0, 0.5, 1.0, 2.0 mgL-1) were added to MS semi-solid medium. Combinations of 1.0 mg L-1 BAP and 0.5 mg.L-1 NAA produced higher PLBs proliferation. Micromorphological studies by SEM and TEM displayed trichome, leaf primordial, stomata, various sizes of mitochondria, vacuoles, different shapes of chloroplast were found in PLBs which ameliorated the slow proliferation nature of plantlets. (author)

Sedimentary Markers : a window into deep geodynamic processes Examples from the Western Mediterranean Sea

Science.gov (United States)

Rabineau, Marina; Aslanian, Daniel; Leroux, Estelle; Pellen, Romain; Gorini, Christian; Moulin, Maryline; Droz, Laurence; Bache, Francois; Molliex, Stephane; Silenzario, Carmine; Rubino, Jean-Loup

2017-04-01

Deep Earth dynamics impact so strongly on surface geological processes that we can use sediment palaeo-markers as a window into the deeper Earth. Derived from climatic and tectonic erosive actions on the continents, and related to eustasy, subsidence and isostasy, the sediment in a deep basin is the main recorder of these processes. Nevertheless, defining and quantifying the relative roles of parameters that interact to give the final sedimentary architecture is not a simple task. Using a 3D-grid of seismic and wide-angle data, boreholes and numerical stratigraphic modelling, we propose here a quantification of post-rift vertical movements in the Provençal Basin (Western Mediterranean) involving three domains of subsidence: seaward tilting on the platform and the slope and purely vertical subsidence in the deep basin (Rabineau et al., 2014 ; Leroux et al., 2015). These domains fit the deeper crustal domains highlighted by previous geophysical data (Moulin et al., 2015 ; Afilhado et al., 2015). Post-break-up sedimentary markers may therefore be used to identify the initial hinge lines of the rifting phase, to quantify sedimentation rates and isostatic rebound (Rabineau et al., 2014) and redefine the subsidence laws. Similar work and results are obtained in the Valencia Basin (Pellen et al., 2016). This Western Mediterranean Sea is a natural laboratory with very high total subsidence rates that enable high sedimentation rates along the margin with sediments provided by the Rhône and Ebro rivers flowing from the Alps, the Pyrennees and Catalan chains, which in turn archives the detailed record of climate/tectonic evolution during the Neogene. The Western Mediterranean Sea could therefore further probe deep-earth and surface connections using deep drillings of this land-locked ocean basin transformed into a giant saline basin (Rabineau et al., 2015). Leroux, E., Aslanian, D., Rabineau, M., M. Moulin, D. Granjeon, C. Gorini, L. Droz, 2015. Sedimentary markers: a

Scientific communications: Re-Os sulfide (bornite, chalcopyrite, and pyrite) systematics of the carbonate-hosted copper deposits at ruby creek, southern brooks range, Alaska

Science.gov (United States)

Selby, D.; Kelley, K.D.; Hitzman, M.W.; Zieg, J.

2009-01-01

New Re-Os data for chalcopyrite, bornite, and pyrite from the carbonate-hosted Cu deposit at Ruby Creek (Bornite), Alaska, show extremely high Re abundances (hundreds of ppb, low ppm) and contain essentially no common Os. The Re-Os data provide the first absolute ages of ore formation for the carbonate-hosted Ruby Creek Cu-(Co) deposit and demonstrate that the Re-Os systematics of pyrite, chalcopyrite, and bornite are unaffected by greenschist metamorphism. The Re-Os data show that the main phase of Cu mineralization pre dominantly occurred at 384 ?? 4.2 Ma, with an earlier phase possibly at ???400 Ma. The Re-Os data are consistent with the observed paragenetic sequence and coincide with zircon U-Pb ages from igneous rocks within the Ambler metallogenic belt, some of which are spatially and genetically associated with regional volcanogenic massive sulfide deposits. The latter may suggest a temporal link between regional magmatism and hydrothermal mineralization in the Ambler district. The utility of bornite and chalcopyrite, in addition to pyrite, contributes to a new understanding of Re-Os geochronology and permits a refinement of the genetic model for the Ruby Creek deposit. ?? 2009 Society of Economices Geologists, Inc.

Staged Closure of Giant Omphalocele using Synthetic Mesh

OpenAIRE

Parida, Lalit; Pal, Kamalesh; Al Buainain, Hussah; Elshafei, Hossam

2014-01-01

Giant omphalocele is difficult to manage and is associated with a poor outcome. A male newborn presented to our hospital with a giant omphalocele. We performed a staged closure of giant omphalocele using synthetic mesh to construct a silo and then mesh abdominoplasty in the neonatal period that led to a successful outcome within a reasonable period of hospital stay.

Giant microelectronics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Della Sala, D.; Privato, C.; Di Lazzaro, P.; Fortunato, G.

1999-01-01

Giant microelectronics, on which the technology of flat liquid-crystal screens is based, is an example of fruitful interaction among independently-developed technologies, in this case thin film micro devices and laser applications. It typifies the interdisciplinary approach needed to produce innovations in microelectronics [it

Debris disks as signposts of terrestrial planet formation. II. Dependence of exoplanet architectures on giant planet and disk properties

Science.gov (United States)

Raymond, S. N.; Armitage, P. J.; Moro-Martín, A.; Booth, M.; Wyatt, M. C.; Armstrong, J. C.; Mandell, A. M.; Selsis, F.; West, A. A.

2012-05-01

plausible initial conditions for planetary systems. However, among the configurations explored, the best candidates for hosting terrestrial planets at ~1 AU are stars older than 0.1-1 Gyr with bright debris disks at 70 μm but with no currently-known giant planets. These systems combine evidence for the presence of ample rocky building blocks, with giant planet properties that are least likely to undergo destructive dynamical evolution. Thus, we predict two correlations that should be detected by upcoming surveys: an anti-correlation between debris disks and eccentric giant planets and a positive correlation between debris disks and terrestrial planets. Three movies associated to Figs. 1, 3, and 7 are available in electronic form at http://www.aanda.org

The evolution of hydrocarbons past the asymptotic giant branch: the case of MSX SMC 029

Science.gov (United States)

Pauly, Tyler; Sloan, Gregory C.; Kraemer, Kathleen E.; Bernard-Salas, Jeronimo; Lebouteiller, Vianney; Goes, Christopher; Barry, Donald

2015-01-01

We present an optimally extracted high-resolution spectrum of MSX SMC 029 obtained by the Infrared Spectrograph on the Spitzer Space Telescope. MSX SMC 029 is a carbon-rich object in the Small Magellanic Cloud that has evolved past the asymptotic giant branch (AGB). The spectrum reveals a cool carbon-rich dust continuum with emission from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and absorption from simpler hydrocarbons, both aliphatic and aromatic, including acetylene and benzene. The spectrum shows many similarities to the carbon-rich post-AGB objects SMP LMC 011 in the Large Magellanic Cloud and AFGL 618 in the Galaxy. Both of these objects also show infrared absorption features from simple hydrocarbons. All three spectra lack strong atomic emission lines in the infrared, indicating that we are observing the evolution of carbon-rich dust and free hydrocarbons in objects between the AGB and planetary nebulae. These three objects give us a unique view of the elusive phase when hydrocarbons exist both as relatively simple molecules and the much more complex and ubiquitous PAHs. We may be witnessing the assembly of amorphous carbon into PAHs.

Giant Clams and Rising CO2: Light May Ameliorate Effects of Ocean Acidification on a Solar-Powered Animal.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sue-Ann Watson

Full Text Available Global climate change and ocean acidification pose a serious threat to marine life. Marine invertebrates are particularly susceptible to ocean acidification, especially highly calcareous taxa such as molluscs, echinoderms and corals. The largest of all bivalve molluscs, giant clams, are already threatened by a variety of local pressures, including overharvesting, and are in decline worldwide. Several giant clam species are listed as 'Vulnerable' on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species and now climate change and ocean acidification pose an additional threat to their conservation. Unlike most other molluscs, giant clams are 'solar-powered' animals containing photosynthetic algal symbionts suggesting that light could influence the effects of ocean acidification on these vulnerable animals. In this study, juvenile fluted giant clams Tridacna squamosa were exposed to three levels of carbon dioxide (CO2 (control ~400, mid ~650 and high ~950 μatm and light (photosynthetically active radiation 35, 65 and 304 μmol photons m-2 s-1. Elevated CO2 projected for the end of this century (~650 and ~950 μatm reduced giant clam survival and growth at mid-light levels. However, effects of CO2 on survival were absent at high-light, with 100% survival across all CO2 levels. Effects of CO2 on growth of surviving clams were lessened, but not removed, at high-light levels. Shell growth and total animal mass gain were still reduced at high-CO2. This study demonstrates the potential for light to alleviate effects of ocean acidification on survival and growth in a threatened calcareous marine invertebrate. Managing water quality (e.g. turbidity and sedimentation in coastal areas to maintain water clarity may help ameliorate some negative effects of ocean acidification on giant clams and potentially other solar-powered calcifiers, such as hard corals.

Giant Clams and Rising CO2: Light May Ameliorate Effects of Ocean Acidification on a Solar-Powered Animal.

Science.gov (United States)

Watson, Sue-Ann

2015-01-01

Global climate change and ocean acidification pose a serious threat to marine life. Marine invertebrates are particularly susceptible to ocean acidification, especially highly calcareous taxa such as molluscs, echinoderms and corals. The largest of all bivalve molluscs, giant clams, are already threatened by a variety of local pressures, including overharvesting, and are in decline worldwide. Several giant clam species are listed as 'Vulnerable' on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species and now climate change and ocean acidification pose an additional threat to their conservation. Unlike most other molluscs, giant clams are 'solar-powered' animals containing photosynthetic algal symbionts suggesting that light could influence the effects of ocean acidification on these vulnerable animals. In this study, juvenile fluted giant clams Tridacna squamosa were exposed to three levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) (control ~400, mid ~650 and high ~950 μatm) and light (photosynthetically active radiation 35, 65 and 304 μmol photons m-2 s-1). Elevated CO2 projected for the end of this century (~650 and ~950 μatm) reduced giant clam survival and growth at mid-light levels. However, effects of CO2 on survival were absent at high-light, with 100% survival across all CO2 levels. Effects of CO2 on growth of surviving clams were lessened, but not removed, at high-light levels. Shell growth and total animal mass gain were still reduced at high-CO2. This study demonstrates the potential for light to alleviate effects of ocean acidification on survival and growth in a threatened calcareous marine invertebrate. Managing water quality (e.g. turbidity and sedimentation) in coastal areas to maintain water clarity may help ameliorate some negative effects of ocean acidification on giant clams and potentially other solar-powered calcifiers, such as hard corals.

Giant prolactinomas in women

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Delgrange, Etienne; Raverot, Gerald; Bex, Marie

2014-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To characterise distinctive clinical features of giant prolactinomas in women. DESIGN: A multicentre, retrospective case series and literature review. METHODS: We collected data from 15 female patients with a pituitary tumour larger than 4 cm and prolactin levels above 1000 μg/l and id......OBJECTIVE: To characterise distinctive clinical features of giant prolactinomas in women. DESIGN: A multicentre, retrospective case series and literature review. METHODS: We collected data from 15 female patients with a pituitary tumour larger than 4 cm and prolactin levels above 1000 μg....../l and identified 19 similar cases from the literature; a gender-based comparison of the frequency and age distribution was obtained from a literature review. RESULTS: The initial PubMed search using the term 'giant prolactinomas' identified 125 patients (13 women) responding to the inclusion criteria. The female......:male ratio was 1:9. Another six female patients were found by extending the literature search, while our own series added 15 patients. The median age at diagnosis was 44 years in women compared with 35 years in men (Pwomen (n=34), we...

Geochemical prerequisites of petroleum-gas formation in the Mesozoic-Cenozoic sedimentary layer of the world's oceans

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Trotsyuk, V Ya

1979-05-01

A summarization is given of the latest material on the geochemistry of trace organic matter of Mesozoic-Cenozoic deposits of the world's oceans, obtained as a result of deep-sea drilling. Trace organic matter was found to be present in the sedimentary layers of the ocean outskirts in amounts near that found in the continental stratosphere, but that content was five times less in the interior region of the oceans. The trace organic matter of deposits in the marginal region of the oceans was found to have a significant petroleum-gas matrix potential with respect to the level of content and composition characteristics. The distribution of organic carbon was found to be uneven in variously aged horizons of the Mesozoic-Cenozoic. The maximum content of organic carbon was noted in the Neogene-Quaternary and lower Cretaceous deposits. An elevated content of trace organic matter was found to be characteristic of the oceanic stratisphere in lithological mixed sediments: terrigenous-carbonate and terrigenous-silicons was 1.5 times greater than the trace organic matter in clays. Fundamental geochemical propagation laws were formulated, possibly for petroleum-gas-bearing sediment basins under the ocean bottom and beyond the shelf. 18 references, 3 figures.

Lower Tertiary Sedimentary Turbidite Facies at the Chicontepec Basin, East-Central Mexico

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Santillán-Piña N.

2011-07-01

Full Text Available The study area comprises the northwestern portion of the Chicontepec Basin at southeastern San Luis Potosí and northeastern Hidalgo States. At the stratigraphy sequences of the Chicontepec Formation from Lower Paleocene in isolated outocrops, were herein interpreted two major sedimentary sub-environments into the fan model: the middle and the external sedimentary settings; the applied criteria for their identification were: (a lithostratigraphic (thickness, geometry and distribution; (b internal and external primary sedimentary structures, and (c intra-formational deformation structures. The sedimentary facies are composed of siliciclastic and calcareous particles sourced from the Sierra Madre Oriental, western; the Tuxpan paleo-island, eastern; and from the Teziutlan Massif, southern; the sediments were massively transported by slideing, slumping, flow debris and turbidity currents, then deposited as massive, tabular, lenticular and lobely in shape at the slope foot and on the sea marine floor.

Cell wall composition profiling of parasitic giant dodder (Cuscuta reflexa) and its hosts: a priori differences and induced changes.

Science.gov (United States)

Johnsen, Hanne R; Striberny, Bernd; Olsen, Stian; Vidal-Melgosa, Silvia; Fangel, Jonatan U; Willats, William G T; Rose, Jocelyn K C; Krause, Kirsten

2015-08-01

Host plant penetration is the gateway to survival for holoparasitic Cuscuta and requires host cell wall degradation. Compositional differences of cell walls may explain why some hosts are amenable to such degradation while others can resist infection. Antibody-based techniques for comprehensive profiling of cell wall epitopes and cell wall-modifying enzymes were applied to several susceptible hosts and a resistant host of Cuscuta reflexa and to the parasite itself. Infected tissue of Pelargonium zonale contained high concentrations of de-esterified homogalacturonans in the cell walls, particularly adjacent to the parasite's haustoria. High pectinolytic activity in haustorial extracts and high expression levels of pectate lyase genes suggest that the parasite contributes directly to wall remodeling. Mannan and xylan concentrations were low in P. zonale and in five susceptible tomato introgression lines, but high in the resistant Solanum lycopersicum cv M82, and in C. reflexa itself. Knowledge of the composition of resistant host cell walls and the parasite's own cell walls is useful in developing strategies to prevent infection by parasitic plants. © 2015 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2015 New Phytologist Trust.

Observing giant panda habitat and forage abundance from space

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wang, T.

2009-01-01

Giant pandas are obligate bamboo grazers. The bamboos favoured by giant
pandas are typical forest understorey plants. Therefore, the availability and
abundance of understorey bamboo is a key factor in determining the quantity
and quality of giant panda food resources. However,

Metastatic giant basal cell carcinoma: a case report.

Science.gov (United States)

Bellahammou, Khadija; Lakhdissi, Asmaa; Akkar, Othman; Rais, Fadoua; Naoual, Benhmidou; Elghissassi, Ibrahim; M'rabti, Hind; Errihani, Hassan

2016-01-01

Basal cell carcinoma is the most common skin cancer, characterised by a slow growing behavior, metastasis are extremely rare, and it occurs in less than 0, 1% of all cases. Giant basal cell carcinoma is a rare form of basal cell carcinoma, more aggressive and defined as a tumor measuring more than 5 cm at its largest diameter. Only 1% of all basal cell carcinoma develops to a giant basal cell carcinoma, resulting of patient's negligence. Giant basal cell carcinoma is associated with higher potential of metastasis and even death, compared to ordinary basal cell carcinoma. We report a case of giant basal cell carcinoma metastaticin lung occurring in a 79 years old male patient, with a fatal evolution after one course of systemic chemotherapy. Giant basal cell carcinoma is a very rare entity, early detection of these tumors could prevent metastasis occurrence and improve the prognosis of this malignancy.

From the surface to the seafloor: How giant larvaceans transport microplastics into the deep sea

Science.gov (United States)

Katija, Kakani; Choy, C. Anela; Sherlock, Rob E.; Sherman, Alana D.; Robison, Bruce H.

2017-01-01

Plastic waste is a pervasive feature of marine environments, yet little is empirically known about the biological and physical processes that transport plastics through marine ecosystems. To address this need, we conducted in situ feeding studies of microplastic particles (10 to 600 μm in diameter) with the giant larvacean Bathochordaeus stygius. Larvaceans are abundant components of global zooplankton assemblages, regularly build mucus “houses” to filter particulate matter from the surrounding water, and later abandon these structures when clogged. By conducting in situ feeding experiments with remotely operated vehicles, we show that giant larvaceans are able to filter a range of microplastic particles from the water column, ingest, and then package microplastics into their fecal pellets. Microplastics also readily affix to their houses, which have been shown to sink quickly to the seafloor and deliver pulses of carbon to benthic ecosystems. Thus, giant larvaceans can contribute to the vertical flux of microplastics through the rapid sinking of fecal pellets and discarded houses. Larvaceans, and potentially other abundant pelagic filter feeders, may thus comprise a novel biological transport mechanism delivering microplastics from surface waters, through the water column, and to the seafloor. Our findings necessitate the development of tools and sampling methodologies to quantify concentrations and identify environmental microplastics throughout the water column. PMID:28835922

Potentiality if Rb-Sr method for dating the argillous sedimentary rocks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thomaz Filho, A.

1976-01-01

The potentiality of application Rb-Sr method in argillous sediments, using samples from paleozoic and mesozoic formation in brazilian sedimentaries basin was tested. Physical, chemistry and isotopic analysis of thirty eight samples were made in the laboratories of geochronology Research Center from the University of Sao Paulo. Four isochronic diagrams for the argillous sedimentary rocks were also proposed. (author)

In situ imaging reveals the biomass of giant protists in the global ocean.

Science.gov (United States)

Biard, Tristan; Stemmann, Lars; Picheral, Marc; Mayot, Nicolas; Vandromme, Pieter; Hauss, Helena; Gorsky, Gabriel; Guidi, Lionel; Kiko, Rainer; Not, Fabrice

2016-04-28

Planktonic organisms play crucial roles in oceanic food webs and global biogeochemical cycles. Most of our knowledge about the ecological impact of large zooplankton stems from research on abundant and robust crustaceans, and in particular copepods. A number of the other organisms that comprise planktonic communities are fragile, and therefore hard to sample and quantify, meaning that their abundances and effects on oceanic ecosystems are poorly understood. Here, using data from a worldwide in situ imaging survey of plankton larger than 600 μm, we show that a substantial part of the biomass of this size fraction consists of giant protists belonging to the Rhizaria, a super-group of mostly fragile unicellular marine organisms that includes the taxa Phaeodaria and Radiolaria (for example, orders Collodaria and Acantharia). Globally, we estimate that rhizarians in the top 200 m of world oceans represent a standing stock of 0.089 Pg carbon, equivalent to 5.2% of the total oceanic biota carbon reservoir. In the vast oligotrophic intertropical open oceans, rhizarian biomass is estimated to be equivalent to that of all other mesozooplankton (plankton in the size range 0.2-20 mm). The photosymbiotic association of many rhizarians with microalgae may be an important factor in explaining their distribution. The previously overlooked importance of these giant protists across the widest ecosystem on the planet changes our understanding of marine planktonic ecosystems.

Giant Chancroid

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bhushan Kumar

1980-01-01

Full Text Available A case of giant chancroid following rupture of inguinal bubo and having systemic symptoms is described. Response with sulfa and streptomycin combination was excellent and the lesion healed completely in 3 weeks. Early diagnosis and treatment of chancroid will prevent this debilitating complication.

Giant cystic craniopharyngiomas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Young, S.C.; Zimmerman, R.A.; Nowell, M.A.; Bilaniuk, L.T.; Hackney, D.B.; Grossman, R.I.; Goldberg, H.I.

1987-01-01

Three cases of giant cystic craniopharyngiomas with large areas of extension beyond the suprasellar area are presented. The magnetic resonance (MR) appearance in one case is described. These giant tumors had large, multilobulated cysts that comprised the bulk of the tumors. In one case, there was an unusual extension of the large tumor cyst into the lateral ventricle. In two cases, the tumors extended to the level of the foramen magnum. On CT, the cyst contents of these two tumors were hyperdense and became hypodense postoperatively. All three tumors harbored calcifications in the form of clumps in the suprasellar region and rim calcifications around the cysts. None of the tumors exhibited contrast enhancement. A literature review of the radiographic features of craniopharyngiomas is discussed. (orig.)

Shale across Scales from the Depths of Sedimentary Basins to Soil and Water at Earth's Surface

Science.gov (United States)

Brantley, S. L.; Gu, X.

2017-12-01

Shale has become highly important on the world stage because it can host natural gas. In addition, shale is now targeted as a formation that can host repositories for disposal of radioactive waste. This newly recognized importance of shale has driven increased research into the nature of this unusual material. Much of this research incorporates characterization tools that probe shale at scales from nanometers to millimeters. Many of the talks in this Union session discuss these techniques and how scientists use them to understand how they impact the flow of fluids at larger scales. Another research avenue targets how material properties affect soil formation on this lithology and how water quality is affected in sedimentary basins where shale gas resources are under development. For example, minerals in shale are dominated by clays aligned along bedding. As the shales are exhumed and exposed at the surface during weathering, bedding planes open and fractures and microfractures form, allowing outfluxes or influxes of fluids. These phenomena result in specific patterns of fluid flow and, eventually, soil formation and landscape development. Specifically, in the Marcellus Formation gas play - the largest shale gas play in the U.S.A. - exposures of the shale at the surface result in deep oxidation of pyrite and organic matter, deep dissolution of carbonates, and relatively shallow alteration of clays. Micron-sized particles are also lost from all depths above the oxidation front. These characteristics result in deeply weathered and quickly eroded landscapes, and may also be related to patterns in water quality in shale gas plays. For example, across the entire Marcellus shale gas play in Pennsylvania, the single most common water quality issue is contamination by natural gas. This contamination is rare and is observed to be more prevalent in certain areas. These areas are likely related to shale material properties and geological structure. Specifically, natural gas

On Landau Vlasov simulations of giant resonances

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pi, M.; Schuck, P.; Suraud, E.; Gregoire, C.; Remaud, B.; Sebille, F.

1987-05-01

We present VUU calculations of giant resonances obtained in energetic heavy ion collisions. Also is considered the case of the giant dipole in 40 Ca and the possibility of studying the effects of rotation on such collective modes

Modeling the Sedimentary Infill of Lakes in the East African Rift: A Case Study of Multiple versus Single Rift Basin Segments

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, C.; Scholz, C. A.

2016-12-01

The sedimentary basins in the East African Rift are considered excellent modern examples for investigating sedimentary infilling and evolution of extensional systems. Some lakes in the western branch of the rift have formed within single-segment systems, and include Lake Albert and Lake Edward. The largest and oldest lakes developed within multi-segment systems, and these include Lake Tanganyika and Lake Malawi. This research aims to explore processes of erosion and sedimentary infilling of the catchment area in single-segment rift (SSR) and multi-segment rift (MSR) systems. We consider different conditions of regional precipitation and evaporation, and assess the resulting facies architecture through forward modeling, using state-of-the-art commercial basin modeling software. Dionisos is a three-dimensional numerical stratigraphic forward modeling software program, which simulates basin-scale sediment transport based on empirical water- and gravity-driven diffusion equations. It was classically used to quantify the sedimentary architecture and basin infilling of both marine siliciclastic and carbonate environments. However, we apply this approach to continental rift basin environments. In this research, two scenarios are developed, one for a MSR and the other for a SSR. The modeled systems simulate the ratio of drainage area and lake surface area observed in modern Lake Tanganyika and Lake Albert, which are examples of MSRs and SSRs, respectively. The main parameters, such as maximum subsidence rate, water- and gravity-driven diffusion coefficients, rainfall, and evaporation, are approximated using these real-world examples. The results of 5 million year model runs with 50,000 year time steps show that MSRs are characterized by a deep water lake with relatively modest sediment accumulation, while the SSRs are characterized by a nearly overfilled lake with shallow water depths and thick sediment accumulation. The preliminary modeling results conform to the features

Globally intertwined evolutionary history of giant barrel sponges

Science.gov (United States)

Swierts, Thomas; Peijnenburg, Katja T. C. A.; de Leeuw, Christiaan A.; Breeuwer, Johannes A. J.; Cleary, Daniel F. R.; de Voogd, Nicole J.

2017-09-01

Three species of giant barrel sponge are currently recognized in two distinct geographic regions, the tropical Atlantic and the Indo-Pacific. In this study, we used molecular techniques to study populations of giant barrel sponges across the globe and assessed whether the genetic structure of these populations agreed with current taxonomic consensus or, in contrast, whether there was evidence of cryptic species. Using molecular data, we assessed whether giant barrel sponges in each oceanic realm represented separate monophyletic lineages. Giant barrel sponges from 17 coral reef systems across the globe were sequenced for mitochondrial (partial CO1 and ATP6 genes) and nuclear (ATPsβ intron) DNA markers. In total, we obtained 395 combined sequences of the mitochondrial CO1 and ATP6 markers, which resulted in 17 different haplotypes. We compared a phylogenetic tree constructed from 285 alleles of the nuclear intron ATPsβ to the 17 mitochondrial haplotypes. Congruent patterns between mitochondrial and nuclear gene trees of giant barrel sponges provided evidence for the existence of multiple reproductively isolated species, particularly where they occurred in sympatry. The species complexes in the tropical Atlantic and the Indo-Pacific, however, do not form separate monophyletic lineages. This rules out the scenario that one species of giant barrel sponge developed into separate species complexes following geographic separation and instead suggests that multiple species of giant barrel sponges already existed prior to the physical separation of the Indo-Pacific and tropical Atlantic.

Study of the argillaceous fraction of sedimentary sequences of Meuse and Gard. Reconstitution of the diagenetic history and of the physico-chemical characteristics of the targets. Mineralogical, geochemical and isotopic aspects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rousset, D.

2002-01-01

Very low permeable argillaceous rocks like Callovo-Oxfordian clay-stones or Vraconian siltstones were chosen to host a research laboratory built to determine the physico-chemical properties of the host formations for a potential underground disposal of radioactive waste. Knowledge and understanding of post-sedimentary modifications are of prime importance for definition of these properties; evaluation and quantification of the post-sedimentary changes represent the aim of this study, focused specifically on the clay material of the sequences. Samples were taken from two drillings (HTM102 and MAR501). In the HTM102 core samples, illite and mixed-layers illite/smectite are the dominant clay components of most clay fractions. Systematic SEM and TEM observations and isotopic K-Ar and Rb-Sr analyses pointed to diagenetic neo-formations of carbonates (calcite, dolomite) and clays. For instance, veils and laths of authigenic clay particles around old detrital ones can distinctly be observed. The epoch, duration and extent of the diagenetic activity(ies) are difficult to evaluate because of an overall detrital contribution even in the finest granulometric fractions. However; analysis of a bentonite layer in the sequence provides a diagenetic reference for the authigenic clay material. Correlation between relative sea level and authigenesis of smectite-rich mineral has been outlined. Chemistry of diagenetic fluids also seems to be reliable with sea level variations. These observations argue in favour of diagenetic activities limited in restricted rock volumes. The case study of MAR501 is close to the HTM102 one: smectite-rich illite/smectite mixed-layers represent the major component of the clay fraction and K-Ar values argue ire the sense of a mixing between detrital and younger clay populations. Diagenetic glauconites in the sequence yield are age close to 93,7 ±0,3 Ma for Vraconian level, in agreement with stratigraphical data. The case study of a clay-filled fault

Multipole giant resonances in highly excited nuclei

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xia Keding; Cai Yanhuang

1989-01-01

The isoscalar giant surface resonance and giant dipole resonance in highly excited nuclei are discussed. Excitation energies of the giant modes in 208 Pb are calculated in a simplified model, using the concept of energy wieghted sum rule (EWSR), and the extended Thomas-Fermi approximation at the finite temperature is employed to describe the finite temperature is employed to describe the finite temperature equilibrium state. It is shown that EWSR and the energy of the resonance depend only weakly on temperature in the system. This weak dependence is analysed

Evidence for deformation effect on the giant monopole resonance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Buenerd, M.; Lebrun, D.; Martin, P.; de Saintignon, P.; Perrin, C.

1980-01-01

The giant monopole resonance in the region of deformed nuclei has been investigated by inelastic scattering of 108.5 MeV 3 He at very small scattering angles. Evidence is reported for coupling between the giant monopole and giant quadrupole vibrations, based both on energy shift and transition strength

Literature review of giant gartersnake (Thamnophis gigas) biology and conservation

Science.gov (United States)

Halstead, Brian J.; Wylie, Glenn D.; Casazza, Michael L.

2015-08-03

This report reviews the available literature on giant gartersnakes (Thamnophis gigas) to compile existing information on this species and identify knowledge gaps that, if addressed, would help to inform conservation efforts for giant gartersnakes.  Giant gartersnakes comprise a species of semi-aquatic snake precinctive to wetlands in the Central Valley of California.  The diversion of surface water and conversion of wetlands to agricultural and other land uses resulted in the loss of more than 90 percent of natural giant gartersnake habitats.  Because of this habitat loss, giant gartersnakes are now listed by the United States and California Endangered Species Acts as Threatened.  Most extant populations occur in the rice-growing regions of the Sacramento Valley, which comprises the northern portion of the giant gartersnake’s former range.  The huge demand for water in California for agriculture, industry, recreation, and other human consumption, combined with periodic severe drought, places remaining giant gartersnake habitats at increased risk of degradation and loss.  This literature review summarizes the available information on giant gartersnake distribution, habitat relations, behavior, demography, and other aspects of its biology relevant to conservation.  This information is then compiled into a graphical conceptual model that indicates the importance of different aspects of giant gartersnake biology for maintaining positive population growth, and identifies those areas for which important information relevant for conservation is lacking.  Directing research efforts toward these aspects of giant gartersnake ecology will likely result in improvements to conserving this unique species while meeting the high demands for water in California.

Collisional damping of giant monopole and quadrupole resonances

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yildirim, S.; Gokalp, A.; Yilmaz, O.; Ayik, S.

2001-01-01

Collisional damping widths of giant monopole and quadrupole excitations for 120 Sn and 208 Pb at zero and finite temperatures are calculated within Thomas-Fermi approximation by employing the microscopic in-medium cross-sections of Li and Machleidt and the phenomenological Skyrme and Gogny forces, and are compared with each other. The results for the collisional widths of giant monopole and quadrupole vibrations at zero temperature as a function of the mass number show that the collisional damping of giant monopole vibrations accounts for about 30 - 40% of the observed widths at zero temperature, while for giant quadrupole vibrations it accounts for only 20 - 30% of the observed widths at zero temperature. (orig.)

Giant cell phlebitis: a potentially lethal clinical entity.

Science.gov (United States)

Kunieda, Takeshige; Murayama, Masanori; Ikeda, Tsuneko; Yamakita, Noriyoshi

2012-08-01

An 83-year-old woman presented to us with a 4-week history of general malaise, subjective fever and lower abdominal pain. Despite the intravenous infusion of antibiotics, her blood results and physical condition worsened, resulting in her sudden death. Autopsy study revealed that the medium-sized veins of the mesentery were infiltrated by eosinophil granulocytes, lymphocytes, macrophages and multinucleated giant cells; however, the arteries were not involved. Microscopically, venous giant cell infiltration was observed in the gastrointestinal tract, bladder, retroperitoneal tissues and myocardium. The final diagnosis was giant cell phlebitis, a rare disease of unknown aetiology. This case demonstrates for the first time that giant cell phlebitis involving extra-abdominal organs, including hearts, can cause serious morbidity.

Alteration of Sedimentary Clasts in Martian Meteorite Northwest Africa 7034

Science.gov (United States)

McCubbin, F. M.; Tartese, R.; Santos, A. R.; Domokos, G.; Muttik, N.; Szabo, T.; Vazquez, J.; Boyce, J. W.; Keller, L. P.; Jerolmack, D. J.;

Multispin giant magnons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bobev, N. P.; Rashkov, R. C.

2006-01-01

We investigate giant magnons from classical rotating strings in two different backgrounds. First we generalize the solution of Hofman and Maldacena and investigate new magnon excitations of a spin chain which are dual to a string on RxS 5 with two nonvanishing angular momenta. Allowing string dynamics along the third angle in the five sphere, we find a dispersion relation that reproduces the Hofman and Maldacena one and the one found by Dorey for the two spin case. In the second part of the paper we generalize the two 'spin' giant magnon to the case of β-deformed AdS 5 xS 5 background. We find agreement between the dispersion relation of the rotating string and the proposed dispersion relation of the magnon bound state on the spin chain

Morphological and molecular identification of Tetratrichomonas flagellates from the giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla).

Science.gov (United States)

Ibañez-Escribano, A; Nogal-Ruiz, J J; Delclaux, M; Martinez-Nevado, E; Ponce-Gordo, F

2013-08-01

A tetratrichomonad flagellate found in the diarrhoeic faeces of a 5 years-old male giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla) was characterised by morphological and genetic analysis. This protozoan presents four anterior flagella of unequal length and a recurrent flagellum attached to the undulating membrane without a free end portion, and a broad axostyle projection. Numerous vacuoles of different sizes containing bacteria and digestion products were found. The complete sequence of the DNA coding for the 16S rRNA-ITS1-5.8S rRNA-ITS2 region was also obtained in order to compare this isolate with other tetratrichomonad species. The sequence obtained was identical to others previously obtained by other researchers from bovines and turtles (Geochelone sp.). It is not easily explainable how the same organism could be found in such different hosts and locations; however these results indicate that some tetratrichomonad species could have a wide host range and could survive in a wide range of environmental conditions. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Study on flow and mass transport through fractured soft sedimentary rocks (Contact research)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shimo, Michito; Kumamoto, Sou; Maekawa, Keisuke

2007-03-01

It is important for safety assessment of HLW geological disposal to evaluate groundwater flow and mass transport in deep underground accurately. Though it is considered that the mass transport in sedimentary rock occurs in pores between grains mainly, fractures of sedimentary rock can be main paths. The objective of this study is to establish a conceptual model for flow and mass transport in fractured soft sedimentary rock. In previous study, a series of laboratory hydraulic and tracer tests and numerical analyses were carried out using sedimentary rock specimens obtained from Koetoi and Wakkanai formation. Single natural fractured cores and rock block specimen were used for the tests and analyses. The results indicated that the matrix diffusion played an important role for mass transport in the fractured soft sedimentary rocks. In this study, the following two tasks were carried out: (1) laboratory hydraulic and tracer experiments of rock cores of Koetoi and Wakkanai formation obtained at HDB-9, HDB-10 and HDB-11 boreholes and a rock block specimen, Wakkanai formation, obtained at an outcrop in the Horonobe area, (2) a numerical study on the conceptual model of flow and mass transport through fractured soft sedimentary rocks. Non-sorbing tracer experiments using naturally fractured cores and rock block specimens were carried out. Pottasium iodide was used as a tracer. The obtained breakthrough curves were interpreted and fitted by using a numerical simulator, and mass transport parameters, such as longitudinal dispersivity, matrix diffusion coefficient, transport aperture, were obtained. Mass transport simulations using a fracture network model, a continuum model and a double porosity model were performed to study the applicability of continuum model and double porosity model for transport in fractured sedimentary rock. (author)

137Cs as a tracer of recent sedimentary processes in Lake Michigan

Science.gov (United States)

Cahill, R.A.; Steele, J.D.

1986-01-01

To determine recent sediment movement, we measured the levels of 137Cs (an artificial radionuclide produced during nuclear weapons testing) of 118 southern Lake Michigan samples and 27 in Green Bay. These samples, taken from 286 grab samples of the upper 3 cm of sediment, were collected in 1975 as part of a systematic study of Lake Michigan sediment. 137Cs levels correlated well with concentrations of organic carbon, lead, and other anthropogenic trace metals in the sediment. 137Cs had a higher correlation with silt-sized than with clay-sized sediment (0.55 and 0.46, respectively). Atmospherically derived 137Cs and trace metals are being redistributed by sedimentary processes in Lake Michigan after being incorporated in suspended sediment. We determined a distribution pattern of 137Cs that represents areas of southern Lake Michigan where sediment deposition is occurring. ?? 1986 Dr W. Junk Publishers.

Subsurface Permian reef complexes of southern Tunisia: Shelf carbonate setting and paleogeographic implications

Science.gov (United States)

Zaafouri, Adel; Haddad, Sofiene; Mannaî-Tayech, Beya

2017-05-01

2-D seismic reflection sections, borehole data as well as published and unpublished data have been investigated to reconstruct the paleogeography of southern Tunisia during Middle to Late Permian times. Paleogeographical reconstruction based on the integration of petroleum well data and 2-D seismic facies interpretation shows three main depositional areas with very contrasting sedimentary pile. These are 1) a subsiding basin; 2) an outer shelf carbonate, and 3) an inner shelf carbonate. Based on typical electric responses of reef buildups to seismic wave, we shall urge that during Middle Permian times, the outer carbonate shelf was subject of reef barrier development. Lithology evidences from core samples show that reef framework correspond mainly to fossiliferous limestone and dolomite. The WNW-ESE recognized reef barrier led between latitudes 33° 10‧ 00″N and 33° 20‧ 00″N. The Tebaga of Medenine outcrop constitutes the northern-edge of this barrier. Westward it may be extended to Bir Soltane area whereas its extension eastward is still to be determined. Biogenic buildups took place preferentially over faulted Carboniferous and lower Paleozoic paleohighs resulting likely from the Hercynian orogeny. The subsiding basin is located north of Tebaga of Medenine outcrop where Upper Permian sedimentary sequence is made entirely of 4000 m deep marine green silty shale facies. These are ascribed to unorganized and chaotic reflectors. Inner carbonate shelf facies succession corresponds to a typical interbedding of shallow marine carbonate deposits, shale, dolomite, and anhydrite inducing parallel-layered of strong amplitude and good continuity reflectors. Also within the inner carbonate shelf patch reef or reef pinnacles have been identified based on their seismic signature particularly their low vertical development as compared to reef complexes. Southward, towards Sidi Toui area, the Upper Permian depositional sequence thins out and bears witness of land

Migration of accreting giant planets

Science.gov (United States)

Crida, A.; Bitsch, B.; Raibaldi, A.

2016-12-01

We present the results of 2D hydro simulations of giant planets in proto-planetary discs, which accrete gas at a more or less high rate. First, starting from a solid core of 20 Earth masses, we show that as soon as the runaway accretion of gas turns on, the planet is saved from type I migration : the gap opening mass is reached before the planet is lost into its host star. Furthermore, gas accretion helps opening the gap in low mass discs. Consequently, if the accretion rate is limited to the disc supply, then the planet is already inside a gap and in type II migration. We further show that the type II migration of a Jupiter mass planet actually depends on its accretion rate. Only when the accretion is high do we retrieve the classical picture where no gas crosses the gap and the planet follows the disc spreading. These results impact our understanding of planet migration and planet population synthesis models. The e-poster presenting these results in French can be found here: L'e-poster présentant ces résultats en français est disponible à cette adresse: http://sf2a.eu/semaine-sf2a/2016/posterpdfs/156_179_49.pdf.

X-ray excited photoluminescence near the giant resonance in solid-solution Gd(1-x)Tb(x)OCl nanocrystals and their retention upon solvothermal topotactic transformation to Gd(1-x)Tb(x)F3.

Science.gov (United States)

Waetzig, Gregory R; Horrocks, Gregory A; Jude, Joshua W; Zuin, Lucia; Banerjee, Sarbajit

2016-01-14

Design rules for X-ray phosphors are much less established as compared to their optically stimulated counterparts owing to the absence of a detailed understanding of sensitization mechanisms, activation pathways and recombination channels upon high-energy excitation. Here, we demonstrate a pronounced modulation of the X-ray excited photoluminescence of Tb(3+) centers upon excitation in proximity to the giant resonance of the host Gd(3+) ions in solid-solution Gd1-xTbxOCl nanocrystals prepared by a non-hydrolytic cross-coupling method. The strong suppression of X-ray excited optical luminescence at the giant resonance suggests a change in mechanism from multiple exciton generation to single thermal exciton formation and Auger decay processes. The solid-solution Gd1-xTbxOCl nanocrystals are further topotactically transformed with retention of a nine-coordinated cation environment to solid-solution Gd1-xTbxF3 nanocrystals upon solvothermal treatment with XeF2. The metastable hexagonal phase of GdF3 can be stabilized at room temperature through this topotactic approach and is transformed subsequently to the orthorhombic phase. The fluoride nanocrystals indicate an analogous but blue-shifted modulation of the X-ray excited optical luminescence of the Tb(3+) centers upon X-ray excitation near the giant resonance of the host Gd(3+) ions.

Giant Congenital Melanocytic Naevi: review of literature

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Marchesi

2012-04-01

Full Text Available giant congenital pigmented naevi is a great reconstructive challenge for the pediatric and plastic surgeons. due to the increased risk of malignant transformation in such lesions, many procedures have been used to remove giant congenital naevi like dermoabrasion, laser treatment or surgical excision combined with reconstruction through skin expansion or skin grafting; among these, only a complete excision can offer an efficacious treatment. in our centre we use the “tissue expansion” technique in order to achieve a sufficient quantity of normal skin to perform a both staged and radical excision of these giant lesions.

Sedimentary and Vegetative Impacts of Hurricane Irma to Coastal Wetland Ecosystems across Southwest Florida

Science.gov (United States)

Moyer, R. P.; Khan, N.; Radabaugh, K.; Engelhart, S. E.; Smoak, J. M.; Horton, B.; Rosenheim, B. E.; Kemp, A.; Chappel, A. R.; Schafer, C.; Jacobs, J. A.; Dontis, E. E.; Lynch, J.; Joyse, K.; Walker, J. S.; Halavik, B. T.; Bownik, M.

2017-12-01

Since 2014, our collaborative group has been working in coastal marshes and mangroves across Southwest Florida, including Tampa Bay, Charlotte Harbor, Ten Thousand Islands, Biscayne Bay, and the lower Florida Keys. All existing field sites were located within 50 km of Hurricane Irma's eye path, with a few sites in the Lower Florida Keys and Naples/Ten Thousand Islands region suffering direct eyewall hits. As a result, we have been conducting storm-impact and damage assessments at these locations with the primary goal of understanding how major hurricanes contribute to and/or modify the sedimentary record of mangroves and salt marshes. We have also assessed changes to the vegetative structure of the mangrove forests at each site. Preliminary findings indicate a reduction in mangrove canopy cover from 70-90% pre-storm, to 30-50% post-Irma, and a reduction in tree height of approximately 1.2 m. Sedimentary deposits consisting of fine carbonate mud up to 12 cm thick were imported into the mangroves of the lower Florida Keys, Biscayne Bay, and the Ten Thousand Islands. Import of siliciclastic mud up to 5 cm thick was observed in Charlotte Harbor. In addition to fine mud, all sites had imported tidal wrack consisting of a mixed seagrass and mangrove leaf litter, with some deposits as thick as 6 cm. In areas with newly opened canopy, a microbial layer was coating the surface of the imported wrack layer. Overwash and shoreline erosion were also documented at two sites in the lower Keys and Biscayne Bay, and will be monitored for change and recovery over the next few years. Because active research was being conducted, a wealth of pre-storm data exists, thus these locations are uniquely positioned to quantify hurricane impacts to the sedimentary record and standing biomass across a wide geographic area. Due to changes in intensity along the storm path, direct comparisons of damage metrics can be made to environmental setting, wind speed, storm surge, and distance to eyewall.

Role of organic matter in uranium mineralisation in Vempalle dolostone; Cuddapah basin, India

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goswami, Sukanta; Bhagat, Sangeeta; Zakaulla, Syed; Kumar, Suresh; Rai, A.K.

2017-01-01

Dolostone of Vempalle Formation near Tummalapalle hosts large uranium deposit (>100,000 tonnes with an average grade of 0.045% U_3O_8). It is a unique type of uranium deposit because carbonate formations have been considered to be among the least uraniferous of all the rocks of the Earth's crust due to mobility of uranium in aqueous fluid in the presence of carbonate and bicarbonate ions. Vempalle dolostone hosts syn-sedimentary uranium mineralization in the form of discrete uranium phases (pitchblende and coffinite) associated with collophane, and adsorbed uranium in organic matter. The organic matter has played dual role of concentrating uranium from solution and also chemically reducing it to pitchhblende and coffinite. (author)

Infrared spectroscopy of four carbon stars with 9.8 micron emission from silicate grains

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lambert, D.L.; Smith, V.V.; Hinkle, K.H.

1990-01-01

High-resolution K band and low resolution 4 micron spectra were obtained for four carbon stars showing IR emission by silicate grains. The results of the analysis of the K band spectra show that they are J-type stars. These results, together with published spectral classifications, show that all known carbon stars with a silicate emission feature are J-type stars. The 4 micron spectra are very similar to the spectra of classical J-type carbon stars, and do not show SiO bands that might come from a M giant companion. A binary model with a luminous M giant companion as a source of the silicate grain is rejected. It is proposed that the silicate grains formed from gas ejecta at or before the He-core flash, and that the flash initiates severe mixing, leading to the star's conversion to a J-type carbon star. The ejecta are stored in an accretion disk around a low mass unevolved companion. If it can be shown that the hypothesized accretion disk is stable and may be heated adequately, this binary model appears to account for these peculiar carbon stars. 41 refs

Giant urinary bladder calculus: Case report | Otieno | East African ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

A vertical calculus weighing more than 100 g is categorised as a giant urinary bladder stone. Giant urinary bladder stones are very rare and very few cases have been reported in English literature and only one case from Africa. This is a case report of a patient with a giant urinary bladder calculus presenting as a rectal ...

Assessing the carbon benefit of saltmarsh restoration

Science.gov (United States)

Taylor, Benjamin; Paterson, David; Hanley, Nicholas

2016-04-01

The quantification of carbon sequestration rates in coastal ecosystems is required to better realise their potential role in climate change mitigation. Through accurate valuation this service can be fully appreciated and perhaps help facilitate efforts to restore vulnerable ecosystems such as saltmarshes. Vegetated coastal ecosystems are suggested to account for approximately 50% of oceanic sedimentary carbon despite their 2% areal extent. Saltmarshes, conservatively estimated to store 430 ± 30 Tg C in surface sediment deposits, have experienced extensive decline in the recent past; through processes such as land use change and coastal squeeze. Saltmarsh habitats offer a range of services that benefit society and the natural world, making their conservation meaningful and beneficial. The associated costs of restoration projects could, in part, be subsidised through payment for ecosystem services, specifically Blue carbon. Additional storage is generated through the (re)vegetation of mudflat areas leading to an altered ecosystem state and function; providing similar benefits to natural saltmarsh areas. The Eden Estuary, Fife, Scotland has been a site of saltmarsh restoration since 2000; providing a temporal and spatial scale to evaluate these additional benefits. The study is being conducted to quantify the carbon benefit of restoration efforts and provide an insight into the evolution of this benefit through sites of different ages. Seasonal sediment deposition and settlement rates are measured across the estuary in: mudflat, young planted saltmarsh, old planted saltmarsh and extant high marsh areas. Carbon values being derived from loss on ignition organic content values. Samples are taken across a tidal cycle on a seasonal basis; providing data on tidal influence, vegetation condition effects and climatic factors on sedimentation and carbon sequestration rates. These data will inform on the annual characteristics of sedimentary processes in the estuary and be

Giant cell angiofibroma or localized periorbital lymphedema?

Science.gov (United States)

Lynch, Michael C; Chung, Catherine G; Specht, Charles S; Wilkinson, Michael; Clarke, Loren E

2013-12-01

Giant cell angiofibroma represents a rare soft tissue neoplasm with a predilection for the orbit. We recently encountered a mass removed from the lower eyelid of a 56-year-old female that histopathologically resembled giant cell angiofibroma. The process consisted of haphazardly arranged CD34-positive spindled and multinucleated cells within an edematous, densely vascular stroma. However, the patient had recently undergone laryngectomy and radiotherapy for a laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma. A similar mass had arisen on the contralateral eyelid, and both had developed several months post-therapy. Lymphedema of the orbit can present as tumor-like nodules and in some cases may share histopathologic features purported to be characteristic of giant cell angiofibroma. A relationship between giant cell angiofibroma and lymphedema has not been established, but our case suggests there may be one. The potential overlap of these two conditions should be recognized, as should other entities that may enter the differential diagnosis. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

[Giant paraovarian cyst in childhood - Case report].